10 tips from a BrideChilla

Tip number 1: As much as possible, stay away from wedding magazines. You can use them as an inspiration, but not to the extent that you rely on them.  If you know deep inside that you do not have enough budget, try not to look for a supplier from a wedding magazine. (Sorry, just a personal experience) Almost all of the suppliers in wedding magazines are HIGH-END. Take it from me; their rates are one way or another costly.  Look for other resources, there’s the Internet, forums and the Phone Book Directory ! Yes phone book directory- this led me to Great Eastern Hotel! If I get to have my own wedding magazine, I will advertise also the affordable suppliers ☻☻☻ hihi

Tip number 2: Scout. Scout and Scout. Don’t get tempted to book the suppliers you see. Learn how to compare and contrast, and check what they have to offer. Look for reviews first, both good and bad.  

Tip number 3: Ask for a friend who can help you, and not to criticize you. Yes they can share some ideas and advices, but please! Never ever talk to someone who has nothing to say except negative things about your plans for your big day.

Tip number 4: Talk to a former bride and bride to be. Share experiences with them. Take it from me, they can share a lot of ideas and tips with you. 

Tip number 5: Plan ahead of time. Don't be too lax. 

Tip number 6: Learn the art of pencil booking. Price locks are very important with couples who are planning to have a budgeted wedding. Also, if you get to book a supplier 8-12 months before the wedding, chances are you will benefit with their old rates. Most suppliers increase their rates yearly. So example, if you book them on 2011, and your wedding is 2012, your rates are going to be for 2011 rates, even if your wedding is still on 2012. Just make sure to ask your suppliers if they do price locks.

Tip number 7: Buy a clear book, and keep all your contracts handy. Just make sure you do not misplace it. Because if you lose the clear book, then you need to find a way to reproduce the documents and contracts once more!

Tip number 8: DIY. DIY. DIY. If you are really crafty, try to DIY (DO-IT-YOURSELF). IN my case, I am really not that crafty, but due to the means that we have to chomp our wedding expenses, I tried it real hard to DIY things just to lessen our wedding expenses.

Tip number 9: Arrange your guest list way ahead of time. This is one of the crucial things you ought to do a couple of months before the big day. It is not easy to decide whom you need to invite (unless you really have a big budget). So sit down with your hubby to be and discuss with each other who are worth inviting for. Hehe.

Tip number 10: Enjoy the entire wedding planning process. There will be times that you and your hubby to be would fight over small things about the wedding details (haha), but make sure to patch things up. It is not easy to plan for a wedding, so do not carry the entire burden. Both of you should plan for the wedding. Share ideas and support each other. Trust me, planning for a wedding will make your relationship stronger and even better! ☻ 

This is my Dream Wedding

Getting married is not that easy, and so with wedding budgeting. When Mark and I decided to get married, I was a bit anxious about the expenses we might incur all throughout the preparation stage. I am not that confident, and I even thought of that the wedding might not push through since we won’t be able to pay the suppliers in time.

Luckily, or I should say, I am more than thankful that we were able to make it and was able to allot more than what we can. I know for sure that this budgeted, simple and not so intimate wedding (yes we do have a lot of guests) will be memorable even if we didn’t break the bank.

During the early stage of our wedding preps, I thought that a couple need to spend that much just to achieve their dream wedding, and right now, with only 30 days left before our big day, I came to realize that we need not to spend that much just to have our dream wedding. After all, this is my dream wedding! – To get married with Mark. To exchange vows with Mark, and let our families, friend and the MAN up there know how much we love each other.

As early as now, we were able to pay all the suppliers ahead the deadline, and I am very proud to say that this is indeed our wedding. We paid for it with our own effort and hard work. Now that everything is falling in its right place, there is NO ONE, who can make me feel depressed if they say undesirable things about our plans for the big day.