Wedding preparations are innately overwhelming.
I must know that. November last year, I got married, but several months before our BIG DAY, we were already busy preparing and planning every single detail of our wedding. Luckily, it turned out well.
So, I want to share you some essential wedding tips that I’ve learned from my own experience and from the people I’ve talked to during the entire process.
- Before you know what you really want for your wedding, know what you don’t first. The first time we met our wedding planner, we were asked what we want for our wedding. Then, we began enumerating a lot of things and details we want to include on our wedding. Obviously, our planner was overwhelmed, so he just asked us the things that we don’t want for our wedding.
So, from there, I, along with my beau and wedding planner were able to map out an initial idea about our wedding. As couples, we agreed to have a simple but elegant wedding. We added that we want something “Filipino”. We don’t want “fiesta-like” wedding; instead, we prefer a solemn wedding with romantic music from the orchestra. And the list goes on.
We listed all the things that we don’t want for our wedding. And by then, we finally arrived at a specific wedding theme.
- Choose a church if you will have a ‘Catholic wedding’. In line with our proposed Filipino theme, we chose Malate Church, one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. It was also the first church where we attended mass as a couple. You, too, can find a church that is in line with your desired theme or any church that has a big impact to your relationship.
- Complete all the wedding requirements. Before you go any further, do not forget to apply for a marriage license by attending various seminars, such as the Pre-Cana and Family Planning seminar.
- Pick a “very specific” theme. We already mentioned that we want something “Filipino”, but the planner asked us the details that we want to be included on the theme. So, we said, we want something “Pop” with a mix of “Filipino culture” in it.
So, we arrived at the “Pinoy Pop Culture” theme.
Themes are not just about color palette. It can also revolve around the inspiration behind it. It may be a place that you and your husband-to-be, cherish the most, or a piece of fabric that you can pull off ideas from. As for our theme, “kalesa” became our inspiration in picking the “Pinoy Pop Culture” theme. Ever since, we were already very fond of the idea of a “historic” wedding, plus the fact that we love riding in a “kalesa”, especially when we’re in the Intramuros and Malate area.
- Prepare a checklist. As soon as you’ve come up with a specific theme for your wedding, you can already write down all the things that you’ll need. When I say, all the things, even the smallest detail matters.
From what I’ve also learned from our wedding planner and from the wedding magazines I’ve read, here should be the content of your checklist:
- Gowns and Suits
- Photo-Video Coverage
- Floral Arrangements
- Invitations
- Souvenirs/Giveaways
- Photo booth
- Hair and Make-up
- Wedding rings
- Aras and paraphernalia
- Lights and sounds
- Wedding Cake
- Bridal Car
- Hotel reservation
- Catering Service
- Church Arrangements
- Reception Venue
Things to Remember
- Master of Ceremony
- Trial make-up
- Flowers for centerpiece
- Candles for tables
- Prenuptial photo shoot
- AVP, SCREEN and PROJECTOR
- Tarpaulin and stand
- Food Tasting
- Guest list Printouts
- Seating Arrangement per table and Floor Plan Sketch
- Script for the reception program
- Band and intermission number rehearsals
- Stage set-up and provisional tents
- Church and reception ocular
- Rehearsal for 1st dance and money dance
- Distribution of Invitations
- Sign up for a bridal registry. Don’t be so overwhelmed with all the complex and exacting details of your wedding preparations. Make sure that you sign up for a bridal registry, and let your guests know where you’ve registered. Be careful in choosing the items you will put on your bridal registry. Visualize how your home will look like and know what your basic needs are as you start your lifetime journey together.
- Make your wedding uniquely yours. There may be lots of creative suggestions on wedding magazines and websites, but isn’t it more special if you will deviate from these conventional ideas? As for our wedding, we had a pure ‘Tagalog’ invitation that was, of course in line with our theme. For our invitations, I decided to compose the words that will make up our invitation. We also chose the image that will put into it. As for our souvenirs, we chose a wooden bowl filled with pastries made by my chef-groom. The tag in the souvenir holds the poem I wrote.
We also deviate from the traditional throwing of bouquet by replacing it with pin finding contest, wherein blindfolded bridesmaids look for the pin in the body of the groomsman who got the garter. Squeeze your creativity and you will see that the event will be more special when you put a piece of your heart in it.
- Accept flaws along the way. No matter how hard you plan and prepare for your wedding, there will be small or big flaws that will come your way. I, myself, experienced it. Two weeks before my wedding, I found out that the original design of my wedding gown was not given justice by the couturier. It was totally different and had to admit that it didn’t look like a wedding gown to start with. I was so disappointed, but I needed to be calm so I could find a solution. So, what we did was pay additional money to save my gown. Although, we knew that it’s their fault, we had to be patient and think about that no one would accept a wedding gown that’s already two weeks due.
It didn’t end there. Two days before our wedding, we found out that gowns of flower girls were still unfinished. So what we did was to pull-out the order from the store and look for ready-made gowns. Luckily, we found gowns that could fit well with our cute flower girls.
Despite all the flaws, we are very thankful that our wedding went well. It might not be perfect, but it was the happiest moment of our lives as we celebrated it with the people we love.
Just enjoy your wedding preparations, do your best to make the most out of your ideas. Also, it is important to be practical in spending for your wedding, remember that there is a more important event coming up. It is not just a one-day affair, but a journey of a lifetime.
Best Wishes to all 2013 couples!