Singaporebrides | Weddings 101
January 2011
The 8-Step Guide To Kickstart Your Wedding Planning
It’s normal for you to be flustered about your wedding. After all, you’ve never done this before! While the wedding planning experience will be unique for every single bride out there, there is method to the madness.
Update: 15 June 2022
When the excitement of being engaged finally settles, you have to start thinking about your actual wedding day. Even though this is the one day many women have been dreaming of, the idea of planning a perfect wedding day can be a daunting one. While there is no one way of getting it right, these steps will guide you through your planning process. Even though you may think you have completed a certain step, it is normal to refer to it again later in your planning to do some adjustments.
Step 1: Get Your Budget Right
Depending on how traditional your family is, either you or your parents will be paying for the wedding. No matter how deep your pockets go, it is always a good idea to have a budget so that your wedding plans don’t go out of hand. Whether you have a budget of $10,000 or $1,000,000, there are definitely wedding vendors and services out there to cater to your needs. We have many articles related to wedding budget that you can refer to, including common mistakes you can avoid and some surprisingly simple ways you can keep within your budget.
Step 2: Nail That Venue
The first thing you should do is to have a rough date in mind. If you’re only just beginning to plan your wedding, choose a date at least six months from now. If you’ve already had your ROM, then you’ll just need a date for the banquet at a hotel or a restaurant. Otherwise, you’ll have to coordinate your solemnisation date with that of the hotel or restaurant availability. Finding the right venue will definitely take awhile, but directory of venues will help you save a lot of time. Decide if you would prefer a hotel or restaurant; they each come with their pros and cons, such as convenience and capacity. Make appointments to meet with their consultants and look through their wedding package details to see what they have to offer.
Step 3: Get Into The Gown
I’m sure most women will not hesitate jumping into this step right away. It is, indeed, a very fun and exciting part of the wedding planning process, but some women don’t realise what a difficult task it can be, especially when you are presented with a multitude of boutiques and gown styles. Are you a Goth Bride, or are you dreaming of a fairytale wedding? You can start by browsing our list of bridal boutiques. There are plenty of off-the-rack or made-to-order wedding gowns to choose from, and not forgetting the rest of the bridal party, such as the groom, bridesmaids and best men, who will need outfitting as well. Many brides like to coordinate the colours of their wedding party, so you have to plan for that early if you want to custom make your outfits.
Step 4: Get The Essentials Done
At this point, there are a few other things you cannot wait until the last minute to confirm. Your photographer and videographer are very important for your wedding day. Their purpose is to capture your memories for posterity so you need to find ones that you trust and who will not interrupt the events of the day so that you are at your most natural and beautiful on your big day. Book them early so that you won’t be disappointed. You’ll also need to coordinate your wedding entourage at this stage: rent your wedding car if you need one. After that, you should speak to your chosen stylist to discuss your venue décor, as well as your hand bouquet and wedding day looks.
Coral and Mint Retro Garden Wedding at Alkaff Mansion by Bryan Jean PhotographyStep 5: Start On Your Guest List
You must have heard the nightmares associated with the guest list and the seating plan. The key to getting this right is to start early, and a spreadsheet application, like Microsoft Excel. When you decided on your budget in Step 1, you must have agreed on the amount you will spend on your venue and banquet. Once you have booked your venue, you already have a number you can work with, so start writing out those names. We have looked at some of the most common questions couples usually have while planning their guest list. Hopefully it will help you too!
Step 6: Design and Order the Invitations
While you may have announced your big day to everyone you know, sending out the invitations make it official. It may be too early at this point to send out the invitation cards, so unless wedding stationery is included in your wedding package with your venue, you should start designing and choosing colours now. If you are having a destination wedding, you need to send out “Save The Date” cards to your invited guests so that they can make travel arrangements before your wedding day. Traditionally, wedding invitation cards are sent out on behalf of the wedding couples’ parents, so you may want to include their names in the print. Most people send out the invites a month before the wedding day, but if you need your invited guests to RSVP, send them out two months earlier so that you can confirm who will be at your wedding.
Step 7: Call Your Travel Agent
Nothing takes the stress out of planning for your wedding than planning for your honeymoon. Your honeymoon is the one time you have a proper excuse to over-spend, over-stay, and over-spa. And it will probably be the first time you will be addressed as “Mr and Mrs” by the Front Desk. Traditionally, newlyweds leave for their honeymoon as soon as the wedding is over, but most couples now prefer to wait a few months until budget permits. Most of you will already have a location in mind, but it is still a good idea to book with your travel agent or hotel early so you get better rates and will avoid disappointments.
Ines and Irjen’s Mesmerising Lovescapade in Japan by MultifoldsStep 8: Save on your wedding bookings
We know that weddings can be a financially heavy commitment, and every little bit counts when it comes to saving for your dream wedding. Savvy soon-to-wed couples can now enjoy more savings towards their happy occasion with Bouq, SingaporeBrides’ new deals system. Find discounted cash vouchers from wedding photographers, wedding videographers, bridal boutiques, bridal makeup artists, florists, and emcees! Vouchers offer up to $240 more in value, so you can enjoy great savings on your wedding bookings. Find out more about how it works here.
As mentioned earlier, every couple’s wedding planning process is unique and there is no one way to get it right. There will be more details to settle, such as speeches, menu-selection, accommodation, and more to take care of, but this 8-step guide should offer you a good idea of what needs to be done to make your wedding a smooth-sailing one.
Happy planning!
Featured image from Andrea and Samuel’s Void Deck Wedding in Clementi by Just Like Magic Co.
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