Singaporebrides | Weddings 101

December 2020

10 Simple Tips To Planning a Wedding Without a Wedding Planner

By Audrie Soh

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Planning your wedding without a wedding planner? Don’t fret; we’ve got your back with these tips on planning a wedding without a professional planner involved.

Planning a wedding is no easy feat and can be overwhelming for even seasoned planners to do by themselves, which is why some couples choose to outsource the planning to professional wedding planners. However, there are couples who choose to do it by themselves for a variety of reasons such as wanting to have complete control over their wedding plans or budget constraints.

If you have decided to take on the planning of your wedding by yourself but have little experience in planning and coordinating such a big party, then let us help you. We’ve put together 10 tips that’ll help you plan your dream wedding without a wedding planner.

1. Set A Wedding Budget (And Stick To It)

Before you begin any planning, sit down with your fiancé and set a budget that you are both comfortable with spending on your big day. This will set the tone for the rest of your planning and help you in your decision making process later on.

A typical wedding in Singapore can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $30,000 and more, but don’t let these figures pressurise you into putting down an amount that you’re not comfortable with spending for your wedding. You can have a beautiful wedding regardless of its price tag. Have an honest discussion with your fiancé on the type and size of wedding you envision having, and come to an agreement on an amount that you’re willing to spend on your big day. Then, factor into a 10% ‘splurge cushion’ for the unexpected costs that you’re bound to encounter along the way. Once you get that magic number, stick to it.

2. Make a List of Wedding Day Priorities

Once you have decided on a budget, the next thing you should do is to make a list of wedding day priorities with your fiancé. Discuss what are the three most important aspects of your wedding and why with each other. Doing so will help you focus your effort and money on what matters the most to both of you on your big day, and help you stick to your budget.

If any or all of your priorities overlap, then that’s great – you’ll know where you should spend the most of your budget on and where you should scrimp on. If you or your fiancé feels strongly against one or more of your priorities, have an open chat about why you feel that is important to you and come to a consensus before you start your planning.

3. Stay Organised With a Wedding Checklist

Now that you’ve gotten your budget and priorities sorted out, it’s time to start planning! But first, get organised with a wedding checklist to help you keep track of all the tasks on your to-do list. Having a checklist will help you visualise and prioritise your tasks so you don’t get overwhelmed with all that you need to do. It’ll also give you a better sense of how much time you have for each task as you plot down your list of to-dos in order of its importance, so you won’t find yourself fighting against time.

4. Decide on a Wedding Style or Theme

Before you start your hunt for the perfect team of wedding vendors for your big day, think about the kind of wedding you want. This will help to narrow down your search for the vendors who’ll bring your wedding vision to life. Browse through styled shoots or Real Weddings to help you find the style or wedding theme you want for your big day, and settle on one that fits your vision. Once you’ve done so, you’re ready to move on to the next step!

5. Do Your Research and Shop Around

After you’ve gotten all that footwork out of the way, you can begin your search for the team of wedding vendors who’ll make your dream wedding come true! With the unlimited resources available on the Internet and social media platforms, you’d be spoilt for choices in your hunt for the perfect set of vendors.

If you feel overwhelmed and lost by the sheer amount of information that you have to sieve through, then let our helpful and informative wedding planning lists help you find the perfect venue, photographer, videographer, makeup artist, and other vendors who’ll turn your dreams into reality. You’ll be able to find important details such as samples of their works, contact details and price range in our lists to help you narrow down on the vendors who meet your budget and needs.

Shortlist no more than a handful of vendors from each category whom you feel meet your vision and budget the most, and schedule an appointment to meet up with them to get to know them better so you can decide if they align with what you are looking for. Give yourself ample time to shop around and decide who is the best fit for you before you settle on one.

6. Choose Your Venue Wisely

It would be in your best interest to choose a venue that is already perfect and beautiful as it is so you don’t need to decorate it much for your celebration. That’ll help you cut down on the amount of work and finances needed to spruce up the space. Alternatively, you can ask the venue if they have a set of vendors whom they usually work with for decor or other add-ons such as dessert tables or live band entertainment, as they would usually have a preferential rate if you engage them for their services.

7. DIY Strategically

If you need to DIY, choose wisely. Not every element is worth doing it yourself or cost cheaper if you DIY-ed it. Jot down what you need for your wedding and do your research and shop around to find out if you’re better off paying for the finished product or worth the effort of doing it yourself.

As much as you would love to fill your big day with plenty of personalised touches, try not to go overboard or you’ll find yourself with more work than you expected or can handle. Be selective and strategic about the elements you can inject your personal touches in, such as wedding favours, invites or welcome bags, and you’ll find the whole journey much more enjoyable.

8. Involve Your Significant Other, Family and Friends in Your Planning

If you have decided to be your own wedding planner, then you should definitely get your significant other involved as much as you can. You’re not in this alone, so don’t try to do it all by yourself! Planning your wedding with your significant other will forge new bonds for both of you as a couple, and allow you to discover a new side of your partner that you have never encountered, offering a deeper understanding of each other as you work towards your union. Plus, planning your happily-ever-after with your soulmate will make the wedding planning journey even more fun!

Don’t be afraid to rope your family and friends in if you need additional help! They’ll be more than happy to lend a hand to help you achieve your dream wedding. You should also try to involve your bridal party, or at the very least, maid-of-honour, in your plans so that they can take over the liaising with vendors when you need them to.

9. Choose Your Bridal Party Wisely

Speaking of your bridal party, it would be advisable for you to pick bridesmaids who would be willing and happy to help you out with your planning and on-the-day coordination. You’ll be enlisting their help in various areas of your wedding, such as the coordination and logistics, so you’ll want someone who is able to step up and shoulder these responsibilities when it is time.

10. Come Up With A Wedding Day Schedule

In the days leading up to your big day, do set aside some time to create a wedding day schedule and share it with your bridal party and family and friends who are helping you out on your wedding day. This will allow everyone to be on the same page and let them know what to expect on the day and when their help is needed.

You can also include specific instructions to your maid-of-honour, or whoever will be the coordinator on your wedding day, and assign roles to the rest of your bridal party in the wedding day schedule. This will help organise the day and inform everyone of what they are needed to do, so you can kick back and fully enjoy the experience of being bride without worrying about the flow of the wedding.

At the end of the day, whether you are planning your wedding by yourself or with some external help, try to enjoy the process more than being stressed out by your to-do list. Remember, the perfect wedding is one where you and your fiancé are happy and enjoying yourselves amongst the company of those you hold closest to your hearts, and not one where every detail is immaculate and according to plan.

Credits: Feature Image from Elaine Rui Min and Gabriel’s Industrial Pre-Wedding Shoot in Singapore by Multifolds Photography

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