Singaporebrides | Weddings 101

June 2023

7 Timing Mistakes You Need To Avoid For Your Wedding

By Audrie Soh

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Plan the perfect wedding by avoiding these seven timing mistakes for your big day.

Timing plays a crucial role when it comes to planning your wedding as it helps you make more informed decisions, manage your budget and even secure your favourite vendors. If this is your first time planning an event as big as a wedding, then you may wonder when you should start reaching out to the vendors and when you should book them, and if you are having a destination wedding, how far ahead of the wedding date you should send out your invitations.

To give you a better grasp of the timing of some of the key aspects of your wedding, we’ve put together a list of seven timing mistakes you should avoid when planning your wedding for a more enjoyable journey.

1. Reaching Out To Vendors Too Early

While it is always good to start planning your wedding early, reaching out to vendors before you even have a wedding date in mind or when your wedding is at least a year or more away may just be too early. Most wedding vendors may not take bookings that are more than a year ahead as there are many variables along the way that may affect the booking, such as price or manpower changes, or unforeseeable events like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Your taste in vendors may also change along the way, as new trends dominate and up and coming vendors take over the existing ones in popularity. So, although it is good to have a list of wedding vendors you want for your wedding, if your wedding is more than a year away or if you don’t even have a date in mind, don’t feel rushed into reaching out to them. A good time to reach out to learn more about their services and pricing would be six months to a year before your big day. In the meantime, if you’d like to have a feel of their works and price range, you can check out our featured list of vendors such as photographers, bridal boutiques, hair and makeup artists, and more.

2. Not Booking Key Vendors Early

On the other hand, don’t wait too long to book your key vendors such as your wedding venue, photographer, videographer, hair and makeup artist, and wedding planner or stylist, especially if you are tying the knot during the peak wedding season. Before you start reaching out, you should have a list of vendors whom you’d like for your big day. To help speed things up, you should have shortlisted at least two to four options for each category, in the event that your first few choices are not available.

Many variables such as a popular wedding date or a popular vendor will affect your ability to book your preferred vendors. But the rule of thumb for most vendors is to book them at least six months before your wedding to find out if they are available. For venues, you should enquire and book once you have a wedding date, as venues tend to accept bookings way ahead in advance, especially if you have a hot wedding date or are gunning for a popular venue.

3. Not Giving Yourself Enough Time To Get Into Shape

Looking your best on your big day is of course on the top of every bride’s priorities, so if you want to get into the best shape you’ve ever been for your big day, then by all means go ahead. But, do give yourself ample time to do so, and do it in a healthy way. Don’t go on a crash diet or try treatments that you have not tried before. Instead, get fit by adding a sustainable and reasonable exercise routine and eating healthily at least six months before the wedding.

Not only will exercising and eating healthy give you a better and healthier physique, it will also give you clearer skin to help achieve that bridal glow without any cosmetic enhancements, and act as a natural stress relief for you during your planning journey.

4. Focusing Too Much on the Smaller Details

As the saying goes, there is a time and place for everything, and obsessing over the nitty gritty details of your wedding right from the start is definitely not the right time or place to do it. Some brides tend to focus too much on the smaller details such as the colour of flowers or the invites and forget about the big picture such as confirming a venue or a wedding theme.

Instead of spending your time and effort on deciding the finer details at the start, focus your energy on deciding on a wedding theme and venue, and even a stylist, first. Once you have those confirmed, then you can mull over the other areas of your wedding.

5. Purchasing Your Wedding Gown Too Early

Unless you’re getting a brand new wedding gown made from scratch, don’t rush into getting a wedding gown too early in your planning. Unlike venues and photographers, it is easier for you to find your dream gown at more than one bridal boutique, as they tend to carry similar dress styles that are in trend.

With that being said, you should not leave it to the last minute to buy your wedding gown either, even if you are renting an off-the-rack gown. Ideally, you should visit your preferred boutique at least six to eight months before your wedding date. If you are getting a made-to-measure gown made from scratch, then you might want to factor in even more time for the design and production process on top of the usual fitting sessions, at least eight months to a year, depending on the number of dresses you are getting and how complicated their designs are.

6. Sending Out Destination Invitations Too Late

If you are planning a destination wedding, or are inviting family and friends who are overseas to your wedding in Singapore, you might want to send out your wedding invitations earlier. Since not everyone on your guest list may be able to make it for your destination wedding, sending your invitations early gives both you and your guests an advantage. They will get sufficient time to determine if they are able to make it for your big day, while you will be able to tell how many of your guests will be able to make it to your celebration ahead of time, allowing you to make more informed decisions regarding your planning and budgeting.

7. Not Timing Your Wedding Speeches Properly

Wedding speeches are an essential part of any wedding celebration. It allows some of the most important people in the newlyweds’ lives to share more about them, celebrate their union and thank the guests for coming together to celebrate this new milestone of their lives. It also allows the newlyweds to express their gratitude to their family and friends.

However, if timed wrongly, these heartfelt and genuine speeches may not be heard or paid attention to. Try to not time the speeches in between any dish change or after all courses have been served as guests may be distracted with the servers clearing plates and serving food, or too late into the night as guests with young children may have to leave early.

Feature Image from Cleo and Paul’s Minimalist and Ethereal Art Gallery Wedding by Iki Company.

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