glitterflyed
New Member
Hi everyone, I just had my wedding and would like to share my experiences so as to allow as many people to have an enjoyable experience while planning their wedding.
I bought my wedding package from X bridal studio. It cost me about 4K+ after GST and this included the rental of at least 3 outfits for the bride on her actual and photoshoot day. The groom had 2 suits for rental. This came up with an outsourced makeup artist and an in-house photographer.
Pre-wedding Shoot Album
- I did not bargain for more photos and happily accepted the 26 given me. However after reading through many forums, I actually learnt that it was a norm for brides to bargain for more. If I could turn back time, I would have given up the free father's suit and bridesmaids dresses (Which I did not use in the end as it looked very old and used) in exchange for more photos. So brides-to-be, please do bargain for more photos in your album before you make your deposit if you are doing a pre-wedding shoot with your bridal studio. Eg: If they tell you 26, do ask for 30+. Read on other forums that most bridal studios would usually give a few more.
Make-up
- Under the memo given to me, it stated that there was an optional cost of fake eyelashes for $15, ampoule for $25 and hair setting for $25. This would be collected by the make-up artist. In my excitement, I assumed that my optional cost would be $15+$25+$25 = $65. How wrong I was! I ended up paying $105 during my pre-wedding photoshoot make-up session. When I asked the make-up artist why was it so, she claimed that it was caused I had two eyes!!! I felt that the memo could have been better written. For example: $15 for ONE fake eyelash for ONE eye. Next, while my eyes were closed and while she was putting on the ampoule for me, the make-up artist said, "Actually your face will look better with two bottles of ampoules." I don't think any bride in the world would want to look ugly while doing her photoshoot. Hence, again, I fell for her sales tactic. So please don't be as gullible as me. Ask for the whole price before you sit on that make-up chair!
After that make-up experience, I did give feedback to my bridal studio about things not being specified and clear. They did say that they will tell my make-up artist but seems like there was no follow up.
Ok, so since my photoshoot make-up cost me an additional $105, I happily prepared the same $105 for my actual day make-up. But low and behold, the actual makeup came up to $145. As I was late for my wedding dinner and throwing a bitch fit at 6.30pm would make matters worse, I hurriedly paid the make-up artist and rushed out of my hotel room. (I really didnt have the time and energy to quarrel with someone just before having to entertain at least 300 guests!) So again, do ask for the price before getting your make-up done. (This make-up cost is an additional on top of the bridal package which I had already paid.)
I would suggest that one of your jie-meis be there for you while you're doing your make-up so that she can be the negotiator - the person to enquire about the prices and ensure your hair and make-up looks good. As the bride, you mind would definitely be busy with a thousand and one other things.
GST
- The price the bridal studio quoted me was before GST. Do ask the price after GST as it can increase by the hundreds. For example if your package is 4K, 7% of that is an additional $280.
Payment of bridal package
- Now after discussing with different friends, I found that there was no one fix way of collecting the various payments. It is best to get everything down in black and white as your wedding coordinator may not know the deal that was given to you. I was told to pay 40% of the package as my first deposit. The following 30% was to be paid when I selected my gown and the remaining 30% to be paid when I collected my photoshoot album. However, my wedding coordinator tried to collect my last 30% while I was selecting my pre-wedding photos. Thank goodness I had it written down and was able to prove that I had to only pay the last 30% after receiving the photo album. But actually, I was told by a friend that making full payment even before one collects the actual day gowns is really risky. What if the bridal shops closes down? What if your dress is accidentally torn the week before your wedding? Hence, my friend told me to negotiate with the studio to ensure that my last payment occurred only when I had collected my actual day gowns. The bridal studio did not allow the last 30% be paid on the actual day. However, they did save the last 10% for collection when I collected my actual day gowns, 3 days before my wedding. So try not to make the full payment before your gown collection day!
- I was told to make an additional $500 deposit when collecting my gowns and suits. This was not told to me when I signed up for the package. However, this deposit was returned once they found the gowns and suits to be intact.
Wedding Gowns
- Please check and check your gowns before bringing them home. I found lost sequins and holes in my dress! I have read horror stories of how brides had to end up buying their dresses when they were found to come back in an undesired state. So make sure the holes weren't caused by you.
Wedding Coordinators
- I found my wedding coordinators to be very polite, friendly and helpful. This definitely helped to ease the tension whenever I was thrown a shock bomb of a hidden cost of a particular item.
Pre-wedding shoot
- I was provided with one photographer. He had to carry his camera gear around and that was indeed really heavy. As such, it would be good to get one of jie-meis along on your photoshoot to help you carry your wedding dress and all other accessories. Your husband-to-be would be equally as tired as you. I provided my own car for the photoshoot and my husband drove us around Singapore.
Overall, the services provided by the bridal studio was very good. However, as with the title of this post, for a bride to be happy throughout this entire process, it is always good to be aware of the hidden cost that may be involved in any bridal package.
I bought my wedding package from X bridal studio. It cost me about 4K+ after GST and this included the rental of at least 3 outfits for the bride on her actual and photoshoot day. The groom had 2 suits for rental. This came up with an outsourced makeup artist and an in-house photographer.
Pre-wedding Shoot Album
- I did not bargain for more photos and happily accepted the 26 given me. However after reading through many forums, I actually learnt that it was a norm for brides to bargain for more. If I could turn back time, I would have given up the free father's suit and bridesmaids dresses (Which I did not use in the end as it looked very old and used) in exchange for more photos. So brides-to-be, please do bargain for more photos in your album before you make your deposit if you are doing a pre-wedding shoot with your bridal studio. Eg: If they tell you 26, do ask for 30+. Read on other forums that most bridal studios would usually give a few more.
Make-up
- Under the memo given to me, it stated that there was an optional cost of fake eyelashes for $15, ampoule for $25 and hair setting for $25. This would be collected by the make-up artist. In my excitement, I assumed that my optional cost would be $15+$25+$25 = $65. How wrong I was! I ended up paying $105 during my pre-wedding photoshoot make-up session. When I asked the make-up artist why was it so, she claimed that it was caused I had two eyes!!! I felt that the memo could have been better written. For example: $15 for ONE fake eyelash for ONE eye. Next, while my eyes were closed and while she was putting on the ampoule for me, the make-up artist said, "Actually your face will look better with two bottles of ampoules." I don't think any bride in the world would want to look ugly while doing her photoshoot. Hence, again, I fell for her sales tactic. So please don't be as gullible as me. Ask for the whole price before you sit on that make-up chair!
After that make-up experience, I did give feedback to my bridal studio about things not being specified and clear. They did say that they will tell my make-up artist but seems like there was no follow up.
Ok, so since my photoshoot make-up cost me an additional $105, I happily prepared the same $105 for my actual day make-up. But low and behold, the actual makeup came up to $145. As I was late for my wedding dinner and throwing a bitch fit at 6.30pm would make matters worse, I hurriedly paid the make-up artist and rushed out of my hotel room. (I really didnt have the time and energy to quarrel with someone just before having to entertain at least 300 guests!) So again, do ask for the price before getting your make-up done. (This make-up cost is an additional on top of the bridal package which I had already paid.)
I would suggest that one of your jie-meis be there for you while you're doing your make-up so that she can be the negotiator - the person to enquire about the prices and ensure your hair and make-up looks good. As the bride, you mind would definitely be busy with a thousand and one other things.
GST
- The price the bridal studio quoted me was before GST. Do ask the price after GST as it can increase by the hundreds. For example if your package is 4K, 7% of that is an additional $280.
Payment of bridal package
- Now after discussing with different friends, I found that there was no one fix way of collecting the various payments. It is best to get everything down in black and white as your wedding coordinator may not know the deal that was given to you. I was told to pay 40% of the package as my first deposit. The following 30% was to be paid when I selected my gown and the remaining 30% to be paid when I collected my photoshoot album. However, my wedding coordinator tried to collect my last 30% while I was selecting my pre-wedding photos. Thank goodness I had it written down and was able to prove that I had to only pay the last 30% after receiving the photo album. But actually, I was told by a friend that making full payment even before one collects the actual day gowns is really risky. What if the bridal shops closes down? What if your dress is accidentally torn the week before your wedding? Hence, my friend told me to negotiate with the studio to ensure that my last payment occurred only when I had collected my actual day gowns. The bridal studio did not allow the last 30% be paid on the actual day. However, they did save the last 10% for collection when I collected my actual day gowns, 3 days before my wedding. So try not to make the full payment before your gown collection day!
- I was told to make an additional $500 deposit when collecting my gowns and suits. This was not told to me when I signed up for the package. However, this deposit was returned once they found the gowns and suits to be intact.
Wedding Gowns
- Please check and check your gowns before bringing them home. I found lost sequins and holes in my dress! I have read horror stories of how brides had to end up buying their dresses when they were found to come back in an undesired state. So make sure the holes weren't caused by you.
Wedding Coordinators
- I found my wedding coordinators to be very polite, friendly and helpful. This definitely helped to ease the tension whenever I was thrown a shock bomb of a hidden cost of a particular item.
Pre-wedding shoot
- I was provided with one photographer. He had to carry his camera gear around and that was indeed really heavy. As such, it would be good to get one of jie-meis along on your photoshoot to help you carry your wedding dress and all other accessories. Your husband-to-be would be equally as tired as you. I provided my own car for the photoshoot and my husband drove us around Singapore.
Overall, the services provided by the bridal studio was very good. However, as with the title of this post, for a bride to be happy throughout this entire process, it is always good to be aware of the hidden cost that may be involved in any bridal package.
