Serious Help: Can I prepare my entire wedding LESS THAN 6 WEEKS? POSSIBLE??

[blessed83]

Dear Peers,

We are having our chinese customary dinner in mid-March and heard there are lots of things to prepare apart from the wedding banquet itself.


We have yet sourced for any bridal shop and everything else except having our wedding banquet 'almost booked'. So is there much things to prepare for the chinese custom aspect. (ie. cakes for relatives, "An Chuang", "Ti Qing", many others.)


Pls Advise:
*************

Wedding Photo:
1) Can anyone advise on how long will we need to have the entire wedding album done up?

2) What are some considerations in engaging local bridal shop and JB bridal shop? (Saw many enjoy great deal at JB bridal; are they genuine?)

3) Is it true that we need to engage separate entity to handle our actual day videography and photography?


Thank you.

Sincerely,
James GTB

 

[phantazia]

Wow! Tat's super stress leh.

The problem only comes when there's no venue, photography nor videography available on the dates you want.

The wedding album itself probably taking 2-3wks.
If i were you, i will juz take local bridal studio as its gonna be more hassle to go JB.
It is also true that you need to scout for external videography and photography if your BS (usually i dun think they have) doesn't provide.

Actually, if you are keen, my bridal package yes everything you need for AD including videography and photography. However, i do not have pre-wed shoot. But i did ask them to include a "make-over" as my pre-wed shoot and they are quite agreeable. Its also cheaper and probably does not include outdoor shoot.

[email protected]

 

[thiasy]

Hey James,

1) It will take at least 1.5 mths to 2 mths from the photoshoot to album collection.

2) I took my pre wedding photos in JB. Yes, we enjoy great deals because of the forex exchange rate. It's only half the price of what we need to pay in Spore. However, if you are in a hurry, maybe it might be a hassle for you to go in and out of JB? Furthermore, JB package don't include MUA and wedding car. You might need some time to source for these 2 items.

3) Usually bridal shop package don't comes with AD PG & VG. Depends on your budget,if you need both PG & VG, price starts from $1000 onwards, depending on your budget. I got mine at $1180 (considered one of the cheapest i can find)

My email address is [email protected]. let me know if you need further assistance. hehe.. i searching for my church wedding florist now.

 

[sminny]

Hi James

Most impt is to settle the bridal shop so that you can arrange for photoshoot. Photos, i think the albumn can come later. Get the softcopies up and flash it during the dinner. I seriously doubt people will actually flip through the albumn during the reception.

You also need to get the wedding cards out so that the parents can start distributing during CNY, get your wedding bands, source for your solemniser if your ceremony is held outside Fort Canning and most important to register your dates so that you can arrange to have your certs done (especially impt for outside ceremonies as extra cost incurred if not enough time is given to prepare the cert).

Good luck on your wedding preparation

 

[sminny]

Oh ya, for the chinese customary stuff, you can visit Chinatown to get the things. The staff there are very experience in assisting in that aspect.

You will also need to visit the bride's family with your parents to officiate the wedding as both families need to settle on the "pin jin", no. of tables to give for the bride's side, if they are ok with the auspicious timing and other T&C they have in mind in exchange for their daughter's hand.

Very often, many couples face problems with the ti jin part. So it's best to get it settled and concentrate on other preparations

 

[xinyue]

james >
some considerations in engaging bridal studios..
1) quality of the gowns.. are they new/look new or tattered and worn?
2) designs of the gowns..
3) skills of the PG.. how does you pics turn out? pics look natural or not.. does pic capture what is it supposed to capture, i.e. the blissful look of bride and groom?
4) is wedding package comprehensive for you and your wife-to-be?
5) pricing of package reasonable to you and wife to be?
6) service and attitude of staffs of bridal studio, in this case, the makeup artist, photographer, wedding co-ordinator.

this is just my 2 cents worth

 

[xinyue]

james >

on engaging separate entity to handle actual day videography and photography..

if your bridal studio does provide actual day PG and VG, you may engage them.. provided you are comfortable with the pricing and skills..
else, engage separate entity..
seems like most wedding package doesnt include actual day PG and VG, if it does, package is quite ex..

 

[happymrswong]

i went to a few bridal shops but none of them could do anything within my budget or timing...luckily for me, Wilson of Max Couture managed to custom made a wedding gown for me (design choose from book but he manage to improve on it and its super nice and fitting on the fat fat me)....

Alex (freelance photographer) brought the backdrops on the actual day and stick it on cupboards and after the editing, it looks like we have STUDIO pictures!! he immediately develop one in A4 size so that i can put it up at the banquet that evening. I am ever so grateful! am going to put my fav pictures (ROM+AD) into an album (at gloryworks at 2nd floor Bras Basah) which is more meaningful than just those random studio/outdoor shots that hardly look like u and u won't even look at it after a while....

 

[blessed83]

Thanks for the spontateous responses! Greatly appreciated. Thank GOD we have already done our solemisation last Oct in 2009 at Giraffe opposite Istana.

Booked our banquet venue and collected the invitation cards 2 days ago. Still in the midst of calling and confirming our guestlists.

Thank GOD we also have our BS booked and all photoshoots will be completed within 2 days the week after CNY. Softcopy and photo montage will be ready before our wedding banquets in Malacca and Singapore.

Still considering on whether to get PG and VG. Why its so costly hur? at least $1,000??

Although we have checked out the auspicious dates and timings, we might not be following the entire ritual; too much for preparation. Since both my wife and I are christians, we decide to simplify it and make it manageable for a more enjoyable experience.

Currently I am still scouting for Xiong Di and thinking if we can drive into Malaysia to receive my wife from her hometown, Malacca. 3 hours drive thou. Many suggested its too hectic to cross the border to receive the bride but personally I think its once-in-a-lifetime and its more meaningful than receiving from a local hotel.

Any advice for me? Pls share your opinions.


Thank you,
James GTB

 

[thiasy]

Congrats to you James! Which bridal studio did u choose in then end?

Actually, Just the PG alone can cost between $500 to even $2000++ depends on the popularity & skills of the photographer. Hence, it is not very common for both items to exceed $1000 easily. Alternatively, you might want to get your friends to help you with the actual day photograph taking so that it can cut some cost.

hmm... it can be really hectic & tiring to drive into & out of Malacca on the same day. There might be jam as well. Maybe if you really want to fetch the bride in Malacca, to save some time, you can have the banquet in malacca first? Subsequently, then you have the Singapore banquet on another day?

 

[lingling32178]

Hi James,

I booked my Actual Day PG & VG from i-wedding, all together cost $1688. That's the cheapest i could get.

 

[bebeann]

I come across this Essential Photography.

They having combo package for PG & VG at $1250.

 

[two_piece]

Oh tat's not ex leh... but how's the quality of their service? Anyone tried them before?

 

[ruckmiamadeus]

my cousin's colleague hired this Essential Photography for his wedding. He got their PG and VG combo also but at $999 only. I think their price are seriously very affordable! My cousin saw her colleagues picture and said not bad, its worth paying the price consider fact that this group has been on the market for a number of years now.

 

[angelme]

Seriously i doubt e service standards of ESSENTIAL PHOTOGRAPHY. No doubt it looks cheap, they were extremely rude when i asked for quote and refused to reveal more details of my wedding and doing a meetup till i was more firm on my shortlisting. They refused to shoe sample links too . Seriously given this kinda Lousy service give me free i oso don't want!

 

[fussybride]

Can it be done?