Lets hear it from the expert:
by Mary Liu, VowsForever.com
Adhering to a tight budget may feel like it's keeping you from having the wedding of your dreams, but there are some practical ways to help save a little money without taking away from your special day:
1. Cut down on the number of attendants you have - it will save money on flowers, gifts, rehearsal dinner meals, etc.
2. Hire your photographer or videographer for only the ceremony and part of your reception instead of the entire day.
3. Use fresh-cut flowers that are in season instead of ordering pre-made arrangements.
4. Cut down on the number of courses for your reception dinner, like eliminating the sorbet or the shrimp cocktail.
5. Serve only beer, wine, and soft drinks instead of having a full bar.
These are just a few ideas on how to shave a few amount off your wedding. Take a look at your budget, and find things that you really would not miss, and cross them off.
----------------------------------------
by Rose Sartaguda, eHow.com
Determine Your Budget
1. Determine the exact amount you can afford to spend and what you can set aside for your wedding budget. According to Asawa.org, a wedding and reception in the Philippines can run anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000, USD (50,000 -- 250,000 Philippine pesos), with a median of perhaps $2,500 USD (125,000 pesos). This can cover everything from the wardrobe and rings, to church and reception, as well as hotel accommodations and honeymoon packages. Everything else depends on this budget (including your financial freedom at the beginning of your married life), so make sure you agree on a favorable, practical amount---and stick to it!
2. Assign certain parts of the budget to specific wedding categories (ceremony, reception, bride & groom's wardrobe, rings, etc.). Agree on which part of the wedding is more important to both of you. This will greatly help to determine what part of the budget to allot where. For example, if you believe that the marriage ceremony is more important than the celebration (the Philippines ascribes greater importance on the church wedding rites than the after-party), allot a bigger amount of the budget for the church expenses (decors, music, rings) and opt for a simpler reception.
3. Make a detailed checklist on your notebook about what you'll need to plan and prepare for: legal requirements, ceremony and reception details, honeymoon itinerary, etc. Determine the specific time frame for each item, so you'll know when you should be working on one and by what time you should get it done. This is very important so you don't waste valuable time. For legal requirements in the Philippines, for example, both civil and church weddings would require you to secure a marriage license, valid for six months. However, churches require much more, such as baptismal and confirmation certificates, marriage banns, pre-marriage seminars, etc. Also, if you're a non-Filipino national wishing to wed in the Philippines, you'll also need to obtain a Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage from the diplomatic or consular offices of your country. These processes may take some time so make sure you allot enough time for them.
Get to Work
1. Wedding decorations image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com Choose a wedding theme. Your choice determines all the other decisions you'll have to make regarding the wedding details. A traditional Filipino wedding (Filipiñana wedding), for example, entails wearing of barong tagalong for the male entourage and guests, the use of a horse-drawn kalesa in place of a bridal car, and hiring a rondalla instead of a string quartet, among others. The good news is that whatever theme you choose, the Filipino wedding industry has an abundance of budget packages to suit your taste and style.
2. Enlist the help of your friends or relatives in the Philippines, to serve as wedding planners/coordinators. They are most likely familiar with the local wedding requirements, well-connected or more accessible to suppliers, and more than eager to be involved in your wedding planning---even without pay!
3. Scout for suppliers. Bridal glossies and wedding websites offer a wide range of suppliers to choose from. Popular wedding websites in the Philippines include "Weddings at Work," "The Wedding Library," and "Kasal.com." They feature everything you need for a Philippine wedding: from the planning stages to the honeymoon, even bridal forums where you can find practical suggestions and essential wedding advice from real brides who've actually walked the Philippine aisles before you. Attending wedding expos is also a big help, as it allows you to meet suppliers, sample their offerings, and even get valuable discounts. Plus, it saves you a lot of time and money as opposed to meeting suppliers one by one in different locations. "Themes & Motifs" is a great source for wedding expos.
4. Trim your list to three suppliers (at the most) for each category/item. Consider the quality of products/service, reliability/reputation, and financial viability. Most suppliers in the Philippines offer affordable, quality packages. Plus, even if you're from America for example, communicating with Philippine wedding suppliers is a breeze, as it is the world's third largest English-speaking nation. According to Weddings at Work, "The Filipinos' proficiency and good command of the English language facilitate worry and problem-free coordination and implementation of even the most elaborate wedding and the most extraordinary honeymoon experience." Once you've trimmed the list, decide who has the best offer that fits your theme and budget.
------------------------------------------
Also you may want to calculate your budget for the entire event.
you may try this site to itemize your budget.
0 comments:
Post a Comment