Hello Everyone! ( ◞･౪･)
If you've been following my blog, Facebook or any of my other social media accounts, then you probably know that I just got married! Yay! Since then, I've had a lot of people asking me how we prepared for the big day. So I thought, why not make a list out of everything I've experienced? This is my first time explaining stuff like this, so please bear with me while I try to sort things out for you!
₍₍ (ง ˙ω˙)ว ⁾⁾
₍₍ (ง ˙ω˙)ว ⁾⁾
So without further ado, here are my tips for planning your wedding day (●♡∀♡))ヾ☆*。
My husband and I had roughly 2 months to plan our wedding, but in my opinion, the ideal preparation period would be from six months to a year. It will help keep stress levels down, and you would have more time to save up for the things you want. Although our wedding preparations were rushed due to certain circumstances, it was still hella' fun, but there were times that we couldn't help but wish for more time.
1. Wedding Coordinator.
I highly suggest hiring a wedding coordinator if you have the money. I think this is one of the most important things that we missed out in planning our wedding. If you can't spare the extra moolah, then try having someone you trust oversee the proceedings. Trust me, you wouldn't want to be the bride pulling her hair out the night before her big day organizing this and that. My biggest regret was not hiring one! I didn't get the chance to pamper myself. I wanted to go to the spa, maybe get a manicure and a pedicure. My feet were screaming for about the time we started gluing together the invitations. But nooo, I didn't have the time for that.
Among other things, I was in charge of organizing the seating arrangements. We had to group over 180 planned guests of all ages and walks of life into tables of 10. And let me tell you, this was one of the most volatile things that I had to deal with! The seating arrangement had a life of its own, and it took a different shape every other day (RSVP problems). You'd have people confirming and then cancelling the last minute, or a certain group bringing more people than you expected. All of a sudden, that perfect original plan that you were so proud of had just been sucked into the endless vortex that is known as the pre-wedding.
Amidst the preparation of DIY giveaways, props and materials to be used for the wedding, I only managed to get 3-4 hours of sleep during the last couple of days leading to the big day. To be honest, I was nagmamarunong and wanted to do everything myself, because I thought it would be a good waste of money if I hired some help. TL;DR either get a wedding organizer, or take your sweet time in getting things meshed together.
2. Prepare an organized to-do list.
From the documents needed to get a marriage license, down to the scheduled deadlines that you need to stick by, everything's a lot easier if you have a little checklist. Not to mention it's lovely to look at once you've got a lot of boxes checked.
Here's how mine looked like. This might not work for everybody though, so please keep that in mind and don't hesitate in making your own! I was in charge of buying fabric and scouring Divisoria of materials we could use for the wedding. I also did the layout of our wedding invitation and preparing the package it came with. My now mother-in-law helped me out by organizing the list (she's very meticulous, mind you). I removed some stuff from the list because it looked more like a business plan than anything else (wedding planning is a serious business though) to avoid boring you. Heh.
My husband and I had roughly 2 months to plan our wedding, but in my opinion, the ideal preparation period would be from six months to a year. It will help keep stress levels down, and you would have more time to save up for the things you want. Although our wedding preparations were rushed due to certain circumstances, it was still hella' fun, but there were times that we couldn't help but wish for more time.
1. Wedding Coordinator.
I highly suggest hiring a wedding coordinator if you have the money. I think this is one of the most important things that we missed out in planning our wedding. If you can't spare the extra moolah, then try having someone you trust oversee the proceedings. Trust me, you wouldn't want to be the bride pulling her hair out the night before her big day organizing this and that. My biggest regret was not hiring one! I didn't get the chance to pamper myself. I wanted to go to the spa, maybe get a manicure and a pedicure. My feet were screaming for about the time we started gluing together the invitations. But nooo, I didn't have the time for that.
Among other things, I was in charge of organizing the seating arrangements. We had to group over 180 planned guests of all ages and walks of life into tables of 10. And let me tell you, this was one of the most volatile things that I had to deal with! The seating arrangement had a life of its own, and it took a different shape every other day (RSVP problems). You'd have people confirming and then cancelling the last minute, or a certain group bringing more people than you expected. All of a sudden, that perfect original plan that you were so proud of had just been sucked into the endless vortex that is known as the pre-wedding.
Amidst the preparation of DIY giveaways, props and materials to be used for the wedding, I only managed to get 3-4 hours of sleep during the last couple of days leading to the big day. To be honest, I was nagmamarunong and wanted to do everything myself, because I thought it would be a good waste of money if I hired some help. TL;DR either get a wedding organizer, or take your sweet time in getting things meshed together.
2. Prepare an organized to-do list.
From the documents needed to get a marriage license, down to the scheduled deadlines that you need to stick by, everything's a lot easier if you have a little checklist. Not to mention it's lovely to look at once you've got a lot of boxes checked.
Here's how mine looked like. This might not work for everybody though, so please keep that in mind and don't hesitate in making your own! I was in charge of buying fabric and scouring Divisoria of materials we could use for the wedding. I also did the layout of our wedding invitation and preparing the package it came with. My now mother-in-law helped me out by organizing the list (she's very meticulous, mind you). I removed some stuff from the list because it looked more like a business plan than anything else (wedding planning is a serious business though) to avoid boring you. Heh.
Click the spoiler below to see my sample checklist.
3. Choosing a church.
Being the Catholic country that we are, a church wedding is a staple here. Choosing a church can be difficult. Especially when you and your partner live far from one another. My husband was from Quezon City, while yours truly lived in Las Pinas City. North and south! But then, we decided to just go with the church nearest my home because we expected more people would be attending would be coming from the south, and it was where me and my family went to church too. It would be ideal if the church you chose was somewhere easy to find.
Catholic weddings outside of parishes are no longer allowed, sadly. So if you're planning on holding a beach, garden or resort wedding, then it would do you good to know that they strictly prohibit it now. Or at least that's what we were told. We initially wanted to hold the rights at our reception venue, but our parish said that it was impossible for a Catholic priest to hold the ceremony outside a church.
Church wedding rates depend on the church you choose. Some packages churches offer would include a choir and some flowers. Around PHP 6,000 would already be a good price.
Being the Catholic country that we are, a church wedding is a staple here. Choosing a church can be difficult. Especially when you and your partner live far from one another. My husband was from Quezon City, while yours truly lived in Las Pinas City. North and south! But then, we decided to just go with the church nearest my home because we expected more people would be attending would be coming from the south, and it was where me and my family went to church too. It would be ideal if the church you chose was somewhere easy to find.
Catholic weddings outside of parishes are no longer allowed, sadly. So if you're planning on holding a beach, garden or resort wedding, then it would do you good to know that they strictly prohibit it now. Or at least that's what we were told. We initially wanted to hold the rights at our reception venue, but our parish said that it was impossible for a Catholic priest to hold the ceremony outside a church.
Church wedding rates depend on the church you choose. Some packages churches offer would include a choir and some flowers. Around PHP 6,000 would already be a good price.
Church: Good Shepherd Parish, Las Pinas City.
4. Choosing a reception venue.
I suggest going to a wedding expo if you haven't. Everything is already there. But I think the most expansive selection they have would be for the reception venues. Some venue packages include catering and decorations. You should be able to find one that's right for your budget. Wedding expos generally happen twice or thrice in a year. So if you've missed it, or if you're cutting it close, then you might want to scour the internet for hidden gems (some have unbelievably sulit deals!)
Also, here are some things that you might want to considering in choosing the right place:
How far is it from the church? Judging from the time your wedding ceremony ends, should you expect heavy traffic going there? Is it a convenient location for your guests?
Our wedding reception venue was held at Bali Garden. They offer a lot of good wedding packages, which included catering, decorations, audio, lights and a cake. Thanks to my mom and mother-in-law's bartering skill, Bali Garden generously threw in a free dressing room, an LCD projector and a fondant cake. Yay! They were a real life saver because we only had less than 2 months to prepare for the big day, and having them on the preparing end of things spared us a lot of stress. After adding in all the extras, it cost us roughly PHP 200,000 to PHP 250,000. But their packages range between the PHP 90,000 to the PHP 130,000 mark for 100 PAX. We also held a post-reception celebration at our house, complete with catering and even some dance instructors LOL. That was fun.
Reception: Bali Garden, Cavite.
5. Photos and Videos.
One of the most important things that we learned from our wedding is if you want every moment captured beautifully, then it's an absolute necessity to hire a professional. It may be expensive (we're talking about PHP 50,000 to over PHP 100,000), but trust me, you want your photos to be perfect on your wedding day. After all, it's a once in a lifetime thing - so save up for it! Professionals know the flow of the wedding, like when to capture the most beautiful moments, and who they must take photos of.
Also, don't be like "Oh I have a lot of photographer friends, I'll ask them to do our wedding for free or at a presyong kaibigan rate." Please. Just don't. I swear it's not worth it. You want a team with experience. Not to mention that if you want quality service, then you have to pay them good.
Photo: Headturner Productions
Edit: Yours truly
Kiel X Trisha from Big Tummy Productions on Vimeo.
Video: Big Tummy Productions
6. The Perfect Dress.
What good would it be to have a great photo-video team if you're not looking your best, am I right? Ladies, I know - I understand! This is one of the most exciting things about the wedding. This is the day that you want to be the most beautiful lady in the universe and it is important to choose a good designer that would make your dream dress come to life. And hey, if you're looking for a designer then *cough* need not look further! I'll be your own personal fairy godmother on your big day. No curfews, I promise. I mean, what's the deal with Cinderella's fairy godmother and her 12:00 AM rule? That's where the fun begins! In fact, if you get me as your designer, I'll make the magic last 'til your honeymoon! *wink *wink* ♡✧( ु•⌄• )
If you're also a designer like me, and you already have a sketch of your own dress-to-be, then just look for a decent seamstress that will make it for you. Make sure to buy your own fabric. Some seamstresses would end up purchasing cheap looking fabrics like satin. I wanted to monitor the seamstress we hired 24/7 because I didn't want the seamstress doing her own rendition of my design. I didn't have the time nor energy to act as a human CCTV camera and alas, the seamstress deviated from le blueprint. I usually do my gowns on my own, but since time was a scarce commodity, I had to make do with what we had. I'm currently remaking it, and it's a lot closer to my dream wedding gown. It's not yet finished because of some intricate beadwork, but I'll post about it soon!
The materials for my dress cost about PHP 50,000 and labor was around PHP 20,000. Considering that I'm still not satisfied with the initial outcome, it would definitely cost more if you want a super detailed, grandeur wedding gown! But a simple wedding gown with good quality can cost around PHP 20,000.
Like your photo-video team, the same holds for designers too! The more expensive, the better quality of service you get.
7. Hair and Makeup Artist.
If you took my advice in attending a wedding expo, you'll see a lot of good deals. But if you really want a bird's eye view of your options, online would be a good place to start.
If you're getting a package that includes the hair and makeup for your entourage and guests, it is a must that you give them an accurate headcount, and that they make sure that they have enough people on their team to accommodate that list. This is a common problem during weddings. Some of the clients won't be satisfied with the outcome because the artists were in a hurry to finish and move on to the next person.
Pricing depends on the makeup style that you want. Airbrush is a lot more expensive when compared to traditional makeup. Usually their services range from anywhere between PHP 10,000 to PHP 20,000 which includes the bride, groom and a few members of your entourage.
If you took my advice in attending a wedding expo, you'll see a lot of good deals. But if you really want a bird's eye view of your options, online would be a good place to start.
If you're getting a package that includes the hair and makeup for your entourage and guests, it is a must that you give them an accurate headcount, and that they make sure that they have enough people on their team to accommodate that list. This is a common problem during weddings. Some of the clients won't be satisfied with the outcome because the artists were in a hurry to finish and move on to the next person.
Pricing depends on the makeup style that you want. Airbrush is a lot more expensive when compared to traditional makeup. Usually their services range from anywhere between PHP 10,000 to PHP 20,000 which includes the bride, groom and a few members of your entourage.
Hair and Makeup: Awi Norona
8. Finding the perfect host.
If you're hiring a professional, then it'll be better to meet up with them first because you have to know their personality! In this way, you'll have a good idea on how the host will handle your program. Emcees usually come in two shapes: the comedian or the serious-classy. If you're hoping for a reception with some laughs, then I suggest looking for someone gay. My father had some reservations about getting one, because he wasn't particularly fond of Vice Ganda humor. But not all gay comedians are like that! Gay comedians are contagiously-funny and trust me when I say that they wouldn't bore the crowd! Our host, Uma, did a splendid job in keeping the audience alive throughout the program. He also knew when to slow down and set the mood for tearjerkers.
We paid PHP 5,000 for our host, which in my opinion, is an extremely good deal with the service that we got.
If you're hiring a professional, then it'll be better to meet up with them first because you have to know their personality! In this way, you'll have a good idea on how the host will handle your program. Emcees usually come in two shapes: the comedian or the serious-classy. If you're hoping for a reception with some laughs, then I suggest looking for someone gay. My father had some reservations about getting one, because he wasn't particularly fond of Vice Ganda humor. But not all gay comedians are like that! Gay comedians are contagiously-funny and trust me when I say that they wouldn't bore the crowd! Our host, Uma, did a splendid job in keeping the audience alive throughout the program. He also knew when to slow down and set the mood for tearjerkers.
We paid PHP 5,000 for our host, which in my opinion, is an extremely good deal with the service that we got.
Host: Uma
9. Flowers.
GO. TO. DANGWA. It's the Divisoria of flowers, so you can expect that their rates are cheaper when compared to other flower shops. I swear there are a lot of good florists in the area. For example, the heart shaped flower on our bridal car is worth PHP 5,000. My wedding boquet, corsage, boutounniere, mini boquets, flower girls' flowers were worth... I have no idea! Sorry! I wasn't the one who worked out the deal because I was up to my head in working out the other agendas for our wedding.
GO. TO. DANGWA. It's the Divisoria of flowers, so you can expect that their rates are cheaper when compared to other flower shops. I swear there are a lot of good florists in the area. For example, the heart shaped flower on our bridal car is worth PHP 5,000. My wedding boquet, corsage, boutounniere, mini boquets, flower girls' flowers were worth... I have no idea! Sorry! I wasn't the one who worked out the deal because I was up to my head in working out the other agendas for our wedding.
Flowers: Dangwa
10. Photobooth.
The best place to look for photobooth services would be through Facebook. Most of them keep an album for every event they've covered and that would give you a good idea of what they're capable of. They usually provide the layout of the photo souvenir, but if you want to make your own, then you simply need to ask. Photobooths usually cost PHP 4,000 to PHP 5,000, depending on how many hours they have to stay there.
The best place to look for photobooth services would be through Facebook. Most of them keep an album for every event they've covered and that would give you a good idea of what they're capable of. They usually provide the layout of the photo souvenir, but if you want to make your own, then you simply need to ask. Photobooths usually cost PHP 4,000 to PHP 5,000, depending on how many hours they have to stay there.
Photobooth: Shotout Photobooth
11. Don't stress yourself too much!
I know, planning a wedding may be very overwhelming and sometimes, you just cannot avoid from thinking too much. But just try to be positive. Everything will work out fine. Stop and smell the flowers, and try not to rush. Do it step by step and you're all good!
So these are the tips that I got for you guys. I hope this helps!
Just message me or comment if you have questions. I’m willing to help you in achieving the perfect wedding! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°
Happy planning your wedding!!
Love,
Mrs. Trisha Perez-Montero
I know, planning a wedding may be very overwhelming and sometimes, you just cannot avoid from thinking too much. But just try to be positive. Everything will work out fine. Stop and smell the flowers, and try not to rush. Do it step by step and you're all good!
So these are the tips that I got for you guys. I hope this helps!
Just message me or comment if you have questions. I’m willing to help you in achieving the perfect wedding! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°
Happy planning your wedding!!
Love,
Mrs. Trisha Perez-Montero
Wow, I am so pleased to have this wedding planning guide here. I truly appreciate all your efforts that you have made to share this helpful post. We are going to marry soon and I would like to have a fairy wedding at one of the indoor Chicago event venues. Your tips would be very useful for me.
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