Wedding – Important Things (Part 1)

Ok so to begin, here are some things you have to think about arranged in order of importance.

1) Are you SURE?

Of course this is first.

Are you committed? This decision to be married is a lifelong one. Don’t just get into it because you feel like it.

If you’ve known your would-be spouse for just a month then you better stop and think about it. If you don’t you just might end up like one of those Hollywood marriages lasting only one weekend. It’s a waste of time, money and emotions. Just throw a party if all you want is a celebration.

To put you in perspective, think of it in this way: It’s like jumping off a plane, or cutting off your arms, or letting a bunch of kids loose on cake and fried chicken – there’s no turning back.

If you don’t, you’ll seriously regret it. Imagine living with the wrong person. tsktsk.

Now if you’re not sure, stop reading. If you ARE sure, though, please proceed.

2) BUDGET!

Now you might say, “Japs, we have a a lot of money now. Budget is no issue for us.”, but you are so wrong, my friend.

A wedding can cost anywhere from P1,000 to P100,000,000. If you don’t set your limit right from the beginning then before you know it, you’re breaking the bank spending 10 times what you thought.

There’s a lot of things to consider for a wedding in terms of expenses. I’ll go into detail on this in future posts but trust me, it’s a LOT!

The budget ceiling we set for our wedding is P100,000. It might sound pretty small in today’s world where even toddlers get the debutante treatment, but we’re nearing the final date and we’re currently under budget.

The key here is to decide on the budget and stick to it like super glue. If you go over budget then think of ways to cut down costs or find cheaper ways for the same thing. A higher price tag doesn’t always mean a better result.

Remember to seek help from your relatives, friends, and other contacts. A lot of them have the capability to help you stay within your budget but still provide a quality celebration.

Some DON’Ts.

• DON’T TAKE A LOAN JUST TO IMPRESS YOUR GUESTS AND FAMILY. Do you want to start your life together buried in a mountain of debt? I didn’t think so.
• DON’T IMPOSE ON SPONSORS TO CONTRIBUTE LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY IF THEY DON’T WANT TO. Think of this as a new life for you and your spouse. You need to be independent.
• DON’T REFUSE ASSISTANCE. Arranging a wedding is a big deal. Help will make it a lot easier.

BIG TIP: Seek help from someone who has a reputation of being a great haggler, shopper, or has many contacts. 😉

3) List of Requirements

Like any good plan, you need to list down the things you need to do. Imagine being at the altar and realizing “Oh Sh*t, I forgot to hire a photographer!! P#+@!!” Hehe.

I’ll do my best to outline each and every requirement in the succeeding blog posts.

As I mentioned in the introduction, I’m a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo so some of the requirements may not be the same for you’re religion. So be sure to ask your priest, pastor, minister, rabbi. 🙂

Also, we’re in Quezon City, Philippines so if you live in another City, please check with your local city hall.

4) Theme

You and your future spouse should also decide on the Color Scheme and Main Theme. This will affect all the decorative parts of your wedding.

Go wild with your theme! It’s your party! But remember to consult your church on what’s allowed inside the ceremony. There may be some restrictions that you may not know about (backless, sleeveless, slippers etc.).

For your reception as well as the apparel of your sponsors and main guests, you may want to make them uniform at least in color. Some couples prefer having the dresses and suits of the sponsors and the whole entourage tailor-made so keep that in mind as an option (though in our research the price ranges soar above P100,000).

5) Wedding Date

A lot of things rest on the date itself. And any project manager can tell you that deadlines can do wonders for productivity. 🙂 So decide on the date, or month at the very least.

5) Guests, Entourage and Sponsors

Decide on which people you want to attend your wedding. Important people in your life of course. But also decide on the number of people you want to attend, this will immensely affect your budget.

BIG TIP: Remember that it’s YOUR wedding. Don’t be hesitant to cull your guest list if you can’t afford it. In the end it’s up to you.

The important roles that you have to assign are:

1. Sponsors – Ninongs and Ninangs
2. Entourage – Bridesmaids and Maid of Honor, and Groomsmen and Best Man
3. Flower Girl
4. Ringbearer

6) Prospects for Venues and Service Providers

As early as you can (ideally months in advance), start thinking about the venues for Reception, Ceremony, Pre-Nup, etc. You also need to start contacting people or services that you need.

Research, research, research. It’s better to know a lot of options than just hoping this one thing will be available. Think of it as window shopping. 🙂

Remember that if one thing seems too expensive then it probably is. So while you still have time, keep looking!

I’ll also be writing up more blog posts about Legal Requirements, Church Requirements, and Things you need to Do/Buy/Reserve for your wedding.

That’s it for now. Next up will be the Legal Process and Requirements. 🙂

If you can suggest any more things to think about just place it in the comments. 🙂

Previous Post: Wedding – INC Wedding Intro

Next Post: Wedding – Legal Requirements (Part 2)

INC Wedding Series:

1. Wedding – INC Wedding intro
2. Wedding – Important Things (Part 1) (this post)
3. Wedding – Legal Requirements (Part 2)
4. Wedding – Church Requirements (Part 3)