Where to Start Planning Your Wedding

This is a question that my friends always ask me. After getting engaged and after going through pamamanhikan, one would realize that planning a wedding is a daunting task. It is truly overwhelming since your wedding is probably the only huge event you will have to plan in your entire life (that is if you are not a wedding coordinator or an event organizer). I always tell people that it is easier to plan an event for a couple of hundred of people than a wedding.

Anyway, have no fear since nowadays there are many tools online you can use to plan your wedding (and you can even do without a coordinator like we did!).

HAVE A CHECKLIST

The secret to organizing your wedding is to have a list. Yup, a check-list. The best check list I've used is the booklet that Wedding Essentials includes in its magazine. Just follow it diligently and you are sure to complete everything in time for your wedding.

AGREE ON A BUDGET

We scrambled around to put together a budget and plan before our pamamanhikan because we wanted to show our parents that we were prepared and serious about getting married. The booklet from Wedding Essentials provides a good run down on all the expenses that you will incur in your wedding. Things will change as you make decisions so it's best to put this spreadsheet online and collaborate by using Google Docs (helped us a lot since I live in Paranaque and he lived in Marikina).

Identify which expenses are important for the two of you. Do you want to spend more on photography and videography? The reception? Entertainers? Your wedding attire? You will have to identify which of the costs would be your "luxury cost" and which would be the least priority for spending. We personally spent a good amount of money on photography and videography and put the bridal car on least priority. We also managed to get a lot of help from friends.

START PLANNING!


Start planning months ahead. Cramming for your wedding isn't a good idea since you'd probably end up spending more. Best to start on your church, reception venue and caterer and then you can spend some time dating again till you realize that you have to start working on your wedding again.

Wedding on a Budget

"No budget yet," is what I always hear from long-time couples when asked why they haven't married yet. But should weddings be really extravagant? Should you really spend more than PhP100,000 just for a wedding gown? Or another PhP100,000 just for that engagement ring? Or have the reception at a hotel?

Nah, I don't think so. I have done a shoestring budget wedding and a very extravagant PhP1.6M wedding. Guess which one was more meaningful?

The shoestring budget wedding I did was for one of my colleagues/staff/friend. She had been together with her boyfriend for 9 years already and though they both knew that they were meant for each other, they just didn't have money to spend for a wedding. When our company gave a windfall CBA bonus, we got things going and started planning the wedding. And less than 2 months after getting the bonus (that was around late June), the two lovebirds tied the knot on August 20. (And no, she was not on the family way).

Maybe I should have named this post, "Express Weddings" as well. LOL.

So, this is how I did it (with costs):

Wedded bliss for Rolly and Ruth.

Church - Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish (Paranaque), PhP3,000 (discounted from PhP5K)

Wedding Gown - Divisoria, PhP5K including all the accessories plus the groom's barong and pants; mind you, her gown didn't look off the rack, everyone thought I had it done

Reception - Max's Fried Chicken Restaurant with 100 guests, between PhP30-35K

Photography/Video - the bride got this and it cost them about PhP12K

Invitations - paper, envelops and stuff cost around PhP500; lay-out was done by our colleague from the graphics department

Giveaways and Wedding Cake - included in Max's package

Wedding Rings - I think they got it in Ilocos, cost around PhP10K

Maid of Honor & other abay gowns - Divi, PhP750 each

Flowers - about PhP4K, Dangwa

Wedding Planner - no cost at all (that's why I only do this for friends) :)

The budget wedding team.

All in all, the wedding just cost around PhP70K. Who'd have thought they'd be able to invite a hundred people to attend it? We were all giddy after the wedding coz we knew we pulled it off. A lot of people though they spent PhP200K on it.

Oh, and take note, after their "wedding dance" they had PhP13K pinned all over them. They used it for their honeymoon and to buy stuff for their pad.

Ako pa, I'm an expert at budgeting. :)