How to begin your wedding plan?

"I am getting married!", this is the most magical remark every woman dreams to share one day. It's the dream that we may have been planning and fantasizing since we were little girls. And no wonder, it is stressful when we try to put our 20 years of fantasy to plan for that 1 perfect day we can't wait to have. So how do we begin our wedding plan, without overstretching ourselves. I am going to try to pen down all the necessary tips in 1 blog post:

1) Set a budget before you do anything.

This is such an important step in wedding planning, and ironically it is one area many have overlooked. When we are excited about getting married, we can't help to start shopping for all the essentials such as gown, wedding venue, photographers etc.. and often we start incurring expenses, before we even realise that we may have overblown the wedding budget. So take time to discuss with your partner how much you are going to put aside in your wedding budget, and do a simple spreadsheet to include all the expenses you can imagine of to spend. Do not just think about the food and beverages, think about the wedding details such as flowers, wedding stationery etc and put it a reasonable budget. Measure your budget against the market prices. Only when you have worked out a budget, then you can start narrowing down your shopping list, and selecting the right venue and vendors becomes easy.

2) Shop smartly for vendors.

Personally I don't believe in combing the entire bridal shops or wedding venues to find one perfect selection. As a busy executive, I believe in shopping smartly. Ask yourself, what are you looking for in a vendor : the skills, the designs, the style, the price. And with that, narrow down your selections, and visit max 3 suppliers for each category to complete your selections. In fact, if you have done enough research on the web or through the magazines, you usually need to visit 2 players, and you will know who you will end up with. Find an expert you trust, view their profile and portfolios, and measure the strengths against their price, and at the end, choose someone you are most comfortable with, because selecting a vendor in the wedding industry, is like choosing a property, you buy it not solely based on price or 1 specific factor , often your final purchase is coupled with a touch of your personal preferences. So go with your heart.

3) And finally, take time to think about your bridal party . A bridal party is the extended helps you would want to have. They are your "stress coolers", your "butlers" as well as your "help mates". Have someone who will look after you and is passionate to make you the most beautiful and happy bride of the day. Do not end up with others who are more paranoid and stress you further with more decisions and concerns to look after. I have witnessed weddings where the bridesmaids were more anxious than our brides, and instead of releasing the brides from worrying, the poor brides ended up worrying for their bridal party, which is really uncalled for.

And as a wedding planner, I can't help to add one conclusion : Pls find a wedding planner. These days, having a wedding planner is not a luxury, it is a necessity. You will often discover, a planner is more than a consultant, we are your bouncing boards for ideas, for some of us, we are your designers and executors of your perfect day, above all, your confidant whom you can share your dreams to, and together we shall unveil that little dream of yours to those whom you love to share with.

So have fun and enjoy every moment of your wedding planning.