Getting Organised
Now that you are finally back down from cloud nine and with all the “Will you” and “I will” out of the way it has suddenly dawned on you before you say “I do” there is 1) A wedding to plan and 2) Where do you start?.
Well guess what…we’re here to Make Your Wishes Come True. We are starting off the first issue with the first five things you need to do in order to get you started. You probably already dreamt of exactly how you would like your wedding day to be since the age of five or have a fantasy of having a theme wedding. Which ever the case, we have a mission to allow brides just like you to keep focused and calm throughout the entire planning process.
Step 1: Getting Organised
Make sure you sit down with your fiancé and discuss exactly how both of you would like your big day to be like (e.g simple, elegant, small or huge affair). Discuss date, size, style and formality. You may be surprised that there are a lot of factors that need to be considered before you go off announcing your engagement to family and friends.
To guide you through the wedding process and to keep you as organized as possible for that special day we have created for brides “to be” an interactive activity checklist. The interactive checklist provides recommended countdown of when each activity should be ideally completed which will assist you in planning everything you need to accomplish. We have also added reminders so that you are notified when an important task needs to be completed.
One of the things we highly recommend is that you get a team and identify who they are from the very beginning. This is to assist you with all tasks in hand. Make sure you inform those who you have identified as your Maid of Honor, Bridesmaid, Best man and others. The people you choose should be those you get along with so it makes it easier for you to get things done when the stress levels get a bit high (you know what I mean…).
Things to get:
- A note book (hard cover would be better)
- File
- Dividers (to segregate sections)
- Paper clips
- Glue /tape
- Markers
Step 2: Working On Your Budget
It’s all about prioritising. Your budget will greatly influence the type of wedding you will have. Working on setting a realistic budget is important so that you know exactly what you can and cannot afford. Understand who is paying for what. Are your parents paying for it, is his, is it a joint effort or are you both putting up the money yourself? Answering all these questions is very important.
Once you know the exact number that you can work off the next step would be setting your priorities. What are the areas you would want to concentrate on? Is having everyone you know present on your big day important to you? In which case you would be spending more on headcount and need to spend less on location. However if you have always dreamt of having your wedding reception in a five star hotel, you would have to scale down on your guest list and invite only those closest to you. Whichever you decide is fine as long as the decision was made as a couple. Usually whoever is paying for the wedding has a say but these days couples share in the financing and often make the final decision.
We have here an interactive budget distributor that you can download and use, to give you an indication what is usually the norm to spend on different areas. However it is still ultimately your decision as to how much you would like to allocate for each area. For example you may want to spend less on flowers and because you like dancing, more on entertainment. So if you are working on a fixed budget you just have to work around the percentage that you place on these respective areas.
Once you have decided what exactly you can do with and without you should be able to establish an accurate distribution of your finances.
Step 3: Guest List
You probably think you know exactly the number of relatives and friends you have, Think Again! You will have to spend time checking with your respective families on
- who just got married among your family circle so that you do not appear rude when you invite Uncle Ahmad , who until recently was single ,and not invite his wife
- who has passed on and
- family members who until recently lived abroad but now have returned
As long as you have made a decision on who you will be inviting, you need to know exactly how many of your guests will have spouses, significant others and family members. You could divide your list into the following, to assist you if you are not sure who exactly to invite.
- Must Invite
- Should Invite
- Nice to invite
Make use of our Guest List Manager to manage your guest list. It allows you to do the following:
- Import your current guest list from Excel and Microsoft outlook
- Add new list
- Organise guest seating
- Track gifts
- R.S.V.P
Managing your time during your preparation is so important and using the Guest List Manager will allow you to have access to your guest list from anywhere at anytime.
Also remember to get your partners list!
Step 4: Selecting a Date
This depends on various factors. For example if you are planning to go to Switzerland for your honeymoon than you would need to set a date around Nov - Feb for winter and around June - Aug for summer. And if you are planning to go to the Gold Coast, Australia for the sun than you would set a date around Nov to Feb.
If you have a large family and have nieces and nephews who are out of town and can only make it to your wedding during school holidays it is best you check our public & school holiday’s section in the directory to select an appropriate date.
Step 5: Choosing Reception Site or Location
Now unless if you are one of those who have known from the very young age of 5 where you will be having your wedding, choosing a reception site can take a while. There are many areas to consider before choosing the right one. As you will be spending 45% to 50% of your budget on your reception (site & food), it is rather important that you make the right decision, especially if you have a fixed budget.
You do not necessarily have to have your wedding in a hotel. There are other options like your favorite restaurant (usually able to cater for smaller number of headcount), park or your very own garden.
Make use of our directory to search for the perfect location. You can search under Hotel & Reception Site and Restaurant. It includes the necessary contact details. Should you require further assistance, please write or call us. We will be more than happy to assist.
The other things you need to look into are whether the venue:
- Can accommodate your guest headcount
- Have ample parking
- Provide discount to your out of town guests should they decide to stay there (hotel)
- Provide the basics like standard decoration, bridal cake, honeymoon room for 1 night in its package (hote
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