Name of Bride and Groom: Mandy and Brian
Wedding Date: 12 June 2021
Venue: Andaz Singapore
Dear Diary,
Today is day one of planning my wedding. I had the best day ever when the love of my life knelt on one knee to ask to marry me. The euphoria and excitement were indescribable and everything went into a blur. Besides our very shaking video recording taken by a passer-by, there has been not much memory of what happened. My only regret is not hiring a photographer to capture a memorable event to document this moment. Heart pounding and tears flowing, we hugged and I said yes. Yes! I will say yes a thousand times to you my dear.
Planning a wedding was something very exciting for both of us. Every typical girl has a dream wedding but perhaps mine changed over the years. From a Cinderella dress to a simple modern chic look – either way, I was on cloud nine. Showing off the shiny ring, receiving DMs from friends and family with their heartfelt congratulations on our engagement was only the first step to our wedding planning. ‘’Aiyah. Plan wedding only right? very easy one lah’’ That’s what I thought – I thought wrong. But huh? How to plan my wedding?
Choosing the date
Just choosing a date from 365 days can’t be that hard! Little did I know that deciding a date was the first step of conflict from parents, the geomancer, and siblings. I started fighting with my sister in full force because the date that my fiancé and I chose coincided with her holiday. ‘’ Why can’t you choose another date?’’ yelled my sister. ‘’ Why can’t you have your holiday another day ?’’ I yelled back. The cold war started and I realized that just choosing a date can be so hard.
To choose an ideal date, always choose a less rainy month. I realized that plenty of people choose a date without considering the weather and plan their weddings with no plan B options. The dry seasons in Singapore are from February to July. August and December are usually very rainy periods although due to climate change, it’s very hard to decipher when is a good time to get married.
Wedding budgeting
We get married because we fall in love and want to start a family. Reality strikes when both parties are not in sync with their financial goals. I want to spend within my means and yet have a memorable wedding that will not break the bank. Sitting down to discuss our finances like ‘’ how much do you have in your bank?’’ is such a vulnerable question! How can we discuss such personal matters with each other? Before marriage, it’s vital to ask these questions to know how much we are willing to spend or save for our wedding, renovation, or even the future.
Based on our savings, we planned to budget about $50k for the wedding. This includes the PET tests of around $25-$50 per person if the government regulations changes midway. The budget also includes in the event if the wedding has to be downscaled due to covid 19.
Looking for a venue
After all the drama of choosing the date, we had to discuss which venue will suit our preference. Finding a theme that we wanted and the color style that will fit the venue was such a big headache! I wanted everything!!
We had two options. The first option was to please the families and have a traditional ballroom wedding in a hotel. The second option was to have a chill wedding in a quaint café / restaurant and invite the closest people that means more to us. After a lot of calling for quotes and inquiries, I realized that it doesn’t mean a smaller wedding at the café will be cheaper. The food and alcohol are not free flow and have to be considered into the budget. Little did I know that when a guest wants a vegetarian meal at my wedding, I have to order in advance and pay extra on top of the original cost per pax! I wrote down the pros and cons of the difference between a traditional hotel wedding and a chillax wedding in a café.
Pros – Getting married in a hotel
Fixed package price
Able to accommodate during Covid 19
More flexible in bargaining for discounts and adding or removing items in the package
Waiver of alcohol charge
Rooms included
Free parking coupons
Able to accommodate more guest
Cons – Getting married in a hotel
Packages are too fixed. External vendors are required if additional decorations are needed.
Cliché looking and nothing unique
Food menus are limited
Pros- Getting married in the café / restaurant
Very chill
Able to invite closer friends
Nice ambiance
Good food
Cons - Getting married in a café / restaurant
Alcohol is charged per glass. There will not be free flow alcohol
All alcohol must be bought in the restaurant / café
Guestlist has to be reduced
Possibility of café closing down due to covid 19 and losing the deposit.
Signing off,
Mandy
