super informative post from a groom

Found this post at w@w, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the one who wrote the post was the GROOM! Enjoy!

--- In WeddingsAtWork@yahoogroups.com, "mark" wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> Sa bilis ng panahon, ngayun ko lang napagtanto na malapit na rin ang araw ng aming pagiisang dibdib. In a short span of time, we (or I) learned a lot from preparing for our own wedding. At hindi sya biro lalo na kung malapit na yung time nio. So here are the lessons and realizations (partial) that we learned during our wedding preps. Ito po ay base lamang sa aming pananaw. It could be right or not but still, thats how we see it.
>
> 1. It's never too early to prepare for the wedding especially if both of you would be shouldering the entire costs. 18-24 months of preparation would be the ideal if you will start with ZERO savings (We started 12 months before with zero savings (December 2008)). 12-18 months of preparation would be ok provided that you already have at least 25-33% of your wedding budget. If you will be preparing in less than 12 months, you should already have at least 50% of your wedding budget. We started with 40K savings at the start of the year (2009). We could have started saving since April 2008 if we were not tied up with our respective obligations (Gina was still sending her sister to school until October 2008. For me, I was taking up Cisco until June 2008).
>
> 2. When it comes to budgeting, you should create at least two options. First would be your ideal budget. Second would be your Ideal budget plus 33-50% (this would be your buffer) because along the way, you will be getting possible expenses that you may never expect. From a 150K budget wedding, our budget it ballooned to almost 350K. That is more than 100% increase of our original budget.
>
> 3. Book your suppliers early once you feel that they are "The One" especially if you have more than 12-24 months. Most of the sought after suppliers are booked even more than 18 months in advance. Also make sure to build rapport with your suppliers to make sure you're comfortable with each other and vice versa. Since we decided not to forego with our wedding package and book suppliers separately (6-7 months prior), we weren't able to book our ideal suppliers. For me this would be my Top 5 suppliers that you should book first (this varies on a case to case basis):
>
> a. Church
> b. Reception Venue
> c. Caterer
> d. Photo/Video
> e. Wedding Gown
>
> 4. Before booking your supplier, make sure to see their latest work (either online or during the wedding itself). For booking a caterer, make sure you have at least a food tasting with them and view their table set-up first. For Photo and Video, make sure to see their latest works and check their terms and conditions.
>
> 5. Before booking your church, make sure to prepare your questions regarding restrictions and additional costs for this could probably spoil your dream wedding like no singers allowed for bridal march, limited spots for photographers and videographers, no unity candle ceremony and the like. Make sure to complete your requirements ahead of time especially for overseas couples to avoid any inconveniences.
>
> 6. Before hiring the services of a back-up photographer/videographer, make sure to speak with your main photographer/videographer. It could be stipulated in their contract that no back-ups would be allowed as they could be a hindrance to the main team. However, you could still convince your main P/V about the back-ups coverage so that they won't be a hindrance to one another. Or as a last result, you could introduce them as a friend of your parents or principal sponsor.
>
> 7. Before getting the services of a Wedding Coordinator, be sure to check their profile, track record and they should at least provide you what they can do on your wedding day. It is also important to determine if you and your coordinator will have that chemistry on your wedding day. It is also a must that you have to meet them in person before giving any downpayment.
>
> 8. After paying the downpayment, you may encounter times where your supplier would respond late when you have any concerns or probably, none at all. That is because they have other clients to attend to especially if their wedding day is ahead of you. If your wedding day is 12-18 months before, you don't have to worry so much when sending your queries because most sought after suppliers have their hands full.
>
> 9. You don't have to spend too much on flowers since they would wilt after a few hours or the next day. I was even surprised to read a suppliers rating for a couple who spend 75K for the flowers. Even it covers the church, reception and entourage, for me, its still very expensive.
>
> 10. If a family member offers to shoulder your expenses, you may accept them so that they won't feel upset or embarrassed but you have to do with some considerations. Let's say if they shoulder your reception (venue and catering), expect some guests that you may not know personally that will be invited by your folks. Be sure to talk to them regarding inviting people you don't know personally.
>
> 11. Make sure to ask your supplier to put everything in writing (contract) to avoid any miscommunications.
>
> 12. You could save on money if you have your pre-nup within Metro Manila. Or if you really wanted it to be done out of town, you could probably do it in your hometown province to save on food and accommodations. Also, a themed pre-nup is really nice if you could borrow costume instead of buying it because you would probably use it only once.
>
> 13. When you will be having your final detailing with your caterer, be sure to bring your wedding coordinator with you.
>
> 14. Schedule your pre-nups as early as possible so that you would have enough time to choose your pictures for the guestbook and you could probably DIY your AVP if you have the tools needed as well as a creative mind.
>
> 15. Schedule your fittings in a manner that is not too early, not too late to anticipate any possible revisions.
>
> 16. Do your DIY's as early as possible to avoid stress.
>
> pagpasensyahan nio na kung mahaba. Actually, maikli pa yan since I haven't gathered my b2b's thoughts here. hehe
>
> ayun lang muna. yung suppliers rating ng "Supposed to be Suppliers" will follow by tomorrow or Thursday
>
>
> mark
>
> mark-gina (5 Days to Go...)
> 12/06/09
> SRP/RMCH
>
> http://poging-unpretty.weddingannouncer.com/ (for blogs, and preps)
>
> http://www.mywedding.com/pogingunpretty/ (for albums)
> wedpass: mageena
>