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| photo credits:http://sassylittlegirl.deviantart.com/ |
School ends today before the summer break. Yay! Yay! And one more yay!
I did a lot of things last summer but this summer, I'll only do one BIG thing.
I'LL GET MARRIED!
I don't why I have to share it here. I just feel like it.
Anyway, my boyfriend and I have been engaged since late last year. I went to the Philippines last December to start preparing for our wedding. But here's the catch: No one knew about it until last month. (haha!)
We wanted to have a low-key and intimate wedding. Our original plan was to have a small wedding in a secluded island in the Philippines. But, I know how our parents would like to have a traditional wedding. So we compromised and changed our plans. It will be in a more accessible location with more people. But, we still limit the number of people we invited.
Less than a month and I'll be a missus. (Mixed feelings here!) Aside from a wedding gown, all is set and ready for our big day. I did all the preparations overseas. How did I do that?
Maybe these things can help other overseas brides:
1. Spend time on researching for suppliers online
Half of the wedding preps will be spent on researching for suppliers online. Make time to read and join wedding fora. Read blogs and reviews. You'll be surprised how helpful other brides are. You can also learn things that you may easily overlook. I chose our suppliers mostly based on previous brides' feedback. I spent about a month just reading and researching until I finally made a shortlist of our major suppliers. By that time, I already have an idea of other tasks that we have to do.
2. Partner with someone from home
After researching, ask a trusted person from home to do all the physical work for you. You can ask that person to check the venue, do food tasting, deposit reservation fees, talk to possible suppliers and other tasks that you think need your physical presence. In my case, my fiance was the one who did all these since he lives in the Philippines. For those whose fiance/ fiancees are also overseas, ask your maid of honor, a close friend or a sister to do these things for you. Make sure though that whoever you choose has the time to do the tasks.
If you have the budget, hire a coordinator to arrange things for you. This would make your wedding planning so much easier. I only hire an on the day wedding coordinator. Knowing how obsessive I am with details, I'll probably drive my coordinator crazy if I hire her for a full coordination.
3. Communicate with your suppliers regularly
Even though you have someone to do the physical work for you, take time to communicate with your possible suppliers. Don't depend on the one at home in making inquiries, reviewing contracts and discussing your preferences. Make sure you know what services they're offering. And make sure that they know you know. If you have a coordinator, communicate with her regularly and ask for updates. It's very important to track the progress of your wedding plans esp. when you're overseas. Remember that you have limited time to correct things.
4. Do what you can do overseas
Don't entirely depend on your team at home. Whatever you can do overseas, do it. If you're planning to DIY your invitations, you can start with that. It's easy to bring invitations home with you. You can also do the seat plan, guest list, thank you-cards. Some brides even buy their gowns in wherever they are then they'd just bring it home with them. A friend who's getting married next year already sent her measurements a few months before she visits her home country. In my case, I'll just rent a gown when I go to the Philippines. My body's average for a Filipina so I don't think I'll have a hard time finding a gown.
5. Don't forget the exchange rate for your budget
Consider the exchange rate when planning your wedding budget. When we started planning our wedding, the yen was stronger. But with the weakening yen, we had to adjust our wedding budget. I had to spend more yen. (sigh)
Always remember to enjoy the whole wedding planning. Stress may be a part of it but I think it's part of the fun too. If you know that you've done what you have to do, then that's it. Trust that you did your best.
Happy wedding!
