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| http://www.msandmrs.com |
I'll start it off with my own two cents:
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| http://toblindfoldher.deviantart.com |
2. Always have extra copies of your wedding props inside your bridal room because your photog/videog may not have another opportunity to shoot them. My coordinator reminded me of this...but I didn't have extras for the other props and I forgot to have them brought to my room before the ceremony so ending, there were some wedding details that were no longer taken photos of.
3. I hate to be the one to break this to you, but you will know who your real friends are when you are planning a wedding. I never knew this before, and was only able to validate this when I asked other former brides and grooms because they too, experienced it. If this happens to you, know that in the other side of the rainbow, your real friends will shine and you will find out that these are the friends you can keep forever.
4. Early on, you have to accept that you will not be able to finalize your guest list 'till the very last minute and you will have to work on your seat plan or other details, 'till the very last minute. From my end, our guest list was very few but it was crucial for me to know my final head count because we had DIY welcome kits, we had personalized seat plans even for the ceremony itself, escort cards, and we had hotel vacancy issues to resolve. But no, I ended up being the "bad guy" for trying to follow-up some of the guests. Eventually, you'll just have to accept that the guest list will be revised 'till the very last minute.
5. My last advice is, if you want to survive your wedding smoothly and without drama, then simply don't fall into the trap of becoming a bridezilla. My ex-bride friends who were calm, well-poised, well-mannered, and treated their vendors nicely, had the smoothest and most beautiful weddings I have gone to. While those who were bridezillas, had a lot of problems along the way. Simply because I think negative attracts more negative, and positive attracts more positive. My coordinator assigned to me, my own personal bride assistant for the wedding. When I asked her what were the most memorable weddings she's ever experienced--her answer was simple. She said: "Pare-pareho lang lahat ng weddings namin. Sa dami, magkaka mukha na halos. Kaya ang favorite ko is yung brides na mababait. Yung mga hindi bridezilla".
Here are the tips we've gathered from other former brides and grooms. To protect their identity, all will be referred through anonymous names. Also, please note that the views and opinions of these real-life wedding "veterans" may not necessarily be the same views we have, but we felt it was important for them to be able to voice out their concerns so that in turn, those who are still in the planning stage, may learn from their experiences.
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| http://www.msandmrs.com |
"I wish I kept a little video documentary from the moment I woke up to the time I slept because it's something that I want to relive over and over again. Because I tend to miss it." --- Ex-Groom alias Kung Fu Panda
I had a problem with our videographer who would not upload our video to their official site because we are not a high profile client! --ie. the bride does not fancy a Vera Wang or the reception is not in a posh location (meaning it is not Australia/ Bali/USA) .. I chased our videographer to upload our video to Vimeo. This is too disappointing since we would like to see our SDE in the UK. We had regrets in getting them!!! They are not partners, but mere suppliers! I love their SDE but I hate their service! They don't even bother to have a pre-prod maybe because we are not high-profile enough for their portfolio. This is very unfair. And I am now doing a lot of WOM (word-of-mouth) with regard to this. And they will not tell you that the full video will be available 6 months post the wedding!!! We should have opted for Jason (Magbanua). Oh well he's booked on that day. Our other suppliers are actually very nice and professional. This videographer lacked the servicing that I am expecting from a "supplier". In the future, I am thinking of having SDE for our 10th or silver anniversary (parang ang tagal pa nun) and I will never ever get them!!! And I will not recommend them to any of my friends!!! --Ex Groom alias Mr. UK
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| http://www.msandmrs.com |
---Ex Bride Kisses
Do not be WOWED by suppliers who use celebrity couples in their ads. These are sponsored. It doesn't exactly mean they were preferred by these celebs or that it means they are actually good. ---Ex Bride Burns
"I had a problem with my bridal gown designer. My gown was literally falling apart on the big day. When my designer apologized, he was trying to explain that he had been busy. So what if he was busy? We are ALL busy. And I paid good money for that gown. Don't be impressed with designer names, my dears. Also look at the track record." ---Ex Bride Twinkle
"Get a good coordinator. Kahit gaano pa ka mahal yang wedding mo, if you don't get an expert to do your coordination, walang kwenta ang mahal mong wedding. Everything can just fall apart on the wedding day. On our wedding, I was the one closing the doors of the church for my own bridal entrance. Gusto niyo ba ng mga ganoong moments?" -- Ex Bride Yogurt
"I had a problem with our photographer. I wasn't completely happy with *toot*. They're very good with what they do, but I had problems with some things like communications and tardiness" -- Ex Bride Pearl
Ask someone you can trust with your money, to take care of the balance payments. Right after the end of the reception program, reality will sink in, and you will be followed up with payments. Hindi ka pa nakaka upo at nakaka inom, bayad na agad. So ask a favor from your parents (moms are usually honored to do these things anyway to make them feel important), or your best friend (yung hindi kumukupit ah). -- Ex Groom Bieber
Would you like to share your own tips/advice too? Comment away! But please comment responsibly. While we want to help out future couples, we also don't want this blog entry to be a "bashing spree". If your advice or experience refers to a supplier, kindly refer to any bad experiences anonymously.
XOXO,
Kai :)
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