Getting married is notoriously expensive, especially in the Philippines. Many couples spend years to save enough money to pay for everything that they would need during the ceremony and the reception. However, there is a way to keep your spending down: plan your own wedding. It can be stressful, but you get greater control of your budget. Here are some tips that you can consider:
Take the Reception at Home
If you have the space, it would save you a lot of money to skip booking a fancy events place and just host the reception in your or your parents’ backyard. You can find businesses that provide tent rental in Manila and across the Philippines to offer shade while your guests eat and party.
Gather your best friends, hit the craft stores, and create wedding decor by yourselves. Pinterest and YouTube are great places to find easy and affordable wedding decor ideas you can DIY.
Opt for a Second-hand Wedding Dress
Many couples blow a chunk of their wedding budgets buying a wedding dress. Although the wedding dress you will wear is important, it can get expensive. Instead of buying, you can look for pre-loved wedding dresses online or in local thrift stores. A seamstress can alter the wedding dress of your choice to fit you perfectly or make changes if it is not exactly your style.
You will only be wearing your wedding dress once. While you may think that your daughter will inherit and wear it on her wedding day in the future, there is a big chance that it would not happen. Trends come and go. In the future, your wedding dress likely will have gone out of style. It is more economical and, not to mention, sustainable and eco-friendly, to wear a pre-loved wedding dress.
Talk to Multiple Suppliers
Planning your wedding will be hard work. To stick to your budget, you may have to talk to several suppliers such as caterers and photographers or videographers to find the best deals.
You can tell the suppliers that you have been shopping around. Ask them point-blank if they can match their competitor’s price range or go lower. Be open about the budget you have allotted for your wedding so that the supplier can propose alternatives that will allow you to stick with the price range you are hoping for. If you can afford it, some suppliers may consider giving you a discount if you can pay the full price on the spot.
Discuss Your Priorities
While it is inevitable for you to cut costs in some elements of the wedding, there are some things that you cannot compromise. For example, hiring photographers and videographers are important because they will document every moment of the wedding and the reception. These will be the only physical mementos that will be left for you to cherish for the rest of your life so it may not be wise to let an amateur do it. You may also want to spend more to hire an experienced hair and makeup artist to make you look great on your wedding day.
Planning your own wedding will not be easy. There are many things you have to take care of that it is best to recruit your family and friends to assist you along the way. Sit down with your partner and discuss all these things before you start booking suppliers and services.
