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A Funny Thing Happened
The Details That Make A Wedding
Special
In Focus
Alan M. Borras
The
Country's Best & Most Beautiful Churches |
CEREMONY SITE
In choosing one,
consider the following:
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Formality of your
Wedding
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The time and month of
the year
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The number of Guests
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Your Religion
Ask Church Guidelines
and Restrictions regarding the following:
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Photo and Video
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Music
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Decorations
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Candles
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Rice or Petal-tossing
HOW TO SAVE MONEY:
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If you are getting
married under a non-Catholic religion and wedding rites
are allowed outside the church, have your ceremony at the
same facility as your reception to save a second rental
fee.
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Set a realistic guest
list and stick to it.
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Hire a professional
Wedding Consultant.
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At a church or temple,
ask if there is another wedding that day and share the
cost of floral decorations with that couple.
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At a garden wedding,
the caterer can provide extra chairs to seat your guests
during the religious rites without extra cost. Make sure
this provision is included in your Caterer’s Contract
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SOME IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW:
OFFICIANT’S FEE – this is the fee you pay to whomever will perform
your ceremony. Most Catholic churches already have this
included in the fees you are paying them.
Some Officiants (Priest, Clergyman, Minister, Pastor, Chaplain, Rabbi
, or Judge) may not accept a fee, depending on your
relationship with him. If a fee is refused, consider
sending a donation to the Officiant’s church.
READINGS – Make sure
to discuss the readings that you want to include in your
ceremony with your Officiant. In some Catholic churches,
there are standard readings to follow. Some churches may
not accept the readings that you like. It pays to consult
your Officiant and the Church. |
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RECEPTION VENUE
This will account for
most part of your budget. In choosing your reception venue,
consider your number of guests and the amount of money
you’re willing to throw for your reception. Also, consider
the following:
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SIZE OF ROOM
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FOOD SELECTION
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DECORATIONS
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CORKAGE FEES
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AMENITIES
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PARKING
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HANDICAPPED FACILITIES
(if you have handicapped guests)
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RESTRICTIONS
OPTIONS: Hotels, Clubs,
Restaurants, Parks, Gardens, Museums, Yachts, Private Homes,
Halls
RECEPTION SITE: the
space size of the venue you will choose will depend on the
number of guests you are inviting to your wedding and the
approximate number of guaranteed people who are actually
attending.
Other considerations
would be its availability, rental price, formality of your
wedding and its distance from the ceremony site (if
different).
Some reception sites
charge only for the rental of the place and have accredited
caterers to choose from. Most venues of this type are parks,
gardens, halls, museums, and private homes.
Reception sites such as
hotels and restaurants have their own catering facilities
and as such would charge you on a per person fee which
already include a set of amenities such as the food and
complete party necessities.
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A WORD OF CAUTION:
When booking a hotel venue, check out the time you can set-up or
decorate the place. Also, check if there’s another event
booked after you. Some hotels accept bookings that are too
close to each other leaving no room for the next event to
set-up the place. In other cases, (if there’s a next
event after you), you and your guests will be forced out
of the room to give way to the next function. It is also
important that you ask the hotel’s Banquet Coordinator to
include in the contract the name of the function room that
you are booking. This will save you from being moved to a
smaller venue when another event that is bigger in size
and hence, more profitable for the hotel is being
considered for the function room that you are booking.
Also, indicate the number of hours you can use the
function room. |
HOW TO SAVE MONEY:
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Try as much as
possible to limit the number of your guests since your
reception accounts for most part of your budget. Afterall,
you wouldn’t really like to have a carnival of people
you’re not really close to at your wedding.
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Consider having a
Breakfast Wedding or a Brunch. It’s less costly and easier
to manage than a formal evening dinner.
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If you have the space
at your own house, consider holding your reception there
and just hire a caterer. However, make sure there’s a
space where your guests can park.
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Guarantee only 85 to
90 percent of your final guest count to your caterer or
Banquet Coordinator (if you feel that some of your guests
are unsure of attending). Most reception sites provide a
10% allowance or extra food anyway. Should your guests do
not show up, you will have extra savings. If they do show
up, your caterer should have enough for everyone and will
just charge you on a per head basis.
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Select food that are
not expensive and too time-consuming to prepare.
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Beverages add to your
expense. Consider serving punch, wine or non-alcoholic
drinks only. Also, host the first-round of drinks only,
then go on a Cash Basis. This means that the waiters or
servers should politely inform the guests that the next
drink is already on cash basis (should there be any
request for a second round).
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Avoid serving salty
foods such as potato chips, nuts, pretzels, or hams. These
foods will make your guests thirstier and will tend to
drink more.
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Check for any Corkage
Fee that your reception site may imposed for any food or
drinks you will be bringing in other than those of the
venue.
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For your Service
Providers, ask the hotel or your caterer what meal
alternative they can provide and where they can eat. You
don’t really have to feed them the same meal as your
guests. An extra small room may also be provided for them
so they don’t mix with your guests. But if you have enough
on the Buffet Table and you’re willing to welcome them in
your feast, inform your Service Providers before the
function so they know when and where to take their meals.
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Reception venues
and/or your caterer usually have wedding packages that
already include decorations for the place. Check this out
in advance. You may also look at some pictures of their
past weddings with the same type of decorations so you
would have an idea. If you are opting to get a separate
designer or set decorator or a florist for your wedding
venue, advise the hotel or your caterer and check where
you can trade-in the decorations that they are providing.
There are several ideas
on how you can transform your reception venue into something
really wonderful. Your wedding coordinator and your florist
should be able to suggest to you some ideas that are not
very expensive depending on the theme of your wedding.
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Ribbons on the chairs
add a certain touch of elegance and can accentuate the
overall look of your reception site. Check out from the
hotel or your caterer if they can provide such at no extra
cost.
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Prepare to give the
customary gratuity to your caterer, waiters or servers.
The average is 10% of your food and beverage bill. Some
caterers or reception sites already have these included in
their fees (Service Charge). Please check the cost up
front before you sign the contract with your caterer or
reception site.
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Check out the Parking
facilities and if there are fees for Valet Parking.
Ask for complimentary parking passes from the Hotel or
Caterer. In choosing a venue, this should be one of your
main considerations. If there are no parking spaces
available for your guests, your guests might just leave in
disappointment. Also, check out handicapped facilities if
you have handicapped guests.
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DECORATIONS
TABLE CENTERPIECES
OPTIONS: Candles and
flowers, shells, jars, fruits, vases, aquariums. The options
are endless. Just use your imagination and be creative! Try
to incorporate your centerpieces with the general theme of
your wedding.
HOW TO SAVE MONEY:
When trying to think of
an idea, choose materials that are not expensive. Also,
check out the flowers that are available or are in season
during the time of your wedding.
THINGS TO CONSIDER:
The centerpiece for the
presidential table or your head table should have a larger
arrangement than the other tables. You must also consider
the height of your centerpiece to make sure that it does not
block or hinder conversation among your guests seated across
from each other.
You may choose the color
of your flowers to match the motif of your wedding.
For the nuptial table or
where you are seated, consider pillars on each side and a
large floral arrangement in front of your table. Make sure
that the flower arrangements on your table are not too huge
that you can’t be seen anymore by your guests. You may also
consider a gazebo. Decorate it with greens and tulle and
light it up for effect.
WEDDING ATTIRE
BRIDAL GOWN
Order your gown at
least four to six months before your wedding.
Discuss your preferred
style and fabric with your designer. Ask how many fittings
you will have to get the perfect fit of your gown. Ask how
long it will take for your gown to finish. When your
designer gives you a schedule of fittings, try to make it to
avoid delays in finishing your gown. Designer usually have
timetables to follow.
If it is in your custom
or still following traditions such as not trying on the
bridal gown before the wedding, inform your designer right
away. Some designers may just request you to try your gown
lining or your gown’s pattern instead of the wedding gown
itself.
TIP: December and January are
the busiest months of weddings in the Philippines. If you
are getting married in these months, try to have your gown
made six to eight months before your wedding. If this can’t
be done, ask your designer of his/her schedule. Most
designers hire extra sewers and beaders to meet deadlines
for peak months. Make sure your designer can finish your gown in time for your wedding. Indicate this in your
contract with the designer.
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