Read about Part1 here :http://blog.myfatpocket.com/alethea/2017/08/27/planning-your-own-wedding-like-i-did-mine/

Now I’m going delve deeper into the nitty gritty and small details on wedding planning which I hope will benefit everyone once again.

Like I said in my earlier post the first 2 things were to work out your guest list and research on venues that fit in your budget.

The plan
Pertaining to the guest list and all the information such as your budgeting and time line, its good to have it on dropbox or googledocuments or some sort of shared drive where you and your fiance can share, and not to mention make copies of things such as your wedding timeline/ time table or give shared access of your timeline document to vendors or your bridal entourage when you require.

The moodboard
I basically kept a folder of all things that caught my eye – things that reminded me on an enchanted garden / woodland forest. While the theme was straight forward on its own, I spent a hell lot of time mulling over the color scheme on whether to have it kept green, white and peach, or have it be more colorful and romantic. ie Green and Burgundy

This was the inspiration for my bridemaids dresses which i settled for in lavender.

And the gowns : oh the gowns. I love zuhair murad gowns so much, as well as Galia Lahav but not their pricetags hahahha.

However madly in love with Zuhair Murad designs I was – I had to be realistic about my budget….you know la – cannot afford hahaha and my figure also meant that I had no boobs to reveal la to be honest.

As my dinner banquet wasn’t individually plated – I had less space to work with for the decorations….so I had to change plans somehow mostly by just leaving it to Regina my florist to decide for me.

On the RSVP and attendance
Have your wedding stationery designer or if you will -try your own hand out at designing an electronic save the date card which you can forward along closer to the date to remind your guests, or have it sent to them before the real invitation.

On that day as well assign 1 or 2 members of the bridal party to help with directions for guests who cannot find their way. Have this person tag to you like a personal assistant thruout the wedding so that he/she can help filter your calls.

Have your wedding invite feature a map and useful directions on getting to the venue, as well as a helpline ie a number to call should they need help on getting there.

Singaporeans are a notorious late bunch so be prepared to start even if just 60% guests are there. It helps to remind your guests that this is a once in a lifetime event and that their punctuality is appreciated- afterall these are close/good friends and family and you can afford to be honest about how punctuality is treasured on your once in a lifetime event.

On the week of your wedding, send your guests an electronic reminder about your wedding [during which you should expect some drop-outs so don’t fret]* remember the tip for Part 1 which was to invite a couple more people than what you’ve catered for since some were going to drop out anyway. There are however some risks involved lol.

The budget
I found this to be a useful resource when it came to planning my budget or having an overall idea of the venues prices – https://singaporebrides.com/wedding_banquet_pricelist.php
One thing to note however is the prices are based on basic menu items and prices differ if you chose to opt for the more expensive menu/dishes.

Saving on ROM cost

• yYu could either opt for your ROM to be done at ROM [cheap and fuss free]
• Or you can look for a venue which will provide you a free room to have this done since it was a really quick thing- about 30mins.
• We did this on the same day just before our wedding dinner in the Courtyard of Raffles hotel outside of The Halia at no extra charge. Saving us both time and cost from holding it on a separate date/venue.

About ROM and solemnization etc
It’s a rather straight forward process
Read about it on https://www.rom.gov.sg/reg_info/rom_marriage.asp
It cost just $42 for singaporeans/PRs and can be done online, You’ll need to apply at least 21 days ahead of your marriage date
Steps:

Step1 To file a notice of marriage you may do so at https://www.rom.gov.sg/
Step2: Go to the Registry of Marriages to Verify Documents and for Statutory Declaration (strictly by appointment only)
Step3: On the day of marriage, proceed to have marriage solemnized by a licensed solemnizer and in the presence of 2 witnesses

If you’re going for normal stilettos please consider a pair with hidden platforms as it helps to relieve the pain. Don’t forget to pack a pair of slippers or bedroom slippers and have a bridesmaid bring it around for you in case you need some moments of relief. Personally I had to walk from my hotel suite pass the courtyard of raffles to get to The Halia – during which i wore bedroom slippers, and only changed into heels before my march-in moment. This was a great idea from my bridesmaid <3

Yep see the acne that I have

Now – the results . This was me on my wedding day – as the tulle was really translucent, I definitely was happy that the skin on my back looked clear on the day.

As I had my solemnization on the same day, we didn’t have time for a couples game segment but you can consider these as it adds to the fun.

• One of my bridesmaids woke up late and arrived at lunch missing the gatecrash , still I am glad she made it!
• Another was a little ill the week of the wedding of which it is no fault of hers
• And yet another left out the customized papers i printed for the caricarture to be done on – again it doesn’t matter.
• My bridesmaid forgot about my ringbox during my solemnization ceremony lololol
• Our groomsman face was stained by makeup during the gatecrash as the guys applied lipstain on his eyes thinking it was eyeshadow? LOL
• We had a v low turnup for the tea ceremony or rather the rsvp for the tea ceremony because my family is chilled like that and his relatives that were coming from Malaysia couldn’t make it in time lol so we skipped it.
• My makeup artist came a little later than expected during dinner *Gasp*
• My mom got lost in the corridoor of Raffles Hotel and then turned to a groomsmen of ours to find her way out hahahah
• My hubby insisted the flower boutonniere was not in the fridge – there goes my money. We found it in the fridge after the wedding -_- . It’s a juliet rose by the way …… so the funny thing was the next day I insisted he put in on his suit so I could take a photo . I loved the lush juliet rose, the seeded eucalyptus and the lovely orchid on it – again credits to florist Regina Mae for her wonderful work.
• Another funny trivia: About 2 months before my wedding , I did a prewed video montage and was bitten all over by sandflies at changi beach – omg that was hell but i survived. It was itchy beyond words -_-
• Oh yes I’ve been to a few weddings where by groom actually forgot to bring the bouquet so to avoid that I kept the bouquet with me hahahahhaha!! Anyway I was the one who paid for the florals ..MEH
• We are not traditional and neither were are parents so we skipped the guo da li.
• And frankly I’ve always been reluctant to get married – but my husband somehow convinced me . On my wedding day I was filled with so much mixed emotions – I think I discounted myself of some of the joy I could have had hahahha erm -_- hard to explain but at least I’m honest right? hahahahha
• So hey – don’t swear the small stuff? Everyone chose to be there for us at our wedding on this special day and contributed in whatever way that can so – be appreciative! And have fun – don’t give yourself headaches like i did hahaha.