It’s time to finally start planning your big day and boy, do you have some ideas! But when it’s the biggest day of your life, where do you even start when it comes to planning? First, you need to choose the perfect wedding venue, then you need to decide on the guest list, date, work out your ceremony ideas... it can all seem a little overwhelming! But luckily for you, we're here to offer a guiding hand.
Begin to Budget
Working out the budget for the wedding can be a little confusing, especially if your family will play a big role. Perhaps your family members may offer you gifts and help you financially, or in the case of red envelopes, pay for their involvement. As such, you're going to need to spend some time to really figure this one out and consider how much spending money you really have. Then, plan accordingly.
Guest List
In some Asian traditions, large weddings are essential, and if this is something that you want then you will need to budget to accommodate this. There are many ways you can cut down the costs of the wedding - for example, you could have a buffet instead of a sit-down meal, or instead go for a smaller, more personal wedding ceremony. Regardless, by paying attention to the wedding aspects you really need, you can budget cut elsewhere - and the guest list is a good place to start.
Choose the Date
Having a rough date idea is going to help you a lot when it comes to looking at venues. Have a discussion not only with your spouse to be, but also with your immediate family - there may be a particular time of year that is unsuitable for many potential guests, and so you can plan to avoid this. Summer and holiday times are always the busiest, as well as the most expensive, so you’ll need to keep this in mind as well.
Theme
Are you looking to have a theme to your wedding?
Sometimes a theme can really help to keep all of your décor and ideas together,
and it can be nice for guests to have a dress code to adhere to. There are lots
of themes that your wedding can have, whether it is traditional Asian, royalty,
or black tie. Having at least an idea of the colours that you want your wedding
to follow is going to make it much easier to decide on some of the big
purchases.
Potential Areas
Then, you will need to start thinking about the location. If you're looking for a historic wedding venue or a venue with formal gardens and a banqueting suite, you're probably not going to look in a small and new part of the city. You could go as far as Surrey or Essex, but note that there are many a landmark hotel and ideal wedding venue in the heart of London. From London Bridge to Northumberland Avenue, South East London to the area around the Kimpton fitzroy London, you won't be short of fantastic areas to choose from.
The Venue (Addington Palace, Farnham Castle, The Manor of Your Dreams?)
This is what will ultimately decide the
theme of your wedding, and the look that your whole day will have. There are
lots of suitable Asian wedding venues for hire in London, and so you’re
guaranteed to find the one that suits your style, the number of guests that you
want, and your budget. It is best to start looking early for your perfect venue
however, as they do tend to get booked up quickly, particularly when it comes
to popular dates. Make sure you view multiple venue options, as it isn’t until
you see a place that you truly know if it’s going to be the right one for you and
your big day.
The Dress
For an Asian wedding, the decision of the dress can sometimes be a major cause of stress, especially when budget constrains come into it. Consider whether you will go for a white dress of traditional culture garment, choosing the best for you. Note that modern weddings can be a great mix of two separate cultures, which means there’s no reason why you can’t change your clothes later on in the day so that everyone is happy.
Food
Food is one of the most important aspects of the big day, and as such, one of the main things to consider in your budget. Perhaps you will choose a menu which is completely Asian-inspired, British, or a mixture of both. Note that food can be pricey if you have a big wedding, but you could also consider self-catering - especially if you have a lot of friends or relatives who would be willing to cook. After all, nothing spells out love like a home cooked meal.
Things to Remember
It’s your big day. It’s easy for everyone
you know to come to you with amazing ideas for you wedding, but remember, the
final decisions are made by you and your spouse.
Relax. Give yourself time to relax before
your wedding. No one wants to be stressed out in the days leading up to it, so
try and chill out as much as possible.
Enjoy it. Once the day arrives, there’s nothing
more to be done apart from relaxing and enjoying the day. It will all be over
quicker than you think, so try and soak it all in.
Planning a wedding can be stressful, but it
should be fun! Give yourself plenty of time and pick out what you want
carefully. By making a plan and deciding on your theme early, everything else
will fall smoothly into place and all you’ll have left to do is the best part
of all – get married!
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