Weddings. They’re a time to celebrate the love of two people, create life-long memories, and eat, eat, eat. But behind every candle and canapé is months (or sometimes years) of planning, as any husband or wife would tell you.
With a long list of to-dos to tick off before the main event, we spoke to the wedding planning team at Radisson Blu hotels to share their dos and don’ts of planning your wedding.
Dos
Agree on a budget
Remember to always to agree on a budget upfront and one that allows you to get more value for your money. Many planners are usually flexible with the prices and expect couples to come with different views on budgets. So feel free to negotiate and get the chance to invite more people, change your menu options or get special theming services across your venue.
Have a dream wedding in mind
Even the greatest visionaries can benefit from visual aids. Bring in images of your preferred flowers, your partner’s favorite table designs or chandeliers, and design your wedding piece by piece with the wedding planner.
Request special rates for your weddings guests
If you’re inviting your guests to stay at the hotel, ask for discounted prices. Most wedding venues in the Middle East region offer discounted pricing to the bride and groom’s guests staying.
Agree on a theme with your partner
The Middle East region is used to hosting weddings from myriad of cultures, bringing specific traditions, themes and colors together. Ahead of meeting your wedding planner, agree with your partner on a theme. Show no hesitation in your choice of colors, lighting, table-tops and any theming necessities. You need that extra time to be spent searching for the right dress and best flower arrangement – or teaching your spouse-to-be how to master that first dance.
Be open to new ideas
We all like to believe we know best, but wedding planners are experts in their field, so don’t shy out from trying new ideas. They’ve seen and organized many weddings over the years. They can definitely share their expertise and advice on what’s best for you. Your personality, budget, and your partner’s character all goes into the planning too. There’s no harm in a second opinion.
Don’ts
Don’t go in troops to the wedding planner
Middle Eastern families are popular for involving close and far family members in the wedding planning process. Planning cross-cultural weddings can end up with extended family members interfering, while the bride and groom wait for a final decision. Remember, it’s your wedding and no one else’s. Decide with your partner and take a second best opinion only if needed.
Don’t forget to taste your menu
After checking multiple menu options and custom making your own that fits your taste as well as your guests’, many couples don’t know that they can actually request a tasting to know if your favorite home dish is perfect, or requires fixing. Don’t be worried to have a little pre-wedding bite.
Don’t have high expectations if your budget is low
When planning your wedding you can lose important losing creative time on negotiating budgets when the budget is low, and your expectation is extremely high.
Know how big your wedding can be with the money you have before negotiating. You’ll end up losing precious time that could have been spent with a different planner or venue manager. Even the weddings with a smaller budget can be absolutely beautiful, but this is where time and effort plays a major role. Therefore, don’t waste time negotiating big things with small change. Make your decision, book your venue, and get planning.
Don’t ask for last minute changes
Always keep track of the details; attendees, photographer availability, best time for videography, and so on. Many couples think adding 50 extra guests to the guests list is easy, but it’s actually not. There’s more than just servicing attached to the price tag. You will need to fit extra seating with table-tops, flowers, lighting, and even make sure that there’s enough F&B offerings for the additional visitors.
So keep in mind that every last minute change requires lots of “behind-the-scene” work.