CHECKLIST for Budget Betty

Hello beauties,

It is very fulfilling to see your plans come together on your wedding day, and if you're like me who started planning my wedding since i watched Coming to America, (I was like 4 mind you, but gosh do you remember Lisa's dress!!!), then you'll know that anything short of perfection is unacceptable! #Sigh# so I've grown up, and I kinda know that Akeem and Lisa probably had to do more than 1 take to get that wedding scene right! I also know that it takes more than proper planning to get it right.

I'd love to discuss certain areas that are commonly overlooked. Some of these things might seem elementary but trust me, I've done my fair share of weddings, and not many people know these things. While I'd strongly advise that you enlist the services of a reputable wedding planner(I can't even believe i said this, but it's the truth), I understand that it might not be within your budget(but trust me, some of them aren't as expensive as  you might think), plus you probably just want the fun of planning your own wedding and then you have so much time on your hands. So, here is a simple (non exhaustive) checklist to help us Budget Bettys out there.

ALWAYS HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW MUCH THINGS ACTUALLY COST BEFORE YOUR WEDDING:

Speculations will not help you get a true idea of how much you might need to spend for your wedding. Lisa was marrying the royal heir to the throne of Zamunda, so she couldn't be bothered about this. Budget betty however, needs to be more realistic in her approach. I've come across a bride who thought she could get a fully decorated hall with N200,000(mind you, she expected waterfalls and fairies). Speculations will slow down your planning process. But if you already have an actual idea, it would be easy for you to do your opportunity cost and work with your budget. These days, most vendors have their phone numbers and websites on display all over social network. Let google be your friend. You can make enquiries, arm yourself with necessary details. 

BE SPECIFIC WITH YOUR VENDORS AND ASK FOR POSSIBLE DISCOUNT OPTIONS: 

When dealing with vendors, you need to be specific about what you want. I cannot emphasize this enough. Do not assume that cos a friend got something as a freebie, all other vendors would grant the same option. Mind you, your vendor has a business to run, so do not expect her to operate at a loss just to please you. Having said this, there could be a lot of great value options in the offing, so always ask. Take for example, some decorators provide table setting options for receptions, but this is usually at an added cost. While on the other hand, most caterers factor table settings into their price quote(However, do not expect anything fancy with this option). A bride once got really upset about the boring looking tables(it was boring indeed, just cups and cutlery). She assumed the decorator would cover and set the tables as well. They did not discuss this, and it turned out that she could have actually gotten the table setting option for a meagre sum if only she had expressed her desire. While you might blame the decorator for not informing the bride, the point is most brides tend to suddenly become graduates of economics during the wedding period and if you mention an extra 5k you could incur their wrath. Some MCs make themselves available from the photo taking session in church or wherever, while some are strictly for the reception activities. Some bands have DJ services incorporated into their cost, whereas most do not. Some makeup artists have to be paid extra to stay for touchups, while some do not. Some bakers provide extra 100-200 pieces or more of tiny wrapped cakes for guests at no extra cost, while others simply do not unless you're paying for it. So always ask and be specific.

 

CONSIDER TRAFFIC WHEN CHOOSING YOUR WEDDING AND RECEPTION LOCATION:

So you have been eyeing this particular hall in Ikeja and you live in Ikotun, in fact, you checked out the hall with your boo and decorator on Sunday evening and it took you a little over 20 minutes to get there,while there is nothing absolutely wrong in getting married and partying in 2 different local governments, I strongly advise that you consider Saturday traffic. I have seen a bride who was 2 hours and 30 minutes late for her reception. Do not disrespect your guests by keeping them waiting unnecessarily. This is especially so when caterers have been given strict instructions not to serve refreshments till the bridal party arrive. 

 

READ THROUGH WEDDING MESSAGES BEFORE SENDING:

Now you've set your wedding date and you've contracted all your vendors, so you decided to send a reminder/invite to your guests and vendors as well. You whip out your bb and you begin to type, you were probably at work when you did this, and somehow, 5th of January became 15th of January cos you have big fingers........seems harmless right, after all, everyone knows it's 5th. Trust me, one 'alaga' didn't show up 'cos she thought they had moved it from a weekend to a weekday. So, I suggest you read and proof read every message before it is sent.

 

YOUR BRIDAL TRAIN:

We all would like to have our 100 friends on our bridal train so that when we are dancing to our bedazzled throne with prince akeem, they'll all be lined up and you'll have a big grin on your face. Note, not everyone needs to be on your train, in fact, not everyone wants to. But before you ask everyone to join your bridal train, pls do make provisions for their welfare. Transportation is important, how do they get to the venue of the event(s), do you rent 2 extra cars or do you opt for a limo, or if some of them actually drive, you could inform them ahead. Don't ambush people. Some people do not overload their cars and they will make no exceptions just because it's your wedding day. So plan ahead, otherwise, you'll end up with just half of your train at the end of the day, believe me i've seen this one happen more than 3 times. It doesn't end there. Your bridal train should be treated with respect (which they deserve, after all it is no mean feat wearing the hilarious bridesmaid costume you chose just so you could stand out as the belle of the ball). Have the required number of tables and chairs reserved for them. Don't just use and dump them. Make sure they are comfortable as well. I've seen some bridesmaids have to struggle for food and drinks cos they were busy attending to the bride and they somehow missed the passover feast. 

 

CONSIDER YOUR GROOM AND PARENTS:

Yes it's your wedding, but really, this is a joining of 2 people, 2 families, diverse egos etc. You need to keep the parents informed of everything you're doing so they don't feel like guests instead of hosts at your wedding. Once upon a time, a mother of the bride refused to dance into the hall because there was no 'high table', aunties and daddies had to pacify her before she eventually succumbed. Even at that she kept giving her daughter daggers for not 'honoring' her enough.Your groom should also know ahead of time that there'll be a choreographed bridal dance (and should have been tutored on how to do the dance as well)otherwise, he might just choose to sit and watch. It has happened before.


Hope this helps somebody out there...........
Please share your experience(s) with me..........


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