ALL PLANNED OUT
Sit back and relax while the wedding planners do all the work. Whether it is planning a multicultural, fancy themed or destination wedding, these professionals know best
Whether it’s planning a multicultural, themed or destination wedding, these professionals know best
Vacation Weddings
For many, a dream wedding would mean whisking friends and family away to an exotic island or favourite country to celebrate their nuptials. This way, guests will be given the luxury of enjoying a mini vacation together with the couple, making it a truly unforgettable experience. However, destination weddings do take a lot of planning and one should start as early as possible.
Here to help, The Wedding Planners have over 15 years of experience in the industry. What sets them apart from the rest are their unique wedding destinations such as Indochina and the fact that they are always prepared to handle any challenges. “There’s always managing the expectations of the clients when planning destination weddings— any destination would present unexpected surprises—be it the weather or availability of certain items or services,” says Eileen Lui from The Wedding Planners.
Eileen loves planning destination weddings due to the romantic notion attached to being at a faraway, exotic destination, embracing the local beauty, culture and the people. Within Southeast Asia, she recommends travelling to countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar as there is a lot to discover there. No matter what your style or budget is, there is a wedding destination suitable for every couple.
When planning a destination wedding, Eileen highlights the importance of planning ahead of time and to go on a recce trip so that couples are confident with their chosen destination. “Don’t force-fit something— beach weddings are romantic and beautiful but if you’re averse to heat, you should think twice!” she advises.
Themes and Colour Schemes
Whether it is an urban or country inspired wedding, there is no doubt that themed weddings are becoming increasingly popular. This could be due to the fact that themed weddings offer an exciting avenue for couples to get creative when planning their weddings, allowing them to incorporate personal touches and meaningful elements into the decor. This could include everything from their favourite movie or the re-creation of their first meeting, using their favourite colours.
At Chic Occasions, the planners understand that weddings are personal and unique to each couple, which is why they are dedicated to creating a memorable once-in-a-lifetime celebration. According to Cheryl Teh, the founder of Chic Occasions, “Wedding planning is a journey. It’s almost like the first task a husband and wife would take; the start of decision-making not as two individuals but as one.”
Cheryl and her team waste no time when it comes to helping couples plan their perfect wedding ceremony. “Every party involved in the planning must be honest in communicating not just the ideas but feelings, thoughts and challenges be it good or bad so that expectations can be managed and rough edges can be smoothened out before the wedding day,” she explains.
In order to successfully plan a themed wedding, research is very important. “Find out elements that would make the theme obvious such as venue, colour selection, stationery, decor designs, usage of certain decorative props and attire. Due to the unlimited choices available in the market, one can start narrowing down specific elements to be included in the wedding decor using a pre-determined budget. Therefore, always start with a budget,” Cheryl advises.
One of her personal favourite colour schemes for themed weddings is a combination of white, blush and champagne with a touch of black and pale gold while other popular themes are seasonal. This season, most couples are attracted to vintage and Gatsby themes because they are sophisticated, elegant and fun.
Leticia Hsu from Elysium Weddings tells us that the factors involved in planning a themed wedding include following through with what you have planned, budget, family and venue constraints. Following through means sticking to your Midsummer Night’s Dream theme without including other elements that do not tie in with the theme.
Budget is also very important. “If you don’t have the budget for such extravagance, then pick another theme that can work with your budget. Don’t try to push the theme with a lower budget; you will be able to see the difference in terms of quality and the output,” says Leticia who is also the president and co-founder of the Association of Wedding Professionals in Malaysia.
When it comes to the venue, what may look good in movies may not look the same in smaller spaces. Therefore couples will have to manage their expectations according to the venue they select. Finally, family considerations are also important. “You may have loved the Great Gatsby theme that is all the rage now, but be warned that the theme is in black and gold. Be sure that grandma won’t throw a fit when she enters the ballroom,” cautions Leticia.
Besides going for the Gatsby theme, a summer chic theme with eye-popping colours would look very well when done the right way. This is where your wedding planner comes in, of course. Saving the day with their vast experience in colour coordinating, time management and dealing with multiple vendors to create the ideal setting for your wedding celebration.
According to Leticia, a wedding planner can actually end up saving you more money in the long run as they will know how to negotiate with the hotel. As for the vendors, Elysium Weddings possesses an extensive list of connections with wedding industry vendors, enabling them to tell you who the best person for the job is and whether what they are charging is within reason. Lastly, they also provide sound advice on what the money should be spent on while suggesting alternative solutions to meet your budget.
Multicultural Celebrations
Weddings that bring together individuals from two different cultures are incredibly special, though they are not the easiest to plan. This is because there is a myriad of factors which needs to be taken into consideration, such as how to combine two different cultures into one celebration, deciding on which traditions make it to the ceremony, finding the most suitable venue to fit both cultures and the list goes on.
Firstly, there should be open communication between the couple about their wedding ceremony before involving anyone else. After that, the couple and both sides of the family need to decide which age-old traditions should be included in the ceremony and which can be left out. As it would be unusual to blend different ceremonial elements into one day, there could be two ceremonies on different days in respect to each family tradition.
The decor on the other hand, could easily represent two cultures at a joint wedding reception by adding subtle details here and there. For example, a red Chinese fan together with a beautifully packaged box of Indian sweets would be ideal favours for a wedding where these two cultures intertwine. As for the food served, it is really up to you. You could choose to have different food stations with dishes from both cultures, or opt for tasty fusion food.
“It is crucial to actively involve the couple in the seating planning as they are most familiar with their guests. A good start would be to group the guests in clusters first and then arrange them onto the seating plan,” advises Nicole Tan, the creative director of Mint Events & Soirees.
Nicole loves planning multicultural weddings as she enjoys learning about the couple’s diverse backgrounds. The exposure, diversity and experience from understanding their differences and being able to paint a love story that is uniquely theirs, is why Nicole does what she does.
When planning multicultural weddings, her company takes into careful consideration any custom or cultural formalities which need to be incorporated into the wedding planning. This is important to ensure that nobody is offended in any way.
You may be feeling like your head is about to explode with the amount of things you have to do in preparation of your wedding. However, the important thing is to make sure you are excited on the day no matter what happens, without letting the little things get to you. To avoid getting stressed out during the whole wedding planning process, Nicole suggests that couples should leave it to the professionals. “Engage wedding vendors whom you are comfortable with and whose work resonates most with your personal style,” she reveals.
“At Mint Events & Soirees, we like to actively involve the couple in the wedding planning experience. From the moment they say ‘Yes’ to ‘I do’, we stand with them every step of the way in planning for the biggest day of their lives like it were our very own,” Nicole concludes.