Planning the perfect wedding

Some guidelines to keep in mind

Soon after the proposal, when everybody have been informed of the good news, the hardest part needs to be taken care of.  Planning the perfect wedding is no walk in the park.  It can be a horrific and costly affair if you don’t have the right tools for the job.  Here are some tips and tricks to minimize the worry over money, and maximize the magic of the day.

First it is a good idea to decide which type of wedding you are planning to have and how the costs will be divided amongst the parties involved. In the traditional wedding setup, most of the costs regarding the bride, the guests and the venue are handled by the parents of the bride, whereas the costs regarding the groom, the church and the legal matters fall to the side of the groom.  These days however, it’s not written in stone who has to pay for what.  As long as both parties are aware of all the costs they are responsible for and sufficient planning goes forehand, this shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

Bigger problems are caused by over or under budgeting.  The average South-African wedding costs between R700 and R800 per guest.  For a more extravagant wedding, this figure can shoot up to between R1500 and R2000 per guest.  For a guide to looking at what you might expect to pay in percentage to the total budget price, take a look at the following pie-chart:

On top of this estimate, it would be advisable to include another 10% - 15% for concealed expenses.  They always get a way to come back and haunt you in the end, so be prepared.  As far as deposits go, be prepared to pay about 50% up front for both the booking of the venue and the service providers.

Since the late 90’s, in South-Africa, the use of wedding planners have escalated up to the point where most brides cannot cope without the help, or at least the supervision, of these expert hands.  It is advisable to consult with someone in this profession before starting the planning process, regardless of who is actually going to plan the wedding.  If you prefer that your wedding be planned for you, make sure to contact the wedding planner in advance. They will be able to make miracles happen if they have enough time to do so.

Another important factor to remember which can lead to upside down smiles, are the flowers and decor.  Other than the venue and the needed services, the cost of the flowers and decor are hard to pre-calculate because of the wide array of factors they depend on.  For example, the season in which the wedding takes place will greatly influence the types of available flowers.  The basic rule to remember is that, the harder the flowers are to get, the more you are going to pay.  If there are any holidays in or near to the week of the wedding, flower prices may sky rocket due to popular demand, so it will also help to cut costs if the wedding takes place in between holidays.

At the end of the day, you will be able to get exactly what you want if you plan far enough ahead.  Although there will always be unforeseen events before and on the big day, with sufficient planning, these too find a way to work out just fine.  So plan, smile and enjoy your perfect wedding.

For any further information, don't hesitate to contact us