Outrageous Plans: 10 Tips To Save For Your Wedding

 Usually, after the proposal and it's introduction to both parents and friends for the official engagement, it will take a year to have the dream wedding the couple-to-be are wanting for. That one year will be for the preparation of the matrimonial vows. Not unless the couple are filthy rich that they'll just have a monthlong preparation  that the wedding planner agreed to prepare a grandiouse event in just a short span of time.

Supposing I'm the man who will marry a very wise, unassuming girlfriend and I told her that we start saving for our wedding for the next twelve months, what will be her reaction?

Let's find out if she still marry me, as I spill out my own suggestions in order to save money for our wedding.

I'm not spared with this. First and foremost, the focus will be the application on marriage license, so we better set a date to verify our status, if I'm truly single; the same with her.

And for the wedding, we should talk about my ideas on how to save, money, time and effort seriously. Will my outrageous plans prevail?

1. We can be gardeners for our flowers in our wedding. Flower accent is a must to make the ceremony colorful, whether we're planning to have a church or lawn wedding; beach wedding perhaps but not underwater nuptials. Roses are the most popular among wedding flowers, for the bridal bouquet, for the bride's maids or the corsage of the groom, groom's men, flower girls, sponsors and the parents. Catholic and other Christian weddings have an elaborate ceremonies ( about an hour). So, we'll just hire for the florist to arrange it but it will save cost and time by planting our own rose plants. It can also be your business extension. It's just like shooting two birds with one bullet.Do you agree?
2. Befriend a wedding planner. Don't fall in love with her either because shen taken or already married (LOL!). It's another story. It's not J. Lo's movie anymore (LOL!). I have a former high schooll classmate who's a wedding planner now. She's a prolific dressmaker and makes dresses for the whole wedding entourage. I perused her products and I can see that she's one of a heck of designer in our city.
3. Befriend a priest or a minister. Why not? It's a democratic world. Priests can be lonely at times. After the mass, they don't have much thing to do. You can invite him for a night cap or drink. You can tackle the easy but elegant wedding ceremony that will save you money. Many ministers are married; you can invite and befriend him, too. In case you change religious affiliation because of your fiancee, you are ready to do it. Inter-racial marriages are so much popular today; that's because of internet chatting and the like. Maybe, one can marry a Muslim brother or from some other religious denomination. Being friendly but with caution for these religious people can lead you to a more colorful wedding ceremony. But don't marry a priest, please! It's so, so bad.
4. Be a culinary expert. Enrol at the most accessible culinary training school in your hometown. Upon learning the hustles and bustles in the kitchen, you can design your own wedding cake. Isn't it nice to be making your own? It's a labor of love. You'll be able to know the actual prices of the ingredients on your food menu and cut cost for the catering. You can just coordinate with the local caterer to assist you for the reception. Of course, you need a manpower to distribute all the food that you'll prepare. This is really a cost saver!
5. Be a wine connoisseur. It's a separate skill to know your local winery, from champagne to hard liquors. You must know the ladies and mens' drinks, its alcohol content, its age that ranges from VOP (very old pale), VSOP (very superior old pale). As the wine ages, its better. Vitage wine is the best, I can say. Anyways, it's a separate subject that you should master, too. You can save a lot if you know the brands, from famous to obscure or the most expensive and the cheapest but the quality can compete with the former.
6. Open a joint account now. Aside from your individual bank account, you and your fiancee should open a joint account. This way, you can really monitor the cash flows and your savings. Most of successful couples did this. Some say that there will be glitches when you decide to do it. Maybe, it's only an isolated incident involving a third party, but most of the couples agree that it will be a start for a good marriage. Remember, it takes two to tango. And I don't even know the routines of doing it. I might try learning the steps.
7. Be a ballroom dance expert. Hey, this will be an added income-generating skill, too! From chachacha to tango, or woogie boogey to rhumba, anything that fancy your dancing skills, it will be a good performance if you expertly execute your first waltz during the reception. It should be with your partner. To avoid temptation at the ballroom dance shool, you should do it with your fiancee. I must say it again, it takes two to tango. So, you can learn the ropes side by side. Even those have two left feet can learn. Practice every Saturday and Sunday.
8. Be your own publicist. With the help of your desktop computer and printer, you can design your own wedding invitations and thank-you cards. Yes, in order to save you from your local printing shop. You can make a webpage for your wedding, example on you Facebook account. From there, many friends and family members who are now living in other countries will know your status. Thanks to Mark Zuckerberg and his friends for bringing Facebook to this world. My ship's officer did this already. His fiancee was working in Singapore and he's onboard a merchant vessel with its route at the Atlantic. They were able to prepare their wedding.
9. Learn the sax. What I mean is the saxophone. It's the most sexiest instrument during a wedding. When someone plays for a soft music, the tune will magically haunt your inner sexy feeling. As a groom, you can serenade your wife by playing jazz music on sax. Jazz means eroticism, right? Or it's beginnings, I mean. Well. I'm sure you'll still have time to do it. It's a cost saver two, because you'll gonna be replacing the main player of the band (LOL!!!). Why not, coconut?!!!
10. Scout for the most appropriate but affordable reception. After the wedding, your friends and family members and relatives will flock to the reception. All of them are hungry, Even the bride herself or you, too. It's better to scout for a hotel reception with accomodation for the two of you. It's the prevailing trend today. After the reception, and all your relatives are gone, you two can savor the most awaited part on your wedding, the honeymoon. Well, the most used word on this hub, BEFRIEND. Yes, befriend the hotel owner; or maybe you can have a joint business venture after your marriage.

All these are possible. You just have to work it out now then count for the next eleven months. Please comment if it will be successful.

Am I ready to be a marriage counselor. I think so. (LOL!!!)

For the engagement, two couple-to-be usually ask for parent's permission and talk about the wedding. The boy's parents and relatives will also look for the sponsors by bringing food and wine for the pre-nuptial occasion.

Since most of the Filipinos are Catholics, there will be series of seminars at the church prior to the big occasion

A night before the wedding, the can-afford couple will have stag and bridal shower. AT the barrio scene, it is called engramada ( Spanish word, a sort of pre-nuptial party) with food, drinks and dancing among family members, relatives and friends.

During the reception, there will beagain for the solicitation proper for the couple among those who are present. This is to help the couple with their expenses during the wedding ceremonies. Here in Bicol, pinning bills of money to parents, sponsors (godfathers and god mothers) and of course the couple are done with Pantomina, a sort of wedding dance. It's a very good scene if you'll witness it here.

The collected money will be used to pay for the balances on photography, catering or even the church service fee.

I don't know much about Muslim weddings. My cousin's husband is a Muslim. It's more than a formal ceremony, not a flambouyant one, like we're seeing these days at the church wedding. It's only my opinion but you can also have your discourse here.

I attended many weddings last year and early this year (2011). I emceed at my cousin's wedding reception recently and at the end of January, I'll be the official photographer on my friend's wedding again.

Anyways, cheers to the newlyweds!!!