You engaged? Tak tau nak start mana? Read this! - For the budget concious

 Once Amat and I decided to get engaged, I was super excited. All the famous vendors I nak book. I already had the list on top of my head! But before I dived in and did that, I sat down, asked Amat's opinion and explored some options. First things first,

1. Set THE wedding date

Most people would have already decided this before merisik between partners or during merisik. If you just set on a timeline of 2 years at that time, quickly decide on the exact date. A few dates, just in case your fave Mak Andam da fully booked. :P

2. START SAVING! If you have not already.

Kalau mak bapak you all sponsor memang Alhamdulillah. If you are on your own and belom start, tkper start now and go to the next step. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY SISTER. hahaha!

3. Plan your budget

So what you need to know about me is that: I am not very particular or cerewet in things. To me as long as the thing looks fine, I am okay and pleased with. Honestly, I wasn't like this before. Dulu memang I was too temperamental. I guess some of Amat's chill vibes got passed on to me. (He is too chill, seriously) Or maybe I da tua kot. Orang cakap as we get older we get more relaxed and chill.

Both Amat and I had the same thing in mind for our wedding. We want a beautiful wedding BUT we want it to be affordable. By affordable, I don't mean by booking all the cheapest quotations but prioritizing on what you want to spend more on and what you are willing to sacrifice to get something less.

Having girlfriends who are married also helps in budget planning. I asked my girlfriends roughly how much they paid for their wedding vendors. I  only asked my close girlfriends because some may not want to share so easily. If not just start emailing some vendors and ask for quotations to give yourself an idea of the costs.

So I downloaded this template from Microsoft Excel and roughly decided on our budget for each vendor on an amount that we are comfortable with.What I love the most about this budget planner is it can as quoted:

Identify Overspending and Summarize Your Wedding Budget

The left hand side of the worksheet displays sections with a summary of your budget with categories, estimated expenses, actual expenditure, and a section to help you analyze how much you might be overspending on certain items.

I edited it according to Malay wedding logistics. There are tons more budget planners online you can use and it really helps alot in keeping focus and not overspend.

Personally, Amat and I don't want to spend excessively just for a day of event. I agree that this is probably those one in a lifetime thing but we cherish more of being together rather than let an event dictate our way of showcasing our love.

 But of course, for weddings to each their own kan? Ikot citarasa masing2. Kalau you nak fefeeling princess saved by your knight in shining armour with 7k castle deco, WHY NOT kalau mampu. Kalau you nak a simple close-knit wedding at a Masjid and no bersanding. WHY NOT kalau mahu. No sarcasm meant here.

When planning just remember in putting down a number that is realistic. Plan within what you can save within the timeline to your wedding day.

4. Do your research and shortlist your vendors

Choose a few that you like and blast away asking for quotations. They would usually ask for your wedding date to check their availabilty. So in your query, leave your name, contact no. or email and your wedding date. Most vendors don't reply if you don't have a date. Some won't release their packages if they are fully booked too.

Don't forget to check for promotions on their online pages or expo fair special price to get the best deals.

5. Book your vendors ASAP

Research on when are your vendors/tok kadi/venue e.t.c are open for booking and mark your calendars! Banyak benefit book siang2!

1. Wedding vendors are known for increasing their price every year. So siapa cepat dia dapat murah!
2. You get to snag your fave photographer or caterer or kompang group e.t.c
3. You can relax jack and focus on saving and just waiting for the day

6. Plan your Agenda

Get on Microsoft Doc and plan your wedding day agenda. Ensure that all vendors are accounted for by an I/C. Fine tune the details: select your bridesmaid, your I/Cs all the nitty gritty details. every single one. If you are unsure, get opinions from your vendors. They have done tons of weddings, they usually give really great advice on the flow of a wedding day.

I didn't go in much detail because I believe everyone have different taste and wants in their wedding. So this is just a rough guide. Hope this helps!

Have a smooth sailing journey BTBS!!!!!