Excited Much?

People are always shocked whenever they would hear that I’m already planning for my wedding as early as now. Ang tagal pa naman daw ng kasal ko, madami pang pwedeng mangyari. Even Mox tells me that it’s still too early to prepare every time I would beg him to accompany me to bridal fairs or food tastings. After all, two years is more than enough to plan a wedding right?

Well, this can be true, but from what I learned from my fellow brides at W@W—an online community for soon-to-weds—it’s never too early to start wedding preparations! Planning a wedding doesn’t necessarily mean we would book suppliers immediately. It entails research, research and even more research! We must first create a budget plan, draft the initial guest list, think of a wedding theme and/or motif, do ocular visits on possible churches and venues, and look for affordable suppliers that fit the budget. And only then can we finally book our chosen suppliers. Oh diba, ang dami pa palang dapat gawin. Parang di kakayanin ng isang taon ito… Or maybe that’s because I'm just being OC. Haha.

There are many advantages in planning your wedding early. One, you can reserve your date early with your chosen suppliers, meaning less chances of losing your non-negotiables to other brides. This is very helpful, especially for couples who wish to get married during the peak months of December and January. Agawan na kasi yan ng mga magagaling na suppliers eh so kelangan mabilis kang gumalaw. Parang race lang eh noh? Hehe.

Two, you can lock the rates of your suppliers. Every year, suppliers increase their rates by at least 10%, which can be a big deal for budget brides like me. By booking early, you would be able to lock their current rates, so you won’t be affected by any price increases. But keep in mind that there are some suppliers who do not allow price locking, so best ask them beforehand if they do.

And three, by booking your major suppliers early, you can concentrate more on the minor details of your wedding. You will have more time to make DIY projects, which will not only make your wedding unique, but can also cut down the wedding expenses. Pwede na rin yung pangbonding moment niyo ni hubby. Hehe.

The only downside of booking your suppliers early is that you may feel “booking remorse”.  It is the sense of regret after having booked a certain supplier, especially if it was an impulsive decision. It may be because you have read negative feedbacks on the supplier or you feel that you can find a much more affordable option. The only way to avoid booking remorse is to just trust that your supplier will deliver on your wedding day. And it never hurts to pray. Hehe.

Of course, there are times when I would feel embarrassed whenever people would comment on how early I’m preparing for our wedding. Baka kasi isipin nila na masyado naman akong excited. But come to think of it, there are some who are even more excited than me. I even feel pressured sometimes because there are brides who are getting married in the latter half of 2014 and yet they are already in the process of booking their suppliers. Feeling ko tuloy nahuhuli na ako sa wedding preps ko. Haha! During last weekend’s bridal fair, I even saw a bride scouting for suppliers for her wedding in 2015. Oh diba, talk about EARLY preparation!

Kami na ang excited magpakasal. Haha!