How To Find A Wonderful Venue For Your Wedding Banquet

There are so many wonderful places to have a wedding banquet in Singapore – but it’s easier if you know where and what to look for. While hotel ballrooms certainly make posh and elegant wedding venues with exquisite menus to boot, they are all insanely expensive, which may cause a strain on the budget for couples who are getting married soon.

For those who are getting married soon, and who want to find other cheaper alternative wedding venues, there are 7 places to cut your cost for the wedding banquet in Singapore to make it less painful financially. Most of the wedding venues would also suit your every need and style.

1. Two or Three-Star Hotels - Fewer stars might reflect differences in rooms and facilities, but food quality alone may well match a five star hotel.
2. Banquet Halls- Banquet halls are cheaper, and they’re designed to host weddings. Your guests can get as loud and rambunctious as they want; it’s expected.
3. Country Clubs - Many country clubs are now open to the public.
4. Gardens and Parks - This is one of the cheapest options you can find. If your guests are into nature and scenery, there are places like the Botanical Gardens.
5. Beach - This is pretty much the cheapest option. East Coast Beach is romantic, spacious, and almost free.
6. Community Club - This is less romantic than the beach, but the cost is just as low, and it’s more practical. Caterers and florists are up to you, and the space is yours to do with as you like.
7. Restaurants - Naturally, the area in which restaurants really shine is food. Over the past five years, restaurants have become increasingly popular choices. It just makes sense: guests are going for a meal and a chat. That’s precisely what restaurants are for, and their prices are a lot lower.

Some factors that can greatly influence the cost of wedding venue include the location, number of expected attendees, whether it is held on a weekday or weekend and if your banquet is held during lunch or dinner. For couples who prefer to spend more money on their future home, they may feel that they don't need a five-star venue to celebrate their love.

It's more about the people you are surrounded with rather than the pretty venue! Your wedding day is the most memorable day of your life. Signing up for a wedding photography package is the best way to capture and compile the priceless and memorable moments that every wedding couple wants to treasure.

There is nothing like looking back at your wedding photography and being able to re-live all the sweet memories your special day.

Romancing Around the Globe

Being head honcho of a top-notch bridal studio is no walk in the park; that’s why we chose to get an insight into the hectic yet satisfying world of bridal planning by asking the founder of WhiteLink Kerano Heng how she does it. By Alicia Nikkolette Lee. 

Every masterpiece always has a spark of genius behind it, and WhiteLink's clear goal from the beginning was to make every type of dream wedding come true. From ornate, opulent brocade gowns to layers upon layers of floaty tulle, WhiteLink Bridal is one of the sources of some of the most magical gowns the industry has ever seen.

Browse through their endless aisles of beautifully whimsical day gowns to the sleek, sexy allure of their evening gowns. Let your fingers slip through acres of silky smooth fabric, play around with the layers of soft gauze and tulle and let your eyes be treated to the assortment of designs in a rainbow of colours that's their immense wardrobe. Pair the gowns you choose with their range of sparkling accessories and have your shoot effortlessly planned out anywhere around the globe, with your very own professional camera crew.

Although this sounds like an easy enough enterprise to set up, WhiteLink started out from a humble bridal shop and has since grown into a professional, one-stop bridal boutique that holds up to more than two decades of experience in the bridal industry.

One of the pioneers in the area of Korean pre-wedding shoots, Kerano Heng started out by working for her father at a tailoring shop and so started her love for gownery. Since then, she has been dabbling about in the bridal industry for more than 20 years now and as fruit of her labour, now possesses a vast amount of knowledge and experience in regards to the wedding industry. Due to her incredible foresight, WhiteLink became one of the first bridals in Singapore to promote overseas wedding photography, which is all the rage now.

Kerano is also responsible for WhiteLink's Korea Photography trip, which has been immensely well received. What is the secret to her success? What’s next for WhiteLink? Your burning questions shall and will be answered here:

What inspired you to go into the bridal business?

It was a dream for me to go into the bridal business. I have always thought since young that marriages were a happy and joyous occasion and from there it lead to me heading into the bridal industry hoping to help all the couples have a happy and joyous journey for their wedding.

What is WhiteLink's philosophy?

We at WhiteLink believe that a wedding is more than just beautiful wedding photography, stunning gowns sewn with exquisite details and glitzy accessories. We believe in making your special day the most memorable day ever, with cherished memories that will last a lifetime. Having been in the bridal trade for more than a decade,

WhiteLink has established a constantly good reputation as a full-service bridal boutique in providing one-of-a-kind bridal wear and wedding essentials by focusing on delivering a wide range of fashion forward gowns that are designed by our team of in-house designers.

Tell us more about your job and what you do.

My job is to make sure that Whitelink is running smoothly and making sure that our brides-to-be have beautiful wedding gowns which are trendy and fashionable to wear for their wedding as this is their once in a lifetime event. My duty is to make sure that they are decked out in the most stunning gowns that will wow their guests and have the couple the center of attention on that day.

Do you ever look at the gowns and wish you could wear them.

When designing and conceptualising the gowns, of course we would look at it and wish that we could wear them ourselves. We imagine ourselves in the gown and how it will turn out on our brides-to-be. I do that by putting myself in the shoes of the brides, thinking of the possible designs that would delight our couples.

What's up in WhiteLink's future? 

WhiteLink’s future.... We are looking to provide our brides-to-be the most beautifully designed and handcrafted gowns, all done by our in-house designers. We are looking to bring WhiteLink to the forefront of the bridal industry with our gowns and our team of professionals who will create a memorable experience for the couple. Also we will be looking into providing wedding planner services to couples.

Finally, tell us what keeps you going from day-to-day? 

The thing that keeps me going from day-to-day is the joyous look on the face of our couples when the come to collect and return their gowns, hearing them talk about all the compliments on how beautiful the bride was, and how the gown really makes them stand out. It gives me a sense of satisfaction when I see couples who are embarking on their next phase of life enjoying the process of the marriage planning.

Also, I want to use all the experience I have racked up over the years to help couples in whichever way possible. Helping them to create a special moment where both of them can talk about for years to come keeps me going.

4 Important Questions to Ask to a Wedding Planner in Singapore

A wedding preparation can be overwhelming with so many details to think of and several vendors to get in touch with. If you want to skip the hassle of the preparation, there’s one simple solution: hiring a wedding planning service in Singapore. A wedding planner can help relieve you from all the stress and make sure everything is properly handled. While all the decisions will still come from you, the planner will be the one to perform the works for you.

However, picking the right wedding planner can be a task in itself. You need to find the best one who can truly assist you and devote time with you to plan out every detail of your wedding. Once you found the right one, you can entrust everything to her/him and you can just relax.

To help you choose the right wedding planner, here are some important questions you need to ask on your initial meetup.

Question #1: Are you available on the wedding date?

Don’t waste everyone’s time from the start by asking if she is available on the day of your wedding. If she isn’t available, then arrange a meet-up with another wedding planner. You should be direct to the point. If your wedding date is still not final, ask the wedding planner’s availability so that you and your fiancé can consider the schedule when you finalise the date. If the planner is available on your wedding date, then you should also ask how many weddings she manages concurrently to yours. You need to know if she can completely focus on your event and not think of other events.

Question#2: How many weddings have you planned in the past?

Never forget to ask about the wedding planner’s portfolio. Ask how many wedding events she has handled in the past. This will justify the quality of the wedding planning service. A good wedding planner is surely in-demand and gets lots of booking. Aim for a planner who has been in the industry for quite some time or who has solid experience in planning and organising a wedding.

Don’t hesitate to ask for names and contact information of previous clients so that you can verify the service. A reliable planner will be very happy to give you a list of references and will even encourage you to talk to her/his past clients.

Question #3: What is the scope of the services?

While you can find the scope of service in the planner’s website, it is important to verify it during the personal meetup. Will the wedding planner take care of the design and coordination? Will the planner do a full-time service and contact all vendors required for your wedding?

But remember, even the term “full service” might mean different from one planner to another, so you should discuss this with her/him and ask about the services included in the package. Some planners offer full service, meaning everything will be in their hands, and you just need to pick and approve.

Question #4: Are you familiar with the wedding location?

This question might sound less important but is advisable to ask the wedding planner if she is familiar with your choice of the wedding location. If the planner has managed an event held in this venue, then she already has an idea of the policies, procedures and layout of the venue. It will make the task easier. And best of all, she already has a contact person in the location so it will be less hassle.

In fact, she might even give some feedback regarding the location. You can also ask photos of the wedding planning service she has done in this particular venue so you’ll have a better idea of how it will look like during your big day.

Why I Love Being A Wedding Planner!

People often ask me, “Why do you like being a wedding planner?” I wanted to tell them that I was inspired by the movie “The Wedding Planner” by Jennifer Lopez and hopefully, I’ll end up wearing a beautiful wedding gown walking down the aisle towards my groom who's as charming as Matthew McConaughey.

Okay, I am over imagining. Seriously, there are many reasons why I love my career as a wedding planner. Yes, it’s never an easy job. You should be passionate at what you are doing and you must be willing to sacrifice making long term personal plans.

I can’t remember how many vacations I have cancelled or postponed due to emergency meet-ups with clients. After years of being a wedding planner, negotiating prices have become a specialty of mine. In other words, I have mastered the art of deals. But the question remains, why I love my job? I’ll share three reasons that make this career truly rewarding.

Reason #1: Witness Different Love Stories

So I am a hopeless romantic individual. I love reading romance books that feature cute love stories and end up in a wedding. Being a wedding planner, I am not just limited to stories on books. I actually talk to real couples who are in love - just like in books. And the best part is that I am part of their story - the ending part, though.

With so many clients I have handled over the years, I get to witness several love stories came to a happy ending wherein couples exchanged vows and wore their wedding rings, at the same time see the couples as they start a new milestone in their life. And it’s not only a client to planner relationship, as the days pass working with the couples, some of them even became my friends who eventually shared their stories, e.g. how they met, how the guy proposed, etc.

In fact, I could write several books out of the love stories I have witnessed.
 

Reason #2: Passionate about Every Aspect of Wedding 

One quality of a good wedding planner is being passionate at every aspect of the wedding. So I love seeing wide varieties of flowers, I love listening to music, I like cute items that make perfect wedding favors, I have an eye for stunning wedding bands and of course I love food tasting. I am also interested in wedding photography.

All these interests are critical qualities of a wedding planner. If you lack any of these, you will never become a successful wedding planner. If a planner isn’t genuinely excited about a particular aspect of the wedding planning, the client will notice it immediately. As a result, the wedding planning might end up less satisfying or worse, the client will back out from your service.

But hey, I have all these qualities so I’m sure my clients were all happy with my service.

Reason #3:  Excellent Attention to Detail 

And finally, the last reason why I love my job is the fact that I have a great attention to detail. It may not sound like a real reason but it’s a quality I am proud to have. Clients pay me for my eyes and ears, so I need to be able to spot problems before they will happen.

As I have said, it’s never an easy job to handle different vendors, manage a large group of wedding guests, maintain a timeline, and make sure that everything looks great at all times. Even the vase on the wedding banquet will bother me if it’s not properly positioned.

I am very particular even the smallest details to satisfy my clients. That’s me and I love my job!

Lessons For New Couple

Love doesn’t conquer all when it comes to your moolah – here’s how to make the right financial decisions as a couple, as advised by professional financial advisor, Joseph Tan.

For some couples, talking about money is taboo. But financial experts like Joseph Tan agree that mapping out your financial status before tying the knot is important; a solid money education is one of the best tools to pave your way to a successful marriage.

Joseph Tan from OO-GEN Planning Services, an authorised representative of HSBC Insurance (Singapore) Pte. Limited, and his organisation run financial literacy workshops regularly for soon-to-weds. He shares some tips on the value of a buck and the impact on marriage.

Manage Your Budget Every Step of the Way

Does having the most delicious menu, the most beautiful gown or the best rendition of a love song from the groom to his bride constitute a dream wedding? Some things can be bought with money and some things are simply priceless. Your budget would be the reflection of what you and your spouse-to-be value most.

Some couples would even go to the extent of reallocating their budget from the wedding banquet to their honeymoon, which is only possible with the blessing of the parents and in-laws. It would a great chance to foster the spirit of unity by having a heart-to-heart talk with your partner on what makes your wedding unique, and gives an identity to your own ideals.

It is a conversation that would gives you a focus on what areas you can put your money in – those which can enhance the experience – rather than going for the best, and usually the most expensive – for all the details of your wedding. The purpose is to have a realistic wedding based on your current financial situation and budget, and not end up with an empty bank account or a bucket-load of credit debts.

Financial Happiness After Your Dream Wedding

Fortunately, the unity in marriage is more ubiquitous than the wedding dinner that precedes it. However this sense of unity is prevalent during discussions on issues like the upbringing of the children, and how to manage relations with the in-laws, and not so much when couples are talking about the purchase of big ticket items like the car and house. 50 per cent of the couples Joseph has met prefer to take separate stands in financial matters.

Couples who make decisions on financial matters together subscribe to the age old adage of “two heads are better than one”, where choices are made with more informed considerations. These pairs also do well to appreciate the size of each partner’s portion of financial responsibilities in any monetary commitment. 

There is a popular notion that the ultimate expression of love is in the self-sacrificial act of taking on hidden financial commitments. Some people feel that shielding their loved ones from their worries, is love. Joseph begs to differ and proposes the more grounded idea of love where couples move towards financial freedom together.

How To Help Others Help You Move Towards A Better life

There is certainly evidence where harmony breeds profit. Imagine having a more cordial relationship with your In-laws where all parties can live peacefully in close quarters and one of two houses could be rented out for extra income. Or having concerned grandparents to take care of your children which eliminates the cost for a nanny or maid.

Human relations have always been about how much you can give and what you can take. Money does inspire people to have a more charitable spirit and forge a thicker shell of tolerance. The said examples will greatly influence how you may decide to structure your inflows and outflows of financial resources.

Taking on the multiple roles of a loving spouse, a caring parent and a filial child to our ageing parents can be daunting. Add financial management to the intricate efforts of building inter-personal relationships, and you will surely have your hands full. It is, therefore, wiser to delegate the task to a professional wedding planner. Here is a list of questions that will help you give a definitive acid test to find your principal advisor.

1. Does the advisor ask about your relationship with your immediate family?
2. Does the advisor focus on your immediate concerns that often involve cash management?
3. Does your advisor provide value to you even without utilising a financial product?
4. Has your advisor devised a structured way for you to receive competent advice for your long-term plans even in event of his or her demise.

Much like how your tailor makes a suit which fits your body perfectly, or your facial therapist who keeps your skin flawless and radiant, a great financial advisor should be one who is holistic and comprehensive in his approach to assist you in mapping out your financial plans of your wedding.

What Are The Things A Wedding Planner Does For You

A wedding planner often hears this remark from brides - “Oh my goodness, I don’t know what I would do without you!” It was from those brides that were not even sure if they needed a wedding planner at first. It was mostly just because they did not realize all of the things that a planner *really* does and can do.

1) Planning Checklist & Schedule – Having a wedding planner Singapore creates a custom checklist and schedule for you and remind you when it’s time to get cracking on the next task are awesome. Besides, they have experience in planning a wedding before.

2) Budget - A planner can help you create and stick to your budget.

3) Vendor recommendations. A wedding planner can give you solid vendor recommendations of people that they know and trust.

4) Vendor communication & contact - This includes contacting vendors to find out availability, emailing, phone calls, texts, and most likely a meeting or two.

5) Your wedding design - Not all planners are experts in wedding design. However, no matter what he or she will most definitely help you figure things out when it comes to your wedding’s design. They will be by your side to guide you.

6) Meetings & Consults - He or she can deal with scheduling your meetings. They help to figure out the right time and place for a meeting or consult to take place. That’s time- time that you might not have!

7) Etiquette - You do not know about whether or not to invite so-and-so’s new girlfriend, dress code, or maybe even how much alcohol to serve. A planner knows the etiquette for all things wedding

8) RSVPs - Some wedding planners will keep track of your RSVPs for you. This is SUCH a tedious task- meals, seating, guest counts, etc.

9) Reminders - Chances are that you might possibly forget about something –a wedding planner will most definitely be able to give you little reminders about things that could have potentially been forgotten!

10) Vendor Confirmations - The week before your wedding is going to be craziness. You do not want to have to deal with emails and phone calls back and forth with vendors to confirm times and places. Your planner will handle that.

11) Wedding Day Coordination - You definitely don’t want to be the one dealing with coordinating all the wedding matters on your wedding day – like making sure the cake is delivered, not only that, but what about when it comes time for your wedding to *actually* happen? Who’s going to tell you when it’s time to leave for your ceremony, or when to cut your cake? Of course your wedding planner Singapore will tell you.

What Are The Decisions To Make In Choosing A Wedding Venue

Wedding venue in Singapore is increasing in numbers now and the options are infinite. Couples need to go through a lot of details before the go ahead and select their wedding venue. Choosing a wedding venue in Singapore might seem like an easy task, but in reality there is a seemingly endless stream of decisions to make. A lot of consideration, compromise, research and hard work go into picking the wedding venue that will flatter your guests and make you feel happy and content.

Here are a few tips which can help make your selection of a perfect wedding venue in Singapore worthwhile.

What is your budget size 

It is important that the couple make this very important decision together. Set a realistic target. Costs will most likely be as a result of the capacity, location, and other amenities offered by the various venues.

How many guests to invite 

Couples most often don’t stick to the size they initially decide on. But it shouldn’t stop you from having an idea of how many people you want to invite. Do you want a big wedding or a small one? This singular decision puts a peg on the size of hall to go searching for.

Choose a theme 

A wedding theme is beyond just picking your favourite colours. You have got to choose the right wedding palette that works for you and your spouse. Would you prefer an outdoor or indoor reception? Have an evening wedding? A fairy tale or beach-vibe kind of wedding?

Research 

Now that you have a budget, a theme and an estimated guest list, it’s time to do some research. The most frustrating part of finding a venue is the initial research. This is most likely the hardest part of the entire process. Browse through blogs and sites and be patient. The right venue will speak to you. As the prices vary, so does the style of the venues. Be sure what you want, and be flexible as well. Now that you have done your preliminary research, you are all ready to narrow your options and do some site visits.

Transportation 

No doubt your wedding is all about you but you won’t exactly be very comfortable if your guests aren’t. How close is the venue to town? Is it easily accessible? Will there be ample space for their cars for those who drive. No matter where you choose to do your wedding, you need to think about the logistics of getting everyone to the wedding venue Singapore.