Money Talk: The Wedding

An excerpt from the Inquirer.net article "Dream wedding or starter fund? (How to make the right choice)". A perfect eye-opener for those who are preparing their wedding.
Its quite difficult for a couple to decide whether to have a simple wedding or to have "the" dream wedding. Actually, we are currently facing this dilema. It's really difficult. Did I already said "difficult".

Here it was presented in an objective manner, the pros and cons of the the simple wedding and the dream wedding.

Dream Wedding

Advantages:
1. You can make your fiancée's dream come true.
2. You can invite as many family and friends as you like.
3. Your wedding can be guaranteed to be unforgettable.
4. You will make many people happy.

Disadvantages:
1. It may hurt your pocket in a major way.
2. There will be too many details to look into, thus compounding stress for everyone involved.
3. If you don't have a big savings fund started, you might have to live from paycheck to paycheck after the wedding.
4. Worse, if you don't have enough budget for your dream wedding at this time, you may be saddled with debts to pay your wedding suppliers long after the wedding is over.

Simple Wedding

Advantages:
1. You'll begin your married life with some savings which you can use for starting a fund to build your own home, or for other priorities.
2. You won't be plagued with debts to pay your wedding suppliers.
3. You'll be able to start off your married life on a good positive note.
4. You're ready for any emergency crisis that may arise, even the day after the wedding.

Disadvantages:
1. Your fiancée may not have the wedding of her dreams.
2. You may have to invite only a limited number of guests, which may result in resentment for some people.

"Simple but memorable wedding"

Is it possible to still have a good wedding on a limited budget?

Here are a few tips on how to do that:
1. Settle on a guest list comprising only your closest family and friends.
2. Find a venue that would not be too costly, yet is beautiful and appropriate. Look for an intimate church, a garden, or an events place that charges reasonably.
3. Book wedding suppliers who may not be that well-known but are reliable and good too. Ask around for referrals and look at their sample products.
4. Enlist the help of family and friends who will be able contribute to the wedding preparations: emcee the reception, do the invitation design, coordinate the wedding day itself, etcetera. Their help will be a labor of love and a wonderful gift to you.
5. Save on your honeymoon

*thinking*
*pondering*
*contemplating*

Am I already convinced to have SIMPLE YET MEMORABLE wedding?
Maybe I should start giving up the nice-haves...
or maybe we can still push through the "dream" wedding...

*thinking*
*pondering*
*contemplating*


Reference:
Take Charge: Dream wedding or starter fund? (How to make the right choice) http://business.inquirer.net/money/personalfinance/view/20090615-210668/Dream-wedding-or-starter-fund