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標題: Is it a good idea to consult with a wedding planner? [打印本頁]
作者: tpalice    時間: 2008-2-20 04:09     標題: Is it a good idea to consult with a wedding planner?

I plan to get married this May in Vancouver!

Since this will be an informal wedding and with guests less than 30 ppl, I've done most of the research by myself so far. But I still feel a little bit uncertain, and I wonder if consulting with a wedding planner will help.

Have any of you talked with wedding planner before? Was it really helpful?

Also, I found this 渴望魚 on the internet, has anyone heard about it?

Thanks for sharing your experiences.
作者: Alcoholic    時間: 2008-2-20 08:42

congratulations!
hmmm.... if you only have 30- guests, maybe not really need a wedding planner gua, unless you have like absolutely no friends that can help you out?

i've heard of the company that you have the link to, but i didn't use them.

my wedding was 180 people (banquet), and my ceremony had like close to 100 people show up. i used a wedding planner because:

A. i have friends that are just not organized at all. it sounds kinda mean, but i hope you understand: i don't trust them running my wedding at all. (just think: even for girl's night out dinner, the earliest one shows up 30 mins late, the latest one shows up 1 hour + late).

B. i don't want my family involved. i just want them to enjoy the wedding, NOT work at my wedding.

C. we are all chinese but everything is western style. i did enough research and planned everything. it's just that i cannot be the one running the whole event when i'm the bride at the same time.
作者: myversa    時間: 2008-2-20 08:52

Contratutation too.

I agree with ma ma san that you do not really need a wedding planner unless you have some crazy idea that maybe only a wedding planner can help you to achieve it and you do not have a well organized friend(s) who will oversee the whole events for you.

I had several friends who wedded here in Vancouver and they all had been succeessful.  It would take extra work planning.
作者: blueprint    時間: 2008-2-20 11:13

First of all, congratulations!  3 months more to the big day!

I agree that 30 people don't seem to need a wedding planner for that, unless you have many activities to execute and you want someone professional to do it.  

Have you chatted with your fiancee about how his/her idea is for the wedding?  Have a common ground that you both agree on, then discuss with both of your families.  My 2 cents is: be open minded and flexible. ;)
作者: SAZABI    時間: 2008-2-20 11:29

Are u a guy or a girl?
If you are a guy, I strongly recommend that you leave it to the girl.  Or at least speak to the girl 1st before you attempt to find a wedding planner.
B/c... usually, the girl is so ma fan and so picky that she should be the wedding planner herself
作者: daimo    時間: 2008-2-20 11:47

congrats!

you might not need a wedding planner (if you can afford one, why not?), but you need to have a wedding day coordinator as a min.

who to go where/when ... when many things are happening at the same time, a lot of things could go wrong.
作者: shutterbug    時間: 2008-2-20 16:03

For a group of 30, I don't think you should need a wedding planer just yet.  Maybe try to ask your questions here, someone will probably be able to help you.  Lots of people with experience here.
作者: Ultraman    時間: 2008-2-20 19:43

Besides most people said for a party like 30 guests you don't need a wedding planner, but considering the time frame, it's just 3 months to go! Questions are: at what stage of preparation you're at right now? Did you book all the major vendors yet such as venues (ceremony and reception), gown and tux, photographer and/or videographer, florist, limo, invitation card, decoration (whatever is applicable) ............. . Are you able to handle all these all by yourself?
作者: tpalice    時間: 2008-2-21 00:24     標題: Thanks everyone!

It's great to have so many feedback. I'm the bride And I don't have close friends here who can help out, that's why I'm considering a wedding planner or wedding day coordinator. But again, as many of you have said, since the number of guests will be less than 30, I probably don't really need to hire the service.

If you guys don't mind, I really hope you can help me out here and provide your opinions on my plan below.

We both want something simple in Vancouver, and our family have no problem with this idea.
Ceremony and reception will be held at different places, ceremony will be at Jericho Beach and reception we plan to book 5 tables at 新瑞華. (The big day will be the second Monday of May. I guess I don't really have to fight for my venues?)

We can't decorate public beach, so I probably only need a bouquet.
Invitations will be sent to around 30 places, and I plan to have them ready and mail out by April.
I will buy a simple wedding dress, and I am considering hiring someone for bridal make-up.
We probably will have our friends and families as photographer and videographer.

My biggest concerns now are:

Should I prepare a backup indoor venue for the ceremony if it rains on the big day? (Although my mom said she will bring the good weather with her to the wedding, so I don't have to worry..  )

Also, who should I find to be our Marriage Commissioner? I know the Government website provide a super long list, but I want to find someone who speaks Mandarin.

Last but not list, is there any tips on how to book a wedding reception with the restaurant?

Thank you all for reading my long articles.

[ 本帖最後由 tpalice 於 2008-2-21 00:26 編輯 ]
作者: 布小熊    時間: 2008-2-21 00:38

other than the commissioner, don't you need to apply for a marriage license? or something like that?
作者: Alcoholic    時間: 2008-2-21 09:37

Jericho Beach:
- if you have ceremony at Jericho, i think it's best for you to call up Vancouver parks & recreation centre & ask them if you can use the beach on that day, & which area you're allowed to use. I know that even last year, when my company did a staff picnic at a park, we need to call up parks & rec center to pay them a fee for using public grounds.

新瑞華:
- you better reserve your venue, ask them to save you a good spot ahead of time. especially it's a chinese wedding dinner, no matter how big how small the size of your group, you still need to.

Invitations:
- sending out by the start of April is the way to go

Wedding Dress:
- geez girl. no wedding dress & it's almost March already!!!! i worry for you. the dress you pick might need to be ordered. you better get your @$$ out this weekend & find a dress ASAP & pray that you will get it in time, with all the alterations!!! omg...

Makeup:
you BETTER hire a makeup person!!! no matter how good you are at makeup, just get a professional, and have her do your mom's makeup too.

BAckup Venue:
- YES! you should have a backup, when it's outdoors! i had my wedding at the poolside of a hotel. luckily, it was sunny... otherwise, my hotel has a backup hall for me to use on a rainy day.

Commissioner:
Mine was Ivy ( i think that was her name). She speaks cantonese for sure... but mandarin, i'm not sure. YOU BETTER HURRY UP & BOOK COMMISSIONER NOWWWWWW!!! cus they're always quite busy!

Tips on booking:
- what you want & what you need is different things. try to cut unnecessary options, & it will save you a lot. balance what you want/what you need with your budget.

sorry girl... but i take back what you said: maybe you should consider hiring a wedding planner. the planners price depending on amount of work load...

good luck
作者: blueprint    時間: 2008-2-21 11:01

Congratulation bride to be!  Alcoholic had some good tips there.  Keep a checklist for what to do:

- register marriage license (commissioner needs to sign that too)
- get a commissioner (maybe consider someone who can be able to translate if can't get mandarin speaking one if it's necessary)
- rings
- decoration for the banquet
- beach/park permit and backup
- book banquet
- get a wedding dress, accessories, hair stylist and makeup artist (formal wear for banquet too maybe?)
- get a formal wear for your groom (hair stylist for him as well?)
- make sure if you have best man and bridesmaid, their formal wears are taken care of
- confirm who is going to be photographer and video recorder
- book flower artist and/or others (for decorations, "kum fa" on the chest, etc)
- confirm your invitation information is correct and send out at least before the first week of April
- music during the ceremony?
- have someone to do reception and probably have a little reception decoration that you can pull off at the beach

The list can probably go on and on.  Keep thinking what you guys need to do before and after.  Be prepare to expect the unexpected (ie. like change of weather, number of guests actually attended).
作者: shutterbug    時間: 2008-2-21 12:31

The most important things is to secure all the venues and commissioner NOW.  Other things can be adjusted...

I don't think a planner can help that much on those.
作者: Alcoholic    時間: 2008-2-21 14:18

another reminder(s):

- you need to make a day plan/schedule
- if you have decoration for any of the sites (ceremony, restaurant), who's gonna do it?
- wedding cake neh? set up & delivery wor...
- speeches (there's gotta be something simple if your not doing something too formal).
- flower car neh? ride arrangements?
- set up at the beach/back up location neh?

side story:
do you REALLY need a mandarin speaking commissioner at your ceremony? one funny incident at my own ceremony:

- i choose Ivy Leung because she's chinese, and i guess easier to deal with. actually, it was too easy to deal with her because before the day of my wedding, we just went through details with her over email, & probably only spoke to her once on the phone... all in english.

- on the day of the ceremony, as my makeup artist was touching up on me, my commissioner asked my hubby if we want her to deliver the vows in english or cantonese. my hubby said cantonese, so that our relatives, grandparents would understand wor... which i had NO IDEA.

- just before the ceremony started, commissioner & my wedding planner coordinated. so i walked down the aisle with my dad... & we were at the front starting the vows. she said it in cantonese version, & as bad as it sounds, i started giggling so hard because i was not used to & expecting the vows to sound so "proper chinese".

- so just be prepared to hear super traditional proper cantonese with absolutely no slang~ i felt bad... but luckily, everybody knew what i was laughing at (because my hubby was giggling too), and not that we're disrespectful. but i guess mandarin is more proper than cantonese...so shouldn't be a problem
作者: icing    時間: 2008-2-21 14:31

Congrats!
If for 30 ppl wedding, you probably don't need a "full time" planner
However, you can still hire someone for decoration at the beach and the restaurant.
For myself, I get an event planner to decorate the church and dinner reception. Also, she will arrange all the flowers (bouquet for myself and the maid of honor, and all corsages)for me as well and will deliver to my and my fiance's house that morning.
For the wedding gowns and evening dress, because of the time limit, you better find a Chinese bridal store to rent. If you don't care about the photos, you can  just buy their cheapest package, so you can have some photos plus the gown for your big day. They can also arrange the make up artist on you big day.
作者: tsumorichisato    時間: 2008-2-21 15:05

You don't need a wedding planner seriously. I am planning for my own 180 ppl wedding with no professional planner but everything goes well so far. I am deeply engaged into wedding planning though..hahaah..but not turning into a bridezilla. My friend did her 60 ppl wedding within 2 months and it was warm and fantastic. She didn't hire any planner as well.

I think many ones here give you some valuable tips.

1.You can't do much decor on the beach but you need to rent chairs, arch and table!! Make sure you call the park facility cuz not everywhere can allow you to hold ceremony and I know there's a maximum capacity (like 10-20ppl ).Definitely prepare a backup site, cuz it's still very likely to rain during May.

2.Confirm your commissoner

3.Confirm your venue

4.Get a good photographer. I am not sure how much you are in wedding photography cuz you need some time to visit and browse different photographer's portfolios and rates. Everyone's preference is slightly different, you can't simply rely on other ppl's recommendations without seeing them yourself.

5.Get a MUA.  same thing as above cuz it's better if you do a trial than just listen to other ppl's suggestions

6.Get you wedding attire asap. It's more likely for you to buy it off the rack now cuz of the short time frame. States like Seattle will have a bigger selection.

7.Get Invitations. That may be the easiest cuz you can always do it online plus delivery is fast (done within 3 weeks).

8.Wedding favors? order online maybe....

9.Get bouquets/corsages/boutonnieres - This may be down the priority list cuz there are many florists you can choose from.
作者: 布小熊    時間: 2008-2-21 16:02

Don't worry too much. I think we are all getting too excited and try to help.  I don't think you need to do ALL on the lists. Sometimes, what is important to us (like photographer) may not be important to tpalice.
But I think some of the items really need to be addressed:
- register marriage license
- get a commissioner
- beach/park permit and backup
- book banquet (call 新瑞華 soon and secure the date and number of table). If you are not in town, you can get them fax/email the banquet menu to you.

If tpalice is in asia, getting a informal wedding dress and accessories may be done within weeks.
If tpalice is not in Vancouver:
-recommandation for wedding makeup artist. since you cannot try out the style, you have to base your choice on recommandation.

Little things on decorting, wedding fav, music, profession photographer, boquet, corsage...etc is totally optional. A wedding can still be nice and sweet without any of them.
作者: katamari    時間: 2008-2-21 16:57

Just ask yourself first of all if your wedding's gonna be casual or formal. I see lots of LYKs do have their points, but doesn't mean you have to do them all. You can decide how your wedding's gonna be, it can be with or without cake, with or without flowers, with or without favors, with or without photographer/videographer, even with or without a wedding dress and the wedding bands . marriage license and a commissioner are the only must haves to get married, others are up to you.
作者: Ultraman    時間: 2008-2-21 17:31

There are just a few commissioner with possibly Chinese last names. Email them see if they can speak Mandarin (and of course if they are available)  or not; or call them in person if possible, see if their Mandarin is acceptable for you or not, haha. (you know........ )
作者: tpalice    時間: 2008-2-22 00:18     標題: Really appreciate your replies

Thank you all for all the feedback!

I will go back to Taipei next year for a bigger reception (補請客), that's why I want to skip some 禮俗 and just get married here. As I said, we both want something simple, so we choose the casual way to do our wedding. And no bridesmaid and best man, we just want our family and friends can be here with us.

I think these are the things I'm going to do after reading everyone's response and our considerations.

For the venues:
I know that picnic area need to be reserved for public park and beaches in Vancouver. But I'll definitely give the park board a call to make sure. We'll prepare some kind of a small and informal tea party after the ceremony. So everyone can chat and take some photos.

I'll book a private room at the restaurant for our reception right away. We currently don't have plan to decorate the banquet.

And we're still discussing a backup place in case it rains...

Wedding dress and the makeup:
I'll go back to Taipei in March for a month to attend my brother's engagement, and I plan to buy my dress there.
The makeup is optional to me. I already looked at the other thread on bridal makeup in the forum, so I'll think about it after the venues are confirmed.

Commissioner:
I'm going to find someone NOW! Mandarin-speaking commissioner is only an idea, but not necessary. I know I don't have much time, so I won't spend my time worrying what the language the commissioner can speak.
Also, we plan to grab the marriage license next week at an insurance agency.

Photographer/Videotographer:
We've decided that our families can do these for us. The photos won't be great, but we'll have these as memories to look at and laugh about.

Other things:
We got our rings several weeks ago at Cartier. We pick the simple platinum rings and we both love them!

If anyone have more experiences to share, please don't hesitate to post it here. I really like to know all these things. And I believe I'll keep posting my questions here, hope you guys don't mind.

[ 本帖最後由 tpalice 於 2008-2-22 00:21 編輯 ]
作者: blueprint    時間: 2008-2-22 05:58

Uh, not sure about it... marriage license can be obtained from insurance agency? Isn't it from the ministry of the province you live in?  

Ministry:  http://www.vs.gov.bc.ca/marriage/howto.html
作者: Alcoholic    時間: 2008-2-22 08:31

some insurance agencies are authorized to do marriage license ga. there's one in Lansdowne center, & they have a sign saying they do BC marriage license. so you don't really need to go to vita stats centre geh...
作者: koala    時間: 2008-2-25 14:53

you can get your marriage license in Coast Capital in Richmond centre as well...i got it from there...
作者: zuesel    時間: 2008-2-26 23:21

We plan to have our wedding in June in The Chaple at Stanley Park. It's a nice place that you don't really need much decoration. Their price includes marriage commissionar of your choice of chinese/english, etc. The place holds 50 people the most. Perfect for a small wedding. After that you can just go down stairs to stanley park for photos. Inside the chapel's 4th floor is where you can have your reception. Incase it rains outside, you can stay inside the building and entertain your guests.

If you can find a place such as above where you can do everything, including backup plan all in one location, you don't really need a wedding planner.



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