In a time where Google and the internet are godsends, you can’t say that you haven’t once searched for something online. Come on, if you’re planning your wedding you’ve probably hit up plenty of websites for tips and inspiration, right? And since we want to help you on your wedding planning journey, we’re answering 15 of the most searched wedding questions. So read up because, trust me, they’re the most searched questions for a reason!
Ahhh, the classic first question people ask. How do you do it? How do you plan a wedding? Well, first off, calm down and take a deep breath. The wedding industry is filled with a wealth of information, so it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But where do you start? If you’ve just got engaged and are looking for a step by step guide of what to do, check out our guide here. If you’re looking more for a timeline to gauge just what you need to do and when to do it, you can see our ultimate wedding timeline here. Don’t stress out so much guys. Wedding planning is fun, too!
To be honest, there is no direct answer to this. The cost of a wedding is determined by a multitude of different factors such as how many guests you’ll invite, the types of vendors you choose, whether or not it’s a destination wedding, and the list goes on. So instead of trying to figure out how much an average wedding costs, try to set a budget instead–and stick to it. Don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, we’ve got you! Check out our guide for setting up your wedding budget, and if you’re looking for some tips from real brides, you can check out these wedding budget tips, too!
This one’s a bit tricky, because it will depend on you, your partner, and your families. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon for both the bride and the groom to split the bill for the wedding. And if your families want to make a generous donation, then who would say no to that, right? The important thing is to not assume anything. You can try to ask your parents if they’d like to help out, but don’t think of it as something that they must do.
Destination weddings are even harder to plan than your average wedding, usually because of the unfamiliar location, and possibly, the suppliers. And while destination weddings can be some of the most beautiful ones, don’t forget to weigh the pros and cons before you start making any major decision. Once you’ve done that, you can check out these tips to help you plan the dream destination wedding you’ve always wanted!
The short answer: on the ring finger of your left hand. The long answer actually stems from an ancient belief that the vein in our left ring finger is actually connected to the heart. Whether that’s true or not, it’s still a nice to think that the engagement and marriage bands, which symbolize love and loyalty, have a connection to our hearts, right?
If you’re having a wedding in the city, then ideally, you want to send out your invites six to eight weeks before your wedding. (Although, some couples actually send their invites three months before their wedding–and that’s okay too!) But if you’re having a destination wedding, then sending out save the date cards a year before is an absolute must. You gotta give your guests time to book flights and find accommodations, after all! And if you’re looking for a run-down on all the types of wedding stationery, and when to send them, check out our wedding stationery timeline here!
Don’t know how to ask for money without coming off as rude or greedy? Let me get you in on some ways you can actually insert your request without sounding all-in-your-face about it. You can write an elegant note and include it in your invitations, you can put it in your wedding website, or you can do it the old fashioned way–through word of mouth (hello, entourage!). You can check out our breakdown of what to say (complete with templates!), and our thoughts on the matter here!
Is there a certain way you should write them? Can I be funny? Are there things I’m not allowed to say? While generally speaking, the best way is to write from the heart, if you need somewhere to start, then we’ve got some tips for writing heartfelt and genuine wedding vows to your partner. Remember that the important thing is to be real and mean every word you say.
Truly, life is so much sweeter with the gift of music. And the answer to this question is that it depends at what point in time you want to play the song. Do you want songs for walking down the aisle? Songs for your father daughter dance or songs for your first dance with your spouse? Songs for your reception dinner? Songs for the afterparty? Another thing to think about is the genre or type of songs–are you looking for an upbeat playlist? A 90s themed playlist? An 80s themed playlist? Or what about an OPM playlist? If you don’t know where to start, see our comprehensive guide of what music to play and when to play it.
Yes, there are a lot of things to consider when creating your seating chart. Things like table shapes, where you as the couple will sit, your floor plan, and possible tensions your guests might have with each other. Sounds tough? Not to worry, if you follow our tips for fool-proof ways to solve your wedding seating plan problems, it’ll be a breeze!
While the easy answer to this would be to serve one drink for each guest per hour of the wedding reception, there are also other things you have to take into consideration. Are your guests heavy drinkers? What kind of drinks do your guests typically drink? Wine, beer, hard liquor? The answers to these answers can help serve as your starting point. (And if you’re looking to cut down on some alcohol costs, we’ve got some neat tips for you too!) Take note though, that this rough calculation doesn’t include the afterparty.
Honestly, wearing or having a garter is really more of a tradition than a necessity. The act of the groom removing the garter from the bride’s leg is supposed to symbolize the groom claiming the bride, leaving his single life behind, and embracing his new married life. Weird? You haven’t heard anything yet! This tradition actually dates back to the Dark Ages, where the garter symbolized the bride’s virginity. When the celebration would end, the guests would accompany the bride and the groom to the bedroom (as if this wasn’t already weird!) and the garter was taken as proof of the couple’s consummation. Kinda makes you thankful for modern times, right? And if you’re interested in more weird and wild wedding trivia, you can check out our list here!
The key is to keep it short and sweet. No one wants to listen to a 20 minute speech, no matter what you say in it. A few things you might want to keep in mind for your speech are a short introduction of who you are–are you a parent, sister, brother, best friend, classmate, workmate, boss, etc.?–an anecdote of either the bride, the groom, or even the couple, and, of course, staying away from the big no-no’s like past relationships, fights, etc. Here are some tips we made for an awesome maid of honor speech, that can actually be applied to any kind of wedding speech there is.
You don’t just want to go the super generic route and say a plain, “Thank you.” No, these people went to your wedding, probably gave you a gift, and they deserve more than those two words. Mention a memorable moment you had with that particular guest, or say that you enjoyed the gift they gave and are using it. You can also check out our post wedding thank you cheat sheet that has templates you can literally copy and paste! (Ahem, ahem You’re welcome!)
Whether the bride or the groom (hey, it’s 2019 after all!) wants to change his or her last name, it’s basically the same process. Of course, the processes will change depending on the particular aspect you want to change your name in. Is it your passport, your driver’s license, your bank records, or your SSS, Philhealth, or Pag-Ibig? Whichever it is, you can check out the list of requirements you need here.