Wedding Planning Timeline for 2019
We understand that wedding planning can be overwhelming, to say the least but Hey! you gotta do what you gotta do! But it doesn’t have to be all stressful and pressurising. It can be a fun journey, to plan on what would probably be one of the most important days of your life. You know what’s to come, so buckle up because we’ve got your back like always, this time with the Wedding Planning Timeline for 2019.
“Love is life. And if you miss love, you miss life.”
Congratulations! You got engaged! Now that you’re on the path to getting married, don’t get right into the wedding planning. Getting engaged is a big deal! So make the most out of this engagement period to celebrate and enjoy. Once you are done with that, then we can get onto the wedding planning.
We understand that it can be overwhelming, to say the least but Hey! you gotta do what you gotta do! But it doesn’t have to be all stressful and pressurising. It can be a fun journey, to plan on what would probably be one of the most important days of your life.
You know what’s to come, so buckle up because we’ve got your back like always, this time with the Wedding Planning Timeline for 2019.
10 - 12 months before The Day!
Visualise your wedding day, and set up a budget
Assemble your planning team! Maybe consider a wedding planner if the budget allows
Set the wedding date
Draft out a guest list (Tricky one!) Don’t make it a social obligation but as a time being surrounded by loved ones
Decide on a venue. We’ve got you covered here.
Put together your wedding party. It doesn’t have to be an even number of bridesmaid and groomsmen. Loved ones don’t necessarily come in matched set
Start researching and getting inspirations from online magazines, Pinterest etc.
If you don’t already have, start dieting/exercising. Trust me! You won’t regret it on your wedding day!
6 - 8 months before The Day!
Shopping time! For your gown, suit/tux, dresses, shoes, and attire
Make hotel room bookings for guests flying in
Select and book your photographer and videographer (That’s us!)
Arrange a pre-wedding photoshoot whether local or overseas. It’s a great idea to use these pictures when you send out the invite
Book in the DJ and Band for the dance and groove
Select the officiant
Book a florist (side tip: add more greenery and sticking to one or two seasoned flowers, which will save you a ton of money)
4 - 6 months before The Day!
Plan your honeymoon. (One of the most exciting parts!). It may feel far but you always need time for travel plans
Secure your transportation. Vintage car or a luxury one, depending on your budget
Hire make-up artists and hair stylist, and book a trial session. Unless you have a friend who’s a pro & willing to do you a favour :)
Book your rehearsal dinner dates with the hotel
Reserve any rentals required for the wedding
Order your wedding stationery
2 - 4 months before The Day!
Have a discussion with the hotel or caterer on the menu. Depending on the budget you can skip straight to the wedding cake instead of a separate dessert
Mail out your invitations
Run through the ceremony and service plans with the officiant
Organise the wedding day planning with the wedding planners or the planning team
Decide on the seating arrangement (Why am I not seated at the table in front?). Be careful and try to consider all perspectives. You can’t make everyone happy.
Order gifts for your wedding party
Start preparing your vows (Very Important!)
1 - 2 months before The Day!
Confirm the final guest list to your vendors
Dress fitting! (After all the dieting and exercising)
Don’t forget to break into your wedding shoes
Finalise on the speeches and itinerary
Buy a guest book
Create a wedding program to hand out to the guests
Confirm the schedule and people in charge
Bachelors and bachelorette party!
1 week before The Day!
Pedicure and manicure. Even the men can get some
Prepare hongbao for the helpers
Double check on the transportation for the ceremony and reception
Ensure all the items are ready to be delivered on time
Give a call to all the parties involved in the planning and check with them on their deliverables
Try to have a good beauty sleep throughout the week
While all this might look stressful, just try to follow our timeline and you’ll be on the road to your happily ever after. Your monumental day will go by very quickly, so make sure to enjoy every bit of it with your loved ones.
5 Popular Hotels for Weddings in Singapore
Nothing says once-in-a-lifetime like a wedding in an amazing hotel. We are sure most of the couples if not all have come to this taxing question of, "Where should we get married?”. So to make it easier and help the couples out there planning their wedding, here are 5 popular hotels for weddings in lovely Singapore.
“When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”
Nothing says once-in-a-lifetime like a wedding in an amazing hotel. We are sure most of the couples if not all have come to this taxing question of, "Where should we get married?”.
Hotels have long been venues for bride and groom planning weddings. But now it’s not just about the ballroom that makes the cut, but so many other factors that come along to decide on the best venue for the wedding. We totally understand that this can be stressful. On a side note, wondering why the word “stress” appears in every wedding topic. We should write a blog on that.
Anyway, so to make it easier and help the couples out there planning their wedding, here are 5 popular hotels for weddings in lovely Singapore.
1. Fullerton Hotel
Singapore’s largest post office and the 71st National Monument, it doesn’t get better than this (Ok, it depends). The contemporary elegance mixed with the old charm makes it a unique venue for weddings, not to forget the amazing photos you’ll get to have.
We love the windows all around the venue bringing in the natural lights for the perfect shot. Her World awarded Fullerton Hotel as the winner for Venue Awards for 2016 and 2017. They have 5 variations of venues ranging from 50 all the way to 600 quests. The food is just amazing with Cantonese, Italian and French classics to offer.
3 things couples love about Fullerton Hotel:
1. Great food (Right on top!)
2. Generous discounts (You’ll be surprised!)
3. Gorgeous location (Duh!)
2. Chijmes
Another national monument, which dates back to 1854 gives a Gothic 19th-century chapel with unique charm. Couples wanting a chapel-feel wedding definitely won’t be disappointed. We love the high ceilings, the beautiful chandelier, and the detailed stained glass window.
We’ve had great experiences doing photography for a lot of weddings in Chijmes. Personally, we love the space that it offers (No human traffic!). A perfect venue to accommodate 300 guests with natural light pouring into the hall. It’s built in with all the techs needed from Wi-Fi system to a sophisticated AV system. Selection of food is from a range of modern, western and Chinese cuisines with high standards from the banquet dining.
3 things couples love about Chijmes:
1. Central location (Right smack in the city center!)
2. Beautiful infrastructure (We love the tiles!)
3. Budget-friendly. (Can we have an AMEN!)
3. Shangri-La
Planning for a lavish wedding? Shangri-La might just be the one. Amazing indoor ballroom options and stunning outdoor beauty. Choose your pick! They have unique venues such as the outdoor Banyan Deck and the Dutch Pavilion bringing an old charm and elegant taste.
If you happen to have a lot of friends and family to invite, Shangri-La's got you covered. Its ballroom can accommodate up to massive 1000 guests. We just love to capture the beauty of the location with the beautiful couple here. The large space allows you to explore beautiful decorations and ideas.
3 things couples love about Shangri-La:
1. The flexibility (With all the changes that comes with a wedding!)
2. Lavish & classy style (Now who doesn’t like that!)
3. The massive space (I have a lot of friends!)
4. Grand Hyatt
You had me at Hyatt! That’s what they say. You might just fall for Grand Hyatt for your wedding when you visit it. What we love about Grand Hyatt is the variations it offers in terms of having an intimate wedding with just 10 guests or have a big one with 700 guests, it’s got it all.
They are known for their detailed execution of weddings with a strong emphasis on customer service. The offering covers a range of different cuisines like Chinese, Western, Indian and Malay menus. It has everything to offer and appeals to a couple’s individual taste and style. Our aim is taking photos in each of its 16 individual venues. That’ll be cool!
3 things couple love about Grand Hyatt:
1. The customer service (I wanna be taken care of!)
2. Attention to detail (Need help with that!)
3. Offerings (Spoilt for choices!)
5. Mandarin Oriental
If you want the perfect march in, book Mandarin Oriental now! They have an amazing sound system with beautiful interiors. With their offering of four themes to choose from which includes cutlery, flowers, lenis etc. it has something for everyone.
Our favorite is the gorgeous model wedding cake they offer which makes up for a lot of gorgeous snaps. With great reviews on their food, your guests will be thoroughly satisfied.
3 things couples love about Mandarin Oriental:
1. Fan-shaped ballroom (Fan-shaped, that’s right!)
2. State-of-the-art sound system (I wanna hear them beats!)
3. Customer service (Can’t miss this out!)
So it’s time to take your pick and we’ll be there. We know the address!
5 Popular Countries for Wedding Photoshoots in 2019
Dreaming of an overseas pre-wedding photoshoot? Here at Chris Chang Photography, we love these photo shoots as much as our couples do! No matter how many times, the same location always offers something unexpected.
“Love me and the world is mine”
Dreaming of an overseas pre-wedding photoshoot? Here at Chris Chang Photography, we love these photo shoots as much as our couples do! No matter how many times, the same location always offers something unexpected.
You might think why even bother with destination wedding photography? Well, for a few reasons. First being that a lot of couples feel limited and restricted with the same old, usual and common scenic spots in their home country. Most of us knows Singapore by the back of our hands, all 130 square kilometres of it. So getting hitched is a strong reason (excuse) to nail that dream destination together with your significant other.
Secondly, it’s cost-efficient. Yes, you heard me right. With Airbnb, budget airlines and hiring a local photographer or videographer (That’s us!) you can keep the cost significantly low.
Lastly, who wouldn’t want to go for a holiday! You can turn this trip into a holiday and have a great time before, during and after the photoshoot.
Every country has its own unique flavour to offer, so here are 5 popular countries for wedding photoshoots 😍
Pre-wedding Photography in Japan by Chris Chang Photography
1. Japan 🇯🇵
Now, who doesn’t love JAPAN?? From the charming streets lined up with traditional houses to the beautiful cherry blossoms, from the majestic pagodas to the Fushimi Inari Shrine, we can go on and on about Japan’s beauty. The tradition and rich culture of Japan puts a really unique taste into your wedding photographs. One of our favourites, dressing up in the traditional kimono and heading inside a 150-year old Japanese house in Kyoto for some amazing shots.
Spring and fall would be the best time to visit for the photoshoot. We and a lot of couples are fond of the culture and food (ah makes me hungry!) in Japan including the ability to beautifully display elegance and class over the traditional backdrops.
Did we mention the sushi's amazing? And so is the ramen, shabu shabu, sashimi, yakitori, coffee, tempura & tonkatsu.....🍜🍣🍖🍙🍤
2. New Zealand 🇳🇿
New Zealand happens to be voted the world’s best country and we couldn’t agree more. She has remarkable and famous cities like Auckland & Wellington in the north island and Christchurch & Queenstown down south. The incredible and varied landscape, along with the natural, rugged and wild scenery, it’s perfect for a pre-wedding photoshoot. Also, not everyone gets to have their pre-wedding photoshoot on the filming site of The Lord of the Ring (Big fan here!). You’ll get to shoot across beautiful sceneries from Lake Tekapo with its famous Church of the Good Shepherd to the Matamata – Hobbitton.
Autumn in April is amazing with the place bursting with hot orange and golden yellow fall foliage. But the best thing about New Zealand, that all four seasons are nothing short of perfect for a pre-wedding photoshoot, offering gorgeous backdrops no matter what the season. We happen to be heading there in April 2019. Hop on!
Pre Wedding Shot in New Zealand by Chris Chang Photography
3. Bali
My personal favourite, Bali which also in recent years has become the No.1 destination for the pre-wedding photoshoot in Asia. Not surprising considering its natural beauty and accessibility. It’s a prevalent pick among the couples to take captivating photos for their pre-wedding photoshoot, ranging from the beautiful shorelines, the wonderful rice paddies, and the amazing volcanic mountains. Bali offers a very unique and diverse mix of options for couples.
The distinct temples and festivals offer you a truly unique experience throughout your stay. Resorts such as Ayana Resort (perfect for R&R) offers beautiful landscape and backdrops. Check out our sweet Bali wedding promotions for you!
Pre-wedding Photography in Bali by Chris Chang Photography
4. Slovenia
In the heart of Europe, I present to you Slovenia. It’s a rather small country which has much to offer. It’s friendly and sincere people, fine cuisine, tourist farms and spectacular ever-changing landscapes offer something for everyone. Also, called the Land of Love, this tiny country is hidden in the embrace of nature, with beautiful buildings, bridges, valleys, and mountains, making it an ideal pre-wedding photoshoot location. Don’t take my word for it, check out the photos for yourself.
One of my favourites, Lake Bled which happens to be a popular site for the locals to have their wedding. This main landmark is a tiny island in the middle of the lake with a castle standing high on the rock. Beautiful in all four seasons, we are heading there in November 2019. So, let’s seal your love and lots of photos in these magical surrounding.
PS: Slovenia is the only country with “love” in its name. How about that!
Destination wedding photography from Slovenia by Chris Chang Photography
5. Paris 🇫🇷
Paris, Je T'aime! It needs no introduction as to why it’s one of the most popular locations for pre-wedding photoshoots. Known for the iconic Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Versailles Palace and Notre-Dame cathedral, there’s so much more to offer in between these wonderful locations. We know a few secret streets!
Couples love to share kisses in front of the Eiffel tower and walk down the pristine streets holding hands. The night shots are an absolute stunner! We know your concerns about the photoshoot being challenging to plan around the crowds. Don’t you worry, we’ve got the ropes to do it right.
Travel wedding photography in Paris by Chris Chang Photography
Getting married soon & love to have us for your pre wedding photography?
Check out our travel itinerary for 2019 below!
March - Japan (Cherry Blossom Season)
April - New Zealand
July - Bali
August - Santorini
October - Hokkaido
November - Slovenia
December - Paris