As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day and for anyone planning on getting married, the wedding day will feel bigger than Rome! Planning a wedding is both fulfilling and exciting, after all, it’s an event that most, if not all of us, have daydreamed about with every roll of a rom-com film. However, planning a wedding can be as overwhelming as it is exciting. No wedding deserves to end up a nightmare so to help take some pressure off your shoulders, here are 10 simplified steps you can follow when planning the wedding of your dreams.

Secure Your Budget

If you’re doing a Tagaytay wedding, you know it’s going to be a big wedding. The question is: how big? That’s why the first step in planning your wedding is setting and securing a budget. After securing a budget, try sticking to it but keep about 10-20% of the budget as emergency wedding funds. The extra funds might be just what you need to keep the rain away on your perfect wedding day.

Decide the Kind of Wedding That You Want

Church? Civil? Indoor? Outdoor? Themed? It’s your special day so write down the kind of wedding you want. Make a list of the things you want to happen and the things you want to have at your wedding,  create mood boards of how you want it to look, and compile videos of aesthetics that catch your fancy. 

Decide on a Date 

One of the earliest parts of planning a wedding is deciding when you want it to happen. While the budget determines how big of a wedding you can throw, the date will determine how long you have to prepare for it.

Hire a Wedding Planner/Coordinator

Now that you’ve got big ideas of how you want your wedding to go and a date of when you want it, hire a wedding planner. While DIY-ing your wedding sounds rebelliously hands-on, there’s so much stress that happens behind the scenes when putting together a wedding. Almost everything that follows this list, your wedding planner can help you with. Hiring a wedding planner and coordinator isn’t even “just an option” anymore but a requirement if you want to get hitched without, well, a hitch!

Church and Venue

Next, you’ll need a church and/or venue. There are plenty of beautiful churches in Tagaytay so finding an aesthetic wedding venue shouldn’t be a problem but it will be good to consider that the size of the church should comfortably accommodate how many people you want to invite. Same goes for your reception venue; the reception should not only comfortably house your guests but also leave some room for your vendors like the photo booth, grazing tables, mobile bars and all that. Most venues are only limited to a single configuration. They could be a garden location, or a hotel with a banquet hall. Hillcreek Gardens Tagaytay is an all-in wedding venue as it has a hotel, grand hall, and a garden so if you’re planning something truly extravagant, this is the place. 

Prepare Your Documents

One thing other wedding planning lists will miss out on is reminding you of paperwork. You will need to file for a Marriage Certificate. To get one, you will also need to secure a Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR) and other church or birth documents like baptismal certificate and birth certificates. It’s important to know that a marriage certificate will only be valid for 120 days so apply for one with your wedding date in mind.

Guest lists, Giveaways, & Gimmicks

During wedding planning, this is the first phase of the exciting part. Build your guest list with the head count cap of the church and reception venue in mind. Your guest list will also determine how many loot bags you’ll have to prepare for, throwing in some extra for good measure. Also plan out if you want to have gimmicks on your wedding, like an extravagant MET Gala entrance for the entourage, or an elaborate broadway musical first dance. If there’s anything you want at your wedding, Hillcreek Garden Tagaytay certainly has the space for however you want your wedding venue and whatever you want to make your day unique so you can go grand without worries.

Choose Your Vendors

Now that you’ve got everything you want figured out, it’s time to look for vendors. Most venues or wedding planning agencies have their own list of trusted vendors but don’t be shy if you want to endorse some that you want. Your wedding planner can book the must-have vendors (photography & video, food, drinks, flowers, clothing, lights, sounds, hosting, giveaways, etc). If you don’t want to look much further, Hillcreek Gardens Tagaytay as an esteemed events & wedding venue has some very sought after partners like Hizon’s, Bizu, Amantefleur  and more. Aside from the necessary vendors, it would be wise to look back on your wedding plans to check if you have your desired extra vendors secured as well (food truck, mobile bar, live entertainment, and other themed merchants).

Shoots & RSVPs

It’s here where you’ll tell yourself that “we’re really doing this; we’re really getting married!” If you have a vision for your shoot, let your videographer know so they can put together a prenup that captures just that. They will most likely use that as inspiration on how to take shots during the wedding to make everything come together thematically. Hillcreek Gardens Tagaytay has plenty of scenic locations for indoor and outdoor themed photography.

When sending out your invitations, be keen on your RSVPs. Do gentle follow ups if you have to. However, do note that if you’ll be flying people from abroad on your Tagaytay wedding, it would be prudent to let them know 9-6 months in advance.

Honeymoon

If you still haven’t thought of where to go for your honeymoon, now’s the best time to think about it when most of the stress and thinking have been set aside. However, if you’ve always wanted a destination honeymoon, chances are, you’re already booked for the vacation. To save you some stress, pack your bags ahead of time so you can fly into the sunset care free after the wedding. 

And that’s it, you’re ready for the biggest day of your life. All there is to do is sit back, enjoy the build up, and count down the days until “I do.” With all the planning and preparation you’ve done thus far, trust that your Tagaytay destination wedding is going to be nothing but a high point to remember in your new life as soon-to-be spouses.