Your wedding day: it's the day you've dreamt about forever. The most important day of your life and a time of cherished memories. So it has to be perfect – for you, for your family and for all the friends that have gathered from far and wide to wish you well in your new life together.

Typically, there may be anything up to 500 guests at an Asian wedding or even more. That means a large venue, a lot of catering, flowers, photography, entertainment, music, a cake... If you fail to keep a track of it, your spending could spiral out of control or you could overspend on one element at the expense of something else.

As any good wedding planner will tell you, there is the need to set a realistic budget from the outset. Then you will know what you're looking for and where you stand at each stage of the way. If you make savings in one area, this will allow you a little extravagance in another area – without blowing the budget. An experienced wedding planner can be an invaluable asset when it comes to setting your budget. They will know what you should expect to pay for all the vital elements of your dream wedding and they can offer help and advice on where it's important to spend your money and where the best savings can be made. Even though you'll pay for their services, their specialist knowledge and skills of negotiation should easily save you more.

Read more...

Planning something as large and complex as an Asian wedding takes time, hard work and above all experience – and when you're planning your own wedding, practice in this very specialised area is probably something that you don't already have! But this is where an Asian wedding planner can help you, with an extraordinary breadth of experience and an address book simply bulging with contacts and contractors.

There are a multitude of decisions to be made, many of which depend not only on your allocated budget but also upon earlier decisions and decisions yet to come. For example, once you have chosen the venue, you need to think about how you would like it themed and decorated. How will this tie in with what you're planning to wear and the colours of the flowers? Then what are the implications of all these decisions for the overall budget? You may feel like you're going round in circles, but a good wedding planner will be able to make sense of all of it for you.

They will be able to advise you from the earliest stages of planning and budgeting through to setting the date and making the appropriate bookings, and right on to event management services for the day itself. They will take on board all of the admin work that's involved in a successful wedding and they will consider everything with an attention to detail that could otherwise be overlooked.

Read more...

Where would you like to get married? In a fairytale castle? An enchanted forest? A royal and regal palace? Whatever your fantasy, the reality needs to be a very special place. Not only does it have to live up to your dream of what your wedding should be like, it also has to perfectly accommodate the number of guests you've decided to invite, without feeling either too crowded or voluminously empty. On top of this there's the location to consider, its suitability to the style of catering you require and of course it's got to come in at the right price. And it needs to be available for the date you have in mind...

It's a big ask and finding the right venue, along with all the other related decisions can be one of the major components of planning the perfect Asian wedding. Naturally, there are plenty of different places to choose between, from bespoke banqueting halls and function venues to grand hotels and gourmet restaurants. But what if you want something a little different? A beautiful location that will take your guests' breath away, a stunning fantasia that will be remembered for years to come?

Read more...

Planning an Asian wedding in the UK is usually a long process, yet exciting.

There are a lot of options available which makes planning an act and hence needs to be done carefully. If you are planning to host an Asian wedding in the UK, you must be careful about dates as most Asian weddings will usually take up more than one day. Deciding on convenient wedding dates is easier when you feel that you are well prepared in terms of what is needed to host an Asian wedding ceremony. Gifts, traditional entertainment, clothes, invitations, organising and planning the décor are all part of the wedding project that should make your wedding a success.

The budget is a very important aspect when organising your Asian wedding. Once you decide on a total expenditure figure, planning all the other items becomes more manageable. The number of guests is the primary factor to plan your wedding around. Once the numbers are known then items such as catering arrangements can be made for each day of the wedding ceremony. Therefore, it is essential to know about the customs and rituals of wedding to avoid any confusion. There may be the need to reduce the number of days of ceremonious activity, however, the main event usually needs a different kind of event planning and strategizing in order to keep expenses within your budget, while letting your guests have a memorable evening.

Read more...

Your wedding probably represents the largest party you'll ever throw, so of course you want everybody to remember it. As well as sumptuous food and a graceful location, another vital ingredient is the entertainment you lay on for your guests. Obviously you'll need either live music or top-rate DJ to get your guests up and dancing, but the most memorable weddings tend to include further entertainments, either on the day of the wedding itself or during the celebrations running up to it.

You call the tune
When it comes to music, wedding parties offer plenty of scope, from traditional musicians for drinks receptions to bands or DJs for later on when the party gets going.

Choosing between a band and a DJ is an entirely personal choice. A great live band can really boost the atmosphere, take requests from guests and naturally will follow your instructions as to the style of music played. Likewise, a DJ should take the lead from you when it comes to selecting dance music and in particular, you will need to give clear instructions when it comes to that very special first dance.

Read more...

In virtually every living room up and down the country, beautiful wedding photos in elegant frames take pride of place. The pictures that are taken on your wedding day are images that will be treasured not only by you, the newly-wed couple, but also by your parents and, in future years, by your children and their children.

Picture This
Getting the right photographer for the day is crucial, so shop around until you find someone you're entirely happy with. Take a few tips from your wedding planner – this is what they will tell you to look out for:

• Experience – even if your cousin's son has just completed a photography course, this is not the day for amateurs. Ask your photographer how long he's been a professional, how many Asian weddings he's photographed and expect to see an extensive portfolio to back this up.
• Portfolio – naturally, any photographer is only going to show you his best work, so study the pictures carefully. How's the composition, the lighting, the setting? Do the subjects look natural or posed? Has he captured the emotion of the moment?

Read more...

What do people remember about a wedding apart from the beauty of the bride? The catering. Ensuring that your guests are lavishly wined and dined is one of the most important aspects to the successful Asian wedding. Get it right and the day will run smoothly, your guests will be delighted and you'll be able sit back and bask in the glory of a job well done. Getting it wrong doesn't even bear thinking about...

The style of catering you choose and the particular menu you select will, of course, depend on the traditional cuisine of your country and the religion of your ceremony – so choosing a specialist Asian wedding caterer is a must as they will understand where you're coming from. If you're having a Muslim wedding, you want to feel confident that all the meat will be halal; you might be looking for caterers who specialise in Gujarati vegetarian cuisine; or you might want a mixed menu to cater to a diverse group of guests, both Asian and British, with dishes to suit all.

Read more...

Lights! Camera! Action! As well as the traditional photographer, these days no wedding is complete without a videographer to film the ceremony, the speeches, the first dance and the cutting of the cake. But out of the ranks of videographers who specialise in Asian wedding videos, how will you know which one to choose? This is the one film in which you will be the star of the show, so you want to feel confident that you're going to look your best, that nothing will be missed and that the finished movie will be edited and produced to the highest standards.

Take a Long Hard Look
When you start talking to videographers about your wedding, be sure to ask to see some of their work – and preferably more than one piece of it. Cast a critical eye over the films they show you. Does the lighting look right? Is the focus sharp and clear? Is sound woolly or indistinct? Have they edited sympathetically or does the film jump from shot to shot and scene to scene?

Read more...