The Best Simple Wedding Timeline Checklist

Last year one of my brides came to me in a panic because she felt she was so behind on wedding planning according to her wedding organizer. She asked me what she should do first. I told her to first throw away her wedding organizer or at least rip out some of the pages.

After you get engaged, it is very likely that you will go out and buy a wedding checklist or organizer to help you plan a wedding. Heck, you might even get a couple of these as presents after your engagement announcement. The problem with these organizers is it is packed with so much information some of it won't apply to you and will only overwhelm you.

Here is a simple infographic that shows you the basic wedding timeline checklist. These are things you should do at a minimum. Anything extra you do is a bonus.

Enjoy!

 ~Monica Hui
Owner, Lead Planner and Designer
If you like our weekly ramblings, LIKE us on our Wishahmon page too! More goes on there!

What To Do If Your Guests Bring Children To Your Wedding (But They Weren't Invited!)

I fully support my clients on their decision to include or not include kids at their wedding. It is their day and they should be allowed to say who they want there, regardless of age! The decision not to include kids maybe for a variety of reasons. There should be no judgment whatsoever. As a new parent, (and probably because I am a wedding planner) I always ask if my baby is also invited. If not, no sweat. I will figure it out. If she is, (sweat) and figure it out. There are no hurt feelings because you didn't want my cutie patootie there. That is how it should be.

Previously, I discussed How to Have a Child-Free Wedding Reception. Now, if your guest ignores all of your subtle and not so subtle hints and still brings their kid to your wedding, what do you do now? Here are some suggestions:

1. Kick them all out. Old and young, invited and not invited. No means no.
I'm kinda kidding on this one. If you decide to do this, you might get yourself all upset on your wedding day and lose a friend. Best to get someone else to do this for you or move onto option #2.


magnetstreet

2. Invite a babysitter to your wedding.
This guest will be told ahead of time that he/she may have to become a babysitter during the wedding if kids show up. If not, they can enjoy the wedding. Having a babysitter on site can help keep the kids separated from the rest of the wedding. This allows you to enjoy your day and other guests that found a babysitter to enjoy their kid-free day. The parents might be a little upset their kids are being quarantined but remember you are not the one that is being rude.

3. Make arrangements for a kids area.
Similar to option #2 but the kids will be entertaining themselves with toys and activities you purchased for them. The parents are responsible for their own kids. Hopefully, they do!


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What would you do if this happened on your wedding day? Would you hold firm to your original vision or let it slide and let the kids join in? Comment below!

~Monica Hui

Owner, Lead Planner and Designer

If you like our weekly ramblings, LIKE us on our Wishahmon page too! More goes on there!

Celebrity Wedding: Angelababy and Huang Xiaoming

Chinese actress, singer, and model Angelababy, 26, wed actor Huang Xiaoming, 37, on October 8, 2015 after 6 years of courtship at the Shanghai Exhibition Center. The extravagant wedding cost a staggering $31 million! Just under Kate and William’s $34 million royal nuptials.

The bride, who was born Yeung Wing and got her unique name by combining her chosen English name, Angela, with her nickname, baby. She is dubbed China’s Kim Kardashian equivalent and has one of the most followed Weibo accounts in the world. (Weibo is equivalent to Facebook.)

The couple flew to Paris before the wedding for their official photos. The lovebirds posed against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower, with the bride modelling a series of Elie Saab couture gowns.


Elie Saab via Instagram

The Engagement Ring
Valued at over $1.5 million, Angelababy's wedding band —the Joséphine Aigrette Impériale ring, designed by Parisian jeweler Chaumet—showcases a five-carat pear-shaped diamond surrounded by half a carat of brilliant-cut diamonds.

 

Chaumet

 

The Wedding Attire
The bride wore a custom Dior gown that took five months and two fittings to create, from Angelababy’s conception translated onto paper by a pattern maker to the finishing touches. The dress required nearly 115 feet of satin organza, 170 feet of tulle crafted into seven skirt layers, and a 10-foot-long train. Nearly a hundred flower bouquets of Chantilly lace were cut and stitched by hand on the fabric. Each rose is composed of seven layers of muslin, colored pink using an airbrush.

Xiaoming wore a made-to-measure Tom Ford tuxedo. 

 

@dior

 

The Wedding Party

The wedding’s groomsmen included actors Tong Dawei, Huang Bo, and Wu Jing. The five bridesmaids wore lilac dresses in varying silhouettes.  

 

 

 

 

The Venue

The over-the-top affair took place at the Shanghai Exhibition Center, a 200,000 square foot space, with 2,000 of the couple’s closest friends in attendance. The venue was decorated in pinks and purples, with the hall transformed into a romantic fairytale set straight out of a movie. Some of those theatrics included a castle projected via hologram and lights displayed in the shapes of stain-glass windows.

 

 

 

 

 

A traditional ceremony also took place, with Angelababy wearing a gold dress with a high neck and thigh-high slit, while Xiaoming opted for a traditional black silk Changsam. She also changed for the party, wearing a red (the color is symbolic for love and prosperity) and white mini dress.  

 

 

ziwuwu

 

The Cake

Shaped like a carousel, the ten-foot-tall cake reportedly took a month to assemble.

 

Xinhua Press

 

All of the wedding guests left with goody bags that included a Meitu phone, a company Angelababy represents. It is believed that parts of the wedding were sponsored by brands, who received exposure in return. Talk about getting a really nice wedding favor!

~Monica Hui
Owner, Lead Planner and Designer
If you like our weekly ramblings, LIKE us on our Wishahmon page too! More goes on there!

What's New at Wishahmon - October 2015

October is going by so quickly, I almost missed our What's New post. Luckily, I caught myself just in time with 9 days to spare! This month has been all about planning (future Wishahmon projects) and researching (what my baby girl should be for Halloween). There will be more to share in November's post. Here is what's new for this month:

We surpassed 200000 views
What?!! YES!! Thank you to all our readers!! Thank you for all your support!!




Get Featured on Our Blog!
Rather than just read what we have to say, we would love for brides to submit their weddings and vendors to share their work with our readers! Please do brag about yourself!

We would love to see:
Real weddings in Calgary or around the world
Engagement and Anniversary shoots
Proposals (awww...)
Bridal Showers (racy or classy!)
DIY Projects
Styled Photoshoots

Check out the details at the top of this blog or here, then send us an email to: weddings@wishahmon.com.



~Monica Hui

Owner, Lead Planner and Designer

If you like our weekly ramblings, LIKE us on our Wishahmon page too! More goes on there!

How To Tell Your Friend She Can't Bring a Plus One

It is understandable you want to invite everyone to your wedding but the reality is it might cost too much or your venue is not big enough to have more people. When you are tight for invitees, you might have to start cutting people from the list or not allowing plus-ones to come. In the latter case, you will have the difficult task of breaking the news to someone.

If you have to tell a friend he/she can't bring his/her new GF/BF, here is what you can do:

1) Be honest and upfront very early on. How early? Before this person gets their invite and assumes they can bring a plus-one. Believe me the situation is worse after they have RSVP'ed. Tell them due to costs and venue size, you cannot accommodate everyone. Tell them combining the invite list for two families is proving to be difficult.

2) Reassure her that she will still have a good time at your wedding and who she will be sitting with people she knows or other single people.

3) Plan to get together with the new BF/GF after the wedding. Acknowledge the importance of this new relationship and the importance of your friendship. You would love to hang out with them after the wedding to get to know the new BF/GF better.

Understand that she might be disappointed or upset. A true friend will realize it is your day and she will respect your decision and be happy for you. A selfish and self-centered friend will be so upset that she might decline your wedding invitation if she can't bring a plus-one. In that case, woohoo you just gained another seat at your wedding and can invite someone more worthy.

~Monica Hui

Owner, Lead Planner and Designer

If you like our weekly ramblings, LIKE us on our Wishahmon page too! More goes on there!

buzzfeed

How To Make Personalized Guest Glasses

If you are having an intimate wedding or perhaps an outdoor wedding, chances are your guests will get their glasses or drinks mixed up. To prevent this from happening; and to let your guests be creative; and give your guests a great keepsake, you can give them personalized guest glasses! These are mason jars with a chalkboard area on it. Each guest will get one to personalize on their own and use it for the entire wedding! Awesome idea!!

You can either use chalkboard paint on the jar or a chalkboard sticker. The latter is way easier!

~Monica Hui

Owner, Lead Planner and Designer

If you like our weekly ramblings, LIKE us on our Wishahmon page too! More goes on there!

Chancey Charms Weddings

Wedding Hacks to Save Money

Of course for your wedding you want it all and you want the best. Wanting it all often comes at a price if you are not careful. I always advise my clients they can have the wedding they want within their budget but we have to prioritize what is most important to them. For the lesser important things, we will have to be creative with spending.

Here is a wonderful infographic on wedding hacks to save money. (I totally agree with most of these!!) Enjoy!

~Monica Hui

Owner, Lead Planner and Designer

If you like our weekly ramblings, LIKE us on our Wishahmon page too! More goes on there!

Wedding Mix

Why You Should/Shouldn't Have A Flower Girl At Your Wedding

I used to think that including children into your wedding party is a horrible idea because:
1) They are unpredictable;
2) They are uncooperative; and
3) They steal the spotlight from the bride and groom.

That said, after having a baby girl (that is super duper cute) I feel differently about this. While my original reasons for why it is a bad idea still stands, they are just so darn cute. The added bonus is when they do something cute and it makes you and your guests laugh. It reminds you that your wedding will still be perfect even if your flower girl decides she needs to go potty as she is walking down the aisle.

So, in summary, having cute flowers girls at your wedding is worth it.

~Monica Hui

Owner, Lead Planner and Designer

If you like our weekly ramblings, LIKE us on our Wishahmon page too! More goes on there!

brit


deerpearlflowers


modwedding


ruffledblog.com


busybridesguide


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Things I Am Thankful For

It might come as a surprise but Thanksgiving Day is not just about the turkey. It is about the mashed potatoes and sides. Kidding. It is the time to be thankful for all the people around you and all the things you already have. Here are things that I am thankful for:

1) Thankful my baby is growing healthy and learning new things everyday.
2) Thankful my partner doesn't give me weird looks when I tell him you can get sick from being in a warm environment and then immediately going into a cold environment. (Seep chun)
3) Thankful my dad is retiring soon and has already started planning on what to do with his new retired life.
4) Thankful for all my friends that think it is perfectly normal for me to text them asking if these new shoes make me look old.
5) Thankful I am in good health to keep up with a cruiser baby.

What are you thankful for? Are you going to actually thank the people that have supported you? I am!

~Monica Hui

Owner, Lead Planner and Designer

If you like our weekly ramblings, LIKE us on our Wishahmon page too! More goes on there!


momsbyheart

Seasonal Flower Guide - Fall

If you are having a fall wedding and would like to have flowers that are in season and reflective of the season, here are some great choices. I especially love the idea of creating a wedding bouquet full of cotton! It will be like you are holding a cloud! So dreamy!

 ~Monica Hui
Owner, Lead Planner and Designer
If you like our weekly ramblings, LIKE us on our Wishahmon page too! More goes on there!






 Katie Pritchard

Cotton Candy Wedding Ideas

Cotton candy brings back sweet memories to a lot of people! If you are one of them and would like to incorporate it into your wedding in a sophisticated manner, here are some wonderful options! Who knew cotton candy could be so grown up?!

~Monica Hui

Owner, Lead Planner and Designer

If you like our weekly ramblings, LIKE us on our Wishahmon page too! More goes on there!

modwedding


moncheribridals


wedding.theknot


sugarandcloth


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