7 things you need to know if you are getting married in 2014

7 things you need to know if you are getting married in 2014

If you’re getting married this year first and foremost; congratulations on your engagement! Even as you bask in the glow of your engagement remember to get things started, because as with other years past, 2014 will go past pretty fast.

We would like you to get off to a good start and so here are some things you need to have in mind if you are planning on getting married in 2014.

1. Save the date…early!

The first thing any vendor will ask you when you try to book them for your wedding is: When is your wedding date?

So whip out the calendar and analyze the dates! Where do the holidays fall? When would be the most convenient time of the year for both families?  Identify at least two possible dates that you can narrow down to as your wedding date. 

You will be glad to know that 2014 has a good number of long weekends (i.e., 3 day weekends) due to public holidays that fall on Friday, Sunday or Monday. This presents more possible wedding dates as your guests will probably not be working on these days. And if you plan to have a destination weekend, long weekends are ideal as they give your guests enough time to travel to and from your wedding venue. 

If your workplace requires you to plan and declare all your leave days early in the year, then ensure you inform your employer early enough that you plan to be away during a certain period for your wedding and of course the honeymoon. 

2. You need to choose the venue:

So the date is now set – great! The next thing you want to do is to select your wedding venue. This is one of the most critical parts of any wedding plan, since a lot of other decisions are pegged on it.  Indeed, this is the second question any vendor will ask you, when you seek their services.  Wedding venues in Nairobi can sometimes be booked up to one year in advance; therefore the earlier you secure yours, the better. 

Unless you’re planning for a weekday wedding, you need to have already chosen a venue and secured it with a deposit. If not, now would be a great time to do so. And that goes for the church too. Remember that April, August and December tend to be the popular months for weddings in Kenya. So if you’re planning on any of these months, then you had better book your church and venue ASAP!

 3. Who is in your bridal party:

Most people begin the year with specific plans and resolutions. If the date is already set and you’ve thought through who you would like to be in your bridal party, tell them well in advance! This will help them to plan their year with that in mind; especially for people really close to you like your maid of honor and best man. Informing them well ahead of time, also shows that you respect and value their time and involvement.

4.  Look for out-of-the-box ideas:

Gone are the days of cookie cutter weddings, where all weddings looked exactly the same and the whole wedding was quite predictable. Nowadays, there are vendors looking to try out different ideas and the resources to get unique ideas are endless. So let your wedding be your chance to design your wedding, your way.

 

5. Be the early bride:

Remember what they say about the early bird? Well, the same goes for an early bride.  With the beginning of the new year, most wedding vendors may only have a few deals in the bag and are still looking to secure more. They will hence be more flexible and ready to give discounts for those who book early.  And while you still have the luxury of time, try to negotiate and look for the best vendors and deals available. Engaging the wedding vendors early also means you have an idea of how much various items costs which will help to refine your budget.

6. It’s the year of the Tech-savvy bride:

More and more brides are now looking for inspiration not only from the traditional sources (newspapers and magazines) but also from a more diverse, interactive and fresh source – the Internet! You want to know what the latest wedding trend is. No need to wait a whole month to find out when you can do it with the click of a mouse.

7. Less is more and other trends: 

In 2013, we saw a lot of brides toning down and going for a more minimalistic yet elegant feel while adding their own personal touch. Going easy on the number of things in the décor will allow you to spend a bit more on a few quality items and we expect this trend to continue in 2014. You do not want to look at your photos years down the line and find them dated and old-fashioned. So be on the lookout for new trends that suit your taste. For example, for wedding dresses, there is a stunning new trend of illusion necklines wedding dresses is growing in popularity.  These are sheer illusion necklines with small crystals to larger embroidered rhinestones and embroidery.