Wedding madness has hit again. My friends are getting married by the dozen. I thought I'd compile my annual list of wedding tips so that others can benefit from my mistakes/experience.

The biggest tip to those organizing the wedding: remember it is only one day! Don't put too much effort or stress on one day. It only lasts 8 hours on the average. Don't let little details ruin a special day. Don't waste too much money on one day. What matters is the union of two beings and not the wedding day and party.

How to shop for services

  1. Always interview at least 3 sources to make sure you're "shopping around enough."
  2. Insert this question in your interviews: "Can you be creative with a limited budget?" So later, when they quote you the ridiculous price of $150 for a bouquet you can say, "You said you could be creative. What can you do for $100?"
  3. Pit two companies against each other. "I would really like to use your company but the other company offered X and my mother said I couldn't go with you unless you could do the same."

Bay Area specific tips

  1. The best books I thought s 50 cents per reprint w/ $25 overall set up charge. Just get a negative and call your friendly photo lab to do the reprints and printing of text. You can have a friend take a picture of you two leaving room on the side for the writing to be put in. Go to the Japanese gardens or Golden Gate park or anywhere pretty. Don't use a professional photographer unless you are willing to spend a lot of money.
  2. Take photos with your city's landmarks immediately before, the day of or after your wedding in your wedding outfits. For example, in San Francisco photos with the Palace of Fine Arts, Golden Gate Bridge, Conservatory of Flowers, the "Painted ladies," Lombard street, etc. will be quite memorable.
  3. Decide if you want a photographer that poses you or a journalistic approach that captures you wedding in pictures. I prefer posed because I don't like the awkward photos but a journalistic approach might be better for wedding moments such as the ceremony, bouquet toss, etc.
  4. Consider Chinese Wedding Glamour photos. They have wedding boutiques in Chinatown areas that will do your hair and make up and let you choose ballgowns as well as wedding gowns to wear for photos. They make everyone as pretty as a model. The Los Angeles area has a strip of such boutiques and there is one on Clement St. in SF and in Chinatown in SF.


If you have any questions or tips to add, please contact me at syen@geocities.com.

tailor will not measure you earlier than that. When he does measure you, he will measure every length of your body. The dress will be very snug and very sexy. Don't call unless you speak Cantonese. Instead just drop in. Drop by and see the materials and talk to the tailor/proprietor, Mr. Chang. Update 3/31/2002: A friend of mine stopped by the Clay St. shop to order her dress last week. Here's what she had to say: "Very very nice couple! It's $295 for sleeveless qi pao dress. More for sleeves.. I forgot the exact amount. $100 deposit. Cash only."

Money saving tips

  1. Get your dress made rather than store bought. Any dress you see can be made anywhere from 30% off the store price to 80% off depending what material you choose i.e. silk vs. polyester.
  2. Get your bridesmaids dresses during sales at Nordstrom's/Macy's. My friend found beautiful, perfect dresses at Nordstrom's for $49 each!! And we really could wear them again because they were normal party dresses (click here for a photo).
  3. Don't buy invitations - make invitations. You can hand make them, desktop publish them, etc. (click here for photos of Albert & Irene's invite; or here for photos of my invite.).
  4. Don't waste money on complicated centerpieces. Simple clear glass vases with 5-10 stems of one kind of flower should be fine e.g. tulips, cala lilies, roses are very elegant.
  5. DJ not band.

New wedding trends for 1997

  1. Make sure your photographer gives you negatives - either in 2 years or 3 months or immediately. You might think that only "cheap" photographers give out negatives but there are "quality" photographers that will give out negatives. I spent as much on reprints and photos for family album (for parents and in-laws) as a I did for the package for hiring the photographer. If you own the negatives, you save all that money and mark-up.
  2. Reasonable looking bridesmaids' dresses. Bridesmaids' dresses used to be the thing of nightmares and some still are. But more and more brides are being practical and bridemaid-friendly by buying dresses that can actually be worn again. This means that you can buy a party dress from a normal department store in the party section instead of the old way of buying ugly expensive dresses from the bridal boutique.
  3. Disposable cameras for guests- Guests are given disposable cameras - one per 10 guests and guests can take candids at ceremony or reception. Guests leave cameras at wedding site. Bride and groom develop photos.

For people who like having photos taken

  1. Photo invitations - picture of bride and groom w/ writing to the side inviting you to the wedding - only costs 50 cents per reprint w/ $25 overall set up charge. Just get a negative and call your friendly photo lab to do the reprints and printing of text. You can have a friend take a picture of you two leaving room on the side for the writing to be put in. Go to the Japanese gardens or Golden Gate park or anywhere pretty. Don't use a professional photographer unless you are willing to spend a lot of money.
  2. Take photos with your city's landmarks immediately before, the day of or after your wedding in your wedding outfits. For example, in San Francisco photos with the Palace of Fine Arts, Golden Gate Bridge, Conservatory of Flowers, the "Painted ladies," Lombard street, etc. will be quite memorable.
  3. Decide if you want a photographer that poses you or a journalistic approach that captures you wedding in pictures. I prefer posed because I don't like the awkward photos but a journalistic approach might be better for wedding moments such as the ceremony, bouquet toss, etc.
  4. Consider Chinese Wedding Glamour photos. They have wedding boutiques in Chinatown areas that will do your hair and make up and let you choose ballgowns as well as wedding gowns to wear for photos. They make everyone as pretty as a model. The Los Angeles area has a strip of such boutiques and there is one on Clement St. in SF and in Chinatown in SF.


If you have any questions or tips to add, please contact me at syen@geocities.com.