WHEN I was young, I used to think that money was one of the most important things in life, now that I am older, I know it is. When having a wedding, most people spend money as though it has gone out of fashion.
Money speaks a language of its own. It represents delayed service- something you can hold in order to use for desired possession or experience. A lot has been said about the bad side and good side. Many say that giving children money at an early age to buy something at school, does nothing good, it destroys them and they become money lovers.
Some say money makes the world go round, while others quote 1 Timothy 6:10 wrongly by saying “money is the root of all evil” the scripture says “for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” And some people, craving money, have wondered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
The above scripture encourages everyone to be content with what they have, love God’s work more than money and share what they have with others.
Share what you have with the bride and groom by helping them have a memorable, stress-free and debt-free wedding. When having a wedding, the question many people ask is who pays for what? A wedding budget for your wedding should be created once the date is set, will it be a formal, semi-formal or informal wedding?
It is a mood killer to many brides and grooms because it will determine what should be done, but make it a priority as it affects everything from the guest list to your shoes. Start with the things that are very important and work within it. Now that the budget has been created, it’s time to see which side of the family should take one of the items on the budget.
Traditionally, the bride’s parents pay for most of the wedding, but there are no set rules anymore. The burden of paying for the wedding has shifted from the parents of the bride to parents of the groom and also this has become very common globally, brides and grooms are having enough money of their own to foot all the expenses on the budget.
To the brides and grooms, side-lining the entire family to help you with the money should be thought about very wisely. Contributing to the overall wedding costs is a good thing but remember there is life after the wedding and this happens immediately after the last dance is seen on the dance floor, when all the invited guests go back to their respective homes, then it’s the beginning of just the two of you.
Time to start planning for your life begins immediately, which school your children will attend, how many children you are planning on having and getting used to being husband and wife.
A wedding gown is very important to every bride because this attire differentiates a bride from any other women. A wedding gown was worn in the past to chase away evil spirits, we still have people that believe that a wedding gown once worn should not be hired out, no one should touch it, reason being that it is linked to a brides fertility and throwing the bridal bouquet opens the door for divorce. This is a myth.
The gown, crown, accessories and bouquet should be bought by the bride’s family, especially the mother she must take up this task. Every bride should look beautiful, glow so mum this is your daughter’s special day.
The ring is made in such a way that it has no end, it is round, just like marriage has no end. A ring is worn on the third finger this is so because people believe that a vein ran directly from this finger on the left hand to the heart and because of the hand heart connection, the name given to this particular vein is the vein of love. The bride’s ring must be bought by the groom and the groom’s ring by the bride.
The groom’s suit is mainly treated as an out-of-pocket item. It has to be among the items on the budget. As a groom, make sure the sizing of your suit fits right according to your body shape so that you don’t look as if you want a meal.
Your jacket and trousers should fit well when you button your jacket the material near the button should not pull.  Your trousers should fit comfortably around your waist, not below the waist dressing. Men are buying the wrong suit size mistaking it for a slim fit.
The shirt should be pure cotton to avoid sweating, nice neck tie, no dodgy haircuts and the right perfume, if possible go for the one you usually use and the 24 hours deodorant is good for the wedding. New socks and shoes are a must.
The groom should buy his suit, shirt, neck tie, shoes, and boutonniere’s for the groomsmen’s also. A boutonniere is worn on the left side of the suit jacket just above the heart. The groom is also responsible for his hair cut and perfume.
A nice, well decorated, large parking space and spacious reception venue will make every invited guest feel at event and no wondering minds. A good reception venue should be accessible to every guest with or without a car and enough space for guests to mingle, avoid one size fit all venues.
When you are considering a wedding reception venue keep the wedding theme in mind. The bride’s family is responsible for footing the bill for the venue. Men are not really interested in colour theme that’s why it is important for the ladies to take it up and remember that the colour you choose has a psychological effect on the guests also.
The bride’s family is also responsible for the decorators who can turn the bride and groom’s wedding vision into reality. If the decorator is a family member and offers to beautify the venue at no charge then the carpet, a kneeling bench, napkins, linen, flowers, ribbons and balloons. The bride’s family is also responsible for the flower girls’ baskets.
Wedding invitation is vital to the wedding process as it reflects your style and style of your marriage. This should be done by the groom’s family as well as the wedding programme which gives the organisers and invited guests on how the whole function will be handled in a planned manner. The groom’s family pays for this also.
Marriage certificate is very important and it is a must have for every bride and groom, that’s why it should be obtained. The church where the vows, wedding ceremony will take place should be known well in advance. The earlier the church is aware about your function, the better so that they can advise you on when to start the church marriage and counselling sessions and the days to announce your marriage to the congregants.
Your pastor, who will also be your marriage officiator has to know whether the vows will be personalised or the same old traditional ones, when the bride price will be completed, no get now and pay later type of arrangement, in some churches the bride and groom are required to go for a pregnancy test, they are tough on two becoming one and not three becoming one.
The cost of the meal is usually the biggest expense in any budget. A good meal will leave guests talking about it all the way up to their respective homes. Women nowadays are carrying lunch boxes to pack the food they receive, are they shy eating in public, do they want to dine with their husbands or believe strongly in take away syndrome. A woman’s pride is in the kitchen, who pays for this? It is the bride’s family.
The wedding cake was originally known as the bride’s cake, therefore, the colour white becomes common because the cake needed to reflect the bride. The cutting of the cake is a full symbolism, the groom assists the bride in the process, share a piece of cake before distributing it to the guests to symbolise their union and their promise to forever provide for each other.
The flavours are different according to the bride’s specification and some pieces can be used as favours for the invited guests. The bride’s family is responsible for this huge task.
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