As we slowly cruise into the last few days of December, some New Year’s resolutions will soon be upon us (we bet Tamara’s is to stop staying up till 3pm just because she had a design epiphany on the floor plan, and Nicolas’ to stop ordering Amaretto Sour wherever he steps his foot on) so we took the chance to address one kind of resolution that newly engaged, (we see you brides and grooms 2021) may have to consider, and that is: Handling the tough questions before planning your wedding. True, some subjects can seem a bit daunting (hence the resolution part) whether because family is family, or because we always shy away from talking about them. Fret not, that is what the RSVP Events team is here for, to guide and help you remove the stress from planning your wedding. Let’s crack on!
Wad’s up family? * Seriously, nobody likes to talk about finances, especially when it comes to budget donations from family that come with some strings attached. But, if you are fortunate enough to be receiving a kind of donation from yours when planning your wedding, consider having a conversation with them towards the conditions. In some cases, this very welcome, and super-helpful donation can come with opinions on your wedding style, buying conditions, specific guest invitations, or a certain tradition you will be asked to continue, and a number of other things you are not necessarily ready to promise but may later feel obliged to accomplish just because your family is paying for a portion of your wedding day. To have an honest, heartfelt talk early on will save you from meeting conditions you are hardly keen on, as well as from arguments that may affect your wedding planning process down the line. Yes, this a difficult talk to have but we promise it’s so well worth doing.
A reel of traditions – Is this you? Don’t get us wrong, we love traditions. In fact, as Cyprus destination wedding planners and designers we urge our foreign arriving couples to infuse their events with Cyprus’ beautiful customs and make their events truly special. However, some couples only follow certain traditions because they feel obliged to do so for either financial or cultural reasons. When instilling your big day with cultural notes this is because you feel like doing so, because you fell in love with the actual meaning and ritual behind it. That said, if you decide against some it is absolutely okay to go along with your instinct. After all, this is a celebration of your love, your heritage, and the best time to start your own traditions. The same stands if you wish to animate your Cyprus wedding with something completely new and inspiring (say a unity ritual, a new way to party, a symbolic ceremony, or an activity that is fun for you and your guests). If anything the pandemic and lockdown clearly illustrated that was there are multiple ways of celebrating our special moments. If a large wedding is accustomed, just because you feel like having a micro wedding in Cyprus, you can do whatever you like! You may experience a slight push back from certain raised eyebrows, who may try to talk you out of your plans, but if traditions are not you peer pressure won’t make your special moments any more special.
Who is on your guest list is another issue you may wish to address early before you begin planning your nuptials. Again the new 20ies illustrated this point by pushing the guest lists down to a minimum, which helped a lot of couples to actually prioritize and celebrate their weddings with who mattered most. And guess what, they had no regrets, as they actually had the opportunity to invest more in having an incredible time (from better, bolder, bigger floral and design schemes, to the photographer of their dreams, ample space to enjoy their reception, and less worrying whether they had time enough to spend with each guest). The micro wedding trend that became so popular this year taught us that inviting who you want to see on your wedding weekend can majorly impact your experience. If you still want to see more people, that’s also great news! You only need to think that three days can go by in a flash if you’re having heck of a time, and you want to make the most of that time celebrating with people you feel close to, not a faraway relative you haven’t spoken to since your were nine. And if you need a push, think of the people you see, or would love to see every day.
Taking a step back from your wants? For most couples planning a destination wedding in Cyprus is an utterly new experience. The same, of course, goes for local brides and grooms. Although the majority of our clients come to us with a clear vision and a budget that is realistically close to what they wish to achieve, not everyone is a pro at having their Pinterest board resonate with their actual needs. It is then up to us to ease them into the process of aligning design elements, costs, and tasks to be tackled with, with the clear vision a wedding needs. If you have not considered to ask an well-versed pro help you plan your Cyprus wedding, you will soon figure out there may be a lot of “wants” on your list that need to be scratched off. Au contraire, a wedding planner will carefully advise and connect you to the most apt network of vendors who won’t ask for an extra delivery commission, a special fee to deck out the pool of your dreams so you can walk down the aisle on water, or hire an on-site calligrapher for the big-day. It is one tough question to ask, but the sooner you feel you can match your budget to your wants, the more excited and safe you will both feel.
Can you trust a wedding planner and put worrying behind you? Now that may seem like a simple question but we assure you it is not easy peasy. As wedding experts we are completely confident in what we do and know the best ways to plan your Cyprus wedding. Our couples trust us completely to get the best deals from prospective suppliers (after all we have been working with trusted collaborators for over 5 years), to manage both micro and macro tasks such as inevitable logistics and paperwork, to advocate with their best interest in mind, and to evade bureaucracy and stress (that is the last thing we want for our clients to suffer). Trusting your wedding planner and letting go doesn’t, of course, mean lack of involvement. You will be very closely involved at every step of the process, but you won’t have to stop living because of checklist, or a timeline, you won’t need to hurry off to the next bit, or move to your next step uncertain of the outcome, you won’t have to engage in negotiations and confuse your vendors. If you are not certain you can leave the worries behind you, then perhaps a planner is not who you are looking for. Go ahead and enjoy the challenge! We do!
We know this post contains quite a lot of toughness for a day, but sometimes raising the tough questions can be a major thing in ensuring you enjoy the best of times. On that note, If you have more tough questions concerning your upcoming vows that need addressing do not hesitate to drop us a line. A wedding planner’s life is one strewn with Q&A.