In the Philippines, you only get married once, and every couples dream is to have the best Ceremony and Reception.
A lot of vendors are offering All-in packages and its understandable for couples to take this option for the following reasons.
1. Convenient
Having to search for individual suppliers can be tedious. Especially if your wedding dates fall on the peak season. You have to go through their individual price, availability, location and inclusions. With an all in package, you just communicate with a single person that has connection to all these vendors.
2. Fast
I your pressed for time, and only have a few months to prepare, this will save you time. Since you only communicate with one person, its that persons responsibility to get commitments from their partner supplier. They can easily find replacements to fill the missing details.
3. Affordable
These bundled packages are secured through special tie up rates, making it more affordable to couples.
Based on this photo published by
Bridal Gallery, the average wedding spending ranges from 269K to 1.2M. Anything below this range is a good deal.
But of course, there are disadvantages with this option. Most of the wedding scams fall into this category.
1. Limited Options
Since, the rates are discounted to begin with, there's little room for customisation because it entails additional cost. They can probably accommodate as far as adapting to your color scheme, but if your color choice is hard to match, you would just have to settle with the closest available option.
2. Common
Some can offer thematic options, but this would totally depend on the availability of their existing props and materials. These rates are based on their basic offering, and theres a big chance that this is the service availed by most of their clients. Be prepared to shell out more if you have special requests.
3. Risky
Since you communicate with one person, the control of your budget also falls into their hands. In the extreme case that she ran away with your money, you're left with nothing.
Here are some valuable tips to prevent you from getting scammed.
1. Background Check
Don't get hooked on the lowest price. Investigate on the supplier offering the service. Don't limit yourself to their Facebook profile because this can easily be changed. Check how long they have been in the industry, whether they have a valid address, a landline supplementing their mobile numbers and the feedbacks from previous clients.
2. Check the Budget Allocation for Each Vendor
This will help you manage your expectation. If the bulk of your budget goes into the food and venue, you know that your flowers or maybe the other services are compromised. You add only to the things important to you which can be your Video inclusion to include aerial shots. Don't expect a 3 layer cake to be fully edible if only 1K goes to your cake vendor.
3. Manage your payment schedule.
Most of the services are delivered on your wedding day and there's no reason that this had to be settled immediately. Suppliers can not impose this on you, because you want your money to be spent on your wedding and not a revolving fund to serve others.
Pay not more than 10% to reserve the date, and the rest in progression as you meet the other vendors.
Meet the other vendors!! This will allow you to check if your instructions are communicated, and if possible, settle directly with them.
Pay 50% to the caterer only after you had your food tasting and actually seen the venue.
The only suppliers that needs to get paid immediately are those that would require pre production, like your invitations, which you would need weeks before your wedding day.
In return, you have to prepare all the remaining balance in cash to allow them to settle their individual obligations and make room to cover unanticipated expense incurred.
If they delivered beyond your expectation, words of gratitude are enough but a monetary tip speak volumes.
It saddens me to hear news of a wedding scam. Marriage only happens once, and you cannot put value on a memory wasted and the would be celebration you just want to forget
Im hoping this advise was helpful.
Feel free to add more, or comment whether you agree or not.
As a caution, here's a link to the recent wedding scam in the news:
