Team Neemopani
Shopping for your wedding dress and accessories can be one of the most exciting yet stressful parts of the wedding planning. With so many options and so much to consider, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, but fear not, bridal shopping doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With the right approach and a few smart tricks up your sleeve, you can handle all the pre, post and event stress and enjoy the process. Here are some essential bridal shopping hacks to help you make your day as relaxing as it can get.
1. Have a clear vision for everything
Budgeting, as everyone would think, isn’t that much of a priority. What matters is the definition of needs and wants of the people involved in the event because, in most cases, the blur in an individual’s vision, wants, and needs causes the budget to overflow. This overflow can be easily eliminated if you have a clear vision.
2. Set a realistic budget and stick to it
It is tempting to fall in love with every idea and every accessory that you see, but budgeting for your wedding is not only crucial for your pocket but also your mental health post-wedding when all the remaining bills are looking your way. Allocate percentages of your budget according to the priority, like venue, dress, and invitations would get more budget, but at the end of the day, it is about what you want to do, how you want to do it and (especially) when you want to do it!
3. Shop off-season to save money
Even though weddings are happening throughout the year, especially in Pakistan, months June through August and November through January are packed with wedding festivities. This means that if you shop during this time, there’s a high chance that your budget will be crying in the corner! Therefore, consider shopping in pre- or late-seasons like pre-fall, pre-winter, late-fall, late-winter, clearance sales, 11.11, 12.12 and many more.
4. Make a checklist
You will need to make a checklist according to the prioritisation of your wedding. Like hiring your makeup artist, dhol and DJ, entrance accessories, photographer and many other things beforehand so that their schedules wouldn’t collide with your wedding dates. This checklist will create harmony for your mental thoughts as well as your event.
5. Make a bridal bag
You will need to make a bridal bag that you would take with you and always keep it in your car, especially when you go to the salon. It will have all the essentials like painkillers, bobby pins, extra concealer/lip colour, comfy shoes, water bottle, snacks, bandage, Elfie for nails, safety pins, perfume, bubble gum and anything that you assume to be important. Make this bag almost 15-20 days prior. You can never be over-prepared for your event.
6. Tell all the vendors of the sooner dates
Telling your vendors for dresses, accessories, shoes, gift wrappers, decorators and other delivery people a date before your event. That date should be at least a week before your actual event. This will help you to eliminate any last-minute tweaks to your dresses, changing your shoes because they don’t fit your size or changing some decor elements because they weren’t available on spot and whatnot! This buffer time keeps your wants and needs above everything! (minus eatables and floral decorations)
7. Beauty and Skincare
What most brides and grooms do is that they start caring about their health and skin right before the event. The key is to start taking care of yourself 4 to 6 months before the wedding so all the facials, spas and vitamin supplements you have been taking show themselves on you.
