7 Wise Ways To Ensure You Have A Successful Wedding With The Right Budget

A couple taking their marriage vows

Weddings can be expensive no doubt. If anything creates problems in planning a wedding, it is money. To side-step problems, you need to do a lot of communicating with your partner (alongside both parents).

Forget the archaic rule that says certain people have to pay for certain things. The bride’s parents don’t need to get a loan to pay for the wedding, and the groom’s parents are not off the hook either.

Besides, both of you might be covering a good chunk of the expenses yourselves. The best way to sort it out is to sit down with paper, pen and calculator and figure out what you really want/and can afford.

As an expert, we will be giving you ‘insider’ tips to avoid those little known financial pitfalls and sticking to your wedding budget. The tips include:

 Cut the Guest list: It never a must to invite the whole world. So cut down your guest list.This will slash your catering costs and save on invitations and even the number of centerpieces to be used on tables. 

Hold your engagement/reception in one day:  This is fast becoming a trend. It will cut down cost by vendors/service providers.  

   

 Make use of bigger tables: Have bigger/merge tables so you need fewer table cloths and centerpieces. 

  Use less expensive centerpieces like gels, colored water, long stems etc 

   Make use of a Disk Jockey(DJ) : Have a DJ instead of a Live band, who will play good music that cuts across all genre i.e for both young/old.

Engage an Event Planner: Believe it or not, it's  wise to hire a wedding Coordinator who will coordinate your event and all service providers. They are experts in planning a wedding no matter your budget.

 Hostesses: Make use of your cousins or relatives as hostesses/ushers to help in coordinating activities for the day

A small wedding range is between 50-250 guest.  An average wedding is between 300-600 guests, and anything from 700guests above is a big wedding.

  

PRELIMNARY BUDGET ANALYSIS PLAN FOR WEDDING RECEPTION: estimate of 250 guests

S/N	SERVICE	RATE/QTY	AMOUNT
1.	Venue	Hall with chairs/tables	250,000
2.	Bride/Groom’s outfit	50,000 each person	100,000
3.	Shoes/Accessories		30,000
4.	Food(African dishes)	800/plate(budget for 300)	240,000
5.	Drinks(water,juice,minerals)		100,000
6.	MC		50,000
7.	DJ		30,000
8.	Photography	Leather album and soft copy	50,000
9.	Videography	DVD	40,000
10.	Makeup		20,000
11.	Decoration		100,000
12.	IV/Programme		30,000
13.	Cake		35,000
14.	Wedding Coordinator		50,000
	Miscellaneous		50,000
	GRAND TOTAL		1,175,000

 Article compiled by: Bisi Mawuton Padonu, CEO/Event Planner BusyBee Events!

Email: bisi@busybeeeventsng.com

Website: www.busybeeeventsng.com ,

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bisibusybee

Branding Tips For Business owners … a little cue from Amazon.com, best online-Store

As a small business owner do you know you can smartly draw customers away from big brands in your industry? If you really want to know, then you must learn from their mistakes.

There are several big brands who out of their size have neglected the art of emotionally satisfying their customers. Every customer has emotions. They want to be loved or cared for. They are looking for that outfit or brand that  can Pamper with words like, “Thank you for coming” I hope we satisfied you” Please let us know about how you feel about our product or service” on and on like that.

If you visit a big or known store, hardly would they ask you how you feel. They don’t care whether you call again or not. They don’t bother if the sales guy or the front desk personnel attended to you well or not. This is where they miss it. Guess what?  Branding is not just about being creative. It goes beyond what comes out from the creative department of your ad agency. It's about that warm, exciting feeling your customer gets when he or she sees your product display. Click our website www.busybeeeventsng.com to see our brand promise.

Branding is more about your customer service and how the salespeople greet your customers even when they're having a bad day. It's about how your company is portrayed in the media. It's about how fast your product is shipped or delivered and how the package looks sitting at home on your shelf. In short, “branding is about building an embracing culture that your client finds irresistible at every contact with your people, product or service.”

CONTINUED NEXT WEEK

10 Things You Must Know As An Aspiring or Budding Entrepreneur

PART 2 
Here's the concluding part of our article which we posted last Monday. Enjoy it!

6.Learn under fire -
No business book or business plan can predict the future or fully prepare you to become a successful entrepreneur. There is no such thing as the perfect plan. There is no perfect road or one less travelled. Never jump right into a new business without any thought or planning, but don't spend months or years waiting to execute. You will become a well-rounded entrepreneur when tested under fire. The most important thing you can do is learn from your mistakes--and never make the same mistake twice.

7.No one will give you money-
There, I said it. No one will invest in you. If you need large sums of capital to launch your venture, go back to the drawing board. Find a starting point instead of an end point. Scale down pricey plans and grandiose expenditures. Simplify the idea until it's manageable as an early stage venture. Find ways to prove your business model on a shoestring budget. Demonstrate your worth before seeking investment. If your concept is successful, your chances of raising capital from investors will dramatically improve.

8. Be healthy -
No, I'm not your mother. However, I promise that you will be much more productive when you take better care of yourself. Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle, not a 9-to-5 profession. Working to the point of exhaustion will burn you out and make you less productive. Don't make excuses. Eat right, exercise and find time for yourself.

9. Don't fall victim to your own B.S -
Don't talk the talk unless you can walk the walk. Impress with action not conversation. Endorse your business enthusiastically, yet tastefully. Avoid exaggerating truths and touting far reaching goals as certainties. In short, put up or shut up.

10. Know when to call it quits.
Contrary to popular belief, a smart captain does not go down with the ship. Don't go on a fool's errand for the sake of ego. Know when it's time to walk away. If your idea doesn't pan out, reflect on what went wrong and the mistakes that were made. Assess what you would have done differently. Determine how you will utilize these hard-learned lessons to better yourself and your future entrepreneurial endeavours. Failure is inevitable, but a true entrepreneur will prevail over adversity.

Culled from: www.entrepreneur.com

10 THINGS YOU MUST KNOW AS AN ASPIRING OR BUDDING ENTREPRENEUR

1.Focus. Focus. Focus. Many first-time entrepreneurs feel the need to jump at every "opportunity" they come across. Opportunities are often wolves in sheep's clothing. Avoid getting side-tracked. Juggling multiple ventures will spread you thin and limit both your effectiveness and productivity. Do one thing perfectly, not 10 things poorly. If you feel the need to jump onto another project, that might mean something about your original concept.

2. Know what you do. Do what you know.
Don't start a business simply because it seems sexy or boasts large hypothetical profit margins and returns. Do what you love. Businesses built around your strengths and talents will have a greater chance of success. It's not only important to create a profitable business, it's also important that you're happy managing and growing it day in and day out. If your heart isn't in it, you will not be successful. 

 3. Say it in 30 seconds or don't say it at all.
From a chance encounter with an investor to a curious customer, always be ready to pitch your business. State your mission, service and goals in a clear and concise manner. Fit the pitch to the person. Less is always more.

4. Know what you know, what you don't know and who knows what you don't.
No one knows everything, so don't come off as a know-it-all. Surround yourself with advisors and mentors who will nurture you to become a better leader and businessman. Find successful, knowledgeable individuals with whom you share common interests and mutual business goals that see value in working with you for the long-term.

5. Act like a start-up.
Forget about fancy offices, fast cars and fat expense accounts. Your wallet is your company's life-blood. Practice and perfect the art of being frugal. Watch every dollar and triple-check every expense. Maintain a low overhead and manage your cash flow effectively. dramatically improve.

Culled from: www.entrepreneur.com               To be Continued next week.