Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

When FilAm Sean Basilio proposed to his girlfriend Lia Zabala of four years last August, he thought planning for their marriage was going to be a cinch.

"In the beginning it wasn’t that much of a big deal," said the 26-year-old Basilio.

Seven months later and their wedding date of May 21 fast approaching, he’s realizing just how stressful planning for a wedding can be.

"We weren’t thinking about it that much before but now towards the end it’s getting stressful. We’re still trying to find the right vendors, we need a host and we are still looking for an MC," he said.

Weddings are a very important day. It’s a long held ritual in every culture. Having the perfect and memorable wedding is a dream for many couples and their parents.

But with so much to prepare for, wedding planning could be a bit overwhelming. There’s the wedding dress, the tuxedos, the rings, choosing the court, sponsors, invitations, the cake, the ceremony and reception location, pastor, and so many more.

"The hardest part for us is choosing whom to invite," said Basilio who is expecting a guest list of 350 to 400 people. "We have a big family and a lot of friends but we know we can’t invite all of our friends."

Toni Rose Parcon of SummeRose Planning and Design advises newly engaged couples that the first step to plan for their wedding is to sit down with each other and discuss how they foresee their wedding.

She said the couple must realistically calculate the budget of their wedding.

"Budget is the most important and crucial aspect of any wedding planning," said Parcon. "It can cause strain in the process if it is not discussed thoroughly."

"Be realistic and be optimistic," added Vikki Grenas of Leave-A-Mark Events. "Be realistic in a sense that everyone wants a fairy tale wedding but in this day and in this economy that might not happen. But be optimistic because your fairy tale wedding can still happen but you just have to work within certain boundaries."

Parcon said that family contributions are helpful.

However, if family members "start to gain creative control, and the couple doesn’t nip it in the bud early, it could get ugly."

Religious affiliations and type of wedding ceremony is also something the newly engaged couple need to figure out right away, said Daisy Mae Amparo, an events planning coordinator at the Wilshire Grand Hotel in Los Angeles.

"They have to consider both sides of the family," Amparo said. "The bride’s family and the groom’s family may be completely different. Yet, they are bound together as a couple. [They have to] seek input from both sides of the family and work out compromises when opinions are very different."