WEDDING PLANNING
What services do you offer as a wedding planner? We provide everything from hourly consultations, wedding management, full service wedding planning, budget management, food and wine paring, advice on etiquette, design, styling, and with Petals (owned by Bermuda Bride), exquisite floral designs that complement the couple’s aesthetic. What is the cost of an average Bermuda wedding?
Meet the Expert
for a team to do this for you. If your wedding
Nikki J. Begg is a professional wedding planner and the founder of Bermuda Bride. The team at Bermuda Bride (established in 2000) designs and arranges more than 100 weddings in Bermuda each year. Bermuda Bride is known for its stylish, elegant, seamless and memorable events. Bermuda Bride, 3 Park Road, Suite One, Hamilton HM09, Bermuda. Bermuda Tel: 441-295-8697, US Tel: 866-912-9115, Canada Tel: 866-912-9112, www.bermudabride.com, info@bermudabride.com.
reception is at a restaurant or club, the venue
On average the cost is approximately $750
will handle this and the fee will be built in. What are the advantages/disadvantages of planning a Bermuda hotel wedding? Often having a hotel wedding is less expensive as many of the services are easily available in-house. Other events can also be held at the hotel, such as a welcome barbeque and the brunch, saving on transportation costs for overseas guests. An important consideration for hotel weddings is that the event often needs to
upwards per head.
minister to prepare the marriage particulars.
How do payments work?
What is the most expensive time of the year to
for which an after-party was held at an alterna-
get married in Bermuda?
tive location or the couple had to go into town
end earlier than it would if held at a private club or residence. There has been many a wedding
Local couples tend to pay vendors directly through internet banking, but we also offer
Bermuda is unique in that there isn’t an off-
(the bride in her wedding dress) to continue the
the couple the opportunity to let us handle all
season. Most services cost the same regardless of
the payments on their behalf. Our destination
the time of year. However, if there are overseas
wedding couples take advantage of this facility
guests attending, bear in mind that accom-
What are the main things I should splurge on
as most small vendors do not accept credit card
modation costs considerably more from May
and save on?
payments.
through October.
Do you charge a percentage of the budget or a flat fee? A flat fee for small weddings, but for larger affairs, where the number of hours may vary but can be approximated for budgeting purposes, we charge for our time. What are the first steps I should take in planning my Bermuda wedding? Decide on the date, hire a great wedding
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Spend on whatever is important to you and save on the areas that don’t matter to you.
How can I avoid going over budget?
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It’s very easy to get carried away—there are so many options and all the little things add
celebrations.
Spend on whatever is important to you and save on the areas that don’t matter to you. For each couple, this tends to be different. If you are looking to save, have a DJ instead of a band, raise your glasses to toast rather than have champagne, replace a selection of entrees with a set menu; there are many ways to work within budget and still have a beautiful affair. Am I expected to pay for guests if I’m having a destination wedding? Depending on your budget you can do
planner, select the venue, and book your favou-
up. Establish a budget and your priorities.
everything from taking over a hotel and flying
rite photographer and musicians. Begin to col-
Work through a financial overview listing every
your guests to the island to simply hosting the
lect, if you haven’t already done so, images for
possible expense. Add in 10 percent extra,
events. At a minimum we suggest providing
inspiration. Don’t get overwhelmed. Everything
just in case. Recognise that if you wish to add
transportation to and from the different events.
can be broken down into manageable steps and
something, you must be prepared to give up
don’t forget to have fun along the way.
something else.
How many bridesmaids should I have?
When do I need to get a marriage licence?
Am I responsible for cleanup at the end?
maids. I love seeing an even number of
Local weddings tend to have more bridesIf you are having an outdoor wedding at a
bridesmaids to groomsmen; it looks balanced.
wedding as it takes two weeks for the applica-
private residence, you should absolutely build
And the general rule of thumb is to have one
tion to be processed, leaving ample time for the
into your budget the time required and the cost
groomsman to every 25 guests.
We apply for a licence six weeks prior to the
www.bermudianweddings.com
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