Around this time last year, me and my fiancee were desperately searching for the right hotel for our wedding.

We emailed about 50 hotels and only 25 replied and from these 25 hotels, we shortlisted them based on prices, accessibility and the number of tables they could accomodate.

I’m not saying the hotels’ ballrooms were too small to fit our wedding. The opposite is in fact the case. Not many hotels can accomodate to only 18 tables or less.

At that point in time, being new to the wedding industry, we were absolutely clueless of what to do in planning our wedding. Luckily, my friends were willing to help out.

They helped me to negotiate. They have strong negotiation skills.

Seriously, we were not very good negotiators and that was why we needed help.

These were the times I found it helpful to ask for more perks or freebies.

1. Before signing the contract, ask for more free corkages and any other freebies or special requests you have. If the sales manager is unable to compromise, just bring your business to other hotels.

2. There will be a time when you and the hotel coordinator will sit with you and your spouse-to-be to discuss the programmes in details. So this is time you can tell your coordiantor your requests…

Some requests that you can make:
1. More free corkages
2. More helpers room
3. More guest book
4. Free wedding cake AND bottle of champagne
5. In any case if the given helper’s room is not to be used on actual day, ask for the days to be shifted to some other days when you can come back for a holiday.

The hotel gave us MANY surprises before our wedding. Surprises = shocks!!!

In February 06, we contacted the Business manager, P and she left in June 06.
It was during this time, the 2nd coordinator, S emailed us telling us she will take over P. The hassle we went through was we have to brief the new coordinator everything we had discussed with P.

One month before our wedding, we tried contacting S but couldn’t locate her after many attempts. No response to emailsthat we sent to her and no call from her. Then, suddenly, V emailed us telling us she was the new coordinator as S had left.

V told us she was temporarily on leave for a very long time and the Director that we contacted told us she left for studies. We kept on hearing different versions of stories.

S left about 1 month after she took up the job.

We were really displeased with the hotel’s service at that point in time and my wife was terribly affected. We lodged a complaint to the Director level, only to realise the Director had resigned recently too.

Oh my!!! Seems like everyone was leaving the hotel.
Continue Reading »

Yesterday, we went to the bridal studio to check out the re-edited photos. Previously, we had made a trip down. We were not satisfied with 3 photos. Thus, changes have been made since then and it was time to see the re-edited version.

Our appointment was 7pm and we arrived promptly. However, there was another couple inside the computer room where the photographers edited the photos using Adobe Photoshop. We were told to wait outside the room and were told that it won’t take long, maybe 5 – 10 minutes.

We waited and waited….10 minutes went pass…another 10 minutes went passed. I looked at my watch, it was already 7.25pm. Luckily, there was a TV at the waiting area and we were able to keep oursleves occupied.

Not long later, it was 7.30pm. I think we had waited long enough. Half-an-hour past our appointment time. Even the most patient person needs to know why there was such a long delay.

I knocked at the door and went in.
Continue Reading »

Able to Bargain well comes handy in many areas. There are when asking for better deals from hotel, from the Bridal studios and furnitures.

I think you will be more interested in asking for more deals from hotel. Generally, I’m not really good in all these negotiating skills. Yes, I know alot but they are just theories.

Continue Reading »