We've been very blessed to have many couples drop me tips on how to make our wedding work. I don't think preparations would be as smooth as they are now if not for their advice.
1. Wedding dates + Church events = Fatigue(?)
Do weddings have to be planned around church events? We grappled with this situation too. On the one hand, our personal event should not overshadow or cripple church events and functions, especially when we also depend on church brethren for help. On the other, if church events get their way over personal events, are we not then elevating the importance of church over personal life? It can be a difficult balance, especially so when the other ministry leaders were not able to help put down dates, it becomes quite difficult on one's end to put down some dates, especially since all other relevant planning revolves around the planned date.
We were finally able to get a date of 3rd June. Thank God for the planning, as it happened to be when Fuhui was fairly free of school activities. Similarly, it was the holiday period for me in RP, so there was less work then. VBS would start on the week of 4th June, so the brethren were able to help. We also reduced the number of brethren helping out, by specifically requesting for no choral specials nor orchestral accompaniment.
Don't worry about fatigue. There is a joy in helping out brethren, especially on their big day.
[Adrian's Note: I agree that it's a tough balance. To make matters worse, Angela's job at the school doesn't leave much of a choice for the wedding date, hence the December date (peak period). We're glad for the Singapore Swimming Club, not only because it's near both our homes, but setting up and cleaning after will be taken care of. Good foresight methinks, because I understand that there's a teens camp just before our wedding.]
2. Credit cards - Journey to an insurmountable debt?
I have come across arguments which say credit cards are good, and also those which say credit cards are bad. Of course, working through the arguments back down to the premises and assumptions, you find that they come from different camps. My view is that, as a financial product, it is somewhat neutral, but capable of doing good (of course, this is questionable) and definitely plenty of bad (no questions on this, though). That is to say, there is nothing wrong with subscribing to a credit card, but the wanton use of it will lead to debt, especially if you splurge on gadgets and such.
Personally, I use my credit card to pay my utilities bill, with the advantage that it offers me cash rebates. My brother also expounds the fact that by using credit cards, you don't have to actually pay until sometime later, unlike other payment methods; of course, it is this very facility that leads many astray and end up spending much more than they can afford.
Using credit cards for big-ticket purchases via instalment payments is also a useful feature. Of course, miss out on one payment and watch the accumulated amount climb skyhigh with those interest rates! Also, it is very easy to sign off on many big-ticket purchases, one after another. For us, we don't buy what we cannot already afford, i.e. we already have the cash to pay for the purchase.
Having said all these, it amounts to one thing: financial discipline. One must have the discipline to commit to a budget, and one must have the discipline to draw up a budget that makes sense. I consistently budget for much, much less than what I bring home, to ensure that I have surpluses that can be drawn upon in an emergency situation, or just to save up.
[Adrian's Note: Credits cards are evil about 90% of the time, except when they give good discounts - but that would usually require you to purchase really expensive things. The last time that happened was when I was shopping for the proposal ring, where I enjoyed an eye-watering discount. I'm not closed to the idea of employing the credit card limits as a budgeting tool, but that only works if you set your credit limit to $500 and endeavor to pay everything by card.]
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