Oops ... I am not very good at this at the moment. Keep missing my deadline ;0) ... Never mind though! I'm back with some great tips from some beautiful bride-to-be's and a newly wed. Enjoy ...
I met Gemma on Twitter and some of you will know her as @MissiontoWed ... Gemma shared her top tips just after she got married. Doesn't she look lovely? She still writes a fab blog on all things wedding.
1. Take your time:
So many of us get rushed into making a decision without taking a step back and really thinking about what we're signing up for and how it will impact the rest of our decisions. I rushed into signing up with the first wedding planner we met and booked our venues without really looking into our alternative options. And although our day ended up being exactly what we wanted there were times along the way where I wasn't happy with the service being provided. So, unless you've always dreamed of having your wedding day at a specific venue/location and on a specific day, in which case you'll know all you need to know and you'll need to get that booked as soon as possible, see at least three 'suppliers' before you sign up for or buy anything. I wasted £100's from being too eager to get my tick list checked off!
2. Shop Around:
I'm lazy and impatient, which means I couldn't really be bothered to shop around for a great bargain. But looking back I wish I had. There are lots of fabulous wedding suppliers out there who will create something truly wonderful for your wedding day. But, if budget is tight, why not see what the High Street can offer before you make any commitments. You'll be surprised what Accessorize and Marks & Spencer can do!
(What's more, if you don't like button holes / favours / cake then don't have it! Just because all the wedding's before have had it why do you have to? You could save money on something you're not really fussed about and put it towards your absolutely must have item instead!)
3. Say yes:
I'm a total control freak and took on organising the entire wedding myself. I'm terrible for it, and had so many offers from friends and family to help with different elements of the day, but still took it all on myself. I am so bad I was even going to decorate the venues myself on my wedding day! That was until a wise friend stepped up and told me I shouldn't be doing it on my wedding day and took control of the decorations. I was so grateful that I didn't have to rush around on my wedding day. Instead, I had a chilled morning getting ready, and had loads of time to get ready, and enjoyed it. Of course there are some things you know you want to do yourself, but would it really hurt to take up someone's kind offer to make your centre pieces, or create signs for your photo-booth?
Gemma Watts
Twitter: @Mission2Wed
Sarah of Boho Bride and Dressed with Love also writes a fab wedding blog and goes by the name @bohobride. Sarah has just got married but shared her tips while she was still planning.
1. Be yourself. Create a day that represents you as a couple. If you're quite relaxed and like to have fun, let that show in your day! It will make all the other elements of the day flow so easily.
2. Utilise the talents of your friends and family. MIL a great baker? Let her bake! A crafty friend? Plonk that sewing machine in front of her! I've found my nearest and dearest are thrilled to be asked for involvement, it's making the day more unique and it's saved a lot of pennies too!
3. Relish this time. It passes so quickly and before you know it this chapter will pass...and what a special, loving time it is! We're at the three month mark and I've no idea where the last 6 months have gone. My fiancé and I now spend an evening a week planning together - like 'date night' it feels really special.
Sarah Evetts
Twitter: @bohobride
Website: www.bohobride.co.uk
Sara, also known as ShabbyChicBride on Twitter shares her fab top tips with us. Sara also has a great wedding blog that you must read!
1. Draw up a budget. You'll often hear that you should start with the venue - but if you do, you could end up joining the many couples who get locked into contracts with venues they can't afford. As boring as it sounds, my first tip would be to be realistic. Write down your combined take-home income, your essential outgoings and your regular treats. Whatever you have left over each month, plus any external contributions, will form your budget. Then decide how soon you can feasibly have a wedding with the amount you can put away monthly.
2. Do your research. Don't go with the first suppliers you see and like. Study some wedding magazines and make a scrapbook full of pictures you're attracted to. Eventually, a theme should start to emerge, as you'll be automatically eliminating the things you DON'T like. Then look for suppliers to match your theme and shortlist them. Things to consider are whether they're in budget, how helpful and friendly they are when you contact them and whether they listen to your ideas.
3. Finally my top tip would be to keep perspective. Yes, a wedding is a big day and of course you want it to be the way you always dreamed. However, the most important thing to remember is that you're marrying somebody you love. Whenever I feel my inner Bridezilla rearing her ugly head, I draw my mind back to my relationship and what I want to say in my vows. That way, sweating the little stuff just seems a bit silly. Your wedding is a beautiful occasion for you both to enjoy - so make sure you actually enjoy it!
Sara Doran
Twitter: @ShabbyChicBride
Last but by no means least is the beautiful Kati, a very good friend of mine and a lovely bride-to-be. I love this woman to bits! Kati's top tips are:
1. Involve the Groom. It's his day too and although he may not want to be involved in everything, give him the opportunity to voice an opinion. It's much more fun to organise the day together as then it's nicer when you're sharing the actual day as you've both made it happen.
2. You know when you've found the right dress, honestly, you do. I couldn't understand how I was meant to feel when I was trying on dresses, people said "You'll know when you've found it" but I didn't get it - until I found it. Up until that point I'd felt like I'd been playing dress-up in a lot of beautiful dresses, all of them lovely but none of them made me feel anything special even though my friends' reactions said that I looked amazing. Then I put "The Dress" on, I'd seen it on the hanger and liked it but no more than any other but as soon as I had it on I felt different. My friends said I walked differently in it, stood differently and I felt like I was glowing with happiness! So if you haven't felt like that yet, don't despair, keep trying on everything you can as the right dress for you might not actually be one you'd think - and remember that it's meant to be fun!
3. Budget Savvy - Compare, compare and compare again. I'm constantly working on my computer so for me it made sense to draw up spreadsheets to compare prices for things like the venues and stationery. Doing this made me pay more attention to what I was really getting (and not getting) for our money and made me think of what we really wanted. Plus it's an objective view which can really help in the situations where you love two companies equally as much but actually one offers more for your money than the other.
Wow! So many fabulous tips ... hope that you can use some of them ... if not all of them.
Until next time ...
PS: Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful tips ladies xx
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