By Georgina Clatworthy

Whilst your wedding dress may take center stage, it is your wedding shoes which will be the most important part of your wedding outfit.  You will be in your shoes for most of the day, walking around, standing for long periods of time and then of course there is the dancing in the evening.  So it is very important that you not only choose the right shoes but that you choose them well.

As with any shoes you will have a wide range of different styles, heights and designs to choose from.  Bridal shoes will differ from evening shoes and everyday shoes in that they are usually made from more luxurious fabrics such as silk and satin, will feature embellishments such as embroidery, beading and crystals and will be built with some comfort in mind for the bride.  They are also more expensive and you can expect to pay in excess of $100 dollars for a good pair of wedding shoes.

Your first consideration needs to be on style and heel height.  Height is very important as you will need to be able to walk in them and you don’t want to be towering over your groom on the day.  The best advice is choose a heel height that matches that of shoes you wear everyday and a good tip is to wear a pair of your normal shoes when having your dress fitting so that the skirt can be made to the correct length.

The style of shoe is a personal choice although closed toe pumps tend to suit traditional weddings and sandals and flats suit beach and destination weddings.  But you should decide on the style shoe based on the style of your dress, comfort and personal taste.

Many brides will purchase two pairs of wedding shoes - one for the ceremony and a more comfortable pair for dancing in later on.  Again it is important that both pairs have the same heel height as your dress will have been made so that the skirt skims the top of your foot when you have your shoes on.  Shoes with a lower heel height will drop the length of your dress and could cause you to trip.

If comfort is of a concern to you there are a variety of products on the market which can help to improve the comfort of your shoes.  Look out for gel insoles, heel patches in case shoes rub (put some of these in your bridal bag just in case) and gel filled heel pads.  You can also help to make your shoes more comfortable by ‘wearing them in’ at home by walking around the house in them as often as possible.  Another top tip is to take some glass paper to the soles, which are often smooth, to give them some grip by roughing up the surface.  This should help when you are taking a trip around the dance floor later on!

By Georgina Clatworthy

Your reception tables are the centerpieces to your entire wedding scheme and are the main focus of your wedding design and decorations.  Choosing wedding table decorations can present you with many different choices and it can be easy to get carried away with mountains of flowers, crystals and linens!

Here are a few tips and ideas to help you sort out what is good for you and what isn’t when it comes to your table decorations:

Firstly you need to keep your wedding style and/pr theme in mind.  Do you want to keep the decorations looking minimal, contemporary or perhaps more traditional?  You may want to go for a simple and uncluttered look or you may want to add everything you can find to your reception tables.

Your first decorations will be your table linens.  Usually you will have a large table cloth and then a second cloth, perhaps in a different color or pattern which is slightly smaller than the first and which will lay over the top.  Check out your tables at your reception venue, if they are particularly nice you may want to forgo the table cloths altogether.

Your venue or your caterers will usually supply the linens for you which will also include napkins and perhaps table mats.  You need to see these for yourself to know if they are what you like and what you want.  They also need to come in your chosen wedding colors.  If they cannot provide table linens to your liking or in your colors then you may have to hire them in from elsewhere.  Look for package deals which may also include coordinating chair covers as well.

Once you have sorted out your table linens you will then need to turn your attention to your centerpieces.  These as the name suggests go in the center of your tables and provide the main focal point.  Traditionally they are floral arrangements but in recent times brides have used candles, small trees and even goldfish as their centerpieces.  Again your wedding style and theme will be the deciding factor here and your budget as putting together lots of centerpieces can be costly.

For many brides table linens, centerpieces and place settings are more than sufficient wedding table decorations, but if you wanted to add more then here are some other finishing touches to consider:

• Table crystals – these are small crystals which you scatter around the table. They come in several sizes, a host of different colors and are fairly inexpensive to buy. What you do with them after the wedding though is another question!
• Table confetti – a cheaper alternative to crystals, these are foil punched shapes which come in a wide range of shapes, sizes and colors. Wedding themed confetti includes doves, bells, words, hearts and champagne bottles.
• Flower petals – these can be real, dried or silk and come in a range of popular wedding colors such as pink, lilac, blue etc. They look very pretty with floral arrangements and of course can be used for other elements of your day such as scattering down the aisle, over the wedding cake and given out as confetti to your guests to throw.
• Disposable cameras – ok perhaps not decorations as such , but they do provide a decorative element. These are perhaps too expensive to purchase one per guest so purchase one between three and ask them to take pictures throughout the reception and hand the camera in to the best man afterwards. They are a great way of getting some ‘as it happened’ shots for your wedding album.
• Candles – ask your venue if you can have lit candles first. Votives and tea lights in attractive look lovely nestled around your centerpieces and if you use table crystals they can really make them sparkle with the flame light.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Your wedding dress will be one of the most important (and expensive) outfits you will ever buy and for many brides, what they like and what they can afford can often lead to disappointment.  But there are ways to find cheap wedding dresses that meet all your dreams and expectations but which won’t break the bank!

For some the mere mention of cheap wedding dresses fills them with sheer horror.  It conjures images of cheap polyester gowns which pass themselves off as satin, adorned with hideous cheap laces and which would need so many alterations to make them fit perfectly you would be better off making your own.  But this is not the case, and sure whilst these cheap dresses are on the market and readily available, there are ways in which you can obtain designer and couture wedding dresses within your budget.

The first way is to find sample sales.  These maybe through the manufacturers, the designers or bridal outlets.  Generally they will take place at the end of each season when the new collections come out and retailers need to make room for the new samples coming in. 

A sample dress is merely a dress which has spent its life in the store being tried on by many a bride to be looking for ‘the one’.  They will not differ from the version which is ordered from the manufacturer when a bride decides this is the dress for her.  However, being a shop sample there is the possibility of some soiling, possible tears or other damage and generally samples will only be stocked in two or three popular sizes, often small ones!

So be prepared for a dress which may need some repairs, will almost certainly need specialist cleaning and may need alterations as well.  The price though will be considerably lower than the retail markup, with some sample sales seeing dresses marked down by as much as 70%.  With savings like that you will still have money to spare even after cleaning and alterations.

Check out your local classifieds and websites like EBay for pre-owned, once worn or even never worn wedding dresses.  Here you do perhaps take a risk in purchasing a dress in this manner.  You may not be able to see the dress before purchase, let alone try it on and you will need to rely on the measurements given in the advert as being correct. If looking at wedding dresses in your local press then try to go and see them first before committing to buy.  If buying through EBay look for reputable sellers with around 100% feedback rating, also pay through Paypal as they will safeguard purchases and can refund your money should something go wrong.

Good quality and designer cheap wedding dresses do exist if you know where to look.  But you need to be prepared to make some compromises, give yourself plenty of time and be able to make a decision on the spot as you will not be able to come back a second time to try it on!

By Georgina Clatworthy

If a traditional wedding ceremony presents certain difficulties for you, then how about visiting the Tunnel of Love Drive-Through Wedding Chapel?  The chapel was created for those who may have difficulty walking and is part of the Little White Chapel on the Las Vegas Strip.

Although it may have been created with disabled couples in mind, able bodied couples are also welcome to marry there and for most it is the fun and novelty factor of the venue that sees them booking their wedding ceremony there.  The drive-through can also offer packages for bikers and motorcyclists.

Couples who book their ceremony with the Tunnel of Love Wedding Chapel will have to travel through the Tunnel of Vows which is decorated to resemble an underground garage with a painted ceiling featuring cherubs and starlights, described as being perfect for a unique and romantic ceremony.

So if a drive-through wedding sounds like your dream wedding day, you have three packages to choose from:

• Drive Through Special – this costs $40 and is available to couples who bring their own car. You can choose between religious or civil wedding ceremonies.
• Cherubs Chariot – for a more complete package you will pay $179 for which you will get: a religious or civil ceremony, 12 professional digital photographs, one long stemmed rose, the bride’s garter, a Love Recipe keepsake, Rules for a Happy Marriage keepsake and a courtesy limousine.
• Drive Thru Bikers Special – for bikers there is a special package costing $129 although you must either own or rent a motorbike. This package includes: a religious or civil wedding ceremony, 12 professional digital photographs, a DVD of the ceremony, a Love Recipe keepsake, Rules for a Happy Marriage keepsake.

The Little White Wedding Chapel can also provide you with flowers and bouquets, rent you your wedding dress and tuxedo, do your bridal hair and make-up and you can also request a copy of your wedding DVD.

So if you are after the ultimate Las Vegas wedding then it has to be a drive-thru the Tunnel of Love!

By Georgina Clatworthy

For most weddings flowers are an integral part of the day, they form the majority of the decorations for the venues, enhance the reception tables and of course they make up the bride’s and bridesmaid’s bouquets.  For many brides there is no contest between wedding flowers which are fresh and those which are faux (silk, paper or fabric) – fresh flowers will generally win out.

But are there any advantages to having faux flowers as opposed to fresh ones and are they really worth considering as an alternative?  Here are the pros and cons of both fresh wedding flowers and faux ones.

Fresh Flowers:

Pros:

Fresh wedding flowers can provide something so delightful and give so much the whole feel and look of the day.  Be it large traditional arrangements or simple contemporary styles, fresh flowers bring an air of elegance and luxury to a wedding day.

There is also the scent of fresh flowers to consider, something which faux flowers cannot provide.  Lilies, freesia’s and roses all give off wonderful scents and it is these that can make you reminisce about your wedding when you smell the same scents again in the future.

Cons:

Fresh flowers can be expensive and if you want exotic varieties or out of season blooms then you can expect to have to pay more for them.  The size and quantity of the arrangements will also add to the price, especially if you want intricate displays which give the florist many of hours of work to complete.

Fresh flowers also have a nasty tendency to wilt, go brown and even die before the day is done.  Whilst there is many different flower care products available to help combat this, there is little that can be done should it happen on the morning of the wedding!

If you want to use your arrangements in another area of your wedding, for instance moving the ceremony flowers to the reception, then transporting large fresh flower arrangements can be a logistical nightmare!

You cannot keep fresh wedding flowers unless you have them professionally preserved and cased or framed – which is expensive.

Faux Flowers:

Pros:

You can keep faux flower arrangements indefinitely and many brides who opt for them have a glass dome or frame made to accommodate them and to keep them dust free. 

The quality of faux flowers these days is excellent and many would have difficulty telling them from the real thing!  But choose good quality flowers for the best results.  Faux flowers can be made from silk, fabric, paper or you could even opt for dried flowers.

Faux flower arrangements are easier to transport and store.  They won’t wilt or die and should any flowers come adrift in transit they are quite simple to put back in place.

Faux wedding flowers can sometimes be cheaper than fresh flowers, however this isn’t always the case and good quality flowers can actually cost more than their fresh counterparts.

Cons:

For some brides using faux flowers makes them feel like cheapskates and that somehow fresh flowers give a better air of luxury and sophistication.  It is true to say that faux flowers do have something of a stigma attached to them.

If you choose to keep them you will forever be cursing the amount of dust they seem to collect! And there will come a time when the once gorgeous arrangements that donned your wedding will seem old fashioned and out dated.

By Georgina Clatworthy

As with so many aspects of your wedding, your wedding catering will also need to be a reflection of the wedding style, theme and your own personalities and tastes.  Whilst most catering companies will offer you a range of set menus to choose from, many couples find that somehow they just don’t seem to fit the bill!

Of course, your budget will dictate the size of your catering, but that said you don’t need to serve haute cuisine worthy of a Michelin star.  Certainly you should choose the very best you can afford, even if it means sacrificing a course or two to afford it.  With wedding catering it is all about quality rather than quantity, so make sure you have plenty of tasting session with various caterers before deciding on the right one.

It is always worthwhile exploring options such as regional dishes, dishes which coordinate with your wedding theme, Asian for instance, cultural dishes which are personal to one or both of you and of course, dishes which are personal favorites of you both.  I would avoid choosing anything too radical though.  Not all your wedding guests will share your tastes and spicy foods are perhaps best avoided altogether.

It is also worthwhile exploring the possibility of having two choices or more, on your menu.  For instance, your starter could offer your guests a choice between soup and fish or a main course which offers up a choice of meats.  You also need to think about any vegetarians amongst your guests, those with particular dietary requirements and of course any children, who will probably fail to appreciate fine dining at its best!

Your wedding breakfast menu should be memorable but without breaking the bank at the same time.  Your guests will remember the food – good or bad; so you need to get it right!  Often a menu of simple home-style dishes works best and you can add some unique touches with the accompaniments and sauces. 

A good caterer will be able to give you guidance about what works best and can help you to put together the perfect menu for your wedding and within budget.  Choose a company which has experience of catering for weddings as it is not all about the food, they will need to be able to serve it on time and ensure everyone receives the meals they asked for.  New companies may seem very nice and say all the right things, but let them get their experience at someone else’s wedding – not yours!

By Georgina Clatworthy

Having a wedding theme is a great way to coordinate every detail of your wedding day.  Your choice of theme can be anything from a historical period such as medieval or the 1920’s, to a subject such as flowers, romance or butterflies.  For many couples though their theme comes purely from the choice of colors they have selected for their wedding day.

Black and white is perhaps not a color scheme which immediately shouts ‘wedding‘ however, it gained popularity several years when celebrity couples began using it for their weddings, even to the extent of ordering their guests to wear either all white or all black outfits on the day.

Using black and white as a theme though can create a wedding that is rich in sophistication and elegance and with a few added touches you can soften to the look to something more romantic or change it into something very glamorous and luxurious.  Here are a few tips on using black and white as your wedding theme:

For a romantic feel:

Introduce a third color in very small doses such as chalk pink, pale green or champagne.  The trick is to give just a splash or hint of color here and there such as with your flowers, table decorations and wedding favors.

You can soften the look even more by using floral centerpieces on the tables with plenty of lush green foliage.  For something slightly more contemporary use pale green hydrangea heads in your centerpieces and to decorate your wedding cake.

For the glamorous look:

Combine black and white with mirrored glass and crystal and add in elements of silver to your stationery and favors.  Use mirrored plates or stands underneath your table centers and if you can get them use mirrored or clear charger plates on your place settings.

Scatter some table crystals around which you can get in crystal, black and mirrored color options.  Monograms on your stationery and atop your wedding cake would also suit this theme.

Classic look:

Here you stick with just black and white.  But you need to plan it carefully.  Too much black and people will think it is a funeral not a wedding, too much white and the room looks cold, sterile and boring.  There is also a risk of it looking a little dated or perhaps more casino like!

Choose accessories such as glass vases, candle holders and contemporary flowers such as calla lilies and hydrangeas which can help to add a touch of femininity to the scheme.

You can also add red to this scheme.  This can have one of two effects – in small doses it gives a romantic touch but without being over the top, for instance red rose buds on top of your favor boxes and red charger plates in your settings.  Combine red and black with only a minimal amount of white to create a more gothic style scheme, which can be softened by green foliage in your floral displays and silver colored accessories.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Green weddings are the hot new trend at the moment and a good way to cut your wedding costs.  Wedding planning eco style needn’t be difficult and you can create a trend setting, memorable wedding day that won’t cost the earth!

Here are just a few ways to planning that eco chic wedding reception:

Reduce:

• Keep your guest list small to reduce the impact on the environment. It is also cheaper than trying to entertain a couple of hundred guests. A smaller guest list will also reduce your carbon footprint, particularly in terms of travel.
• Host your wedding ceremony and reception at venues close together, preferably within walking distance. It will cut down on transport costs.
• Cut out the cocktail hour and have your wedding ceremony and reception straight after each other. You will save money on drinks and canapés as well as the washing up!
• Use local suppliers within your planning. You will be supporting the local community and reducing your carbon footprint.
• Hold your wedding outdoors in a park or garden to reduce your decoration costs.
• Choose seasonal flowers which are locally grown. They will be cheaper so you can use more of them.

Recycle:

• Ask if your venue recycles and composts its waste, such as left over food, plastics, glass bottles etc.
• If you need to bring in your own tablewares, then look out for them at boot sale, charity shops or clearance stores. Another option is to hire them in.
• Use your floral pew ends as table center pieces.
• Go eco chic with jam jars or preserve bottles as vases on your tables or put pillar candles inside and use them to decorate the venue.
• Serve your food on bamboo plates and hand out drinks in recycled cups. Put a sign on the bar which says ‘please re-use your cup and recycle it when you’re finished’.
• Use recycled papers and cards to make your wedding stationery.
• Double up your wedding favors as name tags and use recycled card to make them.

Re-Use:

• Have your wedding flowers delivered to a local hospital or hospice after the wedding. Alternatively give them away as thank you gifts to those who have helped you throughout the wedding planning.
• Give out reusable grocery bags as wedding favors.
•  Use dried flowers or potted plants as your table center pieces. You can take them home afterwards or give them away as gifts.

By Georgina Clatworthy

When you do the sums wedding favors can actually add up to a significant portion of your wedding budget, especially if you are having a large wedding.  If you have splurged too much on other elements of your wedding day then you will probably be looking to save money wherever possible by the time purchasing your favors comes around.

The good thing about wedding favors is that they can be very versatile and it is wholly possible to get double the use from them and therefore save yourself some money in the process.  Here are a few suggestions on how to make your wedding favors work for you:

Use them as place cards – seems an obvious one really and one many brides may have already thought of.  But it can be surprising how many brides do not think to put their guests names on the favors, and then spend a fortune on name cards and even tiny frames to put them in.  Get creative and make some fabulous tags complete with your guests names to adorn your place settings.

Another great version of this is to use custom cookies as wedding favors and name tags.  You can have made in shape or size you like as long there is sufficient room to ice a name on them.  Tag or plaque shaped cookies look amazing iced up with guests names across them.

Center pieces can be very expensive to put together so use your wedding favors instead.  Design your favors in neat little boxes and pile them up in the center of the tables.  You can add personalized tags if you wish and you can display them on decorative dishes, stands or plates if your budget will allow it.  This is a fantastic way to save a lot of money and you won’t have the problem of what to do with the centerpieces after the wedding!

Combine your favors with your wedding cake in the form of cup cakes or mini cakes.  When you combine the average cost per slice of wedding cake with the average cost per favor you will probably find a figure around $10 – $14.  Small cakes can cost as little as $5 each and when you add in an extra $1 for a Perspex box you will still be saving around $4 – $8 on each guest.

You can display the cakes on a large stand as you would a traditional wedding cake or package them in clear plastic boxes and place them on each table setting.  You can then have a smaller single cake for the cake cutting ceremony later on.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Aside from your engagement ring, your wedding rings will be the most important piece of jewelry you will own.  This value may be more on the side of sentiment rather than monetary value as it is often the engagement ring will cost more.  But regardless of price, you should choose your wedding rings carefully as they will be with for the rest of your lives.

Traditionally wedding rings were crafted from gold with a heavy carat weight.  Carats refers to the amount of gold present in the ring and the higher the figure (24 being the purest) the more gold present.  9 carat gold is commonly accepted as being the hardest wearing and is a good choice if you work with your hands all day long in job where wear and tear could be high.  24 carat gold is extremely soft and any ring from 18 carats upwards should be worn with some care as they can wear through over time.

Today wedding rings are available in a wide variety of materials including gold, platinum, white gold, rose gold and mixtures of two alloys.  You will also find rings set with diamonds and the ability to have custom designed rings made especially for you.  What you need to decide upon as a couple is whether you buy your rings with fashion in mind – bearing in mind that fashions come and go; or whether you go for a traditional, timeless look.

The traditional wedding ring is usually a court ring and is plain in style.  You can further personalize them by having your names engraved on the inside and your wedding date.  Most wedding ring designs these days will come in matching his and hers styles and you may have a choice of widths, from very narrow to very wide, available to choose from.

It is widely considered bad luck to choose your wedding rings at the same time as your engagement ring although there is some advice that says it maybe a good idea to try on wedding rings to see how they fit with your chosen engagement ring.  You could also consider matching sets which include the engagement ring, wedding ring and a third, eternity ring.

Budget is a deciding factor when it comes to your choice of wedding rings, so do not let the sales assistant try to sell your rings which are way above your budget.  You also need to make sure you purchase them well in advance of the wedding day to make sure that they arrive in time.  Some jewelers maybe able to size your rings there and then, whilst others will order them to size for you and contact you when they are ready to be collected.

There is another alternative to the traditional idea of a wedding ring and that is to have your wedding rings tattooed instead.  A word of advice though, be very, very sure that this is the type of wedding ring you want, as once done, it cannot be taken off!