By Georgina Clatworthy

It can be a tempting thought to save some money where your wedding shoes are concerned & not give them as much attention as you have to your wedding dress.  But this would be a big mistake.  If anything what you wear on your feet will be more important than the dress you wear.  Consider that you will be on your feet for most of the day – standing at the altar, dancing, greeting your guests, walking around for your photographs & nothing will ruin your day more than sore, blistered feet!

Your wedding shoes are definitely case to spend more.  Cheap un-elegant shoes peeking out from underneath your beautiful silk wedding gown is certainly not the look you are aiming for, but on the other hand you don’t want to be pictured wincing with pain either!

This is why when it comes to wedding shoes, it is the combination of style & comfort that is most desired.  But finding both will mean spending more money.

The best advice for wedding shoes is to buy two pairs – an ultra stylish pair for the ceremony & a second pair which are more comfortable for dancing in at the evening reception.  The only stipulation is that both pairs of shoes have the same heel height as your dress length will be determined by the heel height of your shoes & if your second pair are too low your dress will drag on the ground & potentially make you trip.

Knowing your options will stand you in good stead when it comes to wedding shoes.  Knowing the difference between a ballet pump & a stiletto will help you make a more informed choice about the best style for you. 

Here is a quick guide to the styles of shoe available to you:

• Dyed shoes are usually brilliant white at first & then dyed to a color of your choice. A good option if your dress is not the standard white or ivory.
• Classic pumps are formal shoes with a closed toe & a heel.
• Sling-backs will have a closed toe with a strap that runs around the back of your heel.
• Peeptoe pumps have an open toe – don’t choose these though if you plan to wear hose, it is a big fashion faux pas!
• Sandals are usually high heeled with an open heel – again no hose!
• Mules can have an open or closed toe & have no back.
• Flats are the most comfortable choice, having no heel or a very low heel. Definitely the best choice with a full skirted gown.
• Slipper shoes are flat & soft with minimal support, again a good choice with a full skirted gown.
• Platform shoes have a thick sole & high heel, although comfortable, they tend to be very high.
• Boots are a great choice for a winter wedding or for a more daring look with a short dress!
• Decorated white sneakers will certainly give you the most comfort.

You also need to consider the length of your wedding dress when shopping for your shoes.  When you purchased your dress you should have been advised to bring along a pair of shoes with the approximate heel height you will choose for the day.  This is so the length of your dress can be accurately measured so that you don’t step on it or trip over.

Choosing shoes with intricate decoration can be a nice touch with a simple dress & they will look lovely peeping out from beneath your skirt.  Alternatively, if your skirt is intricately detailed choose plainer, understated shoes to set it off. 

You will need to be prepared to sacrifice some comfort when it comes to your wedding shoes, but there are a range of comfort solutions on the market to help.  Try buying your shoes a half size bigger & inserting a gel pad in them.  Also ask about having the soles abraded to help avoid slippage & to give you a little more traction.

 By Georgina Clatworthy 

2009 sees many couples having to compromise on their wedding budgets, largely due to the global recession.  However, having to cut back on cost has not meant having to cut back on style & this year sees the best weddings being the most glamorous.

Large weddings are out, mostly due to cost cutting, so smaller more intimate affairs are on trend.  This means that couples then have more cash to play with & are choosing glamorous details & finishing touches worthy of a millionaires wedding!

Wedding dresses this year are very much in the ballgown style with large skirts & an abundance of crystal accents.  This trend for crystal beading continues with bridal shoes & accessories with the return of crystal chokers, chandelier earrings & sparkling tiaras.

But whilst ballgowns may be the big news in wedding fashion, many designers have continued with last years hot look of mermaid & trumpet gowns, as well as some stunning modified A-line styles.  Crystal accents with a touch of vintage appeal abound & you could be hard pressed to find a dress that didn’t include them!

But whilst you may be thinking all this glamour will be costly, the industry has responded to the recession crisis & you will find many budget options available as the style hits the top across all price ranges. 

Crystal seems the keyword here, appearing not only on wedding attire, but in wedding favors, wedding cakes & bridal bouquets.  Colors are slightly more sedate with emerald green, latte, chocolate brown & shades of purple.  Metallic is also a hot color trend with schemes of purple & silver proving very popular.

All of this may sound a little over the top to most but this trend has the potential for producing some very stylish & elegant weddings.  Using each element in small doses is the key & adopting a less is more approach has become the buzz phrase of the year!

Consider an elegant scheme of latte, cream & chocolate.  Add brushed silver or gold in the form of charger plates, center piece containers & in your wedding favors & wedding cake. Scatter some table crystals across the table & hang chandeliers from the ceiling. 

As guest lists get smaller then the various elements of the wedding become more glamorous.  Menu’s feature sumptuous dishes, reception venues are more luxurious & the finer details more beautiful.  It could even be said that the credit crisis has been good for the wedding industry, making couples spend more on the little details with smaller retailers rather than spending big dollars with larger vendors.

So go on & plan yourself a luxury wedding with all the glamorous details & trimmings.  It is your special day & you deserve to have a wedding that looks a million dollars even if it didn’t cost it!

 By Georgina Clatworthy

Here are our top tips for getting luxe for less:

1. Negotiate: When visiting wedding vendors such as venues, photographers & florists, be bold (or cheeky) & ask for a discount or some freebies.  You may be surprised at what you can get just by asking.  Remember the wedding industry is very competitive & in these difficult times vendors will negotiate with you to secure your booking.  For instance, if you want to book a hotel for your wedding, ask about getting a reduced rate if you book the accommodation for your guests there as well.
2. Simple is best: Avoid going overboard on the details & you will save dollars!  Consider which details are more important to you & those that you could happily compromise on.  One area is you flowers.  Choosing an elaborate shower bouquet will cost significantly more than a chic hand tied posy; choose buttonholes for the wedding party only & use flowers which are locally grown & in season, exotic blooms that have to flown in will cost you.
3. Perfect timing: The earlier you book the better.  Booking vendors well in advance of your wedding date means you are more likely to get a significant discount & a good chance of avoiding rate rises which may be applied for the following year.  Also consider the date of your wedding carefully.  Booking a date out of season (May – September) or on a weekday can cost you less than a date in the popular months & on popular days, such as Saturday or holidays such as Valentines.
4. Less guests is best: A popular trend this year is for small intimate weddings.  Consider that the more people you invite the more it will cost.  Trim your guest list down as much as possible to those people who are most important to you.  Also think about all those ‘plus ones’ who are likely to be people you have never met before – do you really want to pay for people you don’t know?
5. Ask a favor: Don’t forget about friends & family.  You maybe surprised at how much they can help you out.  Perhaps mom can make your wedding dress or your wedding cake.  Maybe one of your friends has a luxury car or a sports car that they would be willing to lend you for your wedding transport.  It doesn’t matter how little they contribute, it all adds up in the end!
6. Hit the sales: Stay one step ahead & hit the annual sales for things like stationery, accessories & wedding favors.  You may even find your wedding gifts for the wedding party.  Many stores will have sales throughout the year, but also remember the big sales in the New Year & end of season in the summer.  These are also a good opportunity for you to buy your wedding dress & bridesmaid dresses at a reduced price.

 By Georgina Clatworthy

Many couples will probably be looking at ways to reduce their wedding budget at the moment, but it seems that many of them are refusing to compromise when it comes to planning their dream wedding.  After all, this is supposed to be the most special day of your lives, why shouldn’t you have it all?

But if your budget is not saying dream wedding, then don’t panic, a big bank balance is not the only way to achieve your perfect wedding day.  If you are looking for a fairytale wedding without the price tag then follow these top tips to find out how to achieve it.

The Fairytale Venue

Your choice of venue will help to coordinate your wedding style & will dictate the overall look of your wedding day.  A dream venue often comes at a price, but you can get as much as 50% of the booking price by having your wedding during a less popular time of year & during a weekday.

Another tip is to look at places that may not advertise themselves as wedding venues but which would be more than happy to accommodate you.  Look at museums, restaurants, inns & parks.

The Fairytale Wedding Dress

Your dress will be the most important outfit you will ever purchase, so it has to be perfect.  Couture gowns will cost you thousands, but there are other designers out there offering similar designs at much lower prices.

Another option is to look out for designer sample sales where you can snap up a stunning dress for a bargain price.  Check out websites like EBay or your local classifieds for new, nearly new or worn once gowns as well.  With both of these options you will probably have to pay for dry cleaning & maybe alterations too, but you will still come in well under the cost of a brand new dress from a designer boutique.

The Finishing Touches

It is the small finishing touches which add to the uniqueness of your wedding.  All those things such as wedding favors, decorations & your wedding cake are what go to making your wedding personal to you both.  But all of these combined can cost a serious chunk of your budget.

Get creative & make your own decorations, table centerpieces & wedding favors.  It isn’t hard to do & you will plenty of inspiration online & in craft stores.  If you have someone in the family or amongst your friends who can bake then ask them to make your wedding cake.  They don’t have to ice it, you can employ a professional then to apply the decorative touches.

Making your own stationery is not difficult either.  You can buy kits from craft stores or if you are familiar with card making you will know you can buy everything you need separately.  There are also websites with printable designs to download & print out at home.

The Fairytale Wedding Reception

Your wedding reception & evening party will be a big expense, mainly because this will be the biggest party you will ever throw.  Save money by having a buffet instead of a sit down formal meal or go for a traditional afternoon tea or canapé reception with cocktails.

Put together your own buffet with the help of family & friends, you may be surprised by the quality of the food you can put together at a fraction of the cost of professional caterers.

Save on hiring a professional disco by using an MP3 player instead, just make sure your venue has an adequate sound system for you to use & delegate someone to be in charge of keeping the music going.  You can load it with a variety of songs to suit all ages & tastes.  A good tip is to ask your guests to nominate their favorite songs on their RSVP cards.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Whilst you may be thinking about the wedding gifts you yourselves will be receiving, you shouldn’t forget that you will need to purchase a range of gifts to give to members of your wedding party & others who have been instrumental in helping you with your wedding.

Here is a list of those people who you should buy for & some who you might want to consider purchasing a small gift for.

Maid of Honor – As your chief bridesmaid they have probably been your main source of support throughout the wedding planning stages & during the wedding day itself.  They are probably your closest friend so choosing a gift for them shouldn’t be too difficult.  Many brides will choose jewelry such as a locket or bracelet in silver as a way of saying thank you.

Bridesmaids – They, like your maid of honor will have helped you throughout the wedding planning & will be your support during the wedding.  Some brides choose to gift their bridesmaids their wedding outfits or maybe just their accessories.  Others will give necklaces or earrings on the wedding morning.  Jewelry is often the favored choice but think carefully about the things they like if you want to give them a gift with a difference.

Best Man – He is probably your Groom’s best friend & like your chief bridesmaid will have been his source of support before & during the wedding.  It also often the case that the bestman’s duties will extend beyond the wedding itself: driving you to the airport, returning the suits to the hire shop & tying up any other loose ends. Cufflinks are possibly the most popular choice & often the groom will pick matching sets for all his groomsmen.

Ushers – Their role on the day may be a small one, but it is still important so you should reward your ushers equally.  As mentioned above cufflinks are a popular choice although gift vouchers maybe a good alternative.

Mother of the Bride & Mother of the Groom – It is traditional to give something to the two mom’s to thank them for their roles in the wedding planning (even if they have been a thorn in your side!).  Most brides will give large bouquets of flowers, but you could also consider a decorative gift; perhaps they collect a certain type of porcelain or design range.  Give their gifts some deep thought if you want to come up with something special.

Father of the Bride & Father of the Groom – Traditionally they wouldn’t receive a gift, but you might want to think about giving a gift to both sets of parents to share.  Perhaps a bottle of wine or champagne (vintage or at least an expensive label).  Another suggestion could be tickets to the theatre, a weekend break or a dinner for two.

Other People – You might want to consider a small gift for your wedding planner or coordinator if you had one.  Although you are paying for their services, they will still have worked hard on your behalf & will be on hand during the wedding day to ensure any crisis is swiftly dealt with.  This needn’t be any grand gift, a box of chocolates, a gift voucher or even one of the table centers or floral displays would be a nice gesture.

Also think about those who couldn’t attend particularly if they are close to you.  Perhaps illness or some other event has prevented them from joining you, so it would be a nice gesture to send them a wedding favor or a piece of the wedding cake.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Wedding planning is an extensive process & one which will see you creating a hundred lists or more!  Aside from booking venues & suppliers, you will also be doing a far amount of shopping, be it on the high street or online or both.

So I have decided to produce a series of handy shopping lists to help you plan your retail excursions & hopefully to ensure nothing is left out!  This first list will focus everything you need to complete your wedding day outfit.

1. Wedding Dress – You may have something in mind already, but if you are not sure where to start then take a look through some bridal magazines to begin with.  Clip together images of those dresses you like the best & take them with you when you visit the bridal salon.
2. Bridal Shoes - Make sure you step out in style with the perfect shoes.  Choose shoes based not only on looks, but also comfort & practicality.  Consider heel sizes & whether or not you will be able to dance in them later, many brides will purchase two pairs – one for the day time & one for the evening party.
3. Tiara - Possibly the most popular choice of bridal headwear, tiara’s come in a range of styles & colors.  Your bridal salon may have a selection to choose from, but you will find more extensive ranges online, along with customizable designs.
4. Veil - If you want to wear a veil then try to purchase one from the same store as your wedding dress so you can try the two on together.  There is a range of styles & lengths to choose from & the store assistant will be able to advise you on the best choice for you.
5. Lingerie - What you wear under your wedding dress is vitally important.  Good lingerie will not only provide support, but will also help with whole look of your wedding dress & provide the perfect silhouette.  Again it would be preferable to try on your lingerie with your wedding dress but this is not always practical!  Take a look at our article How to Choose your Wedding Lingerie for tips on selecting the right style of lingerie to suit the style of your wedding dress.
6. Hair Accessories - Aside from tiaras & crowns there is a wealth of other options for accessorizing you hair do.  Pretty combs, slides & pins are all popular choices, others include alice bands, silk flowers or real flowers attached to combs or made into wreaths.  As with tiaras, you will find great choice online as well as customizable options.  It is a good idea to know what your wedding hairstyle will be before purchasing any hair accessories.
7. Handbag - You will need something to keep all those little essentials in that you may need during the day.  Items like tissues, make-up & your bridal emergency kit will all need to be stashed somewhere.  Choose a bag the coordinates with the style of your dress, for instance a dolly bag would be nice with a less formal gown, perhaps for a beach wedding, whilst a box bag would suit a more formal style.
8. Garter - Many brides go in for the tradition of wearing a garter & tossing it at the reception. 
9. Jewelry - You may already have an idea of your wedding jewelry; many brides like to wear something that is sentimental to them or maybe jewelry given to them by their parents or parents-in-law.  If you are going to buy jewelry specifically for your wedding think about what will suit your wedding dress, the style or theme of your wedding & cost! There are some beautiful costume jewelry pieces available on the high street which won’t break the budget or go online to Ebay & look for inexpensive vintage pieces.
10. Shawls, Wraps & Bolero’s - Many designers have a range of these available as separates to their dress designs.  Usually made from lace, chiffon or tulle they can make a nice accessory to your wedding outfit, especially for a spring or fall wedding when temperatures can be a little on the cool side.  For a winter wedding consider a faux fur wrap or even a velvet cloak.
11. Other Items - Gloves can be a nice accessory to a wedding dress, especially to a winter wedding or maybe a fairytale theme (think opera length gloves with a tulle skirted ballgown).  Petticoats maybe required for the style of dress you want.  They may just be simple net crinoline style petticoats or larger hoped skirts for a full skirted gown.  Make sure you know how to put them on & in the case of a hooped petticoat – how to put it together!  Sashes or belts are available for some styles of wedding dress & can be customize with colors, beading or embroidery.  Even if your dress doesn’t include one, you may want to add one to help coordinate your wedding colors with the other members of the wedding party.

 & how to avoid becoming one!

 By Georgina Clatworthy

According to Webster the definition of a bridezilla is thus:

Bridezilla\ bride-zil-a n 1 Horrific, bulging-eyed bride prone to screaming spells and spontaneous fits of hysterical rage. Bridezillas are known to drop blows over seating charts, get bug-eyed at the mere mention of carnations and view hurling champagne at their wedding planners as a form of hazing.

Of course there are those who feel that becoming a Bridezilla is the only way in which they will achieve the wedding of their dreams.  High on caffeine, empty on calories, these brides view the world with something akin to rose tinted spectacles when it comes to their wedding. For them every element of their wedding has to be perfection, it has to be exactly as they have envisaged & everything has to be fabulous, right down to the final finishing touches.  These women know exactly what they want & more fool anyone who stands in their way!

But seriously, weddings are stressful enough without screaming fits, tantrums & periods of prolonged sobbing! Weddings are supposed to be a happy affair, a time of love & romance, the union of two souls & the celebration with friends & family.

There are those brides who can approach their wedding planning with relative calm & ease.  Yes they too know what they want & how to get it, but their laid back & casual approach, leaves them more open to compromise & happy to accept that something’s just aren’t possible.

Or perhaps you are the other kind – the type who from the moment you got engaged has become a whirling dervish of wedding plans, flowers, cakes & invitations.  You have probably been planning your wedding since your were a child & at the first sign of something not going right your stress levels hit the roof & stay there.  You can’t sleep, your fiancé knows not to ask – just don’t even go there! You’re a nervous wreck & nothing anyone says is going to appease you.

Time to chill out & relax.

Easier said than done I hear you scream! But it is so important that you keep everything in perspective & take control.  Firstly you need to be organized, wedding planning is impossible without some kind of system to keep it under control.  You need to know what your priorities are, what are the most important elements of your wedding to you both.  How much can afford to spend? Who will be coming? What style or theme of wedding do you want? Where would you like to have it? When would you like to have it?

Make sure you write it all down.  Purchase a notebook or file to keep it all organized & in one place.  Once you have the answers to these questions everything else will follow – quietly & for most, easily.  Your next step then is to grab a calendar & make a timeline.  Note down your wedding date first, then the day on which your invitations should be sent out & the last day on which you need to receive RSVP’s.  These are the important dates, as you progress with your wedding planning you will be able to fill in the other dates, such as appointments, when to purchase your wedding favors, dress fittings & your rehearsal.

Next you need to make sure you allocate some me time – time on your own when you can switch off from all things wedding & think about something completely different (first-borns christening perhaps?!).  You also need to have time alone together, go out for dinner, have a weekend away or simply a romantic meal at home.  Anything as long as all talk of weddings is banned!

Lastly you need to be realistic about your expectations, your budget & what is really important – getting married.  If something you really wanted is not available or you just cannot afford it, then get over it & move on.  The wedding industry is very adaptable & there are always alternatives, talk to experts in the industry, wedding planners & go online to wedding forums, where you can get lots of advice, suggestions & maybe some much needed support as well!

 By Georgina Clatworthy

With cost cutting become a come factor in many weddings these days, it will come as no surprise that many couples are turning to their friends to help them out with certain elements of their special day.  But is this a wise decision? & can you always rely on your friends not to let you down when it matters the most?

Imagine asking a close friend to take your wedding photographs for you.  Perhaps they had taken a photography course or just had a natural talent for it.  You feel confident that they will produce some amazing pictures for you & when they gladly accept you are pleased to have saved such a huge chunk of your wedding budget.  But on the day itself, they had left their camera at home by mistake or left it back in the hotel which is over an hours drive away there & back.  Then end result, you are let down & those amazing pictures never happen.

For many couples there will come a point during the wedding planning when reality begins to bite & they realize that their budget just won’t stretch as far as they like.  Well meaning friends will often try to come to the rescue & will offer their services for free or for a lower price that a professional will charge.  What they need to ask themselves is if they can rely on them to deliver & are they completely sure that they are upto the task.

If a friend offers to step into the breach in order to save you money, then here are a few questions you will need to ask yourselves before agreeing.

Are they reliable? How organized are they? Are they always late, do they keep to their word or do they come up with some excuse at the last minute?  You need to be completely sure that you can rely on them & that they will not leave you in the lurch at the last minute.

Communication?  Will they listen to what you want?  Will they follow your instructions & carry them out to the letter?  Will they keep you updated on how things are progressing?  An important aspect of a wedding is that is it done in accordance with the bride & grooms wishes.  It is their day after all & so they should have what they want.  Will your friend stay true to your wishes or do things their own way?

Can you trust them to make decisions without you? This may seem contrary to what is above, but there may well be occasions when they will have to make a decision without your input, in which case can you trust them to make the right one?

What if something goes wrong? Now mishaps can happen, they can happen to professionals just as easily as they can happen to you, but it what happens next that is the key question here.  Imagine trusting your friend to make your wedding cake, they have made occasion cakes before so you are confident with their abilities to produce something stunning for you.  But the goes horribly wrong, it’s burnt to a cinder or they dropped it on the way to the car!  What will you do should something go awry?  Whilst it is tempting to save money on the most expensive elements of your wedding day I would advise hiring a professional for the most important parts.

Are they worth the saving? Ask yourself if it is worth it? Will you actually save that much against the price of a professional? Asking your friends to do things for you could result more stress for you, so it really has to be a massive saving to make it worthwhile.

Could your friendship survive if something went wrong?  Hiring a close friend who then lets you down could result in a difficult relationship from that point on.  Ask yourself if you are willing to risk your friendship for the sake of a few wedding favors or if your think your friendship is string enough to survive?

It maybe inevitable that you will have to cut costs somewhere, but unless your friends are professionals in a certain field that will be of use to you, I would stay away from hiring them for something as important as your wedding.  Whilst you will probably increase your stress over whether of not they are doing the job to your requirements, they are probably fretting over doing it well enough to be of justice to your friendship.  My advice would be to hire professionals for the most important elements of your wedding & keep your friends in the ‘loop’ with the lesser parts such as wedidng favors, table centers & stationery.

 By Georgina Clatworthy

You will have many decisions to make during your wedding planning & none so important than the guest list.  Whilst many couples would love to invite everyone they initially write on their guest list, the sheer cost of feeding & entertaining all those people puts them in the difficult position of having to trim the list & leave some people out.

As your wedding budget will just about decide every factor of your wedding, it is the guest list that can really cause the most problems.  Suddenly discovering your other half has a huge extended family you never knew about, or that he simply has to invite all his work colleagues or life at work will be hell, does not make trimming the list any easier.

But there are some steps you can take to try to minimize the fallout & still include everyone you hold dear.

1.              Take out those that you haven’t spoken to for over six months.  Including old school friends, neighbours & colleagues whom you haven’t even seen or spoken to in recent memory doesn’t really make much sense, chances are they won’t even come.

2.              Remove any relatives that you haven’t seen for years.  Even if they send you bithday & Christmas cards every year, you do not have a close relationship to them so it would not be any hardship to leave them off.

3.              Work colleagues can account for a large number of your guests & you should really ask yourselves if many of them would come.  If you really want to invite colleagues choose those closest to you & ask them to keep the invite quiet, so as not offend anyone else.

People you should include of course are close family & friends, this may also include any partners, so make sure you include the names of them too on your list.

If you are really feeling bad about not inviting many of those you have crossed off, you could always send them an invitation to the evening party instead.  One of the best ways around the dilemma of the guest list is to have a small afternoon reception with close family & friends & then invite everyone else to the evening party instead.  As most evening parties are catered for by a buffet you will save catering costs & having a pay bar will also cut drink costs.

You should also be realistic about how many will attend.  Whilst you would like to think that everyone would want to come to your wedding, chances are a fair percentage won’t come.  People that live out of town may not want to travel, whilst others may have prior engagements anyway.

Another cheeky trick is to send out invitations to certain parties quite late on, thus reducing the amount of time they have to make plans to attend, this can be effective for those that live out of town or abroad.  You may think this a sly stunt to pull, but the end choice is theirs & your conscience will be clear, as they cannot complain that you didn’t invite them.

If there are particulalr people that you do not want to attend but whom should be informed of the wedding, a good solution is to send them a wedding anouncement instead.

 By Georgina Clatworthy

The cost of weddings is rising with the average cost now around $28,000!  Whilst many couples will be looking to reduce this figure in these difficult economic times, there are some hidden costs associated with getting married that you need to be aware of.

These are costs that you cannot avoid, so you must inclue them in your wedding budget & whilst none of them are big expenses, they could make a difference to your overall budget.

Passport name changes

 Although you don’t have to pay for this straightaway & you should be fine for your honeymoon, but you will have to get it changed soon after, assuming you will be changing your name.  Fees can vary so make sure you check it out.

The Marriage License

Essential if you want to get married so get down to your local town hall for more information.  Fees vary from state to state so make sure you apply for one for the state in which you want to get married.

Marriage Certificate

Although this won’t cost you much, usually just a few dollars, it is a cost that many will overlook when planning their wedding.

Wedding Insurance

Whether or not you take this is upto you.  You may feel confident enough that nothing will go wrong & feel it is an uneccesary expense.  However, you should give thought to what you would do if a supplier or vendor didn’t show up on the day or didn’t deliver the goods in time.  If you are travelling to a different location for your wedding it may be an idea to cover your wedding dress, grooms attire & other items should something go missing or get damaged.

Wedding insurance is not very expensive & there are many plans to choose from.  Whilst this is a personal choice, it may be wise to investigate it first before making a decision.

Other costs you should also consider, although these don’t necessarily have to go on your wedding budget are:

• Travel insurance for your honeymoon
• Clothing for your honeymoon
• Increasing your home contents insurance to cover any expensive wedding gifts & your wedding rings.