By Georgina Clatworthy

Planning a wedding can be a daunting prospect.  After your initial excitement at getting engaged dies down it is likely to dawn on you’re the mammoth task you have ahead in organizing the biggest party of your lives.  But if you are clever and adopt some creative wedding planning ideas, you can breeze through it all with efficiency and ease!

Firstly, you need to get organized.  You will need to a sturdy notebook which you can fit in your handbook so you can take it with you to all your appointments.  A little notebook is also useful when you need to jot down some ideas on the spur of the moment, or perhaps you have just thought of something important which you don’t want to forget.

Set up a spreadsheet on your computer to help you keep track of your wedding budget.  Your budget will determine everything where your wedding is concerned so you need to know how you have to spend, how much you can spend on each element and detail and when money comes in or goes out.

When it comes to planning your wedding and how it will look and feel, now is the time to be creative.  You may have been to many weddings in your lifetime to date, but how many of them stick in your mind as being fabulous?  Perhaps there are elements from someone else’s wedding that you would like to use on your big day or maybe you have a theme in mind that has got you buzzing with ideas.

It is worthwhile doing some brainstorming with your husband-to-be to discover what you both want from your wedding, what you would both like to have incorporated into the day and the style of wedding you would both like.  Discuss things like location, wedding date, size of the guest list and how formal you would like it to be.  From the notes that you make you can then create a list of priorities that include in order all things that are most important to your wedding day.  This list will not only help you to assign the budget properly but also to help you keep focus on what is important throughout your planning phase.

You can also repeat this brainstorming session with close friends and family, particularly those whom you would like in your wedding party.  Getting the opinion of others can highlight things that you might have missed and give you plenty of other ideas to think about.  It could also be beneficial to do these little sessions throughout your wedding planning, especially when you feel overwhelmed with details and have lots of decisions to make.  For instance, a brainstorm over your wedding favors could help you to isolate those favors which would best suit your wedding and to come up with some creative packaging and presentation ideas.

In essence wedding planning will see you making no end of lists and checklists as you wade through the mountain of tasks and details that have to be decided upon.  Keep your paperwork up to date and to hand so you can refer to it whenever you need to.  Discuss all your ideas with those around you and also take on board any advice and ideas others may give to you, you never know when someone might come up with a little gem!

By Georgina Clatworthy

Planning a wedding can at times seem like trying to find you way around a dark cave.  When you first begin, you will probably have very little idea of what you should do first, or who you need to be contacting to help you organize the event of your lives.  And whilst there is a wealth of free information out there on planning a wedding, it is the tried and tested tips from real brides that can give you the best wedding planning ideas.

Here are a few wedding planning ideas to help you make your way out of that dark cave and in to the warm glow of a wonderful wedding day!

‘Try to think of a theme because it will help give you ideas and inspiration for your reception’ – a theme is a great way of personalizing your wedding day and it really does help you to coordinate things like colors, wedding invitations, flowers and favors.

‘I made the invites myself and asked friends to help – they helped me with the photographs, flowers, the centerpieces and the table names’ – it is virtually impossible to organize your wedding single handed so get your friends and family to lend a hand.  If they have a particular skill or their job is of some use to you, then ask if they would mind helping you out with the wedding.  It helps to make your day unique and save money.

‘Trust your instincts, or your mom’s! My mom knew it was the wedding dress for me before I did’ – sometimes you will just know when something is right and when it isn’t, but it is also worth listening to the advice of others.  Wedding planning can have a habit of blinkering us to the bigger picture.

‘Make checklists and cross things off as you do them to avoid pre-wedding stress’ – there are many checklists available to download which will list everything you will need to do for your wedding.  Firstly these tend to be generic to any wedding so you will need to edit them to coordinate to your wedding.  Secondly it is a good idea to make a list each day with those days tasks on it, you can go into more detail this way and you are less likely to miss anything.

‘Be as organized as you can.  I planned our wedding for two years which meant I could shop around’ – whether you have two years or two months, shopping around can save you money and time.  Keeping good paperwork and notes, such as a planning notebook or file, will ensure you don’t loose any important numbers, contact details or information.

‘Try not to get up too early on the wedding morning so you are not too tired by the evening’ – with all the excitement of the wedding and probably some nerves too, a good nights sleep the night before may not be possible, but you should try to remain relaxed and calm on the morning of the wedding.  Becoming tired and grumpy by the end of the wedding breakfast is not what anyone wants and you need to be able enjoy the fruits of your labor after all that wedding planning!

By Georgina Clatworthy

Themed weddings have become a popular choice in recent times.  Once considered a somewhat tacky alternative, they have undergone a renaissance in the last few years & themed weddings now provide for a stylish & elegant wedding style.

If you are considering a theme for your wedding, here are some important considerations: 

Choosing your theme: Weddings are all about personal style & taste.  They are after all, all about the two of you so your wedding theme should be along the lines of something that interests you both.  If you both like a certain period in history such as medieval or maybe the 1930’s, then try to center your theme around that.  Maybe you both like sailing & have chosen the local yacht club as your reception venue, then you can incorporate a nautical theme into your celebrations.

Write down a few ideas but before you decide on the final one, read through the rest of this article as your choice of theme could depend on the ease on which you can pull it off!

Colors: For some themes you should stick to authentic colors associated with your theme.  A 1920’s theme would incorporate black & white as this was a key look at the time.  A medieval theme would feature rich colors like burgundy, forest green & royal blue. 

If you find that the associated colors will not work for you & there are no other obvious alternatives, then you may have to consider a different theme.  However, if authenticity is not that important to you then take some artistic licence & coordinate your own color choices, just make sure they will suit the scheme first – a winter wonderland theme in hot pink & brown just doesn’t work!

Decorations: Can you decorate your reception to sufficiently do justice to your theme?  Would the cost of pulling off the whole look take you way over budget?  The reason wedding planning advice says to choose your wedding theme at the start is so you can coordinate all the fine details to it.  Trying to work it the other way around is impossible!

For some themes decorations are easy & in plentiful supply, for others more research may be required.  Scour the internet for resources & ideas on your preferred theme & do the same for another theme idea as well so that you have a plan B to fall back on!

Venue: Your choice of venue can make or break your theme.  For some any venue could suffice & can be decorated to achieve the desired effect.  Other themes require a little more creative thinking.  Take the Medieval theme for instance, here a forest setting or a ruined castle would be suitable venues.  A Victorian ballroom is not. 

Attire: Themed weddings can call for an element of ‘fancy dress’ for them to work, but it really depends on your theme & how far you are taking it.  For an Asian themed wedding, many brides would forgo the traditional Asian dress but instead look for something that perhaps alludes to it – kimono sleeves or a large cummerbund style bow perhaps.  If you want to go the whole hog then you will need to look for so called theatrical style wedding dresses which are often based on period costume styles.  Another option is fancy dress hire shops or having your garments custom made.

 If you have chosen a period or historical theme then do some research first in to the style of garments from that time, also look at colors & accessories, as well as hairstyles. 

Finishing touches: These can range from wedding favors, invitations, entertainment, your wedding cake & your menu & beverages.  Again do some research & think outside of the box, especially if at first an idea is deemed unsuitable for a wedding.

Themed weddings can be tremendous fun not only to plan but also to attend.  By being creative, bold & personal you can achieve a fabulous wedding theme with all right elements.

 By Georgina Clatworthy

Wedding planning is an overwhelming experience.  One minute you are high on emotion the next your are tearing your hair out because the caterers you so badly wanted are fully booked or that dream dress is not available anywhere.

Little wonder then that many brides will seek solace & advice from wedding planning books.  For some these books can become their wedding bibles! Never far from view, with marked pages, scribbled notes on sticky pads & lots of loose cuttings falling from every page.  For others they are nothing more than a reference in times of need, nevertheless, a valuable one at that.

The following is a list of the top 5 wedding planning books according to Amazon.

1. The Step-by-Step Guide to Planning Your Own Wedding by Linda Wright

Synopsis
A self-help wedding planner with countdown calendar, step-by-step action plans and a comprehensive checklist section.
 
2.  Wedding Planning for Dummies by Marcy Blum & Laura F. Kaiser

Synopsis

Wedding Planning For Dummies, 2^nd Edition demystifies and simplifies all the details that go into the Big Day, providing inspiration and innovative ideas to personalize your wedding celebration and, of course, make it fun for everyone-especially you! This one-stop guide is all you need to:

• Design a comprehensive schedule for a snag-free wedding day
• Keep track of expenses with a wedding budget
• Negotiate contracts and surf online for deals
• Get those pesky financial technicalities out of the way
• Plan a weekend wedding, a themed wedding, and other celebrations
• Select a suitable wedding party
• Plan for various customs and rites
• Get the decorative effect you want
• Throw a great reception with music, food, drink, and cake!
• Handle gifts, registries, rings, photos, and the honeymoon

Packed with tips for saving money and common kitsch you should avoid, this is the ultimate guide to satisfying everyone on the Big Day. You’ll discover the confidence you need to make the wedding of your dreams come true with Wedding Planning For Dummies, 2^nd Edition!

3. Planning Your Wedding: A Step-by-step Guide That Will Take You Right Through to the Big Day By Judith Verity

Synopsis

An up-to-date guide to wedding planning, providing advice on what’s traditional, what your options are, how to manage tricky social situations, how to plan the wedding your way, stay inside your budget and cut down on stress.

4. Planning a Wedding Reception at Home by Carol Godsmark

Synopsis

With this book you’ll be able to event manage the day yourself so that all the details are covered and everything runs smoothly with the minimum of stress. Alongside all the more general advice and tips you’ll find information on:  Preparing a budget and getting quotations for the marquee or village hall.  Choosing the menu, including a selection of sample menus. If you’re cooking yourself, how to prepare and shop for the chosen menus. Buying alcohol, planning the bar and finding staff to man it.  How to hire equipment and gauge quantities of plates, cutlery, serving dishes, and tablecloths. How to find good staff and instruct them on their duties. Organising the music and ensuring sufficient electrical power.  Planning the big tidy up afterwards!

5. Easy Wedding Planning Plus, 5th Edition: The Most Comprehensive and Easy to Use Wedding Planner by Elizabeth Lluch

Synopsis not available.

 By Georgina Clatworthy

Asian wedding themes have been a popular choice for some time now.  Couples like the symbolism associated with the theme & the delicate colors & motifs make a beautiful & elegant wedding scheme.

If you would like your wedding to have a taste of the orient, then here are some style tips to consider. 

Colors

The most popular choices are red & black with gold or pastel pink, green & gold.  Other colors include orange, brown, blue & ivory.  Many of the accents you would want for your wedding will be available in the first two combinations, but you could consider a Willow pattern scheme of blue & white, although this may lend itself better to a country house scheme rather than an Asian one.

Red & black lends itself to a very formal affair, whilst the pastel shades of pink & green would fit a number of wedding styles including formal & casual.

Reception Decorations

This is dependant on the color choices you make, so I will deal with the two most popular here.

Red & Black – Throwing a scheme of red & black around the room, could end with the result of your reception looking like a cheap casino! So it needs some careful forethought.  I would use red table cloths & gold chairs.  Your table centers could be large pillar candles in white surrounded by black river pebbles or potted bamboo.  Choose black chinaware, red napkins & accent with black chopsticks – which could also double as your wedding favors.  Rest your place cards on the back of white china cranes which also could double as favors.

Pink & Green – Look for Chinese silk table cloths that are embroidered with these shades.  Again choose gold chairs.  The beauty of these colors is in their subtlety so neither can be too overpowering.  The addition of patterned table cloths will highlight the Asian feel otherwise it could just look like another pink & green wedding scheme & your guests may miss point.  Your table centers could include branches of cherry blossom or again white pillar candles.  The china cranes will also work here & you should choose white chinaware, in a contemporary style & plain pink or green napkins.

You can decorate the rest of the room with paper lanterns & strung blossom flower garlands.  An Asian tradition is for the bride to make origami paper cranes, which you could use as wedding favors or attach to filament & suspend from the ceiling.

Flowers

For a red & black scheme I would choose orange Chinese lanterns, red spider chrysanthemums & small potted bamboo shoots.  Ask your florist for advice on the best flowers for this color scheme.

For a pink & green scheme you can choose peonies, cherry blossom, chrysanthemums, orchids, water lilies.

Wedding Favors

You will find a world of choice when it comes to wedding favors, here are just a few options:

• Chopsticks
• Fans
• Paper or china cranes
• Mini bamboo steamers
• Fortune cookies
• Candles
• Miniature potted bamboo

An Asian wedding theme will provide with much food for thought.  Every element of your wedding can easily be coordinated & you can create a stunning & stylish wedding scheme with relative ease.  It is worth also reading up on Asian wedding customs as you find much inspiration in them & some unique ideas for your wedding.

 By Georgina Clatworthy 

There is nothing as romantic as a wedding & a wedding that incorporates pink roses into its theme is not only romantic but very, very beautiful as well.   If you are busy planning your wedding & thinking about color schemes & themes, then take a look at the following for inspiration.

The Venue

This scheme would work anywhere, but is particularly suited to a garden wedding or a venue with luxurious surroundings.  Imagine a beautiful ballroom with opulent gold rococo decoration.

Colors

Pink obviously! Try to stick to just one shade of pale pink or match colors as closely as possible.  Add in white or cream & accent with an antique gold color.

Decorations

Cover your tables with a cream damask cloth & choose gold chairs.  Drape garlands of roses around the room, along with hanging lanterns – either metal candle lanterns or paper balloon shades.  The garlands can be made from fresh flowers, but fabric versions would be cheaper & easier to work with.

Have your florist make up floral table centers in vintage style urns.  Finish your tables with gold charger plates, gold place card holders & gold kings cutlery.  Choose plain china, perhaps with a gold rim & have your guests sip champagne from crystal glasses.  You can also add in pink tea lights or votives.

Flowers

Pink roses & peonies, white or cream roses, baby’s breath & pearl accents.  Parrot tulips in pale pink would also look nice.

Wedding Favors

Look for things with a romantic theme, try pink scented candles in gold colored holders; pink & gold colored heart shaped chocolates in plain boxes topped with a fresh rose bud; gold colored bud vases or crystal ones in which you can place a fresh rose; pink crystal paperweights.  Other options could include cupcakes decorated with buttercream icing & topped with a pink sugar rose or a mini cake covered in pink fondant & topped with a rose.

Wedding Cake

I once saw a wedding cake which looked just like a rose.  Each individual petal had been made by hand & the whole thing took two days to assemble!  If this is out of your budget & let’s face it, it is probably out of most people’s budgets, then choose equally beautiful that is in budget.  How about a multi tiered round cake, covered with white or cream buttercream icing & covered with a cascade of pink sugar roses or decorated with one of those rose garlands mentioned earlier.  Have a chat to your cake designer as they will come up with something perfect & which will match all the other elements of your wedding.

This scheme gives you the opportunity to create something romantic & beautiful & which will fit with a number of surroundings.  You can create the opulent scheme described above or give it a more rustic ‘French farmhouse’ feel by using wooden trestle tables & chairs & dispensing with the table cloths.

It really is one of those schemes which can be dressed up or down to suit the style of your wedding.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Love & romance go hand in hand with weddings, so it is a natural choice for a wedding theme.

Here are a few ideas on adding some heartfelt touches to your wedding day.

•1.      A romantic Venue: Try & choose a venue that has some special meaning to you both.  Perhaps it was where you met or where he proposed.  Or maybe it is just a place you liked to visit together.  It doesn’t have to be a location in your home town either, if he proposed abroad then why not get married there?

•2.      Romantic flowers: The first choice here would be red roses, but weddings are about personal choice, so if you like a peonies or tulips choose those instead.  Remember your wedding should be a reflection of your personalities, styles & tastes.

•3.      Romantic readings: Ask someone to make a reading at the ceremony, perhaps a favorite poem or piece of prose.  Alternatively choose a favorite love song & ask the congregation to sing it with you at the ceremony.

•4.      Romantic feasts: Stick with traditional romantic foods such as chocolate mousse, strawberries, pink champagne & oysters!

•5.      Romantic music: Get everyone in the mood with some romantic tunes at the evening party.  Choose a range of songs from across all genres to appeal to all your guests, young or old.

•6.      Romantic ambiance: Create a romantic atmosphere with candles on your tables, use pillar candles in your centerpieces & scatter tea lights around the table.  If your wedding is outside & there is a large pond, lake or some other type of water feature, make it part of the decorations by placing floating candles on it & flower heads.

•7.      Romantic tables: Name your tables after romantic films you have seen such as ‘Sleepless in Seattle’, ‘Love Story’ & ‘Casablanca’.

•8.      Romantic programs: Include the story of how you met on your wedding programs.

•9.      Romantic first dance: Your first dance should be extra special so choose a song that has special meaning to you both.  If you are especially nervous about being the center of attention, then ask close friends & family to join you halfway through.

•10.  Romantic ending: At the end of the evening gather with your friends & family outside & release Chinese lanterns.  It is wonderful alternative to fireworks & looks amazing as the burning lanterns sail up into the nightsky.

•11.  Romantic decorations: Love hearts would be the obvious choice for accenting your reception.  Other choices would include whimsical cupids, birds, butterflies & ribbons.  Scatter your tables with fresh rose petals & equip your guests with bottles of bubbles so they can shower you with a rain of rainbow colors.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Many couples choose to have a wedding theme for their special day.  It is a great way of coordinating the whole look & feel of the day as well the style & atmosphere.

Most will choose something that is close to their hearts, perhaps centered on a favorite film, a place or period in time.  As with everything wedding related the choice is a personal one & one which should reflect your own personalities & tastes.

If you are considering venturing down the wedding theme route, then here are some ideas to help:

•1.      Parisian Nightlife: A Moulin Rouge style theme will certainly bring a sense of frivolity & luxury to your wedding.  Imagine draping your tables in rich burgundy linens, large candles & elegant candelabras, crystal chandeliers & accents of silver & gold.  This whole theme revolves around the opulence of the famous Parisian venue, arrange for some can-can dancers to entertain your guests & set up pyramids of Parisian saucers & create your own champagne fountain!

•2.      Oscar Night: Imagine a Hollywood inspired wedding with an Oscars style theme.  Hire an opulent ballroom & set up a red carpet for your guests to walk up as they enter the reception.  Arrange for your photographer to be present at the entrance to photograph them on the way in!  Whilst giant Oscar statues may be out of your budget, you could look into having some chocolate versions made for your wedding favors.  Name your tables after your favorite films & play film soundtracks at your evening reception.

•3.      Roses & Romance: Bring together a scheme of delicate pink roses & soft twinkling crystal chandeliers.  Drape your tables with pink damask cloths & have your florist create some beautiful centerpieces in gold urns.  Decorate the walls with garlands of flowers & give your guests heart shaped wedding favors.  Make sure you have plenty of candles & tea lights to lit when the evening draws in to create a romantic atmosphere.

•4.      Tropical Beach: Think Caribbean for this theme.  The best location would be a beach setting of course, but with a little imagination you could make it work elsewhere.  Set up a bar & serve tropical cocktails, let your guests finish their meal with a tropical fruit cocktail whilst being entertained by a steel band.  This is an amazing theme for a relaxed wedding home or abroad.

•5.      Winter Wonderland: A very popular theme & totally magical for a wedding.  Imagine snow, sparkling ice crystals, soft candles & sleigh rides.  Decorate your reception room with icy birch trees & hanging crystals.  Stick to a color scheme of cool blues, white & silver.  Arrive at your ceremony on a horse drawn sleigh & provide your bridesmaid with warm fur wraps.

•6.      A Taste of the Orient: Another popular theme is Asian style.  Wonderful weddings can be created drawing on influences from the Far East.  Think about fans, chopsticks, cherry blossom, cranes & fortune cookies.  You can choose to go for stylish red & black or go Zen like with a simple, natural look, accented with bamboo & river pebbles.

•7.      A 1001 Nights: Think Bedouin tents & nights under the stars in the desert. Let your guests sit upon low stools or silk cushions, whilst being served fragrant mint tea or champagne from embossed brass trays.  Hire belly dancers to entertain your guests & create relaxed seating areas complete with coffee tables & Turkish delicacies!

•8.      Indian Spice: Follow the spice trail & create a beautiful & vibrant theme based around India.  Drape sari’s over your tables, serve up traditional Indian dishes & give your guests wedding favors of fragrant spice sachets & pretty Indian bangles.  You could even set up a henna table where guests can have beautiful henna tattoos done.

•9.      Country & Western: Imagine corn fields, barns & gingham!  This theme is so easy to pull off & in my opinion will lead to a fun & fabulous wedding everyone will enjoy!  Keep everything slightly rustic, from the decorations to the food, pure & simple is the order here.  A barbecue or hog roast would work well for your wedding breakfast & can be continued into the evening reception as well.  Entertain your guests with line dancing & send them home with lucky horseshoes or homemade corn dollies.

•10.  Highland Fling: If you or your partner have Scottish roots then celebrate them at your wedding.  Pick out a tartan that you like & use it for everything from your table covers & napkins to ribbon accents on your wedding favors.  Make table centers with Scottish thistles & heathers & serve your guests a tot of whiskey on arrival!  For entertainment you could get them all dancing the highland jig!

 By Georgina Clatworthy

When you begin your wedding planning, one of the first tasks is to choose a wedding style or even a wedding theme.  This is one of the first tasks because without a style or theme you will find it difficult to make decisions on things like venue location, transport, your wedding dress & even your wedding favors.

Planning a wedding can be a minefield of decision making & endless discussions about colors, fabrics, accessories & decorations, but by choosing a theme you can make all of that a bit easier & help to narrow down the list of choices available when it comes to making those all important decisions.

Some of the most popular wedding themes are beach weddings & those centered on romance.  Both of these easily lend themselves to weddings & make your decision making process a whole lot easier.  For beach weddings colors tend to be blues & sea greens teamed with white, sea shells, sand & pebbles provide coordinating decorations, motifs & even wedding favors, whilst the bride can choose a simple flowing gown for her wedding dress.  A romantic theme will most likely include the colors red or pink.  Roses, candles & hearts are the order of the day & will feature everywhere from the table centers to the wedding programs.

As an alternative many brides are choosing the season of the wedding for their wedding theme.  A fall wedding will include fall colors of orange, brown & muted gold’s, pumpkins filled with seasonal flowers & foliage dress the tables & the guests are given leaf shaped bookmarks as wedding favors.  Summer weddings call for outdoor ceremonies & likewise receptions, with seasonal blooms such as roses & peonies, a light wedding breakfast menu or seasonal buffet on the lawns of a grand country house keeps the guests happy, whilst at dusk, the dance floor is subtly lit by paper lanterns & live music keeps everyone dancing into the night. 

Your choice of wedding theme is really only limited by your imagination & creativity (& perhaps your budget!).  Anything is possible, be it a casino/James Bond theme or an elegant 1920’s soiree, it really is easier to plan your wedding if you have a theme in mind.

Coming up with a theme may take some discussion though.  Sit down with your fiancé & talk about what you would like, this is also a good opportunity to prioritize those elements of your wedding that are the most important to you.  Doing this will help you assign your budget much easier.  Make sure that the theme you pick is one that appeals to you both or if you cannot agree on one, try combining two themes for something new & unique.  After all your wedding should be about your tastes & personalities.

Take some inspiration from celebrity weddings, internet resources & bridal magazines.  Ask around your family & friends about weddings they have been to or even their own.  They will be able to give you lots of advice about choosing venues, decorations & creating an air of authenticity within your theme.

You will find a wide choice of themes which could be applied to your wedding.  Choosing the perfect one for your wedding is all about choosing one that is all about your tastes, style & personalities.  This helps to make it unique & personal to you both & will leave your guests talking about it long after the day is over.

 By Georgina Clatworthy

When you first begin, wedding planning can seem like mission impossible, especially if you want the big, traditional wedding.  So have you ever wondered how it is that some brides just seem to be ultra-organized, able to juggle a million & one tasks & still pull off the wedding of the year?

If you are still trying to find your way around a maze of venues, flowers & wedding favors then here are few secrets to help make your wedding a breeze from here on in. 

Sssshhh – don’t let on we told you though!

First Things First

From the moment you got engaged you have probably been desperate to get to the bridal store & find ‘the one’.  But just hold your horses – before you head off looking at dresses & sampling wedding cakes, there are four key decisions that have to be made first:

1. Budget: You can’t achieve anything without knowing how much you can spend.  Work out who is paying for the wedding & if it involves people other than yourselves, decide on who pays for what & how much they will contribute.
2. Guest List: Knowing how many people you are potentially going to be catering for is vital to choosing your wedding venues.  Keep in mind though that you may well have to trim down your first guest list & remember that for each additional guest, there is additional cost.
3. Date: Think about the time of year you would like to be married in.  Summer weddings are the most popular, because of the probability of fine weather, but autumn & winter weddings can be just as magical.  Try to avoid dates which may be more expensive such as Valentines Day or Mother’s Day, as venues will already be planning other events on these dates & you will probably find other items such as flowers, more expensive too.
4. Venue: Think about the type of ceremony you want – religious or civil.  If you marry in a church or register office try to find one that is less than 30 minutes from your reception venue to cut down on traveling costs.

Staying Calm & Focused

This is easier said than done, but there are a few handy tips that help.  Try to plan your time, from now until your wedding, in the most effective way.  Make out a list of jobs that have to be done each month & then each week as the day gets nearer.  Make sure you don’t miss anything out & so avoid any last minute panics.

It is vital to book your major suppliers early, as the best will be booked up quickly.  This includes you photographer, florist & entertainment.

Hiring a wedding planner can save you time & money.  They will also be able to bring fresh ideas to the table & can advise on the best courses of action in the run upto to the big day.  Wedding planners will have good contacts with vendors & suppliers & as such can negotiate discounts, deals or packages that would otherwise be unavailable to you.

Managing your budget is crucial to the success of your wedding.  If you over spend in one area then you must cut back in another.  Open up a separate bank account to hold you wedding budget so that it doesn’t get mixed up with your everyday living expenses & you will be able to keep track of what is spent where & when more effectively.

Weddings are all about families, so it is vital to maintain harmonious relationships with everyone who is close to you.  If they want to be involved in the preparations & the likelihood is they will, then find them something to do.  It could be making up the wedding favors, up dating the wedding website or managing the guest list.  If your parents are contributing financially to the wedding costs then you should allow them to invite some guests of their own too.

Spreadsheets will become your new best friend! Set some up to keep track of RSVP’s, the gift list & your expenses.  Also set one up with all of your guests names, addresses & contact details on to aid you with your thank you notes after the wedding.  It will also be useful should there be any last minute changes that you will need to inform them about.

Investigate your suppliers carefully.  Ask around friends & family for recommendations & carry out some investigative work online.  Get detailed quotes & a contract once you hire them.  Having everything in writing will help you later should something go wrong.

Considering what is important to you both will help you to prioritize those elements of your wedding & as a result help you get the most from your wedding budget.

Weddings can bring out the best & the worst in people & you will no doubt be no exception.  You are sure to disagree on some points with those close to you but it is important not to let emotion rule the day & be able to stay cool & calm.