By Georgina Clatworthy

With all the stress and excitement that comes with planning a wedding it can be easy to forget exactly why you are doing all this.  Take on board some of these wedding planning tips to ensure that your relationship remains your top priority through this hectic stage and even on the day itself.

Try to Work as a Team:

Many couples will bicker and argue during the wedding planning but you should still try to work together to achieve your dream wedding day.  You never know but sitting up till 3am putting wedding favors together could become one of your most memorable moments!

Enlist Some Help:

If you are working full time as well as planning your wedding then you will almost certainly need some help to get everything done on time.  Even if you are not working, planning a wedding is a mammoth task and often far more than one person can handle alone.  Get your fiancé involved along with your parents and members of the wedding party, it will take some of the strain off you and free up more time to spend together.

Take a Break:

Try to find some time just for the two of you when all talk of weddings is banned.  Consider tips such as a simple meal at home one night or go off on a mini-break before the wedding day.  It will give you both time to relax and remind yourselves why you are getting married in the first place.

Do Something Together:

If you have a shared hobby and interest don’t put it on hold whilst you are busy planning the wedding.  It could provide the perfect escape, especially when things are getting too much.  If you don’t have a shared interest, then try to come up with one which suits you both.  Exercise is a good option where you could both go to the gym or take to cycling together at the weekends.

Plan Ahead:

Your wedding day can quite literally fly by as you progress from ceremony to photographs, to reception venue, to wedding breakfast, to first dance and at the end of the day you realize you haven’t actually spoken a word to each other since the ceremony!  Make a plan for the day itself whereby you can take some time out together to be alone even if it is only for ten minutes.  Other tips for some together time on the day include asking your driver to stop off on the way to the reception venue, perhaps at a bar or inn where you can grab a quick drink and have a private toast; talk a walk together before the evening party starts around your venue and take some Champagne with you! And if you would really like some romantic time together arrange to sit on a table alone together during the wedding breakfast instead of the traditional top table.  It will give you time to chat and have some precious time alone.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Wedding planning can be an overwhelming task and for many brides it is something that becomes all consuming, taking up all of their time and energy as they strive to achieve the perfect wedding day.  From getting engaged to stepping out at the ceremony, planning a wedding can be a minefield of stress, conflict, fun and excitement!  Here are a few wedding planning tips to help you retain your sanity and stay stress-free till the big day is over.

DO make sure you have chosen your wedding date, worked out your budget, calculated numbers and booked your venue before you even begin thinking about your wedding dress or anything else.  Choosing your date and venue is pivotal when it comes to planning everything else.

DON’T let yourself be pressured into buying a wedding dress which you feel is not right.  Take sometime to shop around, find a bridal boutique you like and get a feel for the style of dresses you like most.  You will know when you have found ‘the one’.

DON’T be tempted to buy a cheap wedding dress online unless you are sure it is from a reputable company.  The internet is full of horror stories from brides who purchased designer copies only to find they did not fit properly, looked nothing like the picture or worse still did not turn up at all.

DON’T fall into the trap of changing your looks just because it is your wedding.  Avoid over the top hair do’s, fake tan and oodles of make-up – no one will recognize you!  And moreover you will look back at your wedding photographs later on only to wonder what on earth you were thinking!

DO give yourself a couple of months before choosing your bridesmaids, maid of honor and wedding party.  It can be easy to get carried away with the excitement of the engagement and appoint everyone you know! However, choosing your bridal party needs careful consideration to ensure you have the right people around you on the day.

DO put together a mood board showcasing your wedding colors and preferred details such as wedding favors, as tips for your florist and wedding planner (if hiring one).  It will instantly let them see what you want and give them style references to work with.

DO give your wedding photographer a list of those people most important to you at the wedding and tips on the specific photographs you want.  This will help them to plan photo’s which include your closest friends and family and make sure no one is left out.

DON’T be tempted to jet off on your honeymoon as soon as the wedding is over.  Book it for a couple of days later so you can relieve your day with friends and family afterwards.  Chances are your wedding will be hot gossip!

DO choose a relaxing destination for your honeymoon so you can recharge your batteries after the hurley burley of the wedding planning and the day itself.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Planning a wedding is a very complex undertaking but no matter how much planning you do there is always the risk of something going wrong, even though it will probably be no fault of your own.  Things can go wrong, from minor hiccups to major clangers, but if you follow these wedding planning tips you can at least plan to deal with the unexpected, prevent it costing you a fortune and stop anything from ruining your wedding day.

Putting some contingency plans in place before the big day can help to ensure you do not suffer from both emotional and financial meltdown!  Here are four wedding planning tips you should adopt:

1. Careful planning: check and check again on every planning detail right down to the color of the ribbons on the wedding favors.  When you have done that run it all past at least one other person to make sure nothing has been forgotten.  Even if things do go awry after that you can’t beat yourself up about it, after you did everything you could.  Try to confirm all arrangements, details and timings with suppliers and vendors at least one week before the wedding day.
2. Make a Plan B: this could be a simple as purchasing wedding insurance which will cover most emergencies and eventualities, even postponing the entire wedding till another day.  Or it could just mean you think up back up plans for things like the DJ not turning up or your hairdresser canceling at the last minute.
3. Try to stay positive if things go wrong: if you have the time you will find a solution.  Vendors who pull out at the last minute can usually be replaced by someone else who will probably take pity on you and if orders turn up which are not what you expected you can usually find something more suitable to replace them.  Grit your teeth and keep smiling – it is not the end of the world if the venue doesn’t have enough champagne flutes or the florist cannot get the exact roses you wanted.
4. Recognize when to relax and let things happen: take some well earned time out on the day before wedding and make a promise to yourself that whatever happens tomorrow you will not loose the plot! The most important part of the wedding day is the act of getting married not the celebration that follows.  So if something goes wrong you will not let it ruin your day. 

Things don’t always work out as perfectly as you would have hoped, but use these tips and trying to keep perspective and staying calm will ensure that the chief emotion on the day itself is not anger, but one of joy.

By Georgina Clatworthy

The modern wedding is often a glamorous affair with big budgets and a keen focus on detail.  So it is natural for many brides to want to plan the biggest and best wedding their guests have ever attended.  Unfortunately, this often leads to brides loosing sight of what is really important and what the day is all about.  The most important point to remember about your wedding is what you both want from the day, so make sure you follow these wedding planning tips to create a wedding according to your ideas and not someone else’s! 

One reason for the explosion in wedding envy is the many celebrity weddings that have taken place in the last decade.  Many couples seek to emulate their favorite celebrity couple and set about their wedding planning with the aim of making it ‘bigger and better than anything their guests will have seen before’.  In fact you should simply remember that as a couple you are unique and because of that your wedding will be totally different to any your guests have been to before.  Focus on creating a wedding day that reflects your personality and style, and perfection is guaranteed.

Unfortunately, it is when a bride develops wedding envy and attempts to outdo everyone else that things can go horribly wrong….

Turning your wedding day into an opportunity to show off could lead to some bitchy sniping and catty remarks simply because everything from the wedding favors to the dress will be under scrutiny.  It is natural to feel that your wedding will be compared to that of others by your family and friends and that you want to avoid doing anything that someone else has done before.  Every bride wants their wedding to be unique.

Follow these tips when planning your wedding and hopefully you will avoid wedding envy and the dreaded green-eyed bride!

• Don’t get swayed by other people’s opinions.  If you like it have it, if you don’t then say so.  Don’t feel you have to compromise your day for the sake of others.
• Try not to keep banging on about your wedding plans and ideas to family and friends.  This will ensure you manage your guests expectations on the day – too much boasting could backfire on you!
• Nobody’s wedding will ever be perfect in everyone’s eyes.  So focus on what is important to you and your day will be perfect to you.
• Don’t be tempted to copy what your friend did at her wedding.  If you really liked something then try to put your own spin on it.
• Just remember no-one will be marking your wedding day with marks out of ten.
• Focus on the important elements rather than the finer details as most guests will fail to notice them anyway.  Make sure the food is good, the wine is flowing and there is plenty to entertain and your wedding will go down as one of the best in your guests minds.

By Georgina Clatworthy

There is something about a wedding that seems to make people think they can tell you what you should be doing and exactly what you should have.  And whilst you can probably handle your best friend or mom putting in their ‘ideas’, when it comes to what your fiancé wants for the big day then you could find yourself facing a yawning gap between your dreams and his ideals!  So as you embark on your journey towards married bliss it is worth considering the following wedding planning tips which give you the wedding you want whilst still making him think he has got his own way….

I don’t want to be sexist here but what a woman wants for her big day so often is the total opposite of what a man envisages.  Men are generally quite linear when it comes to organizing an event such as a wedding.  Their wedding planning list will probably read something like ‘people, music, booze, some sort of pork products’.  The bride on the other hand is more likely to have her head full of the whole shebang complete with white horses, roses in a delicate shade to compliment her underwear and matching bridesmaids.

So how do you bridge that gap and get the dream wedding you have thought about since you were a girl, without offending your intended?  Trouble is the moment you enter into talks with him about the wedding his eyes tend to glaze over and every answer goes along the lines of ‘whatever you think’!  Time for a little cunning on your part, appeal to his manly nature and avoid going into any of the finer details.  Something like ‘I have been thinking about having a simple affair’ will probably grab his attention quicker than the latest edition of his favorite car magazine.  From here my tips are to go on to explain how simple planning it all will be, how easy and how inexpensive, whilst still being the most romantic day of your lives!

Now you have him in the palm of your hand, but you should pick your moment carefully.  Wait until he is engrossed in his favorite TV show then sublimely hit him with ‘hey, I have just had the most wonderful idea’.  He will still be wrapped up in the warm and comforting world of his TV show but his ears will prick up when you say ‘lets celebrate our wedding with a big party’.  Music to his ears, after all a big party means all his friends, booze and pork products!  Now is your time to land the sucker punch, ‘we could invite everyone we know, have a gorgeous buffet, fabulous wedding favors and of course I will need a new dress, not the one I will wear to get married in, but something in ivory, designer and covered in crystals’.  That should be enough to land you in a win-win situation.

Of course, if he still maintains he wants nothing more than a few beers in the local restaurant and a night in a local guesthouse then you will need to revert to plan A and simply demand an all bells and whistles wedding – or else!  And if he still digs his heels in, simply whisper to him that with all those people at the wedding their will be plenty of free baby sitting on offer! That should be enough to seal the deal.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Domestically speaking organic food and products has become a growing trend over the last decade and can now boast a healthy market share of all goods we buy, in both food and non-food sectors.  So if you like to buy organic products and food you may well want to include them in your wedding day celebrations.  Here are my organic wedding planning tips to give you inspiration. 

Food and Drink: You maybe able to source caterers who specialize in organic catering, but if you can’t do talk to wedding caterers about your wishes.  Most will be open to the idea and will know where to source the ingredients needed.  There is an increasing range of organic wines, spirits and Champagnes available these days, however you may find the prices a little on the steep side and you may have to compromise if your budget is tight. 

Wedding Cake: Ask your cake maker about sourcing organic ingredients for your cake.  This shouldn’t be too difficult and possibly wouldn’t add much extra to the cost.  If you are making the cake yourself then you will probably find all the organic ingredients you need in your local supermarket.  Specialist cake shops will probably stock organic icing or be able to advise you on where to obtain organic cake coverings.

Favors: You will probably find a range of organic edibles in your local supermarket and when it comes to favors this is one of my top wedding planning tips!  When planning your favors check out things like chocolates, tea or coffee.  Alternative favor tips include organic candles, soaps and seeds for an organic vegetable garden or organically grown seedlings.  You will also find packaging options made from organically produced materials such as cotton bags.

Attire: It may seem a little extreme to include your wedding dress in the organic ‘theme’ but there is a growing number of designers using organic fabrics such as silk and satin to create beautiful wedding dresses.  Check out the internet to find a stockist near you.

Venues: Even your venue can be organic!  Consider an organic vineyard, farm or garden setting as you begin your wedding planning.  A vineyard could be a great choice for providing organic wine for the reception or a farm could be able to provide ingredients for the catering.

Flowers: Check locally for organic nurseries who supply flowers and plants grown in organic conditions.  You may struggle to obtain more exotic species such as orchids and will probably be limited to seasonal blooms which are locally grown rather than imported.  Your florist may be able offer more tips on organic flowers.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Planning a wedding is never an easy task even for the most organized bride, and whether you are have a large traditional wedding or something small and intimate, it pays to stay on top of your plans and keep control of your budget.  The following wedding planning tips should help you to achieve your perfect wedding day, overcome any problems and ensure all runs smoothly on the day!

Lists, lists and more lists!

Lists will become your new best friend! Every thing will revolve some kind of list whether it is for shopping or a planning checklist.  By writing lists for every element of your wedding day, large or small, you can make sure you leave nothing out.

Knowing what you want

It may sound obvious but this is one of the best tips I can give you.  So many brides do not know what they want and become side tracked by details they see in magazines or online.  Try to keep a clear focus on what your wedding day means to you both and how you want it to look.  Remember it should say everything about you as couple and not be a direct replica of the latest celebrity wedding!

Contingencies

Something will go wrong, it always does and whether it is a major or a minor crisis it is a good idea to have a contingency plan up your sleeve.  Pick out two suppliers/vendors/service providers for everything, from catering to flowers, just in case someone lets you down.  Pick out alternative choices for details such as wedding favors, flowers and entertainment too.

Check and double check

This is one of those tips that always seems to go unnoticed until it is too late! Double checking all your bookings, particularly in the final weeks leading up to the wedding is vitally important.  Don’t worry about annoying them with endless phone calls to check they have the right date, time or location etc, as long as you are satisfied that they will be there when required.

Go back through your wedding planning lists too and check that you have ticked off everything and that you have everything in place that should be in place at that point in your planning.  Try to do this at regular intervals, say every three months initially, moving to every week as you get closer to the day. 

Don’t leave it till the last minute

The most important of all wedding planning tips! Leave booking your photographer, catering or transport until the final week then you risk disaster.  Weddings can be planned and successfully pulled off in a relatively short space of time, but even then compromises have to be made on who is booked and for what.

 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

Flowers are an integral part of a wedding & can account for a large portion of your budget.  Here is a shopping list for all your floral requirements for your wedding.

Ceremony Arrangements – If your venue isn’t already decorated with flower arrangements then you might want to look at adding some.  Typical arrangements for a religious service include:

• Large floral arrangements on stands for the entrance
• Large floral arrangements on stands for either side of the altar
• Door or archway garland
• Pew ends
• Altar arrangement

If you are having a civil ceremony either indoors or outdoors then here are some additional arrangements to consider:

• Arbor
• Gazebo
• Top of the aisle

Reception Flowers – You may want to think about transporting your flowers from your ceremony to your reception venue, although this is easier said than done!  Flowers for your reception include:

• Large standing arrangements
• Table centers
• Top table arrangements
• Floral garlands for decoration
• Cake table flowers
• Guestbook/gift table flowers

For these last two many brides choose to use their bridesmaids bouquets instead.

Buttonholes – Also known as boutonnières.  These are the small single flowers worn by the wedding party & any other guests on there lapels or in their buttonholes.  Usually they are a flower which is included in the bride’s bouquet along with a piece of foliage.  The design of these is entirely up to you, although the grooms buttonhole should match the bride’s bouquet.

Corsages - These are floral wristbands or pins given to female guests.

Bouquets - Work closely with your florist to design the perfect bouquet for you in accordance with your wedding style & your wedding dress.  Bouquets you will need to order include:

• Yours
• Bridesmaids bouquets, posy’s or pomanders
• Flower girls posy or pomander or basket

You might also want to order an additional bouquet for you to toss at the reception, particularly if you want to keep yours.

Additional Flowers – You might also want to order additional arrangements to give to your mother & mother-in-law as gifts.  You may want floral arrangements for your hair, your bridesmaids hair or a floral circlet for your flowergirl. You might also want small arrangements for your wedding car.  If you are hiring a car then they may add some flowers as part of the hire package, but if you are using a personal car then you may want to add some flowers to the back parcel shelf & maybe to the front of the car too.  Some brides like to decorate their wedding cakes with fresh flowers rather sugar ones.  Ask your florist to make up some small arrangements to go on top of the cake & to decorate each tier.

 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.