I'm in the midst of planning my perfect day for next year and surprisingly I've not yet turned into bridezilla.
And I've been doing my research by watching 'say yes to the dress', and 'dont tell the bride' on repeat for some inspiration for us future brides.
So obviously you've already planned your perfect wedding because you've been dreaming about it since you were little right?
Well now we need to turn your dreams into reality.
And I've got a few tips and tricks up my sleeve for you.
1. Budget
Get yourself a wedding planner diary and this will help you to prepare yourself for what's to come. You need to choose your budget for the wedding and you can make notes on how much you want to spend on flowers, accessories etc.
2. The Venue
Your venue is the first thing you need to start thinking about. If you have a budget set up then this will be a great start. Or if you are wanting to spend more money on something in particular such as wedding invitations or decor or maybe even spend a bit more on your dress then you could look at hiring out somewhere that won't cost. There are a few places now that don't charge you for hire as they will expect to make up profits through the night. (I hired out a cute pub for my engagement for no charge). So it could be worth looking into.
3. The Support
Now before you make any more decisions you're going to want to find your help.
The help being your main gal, your soul mate, your best friend who you would trust helping to organise the single most important day of your life. You need to choose your maid of honour/bridesmaids. And make sure your husband to be has his best man lined up because he's going to need the support too!
4. Capture The Moments
Now that you have your lady/ladies in toe, now it's time to do some research for your wedding photographer.
The photographer is one of the most important people on your day. They will be working tirelessly to capture all the amazing moments on your day, he will capture the love, the tears and there's a chance he could get some embarrassing drunk pictures too.
When you're doing your research it's important to read the reviews and testimonials so you can get a feel of how they work.
Photographers are quite expensive so if you've only set a small budget for this there are a few things you could do.
1. Find a student photographer, they will be learning all the best techniques right now and they will be a lot cheaper and you could be helping them out by giving them the experience!
2. Buy disposable cameras and give to designated people and tell them to take pictures when they see a good picture capturing moment.
3. Ask around your friends and family - there is always someone who knows someone, who knows someone else.
5. Decor
Now there is plenty of party or wedding services that are cheap to hire out their decor.
Try looking up ones on Facebook that do deals. Here are a few that peaked my interests.
JS Wedding services, White events, Perfect party hire and TK Entertainments & Events.
If you've got a creative flare or anyone who is willing to lend a hand has, why not crack on and do some DIY. Hobbiecraft and The Range are great places to shop if you are wanting to do some do it yourself wedding decor. Or even get yourself online. EBay has been a very resourceful friend of mine these last couple of months.
6. The Food
Now as you get through the day surely you're going to be starving come the evening.
Why not ask your local cafe if they do packages or if you've got the time why not cook the buffet yourself and ask your friends and family to deliver it all to the venue. That way the cost is cheaper and you can have more of your favourite foods. It doesn't have to be champagne and caviour all the time, everyone loves finger party foods!
7. The Cake
Personally, I think wedding cakes are overly pricey. Who in their right minds would spend over £200 on a cake that other people will eat and you probably won't even get to taste!
Even if they look beautiful they have one purpose - to look good.
There are many talented people out there who make cakes for a hobby and are bloody good at it!
Perhaps you've got a friend or a friend of a friend who can put their hands to anything and make something special.
Try pricing around and check other cake shops for inspiration for what type of cake you want. There is too much decision making in this event.
And why not book yourself and your bridesmaids in for a little cake taster session for fun.
8. Entertainment
Why not look into hiring a singer for your evening reception. The power of YouTube is here people! Get researching voices that you like on YouTube and see if you can find a match for your perfect day.
A popular hire for weddings and party's now is the photo booths. You can hire them from £200 and they bring so much fun and sillyness to your night with memories and pictures to keep forever.
9. The Invites
Now I was surprised to find out how expensive invites can be. We are taking at least £100. A part of me thought to myself 'couldn't I just do a group invite on Facebook... it's free'.
But of course my fiance put me in the right frame of mind and reminded me that this is a one off event and a very important day. We want everything to be perfect, but not necessarily that expensive. So we decided to create our own on vistaprint. They were classy and they were kept under the price limit of £60. We ordered 50 for the day guests and I also spotted some cute evening invites on eBay. 50 for £28. That's me sorted ✔
If you are lucky you might know someone who has got the creative flare to make them for you for a friendly discount price. Go with It!
10. The Dress
The big day is getting closer and you really need to get a push on with finding your dream wedding dress. Now you have 2 choices here - either get one made so it's unique or get yourself to those bridal stores but don't forget to pick out your favourite styles beforehand to try on because you could be there until next year. There are far too many beautiful dresses to look through and try on it could make you cry with tears of joy.
Or maybe you have a dress that has been passed down from your mother, that sentimental touch would be an amazing add to your big day. Now if you're a Facebook addict like myself then you need to get liking all the bridal stores that you can and look out for their sales. They always have a sale day where you can go in and you can walk out with a stunning dress for around £300!
11. The big day
The big day has finally arrived!
The bridesmaids know what they have to do (other than to keep the bride calm at all times and helping with toilet duties whilst in the big dress). It's time for you to get pampered and enjoy your day, all your hard work, money and research has paid off!
Perhaps you've got a friend or a friend of a friend who can put their hands to anything and make something special.
Try pricing around and check other cake shops for inspiration for what type of cake you want. There is too much decision making in this event.
And why not book yourself and your bridesmaids in for a little cake taster session for fun.
8. Entertainment
Why not look into hiring a singer for your evening reception. The power of YouTube is here people! Get researching voices that you like on YouTube and see if you can find a match for your perfect day.
A popular hire for weddings and party's now is the photo booths. You can hire them from £200 and they bring so much fun and sillyness to your night with memories and pictures to keep forever.
9. The Invites
Now I was surprised to find out how expensive invites can be. We are taking at least £100. A part of me thought to myself 'couldn't I just do a group invite on Facebook... it's free'.
But of course my fiance put me in the right frame of mind and reminded me that this is a one off event and a very important day. We want everything to be perfect, but not necessarily that expensive. So we decided to create our own on vistaprint. They were classy and they were kept under the price limit of £60. We ordered 50 for the day guests and I also spotted some cute evening invites on eBay. 50 for £28. That's me sorted ✔
If you are lucky you might know someone who has got the creative flare to make them for you for a friendly discount price. Go with It!
10. The Dress
The big day is getting closer and you really need to get a push on with finding your dream wedding dress. Now you have 2 choices here - either get one made so it's unique or get yourself to those bridal stores but don't forget to pick out your favourite styles beforehand to try on because you could be there until next year. There are far too many beautiful dresses to look through and try on it could make you cry with tears of joy.
Or maybe you have a dress that has been passed down from your mother, that sentimental touch would be an amazing add to your big day. Now if you're a Facebook addict like myself then you need to get liking all the bridal stores that you can and look out for their sales. They always have a sale day where you can go in and you can walk out with a stunning dress for around £300!
11. The big day
The big day has finally arrived!
The bridesmaids know what they have to do (other than to keep the bride calm at all times and helping with toilet duties whilst in the big dress). It's time for you to get pampered and enjoy your day, all your hard work, money and research has paid off!
Welcome to the married life.
The ConveHERsation is the digital platform for Women Of Power UK
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