Expert Tips
We have asked some of the leading experts from the industry to give their tips on a few of the issues you might be considering when organizing your wedding. Images shown are by kind permission of wedding photographers Douglas Fry, Rebecca Roundhill & Martin Crombie. For their contact details please see our Links page.
Where to Begin!
Toni Davey, Wedding Planner
First thing to do is set your budget, a realistic one! Get yourself a book/journal and make a note of everything you spend so you have no nasty suprises. Finding your venue is top of the list of things to get done, the rest of your wedding can then be planned around it. Look in the local paper for Wedding Fairs being held near you and don’t forget the Designer Wedding Show, UK Wedding Show & National Wedding Show, all are great idea showcases.
Karie Wright, Mandalay Expert!
Congrats you’re engaged- how exciting. Take a deep breath and enjoy the feeling. OK, now grab your pen because there’s work to be done! Book the wedding date and send your save the date cards. Now you can relax knowing that your friends know to keep the date free. Try and book the venue asap, they can get booked up years in advance. Now you’ve got time to browse through wedding mags for inspiration! Oooh how I wish I was getting married again (to the same person of course)!
Katy Gooch, Mandalay Office Manager
Sit down with your fiancé and make a list of everything that’s important to you both. Split it into essentials like the venue and flowers and another of optionals, like a limo or a chocolate fountain to give you both a clear idea of your dream day. Now you can see if you share the same vision and what you are both willing to compromise on! Work out when you want to get married, how much you can spend and whether you want a religious ceremony, sorted! Happy planning.
Going Green!
We've got some great basic tips from some of the industries specialists.
Toni Davey - Wedding planner
When you are looking to go 'green' for your wedding, choose a wedding venue that allows you to have the ceremony & reception in one place, cutting down on transport for you & your guests. Check the venue buy their products from local suppliers. Pick flowers that are readily available locally beautiful English grown flowers, or plan early & start growing your own, I had a bride do this last year. Make sure they are all taken home at the end of the evening either as gifts or donate them to a local hospice.
Sue Riley - Wedding florist
The choices are widening and more companies are going green. Simply ask questions. Find out if your suppliers are buying locally or using eco-friendly office procedures and products. Buying organic does not necessarily mean it is eco-friendly, especially if those items have to be trucked or flown in from a far away place. On the other hand, not all local produce and flowers are eco-friendly either due to the incessant amount of pesticides that certain regions require.
Jon Briscoe - The Jolly Farmer, Reigate
The key to going green is to use common sense and make sensible choices while asking the right questions. There may be a great fish supplier local to you, yet the only local flowers you can find are laden with pesticides! It's better to then go with the fish and ask your florist about using flowers from another source that is eco-friendly. Local companies will pride themselves in using local produce as we do, here at the Jolly Farmer.
A Gift for your Groom
Toni Davey, Wedding Planner
Jewellery is always a special gift when personalised. One groom I know received a watch with the wording 'I love you, see you at 3pm' from his loving Bride to be. Another received a silver bangle with 'Vos es meus vita , meus diligo' engraved inside, which is Latin for 'You are my life, my love'.
Alexandra Burns, FYEO Portraits
Give Him butterflies on your Wedding Day! Remember that feeling when you first met, the butterflies, the excitement, the attraction? Imagine if he could remember you at this point in your life, however much time changes you. Give your Groom a beautiful flattering photograph of you, gift wrapped 'for your eyes only'. Your gift will be a private memory of how you are now, and a wedding gift that you'll both enjoy forever.
Kirsten Burke, Art Director, Mandalay
You have waved goodbye to all your wedding guests and the two of you are alone, now officially Mr & Mrs! This is the perfect time to be able to say "here's a little something from me to you". Think private and personal, a photo of the two of you in a vintage frame or a love poem written in calligraphy. Simple and a little sentimental, just something that celebrates how much you love him!
Composing your Invite Wording
Toni Davey, Wedding Planner, Isis Events
Always send an RSVP within your invitation pack. Make the RSVP simple to use (I have received many back with no guest name!) Ensure that your return address is on it and a stamp. It might sound like overkill, but I have found that the less your guests have to do, the more likely you are to receive your RSVP's back in time.
Katy Gooch, Mandalay Office Manager
Some couples spend precious time on the wording to go inside their invitations. My advice is to not allow artistic considerations to influence what you say. Don't worry if the venue name looks a bit funny or the grooms name is too long. Just give facts, there is no sense art-directing these out of existence. If you start, you'll find yourself with difficulties and a headache!
Kay Carey, Wedding Planner, Heading Up The Aisle
We had a client this year who provided their invites in a puzzle format. Guests had to solve clues given over a month, to find out where the wedding was being held and the theme of the day. This kept it interesting and reflected their individual fun loving personalities. Think outside the box to make your invitation stand out from the rest!
Christmas Wedding Tips
Kay Carey, Wedding Planner, Heading Up The Aisle
Christmas traditionally makes us think of roaring log fires and a Christmas wedding is all about warm and cozy! Mini Christmas crackers on every guests' plate act as a seasonal Favour, and with each guests' name written on their cracker, they double as place cards and they will get your guests interacting instantly.
Kirsten Burke, Art Director, Mandalay
When it comes to your stationery your wedding date will let your guests know yours is a Christmas wedding, so holly and ivy can be missed out! Your invitation can let people know your theme colour and general style without being too obvious.
Sue Riley, Wedding Florist
The bouquet for a Christmas bride is full of rich, deep colours, think of velvety amaryllis blossoms and hypericum berries, finished with ever green foliage for a truly wintery feel. Burgundy, red, purple, deep green, silver and gold are perfect for this theme, but not all together, you don't want to recreate 'Santa's Grotto'.
What's Hot for Autumn/Winter 09
Jane West, Beauty Editor, The Times
Liquid shine, satin gloss is going to be massive. Jewel colours, particularly any deviation on plum, the deeper the better. Plum is going to be the hero colour of the season - deeply coloured darks will be everywhere. Sequins - everywhere. Face, body - in terms of face, its all about shimmer, subtle accents and full on 'showmanship', bolder the better.Bodycon - squeeze every curve into the biggest showing off season that we have ever seen. Neon is totally over - gone more grownup now. Lose the idea of Katie Price, think Uma Thurman (the new spokesperson for Givenchy) - she looks fabulous!
Table Plans versus Escort Cards
Toni Davey, Wedding Planner
Escort cards are becoming more popular as they can be as artistic or as plain as you like. Traditionally placed in alphabetical order on a table for guests to pick up on their way through to the Reception Dinner/Wedding Breakfast they can become a feature within your wedding décor. One of my favorite displays was placed outside the marquee by the drinks reception, all the escort cards were pegged to a trellis using coloured pegs which looked charming and very country kitsch. For Toni’s contact details please see our Links pages.
Kirsten Burke, Art Director, Mandalay
When your crowd is a little flaky, avoid a table plan and go for escort cards!! They have the advantage that they can be changed up to the last minute, whereas a seating plan which may have been printed in advance will need to be re done or amended which can be costly. With escort cards you still have a stylishly organized wedding reception but it is flexible right up to the moment your guests are sipping their pre-dinner belinis.
Jill Hembling, Director, Mandalay
To let your guests know where they are sitting you need to have something in place to steer them in the right direction! Your venue may well provide a print out, but if you fancy making a bit more of a statement, have a properly printed table plan using your theme colours. As not all your guests will know each other, funny table names can act as a great ice breaker! You can frame your plan after the wedding, creating a fantastic keepsake.
Choosing Your Colours
Jane West, Beauty Editor, The Times
When you are trying to work out what colour theme to use for your wedding, think about your bridesmaids, their body shapes and size as well as skin tones and hair colour. Take care if you have a blonde bridesmaid with pale skin, as deep colours can be a little draining if too dark.
Jill Hembling, Director, Mandalay
Pay close attention to the dominant colours in the room where your reception will take place, these may have quite a big impact on your choice of colours for reception stationery. The most popular colour choice for weddings is still burgundy as this deep colour is classy, regal and has an opulent feel.
Sue Riley, Wedding Florist
You may decide to introduce a contrasting colour to your main wedding colour scheme, this creates something a little more interesting and ensures the dominant colour is shown off to its best. Try copper with a chocolate & cream scheme or purples mixed with pale pinks. You can then pick out colours from this pallet to use for your stationery and finishing touches.
Essential shots for your Wedding Album
Jane West, Beauty Editor, The Times
Bridesmaids and Ushers - Make sure you ask for some creative shots for your photo album that reveal your vibrant personalities. Have your photographer capture the giggles, the private whispers and the carefree hugs and exclamations - the true essence of your friendships. And don't forget the boys; get some creative shots of the ushers too!
Jill Hembling, Director, Mandalay
Your Family - Letting Go - Make sure your photographer takes some shots of your family and wedding party as they focus on you during the ceremony. As you won't be able to see them as you exchange ‘I Dos’, these precious images showing the full force of their emotions will be lovely to look back on.
Nicola Fuller, Photographer
Away into The Sunset - Get a parting shot of the two of you leaving the reception together. This could be the two of you photographed from a distance, looking towards the horizon or simply leaving in the wedding car or taxi, glass in hand! Your new life starts here!
Budget Wedding Ideas
Jane West, Beauty Editor, The Times
It's your big day. You're getting married. It’s time to start your wonderful life together and the last thing you both need is a mountain of debt as a result of a fabulous wedding! Why not buy your dress secondhand or stick with the High Street, as many large retailers are now selling beautiful reasonably priced wedding gowns. Don’t spend a fortune on shoes either, they can barely be seen if you’re wearing a full length gown!
Jill Hembling, Director, Mandalay
Let's face it, the bride's family is not always willing (or able) to foot the bill for a big wedding. Increasingly, the bride and groom are paying for their own weddings. The good news is that inexpensive weddings don't mean that you have to give up on style or sentimentality if you use your imagination. Start by using DIY stationery rather than a personalised service where you print the inserts yourself but use a professionally printed outer invitation card.
Sue Riley, Wedding Florist
Choose flowers that are in season when they are in abundance and therefore much cheaper. Also, your flowers can be used more than once on the day by arranging for your church arrangements to be moved on to your reception venue. Your bridesmaid's can each carry a single flower instead of a bouquet, saving money and making a simple and elegant statement. Finally, centre-pieces do not have to be flowers! Achieve a classic, elegant look by using candles, potted plants or even fruit arrangements.
