We could spend years planning our big days and it still wouldn’t be long enough! The dress is just the beginning, after that you have the guest list, the venue, the food, the flowers, the parking…it never ends! Accessorise that diamond ring with a thinking cap and get the details pinned down early if you want to avoid wearing worry lines down the aisle; sit back, relax, take a sip of tea and think about what you need to consider now so tomorrow you get the florist booked and the table settings finalised, it all starts here.
Red Roses or White? Winter Wonderland or Spring Suarez? Chicken or Fish?
It’s important to remember to take your wedding planning one step at a time so you don’t miss a thing, first things first ladies: the dress. The dress is the fun part, choose your look: off the rack or handmade, fairy princess or sophisticated starlet, think about your personal style and how it can accent the day.
Do you want to stand out from the crowd or coordinate with your bridesmaids? Is it a white wedding or are you breaking the mould? Have fun with your dress, there’s no rules and it’s your day so remember: what the bride wants, the bride gets! If you’re looking for inspiration peruse through 2013′s biggest trends:
Choose the right colour with shades of blush for a soft and feminine look to suit any figure and skin tone, it’s traditional with a modern twist.
Vintage dresses, they never go out of style. From Downton Abbey to Mad Men vintage has taken over, go for turn of the century romanticism as you walk towards your Mr. Darcy or go 60′s chic and make the wedding aisle your 5th Avenue.
To keep it modern think less is more: simple designs and straight lines are the look of the future and let the day do the talking.
The Eternal Minefield: The Guest List
Ah the guest list, now this is a tricky one. You might want an intimate gathering of loved ones while mother in law to be can’t wait to fly in the extended family from Australia, or maybe the perfect venue is snugger then you’d like and you’re left with culling your 200 nearest and dearest friends down to 50! The best thing to do is to think about your guest list before shopping around for venues, that way you know if you’re looking for an intimate country inn or a lavish castle. Remember to leave wriggle room: not everyone you invite will be able to make it so don’t plan your wedding to the very last head, give your guests a deadline to RSVP so you’re not serving 200 plates of paté to 25 guests.
Naples, New York or Northampton?
Picking the location is all down to personal choice, if you want friends and family to abound then local can be the best way to go but a location wedding is a romantic thrill. Think about your, and your guests, budgets; local weddings may seem like the cheaper option but the cost of churches, hotels and function rooms can be soaring so getting hitched abroad can sometimes be the most cost effective way to go, for you. Your guests might not be so keen to take a week long break so think about their needs as well, your 95 year old great aunt may not be so aeroplane friendly but that’s not to say she doesn’t want to be a part of the day.
Make Your Day Unique
Once your venue is secured let the games begin. Think about all the tiny details that go into the reception: the table settings, the serviettes, the decorations, the table dressings, it seems like they all appear out of thin air but when you come to planning you’ll realise there’s no such thing as the centrepiece fairy! Once you have your theme the rest is easy, coordinate your colours and style and your reception will be striking.
The Best Laid Plans…
No matter how much careful preparation you put into your wedding sometimes things just don’t go to plan, and that’s fine. Your wedding is something to be savoured and enjoyed so don’t sweat the small stuff, the important thing is that you and your partner are happy, in love and at the church, the rest is just the icing on the cake.
This post was written by Emma Smith on behalf of Event Décor, a leading wedding accessories provider with over 25 years of experience in making your wedding spectacular.
