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Helpful advice and tips on all aspects of weddings so that you can plan your dream wedding. There is also information on certains pitsfalls to be aware of.
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General Wedding Advice 
 ☼ It's your day. Don't let anyone bully you into having what they want or had at their wedding if you do not want it for your wedding.

 ☼ Work out your budget and take care to stick to it. You don't want to start married life in debt or arguing over money after lavishing every penny on your wedding day.

 ☼ Before beginning planning your wedding find out what contributions to your wedding fund you can rely on from your own savings and your parents.

 ☼ Make sure you know when each service provider requires payment or deposits.

 ☼ Weddings are stressful for all concerned. Keep things calm by refusing to be drawn into arguments over money or styling. Simply state "This is the way we want it and that's how it's going to be. All that matters to us is that we get married and we would like you there to celebrate the day with us."

 ☼ Take time to listen to other peoples advice. This makes them feel respected and valued. Just because they suggested it, doesn't mean you have to do it. You may well uncover a gem or two from friends and family.

 ☼ Take out wedding insurance. You can get up to £10,000 of cover for as little as £50. You never know what is round the corner and this way you can recoup the money you have laid out in the event of having to cancel or postpone your wedding for whatever reason.

 ☼ Keep detailed records / receipts of any payments made to various wedding suppliers.

 ☼  Read your suppliers Terms and Conditions carefully before signing. You never know what hidden clauses there may be.

 ☼ You only need the bride, groom and 2 witnesses to be married. Anything other than that is optional including cars, rings, guests and even wedding dresses.

 ☼ Be realistic. If your entire wedding budget is £500 then do not expect to get married at Westminster Abbey and have a garden party for 300 guests afterwards. If you plan within your means then it will be much easier to stick to your budget, which in turn will make the planning less stressful.

 ☼ Use friends and family where possible. You may have an Aunt or Grandmother who will bake your wedding cake for free rather than give a wedding present. An Uncle with a flash car to save on hiring wedding cars or a good friend who is an excellent photographer.

 ☼ Beware using friends and family if they are not terribly reliable. If they are not getting paid then they can be more likely to let you down or provide a poor service. Use only those you really trust.

 ☼ Don't be nervous about anything. The wedding is something you want to do, so kick back and enjoy it.

 ☼ On your wedding day, stay calm and try to observe as much as possible. All of your married friends will tell you, their wedding day passed in a blur and they can't all be wrong.

 ☼ Book as many suppliers as you can once you have booked your wedding ceremony venue. The sooner you book suppliers the more choice of suppliers you have. If you try and book a photographer 3 days before your wedding, you will only be able to get the photographers nobody else wanted. This applies to all wedding service providers.

 ☼ Select your attendants such as bridesmaids, best man, flower girls and page boys as soon as possible and involve them in the planning.

 ☼ Contact all suppliers one week before your wedding to make sure that they all have your booking and any details of any special requirements.

 ☼ Enjoy your day. It is your wedding after all.

Wedding Accessories 
 ☼ Don't get carried away and go over budget if money is tight. Things like ring cushions and tiaras for flowergirls may be lovely but they can add unnecccessary expense.

 ☼ Don't decide to have a six inch heel on your bridal shoes if you rarely wear heels. Choose a size of heel which will be comfortable for wearing all day and dancing in. If possible wear the shoes around the house whilst the groom is not present to wear them in a little.

 ☼ Most accessories can be purchased after the wedding dress and this way you can match colours to suit your bridal gown and bridesmaids gown.

 ☼ If your bridesmaids are kind enough to pay for their own dresses and/or accessories don't abuse their generosity, overdoing things with tiaras, gloves dolly bags etc.

 ☼  Ring cushions are a great idea if there is a suitable candidate to carry the cushion down the aisle. Remeber to make sure the rings are tied firmly in place as children drop things and turn things upside down to look at them from a different angle. As funny as it may be in later years you do not want to see anybody scrabbling under chairs or pews for your wedding rings.

Bridal Gowns
 ☼ Make sure you allow plenty of time for alterations after your final fitting.

 ☼ Take into account the season you are bing married in. Do not choose a strapless dress with no jacket for the middle of winter and likewise be wary of a dress with lots of petticoats in the height of summer. You do not want to spend your wedding day shivering or sweating buckets.

 ☼ Try on lots of dresses in different styles until you find "the dress". You may be surprised with how different they look when worn.

 ☼ When you have your final fitting make sure that you wear your bridal lingeries and wedding shoes so that your dress is perfectly tailored to you and the clothes.

 ☼ Do not select the bridesmaids dresses until you have chosen your own bridal gown so that you can select colours that work well together.

 ☼ Make sure that you get a dress which suits your body shape.

 ☼ Take along a good friend who you trust to tell you if a dress you really like looks terrible on you. You will be able to avoid picking the wrong dress this way as they will see you as others will.

 ☼  When selecting bridesmaids dresses remember their body shapes as you will have to find a dress style which will suit all of their body shapes.

 ☼ Younger bridesmaids and flowergirls do not necessarily have to wear matching dresses to elder bridesmaids.

 ☼ Involve both the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom in the dress selcting process if possible. This will make them both feel part of the wedding and when they know your colour scheme they can choose appropriate outfits for themselves. (Make sure that both mothers consult each other, regarding their own outfits. These are two people who you do not want turning up in similar outfits.)

 ☼ Allow plenty of time when visiting bridal shops. The hours will fly by once you get into the swing of things.

Wedding Cakes
 ☼ If you are fortunate enough to know someone who can bake you a wedding cake take advantage of this and either have the cake made for a small fee or ask them to provide a cake in lieu of a wedding present.

 ☼ Don't just stick to a fruit cake because of tradition. If you want a tier made of chocolate sponge instead go for it.

 ☼ Supermarkets often sell celebration cakes at a fraction of the price which bakers charge. All you have to do then is get a cake topper or sugarcraft flowers to complete tha cake.

 ☼ Make sure that either your venue or cake supplier provides a cake stand and brides knife for cutting the cake.

 ☼ Have as small or as large a cake as you want. Some brides only want one tier other cannot imagine a wedding cake without at least five tiers.

 ☼ Entertain other ideas for a wedding cake. You do not have to have a traditional wedding cake you could have a croquembouche or a number of cup cakes.

 ☼ If possible keep some of the cakes for those who could not attend the wedding or were not on the guest list.

 ☼ If you are being married away from home then ask your cake providers advice on transporting the cake safely and ensure that the cake is not crushed or tipped over in transit.

 ☼ if your cake is heavily decorated with sugar icing flowers or designs get your baker to make a coupl of spares as accidents will happen and having substitutes will remove any stress that damage to the cake may cause.

 ☼ Be aware that some of your guests may have a nut allergy. So enquire as to the ingredients in your wedding cake and forewarn the guests that you cake may conatin nuts.

Wedding Flowers
 ☼ Select your flowers from a florist who you have confidence and trust in.

 ☼ There are many different styles of brides bouquet, whether a simple tied posy or an elaborate teardrop bouquet. choose one which will go with your wedding dress.

 ☼ Choose the colours carefully to match or provide a striking contrast you and your bridesmaids dresses.

 ☼ If selecting flowers such as orchids which have a high pollen count ask your florist to remove any pollen carrying dust to prevent both staining and hayfever.

 ☼ If you are having flowergirls then a basket of flowers may be more practical and robust for children to handle.

 ☼ Insist that your flowers are prepared on the day of your wedding to ensure they are at their best.

 ☼ If you are travelling to a wedding destination source the flowers from a florist your venue recommends. Or if you are taking them with you arrange for cold storage to preserve the flowers as long as possible. A beer cellar is usually perfect for the storage of flowers.

 ☼ Consult with your venue as to whether extra flowers are required / permitted.

 ☼ If you are having centrepieces for the wedding breakfast tables get table sizes from your venue. You do not want to end up with a centrepiece that leaves no room on the tables for anything else.

 ☼ Do not discount silk flowers as they are a cheaper and longer lasting alternative.

 ☼ Expect to pay premium prices for flowers that are out of season, such as daffodils in December.

Wedding Photography
 ☼ Make sure that you see some of the photographers recent work.

 ☼ Cheapest isn't necessarily best

 ☼ Ask the staff at your chosen venue who they recommend as wedding photographers.

 ☼ Make sure that you discuss any particular shots you want and insist that they be taken. Provide a list if necessary. Some wedding photographers can be set in their ways and have the attitude "I'm the photographer I know best". If they are unwilling to accept your input find a photographer who is.

 ☼ Listen the photographers advice as they are the professionals and have done this many times. You will be doing it for the first time.

 ☼ Decide on a style of photography for your wedding and stick to the people who specialise in that style. A traditional photographer will have you at set locations in poses that they know works well. A reportage photographer will be buzzing about all day and will take hundreds of photo's to get enough good ones to fill an album.

 ☼ Only hire a photographer who you feel comfortable with. You will spend at least an hour of your wedding day and you don't want to end up with a smelly person who keeps trying to look down your dress.

☼ Find out if the photographer is part of any organisations such as the SWPP (Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers) or BIPP (british Institute of Professional Photography). This may not give a massive guarantee of quality but the societis do not just accept anybody who owns a camera and calls themself a photographer.

☼ Only let a friend or family member be your photographer if you are confident in their abilities.

☼ Don't let your photographer talk you into a larger photography package on the day of your wedding. It is a common trick that unscrupulous photographers use to make more money. Brides and grooms are much easier to persuade when the sun is shining and they are full of joy at having just been married.

☼ Many brides have "boudoir" photos taken as a present for the groom. Only do this if you are having the pictures taken by a female photographer on a closed set. Get written assurance that your photos will not be displayed by them on their website / blog or any other social media.

☼ Brides and grooms often meet up with their photographer a few days after the wedding or honeymoon for an addition photo shoot where they can be pictured in different locations such as the beach and by riverbanks. Some even hav trash the dress photos taken where their wedding dress gets muddy or torn. You won't ever wear the dress again so why not?

☼ Find out the photographers rates for reprints or parents album.

☼ Some photographers will sell you a CD containing every picture they have taken of your wedding. Ask your photographer if they would sell you such a CD.

☼ Ask your photographer if they carry spare cameras with them. If the answer is no, then find another photographer. They are not prepared for emergencys and your wedding photographs may suffer if they have a camera failure or a battery runs flat.

☼ Ask what their procedure is should there be rain or poor light preventing outdoor photographs.

Wedding Venues
 ☼ Visit your wedding ceremony and wedding reception venues to make sure that they are well maintained and are honestly represented by their advertisements.

 ☼ Before confirming any booking with deposits, make sure that both the ceremony and reception venues have the availability you require.

 ☼ Have a meal at your reception venue so that you know what the quality of food is like before booking.

 ☼ Ascertain if your reception venue allows you to provide your own wines and if they do ask what their corkage charges are.

 ☼ Find out if your reception venues includes such things as favours, place-cards, table plans etc in their meal prices.

 ☼ Make sure that you know what time the bar will close after your wedding reception so that your guests can organise transport home.

 ☼ Some churches and ceremony venues do not allow confetti. Find out what your venue allows.

 ☼ If booking accommodation for yourselves or guests. Have a look at the rooms to make sure they meet with your approval.

 ☼ Look around the grounds of your venues to see if they are well maintained and suitable for wedding pictures to be taken.

 ☼ Allow plenty of time between ceremony and reception to allow for travelling and wedding photographs to be taken.

 ☼ See if your venues have an in-house wedding planner to help with your big day. Most decent venues have someone dedicated to the job and they can be invaluable. (Beware that there are no extra charges for use of an in-house wedding planner).

Wedding Advice
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