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Thirty Ways To A Perfect Wedding Day
by
David
Ireland for Sandra Ireland Photography |
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One.
Start your wedding preparations early -from the day you get engaged! Decide
with your partner exactly what sort of wedding you would both would like.
Formal or informal? Intimate or extravagant? Fix the date and allocate
enough time to plan your dream wedding.
Two. Once you have decided on the venue for the ceremony, book it as early
as you can. Popular dates during the summer are booked anything up to a year
in advance.
Three. Money is the singular most important factor in planning a wedding.
Arrange a meeting for everyone who will be contributing towards the cost
involved and set a realistic budget. Decide at an early stage who will be
paying for what and discuss the exact details with them. Arrange wedding day
insurance. Most companies offer packages to cover accidents prior to and on
the big day itself - just in case.
Four. The reception venue needs to be booked and confirmed as soon as
possible. It is a good idea to visit as many possible reception venues as
you can to compare what each one has to offer. Always ask for written quotes
so you can make your decision at home without feeling pressurised.
Five. Now compile the guest list and decide on the type of catering you
require. A lunchtime buffet works well when your guests are a mixture of
young and old. It also keeps costs down. A formal sit-down meal is wonderful
but is also your most expensive option. Ask the experts' advice on getting
value-for-money and your best choices of drinks for the number of guests.
The caterers will have many years experience on menu planning so take their
advice when given. They know what works and what doesn't.
Six. Once you’ve located the perfect venue, call to discuss all
possibilities. To get a real feel of the place, drop in to have a look
around. If it still feels right, you’re on your way. Now, book the date,
time and number of rooms you will need. Check and double-check availability
and ask for confirmation in writing.
Seven. If you are having a sit-down reception, ask a local calligrapher to
make the menu cards and place-names. Enlist your parents to help with the
seating plans to avoid any family upsets.
Eight. Now for the wedding dress. It can take up to eight weeks to make a
gown, even one bought of-the-peg. Try on as many different styles of dress
as you can. Some wedding styles of dresses have little hanger appeal but
look stunning when you’re inside. Wedding dresses are expensive, so why not
consider hiring the dress? A one-off designer gown costs about the same as
an off-the-peg manufacturers dress. Once you have chosen your gown, buy some
sensuous bridal lingerie. To ensure a perfect fit, take it along to one of
the fittings.
Nine. Choose your 'something old, something new, something borrowed and
something blue'. This is the prefect opportunity to wear treasured family
jewellery and gifts from very special friends.
Ten. Time for a little retail therapy with your bridesmaids. Choose dresses
that suit them all. Use a colour theme rather than asking teenagers to wear
the frills and flounces that only look cute on the under-tens. Sit down with
your groom and work out what he will be wearing. Most men hire their wedding
attire and this needs to be done about for weeks in advance.
Eleven. You need to arrange your photographers to capture the big day. The
photographer is possibly the most important professional you will need to
enlist. Choose someone whose work you love, someone you have a great rapport
with, someone who understands your needs, someone you would be happy to
include as a guest at your wedding. Only you will be more visible on the
day! Meet them to see examples of their work and only book someone who is
flexible and has lots of ideas. Expect only the highest level of
professionalism. Ask for confirmation of the booking in writing. Choose
wisely, because once the flowers have faded, your photographs are all that’s
left.
Twelve. Create a colour theme for the whole wedding and choosing your dress,
the bridesmaids’ outfits, the flowers and the reception decorations couldn’t
be simpler.
Thirteen. A good florist will work with you to create something to suit your
individual style of wedding. Visit the venue about a month before the
wedding to plan your room decorations. A room full of flowers will prove
expensive, but two well placed displays can be both modern and stylish.
Fourteen. Invitations need to be sent out about two months in advance. There
are many different designs from the formal to the hand-made.
Fifteen. Book your wedding transport and confirm the exact model of car and
the colour if it's part of your theme.
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Sixteen.
If you want your new surname on your passport to take on honeymoon, apply
for the name change as soon as you can as this can take some time.
Seventeen. Seventeen. Start shopping around for the best deals for your
honeymoon. Room upgrades, champagne, flowers and a free dinner are readily
available for honeymooners. Once the honeymoon destination has been decided
upon ask about necessary visas and make an appointment with your doctor for
any inoculations.
Eighteen. Help your mum and future mother-in-law to choose their outfits.
Ask your florist to design special corsages to match their colour schemes.
Nineteen. Go shopping with your groom for your wedding rings. It is a nice
idea to have the rings engraved inside. Even just your initials and the
wedding date are very romantic.
Twenty. Decide on the type of music you would like for the reception. A DJ
is always a good option, but if you want to have live music, ask for demo
tapes from potential groups and try to hear them live at least once.
Remember, a live band will need to take regular breaks, so arrange for a
good sound system to play your favourite music while the band are resting.
Twenty-One. Expect to pay at least £200 for a three-tiered traditional cake,
a lot more if you want a cake with a theme. Save about half the cost of your
cake by getting a clever mum or friend to make the basic cake then take it
along to a professional to have it iced and decorated.
Twenty-two. Ring around all the local department stores and ask to be sent
details of their wedding gift list services. Check the Web too for on-line
gift services. Choose one or several stores and spend an afternoon choosing
your gifts with your groom, your mum or your best friend. Ask someone in
your family (try the Groom’s Mum) to be in charge of the guest list, ticking
off names as and when they accept. Your venue will probably want you to
confirm final numbers a week or two in advance.
Twenty-three. Obtain permission from your venues to throw confetti. If this
is not permitted, tell your guests to bring rice, which the birds will eat,
or rose petals.
Twenty-four. Visit your venue when it is not being used and plan your room
decorations about one month before the wedding. Flowers everywhere are
expensive and two well-placed displays can be just as effective.
Twenty-five. Book your first night accommodation. Visit all the local hotels
and ask to see the bridal suite. Check what 'extras' are included in their
honeymoon package. You might find them throwing in champagne, chocolates and
a chauffeur-driven car to drive you to the airport the following morning.
Twenty-six. Disposable cameras are now de rigueur at every wedding. To get
those shots the professionals would never dare to take, put a couple in the
centre of each table at your reception. This gives your guests something to
do and you’ll get a supply of wonderfully dippy behind-the-scenes informal
pictures to supplement your album.
Twenty-seven. Buy gifts for the best man, ushers and bridesmaids. Have the
gifts inscribed with your names and the wedding date. Ask your florist to
prepare two very special bouquets as thank-yous for both mums. These are
traditionally presented by the groom during his speech.
Twenty-eight. Have a trial run at the hairdressers a week or two before the
big day. Take along your headdress and veil and even a Polaroid camera to
make recreating your wedding hairstyle easier. Treat yourself to a make-up
lesson with a professional. Take careful note of all the colours they use
and how they use them so that you can do the same on your wedding morning.
Twenty-nine. Pack your honeymoon cases and take them to your first night
hotel the day before the wedding. Nominate one of your bridesmaids or a
close friend to pack up your wedding attire following the reception and
store it for you until after the honeymoon.
Thirty. Assemble a small bag with your wedding day essentials, like a hanky,
a lipstick, an aspirin, a comb and hairgrips and ask someone to keep it for
you.
Oh, all right – Thirty-One! Smile, relax and above all have a wonderful day.
David Ireland (c) 2005
www.sandra-ireland.com |
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