Category Archives: The Big Day

How to be a confident Bride

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On your big day, you want to be a confident bride, not a bride that’s hiding away from her wedding guests and the photographer in the corner! Don’t think you can do it? We beg to differ…

Look the part

First thing’s first: if you’ll look the part, you’ll radiate confidence. It’s all about your posture, smile and eye contact. We don’t want to sound like your grandma, but stand straight and keep your head high! We doubt your hubby really had his imagination set on marrying the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Plus, it will do wonders for your back. And what’s more attractive than a gorgeous natural smile and genuine eye contact? Now, for how to actually feel confident.

Forget what the others think

Don’t go following trends or other people’s expectations just to make sure your wedding guests are happy on your big day. It’s YOUR day, and it’s about you and your husband getting married – you’ve got to show each of your personalities, not anyone else’s. Too many brides concern themselves too much with meeting other people’s expectations, from the wedding theme to that ‘dream wedding body’, which is extra stress that those brides just don’t need. If it’s not you, don’t do it!

Don’t overdo it

It’s not uncommon for brides want to take on as many tasks to do with the wedding as possible, if not all of them. You want to be in control of your perfect day, don’t you! However, don’t overdo it! Make the most of your hubby, your friends and your family – hand some tasks over to them to relieve yourself before it’s too late, and you start to resent wedding planning.

Take a break

No matter how much you think you have to do, it’s so important that you take a break from it all from time to time. We mean it! Don’t head home from work and head straight to your laptop to narrow down the different centrepieces you’ve got in mind – do something a bit different. Schedule in a date night for you and your hubby-to-be where wedding chat is totally banned. Nope, no mention of which colour napkins or what wine to serve. It’s will make you feel revived, refreshed and more ready to get back on it, we promise!

Get foody

Eating healthily is not just about losing weight, it’s about feeling great and at your best – aka feeling confident! A balanced diet, full of lots of goodness, is super important to your mood,  and we all want a happy bride, don’t we! Make sure you fight the bad binges that just make you grumpy and feel rubbish; pack your fridge full of good-for-you foods, and snack on fruit and nuts rather than that share bag of Doritos you’ve got in your cupboard…

Boost your endorphins

There are a number of ways to boost your endorphins, and yes, exercise is one. The idea of exercise might send a shiver down your spine, but we’re not necessarily talking hardcore cardio – even going out dancing with your friends can count! That’s not the only fun way to boost those endorphins either: laughter is a booster, music is a booster, and sex is a booster… even more reason to have that date night we talked about

Treat yourself

Just because of that wedding diet or wedding budget that you’ve got going on, doesn’t mean you can’t treat yourself every so often. Yes, that means a little retail therapy or a sneaky Twix or Crunchie bar here and there. You should enjoy yourself now you’re engaged, not punish yourself by banning your favourite pastimes or treats. That’s no fun!

Relax

Planning a wedding isn’t all about running round and doing stuff – that’s just exhausting! You need the nights when you can run yourself a lush bubble bath, sit back and read your favourite wedding magazine. There’s no point in stressing and getting uptight over things that aren’t going to get done, or aren’t playing by your exact plan, because your wedding day will undoubtedly be the best day of your life – even if you’re getting a three tier cake instead of four.

 

The brides wedding speech

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Plenty of brides are are grabbing the mic – or asking their bridesmaids or mother to do the honours.

In a recent survey*, it was revealed that more than a fifth of women were planning on giving a speech on their big day.

Whatever the running order, speeches need to be well planned. The good news is that women do tend, to be more organised.

Bride speech subjects

If a bride chooses to make a speech, the first thing she should do is discuss what subjects with her husband-to be, so they don’t go over the same ground in terms of their thank-yous.

So, after thank-yous, what should you be talking about? Your beloved, of course! Their quirks are a welcome topic, especially if it come with a healthy dollop of humour.

Things that should never be said? Never use it as an opportunity to air laundry. It might only last a few minutes, but people can remember speeches forever.

Although tradition dictates that the groom toasts the bridesmaids, it’s likely that a bride will want to talk about her friends too.

The most important thing to remember is to speak slowly, with poise and purpose. Dispel any anxiety by focusing on your new spouse; they’re the reason you’re making a speech in the first place.

And remember, you’re not an actor or comic – you’re you, on the best the day of your life. Speak from the heart and you won’t go far wrong!

The dos and don’ts of speech making

  • Don’t make ‘in jokes’ that are alienating to the majority of your guests
  • Do speak slowly and take your time
  • Don’t feel you have to make ‘gags’ with a punchline
  • Do keep your speech sub-10 minutes. No matter how good it is, you don’t want to run the risk of boring the wedding party and guests
  • Don’t just list people you’d like to thank – add texture to your speech with anecdotes

Wedding Times

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What Time Of Day Should You Get Married?

While 11am or 1pm remain the most popular ceremony time historically, sunset and candlelit weddings are pretty appealing too.  So, how should you choose what time to get married?

When you first meet with your wedding venue coordinator, you’ll be presented with options for the scheduled timings of a traditional wedding day. While they may be popular for good reason – a 1pm ceremony gives you plenty of time to get ready and take photographs with your bridal party – there’s nothing to say that your perfect day has to fit the same mould.

Over the last few years, here in the UK marriage laws have relaxed considerably. These allow for more relaxed schedules in turn. So, if you’ve been imagining a sunrise elopement with the dawn chorus or exchanging vows beneath the stars, they needn’t be pipe dreams anymore.

There may be times that are particularly sentimental for you as a couple. How about the time of your first date, of the proposal, or other relationship milestones, for example. You could use these to guide the time you marry too.

The time of year you choose to tie the knot will influence the time you choose to hold your ceremony. If you want a candlelit ceremony or to have your couples portraits at sunset, then you’ll be able to tie the knot much earlier in the day during the winter months than in the summer.

But, while moonlit ceremonies do sound very romantic, you must consider the practicalities of your chosen times too. Your wedding needs to be held at a comfortable time for your guests to attend and suppliers to set up. Thorough planning in advance will make many things possible, though.

Perhaps the set up can be completed the day before and accommodation provided for your guests…

There’s also the question of whether you want exclusive use. If you’ve chosen a wedding venue that is open to the public, then you may need to work around their opening hours to have the place to yourselves. You could encounter this if your venue is a country house with open gardens during the day, a gallery or a museum, for example.

There are benefits of marrying a little later in the day once the crowds have dispersed, though. A 5pm ceremony means you only need to cater for one meal, saving you a significant sum of money that could be invested on your honeymoon instead

On the other hand, if you’ve booked multiple wedding entertainment acts, then it makes sense to hold your ceremony earlier to give you time to enjoy it all. We’ve seen couples book everything from magicians and fire-breathers to photobooths, bands and bouncy castles. Some entertainment will be better suited to the daytime or evening. Anything for children specifically should be planned earlier in the day.

 

Shedding some extra pounds

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Unsurprisingly, brides hope to shed extra pounds before getting married. However, perhaps more shockingly, as many as one in three will resort to crash dieting in an extreme bid to get their ideal bridal body.

The sooner you start the better. Don’t wait until the last minute to try and lose weight and then expect miracles.

You should be thinking about your diet and exercise plan as soon as you start planning a wedding, so that you don’t end up resorting to a crash diet in a bid to lose pounds at the last minute. Ideally you should aim to reach your weight loss goal within 4 weeks of your wedding, in time for the final dress fittings. That way you’ll be able to focus more on the finishing touches of the wedding planning rather than worrying about fitting into your dream dress.

Make sure you take regular exercise over the first four to six weeks for general fitness, then start to target specific areas such as your stomach, thighs and bottom. Keeping a fitness diary will also monitor your progress and help you to feel good about your achievements.

Finding the right kind of exercise regime to suit your needs and schedule can vary from a brisk walk to a full workout in the gym or an exercise video that you found online.

If you have a demanding work and life schedule that rarely allows you to fit exercise in, then try to make lifestyle swaps wherever you can. For example, ditch the car and walk to work or the shops and try to take the stairs instead of the lift – even just taking up small exercises like this will help you keep trim.

High intensity interval training (known as HIIT for short) is great for a busy bride. This consists of short bursts of intense exercise mixed in with small rests, which could benefit you more than a long session in the gym.

You need to start sweating and exercising alongside a healthy diet to make great changes to your body but this doesn’t mean that you need to spend hours on a treadmill.

Above all, have fun and don’t beat yourself up if it takes a while to get the results you want. Getting fit and losing weight healthily takes time, but stick with it and you’ll feel fabulous inside and out when you finally get into that dream wedding dress.

 

The Groom should feel fabulous too

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When planning a wedding so much of the build up to the wedding is about the bride and her beauty regime, whether she decides to do her own wedding makeup or opt for amazing nail art, but what about the groom?

The groom will appear in plenty of pictures on his wedding day, so it’s important to be looking your absolute best.

Consider Your Scent

You’re pretty much guaranteed at least one kiss on your wedding day, but to guarantee you get a few more make sure you smell incredible. Look for an aftershave that comes with a matching moisturiser and shower gel – by using products that all have the same scent, the smell will be stronger. It’s also worth investing in a decent deodorant – test run it ahead of the big day!

Facial Hair

Moustache: To make sure your moustache is in perfect condition, start growing it ahead of the big day. Avoid trimming it above the lip until you’re pleased with the length, and comb through it regularly, brushing the hairs outwards.

Stubble: Designer stubble is big trend  – it’s great news if you struggle to grow a full beard, or can’t be bothered to shave regularly! To make the most of your stubble, allow the hairs to grow until it starts to feel itchy and follow the natural lines on your face to create the shape. Wet shave any of the areas that don’t fit the template. If your face is quite chiselled, fade or taper the stubble so there’s not such a defined outline.

Tight Beard: If want to be on trendy with a beardy look but can’t deal with feeling unkempt, the tight beard is for you. Keep your facial hair trimmed short for this look, as it gives a well-groomed feel. Set your trimmer to 2-3 millimetres and trim evenly all over, before wet shaving the surrounding areas for a well-defined, sharp look.

Short Long Beard: A long beard isn’t for everyone – that trend may be best left to the hipsters. A long beard can appear quite straggly so for a tidy take on the look go for the short long beard. Follow the shape of your face to style this beard and use sharp, groomed lines. Don’t let the beard go past a couple of inches below the chin and leave the hair under the chin and on the neck to grow for a fuller look.

Style Your Hair

Don’t get so caught up in your facial hair that you forget about the hair on your head. See a barber in the run up to your wedding – around two weeks before – to make sure your hair is tidy and in top condition. You may need to trim your neck and hairline just before the big day. Now is not the time to change your trusty hair products in case they don’t result in the desired effect. Stick to your usual style and products.

Get a Manicure

Consider getting a masculine manicure to make sure your nails are looking their very best for the big day. It’s quite likely that your hands will feature in a lot of photos – as you place the wedding ring on your partner’s finger, and as the two of you show off your shiny new rings after the ceremony. By getting a manicure you can make sure your nails look neat, tidy and buffed ready to be captured on camera.

 

Asian Weddings

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Around the world, weddings are planned with varying degrees of cultural tradition and innovation, supplying boundless avenues of inspiration. Asian-inspired ceremonies, for example, can add some truly unique and festive beauty. Take a look at these Asian wedding planning ideas for some noteworthy insight.

Haldi Ceremony

Haldi, the Hindi word for turmeric, has a place in many Indian traditions, one of the most sacred being weddings. On the morning of the ceremony, the couple is coated in a vibrant paste made of haldi and other ingredients, such as oil, rosewater, or sandalwood.

The messy yet fun ritual serves many purposes: It wards off evil spirits, provides an all-natural beauty treatment, and serves to avert those pesky wedding-day jitters. While traditionally the bride and groom perform the rituals separately at their respective homes, a modern take on the haldi observance has the couple do it together and incorporate the paste into the entire ceremony.

Mehndi Ceremony

Mehndi has grown in popularity in the Western world over the last several decades. Mehndi is the art of body painting with henna paste, typically in ornate and elaborate designs. Application generally takes place right before the ceremony and is applied to both the bride and groom. Today the designs know no bounds, ranging from depictions of Indian gods, to a couple’s portraits, to cartoon characters.

Applying mehndi is one of the oldest Indian traditions and is considered a good omen for the couple. Friends and family get together and make this ritual a highly celebrated and joyous event. The longer the mehndi retains its colour, the more felicitous it is thought to be for the newlyweds.

Beautiful Wedding Mandap Decors

A mandap is a pillared structure at the front of a wedding venue under which a couple is married, typically seen in Hindu or Jain weddings. The mandap is highly symbolic, with four pillars meant to pay homage to the couple’s four parents. This is also where the couple is officially joined in matrimony and spend their first moments as married partners.

Decorated mandaps add a beautiful focal point to any wedding and are vital in traditional Indian ceremonies. Couples often incorporate fresh wedding flowers, intricate lighting, and vivid colours. While traditional mandaps are constructed of wood, a number of different materials and fabrics are used in modern weddings.

Wedding Entertainment

Asian wedding ceremonies employ different types of entertainment. Some couples opt for a classic sound system and others for live music. The bride’s entry song is of great importance, and today couples elect anything from old school songs like “Karunesh” by Punjab to “Latika’s Theme Song” from Slumdog Millionaire.

Many ceremonies also include traditional singing and dancing. Traditional ceremonies will include a handful of separate occasions where music plays an important role. Choosing the right musicians, bands, or singers should be given attention.

Because Asian weddings are known for their grandiosity and elegance, special dancers for the ceremony are quite common. Partner and folk dances are incorporated at different times of the event to celebrate and kick off the festivities. Professional dancers are an extravagant yet tasteful addition.

Entertain your guests

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When it comes to wedding reception entertainment ideas, there’s a number of ways which you can go. Many choose to simply ditch entertainment completely in favour of quiet talking or complete silence as guests struggle to work out just who they should speak to over their glass of Champagne. In order to break the ice, we think that a little wedding entertainment goes a long way and here are just a few ideas to get you started.

Tarot Card/Palm Reader)

Some strolling entertainment at your reception is often a fab way to get people chatting. Moving away from the music acts, there are some wonderfully romantic wedding entertainment ideas that at first might not seem obvious but then make sense when you’re there. One of these is looking into hiring a fortune teller, tarot card or palm reader. A great bit of fun, you never know, they may just see another wedding on the horizon between a couple of your guests!

Magician

If you aren’t too sure about predicting the future of those in your wedding party, ideas don’t come much better than hiring a magician for your big day. As the wedding reception entertainment, magic is sure to bring people together and provides a little relaxation for the Best Man and others ahead of the speeches later on! A graphologist is also an unusual entertainment idea for a wedding but no less compelling. Who doesn’t want to know what their handwriting tells an expert about them!? You never know, the writing might be on the wall for another marriage before too long.

Bagpiper

There’s nothing quite like completing the wedding vows and heading to the wedding reception to be met by dulcet tone of the Bagpipes. Many of the guests may be in kilts anyway so it’s a perfect excuse to celebrate your heritage! Admittedly if neither the groom or bride are Scottish or Irish, bagpipes may be a truly unusual wedding entertainment idea, but there are many other options.

Living Topiary

Living statues are the perfect solution for ensuring a good time is had by all. These living statues always go down well, whilst a puppet show is an endearing way to tell the story of the couple. It’s bespoke, imaginative and unusual wedding entertainment most guests won’t have seen before.

 

Affordable Wedding Entertainment

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Not everyone has a huge budget for the most important and happiest day of their lives but most people would like a little something for their big day. With that in mind, here is  a list of the most affordable wedding entertainment.

Spotify

If you are after ultra-low budget then there’s nothing cheaper than playing Spotify as you walk down the aisle, during the drinks reception and when dancing the night away once the food has all been cleared away. If you’re strapped for cash then this will be cheaper. That being said we do advise signing up for premium ahead of the big day; we can’t think of anything worse than a dreaded Spotify ad every three songs.

Acoustic Guitarist

Many like to walk down the aisle to some live music and what better way to celebrate this momentous occasion than by booking an acoustic guitarist. With this blog on the hunt for most affordable wedding entertainment, acoustic duos are out and acoustic guitarists are in. Able to perform as you walk down the aisle, during reception drinks and perhaps as an accompaniment to the wedding breakfast, an acoustic guitarist is as cheap as they come.

Garden Games

With the weather as nice as it is, you might be forgiven for thinking it’s summer already! Many enjoy an outdoor wedding every year and if you’re one of the people who wants to bring the party vibe, garden games are a must. Croquet, giant Jenga and even a spot of rounders have all been seen in recent years. Fun to play and quick to set up, this is some of the cheapest wedding entertainment around and gets you the most bang for your buck; breaking the ice between guests have never been easier!

Harpist

Incredibly harpists come under most affordable wedding entertainment because they supply their own instrument (grand pianos tend to be a pretty penny to get through the door of a venue that doesn’t have one!) A superb addition to any wedding, we highly recommend booking a harp.

DJ

If Spotify isn’t your thing and you don’t want to shell out for a full live band, booking a DJ is a no-brainer. Experienced disc jockeys know exactly how to read a room and work at many weddings throughout the year. Able to choose the right music for the right moments, you’ll be jumping up and down one second and slow dancing the next. An absolute must for the evening!

 

Don’t go broke

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When planning a wedding you’re probably tired of hearing how the average wedding now costs more than £25,000. We know it’s going to be (probably) the most expensive day of our lives, but it will all be worth it?

Figures suggest that a quarter of couples get into debt to pay for their big day, and almost half of those live to regret it. Read our six top tips for breaking those bad money habits.

It’s so tempting when planning your big day to want the absolute best, and that usually means hefty price tags. But it soon mounts up and, once it’s all over, it’s likely nobody will remember that the table decorations were made by a trendy designer.

Try This: Get creative and tap into the crafty/vintage vibe instead. Ask friends to help make unique decorations, or have a wedding bake-off instead of calling in the caterers, and beg and borrow what you can instead of buying everything brand new.

Some brides are super-organised, with a detailed budget planner updated daily. But most of us are guilty to some extent of letting costs mount up, and not knowing exactly what’s going in and out. The longer you let this go on, the harder it will feel to sort it all out – so it’s crucial to address budgeting now.

Try This: If you don’t like spreadsheets, ask a (reliable) friend to help put a budget planner together, and get her to nag you to fill it in every day.

Most people are guilty of impulse buying, and brides-to-be are arguably even more susceptible. Whether it’s a piece of jewellery, or a new pair of sandals for the honeymoon beach, you see it, and you have to have it – because it’s PERFECT. But let’s face it, most of us have something in the wardrobe that we thought was fab at the time but have never worn.

Try This: Instead of buying it there and then, have a cooling-off period. Go home, add it to your wedding budget planner and see in a few days whether you think it’s really worth it.

If you use cards all the time, it’s easy for spending to get out of control – and especially if you’re using credit cards. If you’re not having to take a physical trip to the cash machine or hunt for notes in your purse, you can lose touch with the actual act of paying.

Try This: Instead of taking cards with you when you shop, leave them safely at home. Take out just the cash you think you’ll need and no more – and see how much you save!

 

First Dance Worries

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If you’re not sure whether you want a first dance at your wedding reception, you aren’t alone, we know couples can find it tricky.

If you hate dancing, and don’t want to do it with everyone watching – don’t worry, your guests won’t judge! They will just be happy to see you and your new spouse have a little chat for three or four minutes while you sway from side to side  – which is what most first dances end up being.

Despite the soppiness of it, a slow first dance is probably your best bet if you are a little worried about dancing. If you’ve got moves, and you want to show them off, something faster can definitely work.

Weddings are frantic, and over the course of the day you’ll hardly get a moment to yourself, let alone with your new husband or wife. Everyone there will want to talk to you, and there’s timings and speeches to worry about. The first dance can be a little calm in the storm. First dances are a great way to put a momentary pause on a wedding day.

In addition to this, the first dance is a great ice breaker to move the day from meal to massive party, and 99 times out of 100, the dance floor gets fuller faster when there is a first dance, compared to when there isn’t.

If you aren’t sure which song to pick, try writing down separate lists of at least 10 songs without conferring. Songs that make you smile and think of your other half when you listen to them. The ones that give you goosebumps, or send those tiny little hairs on the back of your neck standing on end.

If there are none that match, make a playlist of your partner’s suggestions, and get them to make a playlist of yours. Listen to them when you’re not together and see if you get those goosebumps from any of your partner’s suggestions.

First dance suggestions

  • You Are The Best Thing – Ray Lamontagne
  • You’re All I Need To Get By – Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
  • It Must Be Love – Madness
  • Keep On Movin’ – 5ive
  • One Day Like This – Elbow
  • You’re My Best Friend – Queen
  • Lover Of The Light – Mumford and Sons
  • Dancing In The Dark – Bruce Springsteen
  • Mountains – Biffy Clyro
  • Stand By Me – Ben E. King
  • Your Body Is A Wonderland – John Mayer
  • Mean To Me – Brett Eldridge