Good reasons to have a winter wedding

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The number of winter weddings taking place every year is increasing. Although off-season rates are a factor for many couple’s, there are lots of fun reasons to have your big day during the winter months. Read on to find out more…

1. Dusk till Dawn

As dusk falls early, you have an extended evening to celebrate. With endless possibilities for candles, fairy lights, and fireworks to light up the night sky, winter weddings are a great excuse to have fun with lights.

2. White Wedding

Every winter bride dreams of a magical sprinkling of snow. If you get married north of the border, the chance increases even further.

3. Money Matters

The biggie. Most venues and suppliers will have off season rates, but many will also provide tempting incentives. Scottish venue Dundas Castle is offering complimentary bubbly, fairy light ceiling, and sparklers to all winter weddings in January and February 2016 as part of its ‘Winter Sparkle’ promotion.

4. Fireside Glow

Why not welcome your guests into a venue that has a roaring open fire? You could also reflect on your day with a night cap as the fire crackles – one of the great pleasures of winter weddings.

5. A date to remember

Winter is full of memorable dates to make your chosen day even more special. You could have a festive Christmas wedding, a romantic Valentine’s weekend wedding, or even start the New Year as you mean to go on – as a married couple.

6. Honeymoon Heaven

Fly to the Maldives during Summer, and you’ll hit a monsoon! Winter is southern hemisphere honeymoon season, with no school holiday supplements. The chance to ski or get some much needed winter sun makes it a honeymoon triple whammy!

7. Sunshine Stress

Getting married in winter totally eliminates ‘Will it? Won’t it?’ weather related stress. Guests will be expecting colder weather, so the focus will be on what’s going on indoors. That way, any snow or winter sun comes as an added bonus.

8. A Break from the norm

Your guests may have ‘wedding fatigue’ by the time your summer wedding comes around. A winter wedding will be a seasonal highlight too. This gives you and your guests a great excuse for a post-Christmas knees up.

9. Great Availability

Winter is still low season, making getting your ideal Saturday date a breeze. It’s also much easier finding accommodation for your guests, or bagging your dream wedding photographer or wedding band.

10. Winter Wellies

Last but surely not least, a winter wedding is your chance to sport some stylish bridal wellies. If you’re less adventurous, winter offers a plethora of clothing options. Why not go for fake fur, feathers and capes to tempt the fashion conscious.

How to avoid wedding shoe mishaps

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Say goodbye to sore feet, blisters and sinking into the grass!

Every bride-to-be must, at some point, get the fear of falling. Tripping as they walk up the aisle, slipping as they walk on the grass – the fear of being the next wedding fail on YouTube! But have no fear. Follow these top tips and you’ll be gliding elegantly down the aisle in no time…

Relax!

When you are tense and nervous, you are more awkward and therefore clumsier. We know this is easier said than done but this aside, it’s your wedding day, your friends and family are there to see you get married to each other, and they want the best for you. Smile, look directly into your partner’s eyes and take a deep breath.

Go for comfort

Ouch! There is nothing worse than limping around with sore feet because of ill-fitting or cheap shoes. Please remember that comfort is key here – pick a pair from a reputable seller of professional bridal shoes. The biggest secret of wedding shoes is they are designed to be the most comfortable shoes you will ever wear. Most shoes purchased off the high street do not have these extra added comfort features as they have cushioned lining and extra insole padding. Shoes with leather linings are also really comfortable as they mould to the shape of your foot, enhancing the comfort. 

Think about heel height

Linking in with tip number 2, don’t choose your wedding day to be the first time you decide to wear 6-inch heels then totter around like a bride on stilts with your bottom sticking out and sore feet to boot! That’s not a good look and you are likely to fall over, too.

Get some practice

If you want to wear heels and you’re not used to wearing them, then you’ve got to practice! Firstly, relax, then walk slowly, lean back – it may feel unnatural, but you are compensating for heels you have so lean into them. Shoulders back, don’t swing your arms but keep them at your side, one foot in front of the other, heel to toe, head up, smile and glide!

Avoid that sinking feeling

Your photographer beckons you onto the grass for those all-important couple shots – but wait! No bride wants to be sinking into the grass, so luckily we have the perfect solution. We know of the perfect solution: Clean Heels, as featured on Dragon’s Den, feature a large disc on the bottom to give your stilettos more circumference to stop them sinking in.

The right dress length

Make sure you get your wedding dress altered wearing the shoes you’re going to be wearing on the day. And remember, if you kick your shoes off later in the evening, your dress will become a trip hazard! If your dress has a train, make sure you know how to bustle it up before you start dancing.

Don’t get drunk

Sure, you’ll have the odd glass of champagne to celebrate the big day, but no one wants to see a drunk bride wobbling all over the dance floor – and falling flat on her face! You won’t have had a lot of practice walking in these shoes so do yourself a favour and stay away from the booze.

How do you buy a gift that says everything?

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A groom may want to write a poem for his bride about all the things he loved about her – right down to her not being the best singer in the world, but loved to hear her sing as it meant she was happy.  You may have been through tough times, but against all the odds, you made it to the altar and are looking forward to the future together.

Sometimes words are not enough and writing something for a bride who had been told she that only had a short time to live, she may want to write a poem for her groom thanking him for sticking by her, and loving her through tough times. Or writing something to be read at the reception, thanking all their friends and family who helped her to put the wedding together so quickly. This of course can be a very precious keepsake.

Little details make the difference, so in each case try to weave your personal memories and feelings into something that you are proud to deliver, either written down, or read aloud.

How is a poem useful when used in a best man speech?

Poems are incredibly useful when used as best man speeches. Often the best man doesn’t have a lot of public speaking experience and it can be daunting, and so it can be nice to have the rhythm of a poem as something to focus on while they are trying to deliver their speech. Also, for a best man, what they really want to do is be there for their friend in the run up to the wedding, so having a poem to be used as their best man speech frees up their time to really be there for them. Then all they need to do is practice their poem, present on the big day and then sit back and take all the praise for their clever delivery! Perfect!

Best Man poems can contain all the regular things you would put into a best man speech, so humorous tales from the groom’s younger days, and how he met his bride and what his friends think of her, messages from friends who can’t be there and thanks you’s and so on. They can choose to have their full wedding speech as poem, or just a small part, perhaps to be used as the crowning glory and rounding off their speech.

Poems can be presented as gifts in a number of ways, as the main gift where the sentiment is in the words, or as thank you poems for the bridesmaids to go alongside any other little gifts that you may give them. They may want to simply write it into a card, frame it with a photo, record themselves reading it and then share it on YouTube, or have it transcribed into calligraphy.

Be careful not to kill the mood

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When you begin that walk down the aisle towards your fiancé the atmosphere is going to be electric. So make sure the music you choose is not going to kill the mood.

Will you be classical or a little bit rock’n’roll?

So what sort of music do you think you’ll walk too?

We suggest that you don’t choose anything too cutting edge. That doesn’t mean to say you can’t show off your taste in music but if you choose that week’s number one hit, you might regret it in years to come. Just as you might regret wearing a wedding dress that’s heavily styled for the moment. Go a little classic and you’ll never be out of style.

There are also some things you’ll need to bear in mind when making your music choices.

You need to consider just how long it’s going to take you to walk down the aisle. It usually takes about one to two minutes for most brides to walk the aisle. So choose a piece that doesn’t have a long intro or is instantly recognisable. If you’re planning a religious ceremony, some churches won’t allow you to play non-classical music or your own music. So you need to check your choices with the vicar.

Next, you should be thinking about how your music is going to be played. If it’s in a religious building, keep it classic and have it played on the organ. Alternatively, you could organise your own musicians to full the hall with romance.

Four pieces of music to play when you walk down the aisle;

The wedding processional from the Sound of Music.

Not a religious piece so you can use it in a civil ceremony. It’s majestic, grand and dramatic all at the same time. You’ll feel like a princess when you walk down the aisle to this.

Clair de Lune by Debussy.

This is a gorgeous tune to have played on the piano. It’s quiet, atmospheric and very romantic. Also not religious, so you could have it played while your guests are being seated.

For The Love of a Princess from Braveheart.

An atmospheric folk tune that’s emotional and sentimental in the right ways. Bound to bring tears to the eyes as your guests watch you start your walk.

The Bridal Chorus by Wagner.

Well this is the most traditional of traditional music to walk up the aisle to. Everybody will know you’ve arrived when this starts to play!

Four songs to play as you’re leaving;

Now what about after you’ve said your vows? When you’ve signed the register and you’re legally man and wife and starting the first steps on your new life together?

Here you can change the tempo a little bit, and have something that’s celebratory and uplifting.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours by Stevie Wonder.

 

This says it all really. You’ve said your vows and you’re on your way. A timeless piece that’s joyful, catchy and instantly recognisable.

Mairi’s Wedding by by John Roderick Bannerman.

If you’re getting married in Scotland or one or both of you are Scottish, then this is foot-tapping folk piece will surely get your guests in the mood for dancing at your reception.

Only You by The Platters.

A slow, dreamy melody that will probably take some of the older generation back to their ‘courting’ days and make them feel misty eyed.

Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring from Bach.

A traditional masterpiece for you to walk along to starry-eyed as a Mrs, whilst beaming at your friends and family as you take your first steps as newlyweds.

Your wedding photography checklist

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You don’t want to forget anything. All those important moments need to be captured.

  • The Photos You Really Don’t Want to Forget on Your Wedding Day
  • Before the ceremony
  • Shots of the bride and bridesmaids getting ready
  • The bride and father in the wedding car
  • The groom preparing
  • Wedding dress hanging on a beautiful hanger
  • Wedding Shoes
  • Groom waiting (nervously!) outside venue
  • Shot of the bridesmaids
  • During the ceremony
  • The bride’s grand entrance
  • The guests’ faces on seeing the bride
  • The groom waiting at the altar
  • The ring exchange
  • The kiss
  • Register signing
  • Bride and groom leaving
  • A confetti shot
  • It’s traditional to have photographs of:
  • Bride, groom, best man and ushers
  • Bride, groom, and both sets of parents
  • Bride and groom as new couple
  • Bride and groom with bridesmaids
  • Bride and groom with brothers and sisters
  • Bride and groom with grandparents
  • Bride and her mother
  • Groom and his father
  • Bride and groom with friends
  • Whole bridal party and guests

 

Reception

  • The decorated room and table plan before the guests arrive
  • Bride and groom entering
  • Speeches
  • Cake cutting
  • First dance of the bride and groom

Of course, you can add to and amend this wedding photography checklist however you want. But these are the classic images to build around. Enjoy your big day!

On the road to a happy ever after!

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Talk

Something about your partner bugging you? Let them know. Is something upsetting you? Talk it out. Are some of the wedding plans worrying you? Tell them! Communication is vital to a happy marriage – you should know everything there is to know about each other: all the good, the bad and the ugly. Why don’t you just tell him that you really hate that jumper that he got you for Christmas? Why don’t you let her know you’re not happy with the amount she wants to spend on the decorations? And why not tell him that you and his mother are just never going to get on. Because really, what’s the point in not being honest with the person you’re spending the rest of your life with?

Listen

Talking + listening = the dream team. Mostly because not many people like talking to a brick wall (or a useless equivalent), and also because talking things out between you is the best cure for any kind of problem! Being able to take on board anything that your partner says to you is a key factor of a happy marriage, and likewise for them to take on board anything you have to say. Like we said, it’s all about communication! It makes things a lot easier to share your worries or problems with your loved one than keep it to yourself – you never know; they might just say something useful! (Or at least can offer a cuddle at the end of it).

Compromise

The point of marriage is that you share your life with the one you love. Now, that can get a bit complicated. This is where the art of compromise comes in. It starts before marriage, because it has to; if one of person in the relationship can’t see themselves sharing the rest of their life with the other, then getting married isn’t the right thing to do, is it now? You can’t be selfish anymore – compromise is necessary to make it work! You may have wanted one thing when you were twenty years old and single, but things changed over time and you make room for the one you love, and they’ll make room for you. 

Be best friends

Being totally open with each other and the art of compromise sort of link to this too: be best friends with the one you love! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll be able to share things you didn’t think you’d ever share with anyone else. Why? Because that’s just what best friends do, and who in their right mind wouldn’t want to live with their best friend for the rest of their lives? Answer: no one. Want to find out if your husband or wife-to-be is your bestie? 

Work at it

We’re sure lots of people have already told you, marriage isn’t the easiest thing in the world. The wedding is a beautiful day that you’ll always remember, but it isn’t all three-course meals, confetti and honeymoons from there on out. It’s hard work! But don’t give up too easily – there will be arguments and there will be disagreements, but with a little bit of patience, you’ll get there; the good times will make up for the bad times. Trust us, you just wait and see.

Know your value

We’re sure you do already, but you’ve got to make sure that you both realise how important you are to each other! You know each other better than anyone else in the world – you know when they need you the most, and when you should give them a bit of space, and they know the same for you! It’s not necessarily about saying ‘I love you’ every second of the day, it’s just about knowing how special you are to each other – with no words needed to be said. Although, a nice ‘I love you’ here and there works just as well, of course!

Keep up appearances

Just because the wedding day has passed and you’ve got the ring well and truly on your finger does not mean you should let your appearances slip. Okay, so we’re not saying you’re not allowed your weekly slob-days and so on, but it’s good to still make the effort every so often! Remind them how lucky they are to have you by wowing them with a new haircut, outfit or a weekend away – and it’s not a bad treat for yourself either!

Be realistic

With all that being said, you’ve got to be realistic too! Don’t set high expectations on marriage being an absolute dream, and most importantly, don’t set high (and impossible) expectations on your wife or husband. No, they probably can’t mind-read that you wanted this not that for your Christmas present. No, they probably can’t magic up an amazing meal just in time for when you step in the house. And no, they probably don’t really want to give you a foot massage after a long day at work. Give your partner a break (and you might just get that foot massage out of good behaviour!).

Do things together

Just because you’re happy enough sitting at home on your sofa, watching daytime telly that you know full well you’re just watching because you can’t be bothered to find the remote, does not mean that that’s how you should spend every single weekend. Where’s the fun in that? Plan things to do with your hubby or wife-to-be! And it doesn’t just have to be at the weekends, what about a midweek date night to keep you going for the rest of the working week? Date nights aren’t only for people who have just started seeing each other, married couples need date nights too. Plus, who doesn’t love getting dressed up and eating something that’s not a microwave meal every now and then?

Avoid a cold before your winter wedding

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Research shows that brides should vow to stress less, or risk a Rudolf nose on their wedding day. Those suffering from stress are more likely to catch infection after infection. Echinacea was found to halve the risk of recurrent infections amongst individuals with higher stress levels.

Being stressed on the run up to your big day can wreak havoc on the immune so follow some advice on how to stay cold and flu free this winter…

Green tea

Green tea which is rich in many chemicals that have been shown to have health protective properties.

Eat well

Eat foods that are good for the immune system – a healthy plant based diet containing broccoli, cabbage, red fruits such as blackcurrants and strawberries, carrots, turmeric and onions contains plenty of immune protecting chemicals.

Wedding workout

Getting some gentle exercise such as walking, swimming or cycling for half an hour daily can be very helpful both physically and mentally. But beware that excessive exercise such as that undertaken during extreme training sessions for competitive sporting activities can reduce the immune response.

Relax and reduce stress

Stress harms your ability to fight viruses and has a huge impact on the immune system. The best thing you can do to reduce stress on your wedding day is to plan ahead. Make a schedule for getting everything done and stick to it!

Sleep tight

Be sure to get enough beauty sleep, because not getting enough lowers your immune function. The body needs a good seven hour’s kip to help build itself up. Poor sleep over a long period can decrease the immune function very quickly.

Limit alcohol

Take it easy on your hen do because drinking excessive amounts of alcohol is also bad for your immune cells, which get disorientated and confused just like us!

Herbal help

Take Echinacea at the first sign of feeling run down to help support the immune system to fight off colds and flu. 

It helps the body fight the symptoms of these infections by supporting the immune system, helping to maintain the body’s resistance.

Drop a dress size in eight weeks!!

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Do you want to drop a dress size before your big day? We know that, as brides-to-be, you’re going to be pretty busy with all that wedding planning and the thought of embarking on a strict, time consuming weight loss plan in the run up to your big day can seem too much to bear.

Losing weight doesn’t have to involve a huge overhaul of your daily diet. Instead, making small and simple changes to the way you shop, cook and eat can equal a huge difference – and could even see you drop a dress size slip into a smaller wedding dress.

Week 1

Don’t portion with caution – trying to live on small portions will leave you feeling hungry and more likely to snack on unhealthy foods. Enjoy regular meals and eat to satisfy your appetite by tucking into filling, lower-calorie foods like pasta, rice, potatoes, fruit and veg, lean meat, poultry and fish. Week 2

For every meal, fill a third of your plate with vegetables. They’ll fill you up, increase your nutrient intake and help you drop a dress size.

Week 3

Take away your takeaways and cook your own low-fat curries, burgers or chips. You’ll save pounds as well as drop a dress size and tighten your belt in more ways than one! Eating healthily doesn’t cost anymore, because you pocket pounds you’d previously have spent on convenience foods and takeaways.

Week 4

Choose whole fruits ahead of juice. Fruit contains lots of sugars (albeit natural). Whole fruit is also full of bulky fibre that helps satisfy your appetite and keep you full for a long time. Juice, however, doesn’t fill you up and it’s easy to have lots of it so you quickly consume more sugar and extra calories. Think about how full you would be after six oranges compared with how easy it is to drink the juice from six oranges without feeling full.

Week 5

Cool swaps are key when you want to drop a dress size – so use extra-lean meat, trim off all visible fat and remove skin from poultry, swap cooking oil for light sprays, sugar for sweetener and calorie-laden salad dressings for fat-free vinegar and see the pounds fly off!

Week 6

Keep a piece of fruit close to hand in case you fancy a snack, plus an apple or a banana won’t melt all over your purse like chocolate! But if you do really want to drop a dress size and fancy a piece of chocolate, don’t deny yourself. Depriving yourself will only see you crave treats more and end up giving in, most likely giving up on your slimming campaign, too. Enjoy in moderation.

Week 7

Use skimmed or semi-skimmed milk instead of whole milk in drinks, on its own or in cooking. You’ll still receive the calcium that you need without any extra fat.

Week 8

Take your lunch to work – that way you know what’s gone into it. Pre-packed sandwiches and salads can be loaded with hidden salt and fat. Plus, making your own lunches will work out cheaper, saving more money for the wedding!

Survival tips for anxious bride

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Weddings are a pretty big deal and they can be kind of scary if you’re feeling anxious about being a bride. Are you stressing about being the centre of attention? Dreading speaking to vendors? Avoiding all the nosy questions? Don’t worry, we’ve found a way to cope with the stress of it all…

It’s ok to not be ok

Getting engaged is pretty amazing, but once the initial excitement is over, it’s not uncommon for brides to feel overwhelmed. There’s a huge amount of pressure for everything to look perfect and to get everything ‘right’. And then you get the added anxiety as you know you should feel happy about planning the most important day of your life, but in fact, when you think about it your heart drops. Is that normal? Of course it is. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad bride or you’re getting cold feet – it’s a pretty stressful time so be kind to yourself.

Long engagements

As soon as you get engaged, people tend to start asking you the date of the wedding almost immediately. Don’t feel pressured to immerse yourself in wedding planning straightaway if you don’t want to – give yourself plenty of time, there is no rule about how long an engagement should be. Discuss with your partner about how long you need to plan the wedding and whether or not you want to tie the knot ASAP. Don’t put yourself under extra stress if you don’t need to.

Accept help

If your friends and family offer a helping hand, accept it! Not only will they enjoy being part of the planning process, it’ll make your job a whole lot easier. If no-one is offering, ask for help! People often don’t want to offer help as they’re worried about getting in the way, but they’re usually more than willing to help out if needed.

Apologise for bridezilla moments

You will probably become a little bit of a bridezilla in the lead-up to your wedding day. Whilst this is completely acceptable, your groom-to-be may not agree. In fact, chances are your groom is going to get the wrong idea and think you’re terrified of marrying him. Make it clear to your husband to be that you’re freaking out about the catering or flowers – not about getting married.

Being in the spotlight is scary

If you’re a pretty anxious person anyway, being in the spotlight probably isn’t your idea of fun. However, it is a vital part of any wedding. Even if you’re dreading being the centre of attention in the lead-up to the big day, when it comes to it you might actually surprise yourself! You’re in the limelight for all the right things, so simply make the most of it. If you really can’t face walking down the aisle on your own with all eyes on you, why not break tradition and get your hubby to walk down the aisle with you?

It’s fine to be selfish

It’s probably the one time when it’s socially acceptable to be incredibly selfish – especially the week before the wedding. It’s completely ok to say no, ignore the constantly ringing phone, or conveniently ‘forget’ to reply to that text. Don’t even feel bad about it. Direct it to a helper, such as your maid of honour or your mum. They’re here to help out!

You’re going to be great

When the big day arrives, you’ll probably be a bag of nerves mixed with excitement. But as soon as you walk down the aisle into your hubby’s arm, everything will fit into place and you’ll forget about everyone else in the room. Your wedding day will whizz by, so make the most of it and enjoy every second.

If you really are getting cold feet, make sure you’re marrying your best friend!

Breaking the ice with some entertainment ideas

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When it comes to wedding reception entertainment ideas (and we’re talking about the drinks reception here), 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

There’s nothing quite like completing the wedding vows and heading to the wedding reception to be met by the sound of 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 nor bride are Scottish or Irish, bagpipes may be a truly unusual wedding party entertainment idea, but there are many other options. The kora is a gorgeous instrument for those of African heritage.

Some find it very difficult to chat to others at weddings, especially if they haven’t brought along a plus one. Not to worry what about having some lookalikes which will be a fantastic way to get wedding guests talking be they playing a celebrity that the bride or groom might fancy or a favourite character from their childhood! Captain Jack Sparrow is sure to give the wedding party ideas when it comes to breaking the ice or you could even go for the real thing! Contestants from the X Factor and Britain’s got Talent aren’t as expensive as you might think and are sure to wow the assembled guests with their musical talents.

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!

If you aren’t too sure about predicting the future of those in your wedding party, ideas don’t come much better than getting 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 handwriting expert 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.