When marrying abroad

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Considering getting married in Spain, France, Greece, Italy or Mustique? You’ll need to do your homework first – luckily for you, we’ve done the legal bit for you…

CERTIFICATE OF NO IMPEDIMENT (CNI)

What? A certificate confirming there are no objections to your marriage.

How? It is a legal requirement that each party gives notice prior to any proposed marriage. You’ll need to arrange a meeting at your local register office – your notice will then be displayed for 15 days before your CNI is issued.

When? The certificate is issued without an expiry date. However, the country in which you intend to marry may have its own validity period; so check.

Who? If you are getting married in Italy, Spain or Greece, you will be asked for a CNI. You’ll need to get your CNI translated and sworn before the courts or Justice of the Peace in the relevant country.

Cost? A register office notice fee costs £35 per person while there is no charge for a CNI.

STATUTORY DECLARATION

What? A legal declaration used to confirm your single status.

How? You will need to make a declaration under oath, in the presence of a solicitor, stating your intent to marry in the destination that you have chosen.

When? This document must be obtained within three months of your intended wedding date.

Who? Italian law requires a Statutory Declaration.

Cost? The cost is nominal (from £5).

LEGALISATION

What? The Foreign & Commonwealth Office needs to certify your statutory declaration and CNI as genuine.

How? You will need to complete the legalisation application form at gov.uk and then send away the relevant documents and payment to be processed.

When? Immediately after you have your Statutory Declaration and CNI, as the SD has a three-month expiry date.

Who? Weddings in Spain, Greece and Italy require the legalisation of documents.

Cost? This service costs £30 per document, plus postage.

The countdown

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The perfect Wedding needs planning and we thought that this 12 month handy planner maybe just the job to ensure you are organised for the big day;

12 months to go…

Have the budget conversation with your fiancé and your parents
Fix a date and time
Decide on guest numbers
Visit reception venues and book one as soon as possible
Buy wedding insurance

11 months to go…

Send save-the-dates
Book your photographer and videographer (Make sure the church or wedding venue allows photos and videos to be shot!)
Book the caterer, DJ and/or band
Make appointments to try on wedding dresses

10 months to go…

Choose your guests – bridesmaids, ushers and best man etc.
Decide on your dress (allow at least six months for a made-to-measure dress to be delivered)
Choose and order your bridesmaid’s outfits.
Start thinking about a honeymoon, including the costs, season and flights

9 months to go…

Find a florist and discuss your flowers, including buttonholes, bouquets and arrangements for the church and reception venue
Taste and confirm your menu and drinks with your caterer
Choose and order your bridesmaid outfits

8 months to go…

If you’re getting married in a church, discuss readings with the minister or priest and music with the musicians
If it’s a civil ceremony, enquire about what readings and music are permitted
Order invitations and envelopes (allow one invitation per married couple or family), plus place cards, menus and a seating plan

7 months to go…

Book transport to the wedding venue and on to the reception for you and your bridal party (as well as a car to take you to your first-night hotel or the airport)
Order your wedding cake
Choose and order wedding favours

6 months to go…

Remind your fiancé to get his and the usher’s outfits
Choose gifts for the wedding party
Pick your wedding rings
Confirm the order of service with your priest or registrar, and then have guest booklets printed. If you have a choir, they need copies, too

5 months to go…

Go honeymoon shopping (Remember summer clothes aren’t easy to find in the winter and vice versa!)
Book a hairdresser and style consultation (do this earlier if you’re planning to grow your hair)
Book your make-up artist and trial appointments

4 months to go…

If you’re changing your name, renew your passport now or do it after you have your honeymoon. The officiating minister or registrar will sign the form
Find out if you need visas or inoculations for your honeymoon.
Discuss hen and stag night plans with your friends.

3 months to go…

Pick a company and start gift-list window shopping!
Book for a colour (if you get your hair coloured) and a trim
Organise a rehearsal and inform those who will need to be there
Attend a reading of the banns, if you’ll marry in a church

2 months to go…

Send out invitations six weeks before the day and keep a list of acceptances
Check that your fiancé has organised the rings, his wedding clothes, and your first-night hotel
Try on your whole wedding outfit, including headdress, shoes and underwear. Forgotten anything? Get it!
Book any other beauty treatments (nails, fake tans, etc.)

1 month to go…

Confirm numbers with caterers and do the seating plan
Discuss special requests with your band or DJ
Order honeymoon currency and traveller’s cheques
Visit the hairdresser to try out hairstyles with your veil and tiara, and have your final cut and colour
Have your hen and stag nights – after all that running around, it’s time to party!

The perfect wedding venue

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It’s one of the earliest— and most important — tasks a couple takes on, and for good reason. The site determines the date, ambience, and location of the whole affair. With so much pressure to make the right decision, how does a bride make up her mind? We asked brides on Facebook to share how they made their choice to shed a little light on this planning selection. Here, our favourite answers which may inspire you:

“We visited the ‘dream’ venue”, you know the one you fantasize about getting married at from being a little girl? And it was awful so my fiancé took it upon him to find us a better one and he did. Within a week, we’d visited and booked it — love at first sight.”

“We visited our venue on a holiday before we got engaged and we both said, ‘That’s the place we want to get married.’ We got engaged there and now we’re marrying there next September!”

“We picked an area where we had are first kiss and it held so many sentimental memories for us too, we just had to get married in a place that meant so much to us”

“I picked a place that was not only cost-efficient, but when I went to see it, I knew that it was unique and I had it have it. I love my venue and I absolutely can’t wait to get married there!” See more:

“We wanted ceremony and reception in the same location, so we saw a few wedding venues, but nothing said ‘us’ that was a romantic setting until we saw our venue. It’s perfect and I can’t wait to get married there. It’s my happy place, we both love it.”

“Our original venue cancelled on us and our new venue was the only one free and big enough! Luckily it is a much nicer venue!”

“We must’ve seen over 40 wedding venues. We choose Disney because we fell in love with it! And, well we got some pretty amazing pictures.”

“My grandparents’ garden where I had pretty much grown up. It had so many memories and sentimental reasons to have my wedding where I grew up and learned so much.”

“There was a vintage merry-go-round everyone could ride during the reception. Amazing fun!”

We hope that some of the brides have inspired your to find your perfect venue, just make it personal, after all this is a special day which you will want to remember for the right reasons!!

Marriage and equality

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Celebrate “Love Wins” with these inspired same-sex wedding décor ideas — from cute “Mr.” and “Mr.” chair signs to customized cake toppers featuring two brides.

When it comes to crafting a beautiful wedding, it’s all about representing the couple’s style and personality — and same-sex weddings are no different. With the law changing in favour of marriage and equality, we’re feeling especially inspired to share some gorgeous wedding-planning ideas for gay and lesbian couples.

We’ve rounded up a few décor ideas that provide a unique twist on traditional wedding details: Kick off the festivities with a personalized billboard sign, a fun way to welcome your guests — and get them excited for the nuptials ahead! Add a twist to traditional ceremony seating with a tongue-in-cheek sign pointing guests to choose a seat and not a side (either way it’s for a bride!). Want to show off your newlywed status in style? Opt for matching ‘Groom and Groom chair designs adorned with greenery or display whimsical “Bride” and “Bride” laser-cut letters in front of your handcrafted sweets. You can also add a humorous — and elegant! — upgrade to the grooms’ cake with tiered chocolate cupcakes adorned with mini bowties and top hats. For brides, go for simple “Hers” and “Hers” calligraphed signs in front of delicious, non-traditional wedding cakes. And as the night’s celebration comes to a close, send off your guests with personalized canvas totes that read “Love is Love” — a perfect closing to an unforgettable night!

Whether you’re sticking to tradition or going all-out with personalized details celebrate love with these creative wedding ideas that make for a truly unique same-sex wedding!!

Welcome your guests with a sign with big personality — like a billboard with your wedding-day phrase!

Wedding cakes

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Whether you prefer sugar or fresh flowers, pretty blooms are the perfect accessory for your wedding cake!

One of the highlights of every wedding; the cake! Guests might forget your first dance song or the colour of your table runners, but your friends and family will always remember what your wedding cake tasted like — and looked like.

Wedding cakes with flowers are one of the most popular big day desserts, and for good reason! Pretty blooms add vibrancy to an otherwise simple cake at a relatively low expense. It allows the bride and groom to skip pricier decorative techniques — like fondant or hand-cut details — in favour of floral adornments.

And though sugar flowers cost more than fresh, the fake buds are still a cost-effective way to upgrade your wedding cake without bursting your budget. The best part about going the faux-flower route is that the colour and design options are endless.

If you prefer to use real flowers (which look absolutely gorgeous on a big cake!), choose a bloom that’s currently in season and complements your wedding theme.

One of the most popular ways to include flowers on a big-day dessert; the topper! Many couples are forgoing traditional cake toppers in favour of fresh blooms. But if you can’t image skipping the classic bride and groom, consider other options, like sugar petal details or scattered buds at the cake’s base or between layers.

With countless options, including hand-painted, cascading, single-bloom, and overloaded-floral styles, it’s impossible not to find a delicious confection you absolutely love.

Floral Wedding Inspiration

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Flowers play a starring role in most weddings, but if you’re big on blooms, floral details can run throughout your celebrations: it’s not just about bouquets…

Floral wedding décor may sound traditional but — creatively speaking — the sky is the limit when it comes to dressing your reception with wedding flowers. Play with props to present your blooms and use flowers to enhance the features of your venue.

Choosing a traditional paper wedding invite that features a beautiful bloom, and one you’re planning to incorporate on your wedding day, is a simple and stylish way to bring a floral theme into your wedding stationery.

If there is one element of your wedding that is crying out for floral décor, it’s the ceremony. From the heady scent of fresh flowers to the dazzling colours a floral display can add to the setting, nothing is more romantic than a floral backdrop as you say your vows

A fabulously flowery wedding cake: surely it’s the ultimate floral–inspired feature. From a traditional tiered confection adorned with edible roses to a funky chocolate creation decorated with fresh blooms, floral cakes look as delicious as they taste. There are so many styles and combinations to choose from and a bouquet presented on the top tier looks breathtaking.

Wedding tables need flowers: how you choose them depends on your theme, your style and just how high you want to turn up the floral details on the day. Bountiful arrangements can look spectacular, and if you want a contemporary edge, try using several sized vases, each filled with a bunch of your favourite flowers.

 

Beautiful Readings

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Planning a Wedding is pretty stressful and then there are poignant speeches and poems to consider. Brits ultimately don’t want something that feels too cringe or over the top to say. We want something that can transfer sentiment in a meaningful, thoughtful and beautifully written way that speaks of real and true love, not just the love you find in novels. Here are some lovely readings and quotes from books that will really hit a chord with you and your wedding guests, without it feeling a little too intense. 

 

The Bridge Across Forever by Richard Bach

“A soulmate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly be who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we’re pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we’re safe in our own paradise. Our soulmate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we’re two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we’ve found the right person. Our soulmate is the one who makes life come to life.” 

He’s Not Perfect by Bob Marley  

“He’s not perfect. You aren’t either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can. He isn’t going to quote poetry, he’s not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break. Don’t hurt him, don’t change him, and don’t expect for more than he can give. Don’t analyze. Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he’s not there. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don’t exist, but there’s always one guy that is perfect for you.

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

“No relationship is perfect, ever. There are always some ways you have to bend, to compromise, to give something up in order to gain something greater … The love we have for each other is bigger than these small differences. And that’s the key. It’s like a big pie chart, and the love in a relationship has to be the biggest piece. Love can make up for a lot.”

 

Wedding Beauty

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Skincare, Health and Fitness

Certain beauty treatments such as facials, are the most obvious thing a bride feels that she needs but to be honest with you, if you aren’t having regular facials already then there is really no need to start now.  The same thing goes for any other treatments or products promising to tone, tighten or take years off you!  

The best thing you can do for your skin is to keep yourself healthy.  Making a conscious effort to drink more water, eat more vegetables and increase your protein intake will give you far better and quicker results than any “wonder” treatment or product.  Green and herbal teas are great for keeping you hydrated and for flushing out toxins and they are a lot more interesting than water.

Nails

As for manicures and pedicures, while it is lovely to visit the salon and be pampered while they do it for you, this can become extremely costly. Fear not however! These are super simple to do at home and in all honesty I actually prefer doing these myself at home. I don’t have to sit impatiently waiting for my nails to dry in a strange place, I can watch TV or read a book in the comfort of my home while any polish sets.  

Hair and Makeup 

Firstly, make sure it is just a basic trim and not a complete restyle that they need you to model for! There should be no need to worry as you’ll usually find a senior stylist present at all times to ensure there aren’t any mistakes.  As for conditioning your hair, again, it’s nice to get wrapped up in all the beautifying but you don’t need to rush out and buy the latest keratin treatment! There are lots of home remedies you can make to nourish your hair or even just applying coconut oil can help bring any ratty locks back to their ultimate shine!

 

When it comes to wedding makeup for the day, if you don’t have the budget for a makeup artist then putting some hours in on YouTube tutorials to teach yourself can really help.  It’s like learning any new skill, it’ll take time so be patient. I would make sure you find a YouTube artist that you find easy to follow and stick with following their videos only instead of confusing yourself hopping from one to another. If you’re in need of some new makeup anyway, then getting yourself down to a makeup counter for a ‘“free” makeover which is redeemable off products purchased after then this could be a great learning tool for you too.

 

If you really don’t have a budget for wedding hair or makeup artist then don’t scrimp on costs or forego a hair or makeup trial unless you are absolutely sure that they will do a great job for you on your wedding day. Tension will be running higher than normal on your wedding morning and time will be precious so you do not want any nasty surprises or added stress of trying to rectify a bad hair or makeup situation! You could be better off just doing it yourself if you’ve practised enough – that way you will know exactly what you are doing and what to expect.

 

Sit back and Chillax

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If you’re feeling frazzled on the lead up to your big day, you are most definitely not alone. There is no doubt that planning a wedding is one of the most stressful events you may have to put together so it makes total sense that every once in awhile you need to take a step back and essentially, chillax. So we’ve put together a list of some activities that are guaranteed to get you zen 

1. Keep a Balanced Diet 

Some stress can often be perpetuated by having too much or too little of something in your diet. In the lead up to your wedding, it’s important you’re staying healthy and eating enough of everything. Make sure you’re eating at least 5 fruit and veg a day (preferably more vegetables than fruit) and that you are getting the correct amount from each food group. A good way to do this is to ensure you’re sticking to this as a routine throughout the weekdays and then at the weekend let yourself indulge a little. 

 

  1. Have a friends night 

Just as much as a wedding is a celebration of the love you have as a couple, it is also all about the love you have for your friends and family. There’s no doubt that sometimes when you need to take your mind off things, getting together with all your good friends is the best thing for it. To minimise any stress of organising, get your pals round and have everyone bring a dish and some vino and just let the giggles begin.

3. Have an evening dedicated to YOU

Everyone has their ideal kind of evening and has a good idea of what sort of ingredients that might involve. For some it may be a takeaway and a boxset, for others it might be cocktails and a night out until the late AM. Have a think about what fail-safe things always make you happy and have an evening dedicated to YOU.

 

  1. Get Outside

Sometimes there’s nothing better than wonderful fresh air to clear your head and help you realise the things that matter in life. Take a stroll in the countryside or in your local park – we love a bit of people watching as a way to check out of your own life, just for a little while. Treat yourself to a hot choc or a burst of caffeine, grab a magazine or a book, a good pal or the dog and just chill – we guarantee it will do you the world of good. 

  

  1. Go on a date 

In all the wedding chat, you can often lose sight of what this is all about – your marrying the very person you love the most. So turn this period of time into a bit of a pre-honeymoon phase and value the time you spend with your husband to be. Organise a date night that you know you’ll both love and just catch up and most importantly – ban the wedding chat, just for one night. If will help you put everything into perspective and help you realise there’s other stuff outside of the wedding bubble. 

 

Research Your Photographers

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Have you been looking for a wedding photographers but feel overwhelmed because there are so many options and so many styles?

 

Or, maybe you’ve dreamed about being a wedding photographer but aren’t sure how to push fear to the sidelines, take that leap of faith and turn your hobby into a full-time career.

What To Ask A Wedding Photographer

 

  1. Cost is almost always a concern, but it’s not the most important element to your decision. Find out how much the photographer charges for different packages and prints.
  2. Find out how long the photographer has been in business.
  3. Do you actually like the photographer and can you spend the day with the photographer you’re considering hire?
  4. What kind of experience do they have – the longer they’re in business doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the best choice for you.
  5. What contingency plan does your wedding photographer have in place in case something goes wrong?
  6. Ask to look at group photos to ensure all the guests are smiling and laughing, because it’s usually the photographer that makes them smile so you want to know what kind of rapport they will build with you AND your guests.

 

If you spend a little more time researching the right wedding photographer, it will be well worth it in the end.