Plan Your Wedding in six Months

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Month one

  1. Agree on a budget and create a checklist – First thing’s first, agree on a budget both you and your partner are happy with. A checklist is also a must because it will help to keep you organised and on track of things.
  1. Write out a guestlist – The guestlist can be tricky, but give yourselves a number of guests each and start with close friends and family, then work from there.
  1. Pick a number of dates – It’s best to have a few dates in mind because you can see which works best for your close family and friends, you want to make sure they can all make your big day!
  1. Choose a venue – Planning six months in advance, it’s best to look for somewhere that offers packages!

Month two

  1. Book Vendors – Don’t forget to book a wedding Photographer, Officiant, Florist, Cake Baker, Musician or Band. If you book these around the same time it avoids anyone being forgotten.
  1. Wedding Ceremony Outfits – Start the hunt for the perfect wedding dress, groom’s tuxedo, ushers’ tuxedos and bridesmaid dresses. Remember to only take a couple of people whose opinions you really trust!
  1. Send out Save The Dates – These aren’t official invites, these remind your guests they need to put the date in their calendar!
  1. Accessories – Purchase shoes, jewellery and find your something old, new, borrowed and blue!

Month Three

  1. Purchase the wedding rings – These are quite significant for a wedding – don’t forget them!
  1. Send out Invitations – Make sure you add an RSVP to your invites so you can get an idea of numbers!
  1. Plan the rehearsal dinner – The rehearsal dinner is useful for everyone and avoids any unexpected surprises on the day!
  1. Decide on wedding favours – Wedding favours are just an added touch to all your guests, these could be anything from an edible sweet treat or a sentimental trinket.

Month Four

  1. Plan your honeymoon – After all this planning, you’ll be ready for some down time in an exotic place, best get it booked!
  1. Select a wedding breakfast menu – Meet with your venue or catering service to choose your wedding breakfast, you want to make sure you have the perfect spread! You should also meet with your cake baker to select your wedding cake flavours!
  1. Pick a song list – Hand your song list over to your DJ or musician with a good mix of new music and old time classics.

  2. Hair and Makeup Trial – This is very important, especially if you’re fussy about other people doing your makeup! Have a pamper day and choose a look you that remains true to your general style.

Month Five

  1. Create a seating chart – Now you have your final numbers you can decide where everyone is going to sit!
  1. Buy Gifts – It’s a nice idea to buy gifts for anybody within the wedding party as a thank you. It doesn’t have to be pricey, just something to show your gratitude!
  1. Get Your Marriage License – A very important part of getting married!

Month Six

  1. Confirm All Bookings – Ring up and confirm that all of your bookings have the right date etc.
  2. Get Married! – We hope you have a magical day…

Ceremony songs

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When choosing the music for your wedding ceremony, you’ll need to make two important choices – your processional and recessional songs.

Wedding Ceremony Songs – Walking in and Walking out

A processional song is the music that you and your wedding party will walk down the aisle to – you can have one song for everyone, or choose a separate song for your grand entrance. At the end of the ceremony, you and your new husband leave the venue to your recessional music, which tends to be more upbeat than the processional.

There are traditional choices for both of these pieces of music, but we’ve given you a couple of options to consider. Listen and enjoy!

Processional Wedding Ceremony Songs

1. Bridal Chorus, Wagner

Often known as Here Comes The Bride, this piece of classical music is the traditional choice for the procession of the bride, and is often played on an organ. We’ve chosen a slightly more modern arrangement by Vicente Avella on classical piano – that way you can keep the element of tradition without the drama!

2. Canon in D, Pachelbel

Another very popular choice with brides. This gorgeous piece of music sounds beautiful played by a traditional quartet, but we also love this version by Per-Olov Kindgren on classical guitar.

3. A Thousand Years, The Piano Guys (originally Christina Perri)

Often couples can’t decide between a classic instrumental or a more modern love song with vocals for their processional music. Why not get the best of both worlds with an instrumental cover of one of your favourite songs? We seriously love this piano and cello cover of Christina Perri.

4. Glasgow Love Theme, from Love Actually

Walking down the aisle to a song from your favourite film soundtrack is another way to incorporate instrumental music with a personal touch into your ceremony. There are loads of options to choose from – Love Actually is a great place to start, and will have you welling up before you know it.

5. Marry Me, Train

If you want a modern song but aren’t sure what sort of thing to go for, then we think this a great choice. The melody and lyrics are both beautiful, and the tempo isn’t too fast for a processional.

6. Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole

For something a little bit different, you can’t beat this gorgeous ukulele cover – it’s sure to get everyone smiling!

Recessional Wedding Ceremony Songs

7. Wedding March, Mendelssohn

This is the traditional choice for the wedding recessional. This grand organ piece is definitely all about the high drama, so is best suited to larger or religious venues.

8. Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, Handel

This classical piece may be intended to signify an arrival, but it works perfectly for a recessional – it’s high tempo and undoubtedly joyful. Perfect for more traditional couples.

9. Don’t Stop Believing, Vitamin String Quartet (originally Journey)

Another classical cover of a modern tune – we love this version of Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing as played by a string quartet, as it strikes the perfect balance between traditional and contemporary.

10. Signed, Sealed, Delivered, Stevie Wonder

One of the most popular modern choices – and with good reason! After all, you and your new husband have just signed the wedding register, so the lyrics “signed, sealed, delivered – I’m yours!” are particularly meaningful.

11. First Day Of My Life, Bright Eyes

This adorable acoustic song is a great choice for couples looking for a quirky alternative, and we think it’s a lovely way to start the first day of your married life.

12. Now That We Found Love, Heavy D & The Boyz

For those looking for something truly different, we’ve loved this song for a wedding ever since we saw Will Smith and Eva Mendes get down to it in the last scene of Hitch. Do you think you and your new husband can beat their moves?

Depending on the venue you may be limited on live performances or online-based playlists, so you can always opt for this fail-safe CD with some classic wedding songs both old and new.

 

Perfect Wedding Reception Songs

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If you’re looking for wedding reception songs to get everyone dancing, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’ve rounded up the most popular songs played at weddings, with plenty of classic anthems and unique tunes that will have all your guests singing along.

25 Perfect Wedding Reception Songs Guaranteed to Fill the Dancefloor

Music can make or break your reception, so we’ve teamed up with one of the UK’s best party DJs, DJ Platinum and wedding singer Dominic from Sweet Soulful Sound, to bring you this definitive list of love songs – stick to these top tunes and you’ll create the perfect party atmosphere.

5 of the best first dance songs

First dance songs are traditionally romantic and tend to say something about you as a couple. But remember, they don’t have to be slow like the five popular choices here.

If your wedding ceremony isn’t traditional, then why have a traditional first dance? Go for something faster, choreograph a professional dance – perhaps a tango – or just have a mass dance with your friends.

  1. At Last by Etta James
  2. A Thousand Years by Christina Perri
  3. Let’s Stay Together by Al Green
  4. Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls
  5. I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing by Aerosmith

5 of the best wedding reception floorfillers

The one thing a lot of wedding guests always comment on is the wedding entertainment. Keep them dancing all night, and give them great memories of your big day with these classic floor fillers!

Why not choose one of these songs to play after the first dance to encourage everyone onto the dancefloor?

  1. Dancing Queen by ABBA
  2. Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars
  3. Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen
  4. Sex On Fire by Kings of Leon
  5. Mr Brightside by The Killer

5 of the best wedding reception songs to end the night

We always suggest that a bride and groom make their exit before the lights come on at the end of the night. Who wants to see messy reception tables anyway?

Choose a song to be played at about 11.30pm, dance with all your guests and then make your final exit. We love running out of the venue under a tunnel of sparklers – the perfect photo opportunity!

  1. Come On Eileen Dexys Midnight Runners
  2. Bohemian Rhapsody Queen
  3. Don’t Stop Believing Journey
  4. Ho Hey The Lumineers
  5. All You Need is Love The Beatles

5 of the best sing-a-long wedding reception songs

Your wedding video should capture all the special moments of the big day, and by that we don’t just mean the emotional, romantic bits. It should also capture those candid moments with you and your friends laughing and jumping around on the dancefloor, having the time of your lives. These songs will help you do just that…

  1. Valerie Amy Winehouse
  2. Celebration Kool & The Gang
  3. Can’t Help Myself The Four Tops
  4. Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel Tavares
  5. My Girl The Temptations

5 of the Best Father-Daughter Dance Songs

Not every bride has a dance with her father, but we think it’s a tradition that’s worth bringing back for 2019! Show your dad just how much he means to you (and that he’s still the number one man in  your life) with a dance at the reception. The songs below all have a great sentiment behind them but Father and Daughter by Paul Simon is our favourite here at Wedding Ideas HQ…

  1. My Girl First The Temptations
  2. Father And Daughter Paul Simon
  3. Isn’t She Lovely Stevie Wonder
  4. When You Need Me Bruce Springsteen
  5. Ain’t That Love Ray Charles

How to choose a choir

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Many wish to follow in the footsteps of Harry and Meghan and host a choral ensemble that will wow guests on their wedding day. But should you go for a gospel choir or something else? We look into your options.

Gospel Choir

A gospel choir traditionally focuses on Christian music (that is after all where gospels come from) but the creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. When it comes to events and weddings, one can expect tunes that have been adapted to feature a whole lot of soul and the result is a hugely uplifting choral performance. Everybody will be smiling!

A Cappella

When we talk about a cappella, we are talking about a very specific type of choir for weddings, in this case those that have their routes in American performance. Think Glee, think Pitch Perfect and you are definitely on the right track. Able to perform a variety of pop songs in an a cappella style, the choirs are often only four or five people strong but pack a huge punch.

Choral Ensemble

A choral ensemble is slightly larger than what we envision when we think about an a cappella act. Think of the world famous Sixteen or the choir to which your grandma or grandpa belongs. There tend to be clear distinctions between the parts that people are singing (tenor, soprano, etc.) and the result is a wall of music that will astonish and amaze guests at your wedding.

Beatboxing

When we say beatboxing, we actually a cappella with beatboxing but it’s far easier to distinguish between the two if we focus on the main difference! A very modern form of vocal accomplishment, a beatboxer brings a whole new vibe to the singing at your wedding. They often set the beat (as the name suggests) and will often perform a short solo to the amazement of wedding guests.

Christmas Carol Singer

A blog on choirs for weddings wouldn’t be complete without suggesting Christmas carol singers and the best bit is that often, if you request it, a choir may very well be able to do one set of Christmas songs as well as their usual setlist. Get the festivities flowing on your wedding day by booking a choir today!

 

Wedding guest dress tips

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As a guest, choosing what to wear to a wedding can be a tricky task. Here’s how to avoid any fashion faux pas and rock the aisle in style…

Check your invitation

Has the bride specified a strict dress code for what to wear to the wedding? Will it be a black tie affair? Are there hats involved? Firstly, check your invitation. This will give you a good indication of where to start.

Don’t wear white

Female wedding guests should avoid wearing anything white or ivory – these shades are strictly reserved for the bride. Men should avoid wearing a morning suit, you don’t want to turn up looking like a member of the wedding party when you’re actually not.

Mum’s the word!

Try to find out what colour the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom are wearing and, as a guest, try to avoid these colours. It’s a big day for the mums as well and they want to stand out in the photos as much as the bride.

Don’t over or under – dress

This is the bride’s special day and this is a formal occasion, so you need to dress appropriately. Let the bride and groom know that you’ve made a special effort for their day. Don’t over dress with huge, eye-catching details that will take the emphasis of the bride. Equally, don’t under dress and give the vicar an eye full! For the guys, a well-fitting suit, shirt and shiny shoes is all you need. During the day, make sure you wear a tie – this can be discarded in the evening once the party becomes more casual.

 

Incorporating kids at your wedding

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Children at weddings? Do you invite them or not? It’s always a heated topic when discussing wedding planning and we’re here to help you make a properly informed decision. Read on to find out more…

Do you invite all kids? Just babies? Or just teenagers? What about if you’re having young flowergirls and pageboys? Can you then ban your friends from bringing their offspring (we think not).

In addition, you may have teenagers at your wedding too. They are easier to entertain (they’ll like chatting to friends and maybe even dancing if they consider the music cool enough) but you’re still going to have to bear their likes and dislikes in mind.

First off, let’s think about the young children. Very young babies aren’t such a problem – they’ll hopefully sleep and can be cuddled by everybody (something the grannies usually enjoy!)

However toddlers and under 5s can be quite demanding. Supermodel Kate Moss solved this problem at her wedding by having a marquee dedicated to children, with drama teachers and nannies on call.

Obviously that’s not something most of us can copy as we don’t all have a supermodel’s budget, but you can have children’s play areas on your wedding day – maybe a corner of the marquee or barn stocked with colouring books, toys and somewhere peaceful to watch a DVD. Overtired children can get tearful so if you can have a quiet chill-out area for them, so much the better.

If you’re having a Christmas wedding, you could invite ‘Santa’ to visit the young children and bring a gift – this would be good timing just after the wedding speeches when everybody is getting ready to party.

Finally, if you do employ childcare for the event, make sure that the individual is CRB checked beforehand.

Children of all ages – including ‘seen it all before’ teens will enjoy watching a good magician – particularly one who works the tables and does magic close up.

An experienced conjurer will gauge his tricks according to the age group he’s entertaining – you just have to look at the cult following of Dynamo to see that ‘how did he do that’ magic has never been more popular.

If you’re having a summer wedding and you’ve room outside, consider having a bouncy castle for the kids but alternate sessions for different age groups. An energetic 12-year-old boy let loose amongst toddlers will quickly result in tears and of course you’ll need to have a responsible adult to keep an eye on proceedings.

Garden games always go down well (but remember they’re largely weather dependent). You can hire giant games of Jenga, croquet and even old-fashioned fairground swings.

The trick to making sure kids have a great time at your wedding is to think about them beforehand, maybe consulting the parents as to what they like and have some planned strategies and entertainments.

 

Hair & Beauty for the big day

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Something old

Keep your hair healthy by trimming and conditioning regularly during the run up to your wedding, and don’t be surprised if your stylist wants you to wash your hair the night before. Just washed hair is often too soft and silky – hair behaves better for styling when it is a day old and means pins, veils and hair accessories grip better.

Flawless foundations

The prettiest bridal makeup always features flawless skin as a base, so your foundation must be a perfect match for your skin. You can add colour afterwards with bronzer, soft blusher and lipstick. Choose a lipstick and lip liner that will give your smile definition… especially with neutral or barely there shades. Contour and highlight carefully but don’t over do it – you can take a black and white photograph to check whether your contouring is too dark, if need be it can easily be toned down.

Eye it up

Your eyes are the most expressive part of your face and you’ll be amazed at the difference well groomed eyebrows can make since they quite literally frame your eyes. Neutral colours will enhance your natural eye colour, but don’t be afraid to use a little sparkle, which can look stunning on the most natural makeup. Individual eyelashes are great for lifting and accentuating the outer eye area, and don’t forget to add waterproof mascara!

Best of both

If you can’t decide whether to wear your hair up or down, why not have both? Ask your wedding stylist to add some curl or volume first, then create a soft, natural up style that can be easily let down later on in the evening. If you’re struggling to choose a hair accessory and have decided against a veil, a delicate hair comb or small spiral hair pins  can be added in to complement your hairstyle and add a subtle sparkle to your look.

On trial

Book your trial around six to eight weeks before your wedding. If you just can’t wait that long, ask your stylist for a consultation as early as you like so you can meet and discuss the look you’re aiming for. A Pinterest board reserved for bridal hair and makeup is a great way to show your stylist your ideas. Don’t wear black or bright coloured tops to your trial – a colour close to that of your wedding dress will mean you’ll get a much clearer idea of how your makeup colours will work on the day.

Flashy lashes

Eyelash extensions are becoming a really popular option and it’s something I often suggest to my brides. They can really open up the eyes and can look more natural than strip lashes, especially when applied so that they gradually increase in length towards the outer corners. The added bonus of these is that you get to keep them for your honeymoon!

Flowers everywhere

If you love flowers, ask your florist to wire tiny buds and sprigs that complement your bouquet so that your stylist can work these into your hairstyle. This creates a timelessly romantic look and can be a fresh and pretty alternative to more traditional headpieces or wedding hair accessories.

 

Bridesmaid Planning

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Assembling the dream team

When organising a wedding It can be tricky enough rallying the team together to find your dream dress, so how do you start shopping for them? We suggest a dedicated girls night in to begin the wedding planning.

We love an excuse to get together so what better way to shop than online at home with your faves and a few bottles of fizz?

Start with the flip of a laptop

Options online are now so vast; yes, even for bridesmaid dresses, even our favourite high street brands are releasing bridesmaid dresses. Make sure you shop them all, including Monsoon, ASOS and so many more.

Gathering the bridal party

Make this night a hen-initiation night. An evening of friendship, laughter and of course decisions. This is also an opportunity to discuss with your bridesmaids what it is you expect from them and what they can offer you in the build-up to the big day. And if you have ordered your bridal gown already, don’t forget to request a swatch of fabric for your dress to compare to the bridesmaids.

Make your other half scarce for the evening, get the team over, whack Bridesmaids the movie on and let the games/ dress trials begin.

Making the final selection

The day is, of course, yours so the theme and feel to the attire is ultimately your vision. However, don’t forget to listen to your bridesmaids too. The wedding photos from the day are going to last a lifetime and you want your bridesmaids to feel fabulous with you.

Each person is an individual and combining style, cut and colour is all the trend at the moment so don’t be afraid to mix things up a bit. Trust that you can work together as a team to create that beautiful look you’ve envisaged.

 

Harmony singers

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There is something so beautiful about close harmony  that they were hugely popular during the 1940s and 1950s and we are working on bringing them back to the forefront of entertainment. But how to choose the right harmony group for you? Well,  here’s a few excellent options below, and we’ve also thrown in a string quartet too..

Eden

Eden are an internationally renowned close harmony trio. Featuring superb choreography as well as stunning voices, the ladies perform a splendid repertoire of vintage classics from the 1930s and 40s as well as a few new tunes and original songs on occasion. Able to perform with a backing band and the group of choice, this superb close harmony trio are sure to impress at your wedding.

Manor House Music

Manor House Music consists of some of the UK’s finest wedding musicians, having performed for over 700 weddings, corporate events and private functions as a string quartet and string duo. We combine a high quality of musical performance with a large repertoire of dynamic arrangements and a desire to work closely with clients to ensure that every detail is just right for your event.

Berkeley Trio

Taking their inspiration from a host of genres including jazz, blues, swing, They pride themselves on their personal service from your initial enquiry to the day itself. Thy can advise on music for the ceremony if necessary and accompany a singer or your hymns. We can also entertain in most settings, inside or out.

They have various images that suit the formality of the occasion. We take care to liaise with staff at your wedding venue to ensure a superb presentation.

Nero String Quartet

The Nero String Quartet is one of the most sought after quartets in the UK and has been established for 13 years performing at over a thousand weddings and functions. They have also worked with professional orchestras (BBC Phil, BBC CO, BBC NOW, WNO, RTE, RLPO, Ulster, Northern Ballet Sinfonia) and have performed on luxury cruise ships including P&O, Fred Olsen, Saga and Cunard. In addition to their classical work, members of the quartet have also performed on TV, Film and Pop recordings, most recently performing on GMTV, Don’t Tell the Bride and Four Weddings.

 

You Tube Proposals

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We thought we’d round up a few amazing You Tube proposals that really made our mouths drop. These are extremely impressive whichever way you look at it!

The Zip Line Proposal

It’s not often that you find a wedding proposal on YouTube that has incredible camera quality and video editing, which is why the Zip Line proposal is a must watch. Uploaded just two days ago, it features popular YouTuber Brodie Smith who hadn’t uploaded any Frisbee videos in the past 5 months. That was all to change as you can see in this video where he takes out his girlfriend Kelsey under the guise of shooting a new branded video. What transpires involves seven members of her family, tears from both and some fab interviews beforehand.

The Skydiving Proposal

How do you go bigger than a zip line? How about by jumping out of an aeroplane and proposing afterwards. That’s exactly what Austin did when he proposed to Catherine. Another couple that have an incredible amount of followers – 8.1 million! – we feel that this deserves a spot in the blog because hey, you don’t jump out of a plane everyday and because Austin is actually scared of heights. He only jumped out of the plane because this was Catherine’s wish for her birthday.

The Greatest Showman Proposal

There’s no doubt that The Greatest Showman has taken the world by storm since its release at the end of last year. The soundtrack is often on in our office and we are certain that it probably blares out of your speakers fairly often as well. Imagine Amy’s surprise when what appeared to half of Brighton turned up to her proposal in the form of a flash mob dance, whilst her boyfriend Harry came forward in the Hugh Jackman role. Cuteness personified!

The Lip Dub Proposal

A classic these days (it was recorded six years ago), but one we absolutely adore. Isaac’s lip dub proposal is daring because not only is he sitting his girlfriend in the back of a car as it drives off but everybody involved in this lip dub flashmob is actually a friend or family member of his soon-to-be fiancée. We are sure that you know relying on so many amateurs is a recipe for disaster but it works absolutely brilliantly here!

The Abseiling Proposal

We’ve had zip lines and skydiving so why not abseiling as well? Seth saved the life of Nicole when she was abseiling a year earlier – you could say that she literally fell in love with him – and a year later, Seth decided to propose in a similar manner! Too cute. There’s not much else to say about this one but we love the dawning realisation on Nicole’s face as she descends and every other member of their group is far away from her beloved.