It's a shame there isn't a set of instructions
for planning your wedding day! It would save a lot of stress when working out
priorities. Everyone is different and certain aspects are important to some,
and not to others! Luckily, there's a lot of advice going around on what to do
and what not to do in the lead up to, and on your big day! So, I've compiled a
few of the best DO's and DON'Ts when getting married, just for you! Enjoy, and
I hope this helps :)
1)
DON'T let your parents or in-laws control the invites and seating arrangement!
It's perfectly reasonable to have help with invites, especially as your parents
know pretty much everyone you know. But don't feel like you should have to
invite all their friends, and that lady who lived next door when you were
little! Your parents will want to invite everyone, but you need to make sure
you have a good time, and that you're surrounded by the people you love and
want to spend your wedding with! The best thing is to create your own rough
list of people and then ask your parents to make lists as well, in order of
preference, so you can start crossing off guests from the bottom! A lot of them
will be the same anyway...we hope, but you are in control of who gets to share
your special day! In terms of seating arrangements, most of the time the bride’s
family and the groom’s family are split down the middle. Don't be scared to
break tradition and mix up the tables. They're now each other’s family too, so
they can get to know each other! But always make sure everyone knows at least
one person on their table!! Don't throw anyone in at the deep end!
2)
DO hire a professional photographer! It’s a special day and you want perfect
pictures to frame after the wedding. Sure, it’s lovely to have all your family
and friends taking photographs of your ceremony, your first dance and cutting
the cake, but it’s so much nicer to have a professional photograph of these
moments. There’s no room for mistakes when taking wedding photos. You can’t exactly
do it over again because the lighting was wrong. You don’t need to be saying “is
anyone getting a photo of this”, “did you get that” and “can you take that one
again, it was blurry?”. You need to just have a great day with a peace of mind
that someone is capturing every moment! Another idea is to have a wedding video
made! There’s a wide variation of styles to choose from all listed on Wikipedia,
so you can choose what type of wedding film you want to keep forever!
3)
DON'T bend your budget! If you've worked out a certain budget for each item,
you need to stick to this, otherwise everything will suddenly be out of
control! Remember, you created a budget for a reason. We can't all afford the
big princess weddings, or a wedding out in the secluded countryside, or a destination wedding! That doesn’t mean you can’t make your day special with a
smaller budget. Decide what’s most important to you and your significant other
and prioritise the money on that. If you’re going down the route of having a wedding
planner, then make sure you stand firm. After all they’re trying to spend your
money! Don’t be pushed and shoved, decide what works for you, within your
budget.
4) DO go out and enjoy your hen party! You shouldn’t have to
plan a wedding and a party! Let your maid of honour or bridesmaids sort out a
night out with the girls and you can just go out and enjoy it! It’ll be so much
nicer as well if it’s a surprise activity for you, no matter what it is. You
need to have a bit of fun before the wedding, and it’s the perfect opportunity to
let your hair down. However, let the girls know if there’s something you’d love
to do, or something you don’t want to do! There’s nothing worse than being
forced to go and do something when you don’t want to.
5) DON’T forget to wear-in your shoes before you wear them
all day! You do not want to be getting a sore blister on your wedding day. The
best thing to do is wear your chosen ‘glass slippers’ around the house weeks in
advance. Then you’ll know; if they’re going to be comfortable, if they are
going to last a long day, if you really like them and if you’d wear them again!
This will also give you an indication as to whether you should bring some flat
pumps for the dance floor at the end of the night or whether they’re what you
need! You need to pick some that look great with your dress but you could
actually wear them again! If you’re struggling for a shoe design or style, have
a look on Pinterest! They have some gorgeous ideas for shoes, even everyday
shoes that you can make your own for your wedding.
6) DO get your make-up and hair done professionally! You don’t
want to be getting ready on the morning and just can’t get your hair right. If
you choose a hair style online, then just bring it to the hairdresser and have a
trial. This is crucial, a trial is always the best way to go! You need to know
that you’re comfortable with how your hair looks on the day, and feel sure that
it’ll last all day, not fall out as you have a groove on the dance floor! Same
with make-up, you don’t want to feel like a clown on your wedding day caked in
make up! Most brides go for a natural and pretty look, but either way it needs
to look how you want! After all you are going to have about 10,000 photos on
the day…you want to look your best!
7) DON’T walk down the aisle too fast! This is the moment for everyone to see you in your dress! It’s your moment to shine, even if you’re looking at your significant other at the end of the aisle, all eyes will be on you. Take your time and don’t panic, just relax! This is the moment you’ve been planning and it’s finally here. There’s nothing to change or plan now so you can just sit back and enjoy your day! Also, talking about walking down the aisle, it’s best to sandpaper the bottom of any new shoes. This will reduce chances of slipping down the aisle. Not quite the entrance everyone dreams about.
8) DO make a playlist for the wedding reception! Having
tunes that mean something to you and your significant other or your family,
always brings everyone to the dance floor or a tear to the eye. Every wedding
needs the cheesy disco tunes from the past, with a mishmash of new music too!
Try and cater for every single one of your guests! A lot of DJ’s have a set
list anyway and then you can add your own selection to it. But don’t agree to having
the DJ’s own playlist without personalising it, or at least seeing it first! It’s
a bit of a mood killer having three amazing tunes that everyone can dance along
to, then have a song that only the DJ has heard before. If you can’t think of
any good songs for the reception, have a look on Spotify! They have some
brilliant playlists perfect for any style of wedding!
9) DON’T forget about your honeymoon! As important as the wedding ceremony and reception is, you can’t neglect the next step! Everyone will have a great time at the wedding and you can’t wait to start married life. But if your honeymoon getaway isn’t planned and budgeted as well, then it’ll be a little disappointing! You want to continue having the best time of your life and enjoy alone time with your new husband/wife. You need to therefore organise something equally as special to your wedding, even if it’s just a relaxing holiday to just chill out after months and possibly years of planning! Either way, make sure you think about after the big day!
10) DO remember to smile and enjoy yourself! This is your
day and everyone’s there to share it with you. This is a once in a life-time
day and you need to just enjoy yourself, take a deep breath and relax. You’ll
have everything perfected by the day and you won’t have anything to organise!
Enjoy your day!
There’s so many other pieces of advice for planning your
wedding but the last one, to enjoy yourself, is by far the most important!
Everything will just fall into place. I hope this has helped anyone looking to
plan their big day or anyone who has planned their wedding and are just
brushing up on the last few things!
Have a great wedding everyone! Remember, it’s all about YOU! x
Links:
No comments:
Post a Comment