ABC of Weddings!

ABC of Weddings ~ Hints and Tips!

Accommodation: Do you have treasured relatives and/or friends who may need to travel long distances for your special day? If so, accommodation may be heavily booked at certain times of the year. Keep this in mind when choosing your wedding date, and that your date doesn’t coincide with a local event.

Bookings: Celebrants and local wedding venues may have bookings up to two years in advance so book sooner rather than later. September and October are the busiest months for weddings.

Bridal Party: Carefully choose the members of your bridal party, you should only choose family members & close friends, dont choose someone who you havent spoken to for many years, or someone who is not supportive of your marriage. You want your attendants to be as helpful as possible, not add extra stress.

Budget: One of the first steps to planning your wedding is setting your budget, and decide if any family members will be contributing and if so what will they be paying for.

Celebrant: Your wedding should reflect your own personality and style, and by choosing the right Celebrant will ensure your special day is perfect. Meet with a number of Celebrants to discuss what they offer before choosing one.

Dance: The first dance can be very nerve wracking for some! If you are both shy, perhaps it is a good idea to take dance lessons or have a choreographed dance routine.

Dress: Choosing the right wedding dress can be a nightmare for some, some bride’s have pictured their perfect wedding dress since they were young children, others have no clue. The best way to choose your wedding dress is to start by going through bridal magazines, and browsing the web. Once you have an idea of the types of dresses you like, you can then go to the bridal stores and try on a number of gowns in various styles to see what best suits your body shape. It is best not to overwhelm yourself by trying on too many gowns at once.

Flies: Don’t forget the aerogard! For any outdoor wedding remember a few cans of insect repellent can certainly come in handy.

Flowers: Choosing your wedding flowers is lots of fun, with so many different colours, varieties & smells available. You need to consider the time of the year and whether the flowers you want will be in season, if they are not going to be in season, they may still be able to be sourced from overseas, however this may become quite costly. It is also an idea to look into artificial wedding flowers, with a huge range of high quality real touch flowers available these days, the flowers look & feel real, you will never know the difference.

Giving away: There are no rules when it comes to who will give the Bride away, you may choose to have no one, your father, both fathers if you are from a separated family, or any other close family member or friend.

Invitations:  These are generally sent out two months prior to the wedding day, earlier if the wedding is to be held during a popular holiday time or a destination wedding. Usually guests will already know the date/location of the wedding as most couples send out save the date cards not long after their engagement.

Music: It is important to choose music that reflect both of you as a couple, choose songs that have meaning to you, they may have been played on your first date or other special occasions. Many couples choose to have music played at the following times: When guests begin to arrive, when the bridal party appear, when the register is being signed, when the bride and groom make their departure.

Photographer: It is a great idea to consult with your photographer before confirming a wedding time to make sure you get the best photos possible depending on lighting & the time of year. Do your research before choosing a photographer and what their packages entail, as many will have hidden costs when it comes to getting copyright of the photos & printing of photos.

Plan B: No-one wants you and your guests to get rained on during your wedding. If the weather looks doubtful and you are having an outdoors wedding, it may be a good idea to source a backup venue just in case, or look at hiring umbrellas or tents.

Sun: Be  aware of shade for your guests.  Providing parasols,  fans or bottles of water would be a welcomed idea during the warmer months, especially for elderly people.

Submitted by Marriage Celebrant, Heather Thiele. If you have any further suggestions or would like to contribute to this list, please email them to sales@howdivine.com.au