Wedding Planner - Choosing your wedding dress

Today I feel very lucky to be able to introduce the lovely Charlotte Balbier as our guest post who very kindley provides us with some top tips to consider when lookingfor your dream dress! Enjoy.......

How far in advance should brides start thinking about ordering their dress?

The sooner the better to be honest!! You really need to be leaving a minimum of 6 months before your big day to receive your gown and for any alterations to be made. 

Many brides start their dress search knowing what they want but as soon as they start trying on different styles it can soon snowball!!! So the sooner you start looking, the sooner you can find your ‘One’.

Dress name: Camilla

What styles suit which shape brides?

There are so many different styles in the Charlotte Balbier collection...there’s always one to suit every shape.

For petite brides, empire line or gowns that are cut under the bust work really well and this gives the illusion of height.

An A-line skirt with corseted bodice is a great style for a fuller figure....

Got ankles to show off??!!...what about a short style? The 1950s tea length styles look lovely on all shapes and sizes.

 Dress Name: Sweet Pea

Will I need my shoes and underwear when I come to my fitting?

Boutiques advise that you have your shoes and underwear for your fittings, to ensure that lengths and any other alterations are perfect for the wedding day.

 Dress Name: Gia

Do I need to make an appointment to try on dresses?

Yes. Many boutiques advise that you make appointment to try on dresses. The main reason for this is that if you arrive without an appointment and they are seeing other brides you may not be able to be seen. So, to avoid disappointment, always ring and book in advance.

Should I bring someone with me?

This is entirely up to the bride. Many boutiques are happy for you to bring 1 or 2 people with you. I would suggest that you avoid taking children as they can be very distracting when you are trying to concentrate on your mission at hand...to find the ‘One’!! However, having a friend or family member can be excellent to have that 2^nd opinion. 

 

What are your three top tips for choosing the perfect wedding dress?

Choose one that YOU love...it’s your day after all!

Do some research first...find the designers, styles and shapes that you are drawn to

Be comfortable...you will be wearing it all day and night

This post was very kindly provided by Charlotte Balbier
Follow Charlotte Balbier on Twitter - www.twitter.com/BalbierBrides

Wedding Planner - Choosing your Videographer

Today's post is by the lovely Tracey from Midway Media Wedding and Events Videographers who very kindly talks to us about why you should consider hiring a videographer when planning your wedding. Now, when I was getting married I was very adament from the start that I didn't want the day filmed - I was going to find it hard enough being photographed - BUT I can honestly say that my Wedding DVD (along with my photo's) was the best money spent! I still watch it now and just love that I have this amazing momento of my day as it goes so fast that you really don't have the time to soak it all up! Anyway, I will stop waffling on now and hand you over to the fab Tracey who does a much better job of explaing the benefits of having a videographer than I have.....

Having Your Wedding Day Filmed – The Professional Wedding Film Maker

Only 10% of couples in the UK will opt to have their wedding filmed by a professional videographer with approximately 80% of couples having their wedding photographed by a professional photographer. It is often the case that you will hear or read so many times that a couple who didn’t have their wedding filmed will have wished they had, when watching one of their friends or family weddings somewhere down the line.  On doing some research I found that there were many bad perceptions of a wedding videographer and yes I don’t deny some are very true!  Here are a few choice words I found by a bride to be on a forum giving her view on a wedding videographer.

“When searching for a wedding videographer we looked around and there were so many drab, cheesy, old fashioned wedding videos with dodgy out of time music playing and funny editing and I was on the verge of giving up and just asking a friend to film the ceremony."

Ouch – so how do we change this? Firstly, a wedding film isn’t for everyone but what we and many others strive to do is to make our presence relaxing and unobtrusive, so that couples and guests can relax without the fear of a camera being “shoved” in their face - this in itself is very off putting and most of us have had this experience at some point in our lives.   Your wedding day is a momentous occasion and one that you will want to remember and treasure for a lifetime. Choosing the right videographer to achieve this, and let’s be honest it is a bit of a minefield.   As highlighted, there are those that do continue to film in the way as described above but there are many others that are creative, modern that demonstrate a move with the times in the way they film and edit where the final film has that more cinematic effect.  A wedding film does not have to be love hearts coming out of the screen, page curls, dated music and boring static camera work all the way through. For those that specialise in wedding filming will capture the day in their own unique style, some of course better than others. The Key to finding the right videographer to film your wedding will start with a search on the internet, watching sample clips, seeing if what they produce is what you too are looking for and checking out whether the videographer’s pricing is within your budget as well as ensuring they cover the area.  Next is to make a short list of videographers you like the look and feel of and wish to contact further to establish availability and/or arrange to meet with them, should you wish to.  We haven’t always met our couples but have spent a long time getting to know them either over the telephone or email, with a meeting a couple of weeks before the wedding unless distance does not permit.  Always discuss what coverage of the day is important to you as many professionals offer different packages to cover a typical wedding day and ask any questions you may have.  A good videographer will always want to find out more about the couple and their special day than purely selling their services, after all you need to know your client as this helps when filming on the day and editing afterwards – each client wedding is different and should be treated as so, not just another wedding job.  

 

 

By having your wedding day filmed and produced onto a DVD, it allows you to share your special day with family and friends to relive that moment.  Countless brides and grooms have said how quickly the day goes by.  It is also good to show family and friends that could not be present on the day for whatever reason. A DVD capture's the real emotion such as laughter, tears, the grooms nerves as he eagerly awaits for you to arrive by his side, as well as the little moments that you weren't even aware of in a way that a still photograph cannot achieve alone.  

One thing by hiring the services of a professional to film a very memorable day will ensure that each precious moment is captured without any glitches or those all important moments are missed.  Filming a wedding is not the easiest of tasks to undertake as they can be unpredictable and not just a case of turning the camera onto record, there is a lot more to it than that.  A quality picture is nothing without good quality audio so it is essential that the videographer shows the prospective client an example clip of either the ceremony or speeches so that the couple can hear this for themselves. Some videographers have clips of speeches/ceremonies on their website to demonstrate the two together or even on wedding highlights. Once the day is over, the footage will then edited to a professional standard using top editing suites to make bring alive your wedding day in an easy to watch format with interactive menus for you to choose what parts of the day you would like to watch. It takes time and a lot of attention to detail to carefully produce a good quality wedding film. 

Here a few benefits of having your wedding filmed by a professional videographer

• Any filming volunteers that wish to record the day can do so if they wish but get to relax without the added pressure of capturing it all or equipment/operator error

• You get to relax knowing that your special day is being filmed by a professional who you trust (after all, they were selected by you)

• The final film will be edited to a professional standard encapsulating the emotions of the day for you to proudly show to family and friends (as well as your children in years to come )

• Finally, it is simply a memento of one of the most important days of your life!

 Article written by Tracey Hatter-Smith of Midway Media Wedding & Events Videographers www.midway-media.co.uk

This post was very kindly provided by Tracey of Midway Media Wedding & Events Videographers

Follow Midway Media Wedding & Events Videographers on Twitter -www.twitter.com/Midwaymediauk

Wedding Planner - When should I purchase my Wedding Insurance?

Today's post has very kindly been provided by Steven Hooper of CompareWeddingInsurance.org.uk who's colleague, Adam Leyton, takes the time to answer one of the most frequently asked questions on this topic - When should I purchase my Wedding Insurance?....

Wedding Insurance: When Is The Best Time To Purchase Your Policy?

One of the most basic problems some people have when it comes to choosing wedding insurance isn't the details of the policy, what's covered and what isn't, how much liability is included, or how much it all costs. The most pressing problem most people seem to find is simply deciding when to purchase wedding insurance.

It might sound odd, and the most obvious answer might well be 'as soon as possible'. After all, if you're buying a car then you'll obviously want to make sure you're insured to drive it off the forecourt, so you'll have it in place early on. If you have home insurance, you'll want to make sure you get it as soon as possible so you're covered immediately. But for wedding insurance it's all a bit different, because essentially you probably won't need it until the day itself, which could be weeks, months or even years ahead.

So do you organise your wedding insurance before anything else, or should you wait a bit? If you ought to wait, then how long for, and how long is too long? It's all a bit grey. And this is where the problem really lies, because often people let time slip away, until they've either forgotten the whole idea of wedding insurance, assumed it's no longer relevant since everything's paid for, or run out of money entirely and can no longer afford such 'additional luxuries'.

Wedding insurance should certainly never be seen as an additional luxury, but often people wait until they know how much they're likely to spend in total before committing to a policy.

But some people plan so far ahead that the eventual budget is unknown until quite late in the day. Additional services, extras, luxuries or upgrades are purchased as and when finances allow.

It's worth bearing in mind that in most cases there's no problem with upgrading your wedding insurance package as the overall value of your wedding increases, so it may be sensible to start out with a cheap, basic package, with a view to increasing the amount of cover if your plans change.

Article written by Adam Leyton from CompareWeddingInsurance.org.uk, a comparison website that allows you to compare wedding insurance policies at a glance from a number of leading UK insurers.

This post was very kindly provided by Steven Hooper of compareweddinginsurance.org.uk
Follow CompareWeddingInsurance.org.uk on Twitter - www.twitter.com/wed_insurance

Wedding Planner - Choosing your Photographer

Today’s guest post is by Peter Leese who talks to us about his company - Peter Leese Photography and what you can expect if you are lucky enough to have him snap your day!

Choosing a Wedding Photographer

Your wedding day is one of the most important days in your life. It is not unusual for modern day couples to spend years planning their wedding day. So after all your effort and hard work and your wedding day has been and gone, you need to make sure that you have a record of your day that captures not only what happened, but also all of the feelings and emotions.

1. How much planning do you put into a wedding?

We put a lot of emphasis on the planning stage. In fact we produce a storyboard rather like a film studio would do. It enables us to have all of the relevant information at hand when we need it. It includes key shots, where to take them depending on the weather and who needs to be in them. It frees up more of our time to capture the events unfolding.

2. Do you always get along with the couple?

We do our best to get to know you both before you make a decision about using us or not. We do this by offering a no obligation engagement shoot, usually at a location that means something to you both. That way we get to know each other, you get to see photographs of yourselves and we learn from the comments you make when we view them together.

 

3. Do you show couples more than one complete recent wedding in order to help them assess your work?

We are proud to show you our work as we are full time professionals. We love to get feedback from as many people as possible as it only makes us better at what we do.

4. Do you work on your own?

I take all of the photographs and I am helped by two assistants

5. Do you have backup equipment and is it the same quality as the primary equipment? 

We have a spare of all of the important equipment we need on the day just in case.

6. What time do you begin and how long do you stay until?

Our full day coverage starts with the bride getting ready and ends after the first dance.

7. When do couples get to see the proofs?

We aim to get the proofs ready for the couple’s return from their honeymoon.

8. How long do you keep images?

We don’t delete the images after three years we keep them backed up, but obviously we can’t guarantee to have them forever.

9. Do you use the latest equipment to expose natural light?

Our equipment is state of the art and the most suited to wedding photography, with an aim to use as little flash as possible.

10. Do you have telephoto and wide-angle lenses?

We use a wide range of lenses, all top of the range Nikon, which enable us to get all of the different types of shots we need.

11. Do you like to work with other vendors such as wedding co-ordinators, caterers and videographers?

We aim to help make your wedding day as perfect as possible. If this means helping out with various other vendors in small ways we will because we care. 

12. How do you dress for the day?

We dress smartly and are careful not to lower the tone of the wedding in any way.

 

13. What type of wedding albums do you use?

We pride ourselves on being aware of all of the options available to the wedding photographer so far as wedding albums are concerned. We are confident in our choice of what we believe are the best quality album manufacturers in the world. Booked Images www.bookedimages.com and Queensberry www.queensberry.com

14. Do you design the albums and can couples make changes to the design?

We take the outcome of your wedding photography seriously, which does not stop at producing an amazing set of wedding photographs. We understand how important it is to design an album that will tell your wedding day story in style, so that you never tire of looking at it and you will also get great satisfaction from showing it off to your family and friends. We will work with you on the design until you are completely happy and then we will get it made by the best.

The post and photo's was very kindly provided by Peter Leese of Peter Leese Photography

 

Wedding Planner - Choosing your perfect wedding cake!

Todays guest post has been provided by the lovely Beth from 'Cakes by Beth' who talks about how to choose your perfect wedding cake and also provides some yummy examples of her work too! 

Choosing your wedding cake can be a really fun and creative part of planning your wedding, but with so many styles, flavours and options to choose from, where do you start? As a cake designer, I often get asked about what my perfect wedding cake would look like and I know I have problems answering as there are so many designs that I love!

I think the best place to start is with the size and location of your wedding as this helps to decide just how much cake you will need and what kind of feel you want the cake to have. After all, it is the centrepiece of your reception so you want it to reflect you as a couple and fit in with its surroundings. If you are having a large wedding and your reception will be in very grand, traditional surroundings, I think a tall, stacked cake would be the best option. The height of the cake will allow it to hold its own in the room and the number of tiers can reflect the number of guests. Portion numbers for cakes are only a guide as it depends on how the venue slice your cake, so they have some flexibility to tailor their serving to the number of guests. For smaller and more informal weddings, a cupcake tower can be a really great way to create a fun centrepiece and each guest can have their own individual cake. You can also have a top tier cutting cake, decorated to match teh style of the cupcakes underneath, for that all important photograph. This is your first official duty as husband and wife so a lot of people don’t want to forego it.

I think that people often view cupcake towers as a more budget-friendly option than the more traditional tiered cake, but beyond a certain number, the cost can add up to quite a lot, especially if you would like quite detailed decorations. As each guest needs a cupcake, you also have to have a pretty good idea of how many guests will be attending when you are ordering your cake, which some people don’t know until quite late on. For instance, a bride came to me wanting a wedding cupcake tower, with everything planned except the number of guests, which she wouldn’t know until just before the big day. I therefore suggested that she had cupcakes to feed about two thirds of the expected guests and then a two tier cutting cake on top for the rest. That way, she could have the look she was going for, also have a really interesting and striking cake on top, and the stacked cake could be served according to how many guests were actually there. It took the stress out of it for her and meant that she could relax knowing that she would have enough cake, rather than panicking just before the big day, ordering more cupcakes. She loved the idea!

The theme of your wedding is also a really important factor in your cake decisions. The colour scheme, flowers, patterns and materials, plus anything quirky such as your shared love of surfing or eating spaghetti, can all be incorporated into your cake. An example would be if you were having an all white wedding and a lace wedding dress but the bridesmaids were wearing pale blue. Your cake could be all white with lace around each tier or actually as sugar decorations on the cake, and the bridesmaids dresses could be replicated in sugar flowers or pretty little piped details to subtly blend the cake with everyone’s outfits. Square or round tiers can be a big decision. I think people generally have a personal preference here and if not, if you like a particular design, it can often fit best with either square or round tiers. There are other shape options too, such as oval or hexagonal, which add an extra twist. You can even mix the shapes up but it is best not to have too many shapes of tiers in one cake as all the different edges can be distracting. Simpler is often better. Overall, square cakes are more formal, structured and striking, Round cakes are softer and more feminine and can allow you to add more decorative details.

Budgets are always a huge factor in deciding on details for your wedding and so when designing wedding cakes, I am always careful to work within the budget allocated by the couple. It is possible to get a beautiful wedding cake without spending a fortune but bear in mind that the more details you ask for, the more it will cost. Every detail is hand-made and takes time so you are paying for the hours involved. Even charged at minimum wage, 300 sugar roses would add up to a lot of money! If you don’t have the budget but want the effect of 300 sugar roses, I would suggest that you opted for fresh flowers instead. Your cake designer will liaise with your florist to sort all of the details out for you and bring it all together on the day.

I take my design inspiration from so many places, from wallpaper to jewellery to fabrics, so it is worth taking some fabric and ribbon swatches, plus any images you have of different details, to your cake designer for a design consultation. It will allow them to get a real feel for the look of the day and also match the colours and patterns. I would also take along images of cakes that you really like, and just as importantly, a list of things that you definitely don’t like. It really helps to steer the design process so that the end result is a cake that you absolutely love.

So on to the flavour. After all, the eating is the most important part! The sky is pretty much the limit here and it is all down to what you love. Many people opt for a couple of flavours so that their guests can have a choice, which is a really nice idea. I would suggest that you didn’t choose too many different flavours as it can get a bit complicated and confusing. Fruit cake definitely has a bad reputation, with couples ordering any flavour but. I personally love it and if you have the top tier as fruit, you can save it for a future event (your first child’s christening, your one year anniversary etc). If this just isn’t your thing, one way of giving a nod to tradition without a raisin in sight is to have the top of your wedding cake recreated for the event. You can then choose any flavour you like and don’t have to worry about storing it.

One word of caution about flavours: if you are getting married at the height of summer, and especially if your reception area has large windows, or is a marquee, and is likely to get very hot, be careful of delicate cakes, such as those covered with real chocolate and those containing mousse fillings or cream cheese. You could end up with warm, runny fillings and a melty overall look, which would be very disappointing. Best to have the cake set up in a more shaded corner and then maybe moved out for the cake cutting, and if you think it could get really hot, buttercream could be a much more stable and favourable option.

I bet you are wondering what the most popular flavour of wedding cake is. A lot of people do order chocolate. Lemon and carrot cake are also big favourites, but by far the most popular choice for any type of celebration, from weddings to birthdays to christenings, is vanilla sponge with vanilla buttercream and raspberry jam! Classic, delicious and loved by everyone.

So in conclusion, my advice for choosing your wedding cake would be to think about how you want the mood of your wedding to feel, pick out your favourite elements about your big day or you as a couple and above all, have fun! It shouldn’t be stressful and your cake designer will lead you through it to ensure that it isn’t. This is your chance to sit down, eat cake and talk about your wedding and you as a couple, so that the overall result is unique and something that you love.


This post was very kindly provided by Beth of Cakes by Beth

Follow Cakes By Beth  on Twitter - www.twitter.com/cakesbybeth (@cakesbybeth)

Wedding Planner - Choosing your Venue

Today's guest post on 'Choosing your Venue' comes from the fab Wedding and Event Planner, Alison Tinlin of Plans and Presents - although some of you may know her better as the legendary @MrsPandP!

CHOOSING A VENUE

When choosing a Venue for the most important day of your life, there is more involved than just providing a pretty setting for your photographs.

It has a direct influence on guest numbers, the kind of entertainment you can have and any special touches you may wish to incorporate.

A major consideration when deciding where you hold your wedding is down to budget.

Decide on the priorities you have for choosing your venue. ie, the look, the size, and the atmosphere.

A lot of times it comes down to a gut feeling you have for your venue. Its a bit like the dress, in that you know its "the one"

After you get engaged, the venue is probably the very first thing you will arrange.

Many venues get booked up years in advance, more so for summer Saturday's.

If you are a little flexible on dates, and especially days of the week, you have more chance of securing the Venue you want.

Recommendations from friends and family are helpful with venue choice. But it has to be remembered that each person has their own specific wants and requirements, and what one person likes, another may hate.

You cannot over estimate the importance of research. Get googling and also request lots of brochures.

If you have all the information, you can wittle it down to your favourites, and then create a shortlist, ensuring that you are not going to locations that are completely inappropriate.

Have a list of questions for the Venue for everything that is of upmost importance to your plans.

Sometimes in the excitement of seeing somewhere we really like, we can forget to ask specifics.

Don't make a snap second decision, take away all the information and ponder it.

Look at a few locations before making a concrete choice.

Is there somewhere better that can offer you a better deal, be just as pretty or suitable for the look you want etc.?

Pore over small print in Contracts, and check all the fine details.

I speak to a lot of brides that have had venue price hikes, and venue exclusivity taken away. If you have solid written documentation of all details, then you have a fall back if there is issues.

Finally enjoy looking.

All too often, it can feel like this enormous pressure to find this perfect place.

What needs to be remembered is that this is your special day, and should be a reflection of what you have always dreamed of, not what you think other people might expect.

This post was very kindly provided by Alison Tinlin of Plans and Presents

Follow Plans and Presents on Twitter - www.twitter.com/mrspandp (@Mrspandp)
Read the Plans and Presents blog here

Wedding Planner - Save the Date!

Today, the guest post is by the lovely Karen and Jenni of Tatty Lashes Handcrafted Stationery who talk about Save the Date Cards!

Tatty Lashes Handcrafted Stationery love Save the Date Cards – but what are they for and who do you send them to?


I think you’ll agree that your wedding day wouldn’t be the same if that special friend or family member wasn’t there because they were on holiday or they’d gone to someone else’s wedding, which was on the same day. That’s where Save the Date cards are a blessing;


A lot of couples are thinking about and booking their weddings well in advance – sometimes as much as two years ahead so it makes sense to send your guests a pre-notice of your intended wedding date to make sure they circle the date in their calendar and don’t arrange something else on your special day.


You might say why not just send the invitations out earlier but while this might work in some instances, most of the time if they’re too far in advance of the wedding date, they’re overlooked and your guests need an extra reminder nearer the time anyway.


The other most important reason for using Save the Date cards is if some of your guests are coming from some distance for your wedding and have to book flights, trains etc. As soon as they receive your card they can get looking for an inexpensive, early booking and book themselves into a hotel as well if they need to.


There are a lot of designs available from us at Tatty Lashes Handcrafted Stationery from postcards to luggage tags, (which are increasingly popular with our couples who are getting married abroad) and they will also give your guests a sneaky peak of the gorgeous stationery items to follow!

So all in all, we’re a huge fan of Save the Date cards – we’re in favour of anything that makes our couples weddings ‘perfect’.  

This post was very kindly provided by Karen & Jennie of Tatty Lashes Handcrafted Stationery
www.tattylashes.co.uk

 Follow Tatty Lashes on Twitter-www.twitter.com/tattylashess (@tattylashess)

Wedding Planner - Finalising the Guest List

Debrett’s have very kindly allowed me to share this information with you which talks about Compiling the Wedding Guest List. This is something that we spend an awful lot of time worrying about (I know I did!) so I hope this information will help to ease a few concerns enabling you to sleep easier!!

Compiling the Wedding Guest List

Compiling the guest list is one of the first challenges in planning a wedding. The wedding budget and venue size will determine the number of wedding guests.

If the ceremony venue is small, it is acceptable to invite some guests to the reception alone, or just to evening celebrations. They will require a separate reception-only invitation or covering note. Under no circumstances should a guest be invited to the wedding but not to the reception.

Ensure that everyone invited will attend with the best sentiments; familial repercussions must be borne in mind where family members are concerned.

Decide whether all partners of guests should be invited. There is no generally accepted rule, but if the guest is married or in an established, long-term relationship, his or her other half should be invited. Most importantly, make a policy decision on whether children and babies will be invited to the wedding.

How to Draw Up a Wedding Guest List

• A certain number of wedding invitations should be allocated to each set of parents and the couple.
• Compile a draft wish list, including every possible person, and then pare this down until a realistic number of guests has been settled on.
• Family should come first. If either the bride or the groom has a considerably larger family than their partner, an equal split of guests may not be possible.
• If both families are large, the number of friends on the guest list may have to be reduced.
• Ensure that a record of names of those who did not make the final count is maintained; this is the reserve guest list for refusals.

Copyright Debrett’s Limited - www.debretts.co.uk
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Wedding Planner – Setting your Budget!

I hope you all enjoyed yesterday’s post and found it helpful. If anyone has any suggestions or questions then please do not hesitate to email me on myweddingwonderland@yahoo.co.uk

Today’s guest post is by the lovely Bernadette Chapman of Dream Occasions and Dream Occasions Hire who offers her words of wisdom on what can sometimes be a delicate subject! 

BUDGET REALISM

You’re engaged but what happens next? The excitement has simmered, you’ve discussed the moment he proposed in graphic detail to everyone that asks. But now what? Just how should you plan your wedding? In my opinion the most important thing you need to do is discuss the budget. Sit down with your fiancée and family and work out a realistic budget for the wedding.

Don’t get into debt

If you are paying for your wedding yourself then creating a wedding budget is vitally important, this isn’t the time to start married life owing money. There are a few simple ways to start working out what you can afford.

1. Talk about when you want to get married, is it this year or in 18 months time.
2. Do you have savings set aside for the wedding
3. Work out your monthly expenditure, do you have money left over? What can you save each month?
4. Are family going to contribute to part of the wedding?
5. Multiply your monthly total by the number of months to the wedding, then add this to any current savings and family contributions. This gives you your wedding budget.
6. Always have a contingency of about £500-1,000 for those items you never knew you ‘needed’!

Budget Allocation

Once you know the total amount you can afford you need to create a spreadsheet with the following columns: Description, estimate, actual, details, supplier name, contact details

Use the % guidelines below to create your wedding budget. As a couple decide where your priorities are, for example you might want to spend more on entertainment and less on the cake. Adjust the spreadsheet accordingly. During the planning process

Venue / reception	45%
Photographer / videographer	14%
Toastmaster / wedding planner	10%
Outfits	8%
Entertainment	7%
Florist	5%
Stationery	3%
Ceremony	3%
Wedding cake	2%
Transportation	2%
Make up / hair	1%

Ask for help

Years ago the local community would all club together to help the newly weds and I think this is something sorely missed in today’s culture. In my experience asking for help with say the cake, wedding car, flowers will bring everyone together. You save money but friends and family will feel they have really contributed towards the wedding.

Get Social

It is now getting more popular to make items for your wedding, I think the popularity of blogs has shown just how unique you can be for your wedding theme. Review blogs here and in the US for inspiration, I can guarantee www.etsy.com will be a big hit!

Get wise

If you need to cut costs then think about what is really important and where money can be saved. Some companies provide stationery templates so you can print at home saving hundreds of pounds.  Instead of flowers why not have candelabras instead? http://www.dream-occasions.co.uk/hire/

Finally remember it’s your wedding, no-one else’s, is it worth getting into debt because you didn’t have the heart to say sorry you’re not invited…

This post was very kindly provided by Bernadette Chapman of Dream Occasions and Dream Occasions Hire
Follow Bernadette on Twitter - www.twitter.com/DreamOccasions (@DreamOccasions)