A Quick Tip: Children

If you are inviting children to your wedding then consider hiring a specialist crèche or children’s entertainment service to look after them during the dinner and speeches. At the very least provide them with age appropriate goody bags at the tables to keep them entertained. My Little Party Bags have great selection of wedding busy bags, here.

Children's table photo by Mathieu Photogrpahy via Elizabeth Anne Designs

A Quick Tip: Table Names

A great way to add a bit of personality to your day is to name your tables after something important to you both; the groom loves football? How about naming the tables after favourite footballers. For loads more great ideas on table names check out Little Miss Wedding here.

Photo by Elemental Weddings via Little Miss Wedding here

A Quick Tip: Favours

If you want to give favours at your wedding then try and make them meaningful, something that represent you as a couple: perhaps you both love gardening, how about giving some cute packaged seeds or even little potted plants. Favours you’ve made yourselves, especially food based ones are always great too-homemade jam with personalised labels is always a big hit and it won’t get left behind.

Photos by Gideon Photography via Green Wedding Shoes, here

A Quick Tip: Engagement shoots

If you are at all uncomfortable about the thought of having your photos taken on your wedding day then ask your photographer if they can do an e-shoot for you. It’s a great way for you to get used to being in front of the camera and get to know your photographer. You‘ll also end up with some great shots of you as a couple that you could even use on your wedding day, for example in a guest book or as table numbers.

Photo courtesy of Shell de Mar Photography

A Quick Tip: Flowers

You can get all types of flowers at most times of year if they’ve been imported but for the best quality and price stick to seasonal flowers from the UK; they will be at their finest then and look better for it. For a great guide to what flowers are in season, when, take a look at the Flowers and Plants Association website here.

Photo by Always Andri Wedding Design

A Quick Tip: Photography

When choosing your photographer don’t just go on their price and work alone, their personality is just as important. You will be spending a large amount of time with your photographer on your wedding day and if you are uncomfortable around them it will show in your photos, it’s important that you get on with them.

Photograph by Duncan Kerridge

A Quick Tip: Lighting

Effective use of lighting can totally transform the mood and feel of a space. As you look around your venue think about the different methods you could use and where such as candles and tealights at fireplaces or on tables, fairy lights hung from rafters or wrapped around pillars, simple washes of colour on the walls or ceiling.

Photo by Ken Stabile via Rock'N'Roll Bride

A Quick Tip: Entertainment

Take the time to think about your wedding entertainment choices as they can really help define your day and create a memorable experience for your guests, from adding an element of surprise, reflecting the bringing together of cultures to even simply just helping to break the ice between your guests.

The London Gospel Choir,  Image by Duncan Kerridge

A Quick Tip: Cake

Fresh flowers can be a cost effective alternative to sugar paste flowers on a wedding cake and work well with cakes that have simple patterned details. Ask your florist to supply the flowers, letting them know that they will be used on the cake ensuring they will be non-toxic and long lasting.

Photo by Ryan Phillips Photography via The Brides Cafe

A Quick Tip: Flowers

Scented flowers and foliage can be a great at a wedding- a waft of honeysuckle, a hint of freesia, a burst of garden roses but be careful where you use them, strong scents can be overpowering at the tables so best to use them with the personal flowers or key locations such as entrances to rooms.

Image by Always Andri Wedding Design

A Quick Tip: Multi-cultural Weddings

When planning a multi-cultural wedding take the time to discuss between yourselves and your families which cultural influences are important to you all and will have the most meaning to you at the ceremony and the reception; by acknowledging the differences as well as the common ground you can take the best of both worlds and create a wedding unique to you as a couple.

Photo courtesy of Marianne Taylor Photography

A Quick Tip: Readings

“Love is not a selfish need

It is not a hunger that must be fed

Love should not exclude

It should make our lives broader

Our hearts wider”

Dorcas from ‘Lark Rise to Candleford’

When you’re looking to choose your wedding readings remember as well as meaningful poems and passages from books you could have the lyrics from a favourite song, an extract from a play even quotes and speeches from well loved films or TV programmes.

A Quick Tip: Venues

Historical buildings can often have very strict policies about what is and isn’t allowed such as no high heels, red wine or naked flames, even no dancing or flowers; check and double check your contract for any restrictions that might dampen the celebrations before you book.

Photo courtesy of Marianne Taylor Photography

A Quick Tip: Stationery

Not only can the look of your stationery help to set the tone of the wedding day and let your guests know what kind of day to expect but the wording you use can too. For a traditional, formal wedding you may want to ‘Request the honour of your presence’ or if you’re having a more casual and informal day, you could ask them to ‘Come join the party as we celebrate our love!’

Image Courtesy of Cutture

A Quick Wedding Tip: Timings

When planning out the schedule for your day do factor in how long it takes to move guests around, whether it be from the ceremony to the reception venue or simply just from one room to another. Seating 100 guests for dinner can easily take 20-30mins.

Photo by Marianne Taylor Photography

A quick wedding tip…It’s your wedding day

It’s your wedding day so have the wedding you want not the one you think you should have. Sit down together and think about all the things that represent you as a couple, what you love doing together, your hobbies and passions and make it a truly personal day.

Photo by Sarah Gawler (bride in stunning Claire Pettibone dress) via Rock'n'Roll Bride here

A Quick Wedding Tip: Getting Started

In my last post I mentioned that I was going to start some new regular features, up first A Quick Wedding Tip to get your week going…

Before you get carried away with all the pretty details of your wedding day sit down together and ask yourselves 5 important questions:

What kind of wedding do you want to have? Religious or civil, traditional or alternative?

Who do you want to invite? Write down a proper list in order of importance.

When do you want to marry? As soon as possible or much later, do you want a summer or winter wedding, weekend or weekday?

Where do you want to get married? Close to your home, your parents or perhaps a destination wedding in UK or abroad?

How much do you have to spend? Will you be financing it all or will family be happy to help and if so how much?