Introducing International Guest Blogger JACINTA AUSTIN
Industry Expert,Freelance Blogger in Public Relations and Media Studies
10 Planning tips every bride wishes she knew before getting married
The 10 planning tips every Bride wish they knew before they got married.
Planning a wedding can be overwhelming. If you’re in your element planning your wedding and writing checklists or if you just wish you could skip the planning and be married already, here are 10 tips to remember that are sure to make wedding-planning life a little smoother.
1. Colour themes go out of fashion
Pick your wedding colours because you love them. Your colour theme should make you happy. The last thing you want is to look back at your wedding photos in 5, 10 or 20 years and cringe at the sickly-coloured bridesmaid dresses you picked because they were ‘in’ that season. Sometimes going with your favourite colour is the best option – at least you will always smile at your memories.
2. Include your friends in your wedding planning
Let your close friends and family know how your wedding planning is going. If you’re someone like me who finds it easier to organise everything themselves, try to let go and delegate. Or at least keep your friends in the loop with decisions you’ve made. It’s likely they want to feel your excitement too (this is especially important when you live in different parts of the world!). If dishing out tasks doesn’t sound like a problem that you’d have then maybe the next tip is for you…
3. Don’t be a Bridezilla
If you’re prone to over-delegating and helicopter monitoring every small detail, try to relax. Your wedding day is supposed to be about the love between you and your husband.
Things will go wrong on your wedding day.
Read that sentence again.
Things will go wrong on your wedding day.
The sooner you can accept this, the calmer you will be when something happens out of your control. If you have a good celebrant and some great friends, any problem can be managed quickly and without too much stress.
Besides, problems usually become part of great stories you can laugh at later. It’s much harder to laugh about your memories when you can only remember yelling at your bridesmaids or being stressed out.
4. What’s on the menu is important
Cocktail platters are a great option for a cheap alternative to a set menu, but if your guests leave early because they’re hungry they won’t be a hit. Make sure you order enough to keep everyone satisfied and keep the platters coming regularly through the night. When you have a cocktail reception, no one sits down for a proper meal, so your guests could arrive at different times or disappear outside. If they come back and find they’ve missed out on food or it’s mangled and cold on a forgotten platter they could head for the door.
If you’re going for a set menu, you might be confined to the menu restraints of the venue. Try to arrange alternatives for guests who have allergies or aversions in advance. Another good point to remember is cost. You will need to consider how much you’re willing to spend per head – which brings us to the next tip.
5. Don’t demand money from your guests
It’s not polite or very good budgeting to ask guests to match your food costs with their gifts or donations. Just assume that the price you’re paying per head for food is for the pleasure of their presence. I attended a wedding once where I had put $50 in their wishing well, only to hear the Groom moaning later that night about anyone who’d put in less than $100, because that’s what he’d paid per head for food. Don’t be that Bride and Groom. It’s unreasonable to expect a family of four to gift you $400. On the other hand, if they’re receiving something over and above other guests, demand away.
6. Be prepared for uninvited guests
Almost every wedding I have attended has hosted a stray guest or two. To be fair, I have been the uninvited guest at two weddings (eek.. sorry cousins, you weren’t to know I was in the country). If a straggler or two is not in your budget it is going to be extremely frustrating – which is why I won’t be that guest again. It’s not something you fully appreciate until you plan and pay for a wedding yourself. A wedding I attended in Thailand recently ended up hosting another guest’s tinder date. Luckily the Bride fully expected such a situation. Of course, if your budget is very tight just prepare for an uncomfortable conversation or two.
7. Invest in a good hair and make-up artist
The hair and make-up you wear on your big day is going to be the subject of many conversations at your wedding and whenever someone brings out the photos after. It is also a great bonding experience to watch the make-up artist work their magic on your bridal party. If it’s in your budget.
If money is a factor, just put money aside for Bridal hair and make-up and let the bridesmaids do their own. Look around for recommendations and make sure you see samples of their work. Find a make-up artist and hairdresser who will listen to what you want but can also guide you in what will work best for your face. If you’re trying to cut costs further, you could go the ‘special occasion’ route and see tip #8.
8. Don’t mention the word ‘wedding’
When it comes to a wedding, suppliers see dollar signs and the price doubles, if not triples. This applies to flowers, cakes, hair and make-up, event hire and dresses. Pretty flower bouquets become ‘bridal flowers’ for an extra $200 a bunch. Cakes become wedding cakes for an extra $500. A white dress becomes a wedding dress for an extra $1000.
You get the picture.
Enquire with suppliers for a ‘special occasion’ instead of a wedding and help keep that money in your pockets.
9. Pick your celebrant wisely
Do your research. Find a celebrant that fits your style. Picking a celebrant should always be one of your top priorities, a celebrant can have your guests raving about your ceremony or have them snoring through it. You can find tips for picking your ideal celebrant in one of my other blogs. Pick a celebrant that brings the wow-factor and has your guests asking for their name.
10. Write your own vows
Writing your own vows will make your words more memorable. Your guests will pay more attention during the ceremony to some heartfelt words that define you as a couple than to some over-used phrases from a celebrant’s book. If you can’t write well or are too scared to attempt your own vows than be sure to pick something pre-written that fits your personality. Don’t put your guests to sleep with something your grandmother would use.
So, there you have it, my top 10 tips to making your wedding planning experience easy.
Do you have any tips you would add to this list? Share them in the comments!
Written by Jacinta Austin
Writer & Public Relations Major
(Bachelor of Communications)