What Do I Need To Plan For My Wedding? - Part 2
💖🧡💛This is part 2 of 2. If you missed the first part, you can find it here. At the end, you can download a summarised list to help you plan your special day! 💖🧡💛
In the last post, we talked about planning the who, what and where of the wedding: The bare bones, if you will. This post will be about styling your event to make it scream you as a couple, transforming it into sentimental, special and, of course, fun. Let’s kick off!
Your Outfits
Often we put a phenomenal amount of pressure on ourselves to look THE BEST WE EVER HAVE OR WILL on our wedding day - I certainly did. It’s not really fair to future you and it’s definitely not a healthy outlook. You need to look after yourself! Eat well, do some exercise, don’t beat yourself up, please. That’s all I’ll say on that.
You can feel like a million dollars in the right outfit, but it certainly doesn’t have to cost that! I was incredibly lucky to have a step-mum who is a seamstress and she crafted my dream broderie-anglaise dress from 50 quid’s worth of material from Walthamstow market. I’m not saying you have to make your wedding outfit, but do consider these options:
Lots of high-street and online brands such as H&M and ASOS now have bridal collections
You can hire suits and dresses from a range of stores
You can find amazing things from rooting around vintage and charity shops - This would also be a fun day out. You can also try Etsy or eBay!
Some boutiques have huge discounts and even run competitions to win items from their collections
If you’re looking for something a bit alternative like a coloured wedding dress, you may find it’s cheaper than the traditional white dresses which come with a premium
You may be lucky enough to have a gorgeous hand-me-down from a family member, have the skills to craft your own or know someone who is a tailor. Ask around!
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Your Wedding Cake
…or cheese, or pork-pies, or donuts…Whatever you like! It’s a tradition that makes lots of guests happy because, well, people like treat food. Choose something you love - Even if it’s a pile of pizza. 🍕🍕🍕And if this isn’t for you, then that’s cool too.
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Your Flowers and Decorations
This is a good opportunity to own the aesthetic. It can differentiate your wedding from the rest and compliment the clothes, stationery and venue you’ve chosen. Some tips:
You don’t have to buy fresh - You can get paper, felt or fabric flowers which could be re-used, sold on or given away to guests. Having decorations like this allows you to plan and place ahead of time, too.
If you want fresh flowers but at a cheaper price, ask the florist to pick seasonally and up to a certain price. They can often be very creative based on just a colour suggestion.
Ask if the venue has any ‘props’ or decorations and really use the space you’ve chosen.
Don’t forget that the stationery you’ve chosen will be present and therefore will offer a lot of visual weight in the room. This might be all you need!
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Your Music and Entertainment
You might be having a band, a string or barbershop quartet, a DJ or just a banging Spotify playlist. Whatever you choose, work together to create a soundtrack of music that matters to you. I asked on the RSVPs for songs that meant something to each guests. This meant they all had something to talk about, a reason to hit the dance floor, and it made our job of organising the music much easier!
I’ve also been to weddings with magicians, jazz pianists and karaoke - all have worked amazingly well at entertaining everyone!
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Your Wedding Stationery
Oh so dear to my heart! It my very firm belief that unique, meaningful and beautiful design can change an event, a brand or a home into something to cherish. It can mean the difference between people feeling welcome, comfortable, relaxed and happy - or not.
I’ve written a post on what stationery you might need here. In brief, you don’t need to spend the earth to have something bespoke. Your wedding is just about you two, and your stationery - a save-the-date or an invitation, is a guest’s first glimpse into that intimate event. Send them something that truly shows them what sort of celebration they’re in for! 🤘🤘🤘
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Photography and Videography
Capturing the day is the most wonderful keepsake. You could encourage guests to use their phones and cameras, hand out disposables, use Instax/Polaroids and of course, hire professionals.
There are so many wonderful, talented and friendly photographers and videographers who would really understand you as a couple and capture that magic. My tips:
Talk to your professional photographer multiple times before booking them to make sure they’re right for you
Use selective directories such as The Unwedding’s Book of Love, which has already narrowed down the best ones on your behalf (and often have discounts!)
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Should I hire a wedding planner?
There are some REALLY amazing ones out there who will do their job so seamlessly that you float into your wedding day totally chillaxed. The worst thing that you can do when planning a wedding is lose yourself in it. It’s unbelievably easy for even the most organised and relaxed person to lose perspective of their priorities when wedding planning.
If you need help, whether it’s from a professional planner or not, just ASK. The worst that can happen is someone says no! Just remember why you’re doing it and focus on the one you love. 💖
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