Choosing Wedding Colours
Choosing colours for a wedding can be tricky. In all likelihood the bridesmaids will all have different complexions and be suited to different colours – so care must be taken here to ensure they are all happy.
Your chosen season will also have a bearing on colours as well as colours that are trending at the time of preparation. For example, for a Christmas wedding, golds, reds and even greens are likely to feature heavily in the bridal shops and department stores whether you are shopping for bridesmaid dresses, table clothes, ribbons etc. However, pastels will not be so readily available unless you have been wise and bought them ahead of time.
Some brides prefer to have everything colour coordinated – bridesmaid dresses, groom’s outfit, best man, tablecloths, chairs, napkins and so on. There are no rules – it’s up to you how you want your wedding day to unfold.
The Dress
So, you have your date and your venues sorted and even though that date might be some way off, you will soon find that every day is precious as you try to arrange one thing or another. The dress now becomes super important for the bride and her inevitable entourage.
Things to consider when choosing the dress: Will the dress be worn all day? For the wedding, reception and even an evening event? If so, ideally you need to choose something that will be comfortable to wear for that length of time – will it have a train that is detachable? Another option is to have another (or several others) dress for the other event or events during the day – allowing the bride to look glamourous all over again!
The styles will be important too, there is so much to choose from – modern, traditional, vintage etc? The theme and venue you have already chosen will hopefully be your guide here. For instance, if the setting has an old fashioned feel, how about utilising that and have a vintage, classic car to transport the bride in style. So, this being the theme, you will know what sort of dress to look for – something ultra-modern in this setting will look completely out of place! Browsing through wedding magazines can be really helpful in the hunt for the perfect dress
The next stage is to make an appointment at a bridal boutique, preferably somewhere you know has a large selection in the style you are looking for. It might sound tiring but try them all on! You might be lucky and hit the perfect dress the first time but the chances are you will only find THE Wedding Dress by trying on a selection.
The Bridesmaid Conundrum
How many bridesmaids will the bride have? Sometimes it’s an easy solution, sometimes not! Aside from the choosing of the bridesmaids, there are plenty of other things to consider. Will their dresses be in the same style as the bride’s? Will they be full length or something knee height? Will there be a mixture of ages which require dresses of drastically different sizes? It’s quite a lot to take in and with that in mind it’s probably easier to buy them from a single place that you trust – somewhere you can ensure they will all be the same colour and style – or at least the ones you have chosen.
If you have chosen your boutique wisely, you may also be able to pick up the ties and handkerchiefs for the men at the same time – again knowing the colour matching is likely to be more accurate than if you had to shop around.
The Wedding Cake and Catering
There are plenty of ways you can approach the catering – from formal meals, buffets and even fish and chip suppers but if you are trying to cut down on stress levels, then it might be a good idea to have all the catering organised and done in the same venue. This can cut down on transportation and you might even be able to get a cake done within the same deal.
Catering can be an area where prices quickly escalate, so have a calculator with you when in discussion with caterers, be aware of your numbers and budget and stay calm!
The cake itself is often the centrepiece at any reception event, everyone will see it and nearly everyone will taste it – so make decisions carefully, remembering the style and colours of the wedding.
Wedding Hair and Beauty
It’s always a good idea to stick to what you know when it comes to having your hair and make-up done for your wedding. It’s definitely not the time to experiment and try something new! So, if you have someone who knows your hair – the cut, the colour and the style – then trust them, as they know how your hair behaves and are likely to give sound advice about how to wear your hair on the day. If the hairdresser and beautician can come to your home, all the better, the salon can be a bit clinical and manic, especially if the wedding day is on a Saturday! If you have time and can afford it, try and have a couple of practice runs, especially if you have a tiara and a veil to consider. On the day itself you want to be as relaxed as possible and fully confident about the way you look. All of this also applies to make-up.
Wedding Pictures
If you don’t already have a photographer in mind, ask your friends and family for recommendations – it’s always good to choose someone who has both great reviews and has done some photography for someone you know. Wedding photography is perhaps the thing that people end up most dissatisfied with after the event – when it’s too late! These pictures will hopefully last a lifetime. If you are forward thinking enough – perhaps you can ask the photographer to take some pictures at your engagement party – this will give you and the photographer a chance to feel comfortable working together as well as being able to check on the quality of the images produced.
Don’t be afraid to tell the photographer what you want, what sort of pictures you want taken, the style you are looking for (formal/informal). Outline the day and make a list of the family photographs that you need to have – it’s too late to squeeze an upset Aunt or Uncle into a picture when the day is gone! Work to your checklist and hopefully you will end up with a fantastic wedding album.
There are plenty of other things you could add to this list but these are some of the main things you will be thinking about from the moment the question was asked and the answer was YES!