If you’re planning your wedding, you’ll notice there’s a lot of different advice going around about what you should and shouldn’t do when you’re making plans, and booking bits and bobs for your big day. We thought we’d join in and give you our very own Wedding Dos and Don’ts. We hope this helps you in your mission to plan your special day and get the most out of every single moment.
Do hire a wedding band
We might be biased, but in our humble opinion, there’s no better way of getting your reception rocking than by hiring a professional band to perform live wedding music. A professional wedding band bring that visual “wow” factor to your venue, as well as putting on a show that sounds incredible and gets your guests crowding the dance floor and grooving all night long.
The great thing about booking a live wedding band for your wedding reception is that your evening’s entertainment is in safe hands. Professional wedding bands perform at a huge number of weddings every year, so have the experience and knowledge to know exactly what works best to ensure everyone has an amazing time. Another bonus of booking a live band for your wedding entertainment is that most of them are happy to learn your first dance song, meaning you can enjoy a unique, personalised performance of your special song. A moment to cherish.
Don’t bend your wedding budget
This one’s a very strict don’t. You set a wedding budget for a reason. The number one rule is to set a budget for everything and stick to that budget. While it may be tempting to just blow everything on the big day, remember it’s only the first day of your new life as a married couple, and you need to be able to eat afterwards! There may be some things that you just cannot go without, but then some other elements of the wedding could be found elsewhere at a less expensive price.
When setting your wedding budget make sure that the amounts of money you apportion for each item are reasonable; you shouldn’t kid yourself that you can get your dress for £20 or that your venue will only cost a couple of hundred quid. The cost of live wedding entertainment is often higher than many people expect, so be sure to do your research beforehand. Then you can get a good idea of how much things will cost before you go searching for your fairy-tale venue or your dream wedding dress.
Do hire a professional wedding photographer
Your wedding day is one of the biggest, if not THE biggest day of your life. You want a beautiful photo on your mantelpiece of you and your new husband or wife all loved up in your wedding attire. You also want this photo to be professionally shot, not a bit blurry or a bit wonky – you want it to be perfect, just like the rest of your day. Hiring a professional photographer for your wedding will mean that you have plenty of photos you can frame from the ceremony, the party and group pictures with all your guests. It’s still lovely to have the odd silly selfie and family photo which you can take yourself, but knowing you’ve got a professional taking high quality photos of your nuptials, gives you one less thing to worry about.
Don’t do your own hair and make-up
On the morning of your wedding you don’t want to be panicking about your hair and your make up. The worst feeling is when you’re running late and you just can’t get your hair right. If you hire a professional hair dresser and a professional make-up artist then you know that they are going to do it exactly how you want it and it means you get a little bit of extra pampering. Also, when you hire professional make-up artists and hair dressers, you can also book a practise appointment – a dress rehearsal if you will. This way you will know if you’re satisfied with how they will do your make up and how you will look on the day. You can have a look online at popular bride make-up and hairstyles and watch them work their magic.
Of course, if your budget is stretched, you don’t have to hire a professional: if the mother of the bride or one of your bridesmaids has a knack for hair and make-up, then ask them with plenty of notice if they wouldn’t mind helping out. If you do choose this option, then it’s still worth having a test run to make sure your chosen helper can get your hair and make-up done in sufficient time and to a standard you’re happy with.
Do remember you’re in charge of the guest list
Remember, this is your day and you can share it with whomever you want. You don’t have to invite everyone your parents or your prospective in laws want there or the people you’re “expected” to invite. It is YOUR day. You should be surrounded by your family and friends, the people you’ll have a great time with and create amazing memories of your wedding day.
It’s sometimes difficult to categorise guests into “Ceremony Guests”, “Just Evening Guests” and “All Day Guests”, but as hard as it may be, if you’re restricted on numbers, some guests just won’t make the cut. The best plan of action is to write down your “definites” and write down your “maybes”, and with the help of your other half, you’ll be able to whittle down your list in no time. Oh, and when you’re doing the seating arrangements, make sure that everyone knows at least one person on each table or there could be some awkward silences! Mixing up tables so that guests of the bride and guests of the groom sit together is a good way of breaking the ice and desegregating different groups in time for your evening wedding party.
Don’t forget about life after the big day
As monumental as your wedding day is, it is only the prelude to a long and happy life together as husband and wife (we hope). As we mentioned when discussing your wedding budget, try not to let your wedding expenditure get out of hand and leave you struggling to make ends meet after the day is done.
Once your wedding has been and gone you might feel a void, as something you’ve keenly anticipated for so long has passed. Having the honeymoon planned and booked goes some way to postponing the post-wedding blues, but think about ways you can cling to the newly wedded bliss for longer – perhaps think about arranging a nice meal or a “mini-moon” at a spa a month or two after the wedding to give you something new to look forward to once you’re back at work and the normal life resumes.
Do wear in your wedding shoes
Wedding shoes present you with a quandary: you want your shoes to look pristine and scuff-free on the day of your wedding, but you don’t want to be afflicted with painful blisters that make anything more glamourous than a hobble impossible! You really don’t want to be putting on blister plasters on your wedding day. The best bit of advice; wear-in your shoes. It sounds obvious, but a lot of people don’t wear in their shoes because they don’t want to ruin them. It’s probably best not to wear them for a night out, but a couple of hours round the house every evening in the run up to the big day should ensure your as comfortable as they are beautiful. A very common solution to the wedding shoe problem is wearing one pair for photos and the main ceremony and then take a pair of nice flats so you can dance the night away in the evening. You could even provide “dancing shoes” in the form of flip flops for all the other guests tilting around on stilettos.
Don’t Rush Down the Aisle!
You’ve dreamed of this moment. All eyes on you at your most gorgeous as you glide radiantly towards your husband-to-be. Like all the best things in life, take your time and savour the moment. You won’t be here again, so smile, drink in the love pouring your way from all the special people in your life and make the most of YOUR moment. On a practical note, to avoid a wedding day disaster, sandpaper the bottom of your super-comfortable, scratch-free, worn-in shoes to give them some traction and reduce the risk of slipping as you walk down the aisle!
Do enjoy your hen party
You’re already planning a wedding, you shouldn’t have to plan a hen party as well. Your maid of honour and your bridesmaids should join together and plan an evening, day or weekend of outrageous fun, without any wedding planning or any interruptions. This is your chance to take a break from the stress of wedding planning, to let your hair down and have a great time. There may already be something you have in mind, a specific activity or one place that you’re dying to go to. Let your bridesmaids know and let them organise it. You don’t need another thing on your list! Also, even if there’s nothing you really want to do, make sure you let them know if there’s something you really don’t want to do. You don’t want to be forced into doing something that you’d hate.
Don’t stress!
If you’re starting to get overwhelmed with everything that needs to be done, take a step back and realise you will have a magical wedding day. You will get everything important done, and anything that gets overlooked obviously wasn’t that important after all. The best man isn’t going to lose the wedding rings, you’re not going to trip up on your way down the aisle (you’ve sandpapered the bottom of your shoes, remember), it’s not going to rain… well, it might rain, but if it does, you’ll smile and make the best of it and have a damn good time anyway. This is a time to be enjoyed, a time of delicious anticipation, so if you sense yourself getting submerged under waves of wedding planning despair, stop, look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself “I got this”. Also, wine helps. It helps a lot.
Do take everything in and enjoy every precious moment of your wedding day
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Ferris Bueller’s aphorism about life is especially pertinent on your wedding day. The day will flash by in a blur, so make sure you take a moment to stop and let it all soak in: the sights, the sounds, the smells, the laughter, the emotion. You’ll be glad you did when you return to those joyous memories time and time again throughout the years. If you remember to smile and enjoy yourself then everything else will just fall into place.
We hope these tips help smooth the wedding planning process for you. If you’re interested in booking a live band for your wedding, get in touch with our friendly team, who’ll do everything possible to help.
