The brides guide
Choosing your service suppliers
Choosing your weddings service suppliers is a highly personal decision. Choosing based on price alone is a mistake many couples make but one which can easily be avoided with a little forward planning and research. Visit our link page to view a range of quality wedding suppliers we are proud to be associated with.
Please visit the link page on this site for some recommended wedding suppliers.
The countdown to the day
What you should do immediately
- Announce your engagement!!
- Set a date (bear in mind summer saturday dates , especially august , are often booked two or three years in advance)
- Decide if you want a civil or religious ceremony
- Set your budget (a ten percent overspend allowance should be added)
- Decide on number of guests you will invite
- Check out potential ceremony and reception venues. Venues will often offer a discount if both the ceremony and meals/party are held at the same premises
- Purchase a wedding insurance policy
- Open a wedding bank account
- Select bridesmaids , best man and ushers. Check with them that they are available
Twelve to six months before the date
- Send out invites.For popular bank holidays such as august guests will often look for over twelve months notice so plan accordingly
- Meet with your Minister/Priest/Rabbi or if your ceremony is civil book your registrar
- Meet with caterers and organise for samples of their menus to be available for your meetings. Do the same with cake suppliers
- Start looking at dresses. Remember these can take up to six months as they are made to order. It also makes sense to look at bridesmaids dresses at the same time
- Decide what style of photographer and album you would like , then call Lee Richardson photography!
- Book your videographer
- Book your wedding cars
- Order your wedding stationary
- Meet with florists. In our experience florists vary considerably in quality and experience and enthusiasm. Look for wedding specialists as many florists who advertise their services for weddings are general florists and may not have worked a wedding for months or even years
- Look at entertainers , bands , dj`s. The most popular and experienced wedding entertainers are booked months in advance remember this when making your choice to avoid disappointment
- Begin your bridal health and beauty regime
Four to six months before the date
- For civil ceremonies give notice of the marriage to the superintendent registrar at your local registry office
- Confirm your music and reading choices with your minster or registrar. Don`t forget that civil ceremonies can NOT contain any religious content
- Arrange suite purchases or hire for the groom party
- Order your cake. Don`t forget to also order a stand if one is required
- Choose your wedding rings
- To make life easier for guests select a wedding gift company
- Make a fully finalised guest list and confirm your venue/s allow the number you require
- Request proof copies of your wedding stationary. Read these two or three times to check for typos and punctuation errors
- If required arrange accomadation for travelling guests
- Compile an information sheet for guests including directions to venues , places to stay , car parking areas and any other information they may find useful
- Start to make your wedding favours
- Book venue dressers and arrange any equipment hire such as projectors , sound systems or special lighting effects
- Arrange your first dress and shoe and lingerie fitting. If not already done order bridesmaid dresses at the same time
- Select a hair and make up artist , again try to choose one that specialises in weddings. Decide if any bridesmaids will need theirs booking at the same time
- Book a toastmaster
- Book and plan the honey moon
Two to four months before the date
- Chase all invitees you haven`t heard from , more often than not this will be most of them. Give the a gentle reminder to RSVP at least three weeks before you need final numbers from venues and caterers
- Confirm registry office booking if required
- Meet your minister to finalise the order of service
- Make sure all your honeymoon plans are finalised. Check passports , visas , jabs , travel insurance
- Print off copies of order of service
- Buy a guest book
- Plan hen and stag parties
- Book accomadation for your first night of married life
- Buy best mans / bridesmnaids / ushers / parents gifts. Will these be presented during the speeches or at another more intimate time?
- If you haven`t got one and are now starting to feel the strain of planning a wedding consider contacting a wedding planner
One to two months before the date
- Finalise all unanswered invitations. If anyone cant make it think about inviting a "reserve list" to fill the gaps
- Finalise the seating plan
- Pass final numbers to your venue and caterers
- Meet with venue and catering managers for the final time and check everything is in place
- Confirm final flower choices with your florist
- Buy a marriage license from your registrar
- Have a hair and make up trial with your stylist
- Arrange a rehearsal for church services
- Make sure all the men folk are working on their speeches!!
- Schedule final fitting for all the dresses
- Final meeting with photo/videographer and show the examples of the work you`ve been collecting
- Stag and Hen parties
Two weeks before the date
- Confirm ALL supplier bookings (even those who have already confirmed) and make sure they have all the information they need from you
- Write/print table place cards
- Confirm honeymoon booking and details
- Remind fiance to have a hair cut
- Arrange pick up / delivery of all wedding outfits
One week before the date
- Wear in your wedding day shoes. Also pack a pair of "comfy" shoes for the day, white trainers or flip flops can save your feet and will be hidden under your dress
- Have a wedding rehearsal
- Arrange for cake to be delivered to the venue
- Collect the rings
- Pack for your honey moon
The day before the big day
- If required dress the venue
- Have a manicure and pedicure
- Try to have a relaxing and early night before the big day!!!
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Choosing your weddings service suppliers is a highly personal decision. Choosing based on price alone is a mistake many couples make but one which can easily be avoided with a little forward planning and research. Visit our link page to view a range of quality wedding suppliers we are proud to be associated with.
Please visit the link page on this site for some recommended wedding suppliers.
The countdown to the day
What you should do immediately
- Announce your engagement!!
- Set a date (bear in mind summer saturday dates , especially august , are often booked two or three years in advance)
- Decide if you want a civil or religious ceremony
- Set your budget (a ten percent overspend allowance should be added)
- Decide on number of guests you will invite
- Check out potential ceremony and reception venues. Venues will often offer a discount if both the ceremony and meals/party are held at the same premises
- Purchase a wedding insurance policy
- Open a wedding bank account
- Select bridesmaids , best man and ushers. Check with them that they are available
Twelve to six months before the date
- Send out invites.For popular bank holidays such as august guests will often look for over twelve months notice so plan accordingly
- Meet with your Minister/Priest/Rabbi or if your ceremony is civil book your registrar
- Meet with caterers and organise for samples of their menus to be available for your meetings. Do the same with cake suppliers
- Start looking at dresses. Remember these can take up to six months as they are made to order. It also makes sense to look at bridesmaids dresses at the same time
- Decide what style of photographer and album you would like , then call Lee Richardson photography!
- Book your videographer
- Book your wedding cars
- Order your wedding stationary
- Meet with florists. In our experience florists vary considerably in quality and experience and enthusiasm. Look for wedding specialists as many florists who advertise their services for weddings are general florists and may not have worked a wedding for months or even years
- Look at entertainers , bands , dj`s. The most popular and experienced wedding entertainers are booked months in advance remember this when making your choice to avoid disappointment
- Begin your bridal health and beauty regime
Four to six months before the date
- For civil ceremonies give notice of the marriage to the superintendent registrar at your local registry office
- Confirm your music and reading choices with your minster or registrar. Don`t forget that civil ceremonies can NOT contain any religious content
- Arrange suite purchases or hire for the groom party
- Order your cake. Don`t forget to also order a stand if one is required
- Choose your wedding rings
- To make life easier for guests select a wedding gift company
- Make a fully finalised guest list and confirm your venue/s allow the number you require
- Request proof copies of your wedding stationary. Read these two or three times to check for typos and punctuation errors
- If required arrange accomadation for travelling guests
- Compile an information sheet for guests including directions to venues , places to stay , car parking areas and any other information they may find useful
- Start to make your wedding favours
- Book venue dressers and arrange any equipment hire such as projectors , sound systems or special lighting effects
- Arrange your first dress and shoe and lingerie fitting. If not already done order bridesmaid dresses at the same time
- Select a hair and make up artist , again try to choose one that specialises in weddings. Decide if any bridesmaids will need theirs booking at the same time
- Book a toastmaster
- Book and plan the honey moon
Two to four months before the date
- Chase all invitees you haven`t heard from , more often than not this will be most of them. Give the a gentle reminder to RSVP at least three weeks before you need final numbers from venues and caterers
- Confirm registry office booking if required
- Meet your minister to finalise the order of service
- Make sure all your honeymoon plans are finalised. Check passports , visas , jabs , travel insurance
- Print off copies of order of service
- Buy a guest book
- Plan hen and stag parties
- Book accomadation for your first night of married life
- Buy best mans / bridesmnaids / ushers / parents gifts. Will these be presented during the speeches or at another more intimate time?
- If you haven`t got one and are now starting to feel the strain of planning a wedding consider contacting a wedding planner
One to two months before the date
- Finalise all unanswered invitations. If anyone cant make it think about inviting a "reserve list" to fill the gaps
- Finalise the seating plan
- Pass final numbers to your venue and caterers
- Meet with venue and catering managers for the final time and check everything is in place
- Confirm final flower choices with your florist
- Buy a marriage license from your registrar
- Have a hair and make up trial with your stylist
- Arrange a rehearsal for church services
- Make sure all the men folk are working on their speeches!!
- Schedule final fitting for all the dresses
- Final meeting with photo/videographer and show the examples of the work you`ve been collecting
- Stag and Hen parties
Two weeks before the date
- Confirm ALL supplier bookings (even those who have already confirmed) and make sure they have all the information they need from you
- Write/print table place cards
- Confirm honeymoon booking and details
- Remind fiance to have a hair cut
- Arrange pick up / delivery of all wedding outfits
One week before the date
- Wear in your wedding day shoes. Also pack a pair of "comfy" shoes for the day, white trainers or flip flops can save your feet and will be hidden under your dress
- Have a wedding rehearsal
- Arrange for cake to be delivered to the venue
- Collect the rings
- Pack for your honey moon
The day before the big day
- If required dress the venue
- Have a manicure and pedicure
- Try to have a relaxing and early night before the big day!!!
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