Firsthand Wedding Advice

Learning from other people’s experiences can be so helpful, so I’ve spoken to my friends and IG followers who have tied the knot, or are in the later stages of planning, to give their firsthand tips and advice for future couples.

Grab a cup of tea and settle in - you’ll be glad you read this!

Mindset

“Sit down together at the beginning of planning and talk about what’s most important to you”

“Don’t sweat the small stuff - everyone gets so caught up in the details that can add unnecessary stress. For example, no one is going to notice if you don’t have table favours or flowers everywhere, so don’t feel pressured to include absolutely everything!”

“Things will inevitably go wrong, but try not to worry about it. Chances are, you’re the only people who will notice and guests won’t have a clue”

“Enjoy the build up- every bride I know including myself finds the planning so stressful/unenjoyable, but looking back, the day goes SO fast and when it’s over you wish you could do it all again. So try to enjoy the build up rather than getting stressed about it all”


Timings

“Take your time viewing multiple venues and picking a date. It can dictate the entire look and feel of the day, so don’t go with the first place you view or first date available. We saw 6 in total, so when we went ahead, we knew it was exactly what we wanted and would be perfect for us”

“Take your time. It can be easy to feel like you have to rush all your decisions with only like a year to plan things, but see as many venues as you need, try on as many dresses as you need and meet all the vendors till the one feels right”

“Consider the time of year. E.G. If you're having a winter wedding, you need to ensure plenty of indoor space for your guests to be. If you're getting married in the summer make sure they have a plan B if it rains, then please don’t worry about the weather!”

“Wedding season tends to be May-Sept. Having an earlier summer wedding is great as guests will be really excited and not fatigued from having already been to 6 weddings that year. That being said, any time of year is great really - people truly love a wedding”

“Your wedding day will fly and it will be a blur, so make sure to take time truly alone for you and your new husband/wife, away from it all, to soak it in”


Music

“Live music. The biggest hits at our wedding were our two live bands. Look for something that appeals to you but has a good variety of music for all age groups”


Design

“Don't rely on Pintrest/IG to plan your wedding. Use it as inspiration and potentially as a source for vendors, but remember that a lot will be impractical styled shoots that cost a fortune, and things like the giant floral displays come with a serious price tag!”


Bar

“If you can, have your bar right next to your dance floor. It’s not something we thought about before the wedding itself, but on reflection, we are SO glad our bar was on our dance floor. It meant there were constantly people huddled around – whether dancing or chatting with a drink in hand – rather than split across different rooms/ areas. I’ve been to so many weddings where the dancefloor is dead because people get stuck at the bar and it makes others feel silly dancing in an empty space”


Dresses

“Try on all styles of dresses. You might have an idea what you want but try all the styles because you may find you end up loving something you didn't expect to. I had lace and sparkle in my head and I went as plain as you would go”


“Try your hardest not to rush or be overwhelmed by the dress shopping experience. If you’re organised and are buying in plenty of time, you WILL find your dress so you don’t need to stress and feel under pressure to buy.”


“I really think it’s ok to love multiple dresses. TV makes us think that we have to have this overly emotional response to ‘the one’ when in reality, IT’S JUST A DRESS!”


“Use Stillwhite if you’re like me and panic bought a dress only to regret it later.. I managed to sell mine to a lovely girl and only lost £100 so it really wasn’t too bad at all.”

“Bridesmaids don't have to 'match'. Coming from someone who had bridesmaids of different shapes, sizes and skin tones, I wanted them all to feel comfortable and this meant different dresses. But the effect of the same colour but different dresses turned out beautifully”


Budget

“If you’re concerned about stationery budget, just send your invites out early and don’t worry about save the dates (or go digital). People will appreciate the advance notice and details!”

“Don’t feel like you have to spend all your savings on a wedding. Think about your future together and if you want to save for another life goal (like your first child or buying/renovating your home) then that is equally as wonderful”

“Weddings are expensive and it’s really easy to get carried away. If you sit down early on and work out where you don’t mind splurging vs what you can cut to save costs, it’ll help you keep to a healthier budget”


Assistance on the day

“Get an on the day coordinator. While some venues provide these they are not always the most reliable, especially in the morning. They can manage bringing your florals up to the bridal suite for the photographer, organising people for the family pictures, ensuring things run smoothly etc.”

“Our wedding was very DIY and we didn’t have a coordinator, so I prepared very thorough briefings for our suppliers before. This worked really well as it meant on the day I could totally relax and trust that they would take care of everything (goes without saying to hire suppliers you get a good vibe from and feel you can really trust!)”

Politics

“Family politics can get sometimes get a bit too much when planning. It’s such a special occasion, so understandably emotions are heightened. Even during the most intense periods, I tried to remind myself that it wasn’t coming from an intentionally bad place and more times than not, it was coming from a place of love and wanting to be involved (even if I didn’t always want them to be!)”

“Do what you want to do. You may strong opinions from people on things like the venue and flowers, especially if they’re contributing financially, but ultimately you need to do what you imagine and want”

There we have it! I hope you’ve found a couple of tips to inspire you or help you with your planning journey. As someone newly engaged, it has certainly helped me!

Love,
Amy

Did you know that Beloved Creations donates to One Tree Planted with each order? Take a peek at the dedicated page here.