Everyone knows how important something like marriage is, and it’s very rare the people will rush into something like this without fully considering what it means. You understand that you will be spending the rest of your life with the person you’ve chosen, with your big day marking the start of this life-long connection. What a lot of people fail to consider, though, is that this sort of event can have a massive short-term impact on your life, and it’s worth making sure you’re ready for this before you start.

Time: Planning an entire wedding is no mean feat, and a lot of these events will take over a year to complete in full. Of course, the impact in this area will fully depend on the size and scale of your event, with larger weddings taking much longer to plan and arrange. While you’re working on this, it will be hard to focus on your work like you used to, as you will have to be thinking about the event all the time. To help you out with this, there are loads of companies out there which are dedicated to wedding planning. While having time, this could also improve the end result you find yourself with.

Money: More importantly, most people will also be aware of the extreme costs of a wedding, though over 23% of US citizens don’t bother with a budget for their big day. Finding loan places near me to cover the costs of a day like this can be a good idea, as it will help you to avoid the time it will take to save up. Once the day is over, though, you will have to repay this bill, and this could go on for many years. This is something you should plan very well, looking far into the future of your money to make sure that you can afford the day that you’re planning. Saving money on something like this is easy, and will often involve simply cutting down on the luxuries you have at the venue.

Socially: For a while after your wedding, you’re going to be known as the newlyweds amongst your circles of friends and family. While this is very nice, as it will show that people are thinking about you, it can also have some negatives. People will often assume that married couples don’t have time for parties, special events, and other occasions which single people have the time for. Of course, being married doesn’t make you want to avoid things like this, though, and this could make life hard. To avoid these sorts of issues, it is worth making sure that you don’t disappear after your wedding, even if you have a long honeymoon.

Assessing the impact that something like a wedding can have will often be overshadowed by the day itself. Financial planning, time management, and all of the other aspects of your big day will impact the rest of your life. While this is worth it for the end result, it’s still something you have to consider, as things could be changing quite a lot.

Have you dreamed of having an outdoor wedding surrounded by nature and all the natural beauty? It’s easy to form a whole vision in your head of how perfect the day will be, but reality isn’t always so simple. In fact there are a number of steps and tips involved in planning an outdoor wedding that goes off without a hitch and ends up being all you had hoped for.

[Photo courtesy of Inna Lesyk/pexels.com]

Here are five tips you will want to keep in mind as you work to plan your very special day.

You Need a Backup Plan

This very first tip is probably the most important out of all the tips, granted it isn’t the greatest to hear. No-one wants to think about having a back-up plan when their dream is to get married outside. Unfortunately you can’t control the weather, so a back-up plan is necessary. This could be a tented area you can move to or an indoor space on the property.

Provide Outdoor Facilities

If you plan on holding the ceremony and reception outdoors, then you will need to think about washroom facilities for you and your guests. Obviously you’ll want something nicer and bigger than a traditional outhouse, so this is when you can look into luxury bathrooms for outdoor weddings.

A great example of these types of facilities is the Versa Luxury Restroom Trailer from On Site Co. This is in fact a trailer that houses four washroom stalls in it. The trailer offers running water in the sinks, flushing toilets, and even air conditioning or heating to ensure the washroom is a comfortable temperature.

Consider the Temperature for That Time of Year

Another tip is to give thought to the average temperature at that time of year. You can then add special little touches that will help to keep your guests comfortable. For example if it is usually extremely hot and humid at that time of year you can offer small fans to guests as they arrive, and also ensure you’ve got large electric fans blowing (they can run off a generator).

If the weather tends to be a bit chilly for the date of your wedding, then you could offer cute little mittens, lap blankets, scarves, shawls, and you can run portable heaters off the generator instead.

Make Sure the Venue Isn’t Too Spread Out

Another tip is to make sure the spaces between your ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception aren’t too spread out. You don’t want your guests feeling lost or confused as to where they need to be. If it’s too spread out, guests really won’t be mingling with each other either.

Work with the Natural Décor of the Venue

When it comes to décor, an outdoor wedding doesn’t need a whole lot. Let’s face it, the venue itself often acts as the décor. Instead of adding a whole bunch extra, look for ways you can highlight the natural beauty of the setting.

The Wedding of Your Dreams

With a little planning and organizing you’ll be sure to put together the outdoor wedding of your dreams that all will enjoy.

While you want to have the perfect wedding day, invariably things will go wrong. While you shouldn’t worry too much about the minor problems, here are common mistakes you can avoid.

Ensuring you have a dream wedding, no matter the cost

From the time when you were a little girl playing make-believe with your Barbie dolls, you have probably always had an idea of your dream wedding. Sometimes dreams do come true, but there has to be some level of realism to counter your imagination.

While your dream may involve a horse-drawn carriage, a fairy-tale wedding dress, and a magnificent castle for a venue, your bank balance may not be able to accommodate everything you want. Think big, but cut down on costs when you know you can’t afford certain things. You don’t want to start your marriage in debt, so be wise and budget. While your wedding may not be as glamorous in reality, you can still have a beautiful day.

[Photo courtesy of opertv/pixabay.com]

Forgetting the needs of others

From choosing the wedding date to finding the right location, make sure other people can attend your wedding. You may want to fly abroad and get married, but how many of your friends and family can afford to make the trip? Before you arrange a date, talk to the people closest to you, and encourage them to make room in their diaries. While you can’t accommodate everybody on your guest list, at least make sure the people you want to be there can make it on the day.

Failing to account for the weather

When planning an outdoor wedding, the best time of year should be the summer. However, as we all know, we can’t predict the weather, no matter what the forecaster says on tv. Always have a plan B, such as hiring a marquee should the hot day suddenly turn into a deluge of rain. After all, you want your guests to enjoy the wedding, and not run to their cars when the sky darkens over.

Not hiring a photographer

Your wedding only lasts for a day, but you want to keep your happy memories alive. Now, while you could hire a family member to take pictures, you never know how competent they really are. Somebody who won’t accidentally leave the lens cap is on is a professional photographer, who will capture those perfect moments throughout your wedding, giving you something to treasure for many years to come.

Missing people from the guest list

You don’t want to invite everybody you know as you will end up paying a fortune. However, there are people you probably should invite, if only to keep peace within your family. So if your mum insists you invite your cousin Billy-Bob from the other side of the country, smile through gritted teeth and add him to the list.

Of course, there are people you really want to be at the wedding, so plan in advance and make sure they get an invite to make your day complete.

Your wedding album is supposed to be a beautiful reminder of your big day, and that’s exactly what it should be, but so many brides and grooms neglect to have shots taken of some of their most special moment, perhaps because they’re not considered that important at the time, or simply because they don’t think to do so. This is something you should avoid if you want to be able to look back on cherished memories from every part of your wedding day.

[Photo courtesy of bymeltemce/pixabay.com]

With that in mind, here are some wedding photos you might not have thought of, but which you will definitely want in your album:

The Getting Ready

Getting ready for the big day is one of the most exciting moments of your wedding. The anticipation is mounting, you’re surrounded by your nearest and dearest and it’s your last few moments as an unmarried bride or groom, so document it! Get pictures of you having your hair done or the groom and his guys doing their ties up – trust me you’ll treasure them just as much as that picture of you kissing at the bottom of the aisle.

Your Wedding Dress

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Before you put it on, get the photographer to take a picture of your wedding dress in all its glory. Sure, you’re going to have hundreds of photos of you wearing it, but if you have one of just the dress, when you look back at it in years to come, you’ll remember how you felt seeing it in the shop for the first time.

The Groom’s Accessories

Artfully arranging the groom’s accessories (tie, button, etc.) and taking a few shots of them will do the same for him as seeing a picture of your wedding dress will do for you and it also makes a great arty shot to put up on the wall too.

Your Wedding Rings

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Having the photographer take a nice close-up shot of your wedding rings is a must for any happy couple. Have him, or her take one photo of your rings separately where you can see the detail and one of you holding hands with both rings visible as a symbol of your love.

The Bouquet

The bridal bouquet is such a traditional, not to mention beautiful, part of the wedding that it would be a shame not to get a few artistic shots of it both with and without you holding it. You might also want to have your bouquet pressed and framed, so you can keep it as a memento forever if you aren’t fussed about throwing it to your single friends.

Pre-Ceremony Shots

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Most brides and grooms have their photographer concentrate on capturing the wedding ceremony as it’s in progress and the reception as the day goes on, but very little time is given to the pre-ceremony proceedings. Traveling to the venue, walking to the church, crowds of loving family gathering for the big event – these are all things that deserve to be captured as extensively as the actual wedding itself.

Which less common wedding shots did you have taken? Which are your favorites?

From the moment he proposes, your lives will never be the same again. You are now officially a team, working together to enjoy a beautiful life as a married couple. Of course, the months between this moment and the time you arrive home from your honeymoon are going to whizz by. So much will happen, and it will change so fast that you might not have a chance to savor any of those beautiful moments. This is why more and more couples are documenting their journey from ‘Yes’ to ‘I Do’ and beyond.

It’s going to happen fast, so it’s worth planning or scheduling the important bits. Hire a photographer for the big proposal (assuming it’s not a surprise.) This gives you a chance to enjoy the moment and allows a professional to capture the look on each of your faces. If it’s a public proposal, then be sure to document everyone else’s reactions too. There will be cheers and congratulations to capture. You might want to include moments with each of your parents as they hear the happy news.

As you plan your wedding, there will be many more occasions that you might like to record. Sometimes it’s nice to take plenty of pictures of all the things you tried, even if you didn’t select them for the big day. This could include cake tasting, menu sampling, bouquet choices, and even dress fittings. These are the moments that add to the excitement of a wedding but seem to be forgotten by the time you reach your big day.

Last Moments Before ‘I Do’

What about your stag and hen parties? These events are very important to the bride and groom. It’s always worth preserving a few pictures of the night for the album. By now you already have plenty of images to compile in the book. You might start to consider how you wish to present them all when you come back from honeymoon.

Of course, by the time you reach your wedding day, you will have selected your preferred wedding photographer. There are often several different packages to choose from. Why not include shots of the bride getting ready and the wedding party assembling? The bride arriving at the ceremony, the happy couple saying their vows, and leaving the venue as a married couple are just the standard shots. Consider some posed shots to show off your hair and dress.

[Photo courtesy of Pixabay/pexels.com]

Now You’re Married!

Your reception will be a happy event attended by everyone you love. It’s important to capture group photos as well as individual pics of the people who were there. You might leave notes on the tables asking guests to upload pics of each other to your Instagram or FaceBook pages. This can help you decide which ones you want to include in your album later on.

Don’t forget to take a good quality camera on honeymoon with you. There will be plenty of interesting sights to see as well as amazing activities to share with your husband. All of these moments will be over all-too-soon. Thank goodness you have all those wonderful photos to relive and reminisce!

So, your wedding is fast approached, but are you ready for it yet? If you haven’t yet thought about how you can add some luxury to your wedding day, now is the time to do that. Don’t worry, though; you don’t have to spend a lot of money to make your day special and luxurious. Here are some great ways to add a touch of luxury to your wedding day without spending a future. Learn about them below.

Try Out Candles and Creative Lighting Solutions

You should give some thought to the lighting options in your home if you want to add more luxury to your wedding day. Something as simple as adding some candles to your wedding reception and the tables can make a huge difference. They add a bit of lowkey, pared down luxury. You should also look at other lighting options in order to get the atmosphere of your wedding day just right. This can make your wedding feel better than it ever otherwise could.

Use a Luxury Car Service That You Pay for by the Hour

Everyone needs a way of getting the their wedding ceremony, and for many people, having an element of luxury here is key. No one wants to turn up in the back of a taxi. However, hiring a car and driver for the day can be really expensive. You don’t have to do that, though. Instead, you can hire a car that you pay for by the hour. This limousine service does that, as do many others. The benefit of this is that you only pay for the service for a short period of time, keeping costs down.

Use the Best Silk Flowers

Every wedding needs to have flowers, but it’s easy to forget about how much buying flowers for a wedding can cost. You might not have the budget to have the luxury flowers that you want for your wedding day. If that’s the case, why not just make the most of silk flowers? They can look great and convincing, but they won’t cost the huge amount of money that you often have to pay for authentic wedding flowers. So, don’t assume that flowers have to drain your budget.

Make the Most of the Decorative Details

There are lots of decorative details that you can make the most of. And this is not just about making things look good. It can also make your entire wedding day seem more luxurious because those small things really do stand out and change how your entire wedding feels. For example, you could choose a retro and vintage theme for your wedding. This gives you plenty of scope to try new things and make small changes that give a luxurious feel to the wedding.

As you now know, there are lots of great ways to add some touches of luxury to your big day. And you don’t need to break the bank to take advantage of them. That has to be positive, so try these out.

On the day of your wedding, you’ll have butterflies in your stomach, you’ll be short of breath at times, and there’ll be a million worries whizzing around your mind. It’s important to let go and focus on yourself and your responsibilities; it is, after all, a life changing day. There will be many many things, which are out of your control, and one way you can react to uncertainty is to plan for it. However, you’ll need some help in the form of one of your most trusted friends or family. You’ll also need to be one step ahead of the world so that your day isn’t ruined by things that you could have foreseen happening.

[Photo courtesy of Garitzko/wikimedia.org]

Don’t rely on the outside world

Your cars should arrive early in the morning and be waiting to take you to the venue to intend to tie the knot. In conjunction with your booked time, your route must be planned thoroughly. Take into account the road, streets and highways you will take to the venue, and the amount of time it takes at an average speed to get there. If you’ve got limousine hire, you may have to take the long way around by mainly using long straight routes such as highways because such vehicles are a nightmare to navigate on tight roads like in the city and rural roads.

Additionally, traffic jams can be unpredictable but will be the difference between a slow, calm roll up to the front of the venue, or a panting, sweating dash up to the altar to take your vows. Therefore avoid congested roads, even if it’s a quicker route. Allow for extra time, therefore, leave your prepping location early enough to cushion unexpected bites into time. It’s crazy to think, but your car could get a puncture, you might forget something and have to go back, or perhaps even get lost. It sounds bizarre, but it does happen.

[Photo courtesy of Francisco Osorio/wikimedia.org]

Have a personal time manager

It is indeed your wedding, but while you’re having a shower, putting on your makeup, having your hair done, having on all the right jewelry and fitting into the dress, you simply can’t manage everyone and everything around you. So, don’t be a control freak and pick out someone who you trust to be your manager that will keep everything in a smooth working order. They will report directly to you should anything change that will affect the time schedule as well as keeping all those who are vital to the ceremony like family, in line with the correct dress sense. Fix a communication system between yourselves well in advance of the wedding, so there’s no chance of a game of Chinese whisper breaking out; on the day speak face to face with each other continuously.

Adapt to the weather

Coming up to within a week of the wedding, search online for the weather forecast on your wedding day. Normally, couples pick their wedding when there’s a decent chance of sunshine, i.e. the spring and summer months of May through August. Nevertheless, whatever the intended weather, always have some form of a backup plan such as continuously updating the guests you have invited on how you intend to enact any last minute changes such as a one day postponing for decent weather.

You want your wedding to be perfect right? Of course you do! It’s thing from the one of, if not the most important day of your life so why shouldn’t you want everything to be just so? Of course, trying to make everything perfect can be a bit of challenge, especially when you’ve got so many things to organised at once. Everything from the venue, the guest list, the decor, and more is probably swimming around your head at all times. Because of that, it can be pretty easy to end up missing certain things. The little details that slip through the cracks might not seem like such a big deal, but they really can make all the difference when it comes to turning your wedding into the perfect day that you deserve. To help make sure that it’s smooth sailing all the way, here are some little details about your wedding that you won’t want to ignore.

Who will be there?

[Photo courtesy of Ibrahim Asad/pexels.com]

This might seem like a seriously obvious question, but it’s actually more complicated than it might first appear. For one thing, you should ask yourself, who do you actually want to invite to your wedding? So often, a bride and groom end up inviting people to their wedding out of some sense of obligation rather than actually wanting them there. When that happens, it can make things pretty awkward and uncomfortable for everyone involved. But the people at your wedding aren’t just limited to the guests. Everyone from the photographer to the person who’s actually conducting the service are people who will be attending your wedding, so you’ll want to make sure that they’re the right people for you.

Kids or no kids?

This is a question that many couples face when they’re planning a wedding. Some people feel as though kids are the life and soul of any celebration and that any wedding without kids is going to be missing something. However, there are also those who feel as though a wedding should be a calm, refined, adults only affair and that the sense of chaotic energy that kids almost inevitably bring should be saved for other places. That choice is entirely down to you and your partner, but it’s something that a lot of people tend not to consider. If you decide to have kids at your wedding, then think about things that you can do to keep them entertained, like a crafts table or specialised, kid friendly zones.

Seating arrangements

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Once you’ve decided who is actually going to be at your wedding, you need to think about where they’re going to sit. This might seem like an incredibly small, simple aspect of a wedding but it can often end up taking up a huge amount of time and space in your mind. You don’t want to separate people into groups in a way that makes anyone feel less important than anyone else, but at the same time, you’re going to want the people closest to your to be near you during the reception. Think about mixing up family members, so your’s and your partner’s guests aren’t separated. Not only that but it’s a good idea to have a solid mix of people at every table. Outside of your own table, where you’ll likely have your closest friends and family, there’s no reason to arrange things by how close you are to certain people.

A wedding requires a lot of planning and creative input from the bride, groom and any family members and friends you choose to include in the process. Organizing your wedding can be an exciting thing, but it can also be very challenging and stressful. You need to be prepared for the fact that not absolutely every aspect of the day will be as you wished it to be – not least the unpredictable British weather, one thing you can’t do anything about.

The key is to stay organised, stick to a budget and to give yourself plenty of time to achieve everything. Whether it’s planning and ordering the ladies’ formal dresses or choosing the catering, time is your best friend here so plan well ahead to reduce the workload and avoid unnecessary stress.

[Photo courtesy of kertayasa89/pixabay.com]

• Set a budget – It’s important to stick to a budget and to keep your wishes realistic. While this is a very special day in your life, it’s not an excuse to be wildly extravagant with money you just don’t have.
• Delegate! – This is one of the great advantages and uses of best men, ushers and bridesmaids, as well as the parents of the bride and groom. If there is a task you can delegate to someone you can rely on, ask them – they’ll probably be flattered to know you value their support and are happy to have them help in the planning of your big day. Ask friends and family to pick up the cake/flowers/suits/dresses, book the hairdresser appointments and help make the invitations. Make it clear you’re on a certain budget so ask them to shop around for quotes.
• Leave plenty of time – It is absolutely crucial to start your planning early: the longer you leave it the less time you’ll have when you really need it. So avid stress, start your planning early and spread the tasks out rather than rush around in a panic nearer the time. Give friends and family who have offered their help plenty of notice.
• Create a spreadsheet of things to do – This will assist you hugely with the general organisation of your big day and enable you to tick off jobs as they are completed. You’ll be surprised at how this will help reassure you that all is done and nothing has been forgotten.
• Decide on the size of your wedding – Remember to talk this over with your fiancé: your idea of a dream wedding may not be theirs. Whatever, you’ll need to know how many people are going to attend for the purposes of venues, catering and invitations.
• Choose your venue – The sooner you can do this the better. This will give you more choice over potential venues and avoid disappointment. Check the spaces available, the catering deals, the marriage fees and the possibility of decorating the church or wedding space. Find out whether the prices quoted cover everything or whether you’ll be expected to pay for extras.
• Set your wedding date – The factors in choosing a date will include the availability of your venue, friends and family. Think about who is most important to have at your wedding, and try to set the date with their availability in mind. Still, most people will do their best to change any existing plans in order to accommodate a wedding date.
• Choose a theme and send out invitations – Your wedding theme need not be anything specific – but a successful event tends to have a consistent feeling throughout. Try to choose something that is easy to plan for.

The proposal finally arrived and you have been busy showing off the most incredible finger candy.  It’s real.  You are going to marry the person of your dreams and they are as in love as you are!

Different people have varying ideas on the ideal wedding.  For some, nipping off to Las Vegas or Gretna Green to make their vows away from any family politics, is an absolute dream.  Then heading home to spend all the wedding budget on the ultimate party.  For others you may be bound by a military wedding, although uber glamourous there are so many etiquettes to adhere too.  Perhaps you imagine yourself on the beach of a desert island with just a couple of your nearest and dearest.

[Photo courtesy of Unsplash/pexels.com]

Firstly you both need to establish what your vision is.  If one of you doesn’t have a strong view then it could be easier.  You will need to take into consideration family, some members won’t be able to take long journeys or travel on a plane, which could mean missing out on your special day.  However with new technology there are loads of ways to live stream a wedding abroad, back to the ones who couldn’t make it.

If you decide on a wedding in a different country, make sure you understand any laws around the ceremony.  Some countries will grant you a licence but your wedding has no legality back in the UK or USA, so get a real understanding of what you need to do, to ensure your vows are legal! Or you could get a bit of a shock in a few years.  It’s also important to get to know the city or surrounding areas so you understand what is available for your guests.  

It will save you money if you are using wedding photographers who are in the country already, in fact you will get far more local knowledge meaning some really special images which will make the most out of the surrounding scenery and light balance.  You also need to get to know your caterers so it is ideal, depending on the kind of wedding you are looking for, to travel well ahead of your event, sit down and talk in person to anyone supplying a service to your wedding.

The most important piece of advice you can take is to remember that this day is about you and your beloved.  Of course family matter and friends will all really want to support you, witnessing you make your vows, but today is a day you are going to remember for the rest of your lives.  Don’t make it about others, impressing your guests or keeping a difficult aunty entertained.  Once all the planning is over it should just be two people, sharing their love and having fun.  So forget the crazy table plans, ditch the last minute problems and take control of your ceremony!

Then, the only thing you have to worry about is the weather.  We are afraid there isn’t much you can do about that, just make sure you are prepared for anything, which is a wonderful rule to run through married life!