Best Wedding Tips for Brides-To-Be

I've worked in the wedding industry a long for a long time now, and often the same things pop up where I think "If only the bride knew this while she was planning for the day..." So here are my top 10 industry tips for all Brides-to-Be!

1. Prime Time

If you want to have a large bridal party (of 4 or more attendants), choose an afternoon wedding from 2.30pm onwards. This will allow plenty of time for hair and makeup, 'before' photos and of course travelling to the wedding location.

2. Personality is Paramount

Hire a photographer based on their personality, as well as the quality & style of their photographs. Your photographer should be someone you easily get along with, someone who shares your sense of humour and who will also be able to capture you and your loved one's personality in an honest and beautiful way....not someone who makes you feel uncomfortable to be yourself, or who makes wise cracks to try and get cheap laughs. Go for someone who is authentic and whose main goal is to capture your celebrations for all to enjoy and reflect on in years to come.

3. Trends & Regrets

Don't follow a trend for the sake of what's in at the moment. IT WILL DATE. Make sure you take a step back and ask yourself, "when I look back in 10 years time at my photographs, will I regret any of these decisions?"

4. Bridesmaid Selection

Choose bridesmaids based on friends and family members who will be there to support and encourage you on the day (and in your future together as a married couple!), not ones who will stress you out or make it all about themselves.

5. A dress fit for you

Choose a dress that is suitable for your body shape and accentuates your best features- see previous blog post "How to choose a Wedding Dress" for helpful tips on knowing your body shape and style suitability.

6. Cheap Doesn't Always = Best

Wedding budgets are tight and it's hard to keep them from blowing out. But be warned, cheapest suppliers/professionals are not always the best option- You get what you pay for. If you want a professional who is a specialist in their field, be prepared to pay accordingly. You won't regret the quality of the final product.

7. Style to showcase your personalities & relationship

Choose styling and accent pieces that accentuate who you are as a couple- often wedding guests will know half of the bridal couple (eg. the groom, or the bride) but might only be meeting the other half on the day. Make sure your wedding gives your guests an insight into who you are as individuals and as a couple. What do you love to do together? What common interests or backgrounds do you share?

8. Allow additional time on the day

Schedules are great, but often they don't allow for mishaps that can occur. Always calculate for more time- trust me, after working in the bridal industry for 7+ years, I know that there are always little things that crop up on the day that you don't account for. Eg, dad can't work out how to put on his buttonhole, the hair runs over time, you leave your bouquet behind etc etc. Always allow plenty of time for those little hiccups that pop up on the day!

9. Don't sweat the small stuff

Sure, it's important to plan the details down to a tee in the lead up to the wedding, but on the day there will be factors that you can't control (the weather might be unpredictably boiling or freezing, people's moods, emotions or comments around you, your flowers arrive and look more magenta than lilac, you forget to wear your something blue! Oh dear) Be at peace and go with the flow. It's those unpredictable things that often turn into the best stories and memories to recap on, and at the end of the day what really matters is that you get to enjoy the day committing to the one person you love the most.

10. Your Day, Your Way

Unfortunately, planning a wedding can often be stressful at times and strain relationships. As soon as the engagement has been announced, everyone seems to have an opinion on how and when you should do things. The main thing to keep in mind is that this is a symbolic and personal day which you are  wanting to share and celebrate with your fiance. It's important to listen to friends and family's advice, but at the end of the day, the decisions should be yours. If certain plans or arrangements don't feel right, then be strong (and polite) and choose to do things in a way which will reflect you as a couple, and will ultimately result in a once-in-a-lifetime day that you will be able to cherish for the rest of your lives.

I hope you enjoyed these tips!

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© This content is exclusively written by Katie Dawson from Perle Jewellery & Makeup. Information or photos from this blog must not be copied or used without prior permission or consent.