Diverse weddings are very typical these days. It’s likely that the wedding guests and even the engaged couple themselves will come from a variety of backgrounds, such as different geographical locations, religions, cultures, and lifestyles. Diverse weddings can be beautiful and unique due to differing customs and traditions. Couples are always trying to think of ways to personalize the wedding ceremony or reception with special touches that show who they are as a couple and including cultural and traditional touches is a great way to do it. The question is, how do you plan a diverse wedding that blends geographic, religious, lifestyle, and cultural elements?
Do Your Research
The obvious place to start is to research the different wedding traditions of each family. Parents and grandparents can be a wealth of knowledge in this area. Ask them about the traditions they had at their own weddings and have them explain any customs you don’t know about. After you’ve picked their brains thoroughly, turn to online resources such as Pinterest and Google for more ideas. Blogs, websites, and books are great places to find tips on how to incorporate the different customs and traditions at your ceremony and reception.
Narrow Down Your Choices
Once you’ve done your research, you’ll probably have a pretty extensive list of ideas. Narrow down your list and decide which ones you want to include. Creating a board on Pinterest is a great way to organize your favorite images so that you can share them with your vendors, family, and wedding party for input. Remember, you don’t have to include every single custom or tradition… just use the ones that feel right to you and have the most meaning to you and your fiancé.
Choose Your Wedding Planner Carefully
Many wedding planners will specialize in weddings that celebrate specific lifestyles, backgrounds, or cultures. If you can find a wedding planner that knows about the various menu items, music, dances, traditions, and customs you want to include, your planning will go much more smoothly. Often, your wedding planner will even have a list of vendors and other resources who can help you create exactly the feel and your going for with your multicultural ceremony and reception.
Hire an Officiant Who’s Open to Performing a Diverse Ceremony
Some officiants won’t be open to performing a ceremony that might be quite a bit different than what they’re used to. When you meet with officiants, be careful to explain what you’re looking for in detail, and make sure they’re comfortable with it. If you can’t find someone on your own, don’t hesitate to ask your friends, family, and wedding planner for recommendations. One option for an interfaith ceremony may be to have two officiants that work together to perform the ceremony, one from each religion or culture you wish to incorporate.
Be Sure Your House of Worship Will Allow an Interfaith Ceremony
If you plan to have your ceremony at a house of worship, you’ll need to follow the same guidelines you did for choosing your officiant. Some houses of worship will be fine with diverse ceremonies that incorporate different faiths or lifestyles, but others may not. To avoid problems later, be very clear when you make your booking what your vision is for the ceremony and make sure they will allow it.
Create a Wedding Program
Creating a wedding program is a great way to explain different traditions and customs from the ceremony. It’s a great way to elaborate on parts of the wedding ceremony that some guests might not know about. If you need help writing the descriptions, ask your officiant or wedding planner to help you.
Music and Special Dances are a Great Way to Incorporate Different Cultures
Music is a great way to include different faiths and backgrounds. “Make sure your DJ or band is familiar with any special dances or songs you want to include at the ceremony or reception,” recommends the wedding music experts from Around Town Entertainment. You might even want to search out a band or DJ that specializes in the type of music you’re looking for. If the two of you plan to do a traditional dance that you don’t already know, be sure to sign up for some lessons ahead of time and learn the steps. If you really want to make an impression, you could have your entire bridal party learn a specific dance and perform it at the reception.
Create a Diverse Menu
Another fun way to incorporate different cultures and backgrounds is with the food. Create a diverse menu that includes dishes from each of your backgrounds. Work with your caterer to create a menu that incorporates your favorite flavors and recipes from both of your regions or cultures. Even your cocktail choices, wedding cake, and desserts can be inspired by your cultural diversity.
Consider “Traditional” Fashions
One way to honor your heritage is to wear “traditional” dress during your ceremony or at your reception. In China, the bride often wears a red dress. In Korea, brides and grooms wear a garment called a hanbok. In India, the bride wears a saree. Be sure to let your photographer know if you plan an outfit change so that they set aside time to photograph both looks.
Consider Holding More Than One Ceremony
If there are several traditions you want to include or incorporating two faiths into one ceremony isn’t working out, you might want to consider having a second ceremony. The second one could be held on a different day and in a different place, or you could have them both on the same day. If you held them on the same day, you could hold just one reception for both sides of the family.
Make it Your Own
Although the whole idea is to honor both backgrounds, make sure that the details reflect your own personal sense of style. You don’t have to make culture the theme for your entire day, just include elements that complement the feel and look you’re going for. For example, if you want to honor Jewish tradition by having a chuppah during the ceremony, choose one that complements the style of the rest of your wedding, whether it’s minimal, modern, or romantic florals.
Planning a diverse wedding may take some extra work, but it will be worth it. By incorporating different elements from each of your backgrounds, you will create a ceremony and reception that are completely unique to the two of you. These special touches can make your day one that you and your guests will remember for years to come.
You’ve just got engaged. You’ve told your friends and family. And now you’re starting to think about the wedding planning.
But before the manic planning begins, some people like to take some time to relax and create some special memories of the engagement. This is the “engagement(or “pre-wedding”) photoshoot”. This may(or may not) be for you. It’s not for everyone so feel free to skip this hack if it’s not of interest. If, however, you do want a pre-wedding photoshoot but are struggling for inspiration, we have outlined some engagement photoshoot ideas to help kickstart your creative thinking.
Do you have a special location that has become important to you and your fiancé? This could be the location of your first date, the location of the proposal or just a place that you have both spent a lot of time together. These places are likely to hold more emotional value to you than a generic beach somewhere. The photos will tell a much richer story(that perhaps only you know) that you will be reminded of with every look.
2. Style
There are many different styles of shoot you can opt for. The most common would probably be:
Romantic – the good old-fashioned “looking at each other with puppy eyes” picture.
Playful – messing around in a field with enormous smiles
Quirky – using props to add humour
3. Props
Try using some props to add a dash of playful humour to your photos. Don’t go prop-crazy! Just do 1 or 2 shots using a prop to avoid your album looking like an Etsy pinterest board.
If you choose to use some props in your photo shoot, here are some of the most popular options.
Bunting with romantic wording
Giant lettering
Scrabble tiles
Books with titles that are applicable to your lives
Hand written signs and chalkboards
Picture frames
Balloons
An umbrella
Suitcases
Flowers
Printed photographs
The engagement ring
To make this even more personal, try thinking of something that represents who you are as a couple or encapsulates your interests.
Ultimately, there are no set rules when it comes to doing an engagement photoshoot. Follow what feels natural and makes you feel most comfortable.
There are many reasons you may be drawn to the idea of a minimalist wedding. It may be the money-saving benefits of minimalism, or perhaps the relaxed feel that is created by lack of clutter. Whatever the reason for pursuing a minimalist wedding, take a look at some of the ideas below which are guaranteed to strip back your wedding with “minimal” effort!
Let’s start with the obvious:
Get Rid of the Unnecessary
Minimalism is all about less “stuff” so getting rid of the unnecessary elements of your wedding is key to achieving that minimalist look. Think primarily about decorations…..what do you really need? Try to focus on just 1 or 2 key elements and make them the focal point of your decorations. If you are getting married in a pretty venue, try to keep it stripped back and let the venue shine through.
Minimalist Wedding Decorations
If you are using white table linen, try not to put too much on the table as you want the linen to be the main feature. Sharing-platters for example will cover too much table space and will lead you towards a share-y feel rather than a minimal feel.
Minimalist Wedding Flowers
Likewise, the flowers should also be kept simple. Don’t use too many colours in bouquets but instead stick to just 1 or 2 colours. Good options for minimalist arrangements are white roses, plants or even vegetables. If you are opting for wildflowers, try neat arrangements rather than the messy look.
Handmade Décor
There is a good opportunity to make some of your own décor by using what is lying around. I use the word “make” very loosely. Simple examples are using old jars as vases and filling them with long plant stems. Likewise, use the jars as candle holders for tea lights…..cheap but effective.
Naked Wedding Cakes
Strip down that cake! Naked wedding cakes are a refreshing alternative to the traditional iced affair. If you, or somebody you know, are comfortable with baking, you may be able to make a naked-cake yourself to save some money. The beauty of naked-cakes is that they still look good even if they are lop-sided.
Simplified Menu
Keep the menu super-simple. Stay away from anything too elaborate and stick with simple dishes with only a few ingredients. Chicken is always a good choice. If you want to be a bit more quirky but still keep things minimal, try a buffet table or a Pizza bar!
Paperless Invites
This is a great way to save some money. If you don’t hold too much affection for the paper invite, go paperless and send your invites via email, Whatsapp, Facebook or Instagram.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that a minimalist wedding is easy because sometimes it can be even harder to achieve than a non-minimalist wedding. In most cases, however, a minimalist wedding is a good way to save some money while creating stunning elegance at the same time. It’s not for everybody but some people just love the idea of a clutter free-wedding.I
If you are following our Checklist, then you have just chosen your hymns/songs and readings for your ceremony. Now you need to put it all together into your order of service and finalize this with your officiant.
Your officiant may provide you with the order of service structure as it may vary depending on where you are in the world. Ask them about this when you confirm that they will be the officiant at your wedding.
To help you get started however, we have put together a template which is a popular structure for the ceremony. Feel free to copy/paste/edit/rearrange etc.
Front page
Order of Service for the marriage of [bride and groom’s names]
‘Firstly I’d just like to say I’m very nervous about making this speech. In fact this must be the third time today that I have stood up from a warm seat with pieces of paper in my hand.’
‘I don’t believe in roasting the groom on his special day. Therefore this speech won’t contain humiliating stories about [groom]. Instead I’ll refer only to his loving and generous nature. Thank you and goodnight.’ (Sit down)
‘Being asked to be someone’s best man is like being called for jury duty. You don’t really want to do it but know you have to.’
‘[groom] has informed me that the buffet this evening is charged on a cost-per-head basis. So, on his behalf, I’d like to thank the following people for not coming…..’
‘It’s been an emotional day……even the cake is in tiers.’
‘My parents always told me that if I had nothing good to say about someone, I should just be quiet (sit down).’
‘Apparently, as Best Man, I’m supposed to sing the Groom’s praises and talk about all his amazing qualities. Unfortunately, I can’t sing and I won’t lie.’
‘The trouble with being the best man at a wedding is that you never get the chance to prove it.’
‘This speech will be a bit like [groom]…….short and not very funny.’
‘I am actually a little nervous giving a speech, but I feel comforted by the fact I have actually rehearsed this speech in front of a live audience at the local old people’s home……I think it went well. They all peed themselves anyway.’
Have you decided on a wedding theme yet? Do you have any wedding theme ideas? You may not be convinced that you even need one. It’s not a necessity, but you may be surprised by how much easier it can make things. Take a look at our hack on wedding themes to find out why this is.
Let’s assume you’re going ahead with a wedding theme. Where do you start?
1. What do you both like? Shared interests
If you want to go for an interest-based theme. Look at both you and your partner’s shared interests and see if there is an obvious match. If you don’t want to go down the “interest” route. You may have shared tastes that makes choosing the theme much easier. E.g. you both like beach weddings.
2. What is your personality like?
Don’t over-think your theme choice. Do what comes natural.
If you are a minimalist at home, maybe a minimalist wedding is what feels right. If you like traditional styling, a more classic/formal theme might be a better fit.
Choose the theme that makes you feel most comfortable.
3. What “feel” do you want to create?
This could be easily missed. How do you want your guests(and yourself) to feel on the day? Formal/informal? Serious/Playful? The choice is up to you. Just make sure your theme matches the “feel” you want to create. E.g. a formal feel will struggle to match a rustic farm theme(although if you want to give it a go, you could mash it up to create a new theme – lets call it ……“farmal”…….terrible…….just terrible)
I digress. Onto number 4
4. How much does it cost to make this theme happen?
Some themes are more expensive to pull off. Ok, let’s look at the garden wedding theme for example. If you(or somebody you know) has a large garden, you could buy some bunting, bottles of lemonade and – voila – you have a garden wedding. If you wanted a star wars themed wedding however, you will probably need to spend a lot of money on props and decor. I admit that these are extreme examples, but you get the idea. Your theme will most likely be somewhere in-between. A good idea is to sit down with our Budget tool and write out EVERYTHING you need (including decorations) and the cost for each item. This will show you if this theme is achievable or not.
5. Something to get you started
To save you some research time, we’ve put together a small list of some example themes to get your creative juices flowing. You are welcome! Check them out below:
1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s Alternative Autumn Barn Beach Boho Classic Contemporary Elegant Fairground Festival Floral Formal Garden Glamorous Hollywood Minimalist Modern Nautical Parisian Pastel Patterned Quirky Relaxed Renaissance Reportage Rock n Roll Romantic Rustic Seaside Spring Summer Tea Party Traditional Travel Urban Victorian Vintage Watercolour Winter Woodland
Check out more wedding theme ideas on our Pinterest page
‘I’d like to congratulate [groom] on a wonderful speech, I always knew it would be hard to follow, and I was right…..I could hardly follow a word of it.’
‘What’s the difference between in-laws and out-laws? Out-laws are wanted’
‘[bride], you are an amazing woman who deserves a wonderful husband. And I promise you I won’t rest until I get to the bottom of what’s gone wrong here’
‘If you see [groom] on the dance floor later on, hunched over like a gorilla trying to scrape something disgusting off the bottom of his shoe….don’t panic…..that’s just how he dances’
‘The stag night was pretty wild…..some of the words he was coming out with on that Scrabble board!’
‘[groom] has always been a bit of a hypochondriac but I think he learned his lesson during exam time when he took a sleeping tablet and a laxative in the same night. Unfortunately that was the night we had to share a bed.’
‘I decided to look up [groom’s] date of birth online to see what momentous events took place on his birthday. Unfortunately nothing much seems to have happened. Although the nurses on the ward where [groom] was born still refer to that day as Ugly Tuesday!’
‘Good afternoon ladies and gentleman. If there is anybody here who is feeling worried, nervous or apprehensive? Well your either me or you just married [groom].’
As a groom, your wedding speech can be one of the most important parts of your wedding day. It’s your big chance to tell everyone how wonderful the love of your life is – but don’t freak out! We’ve put together this handy guide that will take you through writing, preparing and delivering a killer groom wedding speech.
Of course, an individual speech might not be for you– and in that case, why not give a joint speech with your partner? It takes the pressure off and is a great way to kick off your marriage as a real unit. Otherwise, read on for our top tips on writing the groom’s wedding speech.
How To Get Started With Your Groom’s Speech
1. Ask For Help
If you’re not sure where to start with your wedding speech – well, you’re in the right place! But there’s nothing better than talking to people who’ve already done it. What are your married friends glad they did and what do they wish they’d done differently? If you still have a few weddings to attend before your own, pay close attention to the speeches too.
2. Brainstorm
There are a few things you’ll definitely cover in your speech so start off with a brainstorm. What do you definitely want to mention? Who do you absolutely need to thank and what stories are you certain you want to tell?
How To Write Your Groom’s Speech
There’s no right or wrong way to give a groom’s speech – so do what you want! But if you need some help, here’s a simple structure to use as a starting point:
1. Say thank you
If you’re part of a couple made up of a bride and groom, it’s likely you’ll be the second speech of the evening as it’s tradition for the groom’s speech to follow the father of the bride’s. In this case, you may want to start by thanking him for his kind words – and, of course, raising his wonderful daughter!
Otherwise, you’ll either want to start off by thanking the person who spoke before you – whether that’s your partner themselves or one of their parents – or by thanking your guests. At this point, you might also want to mention any absent friends, including those who’ve passed away.
Next, thank your best man (or woman) and ushers. (Top tip: now’s a good time to jump in and mock yourself before your best man has a chance to!) And make sure to give a few moments to your partner’s half of the wedding party too, whether that’s another set of groomsmen or the bridal party.
2. Give Your Family Some Love
Now it’s time to give your families some love. Thank your family for their support and thank your partner’s family for bringing up such a wonderful person! Shout out any relatives who’ve been a particular help in the wedding planning process. Now’s also a good time to mention any funny anecdotes about meeting your new in-laws…
3. Talk About Your Partner
This is the moment you’ve been waiting for: speaking about the love of your life. Now’s your time to tell everyone what makes them the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. Why did you fall in love? What are you excited for about your life together?
4. Thank Everyone Again
Close your speech with one last thanks to your guests and wedding party… Then sit back and prepare yourself for the best (wo)man’s speech!
Preparing the Groom’s Speech
1. Cut It Down
The best speeches are short and sweet – so even if you want to thank every person and tell every story, be ruthless. Keep it to the must-haves.
2. Get A Second Opinion
Practise your speech with a close friend and get their thoughts. But don’t practise too much – leave yourself room to relax into it.
Delivering the Groom’s Speech
1. Work Out The Running Order
If your partner is also giving a speech, have a quick chat with them about who will go first. Never make assumptions!
2. Do A Soundcheck
Make sure to test the mics beforehand. If you don’t have time on the day, ask one of your groomsmen to step up.
3. Get It On Camera
If you don’t have a videographer, make sure someone films your speech (as well as everyone else’s). You don’t want to forget this moment!
4. Relax
The key to delivering a killer speech? Relax, have fun with it and enjoy the moment. As long as you speak from the heart, any speech you give will be absolutely perfect.
Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, and your guests are an integral part of what makes the day so special. Selecting your guests is such a fun process – when else do you get a day filled with all your favourite people!? Don’t get overwhelmed by all the people you want or all the people you feel you have to invite… we’re going to help you nail your guest list, which you can then keep track of with our handy Guest List tool. You’re welcome!
Venue
Where do you want to get married? If your event is a lavish affair in a massive venue, then go crazy on numbers. If you only want your nearest and dearest at a smaller venue, then that will give you an indication of how many people you can invite. Your budget will also play a big role in the decision making process, but tricks like opting to hold a buffet or a cocktail party instead of a sit down meal will give your budget room for manoeuvre (yay!).
Divide the guest list
Set aside a cosy evening to sit down with your loved one and write down everyone you might want to invite: family, friends and optional guests. The optional guests will probably include work colleagues, distant relatives, or the potential plus ones of family or friends. The best way to decide on the optional guests is to ask yourself: would I be offended if I wasn’t invited to their wedding? If the answer is yes, then it’s best you include them on the guest list! Bonus: if you suddenly need to cut down on the guest list, you will know which group to start with! And if some of your friends and family can’t come, you can start inviting some of those optional extras.
Families
Consider how many guests you are allocating to each of the families. When previously the bride’s family paid for everything, they got the upper hand in deciding whom to invite. Now, some couples pay for their own weddings, or both families contribute, so think about how to have this conversation with your parents. Similarly, families may be expecting to bring their children along to your wedding and if this isn’t something you want, think about letting them know in advance, so that they can organise babysitters.
Timings
Play around with your timings. You could invite immediate family and friends to the ceremony and reception and then invite a load more for the food and dancing – or the other way round. Or you could invite more people after the wedding breakfast for cocktails and grooving. Play with the timings and numbers to suit you and your budget! Remember, that on average, 20% of your invited guests may decline, allowing you more room for manoeuvre. However, don’t hold out for this exact number to decline! In fact, it is always worth asking your caterer the cost of last minute changes, just in case someone turns up or drops out!
Don’t forget the bride and groom
Final point: Once you’ve made the perfect guest list, don’t forget to put your own names on the list, you would be surprised how many couples don’t do that and are amazed to find the caterer short of two plates!
As your wedding day approaches, your guests will begin to contact you with a variety of questions ranging from accommodation to food. This can become a burden when combined with all the other tasks on your to-do list. To avoid these questions, your goal is to try to answer them before they’re asked.
One such question is the issue of transport to the venue. We have already written a hack on arranging coaches, but what about guests who are travelling by car? Many guests will choose this option to give them more flexibility. It is also likely that your guests may team-up and carpool together. It is therefore important that these guests have clear instructions on how to get to the venue to make sure everybody gets there on time. There are 2 key points to let your guests know about: Directions and Parking.
Directions
Depending on the location of your venue, this could be pretty simple or very complicated. A city-centre venue shouldn’t be too difficult to provide directions for, although 1-way systems and road works could pose a problem. Do a quick check in the weeks before the wedding to make sure there are no major road/building works planned in the area which could affect transport arrangements. If your venue has a website, it is likely it may have a “getting here” page. In that case, all you need to do is send the link to everybody on your guest list who is not marked as requiring coach transport.
If, on the other hand, you are getting married in an isolated rural venue, directions are even more necessary but probably won’t be restricted by road works(although it’s still worth checking). Ask your venue if they can provide directions. Hopefully, they will already have a document prepared that provides directions which you can email directly out to your guests who are not marked as “requiring transport” on your guest transport spreadsheet. It would also be worth emailing these instructions to your transport company(if you are providing a coach) if the directions are tricky.
Parking
If you’re getting married in a city-centre venue, parking could pose a problem. Contact the venue to find out what their suggestions are and email this information over to all guests who are travelling by car. A rural venue will not have the same parking issues as a city-centre venue although you should still check what their arrangements are. If the only parking available is a muddy field and your guests show up in a sports car…….there may be a problem.
Basically, any information you can acquire from your venue in relation to directions and parking should be emailed over to your guest list. No need to do this months in advance as your guests may misplace the email. Try completing this hack in the month before the wedding.
There are few themes that are as vague in style as the Boho wedding theme. It’s vagueness is due to the whimsical nature of bohemian styles and can incorporate elements of many other wedding themes, such as barn and beach weddings. There are no set rules for arranging a boho wedding. It comes down to personal taste. If you are hoping to have a more relaxed wedding, a boho-themed wedding could be the choice for you. Although there are no rules as such, we have put together some guidelines that will help you to create the boho feel for your wedding. Starting with….
Nature
Nature is a big part of the Boho theme. The more natural….the better. You don’t need to have your wedding outdoors(although you can if you want) but try to incorporate elements of the outdoors into the day. This could be done by encouraging your guests to spend time outside during the wedding. Something to draw guests outside(such as a small log fire) will allow your guests to casually flow between outdoors and indoors as they chat.
Relaxed feel
A boho wedding should create a very relaxed, laid-back atmosphere for your guests. Much of the work of creating this feel can be achieved through your decoration choices as mentioned below. To make sure your guests are aware of the theme and don’t turn up in ball gowns and top hats, mention the casual nature of your wedding on your invites to give your guests a heads-up.
Mismatching and DIY
The beauty of the boho wedding is the fact that the style is mixed and you can choose multiple items of differing styles and still end up with something that looks good. Just be careful not to go overboard with this. Too much mismatching can end up looking like an unconsidered junk shop. Check Pinterest for some inspiration.
Mismatching not only looks good, it can also be cheap if you use things that you already own. For example, you could use mismatched plates and tableware(possibly borrowing some from friends and family). There is also the option to create your own decorations(there are plenty of guides on Pinterest) which is a cheap but effective way to add a relaxed feel to your wedding.
Due to the many variations of bohemian styles there are, it is easy to combine them all and end up with something messy rather than mismatched. Try to find one specific version of the boho style you like and stick to it.
Communal features
Another excellent way to make your guests feel relaxed is to add communal aspects to your day. With many weddings being formal and guests only really talking to the people at their table, you have the opportunity to loosen everybody up by turning this on its head. A great place to start is to switch up the table layout. Think about doing a single long banquet table to give a more rustic feel, or go totally boho and just lay rugs on the ground and let everybody eat on the floor……with plates. “Sharing platters” placed in the middle of tables is also a good way to get people interacting.
Other communal features you can easily add are things like a lemonade bar that guests can casually visit and pour themselves a glass of real lemonade.
Wild flowers
If you look up boho wedding on Pinterest, you will probably see a lot of wild flowers. If you want to create a natural look, nothing says it better than wild flowers. You want it to look like you have picked them straight out the ground. You have the option to pick them yourself but will probably get a better result by hiring a florist. Wild flowers may look simple, but choosing the correct flower combinations is harder than it looks and you will benefit greatly from using a florist.
Bistro lights, candles & lanterns
To add that ‘dreamy’ dimension to your wedding, lights are a great way to go. Bistro lights(the chunky lightbulb type) are a good option for outdoor lighting. Fairy lights are a cheaper option which can be used outside and inside. Candles can add a natural/romantic lighting to your tables(empty jars make great boho candle holders). Lanterns are also good if you want to add larger decorations at doorways etc.
Naked cakes
Icing brings a little too much finesse. Instead, go for a classic sponge cake with rustic fruits and icing sugar. It doesn’t matter if it’s a bit wobbly…..just makes it look more boho.
Blankets & cushions
Sitting on the floor is a popular idea at boho weddings and it definitely does add to the relaxed feel. You could lay out cushions at a specific section of your venue and encourage your guests to enjoy drinks there, or alternatively provide blankets for your guests to take outside(picnic by day……star-gazing by night!).
Dresses
Boho dresses come in many varieties. Think light and floaty. Avoid traditional heavy dresses with long trains. Instead, swap them for vintage chic or lace, coupling them with decorative flats or small heels. Likewise for the bridesmaids, keep it simple and embrace mismatching. Every bridesmaid is welcome to choose their own dress which makes it easier to find dresses that suit them.
Hair & makeup
Both hair and makeup should also be kept simple where possible. Some examples of boho hairstyles are beach style, messy up-dos or pleats. Makeup should not be too heavy and should be kept to look natural wherever possible.
So to sum up, if you are trying to establish a Boho theme, stick to the following rules:
There are 2 types of people: Those who can’t wait for their wedding, and those who can’t wait for it to be over. Whichever camp you fall into, there is one thing we can all agree on loving…..presents!
The idea with a wedding gift list is for your guests to buy you all the things you need to set you off on your new life together; such as egg cups, tea cosies and gravy boats. The necessities. Once upon a time, household goods like the aforementioned were the standard gifting choices for most couples. But in recent years, as the market for gravy boats and tea cosies has plummeted, most couples now opt for a wedding gift list to allow them to choose the gifts they want. This reduces the risk of a multiple-gravy-boat scenario. Disaster! If you don’t know what a gift list is, this is how it works.
Sign up with a wedding gift list provider(often a department store)
Send your gift list details to your wedding guests(your gift list provider will provide these details)
Your guests can login to an online system and make contributions
After the wedding, you are given your total balance
Spend the balance on any products the gift list provider offers
Some gift lists will allow you to choose gifts before sending your list to your guests. This way, your guests can purchase your chosen gifts rather than making cash donations. Other gift list companies allow you to receive donations for a chosen charity in combination with your regular gifts if you would like to support a cause.
Instead of a regular gift list, you could alternatively opt for a “Honeymoon fund”. This is a good option if you don’t need any household goods and have spent all your honeymoon spending money on the wedding. To decide on the correct option, think about what is most important to you.
There are many gift lists out there to choose from. Just make sure you do your research and find the best one for you!
A key part of reducing your wedding stress is not to do everything yourself! If you have chosen a bridal party, they will most likely be very happy to help out in any way they can. This is part of their job so don’t feel bad about asking. They would probably love to be involved. There are certain tasks which you can’t delegate(e.g. you need to try on the wedding dress yourself) but there are others which can easily be passed onto bridesmaids/ushers etc. Here are some of the tasks your bridal party can do.
Not a “task” in the purest sense, but certainly a big part of the planning process. At the beginning of your wedding planning when you have lots of theme and style choices to make, it can be fun to involve your bridal party by creating a shared Pinterest board(or several). This is also really helpful for getting lots of ideas very quickly. As ideas bounce around, new things will pop up that you could never have imagined if you were doing it on your own. Read our hack on using Pinterest to plan your wedding to learn more about this. You don’t need to use Pinterest to collaborate with your bridal party. You can do this in whatever way is best for you.
Arranging an engagement party
This one is definitely a “bridal party” job. Assign this task to members of your bridal party. Give them a rough idea of the style of party you would like, who you would like to attend and the max number of guests. Leave the rest up to them to allow you to get on with wedding planning.
Arranging the stag/hen do
As above
Finding hotel rooms for out of town guests
A couple of hours of research from your bridal party and data entry into your accommodation spreadsheet is all it takes to create a database of all available accommodation. Once complete, they(or you) can send it to your wedding mailing list.
Arranging transportation for guests
Ask somebody to look into local transport companies and get an idea of pricing. Once you give them the go-ahead, ask them to make the booking with the transport company and forward the email confirmation onto you for your reference. The person who handles this would also be in charge of ensuring the transport arrangements go to plan on the day of the wedding. This would involve a final call to the company to make sure everything is in place and sorting any problems with guests not being at the pick-up point on time.
Reserving equipment hire
Since this is one of the more boring tasks of your wedding planning, you may feel ok about delegating this one. Lighting for example can easily be delegated. Ask your delegate to contact a few companies to get quotes. Check the quotes yourself before asking them to confirm the booking. Make sure they get the relevant details of when they will setup/takedown at the venue. The delegate for this task would also be responsible for meeting them on the day/day-after the wedding.
Printing printables
If you have any printables that need printed, ask a member of the bridal party to arrange this. Give them a budget and the number of copies you require as well as any details of paper stock etc.
Writing save-the-dates/place names etc.
If you have a lot of invitations to write, draft in some extra hands to help out. You may not want to do this with the actual invitations but the save-the-dates and place names are lower risk.
Emailing and printing directions for drivers of transport vehicles
Ask somebody to draft up directions/parking information for your venue and send this to your wedding mailing list.
Collecting groomswear
If hired, a member of your bridal party can collect the grooms wear (although it’s better if you can try on your suit in the shop).
Tidying up the “day after”
The day after the wedding can be pretty busy. You may need somebody to collect decorations, flowers, dresses etc. You may also need somebody to return certain hire items (e.g. grooms wear) and liaise with equipment hire companies who are collecting their equipment.
Book a spa treatment
In the week leading up to the wedding, ask somebody to book a spa treatment for the bridal party.
Arrange favours and decor that you are taking
Ask your bridal party to help you out in arranging your wedding favors.
These are just a small selection of the tasks that you can delegate to your bridal party, although this accounts for a significant portion of your wedding planning. Try to keep higher profile tasks(such as venue visits) for your fiancé and you as these tasks would burden your bridal party with too much responsibility and would rob you of the pleasure of arranging it yourself. Try to only delegate tasks that don’t have a significant impact on your wedding and can be easily carried out without too much communication with you. If a lot of communication is needed, the benefits of delegating the task are negated as you will end up spending as much time calling/emailing as you would have if you had done it yourself.
Urban weddings are the rising trend amongst millennials. The beautiful clash of industrial spaces with timeless elegance is a stunning combination which is a delight for (most) guests…………(there will always be a few). You may be wondering how to achieve that industrial feel, but don’t fret as we’ve got you covered! Here are our top tips for planning your urban wedding.
It’s all about the venue
The key to any urban wedding is….the venue. There are 2 main approaches to choosing the venue. These are:
Start with an industrial venue and dress it up
Start with a standard venue and dress it down
If you go with the first option, you aren’t necessarily looking for “wedding” venues in your venue search (which can make things a little harder). Instead, search for unused warehouses or factories and contact the owner to see if they would consider hiring out the venue for a wedding. The great thing about this approach is that you will probably be able to hire the venue for a fraction of the price of a normal wedding venue. It’s worth keeping in mind that you will need to check that the venue is safe for use and arrange your own insurance. Once you have hired a venue like this, it is then very easy to decorate. The venue itself adds all the “urban-iness” so all you need to do is fill it with tables, chairs and décor. Try to use a mixture of urban items with classic items so that it’s not too industrial.
If you decide to go for the 2nd option, finding your venue is a little easier as you can just use a wedding directory to source your venue. If the venue is not explicitly urban, you will need to dress it down with some urban elements. Which leads us onto…….
Materials
Concrete, Brick, Wood and Metal. These 4 materials are intrinsic to the Urban wedding. For the most part, concrete and brick can only be incorporated into your wedding through a venue which uses these materials (unless you intend on transporting concrete blocks to the venue!). Wood and metal however can both be easily incorporated via your tables, chairs and decorations. Old wooden tables are a popular option as they can be transported fairly easily and add a lovely distressed look. Copper piping can be used for a whole manner of decorations which can be made at home for very little cost.
Other household items such as jars and glass bottles are another easy way to add an urban vibe very cheaply.
Seating
Think outside the box with the seating and look at alternative options such as wooden stools or benches which inject an instant touch of “urban” to any room. If you have any guests who would not be comfortable on a bench, consider having a few comfortable chairs for these guests and make sure to build this into your seating plan.
Up-cycle
Up-cycling has the double-effect of creating amazing urban objects and saving money. If you have the time and inclination, you could try visiting a thrift-fair and pick up some items which could either be used as-they-are or transformed through your creative skills. You may even be able to pick up an old leather sofa for £100 which could be used for a chill-out area.
Distressed juxtaposition
It’s important not to go too urban with your décor as you may cross the line between quirky and uncomfortable. Try to contrast your urban elements with a delicate classic element. For example, you could try adding a white table runner to your wooden tables so that you can see both. Flowers are also a natural way to add elegance with contrasting backgrounds.
Lighting
The lighting is a very important factor in setting the mood and there are many options to choose from within the urban theme. The most popular are:
Festoon lighting(bistro lights)
Fairy lights
Hanging bulbs(those trendy ones with the soft glow)
Any of the above choices will add an instant warmth to your evening proceedings and create a relaxed atmosphere for all your guests.
Urban Wedding Invitations
If you are printing your invitations, you may want to consider printing it on textured paper to make it look as if it has been sent directly from an old printing press.
Alternatively, just keep it digital and send your invitations via social media.
Urban Wedding Outfits
An urban wedding welcomes a little bit of casual-wear for both bride and groom. Think outside the box and dress in a way you are comfortable with. Again, it’s a matter of juxtaposition, so don’t go overboard in either direction. A popular choice for urban brides is to wear a shorter (knee-length) dress. While grooms can mis-match trousers and jacket with a pair of well-polished brogues. Keep the relaxed feel throughout the day. Consider changing your shoes to converse all-stars (or a shoe of your choice) for the dancing. It’s not only more comfortable, it will look uber-quirky.
If you are planning an urban wedding, the above tips will guide you on your way to get started. If you come up with some urban wedding tips of your own, we would love to hear about them.
Arranging your wedding flowers can be a mind-boggling affair due to the multitude of options for integrating flowers into your wedding day. The below list includes all the main flower options you may want to consider. These are suggestions only, not necessities. Pick and choose what suits your wedding theme. Pinterest is a great place for flower inspiration.
Once you’ve finalised your Guest List – and we mean finalised, not nearly finalised – it’s time to send it to your venue and your caterers so they can prepare accordingly. We’d tend to advise against sending your Guest List before it’s fully finalised as you’ll end up sending revised version after revised version, and that risks leaving you (as well as your suppliers!) confused.
How Can You Make Sure You Have All This Information?
Well, there’s one easy way to keep track of all this information – it’s your Bridebook’s handy Guest List Tool! You can use it to keep track of your RSVPs, +1s and any extra information like dietary requirements and access needs too.
If you haven’t sent out your invitations yet, make sure to include a clear RSVP deadline. As a rule, set your RSVP deadline at least six weeks before your big day. We also recommend that couples always check with their venue, caterer and other suppliers if they will need confirmation of numbers earlier than this and adjust accordingly.
If you’ve already sent out your invitations and your RSVP deadline is fast approaching (or has even already gone by), don’t be shy! Reach out to any guests who haven’t yet RSVP’d to confirm whether or not they’ll be attending.
With these tricks up your sleeve, you’ll have your Guest List finalised in no time – and then it’s back to the fun stuff! Did someone say cake tasting…?
Planning your wedding is a fun, exciting and challenging time. It’s fun and exciting because you and your best friend are planning the biggest party of your lives before you spend the rest of your lives together. It’s challenging because, unfortunately, it’s actually pretty expensive to plan a wedding.
In the UK, the average cost of a wedding is £20,775, which is a considerable amount of money for most couples. It’s amazing just how expensive weddings can become as budgets spiral out of control. Small costs can quickly stack up. Plus, if you don’t keep on top of invoices and payments, it can soon suck the joy out of the experience, and become something altogether stressful.
The great news is, there are things you can do to make sure you don’t get carried away and you keep on top of your payments. In this post, we’re going to dive into how to pay for a wedding, including budgeting and payment options, as well as tips for making sure you manage your money smartly.
How to pay for a wedding: cheat sheet
Check out the below cheat sheet for the key takeaways when it comes to paying for your wedding. Refer back to it whenever you need to.
Follow this cheat sheet when thinking about your wedding payments
If you’re looking for how to pay for a wedding on your own, this isn’t completely out of the realm of possibility. We’ve already covered how the average UK wedding costs almost £20,000, but that figure is exactly that – an average. So, there are plenty of weddings that cost way below this (as well as some that cost far more, of course). And, a wedding that costs far less than the average is a much easier and more achievable goal if you want to pay for it all yourself.
Here are a few things to consider if you want to pay for your wedding:
Set a realistic budget. If you’re going it alone, you may have to consider what are must-haves compared to nice-to-haves.
Consider the venue carefully, because some cost way more than others. For example, getting married in a castle will cost you around £12,454, while a registry office will cost around £1,342.
Rather than a wedding that takes place across a whole day, you can slash costs by having a twilight wedding, which takes place during the latter half of the day.
Ramp up your monthly savings where possible – even one less meal out per month could save you around £1,000 over the course of a year (if you regularly eat in places that are a little pricey, that is).
Think about how you could make money through a side hustle. It shouldn’t take too much time – after all, you still need downtime and an opportunity to actually plan your wedding. But, you could earn an extra £1,000 a year and avoid paying any additional tax.
Choose to get married during off-peak days and months, which could save you thousands. With only 13% of couples getting married on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, there’s also much less competition out there.
Be open to compromise – if you are, there are plenty of ways to cut costs.
When you plan your wedding there are quotes, figures, deposits, instalments, direct debits and invoices flying around from all different directions. With so much going on, how are you supposed to keep track and make sense of everything? Below are a few things to keep in mind so you don’t get lost wading through mounds of overdue invoices.
Agreeing on your budget is more than sticking your finger in the air and plucking out a magic number. If you do that, and then try to fit your venue, catering, outfits, rings and more around it, you’ll soon realise that you’re likely to run out of budget.
Of course, it’s useful to have an overall figure to aim for. But, in order to do this accurately, you first need an idea of what each individual vendor is going to cost. The best way to do this is by using a budget calculator, which helps you visualise everything using realistic figures. That way, you can instantly see that your dream venue, which costs £8,000, might not align with the overall budget of £10,000 that you were hoping for.
If you’re not quite sure about what you want at this stage, it can be useful to use average wedding costs to get an idea of what it might set you back. From there, you can determine where you can make savings and which costs are your non-negotiables. Getting out there and gathering quotes will also help you figure out how realistic your dream vendors are.
One important point to remember is that your life will continue long after your wedding. You and your new spouse may want to go on your honeymoon, buy a house or start a family – and all of those require money. So, while you may want to throw a lavish and memorable wedding, you might not want to start married life from square one.
You’ve worked out your money, you know how much you want to spend on your wedding, you’ve maybe even started booking one or two vendors, such as your venue and caterers. The deposit for your venue could be as much as 50% (but is usually closer to 10%), which could instantly drain your bank balance. So what does that mean for the other countless things you need to pay for over the coming months?
There are several ways couples choose to pay for their wedding. They may use one of these methods or a combination of several. Which you choose is down to you, your preferences and your financial situation:
Personal savings
Pay by monthly instalments
Credit cards (though not necessarily recommended due to high interest rates)
With so many quotes flying around and important vendors to book, how do you know which one you should book and pay for first?
The most important thing to secure first is your date. This is predominantly decided by your chosen venue and whether or not they have availability on the date you’d like to get married. If this is a peak date, such as a Saturday during the summer, then you may find that you have to book this at least a couple of years in advance. If you’re happy to get married midweek during the winter, you’ll have a lot more flexibility.
Once you’ve secured your date at your chosen venue, you can start fitting everything else in, which you’ll probably want to do in order of whatever’s most important to you. For example, it may look a little something like this:
Photography/Videography
Catering
Celebrant/Registrar
Flowers
Cake
Dress/Suits
Transport
Entertainment/Music
As the big day draws closer, you’ll also want to sort out your accessories, rings, favours and hair and beauty. There are also the invitations, which you’ll want to put together fairly early so you give your guests as much notice as possible.
Another way to approach it would be in order of the most expensive. Get the larger payments out of the way first, such as the venue, food and dress, then think about the cake, transport and entertainment a little later on. Of course, if you do that and you leave it too long, it does risk your chosen vendor not being available for your date.
When you start making payments, the worst thing you can do is not keep track of which bills you’ve paid and when. Every time you make a payment, no matter how small, make sure you keep a record of the who, when and how much.
We’ve built a super smart budget tracker to help you manage the costs. You can make a note of how much you’ve paid so you know exactly what balances are still outstanding – perfect if you want to avoid complicated spreadsheets!
As you pay each vendor through their preferred payment method, mark this off your tracker as you go. As devastating as it may be to spend so much money in such a short amount of time, it will feel great getting these costs ticked off your lists.
Once all the payments have been made, you’ll feel like the cloud has been lifted and once again you can look towards your wedding, enjoying that wonderful mix of excitement and joy.
Once you’re deep in planning mode and it feels like things are going well, it can be easy to get carried away. You might even feel like a wedding planning genius! When this happens, it can be easy to feel a little overconfident. This can lead to the odd mistake, which is more than likely avoidable.
Some of the most common wedding payment mistakes include:
Purposefully overspending, which means payments can quickly become unmanageable. Don’t let anyone else sway how much you spend.
Refusing to be flexible can potentially cause issues. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that everything will go 100% to plan, so be open to compromise.
Even with meticulous planning and budgeting, sometimes costs can rise and you go over budget. Failing to have a contingency plan means unexpected costs will sting a lot more than they might have otherwise.
Always share concerns and worries with your partner. Chances are, they’ll share the same thoughts (which is why you’re getting married, right?) and you can think of a plan B together.
Don’t book anything without getting several quotes, first. Quotes will help you see if the vendor you choose is offering a fair price.
Don’t forget to ask for a discount from every vendor you book. Almost everyone you get a quote from will have some wiggle room – usually, you’ll save at least 5%, which can add up massively.
We get it, weddings are incredibly expensive, and even if you’ve carefully budgeted and you’re on top of your payments and savings goals, the costs can still sting. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways you can save money on your wedding. Just a few ways include:
Get married on an off-peak date
Choose a venue outside of the city – especially London
Hire more inexperienced vendors, such as your cake-maker and photographer
Choose in-season flowers and arrangements that use more foliage
Go for a cake with a simple design to save on decorating time
This is just a taste of the ways you can save money. Check out our comprehensive guide to saving money on your wedding, which features dozens of cost-cutting tips.
Two thirds of couples ask for help to pay for their wedding, so if you can’t pay for your big day by yourself then it’s okay to ask for a little support from your family.
When doing so, give them a heads up that you want to ask them to help pay so you don’t spring it on them unexpectedly. Then, sit them down and share your budget and plan with them in person so you can explain what you’d like and how they can help. The more they can see you’ve planned everything thoroughly, the more they’ll be inclined to help if they can.
Need a few more handy ways to understand more about paying for your wedding? Here are ten helpful tips for scraping and saving.
Treat your budget as your bible.
Be realistic and don’t set your heights too high. It’s easier to add more on later if you’ve underspent than it is to take things away if you’ve overspent.
Have a contingency plan in case something goes over budget – try to allow for around 10%.
Always start by booking your venue, as this is often the biggest expense and the trickiest to secure.
Always think about the bigger picture. If one thing doesn’t quite go to plan, there will more than likely be ten things that do.
Start paying for things as early as possible to avoid missing payments and accruing fees.
Prioritise vendors that are most important to you.
If you’re asking family for financial support, do so as soon as you can so you know your total budget early on.
Try not to rely on your credit card. The last thing you want during the build-up to your wedding is looming credit card debt.
Consider opening a dedicated savings account that the two of you can pay into each month. Having it right there will help you keep track of how much of your budget you have left.
Manage your wedding payments on Bridebook
Here at Bridebook, our handy budget calculator helps you keep track of how much your wedding costs so you don’t accidentally spend too much. Sign up and start planning your perfect wedding today!
Since your bridal party have been so helpful with your wedding preparations, it’s only fair that they get some kind of reward for their efforts! Well, that’s the idea behind giving them gifts. This is optional of course. Nobody is forcing you to dish out gifts! If your wedding party have been genuinely helpful however, this is a nice touch as it lets them know that their help is appreciated. What you buy and how lavish you are is completely up to you. If you intend to go big with your gifting, you may want to budget this into your budgeter spreadsheet as this could end up being a significant cost!(this is often overlooked). Here are the people you would traditionally buy gifts for:
Best man
Maid of Honour
Other groomsmen(optional)
Other bridesmaids(optional)
It’s also traditional to buy a bouquet of flowers for the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom(1 each!) which will set you back an extra £100. Remember to budget that in.
You may also wish to purchase a gift for the fathers if you feel compelled to. This is not a traditional option so you would be breaking the mould!
A gift for the wedding officiant is also something you may wish to consider. This would just be a small token gesture to thank them for their part in your wedding day.
Finally, a gift for your fiancé prior to the wedding(or on the wedding night) will never go amiss as it adds a final flourish of romance to what is already an uber-romantic day!
The wedding is approaching fast and the tasks are piling up! It could be tempting to postpone your haircut to the last few days before the wedding to keep it looking as fresh as possible….but this is a mistake! Your hair takes time to settle into a new style, making a last-minute haircut a bad choice. Most hairstylists would advise you to get your hair trimmed and coloured around 2 weeks before your wedding (tweet us if you disagree). Any earlier than this and your hair would have the opportunity to grow too much before the wedding, potentially ruining the style. Any later than 2 weeks before and your hair may not fully settle into the style. The other advantage of getting a trim 2 weeks before is that if the stylist makes any mistakes, you have time to try and rectify it.
Once your hair is trimmed, try experimenting with the style you plan to do on your wedding day to see how it looks. If you feel that something doesn’t look right, look for small changes you can make to improve it. You may want to go over this with your hairstylist.
Read more about working with your wedding hairstylist
‘I had prepared an excellent speech for you today, but unfortunately, now that I’m married … I’ve been told to read this one instead.’
‘I have been told that this is usually one of the only times in a married man’s life when he can speak without being interrupted … I may be here sometime.’
‘I didn’t actually receive an invitation to the wedding, so I hope I haven’t just eaten somebody else’s meal.’
‘When I asked [bride’s] father if I could marry his daughter, he wanted to know if I would be able to support the family. The answer was no! I was only planning to support his daughter. The rest of them would have to look after themselves.’
‘A lot of people believe that girls marry men who remind them of their fathers, which explains why [bride’s] mother crying so much during the ceremony.’
‘I was a bit nervous about giving a wedding speech so I had a look online for some tips. The best advice came from Franklin D Roosevelt who said “Be sincere; be brief; be seated”. So…..thanks very much for coming!’
‘[bride] says that I never listen….or something like that’
