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Q & A With 2016 Wedding Dress Designer of the Year, Louise Selby

Award winning dress designer Louise Selby shares her expertise with the Bridebook team less than a month after winning the prestigious National Wedding Dress Designer of the year from The Wedding Industry Awards – and we are so glad she has! Read on for some quality insight and tips only an award winner could provide.

bridebook.co.uk Louise Selby's Delphinium Dress — Louise Selby’s Delphinium Dress
By Yasmin Afshar

Could you walk us through your typical process with a bride?

All of my dresses are bespoke, and having a bespoke dress means the dress is made to fit your measurements exactly and includes a toile fitting, which is a cotton mock-up of the dress so that the bride can see exactly the design and fit of the dress before seeing it in the fabrics of her choice. There is flexibility on the details of the dress and the fabrics she chooses, so a bride can make it her own.

What do you think is the most challenging aspect of having a bespoke dress?

The most challenging aspect is that the bride needs a certain amount of vision, while understanding that there are some limitations to fabrics and designs one should always keep in mind.

What is your #1 tip to brides preparing for a bespoke fitting?

My number 1 tip is to wear the correct underwear for all the fittings. To have the correct underwear is so important, nude works best and seamless preferably. A good bra is vital under many of my designs, the Delphinium dress for example needs a backless bra, and luckily these are so readily available now. Marks and Spencer do a brilliant one, the Foxglove dress needs a bra with a transparent back, Boux.co.uk do an excellent one.

What is your favourite wedding dress style and what are your favourite wedding dress details?

At the moment, my favourite design is my Delphinium dress which is new for 2016 and is very Grecian and simple but exquisitely cut in a beautiful heavy crepe.

bridebook.co.uk-louise-selby-delphinium-dress — Louise Selby’s Delphinium Dress
By Yasmin Afshar

Could you describe the most challenging assignment you have ever taken on?

Some brides are more challenging than others, but we endeavour to ensure that they are all happy on the day!

What fabrics do you recommend a bride consider for each season?

Heavier fabrics such as zibeline and mikado work well for winter and autumn weddings, whereas softer satins and crepes are more suited to spring and summer. The chantilly laces are so pretty in the warmer months, beach weddings or gardens with that festival vibe, and the guipures are perfect for those golden autumn weddings (our Mimosa gown illustrates this perfectly). A little bit of fur is fabulous in the winter, we have some exquisite rabbit trims.

bridebook.co.uk-louise-selby-mimosa-dress — Louise Selby’s Mimosa Dress
By Yasmin Afshar

Which cuts do you recommend for the bohemiam, modern, whimsical, and classic bride respectively?

Princess lines work perfectly for the classic bride, the fuller skirt, maybe with pleats in a fine mikado for that Grace Kelly look, such as the Orchid gown. Finer silks such as a light weight zibeline work well as a sheath shape for an elegant Jean Shrimpton look, maybe with a grosgrain bow or waist detail, the Sunflower dress is the perfect example of this.

The bohemian bride suits the lighter Amalfi satin or crepe with a fine chantilly lace, look no further than the Primrose dress, below, with its pretty capped sleeve and low back detail.

bridebook.co.uk Louise Selby's Primrose Dress — Louise Selby’s Primrose Dress
By Yasmin Afshar

The modern bride suits a dress like the Foxglove, a streamlined crepe and georgette gown with a boat neck and a low lace back. Alternatively, for that Chelsea Registry Office look, early sixties vibe, chose the iconic Snapdragon zibeline coat with little strapless lace dress underneath, below. Accessorise with black and white Kate Spade vintage bag and black shoes.

bridebook.co.uk Louise Selby's Snapdragon Coat — Louise Selby’s Snapdragon Coat
By Yasmin Afshar

If you could have designed anyone’s wedding dress – past, present or future – who would it be and why?

The lovely Lily James, currently playing Natasha in War & Peace, would look gorgeous in one of my designs, maybe Primrose or Amaryllis or Foxglove.

What type of dress did you wear on your wedding?

I absolutely love the dress I made for my own wedding 24 years ago, an oyster shantung sheath, dress with Calais lace, slightly off the shoulder, and a lovely slightly ruched back detail.

bridebook.co.uk-louise-selby-on-her-wedding-day — Louise Selby herself in her self-designed wedding dress

What was your favourite moment/memory?

Arriving at the church with my little attendants and seeing my future husband for the first time, waiting for me by the altar.

What is your #1 planning tip for brides today?

The devils in the detail; but chose the details carefully. Some things are really not that important, don’t worry about the things you can’t control, such as the weather, concentrate on looking after your guests, making them feel part of a really special celebration that they will remember.

Happy Planning!

Want to see more of Louise’s gorgeous wedding dresses? Of course you do! Be sure to check out her Bridebook profile and website for some more swoon worthy designs.

Hair Up or Hair Down for a Wedding?

Are you trying to decide whether to wear your hair up or down on your wedding day? Brides often face this dilemma, but fear not, today we give you some of the best advice from one of our dearest wedding experts: Rose Magnall.

If you want to cut to the chase, these are the questions you should be asking yourself in order to make a decision:

How do you usually wear your hair?

Are you more comfortable with it up or down?

What kind of dress are you wearing?

Keep reading to explore these questions in more detail with our wedding expert, and by the end of this article, you should be on a good path to making your decision!

If you’re still looking for your hair and make-up, search in your area with Bridebook’s beauty, hair and make-up search!

Rose Magnall is a freelance hair and make-up artist who also works closely with the Liz Earle Beauty brand, celebrities and international bridal clients. Rose is based in London, but travels far and wide and knows how to get you walking down the aisle looking like an absolute goddess:

I find the decision between hair up or hair down is one of the most common difficulties many brides face in the run-up to their wedding. Hair, after all, is a woman’s crowning glory, and we as a gender can be pretty obsessed with our locks. This obsession tends to be magnified on our wedding day, as many things are!

There can be many pressures about how your hair ‘should’ look – from worries about the weather causing havoc if your hair is down, to agonizing over the many style options of an up-do, not to mention the endless ‘hairspiration’ photos to be found online and thinking, which of these is right for me?

My advice in helping any bride to make the decision would be to focus on two main questions: first, what suits the dress? And secondly, (and I think most importantly) what are you most comfortable with? Let’s focus for now on the latter.

Personally, for me, when it came to making the decision for my own wedding last year, I took a step back (many years back) and remembered how it felt to be a young girl, imagining myself as a grown-up woman getting married. Although I have long and generally well-behaved hair, I always imagined that I would wear my blonde hair up in a chignon – it was a clear vision that never wavered.

Perhaps the main reason I knew I wanted my hair up, is that I’ve always felt comfortable with it tied back, I’ve enjoyed wearing up-dos and having my hair styled off my face. I’ve also always found it easier – once it’s up, its up, and there’s no maintenance required.

However, for every girl who loves wearing their hair up, there’s another who prefers it down. And, in most cases, they always will have. I have worked with many brides with the most beautiful thick hair, who want nothing more than to show it off at its best on their wedding day.

And rightly so. Bridal hair down styles are exquisite, and girls who love to wear their hair down will feel nothing less than perfect if they decide to go down this route for their wedding. The thing is, brides who choose to wear their hair down tend to be girls who always wear their hair down – bottom line, they feel the most comfortable, beautiful and confident with their hair down. It’s the same reasoning for brides who choose to wear their hair up – it just feels ‘right’ for them.

bridebook.co.uk bride with hair down done by Rose Magnall — Hair down on Helen Wild

So, amidst the stresses and endless to-do lists involved in planning your wedding, take a step back and think about what it is that you really want – not what fashion and trends and family members want, or think you should do.

Think back to memories or occasions (a good opportunity to look through old photos) in your life when you felt the most beautiful and confident – was your hair down? If so, then maybe down is the way to go for your wedding day.

There are always ‘half-up’ options too, which can be a lovely way to show off your hair while keeping it directly off your face. This is quite a popular route for brides who are torn between up or down. Some brides begin the day with their hair up, then have their hair stylist transform the style into hair down for the evening (if you have the time and the budget this can be really special and a lovely surprise for your groom).

bridebook.co.uk- bride with hair half up and half down done by Rose Magnall — Half-up do on Catherine Moyer

The dress also plays a part in deciding how your hair should be worn – if you want to show off back-detail or shoulders then that can help you to make a decision. Bridal boutiques can offer great advice during wedding dress fittings – and you’ll get a feel for what looks better with certain dresses as you try on various styles.

You want to look back on your wedding day as the most wonderful experience, knowing that everything was perfect for you. So, follow your heart and trust your own sense of style, and on the day you’ll feel the happiest you’ve ever felt.

Happy Planning!

Inspired by Rose’s amazing hairdos and gorgeous makeup? Be sure to check out her Bridebook profile and website to book her for your own wedding!

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Q & A With Legendary British Florist Simon Lycett

As the head of one of the UK’s most revered and popular floral decorating teams, Simon J Lycett‘s Q&A has everything a bride could possibly want – from ingenious inspiration to no-nonsense wedding budget guidance this is one piece you definitely won’t want to miss.

bridebook.co.uk - simon lycett portrait — The legend, Simon Lycett himself

How should a bride begin identifying her style?

The diverse range of tastes and styles of our clients and their chosen wedding settings provide a real “kick start” to ideas for décor and design for the individual event. It’s all in the detail and and I adore getting carried away so that the thoughts and dreams of the bride and groom are manifested in their special day with little touches in the decorations to reflect their lives which are now entwined.

Simple or grand is not important, quality is my motivating force in all things. And whatever your style, presentation is EVERYTHING! From the simplest stem of garden rose within an antique French confiture jar to a vast stone urn of orchids, keep the finish and the execution immaculate – although it may look casual and spontaneous, to achieve perfection, everything needs to be planned, practised and polished!

What are your recommendations for a bride choosing her colour scheme?

When choosing your colour palette discount NOTHING and enjoy everything, surprising combinations work really well. Never be shy of mixing colour and if someone tells you that certain colours do not work together, tell them to look to nature for inspiration, the wings of a butterfly or the plumage of a humming bird and then see what does or doesn’t work together!

Where do you think is the best place for a bride to find inspiration?

The incredible seasonal raw materials that we work with – namely the foliage, flowers, plants and fruits available to us provide endless inspiration and food for thought.

What’s your top tip for making a flower budget go further?

Celebrate with seasonal flowers which are more reasonably priced and always resonate within a setting so well. Sometimes less is more, but often masses is best! I like the flowers at a wedding to always give you a “floral cuddle” and minimal just never manages to do so! Broad brush-strokes are what make impact so go with one large decoration rather than three small ones and you’ll still achieve the Wow! factor!

Enjoy exploring the textures and tones of fruits and vegetables. A few architectural artichokes arranged within a bowl of roses give masses of style and substance and makes a clever statement without adding fortunes to the budget! Buttermilk and yellow spray roses, vibrant green alchemilla mollis and blousy cream peonies, when arranged within glass vases filled with fresh Amalfi lemons suddenly become a cool and contemporary statement, giving a fresh citrusy “pop” of colour.

Whatever your budget, plant material must be the best available in perfect condition. Damaged flowers look sad to the naked eye but within a photographer’s lens each imperfection will shout!

bridebook.co.uk - simon lycett hanging roses and lights — Courtesy of Simon Lycett

What should brides consider when selecting their bouquet?

Be aware that many images within Bridal magazines have had colours tweaked in photoshop! So trust your florist when they say that certain coloured flowers are or are not available! And bear in mind that many photoshoot bridal flowers are a whimsical bit of fun which while looking good for a 10 minute photo-shoot, will not really last as a bouquet for an actual wedding because they will wilt and deteriorate quickly.

Bear in mind that a traditional, wired bouquet will take much longer to create than a tied bouquet, so will be considerably more expensive, however with no natural stems, there is no fear of marking a pale coloured dress!

As I hand over their bouquet on the morning of the wedding I always tell brides to carry their bouquet low, with relaxed arms, as it makes Brides look taller. And to walk slowly!

How important is scent when considering your wedding flowers?

The scent of herbs should never be overlooked when planning a wedding, especially in the bouquets and buttonholes. Few commercially grown flowers have a great deal of fragrance these days so add in some subtle scent with sprigs of rosemary and lavender, leaves of bay and sprigs of thyme. Or conjure some romance with charming scented narcissi and hyacinths, tulips, hellebores and muscari.

bridebook.co.uk-simon lycett car filled with flowers — Courtesy of Simon Lycett

Happy Planning!

Love Simon’s tips? Check out his amazing work and book him for your own wedding through his Bridebook profile!

Richard Ward Spills His Top Wedding Hair Tips

Here at Bridebook we were oh so lucky to have a chance to pick the brains of one of the most impressive and renowned wedding hairstylists in the UK. As the man behind Kate Middleton’s wedding hair, he is most definitely very deserving of the title! You can’t miss Richard Ward‘s top tips for pre-wedding hair care and especially his day-of hair tips – you’ll be thanking us later.

bridebook.co.uk Richard Ward — Richard Ward

How can a bride begin to choose the best hairstyle for her dress?

Wedding hair is notoriously hard to decide on – it has to work with your dress, accessories, face shape and make you feel totally comfortable at the same time! Take into account the dress neckline and go for a hairstyle that complements it; for example if you have a detailed, high neckline, an updo or keeping hair behind the shoulders will ensure it’s visible. Try out as many different styles as possible with your hairdresser until you find your perfect look.

How should a bride decide on which hair accessories to wear on her wedding day?

Whether you choose accessories or a veil depends on the neckline of your dress and what hairstyle you have chosen. A beautiful, intricate updo can be hidden or weighed down by a veil, and is better shown off with delicate accessories; wearing the hair in a more loose, flowing style can be complemented by a beautiful veil. Bring your veil or accessories to your hair trial and make sure they work perfectly with the look you have chosen for maximum impact on the day.

bridebook.co.uk Richard Ward brunette hairstyle — Hair by Richard Ward

Richard’s Pre-Wedding Top Tips:

Start prepping your hair with deep conditioning treatments – both in-salon and at home – at least 6 months before the wedding so it’s in tip-top condition for the big day.

Take inspiration from everywhere – magazines, Pinterest, catwalks – and make a collage of your favourite looks so you have a variety to choose from.

Try out lots of different styles at your hair trial and take photos so you can look back and choose your favourites.

If you want to create the illusion of longer, thicker hair, use clip-in hair pieces – they’re really versatile and easy to use, and you don’t have to wait months for your hair to grow!

Remember your hair has to work with your dress neckline – bring a photo of your dress to your hair trial so your hairdresser knows what type of style they are working with.

Complement an intricate up-do with beautiful delicate accessories or a tiara rather than a veil, as this could hide or weigh it down.

Bring any hair pieces, veils or accessories to your hair trial to make sure they work perfectly with the look you have chosen for maximum impact on the day.

Don’t have any major colour appointments too close to the wedding – have your last full appointment about 4 weeks in advance, and touch up with a semi-permanent gloss or vegetable colour in-salon just before the big day to really refresh your look.

bridebook.co.uk Richard Ward redhead style — Hair by Richard Ward

Richard’s On The Day Tips:

If you’ve chosen an updo or structured curls, wash your hair the day before to give it more grip – freshly washed locks can be harder to style and keep in place, and can drop more easily.

After a long day of dancing and photos, hair can go a bit flat – spritz a little dry shampoo into the roots halfway through the day or during the reception for extra volume and texture.

L’Oreal Professionnel Tecni. Art Super Dust is also a great product for volume – it’s a tiny bottle so is the perfect size to pop in a bag and whip out when your hair needs a quick boost.

If your hairdresser isn’t there all day, keep a small bottle of hairspray and a comb on hand with your chief bridesmaid in case of any last minute touch-ups to ensure your hair stays looking perfect for photos all day and night.

bridebook.co.uk Richard Ward blonde hairstyling — Hair by Richard Ward

Richard’s top product recommendations:

The Chelsea Collection Argan Hairspray, £5.99
The Chelsea Collection Argan Elixir, £5.99
L’Oreal Professionnel tecni.art Super Dust, £13
The Chelsea Collection Argan 10-in-1 Styling Spritz, £5.99

Happy Planning!

Q & A with Stephen Jones: Iconic Milliner

Stephen Jones OBE is one of the most iconic and influential milliners of all time. Based in London designing hats for A listers, Stephen’s achievements are endless, including curating the world famous ‘Hats’ exhibition at the V&A in 2009. Bridebook was fortunate enough to speak to Stephen Jones about two things we love: hats and weddings (of course!)

bridebook.co.uk stephen jones with an armful of his hats — The legendary milliner Stephen Jones and some of his creations

Do you think hats are a must-do for all wedding guests?

No it shouldn’t be compulsory to wear a hat, people have freedom of expression, but maybe those who are not really hat wearers should have a go because they’ll realise they’ll have so much fun wearing one, especially on such a special occasion.

Are there any rules when choosing a hat as a wedding guest? (Etiquette, style, occasion type etc.)

Ideally it should not be white as white is the colour of the bride. It should not be too big because if you’re in a Church or a Synagogue you don’t want to obscure the view of the person behind. On the other hand, however, if you’re known as an eccentric dresser you don’t want to let down your audience.

Do you have any tips for choosing the best hat shape for you?

A hat needs to suit your face more than it has to suit your fashion. So if you have a long face don’t wear a tall crowned hat. If you wear glasses, wear a hat with a turned up brim at the front so as not to crowd your face. If you have a broad face, wear a broader brimmed hat or a hat with statement pieces such as flowers. If you have a square face, wear something asymmetric to soften it. You can do all that, but I also think matching is a nice touch. It’s a big enough statement that you’re wearing a hat so you don’t need it to contrast your colours, or have it in any unusual colour. Also keep in mind that whatever colour your hat is gets cast across your face, so beware lime green hats! Sunshine cast through a blue hat tends to add a nice, gentle hue to your skin.

Where did you get married and what was your favourite part of your wedding?

The Chelsea Town Hall in London, a truly lovely venue. My favourite part was seeing a whole line of my guests walking two by two down the road at 9am on Monday morning, on the first day of London Fashion Week, dressed to the nines going to our wedding breakfast.

Happy Planning!

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Q & A With Celebrity Hairdresser Daniel Galvin

Rock n Roll Bride’s Top Three Tips To Having a Truly Alternative Wedding

Q & A With Celebrity Hairdresser: Daniel Galvin

Globally renowned Daniel Galvin OBE, famous for giving Twiggy the blonde hair that she is known and loved for (as well as styling and colouring the hair of an endless list of celebrities), speaks to Bridebook about wedding hair and how to make sure your hair looks its absolute best on your big day.

bridebook.co.uk daniel galvin black and white portrait — Daniel Galvin

How far in advance of your wedding should you be thinking about a regime?

I always recommend that you should have your highlights / colour done 1-2 weeks before your wedding day to give the colour plenty of chance to settle.

What can you do to ensure your hair is at its best the day of the wedding?

The best thing to do is keep hair in amazing condition by using good treatments a few times a week, at least 3-6 months before your wedding. This will ensure your hair is shiny, healthy and beautiful looking on the day.

What else other than products can effect the health of your hair?

Blow-drying, tongs, straighteners, swimming and everyday wear and tear will affect the condition of the hair and should be avoided as much as possible in the run up to your wedding.

Is there anything else that is important to keep in mind?

Maintaining the colour of your hair, using Daniel Galvin detox to clean the colour and get rid of impurities, and Daniel Galvin clear gloss to make it shine for at least a year before the wedding is important so that it looks amazing on the day.

Where did you get married and what was your favourite part of your wedding?

In Muswell Hill, London. My favourite moment was undoubtedly seeing my beautiful fiancée coming down the aisle looking ever more radiant, but the whole ceremony and reception were equally as special. Finally driving to Fronton On Sea for our honeymoon also makes the top of this list.

Happy Planning!

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Steph & Greg in Devon (DIY Food + Games)

South West | Devon | Cullompton | Summer | DIY | Rustic | | Pink | | Barn | Real Wedding | Helen Lisk Photography #Bridebook #RealWedding #WeddingIdeas Bridebook.co.uk

This rustic barn wedding has so many handmade and personal touches from the bunting sewn together by the bride’s grandmother, to the flowers arranged by the bride’s mother, to the table chutneys and sides prepared by both of the couple’s fathers! Steph and Greg had family and fun in mind with their outdoor lawn games as well. Enjoy perusing this relaxed, lovely barn wedding at the Corn Barn in Cullompton.

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Photographer: Helen Lisk Photography | Venue: The Corn Barn, Cullompton, Devon | Wedding Dress: Phase Eight | Waistcoat: ASOS | Bride’s Hair: Vicky Miles | Florist:Arranged by bride’s Mum and Friends, Sourced by Radley Cross Market Garden, South Molton | Music: The Broad Band | Lights: Party Lights | Outdoor Games: The Very Vintage Hire Company, Exeter | Catering: sourced from various places. Bread and scones from Olivers of Crediton & Magdalen Road, Exeter; chutneys made by groom’s Dad; pickled onions made by bride’s Dad; salads from Maddocks Farm, Kentisbeare; cheese from Sharpham, Godminster and Cornish Cheese Company; ice-cream from ICE Artisan Gelato, Exeter; evening food from The Cauldron Street Food, Devon.

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The Corn Barn was bursting with local flowers arranged by Steph’s Mum and friends, and looked wonderful with a twinkling fairy light canopy overhead. A huge amount of work had gone into this wedding, mostly carried out by family and friends, and Steph and Greg themselves. They had a range of village fete style games outside for everyone to play, keeping adults and children equally happily entertained! The wedding breakfast was a grand ploughman’s lunch, with picnic hampers on all the tables filled with ham, cheese and homemade chutneys. Even the bunting was a compilation of pieces made by all the guests, and patiently sewn together by Steph’s grandmother.

The whole day was really wonderful to be part of and just bursting with emotion. Greg and Steph were glowing with happiness all day long, and Greg’s emotional speech pretty much had the entire room in tears.

Congratulations Steph & Greg and thank you Helen Lisk Photography for letting us share these beautiful photographs to help remember a very special day!

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More beautiful wedding inspiration:

Laura & Marko in London (London Eye + Lace Veil)

Tanith & Conner in Oxfordshire (Outdoor + Autumn)

Kirsty & Luke in Wales (Umbrellas + Fascinator)

Prisha & Paul in Stratford (Saris + Purple)

Gemma & Damien in Buckinghamshire (Coral + 9 Bridesmaids)

Kate & Chris in Buckinghamshire (Plum + Letter Decor)

Rach & James in London (Hyde Park + Pink Socks)

View More

A Red Double Decker and Outdoor Reception in Oxfordshire

outh East | Oxfordshire | Banbury | Autumn | Classic | Purple | | Country House | Real Wedding | Guy Hearn Photography #Bridebook #RealWedding #WeddingIdeas Bridebook.co.uk

Well, here’s something you don’t see every day! Newlyweds Alex and Stef organised a personalised red double-decker bus to take their guests to Kirtlington Park, a gorgeous country house in Oxfordshire – and we absolutely love it.

The stylish Saloon was the perfect location to celebrate with a champagne toast, while at their outdoor cocktail reception, Alex, Stef and their guests enjoyed views of the beautiful Chiltern Hills – and had some fun playing lawn games too!

South East | Oxfordshire | Banbury | Autumn | Classic | Purple | | Country House | Real Wedding | Guy Hearn Photography #Bridebook #RealWedding #WeddingIdeas Bridebook.co.uk

Congratulations, Alex and Stef! And thank you, Guy Hearn Photography, for letting us share these beautiful photographs.

Alex and Stef’s Suppliers

Venue: Kirtlington Park
Photographer: Guy Hearn Photography

Kendall & John in Glasgow (Coast + Train)

Scotland | Lanarkshire | Glasgow | Autumn | Coastal | Outdoor | Vintage | Purple | Red | Castle | Real Wedding | Hajley Photography #Bridebook #RealWedding #WeddingIdeas Bridebook.co.uk

Every single one of Kendall and John’s photographs is absolutely breathtaking! The natural scenery of Glasgow created a stunning backdrop as the couple meandered along the coastline and through the town for their wedding photos. Kendall’s red lips and heels and John’s burgundy velvet jacket and socks added a touch of personality and colour to the day contrasting beautifully with the natural landscape. Don’t be surprised if Glasgow’s tourism increases as a result of these photos!

Venue: A castle in Glasgow , Lanarkshire

Photographer: Hajley Photography

Season: Autumn | Styles: Coastal, Outdoor | Colours: Purple, Red

Words from the photographer:

“I was fortunate enough to meet John and Kendall at their friends wedding (that I was photographing) in France. They mentioned that they had just got married in Australia, however with John being from Scotland they were headed to celebrate round two with his close friends and family there. They kindly invited me to join them for this adventure. We had such a special afternoon together of spectacular sight seeing all over Glasgow, wandering through historic castles, along old paths and piers and admiring the breathtakingly beautiful vistas of the surrounding mountains and of course the loch…I must say my favourite view of all was just these guys though!”

Congratulations Kendall & John and thank you Hajley Photography for letting us share these beautiful photographs.

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More beautiful wedding inspiration:

Hannah & Andrew in Marlborough (Farm + Summer)

Kirsty & Luke in Wales (Umbrellas + Fascinator)

Susie & Alex in Hampshire (Marquee + Shells)

Gemma & Damien in Buckinghamshire (Coral + 9 Bridesmaids)

Kate & Chris in Buckinghamshire (Plum + Letter Decor)

Rach & James in London (Hyde Park + Pink Socks)

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Katy & Steven at the Tithe Barn in Dorset

The creative personal touches were everywhere at Katy and Steven’s wedding from the cross-stitched table names (of bands they’d seen together) to the nautical heart symbol, and K&S heart décor strewn across the tables. Take note of the delicious looking cheese cake (not cheesecake) made of stacked wheels of savoury cheese. Yum!

Venue: Tithe Barn, a barn in Symondsbury, Dorset

Photographer: Helen Lisk Photography

Season: Summer | Styles: Rustic, DIY | Colours: Blue, White

From the photographer, Helen Lisk:

“Steven and Katy were the second couple to get married in the newly renovated Tithe Barn, at Symondsbury in Dorset. The barn looked wonderful – I absolutely loved the flowers, from The Real Cut Flower Garden, all in beautiful shades of blue and white. Katy had spent a lot of hours carefully cross-stitching the table names (bands they had watched together) – there could not have been a more perfect way to display these, I loved it! It was a fabulous day to be a part of, especially as the expected rain held off and never quite reached us. Katy and Steven are such a great couple and I really enjoyed photographing their wedding day”

Congratulations Katy & Steven and thank you Helen Lisk Photography for letting us share these gorgeous photographs.

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More beautiful wedding inspiration:

Laura & Marko in London (London Eye + Lace Veil)

Steph & Greg in Devon (DIY food + Games)

Kirsty & Luke in Wales (Umbrellas + Fascinator)

Susie & Alex in Hampshire (Marquee + Shells)

Gemma & Damien in Buckinghamshire (Coral + 9 Bridesmaids)

Kate & Chris in Buckinghamshire (Plum + Letter Decor)

Rach & James in London (Hyde Park + Pink Socks)

View More

Ria & Simon at Glangrwyney Court in Wales

You can practically smell the lavender coming through the computer screen in this beautifully coordinated country-style Welsh wedding! The couple even found a perfectly-painted deep purple Volkswagen van to coordinate with their chosen wedding colour – how’s that for matching?

Venue: Glangrwyney Court, a country house in Powys, Wales

Photographer: Art by Design Wedding Photography

Season: Summer | Style: Vintage, DIY | Colour: Purple

From the couple:

“From the moment we met Steve we knew we had made the right choice in wedding photographer. Steve makes you feel relaxed and takes amazing natural photos. The comments we have received about our photos have been amazing and we absolutely love them. One of our photos even won wedding photo of the week on yourperfectweddingphotographer.co.uk!”

Congratulations Ria & Simon and thank you Art by Design Wedding Photography for letting us share these beautiful photographs.

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More beautiful wedding inspiration:

Lamisee & Adam in Sussex (Gazebo + Garden)

Lowri & Oli in Buckinghamshire (Autumn + Roses)

Natasha & Charles (Marquee + Garden)

Moo & Mengyuan in Gloucestershire (Origami + Tea)

Kate & Chris in Buckinghamshire (Plum + Letter Decor)

Emer & Adam in Devon ( Headpieces + Balloons)

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Gemma & Andy at Holdsworth House Hotel in Yorkshire

Love was the in the air and on the dance floor at this beautiful wedding! We loved the vibrant blue and orange running throughout from the groom’s suits to the table decorations. Such a creative couple!

Venue: Holdsworth House Hotel, a manor house in Halifax, West Yorkshire

Photographer: James & Lianne Photography

Season: Spring | Styles: Classic, DIY | Colours: Blue, Orange

Words from the couple:

“Our wedding day was on the 18th April at Holdsworth House, a beautiful Jacobean Manor House in Halifax. We chose the venue because it had a great reputation for food and the setting and the grounds were really pretty. We had everything crossed in the run up to the big day for sunshine, luckily it turned out to be one of the warmest days of the year so we were able to have our drinks reception outside and our guests played croquet on the lawn whilst we had out photos taken.

We knew that photography and our choice of photographer would be one of the most important decisions we had to make, Andy and I both work in the the creative industry and had a very strong idea of the photography style we wanted, James and Lianne’s relaxed style matched what we were looking for perfectly and the photos were more amazing than we could have asked for.

After trying on what felt like 1000 dresses-but was actually more like 30-I finally found ‘the one’-Francesca by Maggie Sottero. The lovely ladies at Angel Brides persuaded me to try it on. Initially I wasn’t sure about it because it wasn’t what I pictured in my head, how wrong I was! Before the dress was fastened properly I knew that I couldn’t get married in any other dress it was so beautiful! I accessorised with a Richard Designs headdress and wrist cuff, Kurt Geiger heels for the day and in the evening I changed into my customised Converse trainers. My hair and makeup on the day was done by Kathyrn Hurl. I knew that I wanted a relaxed loose bun so that I could have my hair up off my back to show off my dress but without feeling too ‘done’-Kathryn knew exactly what I wanted and also managed to hide the fact that I had about 3 hours sleep the night before!

Andy tends to wear jeans and trainers to work so he really wanted a tailored suit with some unique design touches, but something he could still wear again. We went to Michelsberg Tailoring in the Leeds Victoria Quarter and James truly delivered on Andy’s brief, the suit was beautifully made and fitted with all the individual touches that Andy wanted. He wore it with Oliver Sweeney shoes and a Paul Smith pocket square.

Our adult bridesmaids wore coral gowns from the Dessy collection and the men wore suits from Next in a matching colour material to Andy’s suit. Our flowergirl wore a dress from BHS and out page boy had a suite from Matalan and a Ted Baker tie- they absolutely stole the show!

A lot of our decorations were home-made. Andy is a graphic designer so he designed all of our stationery and organised the printing. We made our table plan and photoboards from old picture frames, a friend made the bunting and I spent weeks decorating jam jars and luggage tags for our tables, it was a lot of hard work but it was totally worth it to have a day that really felt like our own. Lynne from Stem Designs filled my jam jars with beautiful white blooms and created relaxed hand-tied bouquets for me and the bridesmaids. We say Typical Type’s Big Love at a wedding fayre very early in the planning stages and I fell in love with it and decided there and then that whatever our wedding looked like, that would be a big part of it. In the end we built our wedding around it and it looked great both during the ceremony and at the evening reception!

The whole day was everything that we’d wanted it to be and more-planning it together meant that we had a day that reflected both of our personalities- I still look at the photos at least once a week and wish we could go back and do it all again!”

Congratulations Gemma & Andy and thank you James & Lianne Photography for letting us share these beautiful photographs to help remember their wedding l day!

*****************************

Other venues you will love:

More beautiful wedding inspiration:

Lamisee & Adam in Sussex (Gazebo + Garden)

Lowri & Oli in Buckinghamshire (Autumn + Roses)

Natasha & Charles (Marquee + Garden)

Moo & Mengyuan in Gloucestershire (Origami + Tea)

Ria & Simon in Wales (Campervan + Purple)

Emer & Adam in Devon ( Headpieces + Balloons)

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About Us

Hamish Shephard and newly wedded wife walking along the scenic grounds of a beautiful wedding venue

Welcome to Bridebook!

Congratulations on embarking on one of the most exciting journeys of your life! We are here to ensure your wedding planning is as fun and enjoyable as it should be. Gone are the days of stressful hair-pulling and endless spreadsheets as we introduce you to the wonderful world of wedding planning on Bridebook. Being engaged is one of the funnest chapters in your life, so you deserve to make the most of it. After all, when else do you get to dedicate a whole day just to eating cake?

Thanks to Bridebook, personal wedding planners are no longer reserved for the rich and famous. Instead, our team of industry experts and brainiacs have built all the tools you need, including a personalised budget, checklist, venue and supplier search, and guestlist, all in one place for you to plan your dream wedding for free!

Whether you are planning an intimate rustic occasion, a grand city extravaganza or just need a little extra help allocating your budget, Bridebook is here to guide you every step of the way from when you say ‘Yes!’ to when you say ‘I do’.

Now let the fun begin and happy planning!

Hamish & the Bridebook Team

Hamish Shephard tied the knot on the 28th of May 2016 and didn’t use a spreadsheet once!

How Bridebook Began

Bridebook was founded by Hamish Shephard in 2015. When Hamish left a career in banking, he had no idea he was setting himself up to revolutionise wedding planning. His experience in the wedding industry began when he transformed his grandmother’s old home into one of the UK’s leading wedding venues.

During this process, he quickly discovered that most brides spent the majority of their engagement feeling overwhelmed and confused by the whole wedding planning process. Hamish soon became enamoured by the mission to make wedding planning as enjoyable and fun as the wedding day itself. Thus began a journey of inspiration, discovery and creativity… while also secretly doing all of the necessary boring bits in the background.

And the rest is Bridebook!

Hamish now also has his own Evening Standard column, Groom With a View, where he shares his insight as one of the UK’s most prominent wedding experts.

Married couple standing in lavender field next to beautiful tree at sunset

Privacy Policy – OLD (pre May2018)

Introduction

This is the privacy and cookies policy for www.bridebook.co.uk (Website). The Website is operated by Bridebook Limited (we, us and our). For the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998, we are the data controller and are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office on the Register of Data Controllers.

We are committed to protecting your privacy on-line. We appreciate that you do not want the personal information you provide to us distributed indiscriminately and here we explain how we collect information, what we do with it and what controls you have.

By using the Website, you consent to the collection and use of information in accordance with this privacy policy. Use of our Website and Services is governed by our Website Terms of Service.

We reserve the right to change this privacy policy from time to time by changing it on the Website. This privacy policy was last updated on 30 September 2015.

Information we may collect from you

We may collect and process the following personal information about you:

information if you are an individual user (such as your first name, last name, email address, location, device type, operating system, language preferences, gender and age) that you provide by completing forms on the Website, including if you register as a user on the Website, subscribe to our newsletter, upload or submit any material via the Website, or request any information from us about the Website or the service we offer via the Website;

information if you are a venue or other supplier (“Suppliers”) using the Service (such as relationship information between you as a Supplier and individual users; photographs, telephone numbers, email addresses, website addresses and other publicly available information such as venue capacity and venue location) that you provide by using the Service in a capacity as a Supplier, communicating with individual users via the Website or by uploading or submitting material via the Website;

in connection with an account sign-in facility, your log-in and password details, if you choose to register with us (either as a user or Supplier) on the Website;

details of any Supplier bookings or other transactions made or received by you through the Website (such as information you input into the budget planner or any venues or other suppliers you have tagged or otherwise listed within your dashboard);

communications you send to us, for example to report a problem or to submit queries, concerns or comments regarding the Website or its content;

information from surveys, promotions and competitions that we may, from time to time, run on the Website, if you choose to respond to, or participate in, them;

guest list and wedding day budget information (such as overall budget and amounts booked) which you choose to input into our budget planner facility on your dashboard within your account on the Website;

details, including photographs, relating to your wedding day and associated Suppliers if you choose to participate in our Real Weddings feature; and

information that you post in the form of comments or contributions to venue and/or supplier reviews or discussions.

You are under no obligation to provide any such information. However, if you should choose to withhold requested information, we may not be able to provide you with certain services.

Uses made of your information

We will use the personal information you provide to:

identify you when you sign-in to your account;

enable us to provide you with the services and information offered through the Website and which you request;

administer your account with us;

analyse the use of the Website and the trends of the people visiting and using the Website in order to improve our content and services, including research into our users’ demographics and trends within the wedding industry;

send you information we think you may find useful or which you have requested from us, including receipt of marketing communications such as our periodic newsletter provided you have indicated that you are happy to be contacted for these purposes;

allow, with your consent, carefully selected third parties to send you information directly which you may find useful regarding their products and services.

You can tell us not to contact you with information regarding our products and services, or to share your details with Suppliers so that they can send you information regarding their products and services, either at the point such information is collected on the Website (by checking or un-checking (as directed) the relevant box) or, where you do not wish us to continue to use your information in this way, by following the unsubscribe instructions on any communications sent to you. You can also exercise this right at any time by contacting us using the contacting us details at the end of this privacy policy.

Additional information

When you visit the Website, we may automatically collect additional information about you, such as the type of internet browser or mobile device you use, any website from which you have come to the Website and your IP address (the unique address which identifies your device on the internet) and your operating system, which are automatically recognised by our web server.

Cookies and similar technology

The Website also uses cookies or similar technology to collect information about your access to the Website.

Cookies are pieces of information that include a unique reference code that a website transfers to your device to store and sometimes track information about you. A number of cookies we use last only for the duration of your web session and expire when you close your browser. Other cookies are used to remember you when you return to the Website and will last for longer.

We use the following categories of cookies on our Website for the purposes set out below:

Essential session management cookies.

These cookies are essential in order to enable you to move around the Website and use its features, such as accessing secure areas of the Website. Without these cookies, services you have asked for, cannot be provided to you.

Creating a specific log-in session for a user of our Website in order that the Website remembers that a user is logged in and that their page requests are delivered in an effective, secure and consistent manner to allow you to navigate around the Website quickly.

Recognising when a visitor to the website has visited before; this means we can identify the number of unique visitors we receive to the website and allows us to make sure we have enough capacity for the number of users that we get.

Recognising when a visitor to the website is a registered user member.

We may also log information from your computer including the existence of cookies, your IP address and information about your browser program in order to allow us to diagnose problems, administer and track your usage of the Services.

Functionality cookies

These cookies allow our Website to remember choices or selections you make around functionality features (such as your user name, language selections or region within which you are located) and provide enhanced, more personal features. We also use these cookies to remember changes you make to other parts of our Website which you may be able to customise from time to time. The information we collect via these cookies may be anonymised and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.

Customising elements of the promotional layout and/or content of the pages of the website for example by storing a country code and providing users with content relevant to their country.

Performance and measurement cookies

These cookies collect information about how visitors use a Website, for instance which pages visitors go to most often, and if they get error messages from web pages. These cookies do not collect information that identifies a visitor. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. It is only used to improve how a Website works.

Collecting statistical information about how our visitors use the website(s) so that we can improve the website(s) and learn which parts are most popular to visitors.

We employ Google analytics. You can opt out of Google analytics by going to https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout and following the instructions.

We use an analytics provider called Mixpanel. More information about the service Mixpanel offers can be found at http://mixpanel.com/privacy. Mixpanel offer a cookie based opt-out facility at https://mixpanel.com/optout/. Please note that if you clear your cookies cache on your browser, this opt-out may cease to have effect and you may need to follow the above mentioned opt-out process again to remove Mixpanel cookies from your device.

Some of the cookies used on our Website are set by us and some are set by third parties who are delivering services on our behalf.

Most computer and some mobile web browsers automatically accept cookies but, if you prefer, you can change your browser to prevent that or to notify you each time a cookie is set. You can also learn more about cookies by visiting www.allaboutcookies.org which includes additional useful information on cookies and how to block cookies using different types of browser. Please note however, that by blocking or deleting cookies you may not be able to take full advantage of the Website.

Information sharing

We may disclose aggregate statistics about visitors to the Website in order to describe our services to prospective partners, advertisers, sponsors and other reputable third parties and for other lawful purposes, but these statistics will include no personally identifiable information.

We may disclose your personal information to any of our affiliates, or to our agents or contractors who assist us in providing the services we offer through the Website, processing transactions, fulfilling requests for information, receiving and sending communications, updating marketing lists, analysing data, providing support services or in other tasks from time to time. Our agents and contractors will only use your information to the extent necessary to perform their functions.

In the event that we undergo re-organisation or are sold to a third party, you agree that any personal information we hold about you may be transferred to that re-organised entity or third party.

We may disclose your personal information if legally entitled or required to do so (for example if required by law or by a Court order or if we believe that such action is necessary to prevent fraud or cyber crime or to protect the Website or the rights, property or personal safety of any person).

Public forums

The Website may, from time to time, make review and comment boards and/or other public forums available to its users. Any information that is disclosed in these areas becomes public information and you should exercise caution when using these and never disclose your personal information.

External links

The Website may, from time to time, contain links to external sites. We are not responsible for the privacy policies or the content of such sites.

Security

We place great importance on the security of all personally identifiable information associated with our users. We have security measures in place to attempt to protect against the loss, misuse and alteration of personal information under our control. For example, our security and privacy policies are periodically reviewed and enhanced as necessary and only authorised personnel have access to personal information. Whilst we cannot ensure or guarantee that loss, misuse or alteration of information will never occur, we use all reasonable efforts to prevent it.

You should bear in mind that submission of information over the internet is never entirely secure. We cannot guarantee the security of information you submit via the Website whilst it is in transit over the internet and any such submission is at your own risk.

It is advisable to close your browser when you have finished your user session to help ensure others do not access your personal information if you use a shared computer or a computer in a public place.

Data storage and international transfers

Information that you submit via the Website may be transferred to countries outside the European Economic Area (“EEA”). By way of example, this may happen if one or more of our servers are from time to time located in a country outside the EEA or one of our service providers is located in a country outside the EEA. If you make contact with any Suppliers featured on the Website your details may be transferred outside the EEA. If we transfer your information outside the EEA in this way, we will take steps to ensure that your privacy rights continue to be protected. By submitting information via the Website, you agree to this storing, processing and/or transfer.

In addition, if you use our services while you are outside the EEA, your information may be transferred outside the EEA in order to provide you with those services.

Your rights

You have a legal right under the Data Protection Act 1998 to a copy of all the personal information about you held by us. On request, we will provide you with a copy of this information subject to a fee not exceeding the prescribed fee permitted by law. You also have a right to correct any errors in that information. As mentioned above, you have a right to prevent the use of your personal information for direct marketing purposes.

Contacting us

Please submit any questions, concerns or comments you have about this privacy policy or any requests concerning your personal data by email to [email protected].

Terms & Conditions

Last updated on 02/01/2024

1. Introduction

These are the terms of use (“Terms”) which set out how you may use the Bridebook website and mobile application (together the “Bridebook Platform”).

The Bridebook Platform is owned, operated and managed by Bridebook Limited (“Bridebook”, “we”, “us” and “our”). We are a limited company, registered in England and Wales with company number 09190872, and whose registered office is at 43 Manchester Street, London, W1U 7LP. Our VAT registration number is GB 204 9275 15.

These terms of use (“Terms”) constitute an agreement between you and us regarding your use of the Bridebook Platform and any text, images, descriptions, pricing, reviews, messages, files, videos, 360° images and videos, logos and photographs that are incorporated into, uploaded to and/or otherwise forming part of the Bridebook Platform (“Platform Content”).

By interacting with the Bridebook Platform, whether you are generally accessing and browsing the Bridebook Platform or whether you have registered with us and are using the Services we provide via the Bridebook Platform (being a “Couple”), you signify that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree with any part of the Terms, you are not permitted to use the Bridebook Platform in any way. You may only access and use the Bridebook Platform if you agree to all of the Terms.

2. We may make changes to these Terms

The date of the current version of the Terms is set out above. At any time, for any reason and in our sole discretion, we may revise the Terms without notice to you. We may notify you of material changes to the Terms by email if you have registered as a Couple.

Please check the Terms regularly to read any revisions we have made. Any revisions that we make to the Terms are effective immediately and so are binding on your use of the Bridebook Platform when we publish the revised Terms on the Bridebook Platform.

Your continued use of the Bridebook Platform after we have revised the Terms indicates your consent to the revised Terms.

If you do not agree with any revision to the Terms, you are not permitted to continue to use the Bridebook Platform in any way.

3. Registering to use the Bridebook Platform

You may access and browse a limited version of the Bridebook Platform subject to these Terms. However, to make full use of the Bridebook Platform and to use the Services you must register for an account as a Couple and provide certain information about you as set out in the registration process, including details of:

your name and that of your partner;
contact details for yourself and your partner (including e-mail address);
your budget for your wedding (if decided);
the proposed date of your wedding (if decided);
the type of venue(s) you would like to use for your wedding; and
the number of guests you intend to invite to your wedding.

The information that you provide when registering and all other information and content that you upload to, generate or create when using the Bridebook Platform (including guest lists, reviews, messages, files etc.) will be together referred to in these Terms as “Your Content”. Please see clause 11 for the rights that you grant us when uploading Your Content to the Bridebook Platform.

Please make sure that all of Your Content is accurate and complete and is kept current and up-to-date whilst you continue to use the Bridebook Platform and the Services. You must contact us promptly to inform us of any changes to this information.

Upon registration for an account with us, you will be asked to create a username and password. You must keep your username and password confidential and secure at all times and use it only to access and use your account and not for any other purpose. You are the only authorised user of your account, unless expressly specified otherwise, and accordingly you must not disclose your username and/or password to anyone else. You should contact us immediately upon discovering any unauthorised use of your account or error in the operation of your username and/or password.

Usernames and passwords are our property and we reserve the right to alter or replace them at any time in our sole discretion.

Please notify us immediately via the Bridebook Platform if anyone else has become aware of your login details, in circumstances in which there is a risk of misuse or if you have any reason to believe that there is any other risk of any unauthorised use of your account.

We reserve the right to disable your username and password and suspend your access to the Bridebook Platform at any time, if in our reasonable opinion you have failed to comply with any of the provisions of these Terms.

4. Your privacy

We respect your privacy. We have a privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”) which you can access here: Privacy Policy. We strongly recommend that you read and ensure you understand our Privacy Policy prior to using the Bridebook Platform.

Any personal data we collect through your use of the Bridebook Platform will only be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Please be aware that internet transmissions are never completely private or secure and that any message or information you send using the Bridebook Platform may be read or intercepted by others, even if there is a special notice that a particular transmission is encrypted.

By using the Bridebook Platform, you agree to us collecting and using technical information about the devices you use the Bridebook Platform on and related software, hardware and peripherals to improve our products or services.

5. The Bridebook Platform and our Services

We provide a comprehensive online wedding planning resource service which helps you to find inspiration for, plan and co-ordinate your wedding (“Services”). It is currently free for you to register with us, set up your dashboard and use the Bridebook Platform and Services to help you with the planning of your wedding day.

The Bridebook Platform is also available to various suppliers of wedding services, such as venues, photographers, florists, caterers etc. (together “Wedding Suppliers”). Wedding Suppliers may also register to use the Bridebook Platform in order to list the various services and arrangements that they provide (“Wedding Services”) as part of our directory and promote those Wedding Services to you and other Couples.

We currently provide Couples with the ability to register for a free account on the Bridebook Platform. However, we also offer account types and privileges which you can pay to access and, in the future, we may charge fees for other features of the Bridebook Platform. Wherever fees apply you will have the opportunity to review and accept such fees prior to incurring any costs.

We do not control the material submitted to the Bridebook Platform by you, any other Couple or any Wedding Supplier. In particular, we do not control descriptions of Wedding Services provided by Wedding Suppliers or the ratings and reviews that our Couples provide regarding Wedding Suppliers. We have no connection with any Wedding Supplier that features on the Bridebook Platform.

We do not vet any Wedding Supplier and you acknowledge and agree that you, and not we, are solely responsible for any conclusions you may draw from any Supplier profile, rating or review of any Wedding Supplier appearing on the Bridebook Platform.

6. If you make a booking of wedding services

We allow Wedding Suppliers to register to use the Bridebook Platform in order to promote their Wedding Services to you.

For all Wedding Services promoted by Wedding Suppliers via the Bridebook Platform, it is either the case that:

we do not offer the Wedding Services for sale ourselves and we have no role in the booking of the Wedding Services; or
to the extent that you can make a reservation for Wedding Services via the Bridebook Platform, we act as an agent on behalf of the Wedding Supplier in question when processing that reservation.

In either scenario, if you make a booking of Wedding Services, you will enter into a direct contract with the applicable Wedding Supplier of the Wedding Services you have chosen. This will be a direct contract between you and the Wedding Supplier. We will not be a party to this contract. Your booking with the Wedding Supplier will be subject to the specific terms and conditions of the relevant Wedding Supplier you contract with and we advise you to read the same carefully prior to booking. The Wedding Supplier’s terms and conditions may limit and/or exclude the Wedding Supplier’s liability to you.

7. Accessing the Bridebook Platform

It is your responsibility to ensure your equipment (computer, laptop, netbook, tablet or other mobile device) meets the necessary technical specifications and is able to connect to the internet, to enable you to access and use the Bridebook Platform.

We may, from time to time, restrict access to certain features, parts or content of the Bridebook Platform, or the entire Bridebook Platform, to Couples who have registered with us.

We do not guarantee that the Bridebook Platform, or any content on it, will always be available or be uninterrupted. If you visit the Bridebook Platform and find that it is down or otherwise not functioning correctly, please contact us at [email protected] and we will endeavour to assist. We recommend that you back up any of Your Content used in connection with the Bridebook Platform, to protect yourself in case of problems with the Bridebook Platform.

There may be times when certain features, parts or content of the Bridebook Platform, or the entire Bridebook Platform, become unavailable (whether on a scheduled or unscheduled basis) or are modified, suspended or withdrawn by us, in our sole discretion, without notice to you.

8. What you are allowed to do when using the Bridebook Platform

In return for you agreeing to comply with these Terms you may:

use the Bridebook Platform for the purposes of planning your own wedding;
print off one copy, and download extracts, of any page(s) from the Bridebook Platform for your personal use. However, you must not modify the paper or digital copies of any materials you have printed off or downloaded in any way, and you must not use any illustrations, photographs, video or audio sequences or any graphics separately from any accompanying text;
retrieve and display content from the Bridebook Platform on a computer screen; and
where you are using our mobile application (“App”):
- download our App onto a device and view, use and display our App on the device; and
- receive updates to the software code of our App via the relevant app store that you downloaded our App from – these updates may incorporate corrections to bugs in our App.

Your right to use the Bridebook Platform is personal to you. If you sell or give away any device on which our App is installed, you must first remove our App from the device. Additional terms may also apply to certain features, parts or content of the Bridebook Platform and, where they apply, will be displayed on-screen or accessible via a link. If you make a booking of Wedding Services provided by a Wedding Supplier, your booking will be subject to the specific terms and conditions of the relevant Wedding Supplier you contract with.

9. What you are not allowed to do when using the Bridebook Platform

You are only permitted to use the Bridebook Platform for the purposes of planning your own wedding, as set out in these Terms. Unless you have requested and received our prior written consent or unless expressly permitted in these Terms, you must not, without limitation:

sub-licence, assign, share, sell, lease, grant a security interest in or otherwise transfer your right to use the Bridebook Platform;
store pages of or datasets from the Bridebook Platform or any Platform Content on a server or other storage device connected to a network or create an electronic database by systematically or otherwise downloading and storing any or all of the pages of the Bridebook Platform;

by any means scrape, extract, download, data mine, display, transmit, publish, upload or sell or offer for sale any part of the Bridebook Platform or Platform Content;

remove or change any Platform Content or interfere with the proper working of the Bridebook Platform or the servers on which it is hosted;

circumvent, disable or otherwise interfere with the security-related features of the Bridebook Platform or features that: (a) prevent or restrict use or copying of any part of the Bridebook Platform; or (b) enforce limitations on use of the Bridebook Platform.

create a copy of the Bridebook Platform, Platform Content or a standalone website or platform which impersonates the Bridebook Platform, the Platform Content or the Services;

attempt to access the database, user information, passwords or other records relating to the Bridebook Platform except in the normal course of using the Bridebook Platform;

attempt to modify, translate, adapt, edit, decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, reconstruct or discover any source code or software programs used by Bridebook in connection with the Bridebook Platform or the Platform Content; or

use any network monitoring or discovery software to determine the Bridebook Platform architecture or extract information about usage, individual Couple or Wedding Supplier identities.

10. The Bridebook Platform is for use by Couples and Wedding Suppliers only

We make the Bridebook Platform available for use by Couples and Wedding Suppliers only.

Companies, partnerships, and other entities or businesses providing or intending to provide a Similar Offeringto Bridebook, as well as their employees, agents, directors, or contractors, whether based in the UK or anywhere in the world, do not have permission to use or access the Bridebook Platform or Services for the purposes of establishing, offering, providing, improving or comparing the Similar Offering.

Any breach of this condition, without our prior written permission, will be a breach of these Terms and we reserve all rights in relation to such a breach, including to remove or refuse access and/or to suspend or disable profiles or accounts or to pursue legal action to protect our rights in the Bridebook Platform.

A “Similar Offering” means the provision of online wedding planning tools, wedding supplier directories, or confusingly similar services to Bridebook, internationally or in the UK.

11. Your Content

All of Your Content will be considered non-confidential and non-proprietary.

By uploading or creating Your Content on the Bridebook Platform, you grant us a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable licence for us to use Your Content and all material embodied therein for any purposes including but not limited to:

reproducing, distributing, modifying, publishing, translating, creating derivative works from, displaying and performing Your Content (in whole or part) and/or to incorporate it in other works in any form, media or technology in connection with the Services provided through the Bridebook Platform or to enable us to promote or develop our business;
providing Your Content to third parties including other users of the Bridebook Platform, Wedding Suppliers, our partners, advertisers and/or our sponsors to use Your Content for their purposes;
auditing/accounting purposes or as may be required by law;
measuring and improving the Bridebook Platform and our related products and services; and
in a form in which Your Content is combined with data from other Couples, whether for own purposes or to provide services and data to third parties, including Wedding Suppliers.

In relation to Your Content you:

warrant that you have the requisite rights, licences and consents to upload or create Your Content;
waive any moral rights that you may have in Your Content;
warrant that Your Content does not infringe the rights (including intellectual property rights) of any third party; and
warrant that Your Content is not unlawful, threatening, defamatory, obscene, indecent, offensive, pornographic, abusive, liable to incite racial hatred, discriminatory, menacing, scandalous, inflammatory, blasphemous, in breach of confidence, in breach of privacy or offensive and will not result in any civil or criminal claim being brought against us by a third party in any jurisdiction.

We reserve the right to:

disclose your identity to any third party who is claiming that Your Content constitutes a violation of their rights (including intellectual property rights); and
remove Your Content, at our sole discretion, without the need to give reasons.

We do not guarantee the availability of Your Content and you may not use the Bridebook Platform solely for storage purposes and in the event that your user account is deactivated (either by us or you), deleted or blocked in accordance with these Terms, Your Content will no longer be available to you and we will not take steps to retrieve Your Content for you.

12. Sharing Your Content among other users of the Bridebook Platform

The Bridebook Platform may, from time to time, allow you to upload and communicate Your Content either to selected recipients or in public areas, such as comments pages and/or message boards (collectively “User Content Areas”).

We do not control the material submitted to User Content Areas (collectively “User Submissions”), nor are User Content Areas actively moderated. You are solely responsible any User Submissions that you submit and acknowledge that all User Submissions express the views of their respective authors, and not our views.

If you participate in any User Content Areas, you must:

keep all User Submissions that you submit relevant to the purpose of the User Content Area and the nature of any topic;
not submit any User Submission containing any form of advertising; and
not impersonate, or misrepresent an affiliation with, any person or entity.

Complaints about the content of any User Submission must be sent to [email protected] and must contain details of the specific User Submission giving rise to the complaint.

13. Platform Content

The Platform Content may include trademarks or copyright material owned by us or third parties.

We may change the Platform Content from time to time. You agree that the Platform Content is on an ‘as is’ and ‘as available’ basis and at your sole risk.

Whilst we try to make sure that all of the Platform Content (other than any User Submissions or Wedding Supplier content) is correct, it is not intended to amount to authority or advice on which reliance should be placed. You should check with us or the relevant information source before acting on any such information.

Except to the extent expressly set out within these Terms, we make or give no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, currency, correctness, reliability, integrity, quality, fitness for purpose or originality of any Platform Content and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, all implied warranties, conditions or other terms of any kind are hereby excluded and we accept no liability for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of you or anyone else using or relying on the Platform Content.

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All intellectual property rights in and to the Bridebook Platform and Platform Content (including text, graphics, software, photographs and other images, videos, sound, trade marks and logos) are owned by and reserved to us or our licensors (for example photographers who have granted us a license to show their photographs). Except as expressly set out here, nothing in these Terms gives you any rights in respect of any intellectual property owned by us or our licensors and you acknowledge that you do not acquire any ownership rights by downloading Platform Content.

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We take the misappropriation of our intellectual property rights by any user or other third party seriously and will take steps to enforce our legal rights in the event we reasonably deem any such misappropriation has occurred through your use of the Services or otherwise on the Bridebook Platform.

15. Our responsibility for loss or damage suffered by you

We’re not responsible for Wedding Services provided by Wedding Suppliers. We provide a digital platform via which you can connect with Wedding Suppliers and browse the profiles of, and Wedding Services provided by, Wedding Suppliers. To the extent that you can reserve Wedding Services via the Bridebook Platform, we act as a booking agent on behalf the Wedding Supplier in question when processing such reservations. In all circumstances, if you decide to make a booking of Wedding Services with any Wedding Suppliers who appear on the Bridebook Platform, you will book and enter into a contract with the relevant Wedding Supplier directly. We will not be a party to that contract and will have no responsibility for the acts or omissions of the Wedding Supplier or for the Wedding Services provided by them.

Our responsibility if we breach these Terms. If we fail to comply with these Terms, we are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breaking these Terms or our failing to use reasonable care and skill, but we are not responsible for any loss or damage that is not foreseeable. Loss or damage is foreseeable if either it is obvious that it will happen or if, at the time you accepted these Terms, both we and you knew it might happen because it is something we have discussed prior to your use of the Bridebook Platform.

Our responsibility if we provide defective digital content. If defective digital content that we have supplied damages a device or digital content belonging to you, we will either repair the damage or pay you compensation. However, we will not be liable for damage that you could have avoided by following our advice to apply an update offered to you free of charge or for damage that was caused by you failing to correctly follow installation instructions or to have in place the minimum system requirements advised by us.

We are not responsible for business losses. The Bridebook Platform is for domestic and private use. If you use the Bridebook Platform for any commercial, business or resale purpose we will have no liability to you for any loss of profit, loss of business, business interruption, or loss of business opportunity.

We do not exclude or limit in any way our liability to you where it would be unlawful to do so. This includes liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or the negligence of our employees, agents or subcontractors, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation or otherwise to the extent that such liability cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law.

16. Viruses and hacking

You must not misuse the Bridebook Platform by knowingly introducing viruses, trojans, worms, logic bombs or other material which is malicious or technologically harmful. You must not attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Bridebook Platform, the server(s) on which the Bridebook Platform is stored or any server, computer or database connected to the Bridebook Platform. You must not attack the Bridebook Platform via a denial-of-service attack or a distributed denial-of service attack.

By breaching this clause, you may be committing a criminal offence. We will report any such breach to the relevant law enforcement authorities and we will co-operate with those authorities by disclosing your identity to them. In the event of such a breach, your right to use our website will cease immediately.

We use reasonable endeavours to ensure that the Bridebook Platform does not contain or disseminate any viruses or other malicious code. However, we do not guarantee that the Bridebook Platform will be free from bugs, viruses or malicious code and we will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by viruses or other technologically harmful material that may infect your computer equipment, devices computer programs, data or other proprietary material due to your use of the Bridebook Platform. We therefore recommend that you use your own virus protection software and scan regularly for the presence of viruses and other malicious code.

17. Linking to or from the Bridebook Platform

Links on the Bridebook Platform to third party websites are provided solely for your convenience and should not be interpreted as approval by us of those linked websites or information that you may obtain from them. We have not reviewed any such third party websites and we do not control or take any responsibility for their content or availability. We do not endorse or make any representations about any such third party websites or any material found thereon or any results that may be obtained from your use of the same. If you decide to access any such third party website, you do so entirely at your own risk.

There are rules around linking to the Bridebook Platform. You may link to the homepage of the Bridebook Platform only, provided you do so in a way that is fair and legal and does not damage our reputation or take advantage of it and, on condition that you do not replicate the home page of the Bridebook Platform. In linking to the Bridebook Platform you must not:

create a frame or any other browser or border environment around the Bridebook Platform;
imply any endorsement, association or approval by us other than with written consent, or misrepresent your relationship with us;
use any logos or trade marks displayed on the Bridebook Platform without our express written permission; or
link from a website that is not owned by you.

You need our permission to link to certain parts or pages of the Bridebook Platform. You may link to other pages of the Bridebook Platform only with our prior written consent and subject always to the same conditions as set out in this clause.

We can withdraw permission to link to the Bridebook Platform. We reserve the right to withdraw linking permission without notice.

If you wish to make any use of the Platform Content on the Bridebook Platform other than that set out in these Terms, please address your request to [email protected].

18. Complaints

If you have any complaint, issue or are not happy with the Bridebook Platform, please let us know so we can try to resolve it. Please note that any complaints relating to the Wedding Services or Wedding Suppliers must be directed to the relevant Wedding Supplier.

Please contact us using one of the following options:

Via the Bridebook Platform.
By email: [email protected].
By post to: Bridebook Limited, Work.Life, Kings House, 174 Hammersmith Road, London, W6 7JP.

19. Termination

We may terminate these Terms and your use of the Bridebook Platform, or suspend your use of the Bridebook Platform, immediately by written notice to you if:

we consider that you have used the Bridebook Platform in violation of these Terms;
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we consider there is any other risk to the security or integrity of the Bridebook Platform, Platform Content or the Services;
we believe there has been unauthorised access to the Bridebook Platform;
we, at our sole discretion, decide to withdraw the Bridebook Platform (whether in whole or in part); or
we have a legal or regulatory obligation imposed on us, which impacts our ability to provide the Bridebook Platform.

We may terminate these Terms and your use of the Bridebook Platform, or suspend your use of the Bridebook Platform for any reason at our sole discretion, provided that we have given you seven (7) days’ written notice by email or via an electronic communication within the Bridebook Platform.

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You can terminate these Terms by ceasing to use the Bridebook Platform, deleting your account and (if you have downloaded it) deleting or uninstalling our App from your device.

Upon termination for any reason:

all rights granted to you under these Terms cease (however, any liabilities incurred by you under these Terms prior shall survive any such termination);
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20. General

We may transfer our rights and obligations under these Terms to another organisation. We will always tell you in writing if this happens. You will not transfer your rights or your obligations under these Terms to another person or entity unless we give our prior written consent.

These Terms do not give rise to any rights under the UK Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any of these Terms, except as expressly set out in these Website Terms & Conditions

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If any provision or part-provision of these Terms is or becomes invalid, illegal or unenforceable, it shall be deemed modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid, legal and enforceable. If such modification is not possible, the relevant provision or part-provision shall be deemed deleted. Any modification to or deletion of a provision or part-provision under this clause shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the rest of these Terms.

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These Terms, their subject matter and formation are governed by English law. You and we both agree that the courts of England and Wales will have exclusive jurisdiction except that if you are a resident of Northern Ireland you may also bring proceedings in Northern Ireland, and if you are resident of Scotland, you may also bring proceedings in Scotland.

20 Things to Do After You Get Engaged: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide

You’re engaged, congratulations! You’re about to embark on one of the most amazing journeys of your life – and you’ve got your soulmate by your side. You’re on this rollercoaster together, and we promise it’s going to be full of love, surprises and celebration. So enjoy the ride!

As the realisation of what’s to come sets in, you might be wondering what happens next. Where do you start? Who do you tell first? How do you tell them? When should you start planning your wedding? How do you start?

Because there are so many things to do, things can get overwhelming quite quickly. But don’t worry, we’re here to guide you in the right direction and help make the next couple of weeks a lot easier, with a checklist for making sure you have everything covered.

So, in this post, we’re going to outline a step-by-step guide for everything you should do after you get engaged, from the order you should tell your family and friends to when the right time is to start making those bookings.

The wedding planning video course: kickstart your wedding planning

Now that you’re engaged, it’s time to start planning your dream wedding, but where to start? In this video, Bridebook founder (and qualified wedding planner!) Hamish Shephard breaks down your wedding organisation into 5 easy steps so you can plan stress-free and kickstart your wedding to-do list.

Our 20-step guide for what you should do after getting engaged

Photo © Adam Harvey Photography | See their Bridebook profile

When you get engaged, everything is so exciting and feels like it goes so fast that it can be easy to get carried away. Did you do this? Did you do that? Before you know it, you’re not sure what you’ve done and what’s left to do. That’s where we come in. Below are 20 steps you can follow to make sure you remember everything after getting engaged.

1. Plan your engagement announcement

Photo © Blooming Photography | See their Bridebook profile

It can be tempting to run to see your parents or pick up the phone and start yelling about your brand-new engagement. But before you do that, think about if you want to do something a little more creative, or figure out a way to get both of your families together in one room and blow them all away with the news.

For a little inspo, read our post on ideas for how to announce your engagement.

2. Tell your closest friends and family

Photo © Andy Sidders Photography | See their Bridebook profile

Once you’ve figured out how you’re going to do it, you can get to the exciting part. You’re engaged to the love of your life – and it’s time to let your family and besties know! Just be prepared for lots of squeals, some hugs and maybe even a few tears – happy ones, of course.

3. Insure the engagement ring

Photo © Bolla Bello Photography | See their Bridebook profile

Have you ever worn anything so precious… or expensive? So thoughtful, so sentimental, so valuable… Get your ring insured. ASAP. The average cost of an engagement ring is £1,978, which is an amount that very few can afford to lose. It’s unlikely that anything will happen to it, but you never know. Then you can stop worrying and start showing it off. And trust us, you’re going to want to show off that amazing new ring a lot.

4. Tell wider friends and family, starting with the A team

Photo © Tom Jeavons | See their Bridebook profile

After telling your immediate family, it’s time to start sharing the news with your mates and colleagues. We bet some of the first people you tell will end up being key players in your wedding party. They might be your maid of honour or your best man, if you have one. Make an event of it and ask them to be by your side at your wedding over a drink or a meal out. Then start thinking about who else you want involved. Our number one piece of advice is to choose the people you love – not the people you feel obligated to have. Don’t worry about upsetting anyone – it’s your special day. You should be surrounded by your favourite people in the world.

5. Have a manicure

Photo © Mike Plunkett Photography | See their Bridebook profile

With such a beautiful new ring to show off, you may want to do this sooner, but it’s especially important to make sure your nails are on point before you have your engagement photos done or you share the news on social media. There are going to be lots of close-ups of your ring finger, so having clean, shaped and polished nails will help those photos pop. Trust us.

6. Make the papers

Photo © The Snapper | See their Bridebook profile

It’s not for everyone, and it’s a little old-fashioned by today’s standards, but you might want to follow tradition by announcing your engagement in the local (or even national) newspaper. It’ll make your parents’ and grandparents’ days, as historically, engagement announcements included lots of details about the couple’s backgrounds, families and so on. Nowadays, though, it’s up to you what you include. If nothing else, it’ll make for a brilliant keepsake.

7. Shout about it on social media

Photo © LUX Wedding Photography | See their Bridebook profile

Now comes the time to scream your news from the 21st-century equivalent of the rooftops. If there was ever a time to share something on social media, it’s now. Whether you post a cute engagement selfie with your partner to your Instagram, update your Facebook relationship status or even make a cheeky TikTok, savour this moment and watch the likes roll in.

8. Enjoy the moment and don’t rush into it

Photo © Blue Lily Weddings | See their Bridebook profile

From the moment you got engaged, you no doubt mentally went into planning mode, thinking about venues, catering, wedding rings, the song you’ll have your first dance to… but, as hard as it might be, don’t feel the need to rush straight into it. Take a step back, breathe and enjoy the moment. Why not take a little trip away, just the two of you, and enjoy some time as an engaged couple? You’re about to embark on a busy year or more of hectic wedding planning, and taking time to enjoy your engagement is definitely worth it.

9. Plan your engagement party

Photo © Pocket Square Photography | See their Bridebook profile

It’s party time! Get a date in the diary to celebrate with everyone that matters. Just remember that anyone who’s invited to your engagement party is likely to expect an invitation to the wedding too… But that’s only according to tradition, which of course can be ignored. So, if you want a blow-out bash, go for it. Plus, if you anticipate having to fill your guest list with second cousins at your parents’ request, now’s the time to leave them off the list and party on down with your nearest and dearest.

10. Take some engagement photos

Photo © Photography Ninja | See their Bridebook profile

We’re sure you’ll want to remember this period in your lives forever so make sure to document it with an engagement photoshoot. It’s a great opportunity to get to know your photographer and get used to being in front of the camera. Think of it as a test run before your wedding – so get your smiles ready and be prepared for the jaw ache.

11. Get your engagement ring properly sized

Photo © Chloe Palmer Photography | See their Bridebook profile

Unless your partner got your ring size spot on, you may need to get your engagement ring resized so it fits nice and snug. You may choose to get it done much sooner if it’s particularly loose, but it’s a balancing act between wanting to wear it to show it off, having it for the engagement photos and announcements, and making sure it doesn’t slip off and get lost forever.

Depending on the jewellers you go to, it might take up to four weeks to get your ring resized. But, if you’re willing to pay a little more, you could get it done in as little as a couple of days.

12. Get started on your wedding planning

Photo © Ellen Forster Photography | See their Bridebook profile

By now you’ve probably had plenty of thoughts about what you want from your wedding. So, start researching and making notes about what the perfect wedding is for you.

Here at Bridebook, we have a wide selection of tools and resources to help you plan your big day. From our budget planning tool to our easy-to-use app, we have everything you might need throughout your entire planning journey. Plus, we have loads of exclusive discounts from thousands of popular vendors that you won’t find anywhere else.

13. Visit wedding shows and fairs

Photo © Michael Calders Photography | See their Bridebook profile

One of the best ways to get excited is by visiting wedding shows and fairs around the country. It offers you the opportunity to meet vendors, get some ideas and see what’s out there so you can get inspired and start making some decisions. One of our favourite shows is The National Wedding Show, but there are dozens throughout the year up and down the UK. Make sure you also check out local shows, which are a great way to meet vendors close to you.

14. Communicate, communicate, communicate

Photo © Stanhope Photo | See their Bridebook profile

You’ll likely have a ton of ideas bouncing around inside your head, which will all come together to form your ideal wedding. Don’t forget, your partner will also be doing the same. Remember to communicate all the time, so share your ideas, worries, thoughts, concerns, excitements and everything else. If you’re always open and honest with each other you’ll nail every step of your busy planning process.

15. Start thinking about the guest list

Photo © Benjamin Toms Photography | See their Bridebook profile

This step and the step afterwards may be interchangeable, so it’s whatever works for you. Think about whether you want a big wedding where you might invite more than 100 guests, or would be happier with an intimate ceremony that’s not quite as grandiose. You may want to put together a rough guest list (which you can do right here on Bridebook) and then think about your budget, or it might be easier to do it the other way around. Whatever works for you. But, now’s the time to think about whether you really want your second cousin once removed to be there, or if you’d rather keep things a little smaller and more affordable.

16. Work out your budget

Photo © Jake Timms Photography | See their Bridebook profile

In the UK, the average cost of a wedding is £19,184, which is enough for you to put on one heck of a party. But, that doesn’t mean your wedding will cost that much – depending on your guest list, venue, catering, attire and more, it could be much lower. Or even much higher.

The best way to work out how much your perfect wedding might cost is by using a budget calculator, which allows you to input all of your wedding-related costs to show you how much they’re likely to set you back. If it’s below what you were hoping for, great! If it’s higher, you can start thinking of some alternate choices or where you can make a few savings.

17. Work out who will pay for what

Photo © Lois Brown Photography | See their Bridebook profile

Once you’ve worked out your budget you’re in a position to see how it aligns with your finances. But what if it doesn’t, does that mean the wedding’s off? Absolutely not! One option is to make changes to your plans – for example, a registry office wedding is the cheapest you can have. Another option is to save money across the entire wedding – read our ultimate guide to saving money on your wedding for more information.

Another option is to ask your family for a little extra support. Only one-third of couples pay for their wedding themselves, which means two-thirds get help from family. There are unofficial rules about who traditionally pays for what, but you’ll no doubt be grateful for help in whatever way your family can.

Read our guide to asking your parents for wedding money for helpful tips on how to approach this tricky subject.

18. Think about your ideal wedding date

Photo © Duncan Edward Wedding Photography | See their Bridebook profile

Before you make any proper decisions about your wedding date, start by figuring out what’s going to work for your nearest and dearest. Are there any other weddings happening that year? Does anyone have a big holiday booked? You don’t want to commit to a date, only to find out your best friend can’t make it. If you already know where you want to get married, think about when it’ll look its best. Will it really shine in summer or is it the perfect location for a winter wedding?

Choosing the right date for your wedding can also be a huge money-saver. If you want to get married on a Saturday, like half of all couples did last year, it’ll cost you way more than if you were to get married midweek.

Once you know when you’d like to get married, browse our huge range of wedding venues to find your perfect venue.

19. Ask friends and family for recommendations

Photo © Jon Warr Photography | See their Bridebook profile

There are more than likely a fair few people in your life who have planned a wedding, so ask them for advice on how they went about it. Ask them for recommended vendors, what they loved, what they wished they’d done differently… use them, their experience and their knowledge and make some notes. Also, getting referred to a specific vendor, like a DJ or wedding car hire company, is a great way to secure a cheeky discount.

Here at Bridebook, we also have plenty of expert guides, tips, tricks and real-life stories to help answer your questions, calm your concerns and help you throughout your planning journey.

20. Consider whether to hire a wedding planner

Photo © Emis Weddings | See their Bridebook profile

Before you make any bookings or get a quote from a single vendor, think about whether or not it would be beneficial for you to hire a wedding planner. Generally, a wedding planner will cost about 10% of your overall budget, but they can save you a lot of time, money and stress by doing a lot of the negotiating and legwork for you. But, to get the best value for money, you should hire a planner at the very start of your planning process. Decide if this is something you’d like to do early on, as tempting as it might be to dive right in and start securing bookings.

So… what comes next?

So, these are the first 20 steps you should take after getting engaged. After that, you might want to take another step back and enjoy a few weeks as an engaged couple. Or, more likely, the excitement of your future wedding will be too much to resist, and you’ll want to get stuck right in with the planning.

Enjoy what comes next – it’s going to be long, exciting and rewarding, and most likely a little expensive as well. But, you’ll have a wonderful wedding day at the end of it.

Start planning your wedding with Bridebook

Here at Bridebook, we have everything you could need to plan your perfect wedding. Sign up and start planning your big day today!

Happy Planning!

Introduction: Writing Thank You Notes

Bridebook.co.uk- vintage thank you cards — By Weddings Vintage

You’ve spent the past year, months, days being showered in bubbly, presents and celebrations! The wedding is over, you’re back from your honeymoon and your tan is starting to fade. Before settling straight into married life, there’s one thing left to do – thank you letters. While they may seem a bit overwhelming, it’s actually a really special process – you get to go through all the people (and wedding presents!) that made your day so amazing. You might have to write a fair few of these so here are our tips to make the final wedmin task a bit easier.

Bridebook.co.uk- bridesmaids thank you note and gift — By Etsy

Let’s go back to the beginning. You probably gathered everyone’s emails and addresses to invite them to your wedding – use this list! Simply catalogue each gift next to the name of the giver and your task will be easy peasy.

Want to be a super-couple? Start writing the Thank You’s as the gifts arrive, this way, you won’t be overwhelmed with the 200 notes you have to write post W-Day.

The traditional rule is to have your Thank You’s sent a maximum of two months after your wedding day. Try and stick to this and make your guests feel loved!

You’re going to need an area of inspiration. Think special writing area, with comfy chair and music. No writers block here!

Prepare your stationery. You may have ordered your Thank You notes with the rest of your wedding stationery, which is great thinking! Otherwise, get some thick paper notecards and just start writing. Use a nice pen, one that will not blotch the paper and one that is pleasant to write with – it’s going to be with you for the long haul.

Don’t force yourself to write them all at once, unless you only have twenty or so to do in total. It is a big task and you will get frustrated if you have to do it in one sitting. Really take your time on each letter and enjoy remembering all the wedding day details!

Bridebook.co.uk- monogrammed thank you notes — By InLoveandInDreams at Etsy

As you start cataloguing the gifts, write a little description next to each one. Otherwise, you might not remember the exact throw or vase that you received when it comes to writing the notes, trust us!

If you received money, do NOT mention any sums! Instead, say what you are planning to do with the money. Much more polite.

If the gift was a donation to a charity in your name, then mention how important the charity is to you and the great work that they do.

If you received a group gift, you should still send individual Thank You notes, but acknowledge that the giver was part of the group, by saying “you guys ROCK!”

If you don’t like/want to exchange the gifts (awkward!), don’t mention the situation. Just make a positive comment about the gift and thank them for their thought and for attending your wedding. Then sneak to the shop to swap it. Shhhhh!

Make sure you send a special Thank You to anyone who was a part of your wedding party. This could be the bridesmaids, the ushers and of course, your parents. They probably did a lot to help so take your time writing these ones and really get across how much you love them!

Bridebook.co.uk- heart sign saying thank you — By Weddings Vintage

Happy Thanking!

How To Keep Calm On Your W-Day

At Bridebook, we get that your W-Day can be a bit full on – with all the excitement, the adrenaline, the nerves and all the people around you. But it’s the biggest party of your life so enjoy it! Things might take longer than you planned, delays might occur but take deep breaths and don’t stress out. Here are our top tips to make sure you don’t lose your cool on your big day:

1) Hire professionals

This is especially true for wedding hair and make-up. You don’t want to do your own make-up with shaking fingers. We suggest you choose a spacious room, with plenty of natural light and not too many people in it, to sit back, relax and feel pampered. Grooms, this means you too! Avoid trying to shave with nervous hands and giving yourself a cut, splurge on a wet shave instead. It shouldn’t just be the girls pampering themselves.

2) Prepare in advance

Pack everything you will need on the morning of your wedding, in advance. Follow our list, that way you are guaranteed not to forget anything. We also suggest you take all the packaging off any recent purchases, because shopping bags can clutter the space and create a sense of chaos, especially as things you need tend to disappear inside them. Get everything ready, make it look pretty and enjoy the calm!

Bridebook.co.uk- bride putting on shoes in bridal suite — By Guy Hearn

3) Don’t forget to eat

Yes, you probably won’t feel hungry, but trust us, eating something is a must. You don’t want to faint down the aisle or be drunk for your reception! Secret tip: we recommend you have some eggs. They won’t make you bloat and you will feel full for hours.

4) Get dressed

Leave time to get into your wedding dress. It will take your mum and bridesmaids longer to lace and button than it took the professional at the final fitting. Aim to get dressed half an hour before you are due to leave. Then you can enjoy spending time with your family and get used to twirling around in the dress.

Bridebook.co.uk- wedding breakfast laid out — By Richard Skins Photography

5) Prepare your wedding car

Just in case the driver doesn’t know where to go, give him the exact wedding location. If you happen to break down – don’t panic – make sure someone with you has a taxi number to hand. Drama diverted!

6) Picture perfect

Make sure you get all the photos you want on your wedding day! Prepare an order sheet of the shots you need and make sure that everyone knows where they are supposed to be for the pictures. Then you can follow your list without having to think about anything and just have fun!

Bridebook.co.uk- mother and bride hugging — By John Lennie

7) Don’t do any last minute DIY

If any has to be done on the day itself, enlist helpers. Your brain will be in party mode!

8) Relax and enjoy!

Try to relax. Everything is sorted and ready to go, so just enjoy it! Everyone is there to help you. You’re going to look amazing and you’re marrying the love of your life – dreamy!

Bridebook.co.uk- bride and groom taking selfie at the back of wedding car — By Lawson Photography

9) Leave your phone

People probably won’t be calling you on your wedding day, but if they do, pass your phone to the MOH or the BM and they can answer any questions.

10) Drinks

If you decide to have a little drink before the ceremony, don’t over-do it. Grooms, try a half-pint, instead of a full one – you don’t want to be saying your vows and secretly dying for the bathroom!

Bridebook.co.uk- bride and groom hugging with the sun shining — By Miki Photography

Happy Planning!

Tips: Bridal SOS Kit

Bridebook.co.uk- bridal purse perfume hair grip and garter laid out — By Ten Twenty One

Your wedding day has arrived! POP open the champagne because today is going to be the best day of your life! To make sure you have everything you need, here are some bits and bobs you might want to whip together – get your Maid of Honour, AKA the superhero, to hang onto them so you don’t have to.

Basic:

Band-Aids
Cash
Comb
Clear nail varnish (goodbye laddered tights or buttons that are about to fall off)
Extra earring backs
Hair Pins (try bringing brown and black, so you can work with a variety of hair colours)
Hairspray
Makeup – cover up, lipstick and anything else you might want to touch up
Lighter (if a hem is showing a bit of loose thread or if any candles need re-lighting)
Mints (fresh breath is always a good idea, especially if you had your favourite garlic bread for lunch)
Mobile phone
Nail file
Paracetamol
Perfume
Q Tips
Safety Pins
A small sewing kit
Small phone charger
Stain remover
Straws (especially if you are sporting your signature lipstick and don’t want it to smudge!)
Tissues, because (happy) tears are likely!
Water bottle

Bridebook.co.uk- flower crown wedding accessory — By Richard Skins Photography

Pack travel-sized versions of everything and it won’t seem like that much. Summer or winter wedding? Here are some more ideas depending on when you choose to celebrate.

Spring/Summer:

Baby powder. A bit of baby powder will stop your arms chafing against your dress. You’ll be chafe free when rocking the dance floor later too.

Important for an outdoor wedding, and an indoor one, if photos are outside – opt for scent-free. Then it’s already packed for the honeymoon.

Bug spray. Depending on the location – but around dusk, bugs can become incredibly active and protection becomes necessary (again opt for scent-free).

Bridebook.co.uk- bridal emergency kit lying on the bed — By Ten Twenty One

Autumn/Winter:

Lip Balm is a major necessity, especially in the winter months, when lips start chapping.

Hand Cream. Cold air dries the skin on your hands. So if you’re not wearing gloves, get those babies moisturised.

Anti-static spray. If you are changing in and out of warmer clothes, the spray will stop the static.

bridebook.co.uk brides and groom showered in confetti — By Raw Silk Photography

Happy Planning!

7 Tips To Weather-Proof Your Wedding

As your W-Day draws closer and closer, you might start checking the weather forecast. But WHO CARES… your wedding day is the best day of your life whatever the weather. So let’s just make sure you’re excited and prepared for any wind, rain, snow – because all of them can make your wedding day even better than you could possibly imagine. So enjoy!

Bridebook.co.uk- bride wearing a pair of white weddingtons — By Ross Harvey

1) Consider your venue

The simplest rule is to always make sure you have a marquee or venue big enough to fit everyone inside. So long as guests are warm and dry, they will have an awesome time so simply plan for that. For marquees, make sure it has sides that can be pulled down if it is a little windy, so you can really get that party started. Sorted!

Bridebook.co.uk- umbrella favours for guests — By Cinzia Bruschini

2) Brollies and Wellies

“Every cloud has a silver lining.” If rain is expected, embrace it! Why not get guests to bring a pair of wellies? Or if you have a little budget to spare, give them multi-coloured wellies as favours (you can find cheap ones online) – you could even ask their shoe size on the invite. Or have your names and the wedding date drawn on brightly coloured brollies for people to take away with them, et voila! Imagine your whole guest list in wellies and brollies – the pictures will look amazing! Oh and ladies, keep yourselves (and your stunning shoes) from sinking into the wet ground with heelstoppers!

Bridebook.co.uk- bride and groom kissing under multicoloured umbrella — By Chris Giles Photography

3) Dark skies are superb for photographers

Photographers LOVE a stormy sky. It makes for amazing lighting, so enjoy creative and unique wedding photos! A little wind will make the billowing veil look incredible, snow will make everything much more intimate and cosy, while raindrops look amazing in photos. Go outside, dance around, laugh and stay happy, you’ve just married your best friend!

Bridebook.co.uk- bride and groom in outdoor ceremony under umbrellas — By Allister Freeman

4) Cross fingers for snow

If you are lucky enough to have a winter wedding AND it happens to snow then definitely embrace it! Think of all the possibilities: you could wear a stunning fur coat, you can cosy up to your beloved in the middle of a snowy field… And think about the photos; your wedding will look like a fairy tale!

Bridebook.co.uk- bride and groom kissing in front of skiis — By David Pullum Photography

5) Hot or Cold?

Your wedding day is set to be scorcher – picture the sun shining and drinks flowing. Just make sure there’s lots of water kicking about and maybe turn your wedding programme into a fan – just so you’re looking out for those guys in morning suits and elderly relatives. Everyone will be happy so you can get back to your party in the beautiful sunshine.

If the temperature is looking a little cold for your big day, you can easily rent an extra heater even a week to go before the wedding so there’s nothing to worry about. Everyone is going to be so hot from dancing they won’t notice anyway. It just means people will party harder!

Bridebook.co.uk- bridesmaids in faux fur covers — By Richard Skins Photography

6) Ask the ushers for help

That’s what they are there for! Get the ushers to shelter you with an umbrella as you go into and leave the ceremony. And if you arrange for them to have towels, they can even give the aisle a quick wipe down ready for your entrance = flawless dress. Bonus.

Bridebook.co.uk- groom and ushers standing on a hill against the sky — By Ross Harvey

7) Now go and have fun!

Final tip: don’t worry about the beautiful white dress and the smart suit – they can always be cleaned. This is the biggest party of your life so go and have fun; your guests are definitely going to – rain, snow, wind or shine!

Could you walk us through your typical process with a bride?

What do you think is the most challenging aspect of having a bespoke dress?

What is your #1 tip to brides preparing for a bespoke fitting?

What is your favourite wedding dress style and what are your favourite wedding dress details?

Could you describe the most challenging assignment you have ever taken on?

What fabrics do you recommend a bride consider for each season?

Which cuts do you recommend for the bohemiam, modern, whimsical, and classic bride respectively?

If you could have designed anyone’s wedding dress – past, present or future – who would it be and why?

What type of dress did you wear on your wedding?

What was your favourite moment/memory?

What is your #1 planning tip for brides today?

Happy Planning!

Happy Planning!

How should a bride begin identifying her style?

What are your recommendations for a bride choosing her colour scheme?

Where do you think is the best place for a bride to find inspiration?

What’s your top tip for making a flower budget go further?

What should brides consider when selecting their bouquet?

How important is scent when considering your wedding flowers?

Happy Planning!

How can a bride begin to choose the best hairstyle for her dress?

How should a bride decide on which hair accessories to wear on her wedding day?

Richard’s Pre-Wedding Top Tips:

Richard’s On The Day Tips:

Richard’s top product recommendations:

Happy Planning!

Do you think hats are a must-do for all wedding guests?

Are there any rules when choosing a hat as a wedding guest? (Etiquette, style, occasion type etc.)

Do you have any tips for choosing the best hat shape for you?

Where did you get married and what was your favourite part of your wedding?

Happy Planning!

Browse other similar articles:

How far in advance of your wedding should you be thinking about a regime?

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What else other than products can effect the health of your hair?

Is there anything else that is important to keep in mind?

Where did you get married and what was your favourite part of your wedding?

Happy Planning!

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Our 20-step guide for what you should do after getting engaged

1. Plan your engagement announcement

2. Tell your closest friends and family

3. Insure the engagement ring

4. Tell wider friends and family, starting with the A team

5. Have a manicure

6. Make the papers

7. Shout about it on social media

8. Enjoy the moment and don’t rush into it

9. Plan your engagement party

10. Take some engagement photos

11. Get your engagement ring properly sized

12. Get started on your wedding planning

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14. Communicate, communicate, communicate

15. Start thinking about the guest list

16. Work out your budget