Category: Global

The Most Expensive Wedding of All Time! – Discover All the Facts and Figures Behind the $664 Million Ambani Wedding Extravaganza

The wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant are underway. First was the $160 million three-day 1,200-guest pre-wedding party in March, starring none other than Rihanna. Then came the $120 million 800-guest cruise of the Mediterranean starring Katy Perry and Backstreet Boys. And this week is the big bash itself.

1 million weddings a year are planned on Bridebook.com, the world’s leading wedding planning app. We’re breaking down what to expect and how much it will all cost.

The Ambani total wedding cost will be $664 million (and that doesn’t include the $1bn venue)! That’s more than 15 times the cost of Harry and Meghan’s $43 million Royal Wedding, and 31,000 times the global average cost of a wedding!

The final wedding event this week is estimated to cost $384m alone. Add that to the $160m spent on the first pre-wedding party in March and the $120m cruise and the total wedding will cost more than half a billion dollars!

5,000 guests 

Over 5,000 of the world’s most rich and famous will be descending on Mumbai. Our number crunchers have calculated that it will have the highest wealth per square foot of any event this century.

The most expensive venue in the world: a $1bn wedding venue

Estimated cost: free (but cost $1bn to build!)

The groom’s father owns not only the most expensive house in India, but also the most expensive venue. Built by Mukesh Ambani, the wedding venue is Jio World Convention Centre, which cost a staggering $1bn! Measuring 18.5 acres, it is 10x the size of the Empire State Building.  Of the 250,000 wedding venues in the world on Bridebook.com, Jio World is the most expensive wedding venue in the world. 

$1,800,000 on luxury toilets

Estimated cost: $1.8m

1,000 designer toilets will be scattered throughout the venue, providing guests with a restroom experience fit for royalty – after all, luxury guests need luxury toilets! At $1,800 per toilet, that’s a princely sum of $1,800,000 dedicated solely to restroom opulence! 

$10 million for crystal chandeliers

Estimated cost: $10m

Illuminating the opulent venue, 1,000 crystal chandeliers will cast a dazzling glow, creating an atmosphere of luxury and elegance. At $10,000 per chandelier, that’s at least $10m on lighting!

The world’s greatest music line-up of all time

Estimated cost: $100m-$140m

Glastonbury, Coachella, eat your hearts out. Justin Bieber already performed in Mumbai for a third pre-party this week at a cost of $10m. With musical sensations Rihanna, Katy Perry, Backstreet Boys, and Andrea Bocelli having already performed at the pre-wedding celebrations for a combined cost of $38-60m, only one question remains: who is headlining the wedding itself?

Adele currently looks almost certain, though Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are also widely rumoured to be joining her on stage. The cost of all three would top $64-80m.

With a total Ambani bill of $140m for their wedding bands, this would be 25,000 times the average cost of a wedding band! 

The ultimate celebratory procession

We can expect a Baraat like no other on the day of the wedding. The procession of dancing wedding guests will be like none seen before. Many bands playing a variety of tunes will be delighting guests, while performers dressed in fantastical costumes such as mythical beasts, birds or even serpents will accompany them.

Catering & cuisine

Estimated cost: $80m-$160m

Expect the world’s finest chefs, finest produce and finest wines over the three days of celebrations. The couple offered their 1,000 guests 2,500 meal options at the March pre-wedding celebration alone. But that was nothing compared to the main event, where no expense is being spared and 37,500+ meal options are being cooked up by an army of 500 chefs over three days.

30,000 bottles of the finest vintage Champagne

Estimated cost: $27m-$84m

Across the three pre-wedding events and the main event itself, over 30,000 bottles of the world’s finest vintage champagnes will be served. This is believed to cause a global shortage. At $900-2,800 per bottle, the total bill for this champagne alone could reach $84m.  

A three-day traffic jam

Mumbai police have already warned that there will be a constant traffic jam from 12th to 15th July around most of Mumbai, as the thousands of suppliers, guests and security make their way to the venue.

An 18-page dress code with 25,000 wardrobe transformations

Estimated cost: $80m-$100m+

Envision the fashion frenzy as each of the 5,000 guests undergoes a staggering 5 outfit changes, totalling a mind-boggling 25,000 wardrobe transformations! From couture creations to bespoke ensembles, it will be a fashion extravaganza of epic proportions! Guests are expected to spend more than $100m on their outfits.

The dress

Estimated cost: $7m-$20m

The bride, Radhika, will likely wear one of the most expensive wedding dresses of all time. With multiple changes across multiple events, expect a procession of jaw-dropping looks and a likely price tag of $10m to achieve them.

Jewellery

Estimated cost: $35m-$90m

Jewellery is very important and symbolic in Indian weddings. From heirlooms to gifts to high fashion, a treasure trove of jewellery will be on show across the wedding events. Jewellery is often loaned for weddings, but, at this wedding, we would expect much to be gifted or bought new.

20 million flowers & 500 florists

Estimated cost: $20m-40m+

To decorate the immense 18.5 acre venue, expect over 20 million flowers to fill the venue and a team of over 500 florists.  

The most expensive wedding invitations of all time

Estimated cost: $21.5m-$42.5m

Each wedding invitation cost $8,600 to make! Intricate golden chests were delivered to lucky guests filled with gifts and the invitation itself. With 5,000 guests, hopefully they saved a bit by sharing one between couples! 

World-class security

Estimated cost: $40m-$80m

10,000 police, 5000 surveillance cameras and a fleet of drones

With one of the most high-profile wedding guest lists of all time, security will be paramount. Get ready for security that rivals a Hollywood blockbuster! With an army of security personnel, high-tech surveillance cameras and a fleet of patrolling drones, the Ambani wedding will pull out all the stops to ensure a safe and secure event. If it’s any indication, the Indian special forces themselves performed at the pre-wedding party in March! 

Over 1,000,000 wedding photos captured by a team of 150 award-winning photographers and videographers

Estimated cost: $3.5m-$10m

A team of 50 videographers and 100 photographers will be ready to capture every angle and immortalise every moment. No detail will be left undocumented. With each photographer taking 10,000 snaps each over the 3 days, that’s at least a million wedding snaps in total. 

There are even strong rumours of a world-famous director being responsible for editing a full wedding video…

The most Instagram likes of any private event in history

The guests at the wedding have a combined 10 billion Instagram followers! After posts from the pre-wedding celebrations alone received billions of likes, this is set to be the most liked private event of all time.

60,000 jobs created and a GDP boost!

The huge event has created over 60,000 jobs around India and the world in preparation for the wedding. The entrepreneurial family’s business employs over 400,000 employees in India so expect celebrations across the country.  

Plan your perfect wedding on Bridebook

If you’re planning your own wedding, but don’t quite have half a billion dollars to spend (!), then check out the ultimate wedding budget breakdown on Bridebook, and take a look at the average cost of a wedding here.

For further information, interviews and images, please contact the press team at [email protected]. Happy planning!

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Happy Planning!

15 Fun Ideas To Spice Up Your Bridal Shower Plans

How you can make your bridal shower as memorable and enjoyable as the big day itself.

Planning a wedding is tricky business, but fortunately, Bridebook has you covered there!

However, with all of the focus on the big day, it can be easy to forget about the bridal shower. Deciding on activities can sometimes seem a little overwhelming. But fear not! We have some dazzling ideas that will suit your bridal shower, whatever the style of event you are planning.

Let’s dive in and take a closer look at some of the top bridal shower games and ideas.

Take It Outside

Outdoor bridal shower

With recent world events, safety is on everyone’s mind. So why not take your bridal shower outside and enjoy some fresh air? This could be as simple as erecting a small gazebo outside and decorating it to match your theme. Think fairy lights, outside games and dancing to get everyone in the party spirit – along with some nibbles and your favourite tipple of course!

Let’s get quizzical

Grab your besties and get quizzical! Disney nerd? Happy couple trivia? The options are endless with this bridal shower game and is one for guaranteed laughs. Simply appoint your quiz master beforehand, and watch out for everyone’s competitive streak. Our tip? Ask your guests to compile a few questions each for some extra fun. Make sure to stock up on prizes for the lucky winners, oh, and don’t forget a boobie prize!

Photo booth props

Everyone loves a photo shoot. Grab some props, a camera, your gal pals and snap the night away! You could theme your outfit choices for some great group shots or even add in some fun photo challenges, such as recreating famous portraits (we’ve tried this one and trust us, it can get wild!).

Provide old school disposable cameras or a Polaroid for guests to get snap happy with. A wonderful bonus of this type of bridal shower is the vast array of picture memories you’ll have to look back on after the event.

Create a date jar

Gather your guests and give them the chance to come up with their very own date ideas for your first year of marriage. A jar of any sort, paper and pens is all that’s needed to start this fun idea. After the wedding, you can enjoy some entertaining (and maybe a few risqué) date nights courtesy of your best pals.

Over or under game

A classic bridal shower game! Find out how well the guests know the Bride in the lead up to the wedding. Use statements like, ‘The couple met 5 years ago’ and decide if the correct answer is higher or lower. You might be surprised by some of the answers.

DIY cocktail bar

Friends cheering with cocktails

Of course you could have a cocktail making session in your local bar, but why not bring the fun back to yours? Get guests talking by devising all sorts of wild and wacky concoctions all in the name of you! Incorporate some friendly competition with games, such as a blind tasting contest or ‘bride’s favourite cocktail’.

If you want to encourage some more sensible activities, you could work together to come up with a great tasting signature cocktail to be served on the wedding day itself. Don’t drink alcohol? Not a problem! Mocktails can be just as fun for the whole squad.

Whose memory game

This is a fun one and a fabulous icebreaker to use at the beginning of any bridal shower, particularly if you have guests coming that may not know each other. Get everyone to write down a memory they have of the Bride. After picking them from a jar, the bride reads them out to the group and guests can take turns guessing whose memory it is. Get ready for some funny and cringe worthy stories from the past!

Make a balloon arch

If you want a modern day team building experience, invite over the girls and get ready for a night of balloon arch making. You would be surprised how easy and satisfying it is to create some spectacular creations from balloons in your own home that can then be used as a superb photo backdrop.

For added bridal shower fun once the Prosecco starts to flow, you could try your hand a bit of balloon modelling too. Balloon dog anyone?!

Tea party theme

High tea with sandwiches and desserts served on china with flowers

Add some sophistication to your bridal shower by taking on a delightful tea party theme. Think tea and cake, finger sandwiches and scones served alongside beautiful china and rustic country style bunting.

Make flower crowns

A beautifully creative way to spend your bridal shower is by making your own flower crowns. Bring in an expert to coach you through the how tos or invest in some real or artificial flowers and wire and get crafting. We have even seen brides who are planning a festival style wedding create their own headpieces to wear for the special day itself.

Take a class

Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn to sew, or get funky by learning a new dance routine. You could even spend your shower learning the art of life drawing (gulp!) whatever you decide on, taking a class surrounded by your friends is always a sure fire hit.

He said she said

Another bridal shower classic! Find out who said ‘I love you’ first or who is the better driver by getting your party to guess which half of the couple it is. Get the maid of honour to come up with the questions so the bride has to answer along with the guests too.

Karaoke queens

Smiling woman singing karaoke and laughing friend

Sing the night away next to your nearest and dearest with a spot of karaoke. This bridal shower idea is the ultimate girls’ night and is guaranteed to have everyone singing along by the end of the night.

DIY origami decorations

Get together and create some beautiful decorations to be used on your special day. You could use techniques like origami, calligraphy or needlework to create some super special decorations, favours and place cards. Not only will you save time and money by creating your own, your wedding day will be filled with even more reminders of the lead up to your wedding.

Happy planning!

While it’s easy to see how planning a bridal shower can be a little overwhelming at the start of your planning journey, these ideas make it easy to see how fun, budget friendly and inclusive your bridal shower can be with a little forward planning.

For more great wedding planning tips and all of the tools you need to plan your big day stress-free, download the free Bridebook app today.

Get more wedding tips and tricks from Bridebook

The ultimate wedding budget breakdown

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How can I plan my wedding during lockdown? 8 things you can do to ensure you have the smoothest wedding planning experience.

Getting engaged is one of the most exciting moments of your life, tears of joy won’t stop streaming, and you can’t stop gazing at your newly bejeweled finger. But once this initial excitement begins to wear off, a sudden rush of “what now!?” begins to kick in. Don’t worry – Bridebook are here to help. 

Wedding planning can be daunting even at the best of times, and the current government restrictions to curb the spread of Coronavirus may have you feeling you can’t get started with your planning. At Bridebook, we’d like to help you navigate this stressful time by discussing 8 things that you CAN do right now to ensure the smoothest wedding planning experience.

1. Designate a wedding planning day

Couple sitting in living room with laptop

It is time to get organised! Making decisions early is the best way to ensure the smoothest wedding planning process. Dedicating one day a week can be the perfect way to ensure that tasks get ticked off and other priorities (like Netflixin’ your favourite show!) do not get in the way.

Knowing where to begin with planning your big day can be overwhelming. Our personalised Wedding Planning Checklist is here to help guide you through the entire planning process. Based on your wedding date, your bespoke Checklist will let you know when to complete each task including pricing guides and suggestions along the way.

2. Reflection

It’s important to sit down with your partner and think about what you both want from your wedding. Will it be a small and intimate occasion or an extravagant party with hundreds of guests? Make sure you reflect and think hard about what is most important to the both of you, as a couple. 

Start researching and looking for inspiration. You can then add any picture or ideas, from perfect playlists, to funny speech ideas to your Bridebook Scrapbook.

3. Budget

Screenshot of Bridebook app Budget Tool

Once you have reflected on the kind of wedding you both want, you need to decide how much you are willing and able to spend. Let Bridebook do the hard work for you! With data from over 500,000 weddings, our super powerful Wedding Budget Tool helps you keep track right from the beginning. Simply enter your total budget and we will tell you how much you should spend on every expense from start to finish. 

4. Guest List

Making decisions on your guest list can be a complicated process, from deciding who to invite, to keeping note of guest information along the way.

Bridebook’s Wedding Guest List Tool allows you to easily keep track of your invites, RSVPs and total attending guests. Your Guest List is split into two – one for you and one for your partner – but you can also create as many custom lists as you like! For example, ‘work friends’ or ‘childhood friends’. Your Guest List is ready to help you track all the nitty gritty details: you can track plus ones, dietary requirements, addresses and more.

5. Booking Your Venue

Countryside Venue with glowing lanterns

Finding the perfect wedding venue is one of the most important tasks on your checklist, and one which may seem near impossible in the midst of a global pandemic. However, thanks to the power of technology and innovative wedding venue teams, this is completely possible!

Bridebook has thousands of exceptional wedding venues with many of them offering virtual tours and show rounds. Get comfortable, open a bottle of wine and explore the delights of stunning venues across the country from your very own living room. When you enquire with venues, make sure to ask if they can offer a virtual show round – some are even using Facetime! We’d also advise you to keep an eye out for venues listing 360 tours. 

6. Booking Suppliers

Again, this is something super fun which you can enjoy within the comfort of your own home. Keep reaching out to suppliers, as many are offering virtual services such as delivering tasting samples or pre-recorded videos – whilst unconventional, this can absolutely become a fun night-in with your partner.

Invite your friends and family to a Zoom call where you watch a number of wedding bands until you find your perfect match. How about ordering in some sample cake boxes for taste testing with your partner? Or even get creative and create your ideal wedding make-up, by following different tutorials available online.

7. The Little Things

Two hands holding a paper crafted heart

Make the most of these dark cold months by getting on top of all the small tasks which will make your wedding wonderful. There are so many little things that you will need for your big day and now is the time to start a list. This might be thinking about gifts for your bridesmaids and page boys or wedding favours for guests. You could even get into some DIY and make some crafts yourself such as name cards, signs or photo boards for the day itself.

8. Enjoy your Engagement!

Weddings are incredibly special. It is important to enjoy this experience, together. Take some well deserved time off before you are rushed back to the speed of ‘normality’. Go for long walks, cook some delicious food, read a few books and most of all embrace having the love of your life by your side!

Looking for some more wedding planning tips? Check out our other wedding articles below.

How to plan your wedding remotely

Post-quarantine wedding trends

Why having a weekday wedding can be the best decision you make

Top tips for having a 15 person wedding (or ceremini)

Amazing deals and discounts for couples

Happy Planning!

7 At-Home Date Ideas

We all love date night: It’s the getting ready in anticipation, looking up restaurant reviews, arguing over what film to see, and who’s booking the seats.

We know that you might be missing these special nights out, but in the age of social distancing it’s time to get a little bit more creative with your date nights at home. 

There really is no better time than the present to shake things up and even save yourselves some serious dollar in the process. Lucky for you, we’ve come up with some quarantine-approved, stay-at-home date nights that you and your partner can try out. You are most welcome. 

1. For the Cant-Sit-Still Couple

Have you been talking about taking those salsa lessons or tango classes for ages, but never managed to do it for fear of falling in the middle of a rumba?  Well, now’s the perfect time to learn with zero fear of embarrassment. DanceDojo has free salsa lessons with video tutorials on salsa steps, turns, and combinations. This could be the perfect time to perfect that fancy footwork for the first dance at your wedding!

couple dancing in black and white

2. For the Aspiring Mixologists

Who said you can’t have an at-home happy hour? There’s no need to go to the shops for this one, why not see who can come up with the best cocktail from items you already have in the fridge. If winging it isn’t your style (or you don’t want to waste any precious liquor), the make me a cocktail website will tell you what classic cocktails you can make with what you already have.

3. For the Comfortable Couple:

No judgment from us if you don’t feel like changing out of your cosiest clothes (who can blame you). But why not make movie night a little more special, and camp out in your living room. Setting up a blanket fort will automatically make you feel like mischievous children, in the best possible way. Just grab some pillows, some extra blankets and you’ve got yourself a cozy hideaway. Bonus points for whoever brings the fairy lights and extra snacks. 

Married couple inside a tent

4. For the Theatre-lovers:

For those of you missing out on theatre trips, Filmed on stage is bringing the theatre to you. Access hundreds of plays and musicals, from Comedies to Shakespeare, at your fingertips. You can even watch that sold-out National Theatre play you’ve been trying to get tickets to for months. Feel free to crack open an interval ice cream (and it won’t cost you £6!). 

5. For the Jetsetters:

We know you might have had trips cancelled, but rather than setting your screensaver to that picturesque beach, why not have an around the world evening-in? Curb your wanderlust by bringing Tokyo to your living room by watching Lost in Translation, ordering sushi and singing out-of-tune karaoke. Or head to the Italian Riviera by watching a classic Italian film (Il Paradiso is our pick), making a delicious bolognese and drinking a bottle (or two) together.

couple having dinner with candles

6. For the Cultural Couple:

One of the perks of 2000 museums and galleries being online at Google Arts & Culture is that finally, they’re open 24 hours! So why not find your way to the Musée d’Orsay in Paris (without thousands of people blocking your view), or head to the Guggenheim in New York. Alongside art collections, there are tours of famous sites and landmarks such as the Taj Mahal, the Colosseum and the Bolshoi Theatre. Now is a better time than any to learn your Monet from your Manet and your Dalí from your Degas.

7. For Romantic Reminiscing:

We could all do with a little extra romance right now, so go back to the beginning of your relationship, when the words social distancing had never been uttered. Light some candles, look through your old photos together and go through the New York Times’ 36 questions to make you fall in love. We promise you will laugh, cry and remember things you had completely forgotten about each other. Take this time to slow down and be present with the person you love most.

couple in romantic setting

What’s the Best Day to Get Married On?

When the time comes to sit down and properly start planning your wedding, one of the very first questions you’ll face is ‘what day of the week shall we get married?’ Your first instinct will likely be on a weekend – but, you’ll have to compete with thousands of couples who’ll have exactly the same thought process.

But, is a weekend the best time to have your wedding? What about midweek? And which month, or even season, would make for the best choice?

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer, but there may be a one-day-fits-budget answer that could make your decision a little easier.

In this post, we’re going to dive into the busy world of how to choose which day you should get married. We’ll explore the considerations to keep at the forefront of your mind, the most popular dates and days to have a wedding, and why a midweek wedding might just be the best decision you make.

What are the most popular dates to get married on?

Photo © Mike Plunkett Photography | See their Bridebook profile

As discovered in our 2023 UK Wedding Report, the top 10 most popular dates to get married are:

  1. 19th August
  2. 26th August
  3. 9th September
  4. 16th September
  5. 23rd September
  6. 12th August
  7. 8th July
  8. 2nd September
  9. 20th May
  10. 7th October

As you can see, most of these dates are during the summer months, which is when you might expect the weather to behave itself – although this is in the UK after all, where nothing is guaranteed when it comes to the weather.

However, there is something that each of these dates has in common, which we’ll come on to next.

What’s the most popular day of the week to get married on?

Photo © Lois Brown Photography | See their Bridebook profile

The most popular day of the week to get married is Saturday. Because of this, everything from venues and caterers to photographers and transport generally has higher rates on a Saturday than any other day of the week.

However, for the first time, less than half (48%) of weddings in 2023 took place on a Saturday, according to our 2024 Wedding Report. This is a continuation of the trend in recent years away from Saturday weddings.

Why is Saturday the most popular day of the week to get married on?

The most obvious reason why Saturday is still the most popular day couples choose for their wedding is because it’s when most of your guests will be free from work and school commitments. Around two-thirds of employees don’t work weekends, which means the majority of your guests won’t have to book annual leave to come to your big day. Plus, they’re more likely to let their hair down and enjoy themselves if they don’t have to get up early for work the next day – this goes double for any guests who may have travelled a long way to be there.

What’s the cheapest day to get married on?

Photo © Pixidrome Wedding Photography | See their Bridebook profile

The cheapest day to get married on is a Tuesday, with the average Tuesday wedding costing £16,273, compared to the overall average of £20,775. This is also over £6,000 cheaper than the average Saturday wedding, which costs £22,290.

Despite being the cheapest, Tuesday is actually the least popular day to get married, with only 4% of couples tying the knot on the second day of the week.

For more tips and tricks on cutting wedding-related costs, read our comprehensive guide on how to save money on your wedding.

Why is Tuesday the cheapest day to get married?

Just like how Saturdays are the most popular day for a wedding because most of your guests are off work and school, Tuesdays are the least popular in part because the reverse of this is true. Unless they work shifts, your guests are likely to be at work or school on a Tuesday, and because it’s not on either side of the weekend like a Friday or Monday, guests might not be so keen to take a day’s annual leave. Then there’s the additional travel time for guests who don’t live close by, which might mean another day or two of holiday.

What’s the best season for a wedding?

Photo © Tom Jeavons | See their Bridebook profile

In 2023, just 7% of weddings took place during the first three months of the year. As the weather got warmer so did couples’ love for a wedding, with a fifth having their big day in April, May or June. Then another 41% had summer or early autumn weddings in July, August or September, and the final quarter tied the knot in October, November or December.

From this, it’s obvious that couples prefer to get married during the warmer spring, summer and autumn months, with more than two-thirds of all weddings taking place between April and September. Because of this, these months will be among the most expensive within which to get married. That said, autumn weddings are rising in popularity, with October especially now being sought-after (16% of weddings in 2023 took place in October). 

What do superstitions say about the best and worst months for a wedding?

Photo © Hawaiian Shirt Photography | See their Bridebook profile

If you believe in superstitions, there are some to consider before choosing your date, because some think that certain months are luckier to get married in than others.

When it comes to bad luck, there’s a rhyme that states, ‘Marry in May and you’ll rue the day’ which dates back to Pagan fertility rituals. Among its most famous believers was Queen Victoria, who supposedly banned her children from getting married in May. Clearly, not many modern couples believe this superstition, with May currently being the fourth most popular month for weddings.

If you’re seeking some good luck, here are some of our favourites to bear in mind:

  • Marry when the year is new and he’ll be loving, kind and true.
  • Marry in April when you can, and joy for maiden and for man.
  • Marry in September’s shrine, your living will be rich and fine.

What’s the luckiest day of the week for a wedding?

Photo © Adam Harvey Photography | See their Bridebook profile

Now that you know some of the superstitions surrounding months, what about the days of the week? Well, there are Gaelic superstitions that state:

Marry on Monday for wealth,

Tuesday for health,

Wednesday the best day of all,

Thursday for crosses,

Friday for losses,

and Saturday no day at all.

You may not be a big believer in superstitions, but even if you’re not, it can’t hurt to err on the side of caution, right? Besides, would a Tuesday wedding in September be so bad? It would certainly be cheaper, if nothing else.

Should you get married on an important date, like Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve?

Photo © Sam Chipman | See their Bridebook profile

Christmas Day is the most popular day to get engaged on, followed by Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. But, what if you want to get married on a date like this and have a shared celebration with your friends and family?

The first thing to be aware of is that not all of the guests you invite will want to give up a special date, so don’t be surprised if you get a few Xs on your RSVPs. Travel and accommodation can also be tricky, not to mention expensive during holiday periods.

It can also be extremely expensive for you if you choose to have a Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve wedding. Staff may be paid double or triple rates, and this is already a popular date in the hospitality industry anyway, which means it might be difficult securing your chosen venue.

If you’re keen to have a wedding that falls on a holiday date, then there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this. But, just be prepared to pay a little more for the privilege.

What else should you bear in mind when booking your wedding date?

Photo © M.I.N.E Photography | See their Bridebook profile

While it will usually be cheaper to get married between October and March, we get that this might not always be an option. You might be tied to school holidays, weekends or other specific times of the year, which means you have a limited choice for when to book your wedding.

If this is you, then we recommend booking your venue as far in advance as possible to ensure you secure your chosen date. And when we say far in advance, we mean it – popular venues at busy times of the year can book up several years into the future, so get in there as soon as you can and throw down your deposit.

Browse our huge range of wedding venues to find your perfect venue, with many offering exclusive seasonal discounts.

8 reasons why you should consider having a midweek wedding

Photo © Blue Lily Weddings | See their Bridebook profile

If you’re still not sure about a midweek wedding, here are eight reasons why you should consider getting married on a school night.

1. You can get married sooner

As we already highlighted, Saturday is a popular day to get married. That means the most popular venues are booked up for weekend dates years in advance. It might also mean that you or your guests have already committed to attending someone else’s wedding on almost every Saturday this summer or next summer.

So if you want to get married in your dream venue and you want your best friend to make it, you might be looking at two or three years until the dates (and the stars) align for you to have a weekend wedding at your number one choice of venue.

But, if you book your wedding on a weekday, you’ll have far fewer availability worries to think about. No need for this to turn into a five-year engagement. Being more flexible with your date opens up a much wider variety of options, meaning you’re more likely to get your dream venue and avoid clashes with other weddings.

2. You can secure the best suppliers (and pay less)

Not only do venues get booked up early on weekends, but so do all your other suppliers. You’re much more likely to get your dream team with a weekday wedding. Many suppliers will also lower their prices during the week so you might even be able to push the boat out and get a truly top-notch photographer, caterer or florist that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford. With a weekday wedding, you’re much more likely to get exactly what you want and have a far smaller bill at the end of it.

3. You’ll save yourself from stress

Planning a wedding can sometimes be stressful – especially when things don’t go to plan, such as your favourite photographer or caterer becoming unavailable because another couple snapped them up. Because far fewer couples get married midweek, you’ll have less competition, which means you’ll save yourself from stressful planning-related scheduling conflicts.

4. You can have your loved ones there

Despite all the perks that can come with a weekday wedding, one concern that many couples have is that their loved ones won’t be able to make it. While this is a possibility, we’d always expect those most important to you to do everything they can to be there for your big day. After all, it’s only one day of holiday (or two if they have to travel).

That said, you should think about your guest list when making this decision. If you’re planning a weekday wedding and your parents are teachers, for example, you’ll want to prioritise school holidays to make sure they can make it. But at the end of the day, your nearest and dearest will want to show up for you – and a weekday wedding won’t stop them.

5. You can keep things intimate

If you don’t want a blowout bash, a weekday wedding can be a great opportunity for a more relaxed and intimate affair. Without the fuss that can come with a huge weekend do, you can just have your nearest and dearest around you and get to spend more time talking to the people you care about the most. If you know there are people you’ll have to invite but don’t really want to, a weekday wedding is also a cheeky way to make it less likely they’ll show up.

6. You can save your guests some money

While you might think a weekday wedding would make it harder for guests to attend, it can actually solve a lot of problems for them. By holding your wedding on a weekday, it means better availability for travel and cheaper accommodation for your guests.

7. You can keep the party going

Another benefit of a weekday wedding is you can spread the celebration out and extend the fun, particularly if you host your wedding on a Monday, Friday or around a bank holiday. After all, you only get married once – make the most of it. Organise a cocktail party the night before or a relaxed brunch the morning after.

You could even go old school and decide to jet off on your honeymoon straight after the wedding. Travelling midweek can mean huge savings on flights and accommodation, leaving you with more cash to splash elsewhere.

8. You’ll support local businesses

Because so few wedding vendors provide their services to midweek weddings, they may find themselves with empty calendars between Mondays and Thursdays. By planning something for the start of the week, you’re doing your part to support smaller local businesses.

Plan your dream wedding with Bridebook

Here at Bridebook, we have everything you need to plan your perfect wedding, whether midweek or not. Sign up today and start planning your big day!

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How to plan your wedding remotely

While we all continue to do our bit for the NHS by staying indoors, a lot of us are finding ourselves with a lot of spare time on our hands and with spirits that need some lifting.

If you’re recently engaged, now is the perfect time to start getting excited about planning for your big day.

Here at Bridebook, we know that it may seem a little daunting to plan your wedding from your living room, but with this expert guide, you’ll be getting started soon.

Getting started

Knowing where to start can be the trickiest part of planning a wedding, but with our handy wedding checklist, it couldn’t be easier. Simply start by working your way through the individual tasks and you’ll be rolling in no time!

Invite your partner to collaborate with you so that you can start assigning tasks to each other. At Bridebook, we strongly believe that wedding planning should be a joint effort, so get them involved if they aren’t already! 

Feel free to start browsing for inspiration at this stage too. The hashtags #wedding and #weddinginspo on Pinterest and Instagram are particularly #stunning.

Agreeing your budget

It’s good to sit down with your partner and talk about what you both want from your wedding: a small and intimate affair with close friends and family or a lavish party with hundreds of guests?

Once you’ve worked out what you both want, you need to decide how much you are willing to spend for your big day. With that in mind, let Bridebook do the hard work for you! With data from the 500,000 weddings we’ve helped to plan, we’ll help crunch those numbers. Just enter your total budget and we’ll tell you how much you should be spending on each item, from your venue to your cake.

Booking your Venue

Beautiful barn wedding venue with tables and chairs set up

Booking your venue is often the most exciting part of the wedding planning process, but it might seem a bit tricky to do from your sofa. But don’t fret! There are now loads of ways that you can use modern technology to get a feel for your venue without the need to visit.

Use Bridebook’s search tool to browse through thousands of venues that meet your specific needs and quickly narrow down by shortlisting your favourites. Look through our extensive picture galleries and read the reviews from our previous couples to start getting a feel for the place.

Next, get brochures from your favourites and reach out to see what remote viewings they can offer. Lots of venues are now offering virtual tours or videos that can help you get a better picture of your perfect wedding: all from the comfort of your own home.

Booking your suppliers

Again, Bridebook’s search tool comes in handy here, allowing you to look through all of our wedding suppliers in your preferred area and explore their photos and reviews.

Your venue can also be a great help here too. They will often have a list of preferred suppliers for their venue, which can help you narrow down your choices. This way you can be sure that the supplier knows the space well and that the venue trusts them to do a great job.

Managing your guests

Deciding who to invite to your big day can be a challenge for any couple, but with Bridebook’s guestlist tool, it’ll be a breeze.

Add all of your potential guests (or import them straight from your contacts to make it even simpler!), then choose if they are coming for the day, evening, or on the waitlist for now.

Then use our Guest Info Collector to gather their email and physical addresses, so that you can send them their save the dates and keep them updated throughout the planning process.

Wedding invitations with flowers presented on a wooden table

Start building your gift list

Getting married is not just about throwing a party, it’s also about the rest of your life too and a gift list can be a great part of helping you prepare for that.

Start thinking about what you want from your gift list: a gift registry, a honeymoon fund, or perhaps asking your loved ones to contribute to a charitable cause that’s close to your heart.

Check out our comparison of the various gift list options to see what best suits your needs.

Then, start adding your dream gifts, knowing that they’ll be with you sooner than you think!

Enjoy it

Weddings are very special. There is no better reason on earth to throw an epic party than two people falling in love. And the world is certainly going to need some incredible parties soon… and you are going to be at the very centre of them.

Make sure to take stock and enjoy planning this amazing event with your loved one, your friends and your family (virtually) by your side.

Wedding Planning Stress? Here’s How To Beat It

Are you suffering from wedding planning stress? Struggling to motivate yourself to just… get on with it? We’ve all been there. There’s just too much to do – and you don’t want to do any of it! Or you do, but you just… kind of… can’t? Well, never fear. Here’s our guide to getting back on track.

The Two-Minute Rule

The two-minute rule is a productivity technique used by high-flyers everywhere. To put it simply: if it’ll take less than two minutes, do it now!

A big reason you might be procrastinating your wedding planning is because you’re overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the task at hand. And we get it! But the two-minute rule means you start with the easiest tasks first – and once you’ve gotten them out the way, it’ll be easier to continue. An object in motion stays in motion unless something stops it, according to Isaac Newton. So does a wedding planner! So once you’ve started, it’ll be easier to continue.

But enough physics. Let’s get back to weddings. Choose an easy task like responding to an email from a photographer or sending an enquiry to a venue (hint: it’s as easy as clicking a button on your Bridebook!) and get that done. Feel the rush of ticking a task off your to-do list… then do another one!

Don’t Wait For Motivation

Waiting for motivation to strike is a risky game to play. We often hear people (*cough* ourselves *cough*) say, “I just don’t feel motivated to – .” But do you think an athlete jumps out of bed every morning, delighted to lace up their running shoes at 5am? Are they beaming as they step out into the cold, knowing everyone else is still tucked up in bed? We’re pretty sure the answer is, “Absolutely not.” Some people are naturally more driven than others but nobody is motivated all the time.

So what’s the athlete’s secret? It’s not that they have motivation – it’s that they have a goal. They know what they need to do – and they do it, regardless of how they feel. No waiting for motivation to strike.

The same goes for you and your wedding planning. Think about your wedding day as the goal. You don’t need to wait for motivation – you’ve got a wedding to plan! These tasks need to be done and no one else is going to do them. In fact, you’re going to do them so well that if those tasks could look at themselves in the mirror, they’d feel foolish because of how well you’re going to do them! You’re going to boss them! You’re going to smash it! Those tasks won’t even know what hit them!

… You get the picture. We might have gotten a little carried away there. Motivation struck.

Little But Often

What’s that? You’re sitting down once a week to face down a forty-task-long to-do list, three pots of coffee and an entire Victoria sponge in hand? Okay, now we get why you don’t want to plan your wedding. But we’ve got a simple solution. Set aside thirty minutes each night. Just thirty minutes. That’s just one rerun of ‘How I Met Your Mother’ worth of planning. Now turn the TV off, get focused and dedicate yourself to your planning. Doesn’t that feel better?

Breaking your planning down into small chunks of time makes it much less daunting than trying to do it all in one mega planning session. Plus, doing it little and often makes it easier to stay on top of everything as you can remember what you did the day before, instead of having to cast your mind back a week or two. Get into a routine and stick to it. Once you see how much progress you’re making, you’ll be on a roll! 

So there you have it: three easy ways to beat the wedding planning blues! We’re sure you’ll have blitzed through your to-do list in no time. And remember – you can always stay on track with your Bridebook checklist. It shows you exactly what you need to do and when you need to do it to have your dream day planned quicker than you can say, “I do!”

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