Tips for your big day

With several friends getting engaged and planning their special day, I have been thinking about things I would have liked to have known while I was booking and organising things for our wedding. 

Here are a few tips and some things I learned along the way:   

  

* Book your cars/transport in advance – we had issues booking our limo to go to the church because we had left it too late (a month and a half out) to book. If you are getting married in Spring, chances are that a majority of couples getting married are also planning a Spring wedding and will also need cars… so plan ahead and book them three months ahead (that way you can also get the exact car that you want).

* Do a trial photo shoot – we were lucky to have chosen a wonderful Gold Coast-based photographer who offered us everything we were looking for as far as the feel of her photos and her ideas. We had an ‘engagement’ shoot with our photographer, Lauren Ladgrove, who took us up to Burleigh Heads for an afternoon shoot. I thought this was a great idea because once we got these photos back we knew for sure that we wanted to secure her to do our wedding photos as well. It pays to look around because photographers can be expensive and charge you an arm and a leg.  Go to www.laurenjoyphotography.com.au for more info on Lauren.

* Don’t skimp when it comes to bridal shoes – you are going to be standing and posing all day – and it is a loooong day! So make sure you wear comfortable shoes and even have a flat pair as back up that you can slip on at the reception (I didn’t do this and regretted it!). There is nothing worse than feeling uncomfortable when dancing!

* Have a ‘reception dress’ as a back up – my wedding dress was raw silk and incredibly heavy, but I wanted to wear it all day as you only get married once! Well, after our photos were done and we were preparing to head into the reception, how I wished I had a back up dress that was light as a feather to put on! Of course it depends on what material your wedding dress is made of, but if you know it’s heavy, it pays to have something much lighter and easier to dance in that you can change in to.

* Book in for hair and makeup trials – I had three hair trials and one makeup trial. If you have an event to go to, use this as an excuse to get these done – that way you can trial which looks you like and know which ones don’t go so well with your overall wedding vision. I used Mia Connor from the makeup bar for my makeup and she was amazing www.miaconnor.com/

* Don’t drink too much on the day/night – you want to remember every detail of your wedding, so don’t get drunk and sloppy! I had one or two glasses before our church ceremony and then probably only four glasses at the reception (enough to relax and take the edge off while still being able to enjoy yourself). My husband did the same thing too – we were both very well behaved!

* Don’t stress over the guest list – I agonised over this and I wish that I hadn’t. People understand if they aren’t invited, after all, it is your special day and it’s not like it’s just a casual barbecue that every man and his dog turns up to. We invited 116 people and we had 108 turn up and 20 of those people were friends (we have big families). Remember, don’t feel the pressure to invite your mother-in-law’s BFF or your 13 cousins that you see once every ten years – think about who you really want there and invite them.

* Boys need help with their suits – don’t just assume that your groom and the groomsmen are on track with their organising (however small their list is compared to yours). I went out with my husband and looked at styles of suits and shirts that were in keeping with our colour scheme and theme of the day. Your opinion is valid and it helps keep the boys on their toes. Even if you call ahead and make a few appointments for them to try on suits at a few department stores, all they have to do is turn up and you can rest assured that you’ve got the ball rolling for them.

* Make sure your mother’s outfit is secured – my poor mum… she had her amazing George Gross gown, which fit her tiny size 8 frame like a glove, sold by an incompetent sales assistant at David Jones. Mum had it on hold as it had to have some repairs done and the silly cow just went and sold it to someone else. After what felt like a thousand phone calls to track another down (there wasn’t one) the head office said they would tailor make the same dress for my mum, and after she was measured up, her one-of-a-kind dress was delivered only two weeks before the wedding. It all worked out in the end (thank god!).


* Have your mum or a bridesmaid with you when you go to your final dress fitting. You need to have them there so that they can see exactly how to do your dress up for you on the big day. Get them to ask any questions and be patient if they have to be shown how to do this more than once. I can’t stress this point enough! 

* A white rose is never as white as you want it. It’s just a fact – don’t get upset over it because if you are having a white dress (like I did) your white roses will look slightly cream against it. There is nothing you can do to avoid this, unless you are wearing an ivory or cream gown. Coloured roses are a good option, but it’s custom for a bride to usually go with white roses.

* Ask lots of questions and put everything in writing!

* Go and have a cake tasting – we went with Yenmart on the Gold Coast and they were incredible and gave us so many options. You need to check the dietary requirements of your guests if you plan on serving your cake as dessert (we did this and had gluten free and allergy free options for a couple of guests). Go to http://www.yenmart.com.au/index1.html for more info. 

Our incredible cake - it was amazing!

* Consider people travelling from interstate and overseas, as well as elderly guests. You may need to make specific plans for these people so keep them in mind.     

* Keep a small clutch bag with a bridesmaid or family member with tissues, lip gloss, blotting paper, pain killers, bobby pins, tampons, bandaids and lollies (to keep your blood sugar up) on hand. Also keep water close by and make sure you eat something (no matter how nervous you feel) before you get ready. You need energy to survive – it’s a long day!

* Don’t feel pressured to do the garter routine – I didn’t do it because frankly I think it is tacky and unnecessary. Just because other brides do it doesn’t mean you have to. I don’t regret not doing it one bit!

* Remember to thank your guests on the night – take the time to go around to each table and say hi to everyone and thank them personally for being there for you and your new husband.


* Prepare a few words to say during speeches, even if you didn’t plan on saying something. I was roped into a last minute speech and didn’t prepare anything (which was okay because I spoke from the heart) but it pays to think of a few things just in case.

* Confirm bookings and have final meetings the week of the wedding. It will help you rest peacefully at night!

* It goes fast so enjoy every part of your big day. Try not to let nerves get the better of you – remember it is you and your man and it’s a celebration – there is no need to feel stressed!

Us having our first dance as wife and husband