You have just been proposed to, you said yes and then you think ‘Where do I start?!’ Planning your wedding can be an overwhelming experience. Here is a 12 month wedding checklist which you can follow leading up to the months of your wedding day. Everything from hiring your venue, buying your wedding and ordering your wedding flowers just to stop your mind from going overload!

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12 Months Before Your Wedding Day

Announce that you’re engaged
Choose/ Resize your engagement ring
Determine the colours, style and theme of your wedding
Make a list of what is important to both of you for the wedding, this will help with your plan your budget
Discuss the budget for the wedding and who will pay for which parts
Finalise a wedding date and start searching for a wedding venue
Find a wedding officiant or celebrant (the person who will marry you) and apply for any necessary licence’s

 

9 To 11 Months Before the Wedding Begin your search for vendors:

Formal Suit Hire
Bridal Gown
Photographer
Reception Entertainment i.e Live Band, DJ, Disco, Entertainers
Videographer
Catering or Buffet Stations
Wedding Transport
Florist
Venue Decoration/Chair Covers
Hair and Beauty Stylist
Shoes and Accessories
Wedding Lingerie
Bridesmaid Dresses
Wedding Cake
If the vendors are available on your chosen date book them IMMEDIATELY!
Get as much inspiration for your wedding day as possible, visit wedding fairs, look online and through bridal magazines
Finalise your wedding colours, theme and style
Compile a preliminary guest list
Choose your maid of honour, bridesmaids, best-man, ushers, flower girl and ring bearer and ensure they are aware of their duties
Begin looking at honeymoon destinations and discuss where you both would like to go, make sure you check the weather first!
Choose and purchase your wedding rings

 

6 To 8 Months Before the wedding

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Send out your 'Save The Dates'
Start planning ceremony and reception music choices
Finalise all purchases of your wedding gown, veil, shoes and accessories
Start looking at invitation designs
Create gift lists and honeymoon donations
Finalise and purchase attire for your attendants

 

4 To 5 Months Before the Wedding

Order Wedding stationery (invitations, envelopes, order of service, place cards etc)
Contact your florist and finalise any arrangements
Book your wedding transport
Start looking and buying wedding reception decorations including favours
Book a cake tasting session and choose your wedding cake design
Arrange accommodation for guests who are travelling far (book hotel rooms nearby)

 

3 Months Before The Wedding

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Finalise your guest list
Order your Wedding Cake
Choose gifts for your attendants and parents
Start writing your wedding vows, if you are doing them yourself
Confirm all your honeymoon arrangements
Make arrangements for the groom and male members of the wedding party to have a suit fitting
Meet with your officiant or celebrant to discuss details of the wedding ceremony
Book a hotel room for your honeymoon night

 

2 Months Before The Wedding

If you are changing name, complete any formal documents
Finalise music selections for the ceremony and wedding reception
Meet with officiant or celebrant to finalise all the ceremony details
Send out your wedding invitations
Meet with your vendors to finalise arrangements and times
Schedule a hair and makeup trial with a consultant
Start making or buying wedding favours and disposable cameras

 

1 Month Before the Wedding

Make sure your guests have returned their RSVP’s and start working on your seating plan
Meet with your photographer/ videographer and provide a list of required shots and discuss any details
Decide and confirm your wedding vows and ensure your officiant or celebrant has been sent copies
Arrange for a final wedding dress fitting and make sure your bridesmaid dresses fit
Confirm Honeymoon reservations
Collect the marriage licence
Confirm all final payment amounts with your wedding vendors as well as times and dates etc

 

2 Weeks Before the Wedding

Confirm the delivery time and locations with florist and any hired services
Contact any guests you have not received an acceptance from
Confirm and create a seating chart

 

1 Week Before the Wedding

Collect wedding gown, bridesmaid dresses, flower girl dresses and all the accessories
Reconfirm everything with any outstanding vendors
Make sure the men have their final suit fitting
Give final guest numbers to the venue, reception venue and caterer

 

1 Day Before

Invite all the guests who are part of the ceremony for a rehearsal if you are having one
Confirm all the wedding transport
Have your manicure and pedicure and treat yourself to a back massage and facial to relieve any pre wedding stress
Confirm any outstanding duties required with the wedding party
Try to get an early night and relax!

 

The Big Day!

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Try and have something to eat and drink, it’s going to be a long day!
Have your hair and make up done
Begin dressing two hours before ceremony is scheduled to begin
Have any pre wedding photographs taken
Get married and enjoy the day!

 

Post Wedding Day

If you are leaving for your honeymoon straight after the wedding day then you will need make a few more arrangements prior to the wedding day:

D&M (30-08-14)178 Make sure all hired formal attire such as suits have been returned the next working day in good order to the supplier. (Perhaps ask someone reliable to take care of this task such as the best man or a member of the wedding party)
Make the venue is aware of any table decorations or chair covers that have been hired for the wedding from florists or venue decoration companies. Ensure they are stored safely for collection to ensure any refundable deposits are returned.
Ensure thank you notes for any gifts, thank you cards or donations are sent out no later than 3 months after your wedding date.

 

Marriage Tips

810_3812(c)Bells Wedding Photography Ahead of approaching nuptials or even if you are married already. It's natural to wonder about our collective wisdom on marriage and how to find advice that escapes the usual traps of cliche, triviality and overgeneralisation. Something smarter than, “Never go to bed angry.” Something that doesn’t read like the latest diet fad. So here's a useful collection of marriage tips from sex researchers to grandmothers:

 

Compliments complement

Couples who regularly give each other affective affirmation - meaning compliments, help and support, encouragement and subtle nonsexual rewards, such as hand holding are generally more content. Men crave affective affirmation more than women, because women typically get it from people other than their husbands.

 

Forget about the dirty dishes

Happy couples talk to each other frequently - not about their relationship, but about other things. Set aside ten minutes every day to talk about anything other than work, family, the household or the relationship. Pretend the household bills have already been paid, the in-laws already called - just for ten minutes. Ask her what her favourite movie is, and why. Ask him to recall a happy memory from childhood. Ask her what she’d like to be remembered for. This small change infuses relationships with new life.

 

Stay on your toes

When couples say they are in a relationship rut or feel bored, they are less happy over time. So escape the rut by mixing things up. The changes can be small, but they have to upset the routine enough to make him or her sit up and take notice.

Similarly, couples should be doing novel things together. Novelty drives up the dopamine system in the brain and can help to sustain feelings of romantic love.

 

Marriage is like a credit card

Sustain your ‘positive illusions' about your significant other. When you begin to feel irritated at your partner, instead of reviewing everything you don’t like, turn your thoughts to all the good things about him or her.

Newlyweds automatically know how to speak to the positive and make each other feel special and valued. The more enduring the marriage, the more you’ll find yourself noticing and speaking about what you don’t like. No one can survive in a marriage, at least not happily, if they feel more judged than admired.

Relationships, like the economy, run on credit. This means that both 'giving credit,' or expressing gratitude, for the things your partner does that make your life easier, things we often take for granted and 'advancing credit' by assuming that your partner has good intentions and would like to step up to the plate, rather than assuming that you need to be overbearing him or her in order to get what you need.

 

Bridal Make-Up Tips: The 10 Do's And

Don'ts You NEED To Pay Attention To

You've got the dress sorted, now it's time to think about wedding beauty. Here are 20 bridal make-up tips to make sure you look flawless on your big day.
 

Do:

1. Make sure you have your trial at least three weeks, but no more than 5 weeks, before your wedding. If you plan on using fake tan for the big day, have a test run before your make-up trial so that your artist can see what colour your skin becomes with the tan.

2. Wear a white t-shirt if you’re having your make-up test in a store so that you can see how the make-up looks against a pale colour and take a picture of yourself in day light (with no flash) to see how it looks before you purchase anything.

3. Emphasize your eyes by brightening any darkness under them with corrector and concealer.

4.Bring references to your make-up trial. Start looking for images of make-up that you really like and bring them with you on the day. Try to identify what it is you like about the make-up in the image and take into account that if you have the skin colour of Dita Von Teese then the make-up of Kim Kardashian won't necessarily translate onto you.

5. Remember that bridal make-up needs to have enough colour to compensate for the whiteness of the dress. There’s a big difference between everyday clothes and a wedding dress, so there should be difference in your make-up, too. Start by making sure your skin looks even and smooth, and then add colour to your cheeks and lips to give them a glow.

6. Use individual eyelashes – they’re a brilliant way to make your eyes stand out and look far more subtle than a full strip. Go for differing lengths to create a really natural fluttery look and nestle them in between your natural lashes rather than fixing them on top.

7. Focus on the most important elements of your look, such as beautifully natural-looking skin, softly groomed brows and feathery lashes. If you get these basic factors right the rest of your make-up will fall into place.

8. Research application methods as they might differ slightly from your everyday make-up routine. For example, if you prefer to line with a shadow, make it last longer by applying it with a slightly damp eyeliner brush.

9. Go pro. The best wedding make-up should last as long as you do, so that it will see you through your wedding day and night.

10. Finish your make-up off with a highlighter shade on the browbone to make the eyes really pop. Go for a light matte shade, and pat onto the outer corner of the brow bone so subtly draw attention to this area of your face.

Don't: 

1. Have your make-up test done anywhere with overhead fluorescent lighting. If you have a professional make-up artist coming to your home, arrange a time when it’s still daylight outside.

2. Let a make-up artist hijack your look. For a lot of people, their wedding is a time when they can really take pleasure in having someone else do their make-up, there can be a temptation to just indulge in the experience and take on all sorts of suggestions from the make-up artist - someone who may not know you or how you like to look particularly well. Be cautious here; you don't want to surprise your intended at the altar by turning up looking like someone else. Whether you're hiring a make-up artist or doing your own, the best bridal make-up is simply the most exquisitely polished version of how the bride usually looks - after all, you want to look beautiful rather than your make-up. 

3. Trowel it on. It’s a total myth that your make-up has to be plastered on for the photographs. Lots of wedding photography is done in natural light, and if you choose a heavy base the make-up will look obvious. In terms of flash, you just need to ensure that your T Zone is matte and that can be achieved with fine translucent powders and blotting powders, not layers of make-up.

4. Go for anything too trend-led. It's worth bearing in mind that you'll have to live with photos from your wedding for the rest of your life, so it's best to avoid statement looks and opt for something more classic; that glittery eyeliner you saw on a Parisian catwalk might look super pretty and modern now, but chances are it'll look tired and dated in twenty years' time. This isn't to say that you'll have to make yourself up in a symphony of beiges though if you're used to a more punchy make-up - vintage wedding dresses in particular can look breathtaking with a classic old Hollywood lipstick colour.

5. Be scared of going a bit brighter. Neutral, brown, and pale lip colours can look washed out in photographs, so choose a lipstick that’s one or two shades brighter than what you would normally wear. If you usually wear a neutral hue, it should be worn as a base, with a pink or rose colour on top. If you typically wear dark lipstick, use that as the base, and apply a brighter pink on top to give the colour a lift. Pinks, roses and plums are all great, classic choices for brides.

6. Just apply make-up to your face. Instead, extend down your neck and over your shoulders if necessary, this will ensure you face is not a different colour or even texture to your body. Everything should look uniform to create the most natural look possible. An easy way to blend uneven skin tones together is to use a light fake tan. Do this the day before your wedding not the night and beware of darkening your skin tone too much as the effect it actually the deaden the look of your complexion.

7. Forget to decide what kind of maintenance you’d prefer for the day. For example, are you happy to check you're looking okay throughout the day, or do you want to just forget about your make-up once it's on? Waterproof mascara is an obvious requisite, but it's also worth considering cream eyeshadows that really set - you can be sure they'll stay where you put them.

8. Go too dark on the eyes. Define your eyes by applying colour in the crease, but avoid using a shade that’s too dense, as it can detract from the eyes themselves. 

9. Go too glossy or too matte. It's best to avoid lipsticks at either end of the texture scale; too glossy and they'll only last five minutes whilst too matte and they may leave your lips dry and cakey by the time it's the moment to kiss your groom. A moisturising, satin-y finish lipstick is best for a wedding - this kind of formula will keep your lips looking their best and will wear off the most evenly and naturally; several thin layers, blotted between applications will give the most long-lasting finish.

10. Rush. Allow at least 45 minutes to an hour for make-up application on the wedding day.

 

Top Tips For Grooms On How To Dress On Their Wedding Day

Being a wedding photographer for a number of years now, I can see how important finding the perfect dress is for the bride. It’s a rite of passage and an exciting part of the wedding that takes months (or let’s be honest, years) of planning for many.

But what about the groom?! It’s quite hard to convince your ushers to put their pints down at the pub and come clothes shopping with you. (I think there might be a business idea in trying on clothes with cold beer on tap - I think I would call it Kegs and Kegs). Anyway, most of us leave it until four weeks before. But that's a truly panic mode a ploy.

So here is what the groom needs to consider:

1) Morning suits...

First you need a morning suit! With luck, you will have a sunny day and it might be very hot, so opt for light-weight wool-blend single pleat grey stripe morning trousers.

a) For absolute top of the range, Scabal on Savile Row can work within an incredibly tight time-scale. Its made-to-measure service starts at £1,200 for a 2-piece or £1,400 for delivery within two weeks using its express service. It owns its own production service so they can do bespoke in a relatively short amount of time if needs be. You are able to pick not only the fabric but also whether you want wider or more narrow lapels, the lining, the pocket height, the button height etc.

b) For the more budget conscious, Welsh & Jefferies & Weatherill Brothers are a superb option and they are only 35 mins outside of London. They have been making morning suits for 150 years and they make the uniforms for Eton, but it is not just the old Etonians who love them! They are the quality of any top tailor but are 70 per cent cheaper. An off the peg traditional herringbone morning tail coat in pure, lightweight wool is £298, including alterations, and traditional striped morning suit trousers are £85. You can choose your stripe although off the peg patterns are limited.

2) Adding some colour…

The waistcoat is where we can have some fun! Think about the colours that suit you best - ask your Mother?! Don’t go for anything too garish. It needs to be timeless. You can always have a fairly neutral fronted waistcoat with a really bright back, to be revealed on the dance floor! You need to choose between double and single-breasted - double breasted are more in-fashion currently, and can be more flattering. David Saxby in Fulham use the best materials and trimmings, and they have their own factory so again they can work within a tight time-frame. Off the peg and made to measure is the same price, £175 for single breasted and £195 for double.

Your tie should be chosen at the same time as your waistcoat. Harrods have an unrivalled selection from top brands including Brioni, Canali and Stefano Ricci. Harrods' own brand ties are also fabulous. There is every colour under the sun on the colour wheel. Definitely go for real silk - it is worth the investment, but bear in mind whether you want to give matching ties to your best man and/or ushers, and factor that in.

3) Don’t forget your shirt…!

For a dashing, crisp white dress shirt head to Hermes. If you can’t get to the shops you can order online and they deliver within 48 hours. Again it is all about the detail and you get what you pay for with shirts - Hermes has gorgeous mother of pearl buttons and box pleat plackets, and Barrel cuffs with a signature palladium plated "Clou de Selle” button. A shirt from there is an investment. Alternatively M&S has a wide range of affordable dress shirts.

4) The finishing touches...

In the same way that brides wear family tiaras or jewellery, why not ask your relatives about borrowing a pair of cufflinks? There is something very special about wearing something that ancestors have also worn on their wedding day. If you fancy treating yourself to a new pair though, I would recommend Kiki McDonough, Aspinal of London or Hackett.