1. CHOOSE A THEME
Start with a genre – what do you want the overall look and feel of your wedding to be? Vintage? Classic? Elegant? Country? Beach? Boho? Some couples prefer to base their wedding on their favourite film or book.
Dave & Becky’s Beauty & the Beast theme wowed their guests.
2. CHOOSE YOUR COLOURS
What colours are you drawn to? What colours would you like for your bridal party? What colours will your flowers be? Once you know what your key colours are you can begin to select other items in complimentary colours.
3. CREATE AN INSPIRATION BOARD
Begin to cut out magazine pictures and inspiration to make a board either in a wedding folder or on pinterest (which allows you to pin images you find online onto a virtual board). By beginning to do this you will identify what you are drawn to and can begin to source your products.
4. GET SHOPPING
The Range has a good selection of wedding items. You can pick up some bargains on Ebay, Amazon and Wish.com. Many couples consider hiring items for their big day and there are many companies who specialise in this.
5. MAKING FAVOURS YOURSELF CAN BE REWARDING
Many brides say how rewarding it was making their own decorations and favours. In recent years I’ve been so impressed with the wedding range stocked at Hobbycraft. They offer variety of wedding favours, silk flowers and frames to enable you to create personal, memorable wedding decorations.
The traditional favour of five sugared almonds in organiza, tied with a ribbon, given to female guests symbolizing health, wealth, happiness, long life & fertility is still an affordable, popular option. The most well received modern favours I have seen include homemade jams, gin and soap.
The handpainted shells suited Liz & Henry’s wedding on the north norfolk coast.
6. THE MORE PERSONALISED; THE MORE MEMORABLE
The wedding favours that stand out to me are the more personal ones, many of which I still think back to from five years ago. The ones created with love (& often alot of patience!). The hand painted shell’s for place settings at Liz & Henry’s wedding, the hand stitched favours from Glen & Kate’s wedding and the sweet favours at Rowan and Katie’s country wedding to name but a few… My husband and I married in the year of the London olympics and as he is a sports journalist we personalised our wedding tables naming them after sport stars. Not the most romantic of concepts but it was true to us and memorable according to our guests.
7. LOOK AT WHAT YOUR VENUE CAN OFFER
Some venues provide tables, chairs, wine glasses, candles, cutlery, candlebra’s etc included in your hire fee… Other venues require you to make arrangements yourselves. Once you have found your venue and what items you have to work with you can then build upon this. It may be possible to take the flowers from the ceremony room to another room for evening reception for example. If your wedding is taking place outdoors there will be less need for floral decorations if you are surrounded by flowers. If you are lacking inspiration, don’t panic! Ask your venue’s co-ordinator who is likely to have photographs showing examples of how other couples have decorated the space.
8. DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE BOLD WITH COLOURS…
Adding a pop of colour looks great in your wedding photography.
Kriston & Nikki’s wedding cake topper remains one of my favourites, perfectly personal for swim teacher, Kriston.
9. CONSIDER INCORPORATING LOVED ONES WHO COULDN’T BE THERE
Whether it is a reserved chair, a wreath of flowers at the alter of the church, a locket in the brides bouquet or a framed print hanging on the wall of a loved one watching the festivities… it is these little touches that I always remember. We can’t always have our loved ones physically present with us but there are so many ways that they can be incorporated to share in the happiness and joy of the wedding day.
10. DON’T FORGET THE KIDS
If you have children attending your wedding, consider favours for them such as crayons and a small colouring book, bubbles or a small game they can play with. Their parents will forever be grateful!
Finally remember on your wedding day take the time together to go and see the room before your guests come in. Enjoy the sight of all your planning, decisions and hard work creating the perfect backdrop to your day.