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Your Wedding Countdown

A couple of Wedding Day Tips to help you plan your big day

So you said ‘I do’…  What is next?

As a seasoned wedding photographer I have seen how easy it is for a bride to get caught up in the stresses of organizing a wedding. When planning a wedding advice can never be too much so I have compiled a guide to help you, the bride and the groom, plan the most important day you’ll ever get to arrange together. Listed here you will find the essential elements in the countdown to the wedding date.  Organize everything in advance with the help of family, friends and professionals, will make your wedding day go down smoothly.

My BIGGEST wedding tip and the most significant piece of advice would be….. enjoy this adventure that you will be embarking on together as you lead into a new season of your lives.

One Year Before Your Wedding:

  • Firstly, set the date and arrange a time with the priest, minister or registrar.  The person responsible for getting you married.
  • Discuss all the detail in full with the person that will be performing the ceremony.
  • Decide on a budget together and stick to it.
  • Remember to suit the ceremony to both your personal tastes and wishes.
  • Determine the type of ceremony and reception.  And also how many guests will be attending.
  • Select the venue of your choice and arrange a meeting with the people in charge to go over particulars.
  • The same goes for hotels, the catering company and musicians who will be performing at the reception.
  • Plan your wedding cake, cars, photographer and florist. Good wedding photographers (and other wedding professionals) could easily be booked 1 year in advance
  • Think about wedding attire, particularly your bridal dress, colours, fabrics and accessories.
  • Consider also the fact that you would likely want a colour scheme and style that carries through the day, so talk to your dressmaker, florist and caterer.
  • Arrange for a pre-marriage course of your choice.  Get to know one another’s expectations, dreams, hopes and fears.
  • Start thinking about your honeymoon.

Six Months Before The Wedding: 

  • Now is a good time to think of your wedding stationary, cake boxes and wedding favors.
  • Discuss the order of events with the person who will be performing the ceremony and decide on service sheets for the guests.
  • Go over your wedding menu with the caterers / hotelier.
  • Decide on a wedding present list.
  • Finalize choice of rings.
  • If necessary, plan inoculations for your destination honeymoon.
  • Arrange Visas, Passports etc.
  • What will you need on your honeymoon, what is the weather like there, what should you pack in? Think of these things as you get closer to…

Three Months Before The Wedding: 

  • Make sure you have all the appropriate pre-marriage documents and certificates in order.
  • Meet with florist to finalize details regarding your colour scheme.
  • Settle on the final guest list and have invitations sent out, remember to keep careful track of replies.
  • Choose gifts for the best man, bridesmaids and attendants.
  • Arrange accommodation for attendants and advise travelling guests the rates of your hotel.

One Month Before The Wedding:

  • Organize the final fittings for your bridal dress and for the bridesmaids’ dresses.
  • Double check all the accommodation requirements for your family, guests and photographers & D.J’s (should they be traveling a long distance to get to your wedding).
  • On the day of your final fittings make sure all the bridesmaids are wearing the shoes that they intend on wearing for the big day.
  • Finalize fittings for the groom and best man/ men.
  • At this point you want to have done a hair and make-up rehearsal.  If you are going to wear a head dress on your wedding day bring it along to the rehearsal for an expert opinion.
  • Decide on seating arrangements for the church and the reception.
  • Plan the wedding rehearsal with the priest, minister or registrar.  Whoever will be leading the ceremony.
  • Consider a good healthy diet for the next few weeks, you will need all the energy you can muster with all the running around you will be doing.

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A Fortnight To Your Wedding Day: 

  • Now is the time to finalize your honeymoon and everything that revolves around it; passports, visas, travellers’ cheques, insurance.  Any documentation you would need should be done now as to avoid any confusion later on.
  • Give the hotelier the approximate number of guests to expect at the reception.
  • Plan the table setting, place cards and linen.
  • Finalise details with the florist, photographer and the catering company.
  • Make sure your dress fits correctly and all is comfortable enough.

A Week To Go: 

  • Have the wedding rehearsal.
  • Nominate someone to care for your dress and the groom’s outfit after the wedding.
  • Wrap all the gifts for the bridesmaids, best man and attendants.
  • Best man should arrange all the fess for the church or registrar, as well as for the musicians.
  • Do one last check on all documentation for the honeymoon, then;
  • Give all the documentation to the responsible person for safe keeping.

Two Days Before The Wedding: 

  • Confirm your conclusive list of guests to the Venue.
  • Make sure all is in order regarding the cake and flowers and the transport to and from your reception.

The Day Before: 

  • Luxuriate in a manicure and pedicure, a long hot bath and an early night.

The Big Day: 

  • Relax.
  • Have a wholesome breakfast.
  • Get your hair and make up done.
  • Allow for plenty of time to reach the church or registrar.
  • Have a fantastic day and permit yourself the indulgence that you deserve.