In preparation to my LIVE Interview with George from Edinburgh Wedding Directory on Thursday 15th July 2021, you have sent through a number of questions and having reviewed the most frequently asked questions in the past year, I decided to give you a snapshot of answers in my next few paragraphs below.
Are you ready to have your questions answered? Scroll down to check out what I have prepared for you this time in terms of tips and wedding planning hints!
Would you like to have a FREE 1-2-1 personalised consultation with me? Book it instantly at https://theweddingguruoskar.co.uk/wedding-planner/one-hour-wedding-planning-consultation
WHEN SHOULD WE START OUR DAY?
Interestingly, I did cover your wedding day timeline recently in this blogpost - https://theweddingguruoskar.co.uk/wedding-planner/read-me-blog/planning-your-wedding-day-timeline
You should start your timeline from the end of the night and work your timings back.
Here is my quick formula on how to come up with a solution to this question:
Evening Entertainment – length of service? (you’d need to check with your entertainment supplier – on average 4 hours)
Would there be any comfort break after the meal? 30/60 minutes?
Speeches – if 3 x 10 minutes speeches, that’s 30 minutes
Wedding Breakfast – three course is 2 hours
Drinks Reception between 1h30mins to 2 hours (you’d need to check with your photographer)
Wedding Ceremony between 30 minutes to 45 minutes (you’d need to check with your celebrant, officiant or registrar)
Guest arrival from 30/60 minutes prior to ceremony time
Hair and makeup – will depend on the number of girls and the styling planned, an average 1h – 1h30mins per person
HOW DO I PICK A PHOTOGRAPHER?
There are a few ways to do this – you might have already received recommendations or met a photographer you like at another event. If not, do #hashtag search for your venue on Instagram and you’ll come across portfolio of photographers images of your venue.
It is always a good idea to book a call or a Zoom appointment to check on availability, rates and general feeling for your shortlist of photographers – you want to ensure that your photography looks great, but also that you and your guests will feel comfortable.
If you’re in any more doubt – check out recent reviews on Google and listing directories, you might even book an engagement photoshoot first.
If you’re looking for recommendations, why not download My Recommended Suppliers List today?
HOW SHOULD I VET SUPPLIERS?
If you’re new to weddings and feeling a little lost when it comes to booking wedding suppliers – check out my Six Red Flags When Booking a Supplier blog that touches upon what to avoid and look at when booking your suppliers.
You ideally want to work only with reputable suppliers on your wedding day plans, so check out their Google listing and social media. Look out for the length of service, any reviews, comments and recognitions.
Wedding venues and planners will often refer tried and tested suppliers for you to approach and believe me those recommendations comes after years of working relationships, giving you additional warranties when booking.
Are you looking for more hands-on support with booking your venues and suppliers? Have a look at my wedding planning packages – this is something I could organise for you at specially negotiated rates!
HOW DO I PICK MY FLOWERS AND COLOURS?
This is an interesting question! If you’re asking it, you probably don’t have a set theme in mind or you’re looking for suggestions.
Now, if you’re Scottish you might want to check your family tartan colours first and see if they rock your boat… if that’s not the case, why don’t you look outside for what nature has in stock for you in the season of your wedding?
Seasonal flowers are not only perfectly matching to what you’ll observe outside on your wedding day, but they’ll also be a lot better value for money than trying to get peony roses in October 😊
Additionally, you might want to consider your venue colours and any favourite colours you like - the easiest way to identify what you like from the design is to create moodboards of style images. You’ll very quickly make most fitting choices that way?
Are you needing a wedding styling consultation? Book my one-off wedding planning consultation today!
WHEN TO SEND OUR INVITATIONS?
There are many schools of thought on this matter.
My recommendation is that you firstly send your save the date as soon as you’ve booked your venue and set the date!
Invitations that way can be sent in the last 6 to 3 months before the wedding and this is also when you’re most likely to attend your menu tasting. Many couples don’t want to have their tasting too close to the wedding, but there is in fact a reason why venues and caterers encourage you to have your tasting as close to the wedding as possible – you’ll have a fresh recollection of it, you’ll be able to try seasonally fresh ingredients and lastly, stock levels of fresh produce are very unlikely to change in the last three months before your wedding. You must also remember that a menu tasting isn’t so much for choosing your menu, it is rather to discuss your choices with the professional Chef in terms of quantity, flavours and presentation.
Finally, I recommend avoiding big gaps between sending invitations and their RSVP deadline – the more time you give your guests, the less likely they are to deal with it instantly.
Are you looking for advice how to best collect and organise your RSVPs? Chatbox message me today and I’ll provide you with more quick and easy tips!
HOW SOON SHOULD I BOOK MY FINAL WEDDING DRESS ALTERATIONS?
If you’re having your wedding dress bespoke made for you, your designer will schedule these appointments for you automatically, however, if you’re buying off-the-rack or online, you want to ensure you have your alternations booked in advance.
I am being told that alterations might take up to three appointments, first is the longest one, which could take up to an hour and should take place shortly after purchasing/receiving the dress.
Your fittings should normally be scheduled between 12 to 2 weeks before the wedding in incremental milestones.
Dress designers advise against buying too small dress for motivation – it’s easier to take a larger dress in than to let smaller one out.
Are you looking for a wedding dress seamstress recommendation? Chatbox message me today!
WHAT’S THE LEGAL PAPERWORK TIMELINE IN SCOTLAND?
All wedding planning couples need to complete their notices forms and the most common form is called M10.
These notices cost £30 each and you need to submit one for each partner. There is a £10 cost for your marriage certificate, which you can request several duplicates of at £10 each – it’s good to take more then one copy as you might need to send these away to authorities if you’re changing your name following the marriage.
Marriage notices – otherwise known as M10 forms can only be lodged maximum 12 weeks before the wedding and no later than 29 days before the wedding.
Along with these forms, you will need send your birth certificates, any previous divorce decrees (if applicable), proof of address (bank statement or utility bills) and if you fall under immigration rules, you might need to supply proof of your immigration status. If you’re under the immigration rules – you’re best to submit your notices minimum 70 days before marriage.
If you’re looking for more hands-on support with completing your M10 form, book one of my one-off wedding planning consultations today.
HOW TO PICK BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES?
Many couples find this challenging as very rarely will your Bridesmaids/Groomsmaids will be of the same size and shape and have the same tastes.
You might have already heard of the multi-tie dress options – these are ideal if you want to ensure the same colour palette and dress flow, yet give your girls plenty of options for how they want to tie the upper section of the dress – these dresses are made of stretch material, so it’s ideal for a varied size and shape wedding party.
Alternatively, you can try jumpsuits – these are very trendy at the minute and will definitely not upstage the bridal dress, additionally they are very comfortable for dancing and moving about. Most of the time these come with pockets! Added Bonus!
Finally, if you want to give your Bridesmaids plenty of freedom, why not give them one pantone colour to work with so that they are colour matching and only cover what you were planning to spend on their outfits? That way they can do the shopping themselves within your guidelines – it’s a win – win this means less pressure on you and they’ll be happy to pick an outfit that best fits within their style.
Would you be willing to give your Bridesmaids the freedom to pick their own outfits matching your chosen colour and guidelines? Comment “Y” for Yes and “N” for No in the comment boxes below.
HOW TO BEST PLAN GUESTLIST?
If you’re finding this part of your wedding planning challenging – why not consider a couple of guest lists based on priority? If you decide to send your invites early, you might always have time to top up if your Top Priority guest’s respond with “No, I won’t be able to make it.”
If you’re already at the point of allocating your guests to tables, why not get creative? I get it – family politics might be challenging, but this can be fun, trust me!
Draw your tables on a large piece of paper – ideally flip chart size paper and bring stick on tabs - write your guests names on them. You’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll get through this and you can always move people about easily on this plan, if anything changes closer to the time, it’s just as easy as to peel the tab and place on another table – simple 😊
Would you need a hand with organising your tables? Book my one-off wedding planning consultation today!
HOW TO BEST PLAN CATERING FOR THE MORNING OF?
This is so very important! Never underappreciate the importance of eating on the morning of your wedding – your Wedding Breakfast meal is unlikely to be served before dinner time and the last thing you want on your wedding day is to feel feint!
Good base breakfast makes a great start to a busy day!
You might not want to eat a lot such as a fry-up breakfast, but at least ensure you cover your morning catering with plenty of treats – continental buffet breakfast is ideal for that! Plenty fruit, pastries, hams, cheeses, yoghurts and cereals will ensure you’re not feeling bloated, yet you can nibble as the morning preparations get under way.
If you decide to opt in for a fry-up breakfast on the morning of your wedding - ideally you want to ensure this is first thing in the morning, so that you’re not feeling bloated and avoid this breakfast being made where you’re getting ready as the smells will penetrate the room and your outfits!
If you’re looking to book a light packed lunch, make sure it is delivered in plenty of time, so that you’re not eating last minute and already in your dress – you want to avoid any spillages before the ceremony and official photos.
Are you looking for recommendations for catering on the morning of the wedding? Chatbox message me today!
SHOULD WE TAKE WEDDING INSURANCE?
I wish more couples asked me about this pre-Covid, yet statistics say that pre-Covid wedding insurance was rarely taken out, something many of you can’t even imagine starting to plan your wedding without.
As more and more insurers are starting to offer wedding insurance covers and policies, you shouldn’t underestimate this additional protection and not only for the pandemic, but for anything you contract for your wedding! Considering that some covers start from as little as £50.00 it is likely to be the smallest value items on your wedding budget, yet it can save you an awful lot of headache further down the line!
If you cannot take wedding insurance instantly, ensure you remain protected at all times and pay using credit card for additional protection.
Are you looking for advice on wedding insurance? Chatbox message me today!
ANY SUGGESTIONS ON WEDDING MUST HAVE’S?
