leap year

Your ceremony reading recommendations by The Wedding Guru Oskar

YOUR CEREMONY READING RECOMMENDATIONS

by The Wedding Guru Oskar

Before we get started with my ceremony readings recommendations, I wanted to let you know about my weekly Facebook Lives Interviews with my expert guest speakers on Thursdays at 6pm.

If you’ve missed my previous sessions - you can access them all on my YouTube channel by clicking on the image above.

All my Facebook Live Interviews are streamed live on Thursdays at 6pm on my Facebook Page and in my Facebook Group - follow the links to subscribe.

Wedding Planner

As it stands, in majority of cases, only small marriage registrations and ceremonies are permitted at the moment and there’s quite a few couples I’ve been working with recently on their intimate ceremony arrangements.

This is why, I thought to share with you some of my ceremony reading recommendation in the following paragraphs.

Have you picked your ceremony readings already? Or have you got a favourite reading in mind?

Feel free to share your ideas in the comments below to help other couples with inspiration.

Wedding Planner

The first recommendation that I would like to propose is a reading from Stephen Curtis Chapman – “I will be here”.

What do you think about this reading option?

Let me know in the comments below.

Wedding Planner

The second recommendation that I would like to share with you is “Maybe” by an Unknown author.

It is a lovely tale about how varied ways love can be found.

Have you found your favourite reading yet? Comment YES in the comment box below.

Wedding Planner

In this paragraph, I would like to bring to you a reading from Jim Reeves – “I love you because”.

It’s almost an ode to the reasons why we love - it can help you voice your gratitude for the one you love in your ceremony.

Have you considered this type of reading for your ceremony?

Wedding Planner

Are you a fan of books, films and music/song lyrics?

Well… I’m not sure if you knew already, but you can also incorporate them into your ceremonies.

How about “Les Miserable” by Victor Hugo?

I find this reading having so much depth to why we love – what do you think?

Wedding Planner

You might have also noticed that I am sucker for an inspirational quote and if you can’t decide on a full reading, why not research your favourite quotes on love?

When I was younger, I used to hold a journal of my favourite quote which still sit proudly in my Mum’s book cabinets.

One quote from this journal remains my favourite to this day and it is from AA Milne – “Winnie the Pooh”.

Don’t you just love it?

Wedding Planner

Another reading I would like to propose to you is “Love” by Roy Croft.

It is such a beautiful reading – don’t you think?

It almost an ode of gratitude to the one we love – it could make a beautiful start or end to the wedding ceremony in my opinion – what do you think?

Wedding Planner

Finally, I would like to go down the memory lane to my own wedding in 2018 and this is a yet another proof that you don’t need to stick to poetry if it doesn’t feel right for your special day.

We’ve decided to start our ceremony with an extract from “Nightmare before Christmas” – it just felt like us and made the perfect entrance to the vows we were about to exchange.

What do you think of this choice? If you would like some help with the choice of readings for your ceremony, speak to your celebrant or wedding planner – we’ve got plenty suggestions at the ready for you!

Wedding Planner

Lastly, I would also like to share one more piece for your reading list – “Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns.

Our wedding overall was rich in our two cultures and infused into all areas of our wedding day. This is why the reading from Robert Burn felt right again and allowed us to pay respects to the Scottish heritage of our friends and family.

Once again, this piece has a very ode like feeling to it, don’t you think?

If there’s any other readings you’ve used or like to recommend to the couples following my page – pop them in the comments below or send me a message in the forms below.

Wedding Planner

Effective ways to plan your wedding guest list - by The Wedding Guru Oskar!

EFFECTIVE WAYS TO PLAN YOUR WEDDING GUEST LIST

table plan

In response to one of the most recent requests on how to plan your guest list, I decided to come up with my own outlook on how you can best tackle this daunting for many task.

In the following paragraphs I am sharing with you my top tips on planning a guest list.

As always, feel free to share your own opinions in the comments below as we all might have different and just as useful approaches.

START EARLY

wedding planning

For those of you that already know me and follow me for a while – you might be right – it’s to START it EARLY!

I don’t believe any of you would want to start wedding planning without knowing who your wedding guests are.

Additionally, having this list started before you’ve even approached any suppliers or venues can become very useful for many reasons including budgeting, venue and supplier’s suitability, catering etc., etc.

The reality is with most things in wedding planning that the more work you do early, the easier things will get closer to your wedding day and ultimately, knowing your guest list inside out, will help you design your wedding day better.

Have you started your wedding planning with a guest list first?

THE SPLIT

guestlist

The next thing I would focus on in planning your guest list is to divvy up the split between yourselves and your family, especially if your parents or family are supporting your wedding efforts financially.

It might also be important to discuss this element early, so that you understand the scale of your wedding, set the expectations of numbers each person can invite and only consider those venues, suppliers and caterers that can accommodate for your numbers.

I’ve been there! Many families want to invite all those important to them guests, however, the reality of budgets, venue capacities and catering can be a lot different, this is why, it is important to ensure you’ve all agreed on your split early on, in order to avoid disappointment further down the line.

Do you find conversations with the family about your wedding a little overwhelming? I’ve been there too! Everyone has their opinion, right? But, is everyone right? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

LIST A & LIST B

wedding guest list

My next tip for managing your guest list is to have two wedding guests lists… and you might think – why do I need two guest lists? Allow me to explain the logic behind this for you…

LIST A will include all those guests that are a must at your wedding, and therefore you might want to send those invitations early.

LIST B on the other hand, is for those guests that you might really want to invite to the wedding, but due to budget constraints or venue capacity limitation you physically cannot. This is also why, you might want to send your LIST A invitations early, so that should you receive any declined RSVPs from this list, you might want to start inviting your guests in the order of importance from your LIST B without upsetting anyone.

What do you think of this idea? Let me know in the comments below.

POLITE RESPONSE

wedding planner

 This next tip might come in very handy as you are meeting people who you haven’t invited to your wedding and they have “expected” an invitation.

This might come up in conversations as you attend other family, work or friend’s events in the lead up to your special day – after all, everyone will know you’re getting married.

It is important to have a polite response why you’ve been unable to invite them, and you don’t want to upset them.

Should they challenge you with this question, make them feel like you really wanted to invite them, but you simply couldn’t. Making them feel like you were cutting them out, might not go down as well…

How about: “We really wanted to celebrate with absolutely everyone – wouldn’t that be fun? It is because of our venue limitations; we’ve had to keep things smaller than we initially wanted and we’ve just fallen in love with the place!”

Would you have any other suggestions? Share them in the comments below.

CHILDREN

wedding guest list

 Including or not including children to your wedding is always a hot topic and I can understand why you might be having this dilemma.

The reality is that you don’t have to have children at your wedding, but you must make this decision very early on and make it crystal clear if you’ve decided not to have children at your wedding.

Some couples advise of this in Save the Date cards, meaning that families can make early arrangements for childcare and this does not come to them as a surprise if your invitations are only sent out a few months before your wedding date.

If you decide to invite children to attend your wedding, your next task will be to figure out how you’re going to keep them amazed, entertained and occupied – simply catering for them will not do the trick I’m afraid!

EVENING GUESTS

wedding evening guests

Guest list planning might also involve considering evening reception guests for some couples.

Once again, this will very much depend on your budgets and venue capacities, so you might want to make this decision quite early on.

Most of the time those invitations are reserved for your work collages or plus ones if you’re limited in capacity for your daytime celebrations.

Would you consider inviting evening guests to your wedding? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

TABLE PLANNING

room layout table plan

The next step you would like to make in planning your guest list is to arrange it into tables.

To help you with that, you might want to ask for a sample room layout from your venue, so that you know where the tables go and in what order you want to seat your guests from your top table – if you are having one.

There are many table planning services out there, including My Scotland Wedding who can help you with that, easily and effectively.

The reasons behind doing it earlier rather than at the point of RSVPs deadline is that within the last month prior to your wedding, you’ll have many confirmations to make and your pre-organised table plan which will only need small adjustments at that point, will be one less thing you’ll need to worry about.

Statistically, your numbers will only change by up to 10% at the point of your RSVPs, so it makes sense to get yourself organised early.

More importantly, I’ve heard many couples saying that table planning is a time-consuming task and you don’t want to leave it to the last minute. It’s not about physically adding guests to tables (because that’d be easy) and more about making sure that your tables work in terms of capacity, table dynamics, family politics, etc.

Would you rather plan your tables early, or would you choose to wait until you get your RSVPs? Let me know in the comments below.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

dietary requirements

When planning your guest list you will also need to consider your guests dietary and special requirements.

The reason why I haven’t only used dietary requirements is that your guests might have other requirements that it is important to 1) acknowledge and 2) accommodate for within your venue or setup.

All caterers nowadays can cater for all dietary requirements, so don’t worry about communicating those to them and they will ensure you guests are well looked after.

RSVP SUBMISSIONS

rsvp

My next tip on planning for your guest list relates mostly to online RSVP software, although can also relate to paper RSVPs too.

There are many RSVP management software providers out there these days, however, what is often forgotten about (and I’ve seen this many times), they are not always set to one response per submission, meaning that you might end up with a one submission for the entire family and then you’re left which checking who that “vegetarian guest” is in this and many other submissions… make sure you check the setting in advance of sending out the link to your guests.

This can also apply to paper RSVPs and the best way to avoid this happening, is to send out individually named RSVPs. This also reinstates exactly who has been invited to the wedding – remember the tip about not inviting children or not, this could work as a reminder.

Have you heard of multiple RSVP submissions per form before? Let me know in the comments below.

MENU

wedding menu

Another thing you might want to consider adding to your guest list plan is to send out your menu or the link to it in your invitation.

This will avoid guests changing their mind on the day of the wedding if you have opted for a set menu and will allow them to select the alternative option suitable for dietary requirements – this makes things a lot more organised in advance of your special day.

Additionally, this is particularly important if you’re planning for a choice menu – again one submission per form is critical here too!

Would you add anything else to your invitations to ensure everyone is catered and accommodated for? Let me know in the comments below.

DEADLINE

rsvp deadline

Setting a deadline for your invitations for 2-1 months before your wedding, will give you more time to organise them clearly.

This deadline will also give you the time for chasing late responses and organising your table plan before you need to focus on the final confirmations for your wedding in the last few weeks before the big date.

Would you agree with this deadline?

UPDATES

wedding table plan

Your next step after receiving your RSVPs would be to update your tables plan.

If you have been organised as previously advised in my latest posts, you should have your guests provisionally added to tables already.

This should mean small alterations rather than starting from scratch and from a long large list of guests and taking into consideration all other aspects of good table planning.

If you would like to find out more about how to manage your wedding planning time more effectively, follow this link for my FREE 3 step guide.

CHANGES

wedding invitation

Finally, if you have followed my guest list planning tips lately, you will already know that I like a no-hassle approach for my couples and therefore my last tip for you is not to discuss or share your final table plan with anyone in the lead up to your big day!

This will prevent from last minute headaches caused by guests “politely requesting” to be seated elsewhere because of XYZ reasons.

These last-minute changes are the last thing you need when you’re finalising everything else for your special day and you’ve already worked so hard in making sure you’ve considered everyone by this point.

Now, it’s time for you to enjoy your special day and see your guests having a great time! You’ve done a cracking job! Well done! Now, go and enjoy it all!

wedding testimonial feedback review

Bridal Preparation Advice by The Wedding Guru Oskar

BRIDAL PREPARATION ADVICE BY THE WEDDING GURU OSKAR

Wedding Planner

Many Brides often wonder how the morning of their wedding could look like and although it might often seem like an organised chaos, there’s a few things you can consider in preparation to your special day.

Over the next few paragraphs, I will be bringing to you a list of things that will make this process easier and more relaxed, so that you can enjoy this moment of pampering before your all-important marriage ceremony.

Is there any part of the morning of the wedding you’re most concerned about or looking forward to?

Let me know your thoughts on this subject in the comments below – the more the merrier and many Brides might find your personal opinion useful!

Wedding Planner

LIST OF JOBS

My number one advice is to create a list of jobs which you can delegate to your Maid of Honour, Bridesmaids, your Groom-to-be, Best Man, Ushers, Parents, etc.

You won’t be able to do it all by yourself and you don’t have to! There’s a reason why you’ve selected these important people to give you a helping hand on the most important day of your life!

Trust me, they’ll also love having the responsibility and being involved.

It might also be a good idea to have these lists printed for them and given out on the morning of the wedding.

Wedding Planner

GOOD NIGHT SLEEP

This applies to Brides or Grooms, having stag dos or hen dos on the night prior to your wedding is definitely not a good idea, nor is it staying up late, and although you might have a lot going through your head, try and relax and put your head to rest at a reasonable time.

Your wedding day goes fast but it is also a long day with most preparations starting around 8am.

There are many solutions that might help you relax on the night prior to your wedding such as essential oils, relaxing music or ambient lighting.

Have you got any suggestions on how best to relax before your sleep? Remember sharing is caring and all advice can be found helpful!

Wedding Planner

BREAKFAST

Don’t underestimate a good base and start to your day!

This is particularly important and although you might not feel like eating much, make sure you have what you enjoy for breakfast and that is also fairly filling, as your first meal after that will be your Wedding Breakfast, normally served around 5pm.

You simply don’t want to be feeling faintly, hungry or dehydrated on the day of your wedding, so please make sure you take this part seriously!

If you’re planning to nibble on things throughout the day – it might be useful to purchase the same lipstick your make up artist will be using on the morning of your wedding, for touch ups.

Wedding Planner

THE SPACE

It is very important to consider the space you’ll be getting ready in too!

Does it have plenty daylight? Does it have easy access to the bathroom? Is it large enough for your group? Is it equipped with enough of and correct furnishings for hair and make up?

If you’ve decided to get ready at your venue – has it got a dedicated room which is setup for this purpose?

Have you decided if you’ll be getting ready at home or at your venue?

Wedding Planner

TIMINGS

It is imperative to get your timings right, because you do not want to feel rushed on the morning of your wedding. You want to create as much of a relaxing atmosphere as possible, right?

Good idea is to put your hair and make up teams in touch with each other and listen to their advice – they’ll know exactly how much time will be needed to make sure you’ve also got some spare time for breaks and any emergencies.

There are also businesses out there that provide a full service in one place for you – if you’re not sure of how to “marry” the two together, you might want to consider that option too.

Wedding Planner

DRESSES

It is advisable to keep your dresses out of the bags and hang as high as possible to let the fabric breath.

If your dresses need to be transported on the morning of your wedding, you might need to place them in a steamy shower room to get rid of the creases from transport.

On the other hand, if you will need to arrange for steaming service for the morning of your wedding, make sure you arrange this well in advance as a lot of dry-cleaning businesses will be closed at the weekends.

Additionally, you might want to keep your dress as far away from any make up and bring in a specialist to help you get in your dress when you’re ready. Remember, your Bridesmaids might have never done this before and they will also be wearing make up already.

Is there anything else you’d add to the care necessary to look after your wedding dress on the morning of your wedding? Comment below!

Wedding Planner

GATEKEEPER & PEACEMAKERS

Having a dedicated person or a Wedding Planner on the morning of your wedding can save you many unnecessary conversations or “helpful” visits. The less people helping, the better too!

Nobody will question if your Mum or Wedding Planner opens the doors and says you’re busy with the photographer 😊

A few years ago, when I was assisting a Bride, all was going to plan until the zip on one of the bridesmaid dresses broke off completely! The only option was to sew her in. I took on this challenge, having stocked my pockets with a sewing kit. My skills must have been rather good as the thread wasn’t visible and lasted well until the night. The bride and I still giggle over this.

Wedding Planner

MARRIAGE SCHEDULE

I’ve seen this forgotten about so many times especially when the ceremony is held at a venue.

Somebody must be made responsible to bring your marriage schedule on the morning of your wedding to the venue.

Without it, legal marriage cannot take place, and this is another reason why delegating jobs in advance is so important.

Would you add anything else to my list of preparations to the morning of your wedding day?

Wedding Planner

Finally, ENJOY IT!

It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to have this experience!

If you’ve taken care of all previously mentioned steps, you should have a fabulous morning, filled with heartfelt words, beautiful emotions, improvised toasts and plenty chat, giggles, fizz and nibbles.

As mentioned previously, the day goes within a blink of an eye, so take the time to capture mental snapshots of it all.

Now, go on, put that gorgeous dress on and meet your guests and most importantly, nervously awaiting your arrival other half!

Wedding Planner

Curious about post-lockdown / 2021 wedding trends? Check out this blog!

Recently, there’s been quite a lot of discussion about when the lockdown will really end for group gatherings and events such as weddings. The signals we’re currently being sent is that larger gatherings won’t take place before the end of 2020, so realistically, we’ll now be considering new trends for weddings for 2021.

Below, I present to you some of the ideas I think will be particularly popular for 2021 considering the increase in “wedding” related searches on Google and in social media in the past few weeks.

Before I start, have you heard of my 2nd Online Wedding Fayre going LIVE at 11am on Sunday 17th May 2020?

This event is a must see Facebook Live for those couples that are continuously wedding planning during lockdown. The last time, this virtual and LIVE alternative wedding exhibition/open day was seen over 1,500 times and attracted couples from as far away as Hong Kong, Canada, Australia and other locations around the world to watch our expert guest speakers giving their advice answering live questions in Q&As.

CLICK the button below to sign up now:


Wedding Planner

2021 - THE BUSIEST YEAR IN HISTORY

With 2/3 of 2020 weddings already postponed to 2021 in addition to the existing bookings for that year, we will observe a wedding boom next year like never before. This also means that you can be expecting the highest number of mid-week invitations in history.


Wedding Planner

LIVE STREAMING

LIVE streaming has become a bit of an everyday reality for us now and with some potential travel restrictions carrying on into 2021, we might see a lot more remote families and elderly guests tuning in to LIVE streamed wedding ceremonies, speeches and first dances - have you considered this option for your wedding?


Wedding Planner

CREATIVE AND DIY DECOR

Inevitably, we’ve all found ourselves having a lot more time to dig deeper into wedding planning including creative and new designs that are intended to impress our wedding guests - so we can be expecting a lot of surprises and a lot more couples will use their time in lockdown to challenge themselves to do some additional wedding DIY. We can already see increase in tutorials on YouTube, Pinterest and IGTV on how to prepare wedding related decorations and surprises, so expect the unexpected!


Wedding Planner

LOCALLY INSPIRED AND PERSONALISED MENUS

Change to supply is already very clear with disruption to international transport and deliveries, in addition to growing concerns for the British home-grown produce. In 2021, we will be observing couples turning to and requesting locally sourced menus once again. ‘Local’ and ‘Seasonal’ will be the buzzwords of 2021.

A lot more couples will also opt for family favourites, especially with desserts once again complemented by seasonal British fruit. How do you like the sound of this British infusion in your wedding menu?


Wedding Planner

ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCES

The words that come to my mind when thinking of the conversations with wedding couples about their wedding day - is to provide an unforgettable experience to their guests in a relaxed and fun setup.

I think that in the age of social media - we’re more inclined to focus on these once in a life time experiences that will remain in our memories forever.


Wedding Planner

SUSTAINABILITY AND MEANINGFUL RITUALS

We will be observing a lot more couples wanting to reduce on the carbon footprint with wedding websites instead of invitations, set menus instead of buffet to reduce wastage and a complete ban on plastic.

Additionally, couples will move towards the meaningful rituals including choosing local churches for their ceremonies, hosting weddings on family grounds or tree planting and using flowers and plants that can be replanted post-ceremony or wedding reception.

I personally really like this consideration for how your wedding will affect the world around you and what it will stand for over time - wouldn’t it be lovely to look at that tree you planted on your special day in the years to come?


Wedding Planner

TIK TOK ANYONE?

How many of you have joined the heat of Tik Tok during lockdown? With more time on our hands than ever before, we can be expecting a lot more fun and creative Tik Tok inspired first dances. Do you dare join the challenge of choreographing your first dance and impressing your guests with it?

Wedding Planner

P.S. Looking for tips on how to save your time while wedding planning? Check out my latest 3 steps guide today!

Creative ideas for your lockdown wedding anniversary!

I have recently talked about what you could do if your wedding got postponed and since then one of my former couples approached me asking what I recommend they do for their anniversary, as their plans also got cancelled and they still want to celebrate, but before I go into more details…

Have you heard about my brand new FREE guide - “3 Mistakes to Avoid while Wedding Planning - Expert Advice for Busy Couples”?

CLICK the button below to download your FREE copy today:

I thought the subject of creative ideas for lockdown wedding anniversaries could be interesting for many reasons to you too and this is why I wanted share them with you, so I am starting with something I might also do during this quarantine with my hubby - create a wedding memorabilia scrapbook!⁠

I got married over two years ago now and I still have boxes from our wedding in cupboards. I think it happens to us all, whether we go on honeymoon right away or not, when we return to work, we all get busy and these little memories wait for some free time to arrange them all.⁠

There's simply no better time than now to go through it all and create these beautiful scrapbooks, photo albums, picture frames and other things we've been planning to organise for so long!⁠

1.jpg

Imagine how romantic it would be to read out your vows once again to one another on your wedding anniversary 😍⁠

What do you think of this ideas? I always wonder how many couples would remember or save the wording of their ceremony vows.

4.jpg

Who doesn't like a nice spa treatment?⁠

I think we all know the answer to this question! So, why not treat one another with an at-home spa treatment! Brilliant idea, right?⁠

How many of you will give this idea a LIKE?⁠

I think that this - 1) gives couples an opportunity to spend time pampering one another and who doesn't like that? and 2) a brilliant opportunity to unwind and relax.⁠

5.jpg

Why not pop open that bottle of bubbly you've been saving for a special occasion?⁠


Or maybe you've not had that signature cocktail from your wedding day since your special day? Treat yourself!⁠

There's no rule against raising a glass and toast to spending the rest of your lives together again!⁠

Simply, celebrate in style your at-home anniversary this year!⁠

3.jpg

Finally, how about dressing up in your wedding outfits once again and in the comfort of your own house, dance your first dance once more?⁠

How romantic would that be, right?⁠

Most importantly, would you still remember all the steps?⁠

Hit the LIKE button if you liked my ideas on how you could celebrate your anniversary during the current lockdown.⁠

Fell free to also share your ideas, photos and stories in the comments below - I LOVE A LOVE STORY!⁠

6.jpg

P.S. If you would like to learn brand new ideas daily, simply follow me on Instagram today - @theweddingguru_oskar

WEDDING COUPLES - we, your wedding suppliers DON'T STOP!

WEDDING COUPLES!!!⁠

Although new measures have now been introduced by our Government, we, as your wedding suppliers DON'T STOP!⁠

I promise to be working tirelessly to help you with your wedding planning virtually over the coming months, as I know many of you will be working from home and looking for hints and tips on your special day.⁠

As you can see my website has already received a little face lift with a new and refreshed look, so feel free to check it out when you've got a minute!⁠

In my latest highlights/stories on Facebook and Instagram, I have announced that since we're unable to meet in person over the coming months I will be putting together Facebook Lives for you featuring my "Guide to Effective Wedding Planning" talk, so that we can meet virtually and continue your wedding planning journey!⁠

I was due to present my Guide at five wedding shows and open days in the next two months, which have now been postponed to the end of the year, so I thought I could come to your living-rooms, home-offices virtually with my top wedding planning tips and hints and answer your questions as if we met at one of these events.⁠

Let me know in the comments below or send me a DM with your preference of when you'd like me to host my first of a series of Facebook Lives?⁠

Wedding Planner.JPG

Venue Wedding Coordinator vs. Independent Wedding Planner

Over the past three weeks I was asked to present my Guide to Effective Wedding Planning talk at wedding open days, wedding fair and wedding showcases throughout Scotland.

At the end of these presentations, I was often asked by couples: "What is a Wedding Planner?" and "How does your role differ from their Venue Coordinator?"⁠⠀
⁠⠀
In few pointers below, I would like to bring to you the differences between my past venue roles and my current independent wedding planning role.⁠

I want to reassure you upfront that Venue Coordinators and Wedding Planners complement themselves in their efforts and can truly work together on creating the most magical day for you and your guests!

Firstly, let’s begin with a little bit about my background. I've been a Venue Coordinator for many years and at times I used to look after over 100 weddings each year across up to three venues.⁠⠀

Let's put this into perspective, many Venue Coordinators do an amazing job, win national awards for their excellent work and provide the best service possible, just like I did! Nevertheless, I'm sure a lot of you will agree that over 100 weddings each year is a lot!⁠⠀

My aim as an Independent Wedding Planner is to focus on 10 very special wedding celebrations per year and truly provide a top class service to each and every one of my couples! That's less than one wedding per month - can you see the benefits to that?⁠⠀

2.png
1.png

Another interesting factual difference is wedding suppliers relationship.⁠⠀

As a Venue Coordinator, I booked suppliers included in our packages such as Piper, Toastmaster, Linen Company, however, for all other requests I would have had my Recommended Suppliers List for couples to approach separately.⁠⠀

Now, that I work with couples directly, I can take care of all admin related to booking your wedding suppliers. Not only will I negotiate your rates (preferential trade rates, often in turn covering my fee), but I can also liaise and book those suppliers for you, without the need for you to worry about anything - removing the stress factor completely!⁠⠀

This is the area couples feel most overwhelmed by majority of the time, with managing multiple contacts and communication streams at the same time and ensuing everyone is all on the same page.⁠⠀

How do you feel about managing your time, multiple contacts and all relevant information effectively? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.⁠⠀

4.png
3.png

My final thought on the subject of Venue Coordinators vs. Independent Wedding Planners is the convenience and availability factor.⁠⠀

It was always difficult for me to detach myself from the most important day for my wedding couples, on my days off and holidays.⁠⠀

This was very clear when returning to the office from my days off or holidays and my inbox and voicemail were bursting.⁠⠀

It is a difficult balance for Venue Coordinators working when wedding couples are at work, and off duty when their couples plan their weddings.⁠⠀

I find this as the biggest advantage now that I can be available for my wedding couples at the most convenient times for them, online or at the most suitable appointment location to them, being unrestricted by venue walls.⁠⠀

5.png
6.png

All in all, Venue Wedding Coordinator and Independent Wedding Planner roles vary and at the same time complement one another very much! Irrespective of the roles, it is everyone’s passion in this industry to provide the best dream wedding experience possible to all happy couples.

Let me know in the comments below how helpful you’ve found this blog and feel free to book my FREE 15 Minutes Discovery Call to discuss how I could help you make your dream wedding vision a perfect reality!

Wedding Planning Tips - Music / Venue Decorating / Photography

During my wedding planning consultations, I often begin with an open discussion with the wedding couple about their plans in order to identify areas which require the most attention. This allows me to easily come up with simple and tried solutions to help them along this process.⁠

I have recently looked over my notebooks and noticed that three areas come up quite a lot in our conversations - music, venue decorating and photography.⁠

Over the next three days I will be revealing a few simple solutions referring to these hot topics, so remember to join me on my Instagram and Facebook stories.⁠

2.png
3.png
1.png

WEDDING MUSIC

There's really three questions to ask yourselves when planning for your wedding music:⁠⠀

What? When? and How?⁠

It is definitely worth looking at the types of music and songs you would like to have at your wedding, across the different parts of your day.

Will you be having music for your ceremony and will you entertain your guests during the drinks reception? Finally, are you planning for background music in your Wedding Breakfast?

It is also particularly important to consider how this music will be supplied - are you thinking of live music or will it be music supplied on a digital device? Does your venue supply you with a sound system?

You can now see why it is important to spend some time thinking about this part of your wedding planning too.

4.png
5.png
6.png

WEDDING VENUE DECORATING

There's much logistical planning needed when it comes to wedding venue decorating.⁠⠀

Having delivered weddings operationally for over four and a half years, I will tell you exactly what elements of planning for your venue decorating you should consider.⁠

There’s really three integral wedding planning elements to consider when thinking about venue decorating:

1) Will your decorations vary between the different parts of your day? Are your decorations portable and easy to move?

2) Does it all require a specific setup and who will be looking after this? Including turnarounds and moves between different stages of your special day.

3) When does it all need setup? Is early access for setup permitted or will your venue permit setup the day before your wedding?

Venue Decorating does indeed take a lot of planning and it needs a lot of consideration - at the end of the day it only happens once.

9.png
8.png
7.png

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

I see a lot of couples forgetting to think about this important element - which in turn will produce one of the only physical memorabilia of your special day. Of course, your professional photographer will have a perfect plan for your day, but if there’s any particular photos you want to have - you will need to consider these early. Once again, you’ve only got one chance to get these right!

I often recommend for couples to meet with their photographer for a briefing to discuss exactly what photos you want taken on your wedding day. Plan and discuss your timings and locations - if you’re planning to travel to a remote location for your wedding photography, you will need to take timings particularly into account.

Finally, who from your wedding party will be responsible for family portraits? Even the most experienced photographer might struggle with this when they don’t know individual members of your family - will you allocate somebody to take charge of this?

I hope you found this blog and my Instagram and Facebook stories useful - let me know in the comments below if there’s any other topics you’d like me to touch upon in my next series of wedding planning tips by the Wedding Guru - Oskar.

P.S. Special Engagement offers from my recommended suppliers:

Janet Annand - Wedding Harpist (LINK)

2 for 1 on ceremony and drinks packages OR 15% discount on ceremony or drinks only packages - for all bookings confirmed by 31st January 2020

Next Scene Films - Matt Crofts (LINK)

10% off all packages when quoted “Wedding Guru Oskar”

BagPiper Online (LINK)

Special negotiated discount on all packages when booked through the Wedding Guru - Oskar

The Wedding Guru - Oskar (LINK)

2 for 1 on One Hour Wedding Planning Consultation for all bookings confirmed before 31st January 2020

ENSURING YOUR WEDDING IS ON TREND IN 2020

Are you planning a wedding for 2020?

Here are a few tips on what to look out for ahead of this momentous year - 2020.

Bringing the outdoors in, creative and sustainable catering arrangements, diversifying your wedding party and the return of Princess-like wedding dresses are among some of the biggest wedding trends in 2020.

Firstly, one of the most spoken about features of every year is the chosen colour and this time Pantone is going back to the “classic blue” - very understated colour, bringing peace and tranquility to the human spirit. This is reassuring in providing calmness and confidence in the wedding planning.

On the other hand, wedding flowers in 2020 will become a little more informal and rough around the edges to also show the connection with true nature. Sustainability will be a big factor in any 2020 wedding, so you should prepare for a lot more botanical, leafy greens and foliage.

On the subject of sustainability, I don’t think it will be a surprise to anyone that our menus will see a lot more vegan influence. Interestingly our tastes and vegan flavours changed so much that you might be surprised at how many more of your guests will opt in for the vegan option on their pre-order in the coming year.

Following on from the subject of catering, the trend for more informal dining options will prevail. According to the wedding market surveys, 3 in 10 couples will no longer choose a traditional sit-down meal for their wedding. A lot of weddings are now thinking of beginning their meal in a standing reception setup with Italian-style grazing stations, where guests can mingle with their small plate and sample their preferred choices of food as they please. This is a very effective way not to only impress your guests and give them choice, but to also encourage your guests to engage in conversation and is also a great ice breaker. This will quite often still be followed by a procession to a seated main course and family-style service of the dessert with a choice of cakes and sweet delicacies served at the table.

On the opposite spectrum and looking at dress codes, we will again see the opulent yet timeless Princess-like dresses. You can expect to see a lot more cathedral length veils and plenty more personalised embroidery.

Additionally, with the growth in same-sex marriages and also ever so changing roles in the wedding planning process, a lot more couples choose not to follow the traditional structure of the previously referred to “Bridal Party”. In 2019 we will continue observing a trend of growing introduction of roles such as Bridesmen, Groomsmaids, Best Woman or equivalent names to these new roles. It is encouraging to observe how couples more than ever before want to see those people truly closest to them at their side when making one of the biggest steps in their life. This also means that we will see a growth in the size of wedding parties going forward.

Finally, the upcoming leap year will see a lot more female proposals, so I recommend watching out for any hints ahead of 29th February as this might be your lucky year! You might even make it onto YouTube with the growth in streamed proposals on social media platforms.

All in all, according to many market trends, wedding magazines and influencers, these are just some of the many trends that are coming your way in the new year, so don’t be shy to put your own stamp on your wedding plans, as many couples are now opting to ditch the tradition and move towards a more diverse 21st century style of wedding.

Good luck to you all in your upcoming wedding plans.

HER_198-min.jpg

Photography by Geebz Photography.