PLANNING YOUR WEDDING DAY TIMELINE

Wedding day timeline blog

*by George Gilchrist-Grodnicki

Planning Your Wedding Day Timelines

I am asked quite often “when should we start with our ceremony?”

The easiest way to work out your wedding day timeline is to start from the end of the evening and work your way back. This is something that naturally causes many couples worry especially as this is the very first time you’ll be planning such large event, but it needn’t be this hard! Start with a rough timeline, then as you fill in more details your timeline becomes more solid. An adequate timeline will ensure you feel in control of your day, and able to relax and enjoy yourself, while providing all those involved accurate timings, because timings are key to the success of every wedding, right? 

Give me ❤️ in the comment below if you think having an air-tight timeline for your wedding will ensure its success!

End of the evening

As the timings of your day are worked out from the end of your night, the big question is how long is your entertainment booked for? Speak to your venue to find out when the room hire ends. This gives you carriages time, and from there, after speaking to your entertainment, you can plan when your entertainment starts. Don’t forget to include any extra entertainment i.e. small acts who are also to perform in the evening. For example, at our wedding, the venue licence was until 1 AM, and our entertainment was a DJ, who was booked for three hours, preceded by a live ceilidh/covers band played for three hours. This meant our evening entertainment started at 7 PM.

How long do you think an average entertainment runs for?

A.    6 hours

B.    5 hours

C.    4 hours

Let us know in the comment boxes below

Comfort break

Now that you know when your entertainment starts, you can start to plan the end of the meal. Do you want a comfort break? Is there turnaround time? Do you intend taking photographs after the meal? Are there any small entertainment acts booked for this time, such a Signing Waiters? Your venue will advise you of any turnaround times, so make sure to ask about this.

Average band setup time and sound check will take around 60 minutes too, so if your band can’t get in to setup during the meal, comfort break might be advisable. Secondly, who wants to be throwing shapes on the dance floor right after a three-course meal?

If you need help understanding this part of your special day and how much time is good, too little or too much, chatbox message us today.

Speeches

Next comes the speeches, by allocating maximum of 10 minutes per speaker, you avoid boredom in the room! Ideally, you wouldn’t want to have your speeches for longer than 30 minutes, if you do, speak to your venue, caterer or planner to see about the best times to split them up – the last thing you want is your speeches overrunning if you decided to host them before the meal and having your guests seating hungry for hours.

Traditionally, which by any means is not a norm, speeches are structured in the following format: Father of the Bride goes first, Groom goes second and Best Man presents the closing speech.

You might want to decided if you’re having your speeches before the meal or after and this will very much depend on the public speaking confidence of your speakers and whether you feel your guests should be fed first or after the speeches.

At our wedding had four speeches, including ourselves, which meant our speech times ran into an hour [scary face emoji] (we spoke too long, due to translations into Polish) which meant our speeches started at 5:30 PM.

Are you feeling a little unsure about your speeches and don’t know how to best go about them? Why not book one of our one-off consultations today to help you put a plan together?

Drinks reception

The drinks reception is an excellent opportunity for guests to mingle, family to catch up, and photos to be taken with the happy couple! Some couples may choose to have entertainment booked for this time, or even couples’ photos to be taken. Speak to your suppliers to understand how long your entertainment or photographer will take, as this will give you the start time for your drink’s reception (otherwise known as cocktail hour).

When we got married, we arranged for a magician who entertained our guests, canapes were served, all while we had family portraits taken and disappeared for our wedding day photoshoot for 1 hour.

This allowed our venue enough time to turn the ballroom round and gave our guests a little mingle and catch up time. Our drinks reception started at 1:30 PM.

Are you planning to head away for your photoshoot? Chatbox message us today if you want to better understand the timings you might need to consider in order to ensure you’re not running late on the day.

Wedding ceremony

Wedding ceremonies vary dependent on the ceremony style chosen.

On average Civil ceremonies may take between 15 to 25 minutes, religious ceremonies may last around 45 minutes, and humanist ceremonies between 30 to 45 minutes dependent on the ceremony script, reading and the symbolic gestures chosen.

Our wedding ceremony was conducted by a humanist celebrant, we had three symbolic gestures and parts of our ceremony script was translated into Polish. This meant our wedding ceremony lasted 30 minutes, starting at 1 PM.

Let me know in the comments below what style of ceremony you have chosen.

Preparation time

Finally, this leads on to preparation time, therefore speaking to your hair and makeup artists will help you understand how long each of them needs.

Hair styling may take 30 to 60 minutes depending on the style and hair structure, while makeup can also take 30 to 60 minutes.

Speak to your photographer and other suppliers to understand their timelines for the delivery of their services.

Consider things like, when your flowers arrive; is the photographer taking preparation photos or group photos when you’re ready and dressed; what time is your Dad arriving, etc.

This enables you to build a timeline and ensure you’re prepared in plenty of time.

At our wedding, we each had four groomsmaids, and mother’s hair and makeup. We got up at 6 AM to spend some time together before the chaos of the wedding day began!

Have you considered how much time hair and makeup may take? Chatbox message us today if you need some estimates and recommendations for the best in business!

Full day timeline

What did you think of the breakdown of your wedding day? Did you know you’d need to consider your timings from the end of the night?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and feel free to use the template below to help you plan your special day!

Evening Entertainment – length of service? (you’d need to check with your entertainment supplier)

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

OUTSTANDING Wedding Industry Awards 2021 - by The Wedding Emporium

I'm a little late in the game to share with you this exciting news - apologies it's been a busy few weeks recently...

I've been recognised with the OUTSTANDING Wedding Industry Award 2021 from The Wedding Emporium!

How amazing is that - it's been a hard 2020 and so far 2021 too, but I am the proudest of my amazing, resilient wedding couples that never give up! They are all fantastic and this award I dedicate to them!

It often hasn't been easy, but things are definitely looking up for weddings and I can't wait for what's to come very soon with weddings opening up again!

Cheers to you all!

P.S. Did you know that I am also now qualified as an Humanist Celebrant to conduct legally-binding ceremonies in Scotland with Fuze Ceremonies?

HOW TO PLAN A WEDDING - a Guide by The Wedding Guru Oskar

“HOW TO PLAN A WEDDING?”

Recently, I’ve researched what advice wedding planning couples are most popularly looking for online and the above key term came up amongst top 10 wedding related searches online, so here is my spin on how to best plan your wedding based on over a decade of experience and 600 weddings in my career this far.

Do you want to find out more? I encourage you to scroll down now!

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IDENTIFY YOUR VISION

In order to make your life easier on many levels, you must identify how you see you day and what’s important to you. Ask yourselves – what’s the big vision? Anything you must have or anything you’d rather avoid? Creating moodboards on the styles, venues, outfits, etc. can very quickly help you identify what you like and what you might not be so keen on.

This step is crucial in moving forward with your plan, otherwise, you might be going round in circles, until you understand your dream and perfect wedding day vision.

Would you know how to create your moodboards? Chatbox message me if this is something you think you’d like to learn more about.

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DEFINE YOUR PRORITIES

So you say, “vision is a good focus point to have, but do I need it all?” and, I hear you!

Once you’ve identified your vision, it’ll become a lot easier for you to start defining all the elements of what’s truly important to you and what wouldn’t upset your dream wedding plan if you need to downsize or alter.

We will talk about your wedding budget shortly, but to give you an example – let’s say that as part of your vision you identified that you like big impressive entertainment, several acts, etc., yet you know that you’re also big foodies and want your guests to enjoy plenty of quality food and drink – now what’s more important to you? What can you compromise on in order not to upset your dreams if you need to make this decision?

Do you see what I mean about priorities? Have you come across this dilemma before? Give me ❤️ in the comment boxes below if you did, don’t worry we all compromise on some things 😊

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CREATE A GUESTLIST

Now, this one is crucial and once you’ve got it done, it will truly help you multiple times down the line and if you can make it in a spreadsheet, that’s even better as it’ll make your life easier if you need to change or update it.

I often meet with couples to shortlist venues, catering and so on, so I ask about guest numbers and rough estimates are good, but then I ask about children or evening guests and this is where things get tricky, because these can have impact on your budgeting.

My advice is, spend one evening and write down all guests you’d like to invite, discuss with family, plan for +1s if you want to – remember this will help you not only in selecting the right venue or catering, but also with posting Save The Dates and Invitations, budgeting, assigning tables and so on… one task that will make a big difference to the rest of your planning.

If you’re looking for advice on how to best plan your guest list – head over to my blogpost on “Effective ways to plan your wedding guest list.”

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CREATE AN ESTIMATE BUDGET

This is very important especially when you’re starting to plan your wedding, because in all the excitement it’s easy to make rushed decisions. You might wonder though, how will I know what’s a reasonable price and what’s not?

If you take time to assess your top wedding budget including your existing and future savings plus any contributions, this will give you a very good idea of how much you could spend on your special day.

You can then break it down into each element of your day – how do I do that – you might ask?

Head over to one of my latest blogs

“PLANNING YOUR WEDDING BUDGET - Realistic estimates that will help you stay within the budget!”

 to get an idea of costs involved in your wedding.

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GET AND COMPARE SUPPLIER QUOTES

Now, let’s get the quotes! If you don’t know where to start, wedding directories and online wedding planning platforms will give you access to multiple suppliers in the same category that you can email at the same time to compare what they offer and find out their pricing – it’s a brilliant time-saving activity.

And remember, the more information you can provide about what you’re looking for, the more accurate quotes you will receive in return. Once you start receiving your quotes, you will be able to easily identify how realistic your budget is and if you need to adjust any of it.

If you’re working with venue or wedding planner suppliers, they will not only come verified by these suppliers, but they might also be offering preferential rates for referrals – so remember to always ask about these recommendations.

Chatbox message me today if you would like to find out about the suppliers I recommend and work with already.

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TRACK ESTIMATES VS. ACTUALS

Interestingly, often this is when the budget is considered done and forgotten about, while you move into finer detail planning.

My advice is to have your budget saved in a spreadsheet as a master working document that you can regularly update and keep on track of your spending. This will ensure you’re keeping within your budget as much as possible.

Why not create a column for your estimates/quotes and actually contracted values. You can also include what you’ve paid for and what’s still due to be paid. As you progress and make payments, your budget document can keep you right.

Would you like to try out one of my templates? Chatbox message me today.

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BREAK YOUR DAY/DAYS DOWN

Breaking down your day or even days will help you compartmentalise the smallest of details into each individual element of your wedding.

You can start planning for what’s needed for your hair and makeup, then ceremony, and so on. If you’re planning for additional days, you will be able to identify what’s happening, and when and what you still need to organise for each event.

When wedding planning we’re all guilty of collecting little nick knacks as you shop around – I remember doing so myself when planning for George and my wedding nearly four years ago now and when you do so, you can note down which part of your day these little decorating features will compliment, you don’t want to forget about these, right?

You will also be able to note down what you still need to confirm with your venue, caterers or suppliers for each part of your special day.

Over the years, I’ve developed my own wedding planning checklist that identifies all of these events, details and questions you might need to ask yourself – would you like to try it out?

CLICK HERE to download yours today!

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SORT OUT PAPERWORK

One of the most important elements of your wedding planning is the paperwork for your legally binding ceremony, so don’t forget about it and don’t leave it to the very last minute, especially if you’ve opted for a civil ceremony only, there will be nobody there to keep you right or send you reminders.

If you choose a humanist celebrant or a religious officiant, they will keep you right.

In Scotland you need to give minimum of 29 days’ notice of your intention to marry, however, don’t be too quick to do it either, because you will be disappointed to find out that notices aren’t accepted more than 3 months before your planned marriage ceremony.

These timings will depend on your location, so it might be worthwhile checking all the requirements at your ceremony destination and what paperwork you will be required to supply or even if you might be falling under any immigration checks.

If you’re looking for help and support with your M10 forms (marriage notice forms) in Scotland, chatbox message me today and I can talk you through these.

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CREATE A TIMELINE

This matter is often approached the wrong way about – many couples’ perception is that you need to decide on when you want to start your day. Interestingly enough, the ceremony start will be defined by the end of your reception as you work your timings back from the end of the night – did you know that?

You need to identify how much time each event of your day takes and this will require a bit of work and communication with your venue, caterers and suppliers – watch out for my next blog as I will be offering a suggested timeline to help you out a little.

You will be asked about this wedding day timeline by almost all your suppliers in the final months before the wedding, but most importantly, you will need to have this figured out for your invitations, so the sooner you do it, the better.

Did you know your wedding day timings are worked out for the end of the night and not from your ceremony? Give me Y for yes or N for no in the comment boxes below.

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ASSIGN GUESTS TO TABLES

This is the bit that I see many couples struggling with and honestly, it doesn’t need to be that hard of a task. I recently turned this into a fun activity for my couples.

You will need a large piece of paper to map the room, your guest list, post-it tabs and markers.

Doing it visually and in colour makes all the fun and before you know it, you’ll run out of guest names. It’s fun, simple and so easy to update as you get your RSVPs.

One thing you want to avoid is leaving table planning until after your RSVP deadline as it is likely to come at a similar time when you’ll have a lot more on your mind and deadlines piling up, so do it earlier rather than later and make adjustments only when you’ve got 100% confirmation on changes.

Are you dreading this part? Would you like me to help you plan your tables and assign your guest? Chatbox message me today and we can do it together and make it fun!

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COLLECT AND ORGANISE RSVPs AND PREORDERS

Now, this is the tricky bit – when do you ask for RSVPs? When is too early? When is too late?

When you know you might have a complicated multiple-choice menu pre-order – you might want to do it earlier rather than later and ideally online if possible. Online RSVPs will save you a lot of time and you will be able very clearly to see who’s accepted, who’s declined, dietary requirements and any pre-orders. Remember that if you’re using an online service that you accept only individual RSVPs especially if you need a menu pre-order.

In my experience, I often observe too big of a time-gap between invitations being sent and RSVP deadline – this unfortunately, allows your guests to put their invitation away instead of dealing with it then and there. Save the Dates are there to ensure your guests block their time off for the wedding, invitations are only a confirmation and shouldn’t take longer than a couple of weeks to one month to be collected. Don’t make a mistake of giving your guests too much time to respond and remember you will still need to organise them, double check, and potentially confirm pre-order with your caterers.

Give me ❤️ if it makes sense to shorten your RSVP deadline.

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COMMUNICATE FINAL DETAILS TO ALL SUPPLIERS AND VENUE

Around one month before you wedding, you want to ensure you’ve got all your details in check and organised into a cohesive plan. You might think – surely there will be changes in the last month and yes, you’re correct, but rather than organising chaos, you’d rather update smaller things as you finalise things.

If you work with my wedding planning checklist, I highly recommend you share it with your suppliers, caterer and venue one month before and updating your changes as you go along on the form, yet communicate the updated form in the last week before the wedding to avoid loss of communication or confusion.

This might come across controversial, but you’re always best to create a list of updates and share this as infrequently as possible. In my career I’ve worked at venues with over 130 weddings each year, sometimes even 6 weddings on in the same weekend, so I understand that it’s hard for venues and suppliers to find the correct information when they are working other weddings and events, and receive several and sometimes conflicting updates in the same day – this is where errors can happen.

Wedding planning is about keeping communication organised and cohesive at all times – would you like help with your final plan to ensure you’ve got everything in check? Why not book my One-Off Wedding Planning Consultation today?

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ARRANGE REHEARSAL AND FINAL DETAILS APPOINTMENT

You might think – “I’m not doing a rehearsal dinner!” and you don’t need to. What I mean here is that if you’ve not had your wedding party together for a ceremony rehearsal and they don’t fully know what they are expected to do and when, it might be a good idea to meet together in the final week before the wedding (if you can) to decide on a quick run-through of the ceremony. Some celebrants offer this at a supplement to be there and guide one practise run for you or if you’re working with me, I can help you with that!

Additionally, it is always a good idea to arrange for a final details meeting with your venue and caterers in the last two weeks before the wedding, to ensure that if there are gaps, you can still make this update to them one week before the wedding. This handover opportunity will give you peace of mind and the opportunity for the venue and caterer to ensure they clearly understand and can deliver your vision.

Chatbox message me today if you need a bit of support with the preparation to your final details’ appointment or with your ceremony rehearsal.

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AGREE DROP OFF AND SETUP

Finally, make sure you arrange a time for venue drop off – you don’t want to turn up and find locked doors (especially if it’s an exclusive use venue) or even worse turn up in the middle of somebody else’s wedding… ooopps 😊

Ideally, if you need to go over anything as you drop things off, make sure you check the correct person can meet you then, so that you’re not handing over to an irrelevant person.

Finally, if you’re working with a dry hire venue, plan with them for when you or your stylists can get into setup, prepare and dress it for your special day and when things need to be collected by.

WOW this has been a long blog with a lot of advice and information – what did you think of it? Give me ❤️ if you’ve found it useful or DM me if you need help with some of the things I discussed in it.

PLANNING YOUR WEDDING BUDGET - Realistic estimates that will help you stay within the budget!

PLANNING YOUR WEDDING BUDGET

- realistic estimates that will help you stay within the budget -

Due to some popular demand, I want to talk about the important things to you!

Working out your wedding budget is super important and one of the early activities you should put the time aside for to ensure you plan realistically and that you don’t overspend where you don’t want to or need to.

It is very easy to get caught up in the excitement of wedding planning and go overboard before you realise it - I’ve been there just before our wedding in 2018, which is why I now work out a budget with my couples first. This is when we identify your must have’s, wants, desires and priorities. Similarly to mood boards, you’ll very quickly identify what’s important to you and where there is the flexibility to downsize or upgrade.

According to Hitched UK, the average UK wedding is £32,000 including the honeymoon, but statistics vary starting from £20,000. Don’t worry if this is not what you had in mind, but do remain realistic that a wedding could easily cost you a deposit for your first house or a new car.

Would you need help identifying and understanding your budget, message me in the chatbox today – this could be your one-off consultation that will save you a lot of headaches further down the line.

How to assess your budget? 

Have an honest conversation together and identify your savings, how much you could contribute to the wedding before your day comes and if there are any other prospective contributors.

The last thing you want is anxiety about where the money comes from to fund your special day.

Once you’ve figured it out, you can start breaking things down into each individual item on your wedding list – you might wonder… how will I know the expected price to pay?

Want to find out more – check out the full blog below.

What can I expect to pay for…?

FLORIST

Flowers such as bouquets and centerpieces are such a personal taste and therefore it is difficult to put an average price tag on these beautiful decorations, however, I can help you with a range of pricing for your estimate. Most prices will vary dependent on the season and therefore the price of the flowers at the market.

Decent-sized bridal bouquets in Edinburgh, Scotland will cost you in the region of £100-125, bridesmaid’s bouquets around £85 a piece, buttonholes and corsages will be around £15 each.

When it comes to centerpieces this is where the real differences happen and this can be influenced by the size of your arrangements, smaller low arrangements will start from £150 each, but the more opulent and sizable arrangements you would like to have, the more you will pay, on average many of my couples work with a budget of £300 to £500 per centerpiece.

Another trick that might help you maximise your wedding budget when it comes to florals is considering seasonal flowers, flowers out of season can be up to 4/5 times as expensive and therefore downsize your arrangement.

Additionally, you might want to consider artificial hire filled in with fresh floral accents – artificial florals nowadays offer higher quality than ever before and almost natural look to build your structure, accented with fresh florals, they can make a truly impressive arrangement and they are a lot more durable when transported or setup outside even in windy conditions.

Are my floral estimates in the region of what you’ve considered for your wedding? Let me know in the comments below.

VENUE HIRE

The biggest element of your wedding budget will be wedding venue-related expenses, and these can vary dramatically.

Hotels and venues with all-inclusive packages might offer more competitive hire rates based on set minimum numbers. On the other hand, exclusive use or dry hire venues might offer you more flexibility and the ability to do your wedding your way!

Venue hires can start from £2,000 for all-inclusive package venues or mid-week hires, to £10,000+ for peak dates and multiple days hires at exclusive-use estates and dry hire venues.

Always check that you understand exactly what they include, because some venues will only offer bare walls and the rest is for you to arrange – so look out for A) accommodation inclusions, B) equipment provisions such as tables, chairs, linens, cutlery, crockery and glassware, C) VAT inclusions and D) additional things you might need to hire such as PA system for your music, staging, lighting, heating, power, toilets, catering units, etc.

Did you know that there’s such a vast choice of options available for you? Chatbox message me today if you’d like a bit of help navigating your way around venue hires, I can also negotiate special rates for you too.

CATERING

This is another area of your wedding that will consume a big part of your budget – quite literally consume, did you see what I’ve done there? 😊

All-inclusive venue package will take care of it all for you, however, you might want to consider upgrades if food is important to you and your guests’ experience – menu tastings are brilliant for that!

External catering can provide you with more flexibility on the format of the dining choices available – anything from buffets, plated or family-style service or even BBQs.

Food catering will range from £100 per person to £150+ per person – it will very much depend on the style of catering, the number of courses, the choice of options on the day, and so on.

On the other hand, you’ll also need to consider your beverages too!

Once again all-inclusive packages will look after the main parts of your wedding from the drinks reception to your meal, after that, you will be offered a bar facility paid for by guests or something called an Account bar where you can provide some or all drinks to your guests on the account.

With dry hire venues, you might need to arrange for a bar service to cover service on the day, glassware, ice, setup and derig – some catering companies will offer this as an extra to their catering, so that you’re not having to source another service separately. Dry hire beverage fees may vary from per spend or per volume corkage to flat service fee – as an average, you’ll be looking at £1,500.00 to £3,000.00

Were you aware of these options and charges to consider for your special day? Give me ❤️ in the comments below if this has helped you to understand your wedding budget better.

WEDDING CAKE

Wedding cakes are also such a personal taste – these days you can have three-dimensional character cakes, naked cakes, statement cakes, cake swings, upside-down cakes, tower cakes, you name it- there’s probably somebody out there who has done it before or would love a challenge.

The average spends I am familiar with working with my couples ranges from £500 to £1,500 and you’ll have plenty of flavour choices available serving an average of 100 guests.

If you would like to go for a much more personalised choice, you will be offered upgrades and extras to supplement your vision.

What cakes have you considered for your special day? Let me know in the comment boxes below.

LIVE MUSIC

A very important element of your wedding day, but don’t just focus on your evening entertainment, remember to consider your ceremony music, background music for drinks reception and meal.

Music makes such an integral part of your special day and it can truly make or break the atmosphere of your wedding.

String quartets are very popular to accompany ceremonies and drinks receptions and can offer their services from £650 to £1,000, but if live music isn’t your priority ensure you check your venue for PA system and if you could connect a device to supply some music for these parts of your day.

Nighttime entertainment again is down to each individual preference, some couples will choose Ceilidh only bands, some will select Ceilidh + covers band, others will book a DJ.

Bands start from £1,500 and DJs start from £500 – if you’re going for mix of music such as Ceilidh and covers or band and DJ or DJ + saxophone player – prices will automatically reflect these additional extras. As an average you’re looking at £1,500 to £3,500 for your evening entertainment.

What choice of evening music are you going for? Let me know in the comments below.

CEREMONY

This can vary between belief bodies, independents, and legal fees.

As of January 2023 in Edinburgh, Scotland, your legal fees include – M10 form (Lodging marriage notices) is £90 per couple and marriage certificate is £10 per certificate.

In addition to that you’ll need to pay your ceremony room hire fee and celebrant, registrar or religious officiant fees – these can vary from £450 to £700 per ceremony.

Without these your ceremony will not be legally binding; therefore you need to ensure you cover all fees and remember venues don’t cover legal fees.

If you need help with organizing your ceremony paperwork, go ahead and book one of my one-off consultations today and we can get it all organised for you and have it checked ready to be submitted.

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY / VIDEOGRAPHY

I would almost want to say that wedding photography is the second most important element of your event after the ceremony as photography will remain the biggest tangible memory of your special day and you want to make sure it is captured perfectly.

Therefore, price tag for photography and videography reflects the detailed work it requires – it is the hours of preparing, shooting on the day and then weeks of editing.

Wedding photography can vary from £1,500 to £3,000 on average – this will also depend on the demand, peak/off-peak dates and travel.

Wedding videography can vary from £2,000 to £10,000 on average – this very much relates to the production required for your desired video and if international travel is required, this might also add to the overall cost of production.

Would you need some advice on recommended suppliers? Why not download one of “my resources” available on my website?

HAIR AND MAKEUP

This is an important element of the wedding where all the girls in the wedding party get to relax and unwind ahead of the big day. Don’t sorry boys, you’ll get looked after too!

For wedding trials, you can expect to pay in the region of £85 for hair and £85 for makeup.

For on the day hair and make-up you can be looking at anywhere from £85-100 per service for the Bride and in the region of £75-90 per service for Bridesmaids and Mums. Some bridal salons will charge an additional venue fee if they’ve got to leave the studio to carry out your hair and makeup – this fee can vary from £80-£120.

Have you considered your on-the-day hair and makeup arrangements – how many you’ll need it for? Will you do it at the venue or in the studio? Chatbox message me today if you need a bit of support with this.

HONEYMOON

According to Hitched UK, the average destination honeymoon for UK couples costs nearly £5,000 and although some couple opt in for mini-moon first with an average of £1,100 – you might need to identify your preference on the matter.

Some couples try to finance their wedding entirely from their saving, earnings and family support, while asking guests for contributions towards their dream honeymoon – would you consider that option? Give me Y for yes or N for no in the comment boxes below.

WEDDING RINGS

Weddings traditionally can’t happen without a wedding band, although traditionally, it was the Bridegroom that offer a wedding ring to his Bride, these days you will likely both exchange your rings during a wedding ceremony, but how much do you think you’ll spend on your bands?

The average UK couple invests around £2,500 into their wedding rings – have you considered your options yet?

Why not chat box message me today for a referral to my recommended jewelers to offer you the best deals possible?

WEDDING OUTFITS

So, you’ve always dreamt of this perfect white gown, or maybe not! There will be some considerable amount of time you might want to spend on considering just the perfect fit and feel for your wedding dress.

The same will apply to gent’s outfits, no matter if its suits, kilts or tuxedo, you should consider colours, fits and all the accessories that come with it.

Average UK wedding dress will cost you between £1,000 to £3,000 and bridesmaid’s dresses will range from £100 to £500 each.

Finally, Gents outfits can very, because if you’re hiring you’ll be considering outfits in the region of £125 per hire per outfit, however, tailor-made outfits will start from £500 to £2,000 on average per outfit, this applies to both kilts and tailor-made suits.

Have you booked your dress shopping appointments or kilt fittings? Not sure where to start? Chatbox message me today to take care of it all for you.

COST SAVING

When you’ve assessed your budget and you realise it is a little steep, you might want to reassess a couple of things:

-        Consider your guests numbers again – venue and catering will be your higher cost, the more guests you invite, the higher overall cost of the wedding will become – think about it, average wedding guest costs you in the region of £100-£200 per person

-        Consider your date – could you move to off-peak dates to benefit from special venue deals or move your wedding back by a year, how much could you save in that extra year?

Would you need more help assessing your wedding budget? Why not book one of my one-off consultation? I can help you make sense of your wedding spending, and often ensure money savings!

MOST FORGOTTEN COSTS

There are a few hidden or often forgotten costs you might want to be aware of before you end up clearing your bank balance.

-        VAT exclusions - make sure that you check all quotes for VAT exclusions, you don’t want to be surprised with additional 8%-26% bill before your wedding day

-        Delivery, service and corkage charges – once again, worth checking before you get surprised with these at the final invoice

-        Additional equipment and facility hires, such as cake stand, table and chairs or even toilets or the correct power supply if you’re getting married at a location with none of these things provided already

-        Wedding insurance is often forgotten about and it can be lifesaving! You want to ensure you’re protected just like you are with your car or house!

-        Stationary – not only invitations, but save the dates, on-the-day place cards, table plan and post-wedding thank you cards + stamps

-        Wedding day gifts for bridesmaids, groomsmen, Mums, Dads or other loved ones

-        Wedding outfit alterations or second trials – all these little things quickly add up

How did you find my estimates advice? Has it helped you plan and prioritise your wedding budget elements accordingly? Give me ❤️ in the comment boxes below if you’ve found it useful!

Christmas Eve City Wedding Story - Donna and Mark - REAL WEDDING

Christmas Eve City Wedding Story - Donna and Mark - REAL WEDDING

It’s been quite a start to 2021 for everyone so far, hasn’t it?

In order to liven up the mood, I would like to share with you the very inspirational story of Donna and Mark over the next few days! I have had so much fun planning their most special day. There were plenty of giggles and even tears too, but what a day it was in the end! What was meant to be my very first wedding of 2021, turned out to be my very last wedding of 2020!

Would you like to learn their story? Follow their journey in the next few paragraphs.

THE BEGINNING

Donna emailed me an enquiry on Thursday 20th August after receiving a message from her former venue that they wouldn’t be reopening in time for her and Mark’s wedding. Donna was distraught but beknown to her, Mark did his research and suggested contacting wedding planners to help them bring their vision to life again as they weren’t sure where to begin- again!

Upon Donna’s enquiry and without any commitment, I got busy organising provisional quotes and availability in order to give Donna confidence that her dream wedding day can happen 100%!

We were on the phone that same evening to discuss the options available.

Would you have considered a wedding planner to help you if you found yourself under those same circumstances?

THE VENUE

It didn’t take  long  to get the venue organised – by the weekend, I had Donna and Mark visiting 5 fantastic venues in the city with me. I knew the city centre was their number one preference and we had such a great response and reception from them all – Hilton Carlton, Doubletree by Hilton Edinburgh City Centre, The Old Dr Bell’s Baths, Kimpton Edinburgh Charlotte Square and finally The Bonham.

We matched and booked the perfect package within one week from the initial enquiry – With the weight lifted off their shoulders, the fun of wedding planning truly began for Donna and Mark.

Would you like to find out what venue they selected in the end? Follow their story below.

THE SUPPLIERS

Very quickly after selecting The Bonham, the perfect wedding venue for our couple, we focused on sourcing the best team of wedding suppliers to complement their special day.

The next few posts will reveal to you who supported Mark and Donna along their wedding planning journey with me.

How do you choose your suppliers? Let me know in the comments below:

A - Word of Mouth Recommendation

B - Directories

C - Google searches

Geebz Photography

We had a range of photographers to consider but when Donna and Mark told me that it is important that their wedding day photography isn’t long, dull and all staged and that their daughters are very important for them to be featured too – I immediately knew who I needed to speak to!

No matter the age of the group, I know Geebz can make photography fun and all guests naturally relaxed and they all had a brilliant time having their photographs taken and the effects are amazing!

What is most important in your opinion when choosing your wedding photographer? Let me know in the comments below.

Mo Ackroyd

Donna and Mark also told me that they were looking for ceremony recommendations – they initially considered civil ceremony, but when they heard how personalised humanist ceremonies could be, they asked me to check availability with my connections. I know that personalised ceremony was important to them from the first moment we spoke. We were in luck! My recommendation Mo Ackroyd was available on their date!

I was very lucky to be responsible for the ceremony music and 19 guests joining on Zoom from around the world. Everyone agreed what a moving and heartfelt ceremony it was!

I hear about the statistics around the ceremonies, but I wonder how many of you – my followers are choosing each type of wedding ceremony – let me know your choice in the comments below:

A. Civil

B. Humanist

C. Religious

DJ Edinburgh

Music and evening entertainment were one of the wedding elements that we weren’t too sure about from the beginning, but thankfully Jim at DJ Edinburgh was on hand to help us with suggestions and recommendations.

In the end, Donna and Mark performed their first dance, assisted with Toastmaster announcements and post-dinner games including Kahoot!

What evening plans would you make for your micro-wedding? If you’re looking for recommendations, message me in the chatbox now!

BagPiper Online

As always Pipe Major David McRobert didn’t disappoint!

It was Donna and Mark’s personal request to ensure a Piper was available on their special day and David arrived an hour prior to the ceremony to greet all guests on arrival in his full highland dress.

He was then available to play the couple to the Top Table and raised a well-wishing toast to our couple with a dram of whisky (which was actually just an apple juice – he was driving after, you know 😊)

One thing that always impresses me with BagPiper Online is how David and his team can come up with tunes on the day and we weren’t disappointed this time either. David played himself out of the room to Jingle Bells.

Do you enjoy bagpipes at weddings? Give us ❤️ if you do in the comments below.

EightYards

My next recommendation was the kilts for the male part of the wedding party! Mark’s Mum said that the service from Eight Yards was impeccable when dressing the boys!

As mentioned before – Eight Yards also now supply tartan face masks matching their range of kilts, which is what Mark chose for his special day too.

All the gents looked absolutely outstanding in their smart outfits, don’t you think? Live chatbox message me if you’re looking for some advice on the matter of outfits today.

George Gilchrist-Grodnicki

My husband George got introduced to Donna and Mark during one of our consultations as we were looking for some winter wedding inspiration. George, having worked with flowers in his career, managed to pull off the perfect design for Donna and Mark’s wedding. Further to this consultation, we also met at the hotel to discuss the final touches and arrangements.

It was very important for Donna and Mark to ensure their wedding was matching the season perfectly with not flowers, but rather plenty of pine branches, pinecones and mistletoe to set the perfect winter backdrop to their nuptials.

George played an essential role in building the arrangements on the morning of the wedding and setting up the space in accordance with Donna and Mark’s brief.

Don’t you think he’s got a good eye for these things? Chatbox message me today if you’d like to speak to George about your upcoming wedding décor if you’re looking for inspiration consultation.

The Dress/es

Now, this will be a very inspirational part of Donna and Mark’s story!

From day 1, Donna wanted to make her own wedding day dress and four dresses for her daughters, and she did it!

Initially, it was meant to be a 1920’s inspired dress by Vera Wang, however, along the process it became apparent to Donna that she wanted something a lot more flowing and open!

Her daughter’s dresses were finished in early December when Donna was working on the final elements of her dress, but by that point her dress changed to cigarette-style trousers with a stunning wrap-around train – when she arrived at the entrance to the ceremony, I truly appreciated her vision – it was breathtaking!

Give Donna ❤️ in the comment boxes below!

THE 1ST CHANGE

Not long into the wedding planning the Scottish five tier Covid guidelines system was introduced and Edinburgh was immediately placed in the 2nd most restrictive tier, meaning we had to consider our options for evening entertainment and relook at the numbers again.

I was very proud of Donna and Mark for having persevered through yet another change to their wedding plan after having to find a brand-new venue all over again already!

We discussed the options and came to the conclusion that no matter what – their wedding was going to be epic! Donna and Mark managed to work out their final numbers and worked with their girls on games to keep their wedding fun, exciting and entertaining all round and they managed this!

Are you looking for inspiration for a micro-wedding? Chatbox message me today for some fabulous ideas!

THE BIG CHANGE

On 19th December a big blow arrived when the First Minister of Scotland announced the full lockdown starting at 00:01 on Boxing Day – we didn’t think we’d get any further restrictions before the New Year and here we are back to the drawing board as Donna and Mark’s wedding was planned all along for 1st January 2021!

Initially the wedding was meant to have 40+ guests joining from around the world to celebrate. Starting with the torch Procession on 30th, followed by the Hogmanay street party and a late  wedding ceremony on 1st January- commencing at 4pm.

Without much notice or even anyone to speak to as the lockdown announcement was made on Saturday evening, I was quick to contact all suppliers and had options to present to Donna and Mark.

Knowing that Donna and Mark worked so hard on this wedding plan, Donna made her and her daughter dresses, and her parents arriving from USA over two weeks early to quarantine for their wedding (after four flights cancelations – I might add), I couldn’t imagine them not having the perfect wedding day, when we were so close!

A few private messages later with all my amazing suppliers and The Bonham, and we had a plan – we could move their entire wedding in its finalised format to Christmas Eve and they loved the idea!

How amazing is that with only four days’ notice? Give us ❤️ if you’ve loved this story so far!

THE PERFECT DAY

After countless changes- venue change, supplier changes, date change, number changes, cancelled flights and many more… the day has finally arrived for Donna and Mark to tie the knot!

And it was the perfect day in every possible way – which started with a crisp, dry weather outside complimented by occasional rays of sunshine!

George and I arrived at the venue early at 10am to set up and dress the spaces -the hotel had everything ready for us and Mark delivered the remaining items for the décor. We got busy and had everything ready by 2pm.

Donna and the girls arrived at 1pm to get ready in the Bridal Suite- stunning, spacious and full of daylight. George and I greeted her on arrival and popped a bottle of Champagne to the room to help get rid of the nerves.

Guests and suppliers started arriving from around 3pm, and by 4pm we were ready in the ceremony room and on Zoom to announce the arrival of our stunning Bride to “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Kina Grannis – you could quite literally hear pin dropping in the room!

From there guests proceeded to drinks reception while I helped the couple with their photographs.

When the meal was being served, George and I had another surprise for our lovely couples – beyond the double doors to the function room, we set up a round first dance dancefloor including cylinder vases and pillar candles surrounded by a circle ring of pine branches, pinecones and mistletoe to help capture their first dance and give their guests the best view from the dining table.

After that guests remained in their seats and enjoyed the games organised by the youngest in the family until the 10pm curfew.

So much persistence from this fabulous couple ensured the most magical wedding day – it truly proves that it’s not the numbers and the volume that make beautiful weddings, it’s those that truly care that make it happen!

If you would like to find out more on how I could help you with your elopement or a micro-wedding, chatbox message me today!

MEET MY INTERVIEW TOP-SECRET GUEST SPEAKER

MEET MY INTERVIEW TOP-SECRET GUEST SPEAKER

Have you missed my LIVE interview on 14th January? Nothing is lost! Why not watch it on #repeat?

Feel free to share your comments or questions in the comment boxes below and don’t forget to give us ❤️

SIX RED FLAGS WHEN BOOKING A SUPPLIER by Monica Cutler

SIX RED FLAGS WHEN BOOKING A SUPPLIER by Monica Cutler

Lately, I have been observing quite a few engagements popping up on social media and since it’s this exciting time of the year, I thought to share something I believe to be incredibly important to know for newly engaged couples.

Following my Facebook Live interview with Monica Cutler – I remembered that she’s worked with industry experts on a guide for wedding planning couples and came up with “Six red flags when booking a supplier” which she’s agreed for me to share with you.

If you would like to find out what to look out for when booking wedding suppliers, you’ll need to check out the next six paragraphs.

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ONLY OFFERING PAYPAL PAYMENT AS FRIENDS AND FAMILY

PayPal buyer protection is not as iron-clad as it used to be. If you send a supplier money using the f&f feature you will not be covered.

 Excuses to look out for: "It will take X days to clear. If you want it before a certain date you would be better off paying f&f."

Remember that Credit Card payments may give you additional protection – would you normally pay using credit card for wedding services? Chatbox message me if you’d like to find out more.

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NO WRITTEN CONTRACT

Even if it's a friend, family member or someone you've known for years. Getting an agreement down in writing saves so much trouble and shows empathy for your future self. Get a contract and ensure there's a copy for supplier and couple.

A contract doesn't have to be complicated or full of jargon, but it should include the service you're paying for, exact payment terms, and a refund and cancellation policy. 

Have you received a contract for all your wedding services? Chatbox message me if this is something, you’d need help with.

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STOLEN IMAGES

Reverse search images to check if they're from other companies.

Most wedding professionals are comfortable using some stock imagery as fillers on their site but would never claim them as their own product. This is completely different to one wedding supplier stealing images from another and claiming them as their own.

Would you be able to identify this? Let me know in the comment boxes below.

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ONLY ONE METHOD OF CONTACT

There are many successful wedding businesses who only operate on social media, without a website.

But you should have multiple contact details, such as an email address, mobile number, postal

address. If you can only get in touch via Facebook messenger back away. If they don't have a physical postal address ask them why. This address should match any accounts you pay. 

Is this something you have given thought to before? Let me know your thoughts in the comment boxes below.

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MULTIPLE NEGATIVE AND SPECIFIC REVIEWS

If there are a small number of poor reviews ask your supplier about them. It could have been a challenging circumstance where they might have a completely sensible response to.  

If they did upset a client ask how they used the experience to move forward. No

business gets it perfect 100% of the time so always compare with their positive reviews and check the dates for their most recent customers. 

Do you normally check supplier reviews before booking? Give me YES in the comment boxes below if you do.

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CHEAP PRICING

If it looks too good to be true it probably is!

If their price is way below market value they could be brand new or not as legitimate as you would like. 

If they are a newer business make sure you talk about their level of expertise and what they are capable of delivering. If you pay for a Mini don't expect a Rolls Royce. 

Would you opt-in for a cheaper option based purely on pricing? Chatbox message me today if this is something you’d like help with in order to understand what you can expect to be paying for a specific service.

STYLED PHOTOSHOOT - Autumnal Intimate Wedding Experience

STYLED PHOTOSHOOT:

Autumnal Intimate Wedding Experience

I’ve got a very exciting project to share with you, which I’ve been working on in the background with some amazing industry partners lately.

It was following an informal coffee with Geebz Photography that an idea was born. We’ve identified that many couples who were due to get married in 2020 and early 2021 still want to go ahead with their plans on a smaller scale but often don’t know where to start when they had initially planned for a large gathering. Therefore, we’ve put our heads together to bring to you the idea of a perfect romantic elopement or micro-wedding which we believe will blow your socks off! We’re sure you’ll be impressed at how personalised and beautiful intimate celebrations can be, so stay tuned and learn more about our project below.

STYLING

We were inspired by the natural tranquility of the autumnal and scenic Scottish countryside. From the beginning, we were keen to have our photoshoot in an iconic Scottish location that would allow us to capture the intimacy of an elopement or micro-wedding perfectly and I think we managed to achieve that and a lot more!

Lynsay Borthwick Weddings and Events beautifully dressed an arch for the ceremony with leafy fern, pondweed and autumnal florals. Setting the scene with atmospheric pillar candles, earthy moss and wood-inspired finishing touches – arranging the perfect stage for a romantic ceremony.

Lynsay has been involved in the wedding industry for nearly two years and what a breath of fresh air she brings with her. Her creative flair and enthusiasm allowed us to capture our photoshoot perfectly against a stunning backdrop, don’t you think?

FLORISTRY

The romantic atmosphere was perfectly finished with a stunning creation of a bridal bouquet and a buttonhole from Kathrin at White House Flowers. They were both blooming with peach avalanche and black bacarra roses, asparagus fern, orange euphorbia, vintage lisianthus and eucalyptus gunni.

The colours were truly eye-catching, and perfect for our autumnal wedding theme, for the very first time, I could smell the beautiful scents of roses and botanicals used for this rich, yet natural looking bouquet – Kathrin simply never fails to impress me!

Having worked with Kathrin on many weddings over the years now, I would highly recommend her to all those couples who look for something truly special – she’ll not disappoint!

LOCATION

From the very beginning we were keen to make the most of the Scottish scenery surrounding the stunning estate of Glencorse and we were so lucky to shoot the majority of our project inside this privately owned ‘Glencorse Old Kirk’ dating back to 17th century.

Sarah Chambers who owns the estate and is pictured here, looks after all the wedding planning couples in the lead up to the wedding, as well as on the day of delivery. She greeted us so warmly and kindly with a welcome smile and prepared for us refreshments – a true testimonial to a truly personalised and caring service this unique venue provides.

If you’re still undecided and looking for you dream venue that radiates the true Scottish spirit in every way possible – you should contact Sarah today at sarah@glencorsehouse.com

An interesting fact to mention about this stunning location is that the chapel used for our photoshoot was also used in the filming of the “Outlander” Wedding in episode 7 of the 1st season!

Can you imagine a better location for your truly Scottish elopement?

CEREMONY

All current restrictions were taken into consideration when planning for this gorgeous photoshoot including working with the best of the best in the industry.

Mo Ackroyd (pictured) from Fuze Ceremonies helped us with the ceremony plan for the project. Mo is up-to-date with all the latest regulations and was able to instruct us on appropriate distancing for all the photography.

She’s also come up with some fantastic symbolic gestures including drinking from the quaich, hand fasting and the official exchange of rings. Humanist ceremonies definitely make weddings more personable and memorable, no matter their size.

Having worked with Mo for many years now and very often on weddings and showcases together, I know for a fact that she is loved by all her wedding couples. She emanates caring approach with all of her couples and out-of-the-box approach to performing ceremonies that is personalised, yet fun – I continue to recommend her to all my couples too!

OUTFITS – THE DRESS

Thanks to Jade from Crystal Bows Bridal Boutique and Kyle from 8 Yards, we were able to dress our models, including Geebz Photography and I, in attire perfectly fitting for the occasion.

Don’t you just love that full-length cathedral veil over the stunning Victoria Kay dress full of lace and delicate embroidery? Our model Lynsay looked absolutely stunning in it! Can’t you spot that she played as a double act?

Crystal Bows once again didn’t disappoint – one message from me to Jade was enough for her to say: “Yes to the dress” at our photoshoot 😊 Lynsday and I were invited for a dress fitting and the dress Jade picked for us was just stunning, don’t you think? It’s the personalised touches that make a difference and even the assistant at the shop – Liz also supplied us with a gorgeous feather balero from her daughter’s wedding! There is a reason why Crystal Bows are one of the most loved Bridal Boutiques in Scotland!

OUTFITS – THE KILT

Joel on the other hand was perfectly matched to the autumnal feeling, perfectly matching the season. For the photoshoot he wore the Hebridean Kilt range exclusive to 8 Yards in modern tartan with no specific clan affiliation and matching tie. It was complemented by a colour coordinated tweed waistcoat and jacket in addition to copper-coloured brogues and sporran.

A lot of men these days like to opt in for something a little more modern, fashionable and matching to the rest of the celebrations and with the latest range from 8 Yards – you can clearly do that! 8 Yards can provide you with a full range from matching flashies to the same tartant face masks – how cool is that? You can get kitted out from top to toe in one place and they also offer a great range of hire and ex-hire outfits too.

Don’t you think our couple looked perfectly dressed for the occasion and the theme?

PHOTOGRAPHY

Geebz Photography is very close to my heart. For this reason Gerlof photographed my wedding to George, I know the lengths he will go to for the perfect shot! He is an outstanding photographer.

He doesn’t just shoot, he is a magician who transforms photography into a fun activity and creates a vibrant and exciting aura around him.

I’ve observed Gerlof’s master photography on many occasions. Every photo tells a story, every photo captures the moment perfectly! Its almost as if his elopement weddings were big and elaborate parties– not a micro wedding at all!

Additionally, Gerlof introduced us to Beate from BBPicture who accompanied his efforts and captured so many outstanding moments in the photoshoot – it was great observing the two working together!

After the photoshoot everyone messaged me how relaxed they felt around him. He was coming up with off-the-cuff jokes, orchestrating a  perfectly photoshoot-fitting playlist, we didn’t even realise how quickly the time passed us.

PLANNING

I have said this many times, that I am very lucky to work with the best in the wedding industry and I am very glad that Geebz Photography and I met for that informal coffee chat – our photoshoot was organised within a short 9 days and everyone truly pulled all the stops to make it happen and make it the best possible!

It was great fun putting briefings together, sharing ideas, scheduling things in and bouncing ideas off each other. The hard work clearly paid off and everything came together creating this very special piece of work. It brings me great joy to announce to you that if you’re looking for that perfect elopement or micro-wedding and don’t know where to start, I have got it all covered for you. With the best portfolio of partners, years of experience and four wedding industry awards! If you would like to find out more, why not get in touch today for an informal chat? Who knows, we may turn your vision into a yet another stunning Outlander-worthy wedding scene!

Massive thanks to all photoshoot partners - without your enthusiasm, vision and determination this fantastic project wouldn’t have been possible!

📷@geebz_photography

👰@lbweddingsandevents

💐@whitehouseflower

📌@glencourse_house

💕@mo.ackroydscottishcelebrant

👗@crystalbowsbridalboutique

🤵@eightyards

📷@bbpicture_photography

📋@theweddingguru_oskar

HOW TO BEST CUT DOWN YOUR GUEST LIST

I have recently been asked my opinion by Tie the Knot Scotland on how wedding couples can cut down on their numbers to ensure their celebrations meet the latest Scottish restrictions.

You can check out the full article on the subject in the link above and my full response in the next few paragraphs.

P.S. If you are also looking for a collaboration on a wedding-related project or a piece of editorial, contact me today at oskar@theweddingguruoskar.co.uk

P.P.S. If you’re a wedding planning couple looking for help or advice on how to best manage your wedding, book your informal 15 minutes consultation today.

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Where should couples start with slimming down their guest list to fit Covid restrictions?

A lot of couples often come to me with a wedding guest list to rival a royal wedding!

During these times my advice is to prepare List A & List B irrespective of Covid.

LIST A should include all those guests that are a must at your wedding.

LIST B on the other hand, is for those guests that you might really want to invite to the wedding, but due to restrictions and limitation you physically cannot.

Additionally, if you planned for children to attend your wedding or more distant relatives, you might want to delay these invitations to ensure you can have the allowed number including those MOST important guests. Under the circumstances, they will understand, and it also means you can have a second party- the big reception when they are permitted again. Why not consider this and make it your commitment to remove those guests in order to meet the current regulations? 

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What are the restrictions and who do/don’t they include?

The current restrictions are broken down into Levels in accordance with the latest Scottish Governmental Guidelines on Covid lockdown. Here are some details for you to consider:

Wedding Ceremonies and Receptions should only take place at a venue, where Covid regulations and guidance are complied with. This includes hotels, restaurants and purpose-built event venues in indoor or outdoor spaces.

Exclusive use venues and outdoor marquees can still be used as long as the premises are managed by venue staff and not the couples or their guests.

Venues otherwise closed for day-to-day operation due to Level 4 restrictions can still provide the wedding ceremony service.

Wedding ceremonies can only take place in private dwelling where one or both parties are unable to leave their home, for instance due to terminal illness and the numbers attending such ceremony must be kept to a bare minimum. Those ceremonies also must observe and comply with Covid rules and protection.

Guests attending the ceremony do not have to be the same guests who get to attend your reception and this is another way of how to best manage your numbers if you don’t want to upset anyone. The following numbers apply to the levelled approach to weddings by the Scottish Government:

Level 0 = up to 50 guests ceremony and reception

Level 1-3 = up to 20 guests ceremony and reception

Level 4 = 20 guests ceremony ONLY

*These numbers include children, photographer and all your suppliers present on the day, except your ceremony officiant

Guests can travel between levels and from England as well as internationally (following relevant international travel restrictions such as 14 days quarantine upon arrival) for wedding purposes.

Face coverings must be worn at all times by guests during the wedding ceremony, only the ceremony officiant and the couples can take their face coverings off during the official ceremony while observing social distancing rules.

Music is now permitted for ceremony purposes only and speeches can only be performed through an amplified PA system. Music is still currently not permitted in the receptions.

Finally, alcohol can be served at receptions only within levels 0-3 and levels 2-3 must observe 10pm curfew.

Source: My Scotland Wedding

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How can brides and grooms decide who should make the cut? Should they change their bridesmaid/groomsmen line-up for example? Should it be based on who’s closest to them, or who’s most at risk, health-wise? Or maybe on who lives furthest away? What strategy should they adopt?

In my opinion the relationship, vulnerability to Covid and travel should be taken into consideration when reducing your wedding day guest list in line with the current regulations. If I was to be in wedding planning couple’s shoes now, I would identify who from my guest list is the closest to me and who I ‘must have’ at my wedding.

I would then identify those guests that are vulnerable to Covid because of their relative age or underlying health conditions – why not organise a virtually streamed ceremony viewing for them?

Finally, I would want to understand who is potentially facing travel restrictions and quarantines if travelling internationally, would the quarantine mean them missing the celebration?

I get it, it’s super tough to have to do this and I can’t even begin to imagine what couples must be going through right now, but at the same time, I don’t think anyone would want to put their family and friends at risk.

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If vulnerable guests are non-negotiables for the couple (like parents, for example), what can they do to minimise risk and accommodate them? Should an element of the day be kept to immediate family, to be as safe as possible?

I’m not sure I would risk vulnerable guests, but a socially distanced ceremony kept to a bare minimum would be an option. Additionally, thanks to today’s technology, those guests at risk and staying home can still join in through live streamed events.

I had the pleasure of organising this for a couple, their guests dressed up in the safety of their own homes, did readings during the ceremony, and afterwards they got 15 minutes to speak to the couple once the ceremony completed. The entire ceremony stream was recorded and then shared with the family. How do you like this solution for keeping everyone safe?

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How and when should they deliver the news to people who won’t be able to come in a sensitive and tactful way? In what ways can they soften the blow: i.e. you’ll host a live stream, you’re planning on having a bigger reception later when restrictions allow etc?

I think that under the current circumstances and ever-changing environment, couples shouldn’t put too much pressure on themselves on when to communicate these changes to their guests. I planned a wedding that needed to change things three days before their special day and I helped them make it happen.

It is probably easier to get everyone in front of a screen at the same time to announce this change to everyone at the same time, so nobody feels singled out – it also allows for all guest questions to be answered during this one live stream.

Alternatives can be suggested such as live streaming of ceremony as mentioned above, or if the couples are planning for a reception when these are possible, why not share this news with the guests – that’d be a lovely silver lining for them too.

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Image: Daria Makiela Photography (https://wedding-artwork.co.uk/)

If someone is really important to the couple but absolutely cannot attend (like a grandparent maybe) what can the couple do to make them feel included over and above a live stream?

If this very important person cannot attend in person and online, why not call them and ask them to read a poem during the ceremony. I am currently working with a Bride who asked her family and friends from abroad to post buttons to her, so that she can sew them to her dress and know that they are there with them in spirit – I think this is such a wonderful idea, don’t you think?

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What if restrictions change during the planning process? Should you make lists for various scenarios? Is it acceptable to re-invite guests when the outlook changes again? What’s the etiquette?

This is me coming back to my List A & List B scenario – if you’ve still got time to make those changes and you can manage these, why not invite your List B guests – trust me they won’t mind, everyone understands that this is not your choice to be constantly chopping and changing things, you’ve simply been given no other choice. Why not arrange for a live stream call again and break it to them- even raise a glass to them, in joy they can now join you – that would make them feel so special.

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Any other tips and advice?

My biggest tip is, DON’T feel pressured or guilty – it’s none of your doing and I’m sure everyone that you mean so much to understands why you’re having to make these unprecedented choices. Be transparent and open and speak to your guests openly, they’ll be by your side no matter what!

Wishing all current wedding planning couples, the patience and persistence during this challenging time! May your special day be the most wonderful because of the fact that you get to marry your biggest friend and soulmate, no matter the circumstances!

12 Things Wedding Planners Can Do For You

Working with a diverse portfolio of clients from around the world including Myanmar, Peru, USA, Germany and Australia this year allowed me to create unique and personalised wedding visions for my wedding planning couples. Although some of these plans have now moved to 2021 and 2022, my wedding planning service is all about producing tailored joyful and inspirational celebrations.

 If you’re considering getting help with your wedding planning and you’re unsure whether to get professional support, in the next few paragraphs I will be revealing to you the 12 Things a Professional Wedding Planner could do for you, so stayed tuned in…

1.      SAVING TIME

If project planning isn’t one of your strengths, a Wedding Planner can save you between 200-300 hours of wedding planning.

 Very often the misconception about Wedding Planners is that we’re an extravagant expense, where in fact by using a Professional Wedding Planner you get your time back to concentrate on the things you enjoy the most – have I mentioned that we can take a lot of the stress away with our service too?

 How much value do you put on your spare time? Can you afford giving up 200-300 hours for wedding planning? Let me know in the comment box below.

2.      CREATING A PLAN

Wedding Planning involves juggling both smaller and bigger projects as part of the overall wedding plan.

Wedding Planners create personalised timelines for your wedding and ensure everything happens seamlessly. All the while arranging all those necessary appointments, fittings and consultations on your behalf and keeping your wedmin on track. That way you enjoy the fun part only.

Wouldn’t it be amazing to have all those appointments organised for you and taken care of? Give me ❤️ in the comment box below if you agree.

3.      CREATING AND MANAGING A BUDGET

It is often part of our service to create a realistic wedding budget and ensuring it is met – having worked in the wedding industry for years and with hundreds of vendors and suppliers, we understand the market that we’re in daily and we can easily navigate through estimates for you.

We can also easily understand what it takes to turn your dream wedding day vision into reality, while providing your accurate guidance.

Do you know how many couples stick to their wedding budget? Up to 20% of couples struggle to keep their wedding budget on track. Does this surprise you? Give me a YES or NO in the comment box below.

4.      SAVING MONEY AND MAXIMISING YOUR BUDGET

Reverting to the previous point about wedding budgets, we can truly maximise your budget and save where you might not have anticipated. This is where we can guide you and make recommendations in allocating resources based on your priorities.

Imagine sourcing your decorations for your ceremony and a separate set for your reception – is this the best way to use your resources? Maybe it is, but it is our job to understand your budget and help you make clever decisions on what’s truly important to you.

Are you maximising your budget and making the best decisions?

5.      SOURCING YOUR VENUE

Having worked for clusters of venues in my career including city center hotels, mansion houses, country estates and marquee venues, in addition to having a vast network of venue contacts from my time working for an international wedding venue directory in Scotland, I can easily identify venues that are best suited to your requirements.

Additionally, there are so many ways in which you can maximise your wedding budget when considering wedding venues. I’ve recently saved one of my couples the cost of my part-wedding planning package by choosing their venue based on their set criteria, while having my support along their exciting wedding planning journey.

What is / was the most important aspect to you when considering wedding venues? Let me know in the comment box below.

6.      SOURCING AND NEGOTIATING WITH SUPPLIERS

Wedding Planners have got a very unique ability to source and negotiate with vendors and suppliers based on the fact that we’re well connected and work with suppliers we know will provide you with the best products and services.

You could almost say that booking suppliers through your Wedding Planner gives you a guarantee of quality, as we don’t easily give our personal recommendations. Because of this loyal relationship with our industry partners we’ve got the bargaining power for you.

Can you believe that a Wedding Planner can save you on average up to 20% of your wedding budget spend using trade deals? Give me 🌟 in the comments below if you’d be happy with this saving?

7.      LIAISING WITH ALL SUPPLIERS AND VENUE ON YOUR BEHALF

When you choose to work on your wedding plans with a Professional Wedding Planner, we will liaise with your venue and suppliers on the smallest of details by becoming your one and only point of contact for the entire wedding planning journey and be the main person who takes care of all wedmin for you.

Doesn’t that sound amazing? Give me YES in the comment box below if you’d love to have wedmin all taken care of for you.

8.      CONDUCTING THE BACKGROUND RESEARCH

Your Wedding Planner could be your ‘fixer’ and as previously mentioned we draw from an extensive network of connections and years of experience and research.

The chances are that when we recommend a supplier or venue to you, we’ve worked with them before on a wedding or a project, and if we haven’t, they always come with the highest recommendation from those partners we already work with. Either way, we ensure we vet all suppliers before making our recommendations and provide you with our own set of pointers and observations, making decision making a lot easier.

How much time on average does it take to plan your wedding including all the research?

A.     100 hours?

B.     200-300 hours?

C.      500 hours?

Let me know in the comment box below.

9.      HELPING YOU STYLE

Many couples often have a few ideas aided by our experience we put these ideas into a cohesive and stylish vision for your special day.

Working with the best of the best in the industry we come up with moodboards that will perfectly highlight your personal and unique aspirations for your desired wedding day.

Would it be easier for you to have your wedding vision drawn out for you?

10.      ORGANISING YOUR GUESTLIST

Guestlist management is often part of the full wedding planning package and this is the element which probably takes the most of your wedding planning admin time.

As wedding planners we can take care of all your RSVPs, organizing them cohesively into tables with all requirements clearly noted.

Additionally, we can be that one point of contact that can take the stress of responding to all FAQs on your behalf and updating your wedding day website.

Anyone who finds this part most challenging give me YES in the comment box below.

11.      RUNNING THE SHOW

With On The Day Coordination Package we can ensure that all those months of wedding planning come together – call us Master of Ceremonies, Conductors or On the Day Coordinators, our job is make sure that the entire focus is on the two of you and that we make it happen for you.

This includes managing suppliers, setup, organising the flow of the day, handling any on-the-day emergencies all the while soothing nerves and providing a helping hand.

This service is particularly popular with our full and part wedding planning packages or with couples booking dry hire venues or venues.

Would it not be amazing to have a professional making your dream wedding vision happen behind the scenes for you? Let me know your thoughts in the comment box below.

12.      GIVING YOU SUPPORT AND ADVICE WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST

Finally, the most important element of working with a wedding planner is relying on a person who is available at a time that works for you, for us this is not a regular 9-5 job, this is passion and this is commitment to you and your guests.

We are there to advocate for you, while offering sound and objective advice, and we never get bored talking about weddings… has this given you a better idea on the benefits of working with a Professional Wedding Planner for your most important day?

Feel free to share your worries, concerns or questions in the comment box below or privately email them to me. I’d love to help with things small and big – I’d love to make things easier for you!

PLANNING AN OUTDOOR WEDDING

BLOG POST SPONSORED BY SAINSBURY’S BANK*

PLANNING AN OUTDOOR WEDDING

With the current restrictions, we’ve seen increasing numbers of couples opting to say ‘I do’ in an outdoor wedding ceremony. Whether you’re dreaming of a micro wedding with your closest loved ones around you or planning a grand event, we share some useful tips for planning an alfresco ceremony to remember.

Check out this Guide to Planning an Outdoor Wedding by Sainsbury’s Bank Blog.

THE LEGAL BITS

First up, check the legalities and official rules for the country you are marrying in. If you’re getting married in Scotland, you can get married anywhere you choose. If your wedding is to be held in Wales or England, you need to have the ceremony in a fixed, permanent structure such as verandah, beach hut or bandstand. Some couples choose to hold an outdoor ceremony and legalise the marriage the next day. Chat with your wedding planner, celebrant or local authority if you’re unsure.

SEASONAL BACKDROPS

The beauty of an outdoor wedding is that you can embrace what nature has to offer and opt for a wedding inspired by the season it will be held in. Think of a gorgeous autumnal wedding with impressive colours and folliage creating a stunning backdrop to your ceremony (hello gorgeous wedding photos); or if you’re a sun-seeker, a summer wedding on the beach could be a perfect choice.

If you’re opting for a wedding in the warmer months, think about providing your guests with parasols, paper fans and cold refreshments to keep them comfortable in the heat.

Let’s not forget the beauty of a wedding in winter or early spring. Think warm faux fur cover-ups and sunlight highlighting a crisp icy backdrop - just stunning. Keep your guests cosy with blankets, outdoor heaters and, of course, a yummy hot chocolate station with hot toddy options for the adults.

BRING THE OUTDOORS, IN!

Love the idea of hosting your wedding outdoors, but not sure about the practicalities? Why not have the best of both worlds and hire an open-air tipi or marquee? This will allow you to make use of both the outside and inside space, and create an outdoorsy vibe with all the extra comforts. Use natural foliage and plants to decorate the inside of the tent for a rustic feel, and make sure your centerpieces are brimming with natural textures. Consider incorporating pinecones and ivy for a touch of greenery that won't wilt in the wee hours. The best part is there are no rules. You can stick to simple decor or be as creative as you like!

ARE THOSE WEDDING BELLS RINGING?

From grand weddings on the grounds of luxury country houses to intimate woodland weddings with a few special guests, at The Wedding Guru - Oskar, we’ve planned them all. Let us help you make your dreams a reality with our bespoke planning services.

HOW TO PLAN A LAST MINUTE WEDDING - 7 step guide by The Wedding Guru Oskar

HOW TO PLAN A LAST MINUTE WEDDING

Lately the majority of my wedding enquiries are based on short timelines and micro weddings, which is completely understandable under the current regulations.

This is why I have decided to give you some quick wins on how to plan your last-minute weddings effectively.

Check out my full blog below as I reveal to you my 7 steps guide.

If you’re currently considering a micro wedding that you would like to take place within the next 2-3 months and don’t know where to start, contact me today. I’m sure we can come up with a great plan together.

LEGALITIES

In my opinion your number one objective for a last-minute wedding should be your paperwork.

You want to make sure that you have all the required paperwork completed within the allocated timeline for your destination – in Scotland you need to lodge your notices with the intention of marriage, otherwise known as M10 form, no later than 29 days prior to your intended date of marriage.

This only applies if you want to make sure your wedding ceremony is legally binding – for symbolic ceremonies, this will be down to the availability of your desired celebrant.

How are you all finding the legalities and paperwork related to filing for a legally binding ceremony? Let me know in the comments below.

IDENTIFY WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU

When you’re planning for a wedding with a limited timeline, it is important for you to decide on the MUST HAVEs and things that you can forgo which won’t upset your overall vision.

The reason why this is so important is that you as much as you would want to consider everything for the most important day of your life, you don’t want to left disappointed or frustrated if it doesn’t happen due to the limited timescale.

Take one evening together and work out what’s important to you – I can promise you, this will ensure that even when planning last minute you can enjoy the process just as much.

Would you agree with this advice? Give me YES in the comments below if you do!

BUDGET

Now, that you’ve identified what’s important to you, set your budget – how much can you spend on this wedding celebration and how much are you prepared to invest into it?

You’ll need to consider your venue, legal fees (if you’re wanting a legally binding ceremony), any transport, outfits, photographer, flowers, accommodation, accessories and the list might go on and on…

What I am trying to say is that no matter the timeline or size of you wedding, you will still need to consider a lot of integral parts of this very special occasion and you don’t want to feel like you need to always compromise because of the limited timescale – setting a budget will help you achieve what you’ve planned for.

What budget would you estimate for an elopement or micro-wedding?

A – up to £1,000.00

B - £1,000 to £5,000.00

C - £5,000+

VENUE

Choosing a venue for a last-minute wedding might have its disadvantages such as availability, but also benefits such as ‘late availability deals’ which will help you to maximise the budget you have set.

Availability is of course important, so would you consider off-peak dates such as Fridays, Sundays or even Thursdays?

Is it a unique reception hall that you want for your wedding or would you rather hold your ceremony at the Registrar’s Office and host your meal in a private room at a hotel or restaurant?

Remember that no matter what you decide on – charges might apply for the hire of your venues even if it is just a Registrar’s Office.

What venues would you consider for a last minute or micro-wedding? Share your ideas in the comment box below.

SUPPLIERS

This one is an interesting matter – because normally, you would see many suppliers fully booked for years in advance.

Nowadays, you might find a lot more flexibility, however, if you’re struggling to find available suppliers – check out online wedding directories and place your enquiries through these sites with as much detail as possible - remember you don’t want to be wasting your time on follow up email asking for more details!

On the other hand, if  time is precious for you and you would like to focus on other things that matter to you more, delegate this task to someone else - Wedding Planners like myself can organise a list of availability, negotiate rates and put together proposals for you within a few hours.

Would you consider sourcing suppliers though a Professional Wedding Planner? Give me YES in the comments below if you would due to limited timeline.

INVITATIONS

This one I think shouldn’t come as a surprise – designing, printing and then posting hard copy invitations might not be an option if you’ve got limited time to organise your wedding. Additionally, you wouldn’t want to wait for RSVPs in the post either – your time is precious here!

Why not use one of the web-based services widely available to send your invitations and collect your RSVPs automatically?

You can still have a say in how they will look like and what they will read, but this method simply ensures you can shorten the process and send your invitations in a matter of minutes to your entire guest list.

Have you heard of PaperlessPost.com? It gives you the first 50 online invites free and helps you collect your RSVPs. Check it out today!

DELEGATE

If you can, delegate some of the tasks so that other can help you. People like your Bridemaids, parents, siblings and friends.

You don’t want to feel overwhelmed and all those that are there to support you will be more than happy to contribute their time too.

Additionally, while looking for venues, you might want to consider those that already include or are willing to include all those important MUST HAVEs – all-inclusive packages are a great solution for your last minute wedding, so take advantage of this!

 If you would like to discuss your elopement or micro-wedding with me, enquire with me today.

Useful things to consider when planning for a wedding in the Autumn!

In this blog, I decided to focus on Autumn weddings and the things you might find useful when planning for a wedding in this colourful season.

In the next few paragraphs, I would like to bring to you some of my ideas and suggestions which can add to the magical feel of this beautiful wedding season.

Are there any Brides following an Autumn theme for their wedding? Let me know in the comments where you find your inspiration for your gorgeous celebration.

COLOURS

Autumn is a beautiful, mystical and very vibrant season for weddings, especially when we consider its colours.

From late September to November we are spoilt for rich and colourful notes to the natural outdoors as well as seasonal accents to our indoors celebrations.

Why not take advantage of these vibrant colours in your décor, flowers and even outfit accents – there’s an abundance of choice for you to pick from.

Are you infusing seasonal colours in your wedding design?

WEATHER

Many couples worry about the weather conditions in the Autumn, well you’d be surprised! I’ve got brilliant news to share with you on this!

Although the temperatures drop slightly, statistically according to Met Office - Autumn in Scotland is one of the driest seasons of the year from mid-September to November, there’s less rainfall than between July and August – does that statistic surprise you?

You might want to prepare yourself for more wind on occasions though and have a contingency Plan B should things turn to the worse on the morning of your wedding if you’ve planned for outdoor elements.

Remember, autumn photos look absolutely stunning too – so plan to make the most of this opportunity!

OUTDOORS CEREMONIES

Another element of weddings that can be absolutely stunning is outdoor ceremonies if you do them correctly.

A)     DON’T plan for an hour+ long ceremony outdoors in the Autumn and although it might be dry and fairly warm, it might also be windy, so you don’t want to be keeping your guests outside for too long unnecessarily

B)     Always have a Plan B for wet weather contingency

C)     Make the most of what nature gives you in this beautiful and colourful season

D)     You might want to consider providing little blankets, rugs or shawls for your wedding guests on the ceremony chairs outdoors

Would you consider an outdoor wedding ceremony in the Autumn?

COUNTRY VENUES

Venue consideration can also add to the design of your beautiful Autumn themed wedding – many Castles, Mansion Houses and private estates are surrounded by beautiful country grounds, woodlands and parklands.

Imagine all those impressive and mature trees beaming with colours creating the stunning backdrop to your ceremony, drinks receptions and photos – you can let nature do the work of design for you 😊

If you’re going for a rustic look, you can’t pick a better season for a country estate wedding.

AUTUMN DEALS

Summer months are statistically and historically the most popular for weddings, although I’m not sure why if the forecast in the UK isn’t as promising in the summer as it might be at overseas destinations.

This means that some vendors and venues might be offering special seasonal deals and Autumn might allow you to maximise your wedding budget.

If you aren’t set on a fixed date or haven’t made a decision yet, why not ask your desired suppliers and venues about seasonal deals?

How are you finding my Autumnal wedding suggestions so far? Is there any you’ve found particularly handy?

FLOWERS

Interestingly, I come across this quite a lot lately… Couples often set their heart on certain flowers or certain #Pinterest looks and then there comes the disappointment of finding out that the flowers or the look they want to go for cannot be replicated in the season they chose for their wedding.

Some out of season flowers you want might be still sourced out of season, however, these might come with a hefty price tag for being so limited!

Therefore, I highly recommend for you to discuss seasonal flowers with your florist before looking things up online, to avoid disappointment or opt-in for artificial flowers altogether.

Interestingly, there are some very beautiful and in keeping with the colourful theme of autumn flowers for you to choose from – here’s just a short list of some of the choices you have: alstromeria, gerbera, iris, orchid polymin, chrysanthemum, sunflower, delphinium, freesia and many more.

Is it a surprise for you to know that you might not be able to replicate all floral looks all year round?

MENU

It doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone that with days becoming darker quicker in Autumn, colder, we may feel cosier on the inside with some seasonally tailored wedding menus.

Autumn is an incredible season for food and can tickle many taste buds.

In the Autumn your guests are likely to enjoy a delicious hearty meal and a full-bodied glass of red wine or cranberry vodka – what do you think of this combination?

Autumn food is all about variety, rich colours and flavours on your plate.

Imagine quail with figs and walnuts, wild mushroom and truffle arancini, venison loin in a red currant jus or spiced parsnip and red onion shepherds pie – I’m getting hungry myself!

Additionally, autumnal desserts are to die for with choices such as blackberry crumble with vanilla custard, dark chocolate orange tart or an apple pavlova 😊

Anyone hungry at the thought of these dishes?

DRESS FOR THE WEATHER

It would be very optimistic for me not to touch upon the subject to dressing for the season.

If you’re considering a country estate, a farmhouse or a barn for your wedding in the Autumn, you might want to keep those gorgeous heels safe until you are in your Wedding Breakfast and Reception venue.

You might also want to equip yourself with a pair of bridal wellies for your outdoors ceremonies and photography, and although you might come across a dry day, underfoot conditions might be very different from morning frost and wet ground.

Additionally, advice especially important for our Brides, why not rock a nice chic jacket accessory to your wedding dress, which will definitely come in handy for your outdoors photos.

What other elements of the Autumn wedding wardrobe have you considered? Let us know in the comments below.

LIGHTING

Finally, there is another element you might want to think about when planning for a wedding in Autumn and this one is a very romantic element in my opinion – it’s lighting!

With days getting darker quicker, you’ll have a lot more opportunities to work with romantic and atmospheric mood lighting to set the perfect scene for your wedding breakfast and especially your evening reception.

Additionally, later in autumn, you might want to consider some fairy light, outdoor photos with sparklers or even early evening firework displays to give a clear start to your evening reception.

Imagine performing your first dance in the backdrop of fireworks or cake cutting while all your guests hold flashing sparklers in their hands – this of course is our good weather plan for the outdoors.

Are there any other elements you would consider for your autumn wedding? Let us know in the comments below.

THE LOVE STORY THAT NOTHING CAN STOP! - Real Wedding Blog

THE LOVE STORY THAT NOTHING CAN STOP!

- Real Wedding Blog

Recently, I had the pleasure of coordinating a wedding for one of the kindest, most humble and all-round lovely couple – Holly and Niccolas.

I would like to share their story with you, because their story truly moved me, and I feel honoured to have been chosen to assist on their wedding day with my on the day coordination in addition to some pre-planning support.

This is all thanks to an amazing charity called Wedding Wish Makers based in Glasgow who help terminally ill Brides and Grooms tie the knot in the most beautiful ways!

I was tagged by my friend Jay at The Old Dr Bell’s Baths in a Facebook post from Wedding Wish Makers looking for support with the planning in Edinburgh as their regular area of operations is Glasgow. I immediately responded and was amazed to find that the charity was run by Suzanne whom I’ve met at the Scottish VOWS Awards a few years ago – there was a true connection there and we were both delighted to work together to bring this beautiful celebration together.

I got busy and encouraged my recommended suppliers to get involved too and of course, they didn’t disappoint!

If you would like to find out more about this beautiful celebration – read the full story below.

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HOLLY

Allow me to introduce our Bride – Holly (34y.o.), the kindest and most loving mum of six who was diagnosed with stage four cancer in June 2020.

She’s now got weeks to live and with fiancé Niccolas, they decided to fulfil one of Holly’s biggest dreams and create beautiful wedding memories.

Thanks to the support of Wedding Wish Makers and generous local wedding suppliers, the wedding was planned in short 10 days and what a beautiful celebration it’s been!

If you would like to support Holly and her family at this challenging time, you can still donate to the Go Fund Me page in Holly’s name - https://uk.gofundme.com/f/holly039s-fund

All donations are greatly appreciated and will help with childcare, bills and most importantly to make as many happy memories with her young family.

If you would like to learn more about the suppliers involved and the work they’ve put into the day, check out the next paragraphs.

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I’ve decided to present the gorgeous wedding of Holly and Niccolas by breaking it down into each element of their beautiful day, starting with:

THE VENUE

Initially, the entire day was planned around the beautiful Leith Community Gardens Croft – Crops in Pots, however, due to the adverse weather condition on the day and night leading up to the wedding, the ceremony venue was changed at 10pm the night before, thanks to the kind offer from Nicola at Duncan Place Leith - Community Centre.

Suzanne at Wedding Wish Makers communicated the change to all suppliers and I notified the Registrar – Ann Burnett about the change on the morning of the wedding to ensure everything was corrected for the purpose of legally binding ceremony schedule and then the transcript to the marriage certificate.

The ceremony itself conducted by Ann was perfect with the right amount of humour and sentiment matching the couples’ personality perfectly.

The revised plan worked perfectly, and all guests knew exactly where they were supposed to be thanks to Dean Saunders Piper who played pipes for the arrival of guests to the ceremony. The change to the ceremony venue also created a nice flow between the two different locations and a surprise factor for arriving into the garden reception already setup.

The teams at both locations were absolutely incredible, especially Evie – the CEO of the Leith Community Gardens – Crops and Pots and Harriet Wood – Wedding Specialist volunteering with the gardens on the day.

Wasn’t that just an incredibly well organised change of plan? What do you think? We loved it!

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DÉCOR

There was an amazing array of décor suppliers supporting the setup for this very special celebration.

Lynsay Borthwick Wedding & Events dressed the chairs for the wedding ceremony with shades of purples and lilac bows, rose petals for the ceremony aisle and an impressive arch for the ceremony backdrop. Additionally, Lynsay supplied bird cages and candles around the room setting the tone perfectly and also provided bows for the gates of the gardens for guests arriving from the ceremony.

Kathrin at White House Flowers supplied a fresh floral arrangement for the signing table and beautiful and natural looking bouquets, buttonholes and corsages – all in keeping with the colour theme of the wedding.

Additionally, G Artistry supplied clusters of balloons for the ceremony and then for the gates of the gardens for the reception.

Finally, Mandy and Lynda from Mc Balloons & Events and JACE Balloons and Events supplied a marquee for the catering station, table, linen, chairs and covers for the ceremony venue.

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CATERING

The catering for the wedding was absolutely to die for thanks to Skivvy’s Outside Catering and Fish & Frites – Anstruther!

Skivvy’s Outside Catering platters didn’t only cater for all possible dietary requirements, but when I opened the beautifully presented and packaged trays, I was salivating! The food looked amazing and smelt beautiful! If you want to impress your guests with buffet and grazing stations – I highly recommend you get in touch with Tracey!

Fish & Frites – Anstruther was a massive talking point on the day! Sarah and Jordan arrived in plenty time in a stunning blue van, all dressed up for Holly and Nic’s wedding with signage, bunting and frames adding to the presentation of the reception. They served some of the most amazing fish and chips I’ve ever had and the perfect portions too! Massive thanks to you guys for looking after our volunteers also! Simply the nicest team to work with and I would highly recommend them to anyone considering outside catering!

I was honestly very impressed by the quality and quantity of food kindly donated by both caterers! Check out their social media today!

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HAIR, MAKE UP AND THE DRESS

There was a wonderful response from hair and makeup artists to help for Holly and Nic’s wedding.

Sophie Arran Make Up Artistry and Andrea Erroch Makeup Artists did beautiful make up for the wedding party.

Dian Ward Hair & Beauty and Maureen from ‘The Bride to Be’ looked after hair arrangements for the wedding party too.

You could see all the ladies beaming with pride with their hair styles!

Finally, Jade at Crystal Bows Bridal Boutique supplied four tea length dresses for Holly to choose from and a gorgeous veil – don’t you think Holly looked absolutely radiant?

Holly took our breath away when she walked into her ceremony. Her relaxed and positive attitude was reflected in the dress code for the day with the high tops worn by the family and wedding party!

What would be your personal touch? Let me know in the comments below!

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The wedding of Holly and Nic wouldn’t have been captured in such a spectacular way without the help of:

PHOTOGRAPGER AND VIDEOGRAPHER

The videographer who remains anonymous and Lyndsey from Edinburgh Photographic captured the day so beautifully, don’t you think?

It’s been an absolute pleasure to work with both, who were foremost warm, professional and didn’t need any direction – guests and everyone involved really enjoyed working with them.

One thing that particularly captured my attention was that they weren’t obtrusive, the photography and videography was happening almost in the background and look at the effects of their amazing work – just stunning, perfectly recording the celebrations!

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Finally, I would like to thank my fantastic:

VOLUNTEERS

They were instrumental in ensuring the wedding of Holly and Nic went without a glitch. No questions were asked, and everyone was ready to roll their sleeves up to ensure Holly and Nic had the most magical wedding day and didn’t need to worry about a thing.

My husband George led the team in the ceremony venue, and I supported the team in the gardens.

Special thanks go to George, Dawn, Sam, Kimberley, Kamile and Harriet for all their help and support – we couldn’t have pulled it off without you guys!

Massive thanks also go to Evie and her team of volunteers at Leith Community Gardens – Crops in Pots!

If you’re looking for the support of a professional team of industry experts, contact me. My wonderful connections mentioned above, and in previous posts, would be more than happy to help with your next event!

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In summary, it was an honour for me to help plan, and also to coordinate Holly and Nic’s wedding on the day of my birthday – it was a humbling opportunity I truly wanted to participate in and on reflection their wedding made me realise that with the support of the amazing industry experts, you can produce a stunning celebration within a very short period of time – in fact this is the fastest organised wedding I ever had the pleasure to be involved with and I’m sure all of you will agree that it was a beautiful celebration.

At the end of the day, a union of two people pronouncing their love for one another is what a wedding should be about no matter the challenges, Holly and Niccolas have proven this to us in this truly remarkable ceremony!

Holly and Nic’s wedding was a day I will not forget! Massive thanks to Suzanne and Lauren at Wedding Wish Makers for giving me this opportunity!

Don’t forget that if you would like to support Holly and her family at this challenging time, you can still donate to Go Fund Me page in Holly’s name - https://uk.gofundme.com/f/holly039s-fund

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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?

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?

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?

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!

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.

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

EFFECTIVE WAYS TO PLAN YOUR WEDDING GUEST LIST

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

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

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

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

 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

 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

Bridal Preparation Advice by The Wedding Guru Oskar

BRIDAL PREPARATION ADVICE BY THE WEDDING GURU OSKAR

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!

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.

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!

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.

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?

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.

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!

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.

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?

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!

Useful things to be aware of when planning for a wedding in Scotland!

Useful things to be aware of when planning for a wedding in Scotland!

Scottish weddings in particular, might be slightly different to other traditions you might be aware of, especially when you’re planning a destination wedding in Scotland – this might also be useful for our English friends beyond Hadrian’s wall who plan to get married in Scotland.

Wedding Day Schedule

Unlike in some other parts of the world, it is considered unlucky in Scotland for the couple to see one another before the official wedding ceremony so if you’re used to first look photos, this might come to you as a surprise that here, we start with separately taken preparations photos and official couple photos post-ceremony. This is why, traditionally ceremonies in Scotland start between 12 noon and 2pm, although a professional wedding planner can tailor a wedding day schedule specifically to your desired outcomes.

Ceremonies

You might be surprised that neither civil nor religious ceremonies are the most popular forms of legal marriage registration here… that’s right! Scotland, unlike England (although we’re all in the UK) is one of those very few places in the world where Humanist and Independent ceremonies take over the traditional forms of legal marriage registration, the reason for that is that couples have a lot more freedom and can personalise their ceremony a lot more when choosing a Humanist or Independent Celebrant to conduct their legal ceremony. And, it is the celebrant that carries the license, that is why in Scotland you can marry at the top of a hill, outdoors, indoors or in a family backyard – how could you not love this level of flexibility and freedom, right?

Gratuity

It is not as popularly considered at weddings as it is in other parts of the world and if you do decide to offer gratuity to your suppliers or venue in the UK, it is considered a very generous thank you gesture for an excellent service you’ve received. Remember that in the UK, minimum wages and unit prices are regulated that is why some services or products might seem more expensive than in other parts of the world.

Wedding world language

WOW, this is indeed a very exciting topic! For us in the UK, phrases such as Wedding Breakfast, Drinks Reception, Canapes, etc. are so obvious nowadays, however, they might not be as obvious for those couples who are starting to learn about our traditions, so let me bring to you a few of those phrases and their alternatives:

Wedding Breakfast - named as this for it is the first meal for a married couple, it is in fact - a Wedding Meal

Drinks Reception – otherwise known as the Cocktail Hour, this one take place post-ceremony when guests are entertained with canapes and drinks, giving the couple time for professional photography and venue the time to turn things round or complete the final setup touches

Buttonhole – otherwise known as Boutonniere, often floral decorative piece worn by men on their left lapel

Canapes – also known as Hors d’oeuvres, often taster sized savory or sweet refreshments served during the Drinks Reception

Starter / Main Course – might be also referred to as Appetisers / Entree

Chief Bridesmaid – often referred to as Maid (single) or Matron (married) of Honor, the most important person in Bride’s line of Wedding Party, normally assisting the Bride and standing right beside her during the ceremony

Open Bar – term a lot more popular in the Americas, as alcohol sales in the UK are a lot more restricted and regulated with venue licenses, minimum unit pricing and alcohol measures. In the UK, this might be referred to as an Account Bar, where couple pre-pays or pre-orders additional drinks for the guests to enjoy through the wedding day in accordance with the above-mentioned regulations

Additional charges

Some venues and vendors in the UK might charge an additional security deposit which is to cover any damages, normally refundable, but it is important you are aware of this so you’re not surprised last minute that you’ve got to have this amount put aside in addition to your final payments

Additionally, some venues and vendors might or might not include taxes such as VAT in their quotes – so make sure you always ask the question as standard VAT in the UK is 20%, which again could affect your wedding budget especially if this relates to venue hire or catering

Seasonality

In the UK, we’re both, blessed and coursed by the weather conditions, but you would always want to have a bad weather Plan B in place, no matter if your wedding takes place in June, July or December, January – I in fact got married in January and had a lot nicer day for my wedding then that of the first two weeks of June this year.

Additionally, you might want to consider the benefits of daylight – once again we’re blessed with it in the summer and cursed with it in the winter. Because of the far north location of Scotland (similar to that of Norway) we can enjoy up to 18 hours of sun in the summer months and as little as 6 hours of sun light in the middle of the winter, so this is particularly important when considering venues and locations for your wedding photography – also important to consider this in your wedding day schedule.

Suggested Wedding Planning Timelines

Suggested Wedding Planning Timelines

Couples often ask me about suggested wedding planning timelines and although these may vary dependent on your personalised requirements and preferences, I’d like to share with you some of my recommended steps you should take in the lead up to your special day.

12 MONTHS OR MORE…

-        Determine your budget

-        Make an initial guest list

-        Setup a wedding email address

-        Book a venue (and caterers)

-        Send SAVE THE DATES

-        Start considering your overall theme and design preferences

-        Contact those important suppliers about availability – i.e. Photographer / Videographer; Band / DJ / Entertainment and Music supplier; Ceremony Officiant…

Can you say you agree with my first tasks for your wedding planning timeline shared above? Let me know in the comments below.

Now, you will be wondering what’s next in my suggested wedding planning timeline! Well…

12 TO 10 MONTHS BEFORE…

-        Start shopping for your dress

-        Consider accommodation options for your guests

-        Create a wedding website with an FAQ section which you can update regularly (Trust me! It’ll save you plenty time by not having to answer the same questions over and over again)

-        Book your important suppliers

-        Start looking up invitations’ ideas

-        Choose and assign immediate Wedding Party

Would you add anything to this list?

We’ve now explored two big steps in your wedding planning timeline and now we’ll be looking at tasks you should consider -

10 TO 8 MONTHS BEFORE…

-        Purchase your wedding dress – remember it takes time to make your dream dress and there’ll be more fittings and alterations along the way

-        Register for a Gift List so it is ready to send along with your invitations

-        Meet with potential florists and discuss floral options

Does that sound like a fair list of tasks for 10 to 8 months before your special day? Let me know in the comments below.

Now, we’ll be looking as tasks and projects you should consider around the six months mark.

Here are some ideas, I’ve prepared for you:

8 TO 6 MONTHS BEFORE…

-        Consider if you’d like a rehearsal dinner and who you’ll invite to it; what venue you want for it and caterer

-        Start booking hire items such as linens, chairs, draping, bespoke dance floor, lounge furniture and any other décor pieces

-        Choose and order your Bridesmaids dresses

-        Book your hair and make up

-        Start considering your wedding day music choices and ceremony readings

-        Discuss your ceremony script, vows and ask for advice on requirements for marriage license with your Officiant

Would you add anything else to this list?

The last six months is when your wedding plans will start shaping up and picking up speed and I’m sure you’ll be proud of the efforts you’ve already put to your plan!

The next vital steps in your exciting wedding planning journey will be taking place in

6 TO 4 MONTHS BEFORE…

-        Book your menu tasting

-        Book yours and guests’ transportation (if required)

-        Book and confirm your honeymoon arrangements

-        Order Menswear and book final fittings for all the outfits

-        Order your cake and wedding favours

-        Post your invitations

-        Review and update your ceremony script and vows

-        Choose and order your wedding rings

How are you finding this wedding plan so far? Would you find it easy to follow and execute or would you consider hiring a Wedding Planner to help and guide you through it?

It must feel good to have achieved so much in the last two months of your wedding planning, right?

For many couples wedding planning is the first and only project of this volume they’ll be responsible for, but it can be exciting and fun when it is broken down into more manageable plan.

What do you think you should be doing

4 TO 2 MONTHS BEFORE?...

-        Attend your menu tasting

-        Attend Hair and Make Up Trail

-        Start crafting any DIY pieces you’ve planned for

-        Start practicing your speeches and vows

-        Update your guest list

-        Ensure you’ve fulfilled all the legal requirements for your marriage license

-        Start shopping for your wedding party gifts

Don’t you feel the excitement building in the air by this point? Let me know in the comments below if you’ve arrived here already?

Now, the time has come to start finalising things for your very important and special day – don’t forget, this doesn’t need to be stressful, because you’ve already achieved so much! Can you see it?

2 MONTHS BEFORE…

In the second last month before your special day you should focus on:

-        Type up a list of must-take wedding photo shots

-        Attend a dress fitting and try on those gorgeous wedding shoes to start breaking them in

-        Finalise arrangements with your florist and event designer

-        Supply your song selection to ceremony musicians, DJ and/or Band

-        Purchase final wedding day bits and bobs

How would you feel at this stage in your wedding planning? Very excited, right?

1 MONTH BEFORE…

In the final month prior to your wedding there will be a lot of final details admin, but worry not, you’ve got it!

Your final months before wedding will likely consist of:

-        Assembling favours, activity packs and little bits and bobs into organised and clearly labeled boxes or bags

-        Arranging final payments with your suppliers, venue and caterers

-        Finalising guest list, orders of service, speeches and ceremony script

-        Having a final run through with your Wedding Planner and venue

-        Confirming a final run through of your special day and sharing all important contact details with your suppliers

YAY! You did it! Now, it’s a matter of days to your most amazing wedding day! You must be proud of yourself!

1 WEEK BEFORE…

Finally, there might be a few final tings you’ll need to do in the week leading up to your celebrations, so why not plan for these too:

-        Pick up your marriage schedule (if required)

-        Arrange a drop off time for your wedding DIY items, favours, activity packs, table stationary etc.

-        Pack your bags for the honeymoon

-        Attend final dress fitting and collect your dress

-        Treat yourself to final cosmetic treatments

-        Practice your vows and speeches

and… drumroll… GET MARRIED AND BE JOLLY!

Now, it’s the time to enjoy all the hard work you’ve put into your wedding plan!

Is there anything else I could explore for you in my next projects? Email me at oskar@theweddingguruoskar.co.uk or let me know in the comments below.

Things NOT to miss for your wedding ceremony!

Did you like the post-lockdown trends I have explored for you in my last blog?

I have now decided to focus on something more practical and share with you my advice about the most important element of your wedding - your ceremony.⁠

There'd be no wedding without it, so I'd like to give it some much deserved attention in the coming days, so stay tuned in and watch out for my tips rolling in day by day for you.⁠

LOCATION

Firstly, let's focus on the location...⁠

You might think that this is a personal choice and an obvious element to consider first, but why?⁠

Venue ceremony licences believe it or not vary across the UK and for instance, in England your desired and dreamt about venue might not be licensed to host your legal ceremony.⁠

Some venues might also charge you an additional ceremony fee and in some cases holding ceremony and reception in the same or different venue might offer you some benefits, such as an option to re-purpose your decorations or reallocate your budget towards other elements of your wedding.⁠

Finally, if you're dreaming of an outdoors ceremony - have you considered what your contingency is on a wet day?⁠ Have you given much in-depth thought to your ceremony location?⁠

CEREMONY OFFICIANT

Ceremony officiant is another area of your wedding ceremony you will need to focus on.⁠

Dependent on your wedding destination you might be able to consider an independent or religious ceremony which are legally binding, however, there are destination in which you might need to do marriage registration separate from your religious or independent ceremony.⁠

Moreover, civil ceremonies are traditionally a lot shorter and less personalised, so you might need to think if this option is for you. Normally, you will also not get to choose your civil Registrar and will only meet him/her on the day of your wedding.⁠

If you choose to have an independent, humanist or religious ceremony, you'll have a lot more choice and say in the format of your ceremony, however, you must remember that their availability might be limited so I highly recommend aligning your plans with their availability and booking them as one of the first ones.⁠

Did you expect to have to give so much consideration to your ceremony?⁠

MARRIAGE LEGALITIES AND REQUIREMENTS

Legal parts of your ceremony are particularly important if you're planning for a destination wedding.⁠

There might be certain local regulations that you will need to fulfil in order to carry out a legally binding ceremony registration, so it is worth contacting your designated Registration Office at your destination to find out more details.⁠

Some couples choose to obtain legal registration on their home ground before travelling for their symbolic ceremony at a foreign destination to avoid any legal complications.⁠

Remember that no matter the destination or location of your ceremony, you will be required to give notice of your intend to marry, this notice period vary dependent on local laws and regulations.⁠

All in all, you want to ensure that you do everything required of you to have a legally binding marriage.⁠

How do you feel about the rules and regulations on marriage? Let me know in the comments below.⁠

CEREMONY MUSIC

Ceremony music is incredibly important to consider early on, especially if you'd like your ceremony to be accompanied by a live music from a harpist, string quarter, pianist, Piper... you name it - they get booked up years in advance too.⁠

Music at ceremonies is often used to fill those important gaps, such as marriage schedule signing, group photographs or simply accompanying hymns or readings.⁠

This is why you might want to consider what music pieces you'd like for your ceremony, when they are to be played and how they will be played, from the beginning of your wedding planning journey.⁠

If you're choosing pre-recorded music for your ceremony, ensure you've got the appropriate equipment for this and that you've got a reliable person briefed on how to work your device and your playlists.⁠

Have you given much through to your ceremony music? Let me know in the comments below.⁠

CEREMONY READINGS

What are your thoughts on readings and hymns at wedding ceremonies?⁠

With humanist ceremonies becoming the most popular in Scotland, personalised readings and hymns are highly encouraged.⁠

Couples aren't only limited to a small selection of readings at it happens with civil or religious ceremonies, they can in fact pick and choose their preferred items for this.⁠

Two years ago at our wedding, we've incorporated "A Red, Red Rose" by the Scottish poet Robert Burn.⁠

What poem or reading comes to your mind first when thinking of your wedding ceremony? Have you got any favourites?⁠

CEREMONY SCRIPT AND VOWS

Ceremony script and wedding vows writing has become a lot more popular in recent years and with more independent and humanist ceremonies taking place around the world, you can now not only personalise your vows, but also write your entire ceremony script with the help of your celebrant - something that Tim Maguire - Humanist Celebrant shared with you on a few occasions now in my online wedding fayres and instagram take overs.⁠

Would you like your ceremony script and vows to be personal and written by you and about you?⁠

This is definitely something you could now consider in humanist and independent ceremonies.⁠

CEREMONY DECORATING

Ceremony decorating is another topic I wanted to touch upon with you, especially from a logistical stand point.⁠

Some venues might offer early setup and some might not be able to do so. This is why it is important to ensure you check your venues' setup capabilities in advance of committing to logistically challenging setup arrangements.⁠

Additionally, it is important to check with your venue about any other limitations such as height, wall decorating, fixtures etc. to avoid disappointment.⁠

Finally, you can definitely see you wedding budget stretch further if you decide to re-purpose your ceremony decorations - you will also need to consider the logistics of that. Will your venue be able to do so or will you need your florist to stay longer for the turnaround?⁠

CEREMONY SEATING AND PROCESSION ORDER

Have you considered your ceremony seating and processional arrangements?⁠

Will you be offering your guests formal or informal seating and if it is formal who will be responsible to ensure this happens correctly?⁠

The same questions relates to Bridal processions:⁠

- will you be going in first or last?⁠

- will your Bridesmaids be entering with ushers or alone?⁠

- will your Mum be seated by Best Man?⁠

- will you be having flower girls and page boys?⁠

- what will be the order of procession?⁠

Have you given much thought to this and did you know there was so much choice? Let me know in the comments below.⁠

TRANSPORTATION

I often ask couples how their guests are arriving to the ceremony, because, there's so much to consider for it.⁠

If your ceremony and reception take place across two different venues - how will your guests move between them?⁠ .

If your venue is in the city centre, the question falls on distance from the nearest airport, train station and supply of car parking spaces.⁠

You would also want to ensure that your guests don't arrive to the venue too early or two late and vice versa that you don't arrive to the venue too early or too late.⁠

I remember once in my career having Bride and her entourage 30 minutes in advance of the ceremony - I sent them on "a city sightseeing tour" until all the guests were seated 😁⁠

Finally, always consider your travel arrangements, timings and distance if you're arriving to the venue in a car from a longer distance on the day of your wedding.⁠

WEDDING GIFTS AND CARDS

One element of the ceremony is often forgotten about by wedding couples - gifts and cards.⁠

Although wedding lists are particularly popular for weddings these days, your guests might still decide to bring along a symbolic congratulations card or a personalised gift along to the wedding.⁠

The question is - what happens with these? Who will look after them and how will they be safely stored?⁠

I highly recommend a safe deposit space or facility and to allocate one responsible Usher or wedding party member to help you look after these on the day of your wedding.⁠

How did you find my ceremony tips in this blog post? Have you found them useful? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or simply comment YES!