5 Reasons To Film Your Wedding

If you've been over on our sister site Pink Wedding Days, you may have noticed we've just posted about videography. We'd like to go into a little bit more depth over here however, and look at why you should consider filming your wedding.

1. The memories of your wedding will fade, and if you were hitting the bar at the reception a little hard, then they probably already have. Whilst photographs are a fantastic keep sake of your big day, they can't capture the atmosphere; the impromptu moments; the speeches or the conversations made between people. A photograph is a still, it's a snapshot. For something more vivid, more memorable and more representative of the day, then it has to be a video.

2. There are now a number of video packages that you can even do yourself. Editing software is now more professional and cheaper than ever before. We're not suggesting that you can easily replicate the quality and skill of an experienced videographer, but if you're on a tight budget then there's no reason to dismiss the idea entirely. If you have a friend or family member with a steady hand, then why not ask them.

3. A video will also give you eyes on what happened when you weren't around: what the guests got up to. This is a fantastic opportunity to experience the wedding through other people's eyes and to see the event in a more personal, less formal perspective.

4. It's the perfect way to remind yourselves of the perfect day each anniversary. Most people don't like watching themselves back, but there's something about a wedding that makes people forget how self-conscious they are. Imagine it, one year, five years, ten years, thirty years from now relieving those precious memories.

5. It allows those people who couldn't attend the chance to watch the wedding as it happened. It makes them a part of the day even though they couldn't be at the time. Equally, you could send a disc out to the important members of the wedding party who were there. Now, we're not talking about forcing the video on everyone, but it'll mean something to your bridesmaids; your parents and siblings, too.

Did you hire a videographer? Would you recommend it?

Autumn Wedding Month On Pink and White Wedding Days

Well, it's been a while since we last blogged but don't worry because we're back now.

Keep an eye on this page over the coming weeks because we're running the theme of "Autumn Weddings" alongside our sister site Pink Wedding Days.

We'll be looking at everything from planning and practice to the execution of the perfect autumn wedding. We'll be looking at themes, flowers, budgets and styles as well as how to deal with the unpredictability of the British weather.

We'd love to hear from you. Did you have an autumn wedding? If so, then what attracted you to the season? 

We'll also be covering wedding fayres, events and promotions across the UK. 

In the meantime, you'll find we're a little more active over at Pink Wedding Days. Follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook to keep in touch :)

1 Week Until You're Married...

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh, it's nearly here! This is great news; all that planning, booking, paying for and crying over is almost done. You can see the starry, empty horizon ahead of you and soon the wedding will be behind you.

Almost.

You're not done yet.

You want your last week to be as stress free as possible and now really isn't the time for added pressures. If a problem does arise, then deal with it as quickly and as competently as you can. Although, the closer it is to the big day, the more likely it is that you'll find your problem solving becoming damage control.

• Start wearing any new shoes around the house. This should help to ensure that you're not hobbling around at the first dance.
  
  
• Have any extensive hair and beauty treatments in the days before the big day (cut, colours, perms, spray tans).
  
  
• Have the rehearsal. This will make sure that everyone knows what they're doing and where they're at for the ceremony.
  
  
• Double check the weather in case you need any umbrellas.
  
  
• Package any gifts that will be presented to the bridal party.
  
  

4 Weeks Until You're Married...

There really isn't long to go now, is there? By now all the major stresses should be behind you, but there's still some smaller stuff to get done. The next few weeks are going to fly by, so don't be tempted to leave anything to the last minute. The last minute will be here sooner than you think!

• Your hen or stag night can obviously happen whenever it is convenient to you or your partner. Leaving it too close to the ceremony however, may cause more stress than it's worth. Particularly, if you're on a tight budget, too. A month before the date gives you ample time to recover from any shenanigans yet is still close enough to the wedding for it to be one of your final flings before marriage.
  
  
• Arrange the final alterations for any dresses and suits and make sure that you can maintain the same weight in the final month. Small later alterations are fine (don't leave it too late though), but you don't want to be adding or subtracting too much from the waistline (or anywhere else for that matter).
  
  
• Have a good chat with the photographer or videographer around this point and make sure that they're aware of what you expect from them on the day. Give them a list of photographs that you want taken and then give them the scope to be creative. 

• Confirm any special dietary requirements with the caterers and venue.
  
  
  

• You'll probably need to chase up some of those late RSPVs, too. People are notorious for not replying or mislaying invites. You didn't sign up to be a shepherd, but that's precisely what you'll be in rounding guests up who haven't made up their mind.
  
  

6 Weeks Until You're Married...

Argh! It's six-weeks to go!

There's no time to panic, but it's too soon to put your feet up just yet. Review our previous posts to make sure that you've covered all your bases:

1 year to go

9 months to go

6 months to go

3 months to go

Assuming you have a check-list of things, now is the time to review everything again. Get your partner to go through everything separately, too. A fresh pair of eyes might spot something you've missed.

• Book in for a hair and make-up trial and settle on the style that you're looking for. Use magazines, billboards, films, paintings and photographs as your inspiration. Choose a stylist who you can trust. You'll want someone who is honest with you, but willing to create the style you want.
  
  
• Reconfirm the venues and services and make sure they understand exactly what it is that you expect on the day.
  
  
• Arrange to collect any dresses, or suits and start thinking about whether anything is likely to need altering.
  
  
• Encourage the Best Man, Father of the Bride and Chief Bridesmaid (if necessary) to start writing their speeches.
  
  
• Make sure the celebrant or officiant has a copy of the order of service and is notified of any special elements that you want to include.
  
  It's easy to feel the pressure building and that's completely natural and understandable, but don't lose sight of the most important element of all: you're marrying the person that you love. It doesn't matter if you've dropped the ball on a few things.
  

3 Months Until You're Married...

Well, it's not long now...

Ideally, with only 12 weeks to go, you should have all the big stuff booked by now. If you haven't, then don't underestimate how quickly the next 3 months will go by.

If you need a re-cap on our previous countdown posts, then you may find our 12 month, 9 month and 6 month posts helpful.

Again, this list is neither prescriptive nor exhaustive. There's no right or wrong way of planning a wedding, so it's absolutely fine if you don't agree or if you do things in a different order. We'd love to know what works for you so get in touch with us via email or our Twitter account.

• Some people buy their wedding rings at the very start, and some will leave it until much later. Three months before the big day is perfectly acceptable and will give you time to spend looking now that the big bookings (venue, church, catering etc) has been taken care of. It's important not to just go by what a ring looks like, but also its practicality: mechanics, industrial or construction workers are likely to need a stronger band like titanium.
  
• Between 3 - 4 months before the day, you might like to start sending out wedding invitations. Hopefully, you've already sent out save the date cards and these will give guests more information about the ceremony. Sometimes caterers and venues will require you to give them final numbers, so you may need to send the invitations out earlier. Too early, however, and people may be likely to misplace or forget their invites.
  
• Sorting out the music for the first dance could be left until later, but if you and your partner have different tastes then it might be worthwhile starting to pick a song earlier. At the very least it should give you some time to compromise.
  
• Start searching for presents for those who have played a role in the wedding. Traditionally, the mothers will get a bunch of flowers and the best man, the bridesmaids etc will all receive a small gift. If you're on a budget they don't need to be anything extravagant; instead think of it as a small trinket of gratitude.
  
• If you haven't already, most people will begin planning the seating arrangements around the three month mark. This may change when the RSVPs begin arriving, but it's always good to have an idea.
  
• Having a stag or hen night? Get you're friends together and start planning. Ensure you give your friends enough notice so that they can book any time off work, or arrange any childcare.
  
• If you're planning an exotic getaway, then now would be a good time to start thinking of any holiday vaccinations that you might need. Contact your GP to see what's required. 

If you're at the 3 month mark, then good luck! We'd love to hear about how you're getting on.

6 Months Until You're Married...

We're continuing with our planning countdown and we're at the 6 month mark. If you're arriving late, then you catch up with our 12-month and 9-months posts.

You're closing in on the final stretch now, and we're not lying when we say that your wedding will be here sooner than you think. We're going to assume now that the venue is booked and that you've already got an idea of the sort of shape the wedding will take. Revisit our previous posts or check out our full plan over at Pink Wedding Days if you need a reminder.

• Start looking around for a hair and make-up stylist and get hungry for ideas. You can find inspiration everywhere: magazines, on television or in film, billboards, books and in advertising. If you're a bit of a creative spark, then why not come up with you're own ideas and talk them over with your hairdresser.
  
• Now is also a good time to begin looking for honeymoon destinations. This will give you ample opportunity to research, plan and book that special trip away. A honeymoon doesn't need to be anything OTT. Mini moons are becoming increasingly popular and a weekend away will be cheap enough if you're willing to shop around: lastminute.com, Trivago, Expedia and Ebookers are all good places to start. Remember that the UK and Ireland offer fantastic short break opportunities and Premier Inn, Travelodge and even Wetherspoon's will often have cheap rooms, sales or discounts to tempt you.
  
• Check to see if anyone in the wedding party needs any accommodation booked either at your venue or in a venue nearby. If you're booking for more than 9 people, see if you can negotiate a discount or some freebies.
  
• Now would also be a good time to buy any dresses or look to hire suits. This will give you ample chance to have them adjusted closer to the time, too.
  
• If you're thinking of slimming down, muscling up or filling out for your big day, then the sooner you start the better and with the lighter evenings you could spend it getting fit with your partner.
  
  
  The six month mark is a really good time to review what you've already done and evaluate what still needs to be done. We're still a little way off the OMG, I'M GETTING MARRIED AND THERE'S SO MUCH TO DO stage, but it'll arrive soon enough. Trust us...