12 Months to go:

• Set your realistic budget with your fiancé and family
• Fix a date for your wedding – set a time and date to visit your priest if you need!
• Start to visit reception venues – these book out really quickly so being a fast mover helps!

11 Months to go:

• Send out Save the Date cards
• Book a photographer
• Look at caterers (if needed) and bands or discos
• Make appointments to try on the all-important wedding dresses!

10 Months to go:

• Choose your best man, ushers, bridesmaids etc
• Decide on your dress – allow a least 4 months for made to measure!
• Choose and order your bridesmaids outfits
• Start looking at honeymoon brochures – booking early is a good idea if wanting to go in high season

9 Months to go:

• Find a florist and discuss your flower requirements: including bridesmaids bouquets and any arrangements for church and reception.
• Confirm your menu and drink choices if using a outside caterer

8 Months to go:

• If getting married in a church, start to discuss with your minister about readings and music
• Order invitations and envelopes (allow for one invitation per married couple or family) Remember to order place cards, menus and seating plan if needed!

7 Months to go:

• Book transport to and from the wedding if needed
• Order a wedding cake
• Choose and order wedding favours

6 Months to go:

• Get the groom and ushers outfits sorted and ordered
• Choose presents for the main attendees
• Pick your wedding rings
• Confirm your order of service and have the guest booklets printed

5 Months to go:

• If you’re changing your name, allow for plenty of time to have your passport renewed – you’ll need to ask the officiating ministers or registrar to sign the application form for you.
• Go honeymoon shopping
• Book a hairdresser – have a discussion about you styles
• Book a make-up artist and trial appointments
4months to go:

• Find out if you need visas for your honeymoon
• Discuss hen and stag plans with your friends

3 Months to go:

• Make an appointment with a make-up expert to try out different looks for your big day.
• Book a wedding rehearsal with all those who are involved.
• Attend a reading of your wedding banns

2 Months to go:

• Send out invitations six weeks before the day and keep a list of acceptances and refusals
• Check with your fiancé that he has sorted the outfits, rings etc out
• Try on your whole wedding outfit – least if you forget anything, you have time to buy!
• Book any beauty treatments

1 Month to go:

• Confirm numbers for your caterers and venue and finalise seating plan
• Discuss special requests with your band or DJ
• Order any honeymoon currency
• Have your final cut and colour
• Have your hen and stag do! Time to party!

It may seem a lot to do, but with a year to do it in make sure you give yourself enough time to do it in and remember to take the time to enjoy doing it all!

• Recycling!

I’m sure more of you do this as we speak, but recycling various household items can create brilliant looks at your wedding. Old jam jars can look great with small bunches of flowers in them, or with lace stuck around and a candle put inside can look really cute on our tables. Old wine bottles can be saved up and used as centre pieces and Old jars can be used to present retro sweets on your sweet table. Get saving!

• Confetti!

Bored of the old rose petals? Well how about punching out your own confetti from sheet of favourite love songs, books or even newspaper for a vintage theme. You can buy heart shaped hole punches for a cheap price – and overall they give a really nice, natural effect.

• Scrabble!

Collecting old scrabble pieces make for a great way to make name places for your tables. Just remember to write a list of exactly what letters you need and use Etsy or Ebay as sourcing for missing or additional letters.

• Felt fun!

Collecting or buying odd mis-matched pieces of felt can be used to make great wedding favours. Simply sew together and fill with lavender to make cute scented favours for your guests. Felt makes for great bunting too!

• Get Baking!

Getting into the kitchen and baking away is a great way to contribute to your wedding. Biscuits as wedding favours, cupcakes for the guests, or homemade boiled sweets for the sweet table – come with your own flavours especially for the bride and groom to make it really stand out!

There are so many ways to add a certain diy/ homemade touch to your wedding and sometimes the small intricate details can really make a wedding seem more personal.

If you fancy getting involved in some DIY – remember to plan in advance! It can take up to eight months to get everything fully finished when doing it yourself, and remember: practise makes perfect! Especially if baking! Enjoy!

Going through the planning process seems like an endless run of details that you are waiting, sometimes for up to a year to actually see, but booking your honeymoon is the fun part: booking just for the two of you, not worrying about numbers, details and definitely no colour schemes! And after all the structure of planning a wedding, the urge to relax and take it easy is high, but have you ever thought of doing the opposite during your holiday? Forget the beach holidays; sunning yourself and reading a book, here are our top 5 honeymoon destinations for the more adrenaline fuelled couples:

• Abseiling down Table Mountain

If you’ve both got a head for heights and feel like checking out some of the most amazing views, then how about an abseil down the iconic Table Mountain peak – with an 112m drop from 1,000 metres above sea level it is one for the more hardened adventurer!
And after completing that mammoth task, South Africa is full of amazing places to do more relaxing things. With its perfect climate, amazing vineyards and perfect coastlines it is ideal for honeymoon destination!

• Bungee jumping in New Zealand

This is the Marmite of the holiday activities – some love it, others? Hate it! But bungee jumping in New Zealand is where it all started and where bungee jumping was born – it’d be rude not too! As well as achieving this amazing feat, you can be videoed and keep the film for years to come – one to show the grandchildren possibly?

• White Water Rafting in The British Isles

For those not wanting to travel far afield for their thrills, try white water rafting and enjoy our natural scenery in the UK. Granted, it may be a little cold, but not knowing what is going to happen with both the weather and the water is half the fun!
Try the white water rafting at twilight on the River Tummel in Perthshire, Scotland for a little something extra.

• Skydiving in Las Vegas

Why not do the whole thing in Vegas?? Get married in Vegas, spend the evening celebrating and then to top it all jump out of a plane! Perfect! Get some amazing views of the Hoover Dam and the Colorado River, and even get to do the dive completely together strapped to the instructor – a great token for the memory bank, oh and make sure you get the video!

• Dog sledding in Canada

Now it may not be the beach you were imagining, but picture this: dashing through the snow on a one horse, oh no wait, being pulled behind a pack of husky dogs! The views and clear air are spectacular – with thrills and speed, feel the romance as you take in the scenery together on your sledge and then marvel at the cute husky dogs!

Phew! There are so many options out there to suit what each of your interests are! Certainly brings your wedding to a close nicely!

Weather

Unpredictable is Spring’s middle name, you never can tell what the weather is going to decide to do from one day to the next, but it is always best to plans for blustery winds, a few April showers, possibly frosty mornings or even snow!

If the Winter side of Spring is around, think of your guests and their needs – perhaps supplying them with pashminas, gloves and scarfs are novel ways to keep the heat in but also provide great wedding favors too! You can also get some fab heart shaped hand warmers that make for a fun novelty pressie!

Open coal fires at you reception can add real warmth as well as looking picture perfect – just keep younger children at bay!

Flowers

Come Spring the list is endless for Flower colours but not always getting the more extravagant flowers, that’s why here at Sarah’s Flowers we can provide the type of flower, you want, all year round and even produce them in the Spring colour of your choice.

Colours

Muted tones are a must, think coral, mint, taupe, baby blues and lavender.  If you’re looking for something a little vivacious, try adding some lush greens and bright yellows!

Food

Spring time brings all kinds of tasty and homely food! Serve your guests Spring lamb with broad beans and asparagus, and pink champers tend to go down really well.

The luxury with Spring time food is that it is lighter than that of Winters stodgy food and the seasonal produce can be a real money saver.

Guestbook

Cherry blossom trees are well known for being a Spring look. Have guests write their messages on delicately cut card and attached to a blossoming tree with ribbon for a romantic take on the more traditional guestbook.

What are your favourite things about Spring?

Multi-tiered trends

Most couples are going back to the more traditional trend of multi-tiered cakes – with more classic taller tiers instead of the recently popular shorter tiers. Fruit cake is well and truly outdated with couples opting for more vibrant sponge flavours.

Taller cakes are often seen as more extravagant cakes, especially when they are fully displayed on the day – normally these are minimum order 4 tiers, however this number of tiers can work out expensive. To save some extra money, try opting for a dummy top tier to increase the height but save you money.

 
Vintage looks

Vintage and classic styles are still hot news for 2013 and don’t seem to be giving up. Pastel and ivory shades are the most popular, and with such a neutral shade it makes for the perfect base for floral decorations. Lace details are a massive trend on the vintage theme – it’s soft and feminine. You can even personalise your cake by requesting the lace detailing from your wedding gown to be replicated on the surface.

If you choose to use colour make sure it is soft or even try ivory on ivory. Hand painted flowers are another big vintage trend, along with delicate line work. When it comes to ribbon, stay away from contrasting colours and try to match shades within the wedding.

‘Different’ designs

This one is for the more adventurous couple. Going for more obscure shape on your wedding day will definitely cause your wedding guests to stop and stare! Firstly you need to be sure about what you exactly want and possibly be prepared to pay a considerable amount. With the average wedding cake costing £700 a different shapes cake could cost somewhere along the lines of £1700.

This design of cake means you get to go a little wild with your own colours choices – do what you will with a completely bespoke cake made just for you.

There are so many different styles and flavours for cakes out there, make sure you find something that really does suit you as a couple, your style of wedding and your budget.

What type of cake are you having?

Flower Pomanders

We love how the flower pomanders look when carried by a young bridesmaid. Unlike Posies, it doesn’t have to be held at any particular height and you don’t have to worry about the angle at which the pomander is held for it to look good. All the lovely little girl has to do is slip the ribbon round her wrist! And remember to get the ribbon to match your colour scheme to really tie in.

1 – Powder pink rose Bridesmaid wedding pomander £33.00

2- Pink orchid and cream rose wedding pomander £44.50

3 – Light orange silk gerberas wedding pomander £32.00

Flower Baskets

A sweet and inexpensive idea for the little-uns is to buy a cheap, perhaps old looking small basket with longer handles,that you can fill with either petals or smaller flowers. This looks so cute when it is being carried up the aisle and the handle can be decorated with ribbons in the same colour as the flower girls sashes.
And if the little one tired of carrying the basket, it’ll make a great decorative item in the wedding venue!

Round Posies

A small flower posy is the more traditional bouquet for the flower girl and it looks so cute if it becomes a smaller echo of the Brides bouquet. Variety is key here, you can have pretty much anything you like in this smaller bouquet, but keep the size small so they aren’t too heavy for the smaller girls.

1 – Ivory roses and burgundy satin small roses posy £15.60

2 – Mixed colour bright posie £18.75

 3 – Ivory and cerise pink posie £15.70

Wands

A favourite of Sarah’s Flowers, these Wands are perfect for your little flower girls – easy to carry, are lightweight, cute and really fun for the flowergirls to carry and play with! And if that wasn’t enough these are super cheap!

1 – Ivory Silk gerbera Wand £9.50

2 – Rose anemone Wand £13.55

3 – Lily flower girl wand £11.20

Flowergirls are a really wonderful addition to your wedding and we think that by choosing any one of the above will make every little girls dreams come true!

The scene is well n truly set when you are in sunnier climes and with no extra stress and worry about whether the heavens are going to open or not, opting to go abroad for your special day is looking like a no brainer. Here are some of our top tips to creating your special day abroad:

• Weather is everything but bear in mind that even abroad the weather can be as unpredictable as her in the UK. Pick your destination wisely but researching into the average temperatures month by month, look out for average rainfall and hours of sunshine.

• Telling your guests as soon as possible is imperative. Obviously the cost of travelling abroad for your wedding guests is going to increase and by giving them as much notice as possible means you are more likely going to have the full number people you want there. People need time to save and to also plan their holidays. If you are unsure of where exactly, don’t worry. At least have your date and destination fixed and then send those Save The Date cards out asap!
And for those guests who can`t make it abroad for whatever reason why not have a reception party when you get home.

• When planning who you want to come this is where it gets difficult when planning abroad. This is still your day and it’s important to remember you should invite those you want there and not just those you feel you should have. Remember than when asking people to come to your wedding abroad that some people may not simply have enough money to do it, but don’t feel disheartened – you can always opt to throw a mini bash when you are back in the UK. Various travel agents may have special arrangements for getting your guests to your wedding.

• Getting the legalities right is sometimes a minefield. Make sure you do your research properly! Each country has its own laws on wedding ceremonies and getting hitched – some may even involve you being a resident of the country for a particular amount of time before you can even get married there! However sometimes you may be able to have a blessing overseas and make it legal back in the UK.

• Remember to enquire at the destination you pick whether they have an onsite wedding coordinator. They will then help with all the main parts of the planning and you will then have less to worry about and fly over!

• Flowers are a tricky one when marrying abroad. Some people will choose to use local fresh flowers but be extra careful when placing orders and handing over money! Think about choosing our artificial flowers. Buying from us in the UK prior to your wedding abroad gives you a sense of calm – being artificial you can order them way in advance of the wedding and before you fly out to make sure that it is all perfect for you. Our flowers don’t wilt in hot temperatures either, so no worrying about whether your chosen flower will droop in the sun.
Our advice when choosing colours for abroad wedding? Pink and orange always hold their own in the sunlight and yellow can look amazing against a blue sea. Our favourites:

1- Brides Lily Shower Bouquet In Cerise Stargazer Lilies £42.00

2- Golden sunflower hand tied bouquet £32.00

3- Bright pink tropical bouquet £52.75

Getting married abroad can be an amazing thing and we’d love to think of our bouquets being flown to somewhere exotic, but please remember o research and research! For even more information, this little video from Sandals Resorts might help!
YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV_Dmwr8koM

Eating and drinking

Having a spare allotted £200-£500 can really go far after picking your wedding venue and food choices. Just this spare money can make big ‘wow’ effects to your wedding. Serving canapés with your wedding drinks is a fab way of keeping those all-important guests happy before the main meals are served, alternatively save the money for doing your own evening buffet for the other guests – it normally works out cheaper if you cater for your own buffet. Ice-cream stands are also a great, novelty idea and priced at round about £200 – it’s perfectly bargainous!

Décor

The choices are endless here, but DIY features heavily. Using old jam jars as vases to hold your flowers and tea lights make for a novel and kitsch table display. Old candelabras from charity shops look great for a vintage theme. Car boot sales can unearth so much – look for old photo frames. These are perfect to add a picture (pref black and white) of the happy couple on each table.
For marquee weddings, try sprinkling some lavender seeds around – not only is it a lovely look but the smell with be amazing.

Make your own bunting! Bunting always looks good

Floral tributes

Try asking your florist to make a bouquet that bride can divide easily into three small pieces to give to the families as a sign of unity.
And of course, silk fake flowers are the way forward – value for money right there! Allowing more time to order, more time to prep and not worrying about what flowers are in season.

Sweet treat

Having a sweet cart is such a lovely idea but it can be pricey. Why not create your own sweetie table – but some of the more retro sweets from Costco or Makro and empty them into old jars you can collect. Serve with paper bags and ta-da!
Ikea also do a great range of retro style jars that look great filled with sweats.

Keeping the kiddies entertained

Keep the little ones entertained during pre-dinner drinks with some traditional fete games! We love a bit of splat the rat, a classic coconut shy and don’t even get me started on a hook the duck competition! This is very easy to make yourself… a paddling pool, a few yellow ducks, canes, bang in some hooks, get a couple of fun prizes and you’re good to go!

These are just some more of the fun ideas on how to impress on a tight budget. What are your fave ways to wow your crowd?

 Veils, even though are still used and popular with many brides, they can often be hugely expensive and when the veil itself loses its meaning, would you really want to spend that much money on a potentially ‘pointless’ piece? Perhaps think of trying a veil but a much shorter one that only comes to your shoulders? Keeping the detailing plain would save you money.

 Tiaras were often seen as the number one choice for a brides hair accessory but like the veil, the popularity has fallen. Tiaras are often associated with royalty, fancy dress boxes and even beauty pageants – however with some more understated dresses and tiara can add a much needed bit of ‘bling’ or sparkle to the dress. And lets face it, your wedding day is the one day where you can get away with wearing pretty much whatever you want!

 The birdcage veil is a nice way to still keep with a veil tradition but still be alternative and modern. The birdcage veils aren’t just for a 1920s themed wedding, you can get away with wearing one with any look and they still stay timeless. Because of their versatility these type of headwear is proving a lot more popular to create a romantic look. These look great with a traditional updo or side bun with lots of volume.

 There are so many different variations when it comes to hair accessories and choices, Headbands make for a nice simple choice and can be worn with either the hair up or down – try wrapping your themed ribbon around the band or alternatively try using pearly or crystals.

Hair combs vary is shapes and sizes but look best when teamed with an up-do. Hair combs can be used alongside a veil with a simple plain comb as well as a decorative comb.

Hair pins are a lot more understated that anything else and are worn at the back of the head – interspersed into a bun, chignon or plait.

 Wedding headwear is so important but remember to try some different styles with your dress, play with styles you wouldn’t normally go for – have some fun with it.

Save the Date cards are imperative! Not only do you want to spread the great news that the date has been set, but most importantly you don’t want to miss out on any important friends or family  being able to attend – Save the Date card can sometimes be more important than the actual wedding invites!

There are some fab, fun and personalised ways to let your loved ones know when your special date is, and it doesn’t always have to be expensive! Here are our picks of our favourites:

• www.notonthehighstreet.com
  Nearly all of the cards on this rather gorgeous website are of the personalised text nature. We love the whimsical nature of these cards: with any type of card from cute animals, to the more light and vintage feel.  With prices ranging from 0.80pence per card going up to £200 for 500 Save the Date Cards, all in all I think there are some amazing choices here!
  1- 500x Beer mat Save The Date Cards £200
  2- Vintage Heart Save The Date £0.80 per card
  3- Balloon Save The Date £2.95 per card

• www.brideandgroomdirect.co.uk
  For more simple and direct options for your Save The Date, try this website. Easy to pick and easily affordable. The choice here is endless. You can even go for Save The Date Magnets which I think is a brilliant idea – that way no-one can forget!

  1- Bunting Save The Date card £12.50 for 10
  2- White calendar and magnet Save the Date card £33.00 for 20
  3- Knot Save the Date card £12.50 for 10.

 

• www.folksy.com
  Here at Sarah’s Flowers we like supporting the smaller companies, and at Folksy you really are getting more of a handmade card. All made by British crafters, the choice for personalised cards is endless with multiple designs.

  1- Blimey Save The Date cards £62.50 for 50
  2- Laser cut Save The Date cards £3.00 per card
  3- Modern Save the Date card £1.80 per card.

 

• www.simplytoimpress.co.uk
  This website is a great place to create photo Save The Date cards. With both modern and more traditional styles there is the chance to put your face on the card! Also with this website there are lots of different priced options in terms of card and printing finishes.

  1- Urban Chic Save The Date card £1.14 each
  2- Modern Lace Save the Date card £1.14 per card
  3- Love block Save the Date card £0.99pence per card.

 

Have fun choosing your perfect way to save the date!