Top 10 Wedding Tips

Our top ten tips will help take some of the stress out of your big day, and remember, a minute spent planning will save more than ten times that in execution.

1.       Choose the Venue

The wedding venue forms the backdrop for your perfect wedding. Think of the type of wedding you are planning and the theme you are choosing. For a country or a vintage themed wedding, consider beautiful country houses. Plas Rhianfa creates a glorious backdrop and provides fantastic photo opportunities for the bride and groom and your guests in the simply glorious grounds and gardens.

A vital factor to consider when selecting your perfect wedding venue is the location of the venue. This will determine the logistics of the day. Things to consider are, does the venue have a wedding licence? If not you will need to look at the  distance from the wedding venue to the wedding reception venue. Many of the venues at Amazing Retreats hold marriage licences, so see our Weddings FAQ's section on our website for advice on the ceremony.

Our Amazing Wedding Venues in  Scotland provide a truly memorable and unique location for a castle wedding. Carberry Tower and Ackergill tower also provide accommodation for up to 60 guests, enabling everyone to enjoy a full wedding experience. Kinettles Castle provides a fairytale backdrop and with beautiful interiors and stunning parkland, your wedding photos will be the envy of all of your guests.

2.       Arrange a Date

Once you have selected your perfect venue, find out the availability of the dates and get the date booked. Many brides will book the most popular wedding venues two or even three years in advance. 

You will need to confirm your date with your suppliers, who can include:

·         Church/ registry office/ place of ceremony (if venue does not hold licence)

·         Caterers

·         Florists

·         Photographers

·         Hair and make-up artists

·         Vehicle hire

·         Band/ DJ

·         Honeymoon booking

You should always ask your venue for a preferred list of suppliers. At Amazing Retreats we have a preferred list of trusted suppliers who understand the venue and logistics and have provided their services for us in the past.

3.       Try before you buy

Making sure everything is perfect for your big day is incredibly important. Arrange to have a full viewing of the venue and make sure you write up a comprehensive list of questions to ask and queries about the venue. Arrange a practice photo shoot with the photographer, for example an engagement shoot.

Ask to view their portfolio of photographs to see if you like their style. Ask friends and family for recommendations as it is important to choose correctly as the photos are going to be one of the main keepsakes of your wedding day. Use a caterer you have tried before or who has been recommended to you, the food is very important as well as choosing the right wedding cake.

Have a practice trial of the hair and makeup before the big day. It is important to take a veil or any hair accessories to the practice trial, also consider taking your dress as this can show if the hair and dress work well together. Try out your shoes before the wedding day, walk around the house in them to shape them to your feet and avoid blisters on the day.

4.       Plan for all types of weather

In the UK the weather is always unpredictable. Although we all hope for a glorious summer’s day, this is not always the case. Planning for every weather eventuality is important. There should be heaters available if you have a marquee, as sometimes evenings can be slightly on the chilly side. In case of a rainy wedding day, consider buying umbrellas for the bridal party, there are suppliers on the internet with some stunning wedding umbrella designs, from vintage lace to heart shaped, these can brighten up and dull day.

5.       Make a list of must-have photos for the photographer

The realisation after the day, that your rebellious brother was not present in the main family shot, is something that any amount of Photoshop editing cannot fix.  Creating a list of all the formal photos that must be taken is extremely important. Write down the different combinations including the names of the people that are supposed to be present in the shot. This leaves little room for errors on the big day.

6.       Decorations

Use wedding blogs for ideas on wedding decorations, there are many little touches that can be made using items you may already have or that are easy to create. There are many suggestions for simple but effective DIY decorations online, you could even arrange a day for friends and family to come and get creative and make some wedding decorations or even wedding favors. Consider hiring decorations for the venue, if you are choosing a vintage themed wedding, vintage crockery, bunting and lace tablecloths can be expensive to buy, however there are plenty of companies that offer hiring these bits and pieces for weddings.

7.       Take time choosing your wedding list

Wedding guests like to buy you something that you will keep forever. Take time picking the items you would like for your wedding, look in interior or furniture magazines, and try asking at your favorite boutique furniture shop as they are often more than happy to assist in creating a wedding list.

8.       Spread the work load

Arranging and organizing the perfect wedding is extremely time consuming so it is a good idea to spread the workload. Make to-do lists and give to people you trust, often family and friends want to get involved with the wedding preparation so give them responsibilities and make use of their enthusiasm. Give a list of jobs and timings to the ushers for them to complete on the day, for example distributing confetti, car parking etc.

9.       Double check passport expiry dates

Make sure both yours and your fiancé’s passports are in date for the honeymoon. It can take up to 6 weeks to arrange a new passport so it is incredibly important to do this at least 10 weeks in advance.

10.   Write thank you cards after the wedding day

Personalised, hand written cards mean so much more than a generic thank you. Create cards using photographs from the wedding, many online photo printers offer this facility, and they create a great keepsake and reminder of the day to your guests. Also make sure you thank everyone who has helped the day run smoothly, including your suppliers, friends and family.