Real Life Advice from Real Life Brides

1. Real Life Advice from Real Life Brides Planning a wedding is one of the most stressful things you can do. We have all heard anecdotes from brides who have said that the little things they stressed about turned out not to matter on the day, simple for them to say as they have been there and done it but it’s easy to get caught up in the planning stress. Wouldn’t it be great to have the benefit of hindsight …. Well now you can. We spoke to some of our lovely North of Scotland brides and some from much further afield and asked them to share some of the things they wish they had known when they started planning their weddings, after all, some things you can only learn after you say ‘I do’. We hope you enjoy our Real Life Advice from Real Life Brides (and one fabulous groom) and we hope you find something useful to help you with your own planning journey…….. Plan your dates very carefully. Remember school holidays (people with children will be going away). DIY things and make sure you shop around, don’t be afraid to haggle. Make sure you get all quotes in writing and book at least 12 months before your wedding (your chosen dates may be popular). Mandy – Inverness

2. You won’t please everyone. Do what you and your future husband would like and can afford. Don’t feel like you are being a nuisance, details matter. The week before will be stressful, prepare your future groom for this. Angela – Fraserburgh – pictured below Don’t buy your dress or bridesmaids dress two years in advance, you change your mind. Also save, save, save Selina – London I honestly wish I had known how important the booking timeline is and that sometimes you have to make changes to any planning method to fit your needs. Casey – Louisville, Kentucky Luckily we can help you with that, check out our Wedding Parlour – Wedding Planning Timeline to make sure your to-do list is ticked off in plenty time. I wish I had realised just how much cheaper it was to shop online for almost everything. Shop around and don’t be scared about it not coming from a high street name. No-one will know on the day and your bank balance will thank you for it. Donna – Stoke-on-Trent Get veil weights. I had no idea this was a thing until after my wedding. My veil was flying all over the place and the entire time I was saying my vows I was grabbing at my veil. Erin – California (pictured below)

3. Make sure you have a list of all the photos you want. That way you won’t have anyone complaining that they weren’t included. Natassia – Stafford Our photography checklist will make sure you don’t miss a thing Go with your gut and remember it’s your day so do it exactly the way you want it. Melissa – Surrey Buy a good planner, I couldn’t live without mine as it has everything in it so I can see what we’ve spent, dates thing need to be organised by plus keep track of guest lists and invites. It’s worth every penny plus you can use it as a keepsake after. Lisa – London Set a realistic budget and stick to it as much as you can. It’s you and your husband’s day. Don’t worry about pleasing everyone else. Eat before you drink. Vicky – Elgin (pictured below)

4. Do your homework. Meet with at least three of every wedding supplier and one will stand out. Cheap is not always best, you get what you pay for in the end. Deposits are non-refundable. Alan – Sydney Read genuine reviews Lindsay – Perth Be realistic. If you want bells and whistles recognise the more people you invite the more you will be on a budget. People won’t work for free, get quotes and negotiate. Research and research. Unless budget is no object there will always be compromising to do. Jo – Perth, Australia (pictured below) When you’re getting stressed about decision or getting everything sorted take a moment to remember that this is a nice, privileged, special problem to have! I certainly stressed over minor things like what colour font on what colour invitations but the end of the day what a lovely thing to have to consider! Jenni Kate – York Think about a videographer – it always amazes me the way wedding items are prioritised, wedding video is always last on the last yet apart from photos and rings everything else is over in a day. Yvonne – East Kilbride

5. Love from Contact Details: Name: The Wedding Parlour Owner Name: Donna Dingwall Company: The Wedding Parlour URL: http://theweddingparlour.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddingparlour1 Twitter: https://twitter.com/weddingparlour1 Instagram: https://instagram.com/weddingparlour1 Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wedding-parlour1/