Planning Your Wedding - Part 6 After the Wedding

All your hard work planning and organising has now reaped its rewards and the wedding is over and you are now a married.   You may have had your honeymoon, so what now?   Many couples don't realise just how intense the whole planning of a wedding can be until its all over and you might be feeling a little deflated and at a loss of what to do next. 


There are still some things to be done, your photographs will be ready to view and your favourite images need to be chosen, your thank you notes need to be sent out to your guests, your dress needs to be cleaned and stored, it's time to tie up the loose ends as life returns to normal.


Photographs & Video
Whether or not you had a professional photographer and videographer, you will still have hundreds if images to go through and you will have fun doing this, choosing your favourites and creating your wedding album.    Watching any videos that may have been taken throughout your day, you will see many things that you missed, this is a fun part of reviewing your day and over the coming weeks you will look back fondly on your day.

There are a number of ways that you can let friends and family have a copy of your favourite images, one of mine was to create a photobook from Kodak Galleries . This allowed me to upload my favourites and create this delightful photo album for our parents and family.  Not only is it affordable (starts from £5.99) it is a wonderful keepsake.  I also made an extra copy for myself so I could show friends and colleagues.  This allows you to show off your images without your wedding album getting worn and possibly damaged. It also allows you to include images that maybe friends and family have taken too.


Thank You Notes/Cards
You have hopefully taken careful note of the gifts you have received and from whom on the run up to and just after the wedding.  It's so important to do this, after all, your guests have taken the time to think about and choose a gift for you.  It's only right that you thank them properly after the wedding.   There a whole range of ways that you can do this, you can buy pre printed notes, but I always think it is nicer to add a personal message to each guest.  You might get stuck with what to say, here are a few ideas .

Whatever you choose to do, try and send these out within a month of your wedding, don't leave it too long.


Dress Cleaning
Many dry cleaners will offer to clean your dress, wrap it and box it up for you to store, the cost can be from around £65 upwards, depending where you get it cleaned.   The cleaners should be insured and reputable and take advice from friends and family who may have used them in the past.   What should you expect?  Your dress should be cleaned by an expert team, pressed and folded into acid free tissue paper, to avoid discolouration of the fabric then placed in a specially made box to protect your dress from light but allow the fabric to breathe.  I know that this might seem like another expense, but the likelihood is that you have spent a significant sum  of money on your dress, it's not a huge sum to pay to have it cleaned.

I will share with you what I did with my dress although I would not recommend it as a normal course of action.   My gown cost £1200 and after the wedding it had red wine stains, fake tan stains and under the train was grubby.    One evening about a year after the wedding I had the mad idea of putting it in the washing machine!   I turned it inside out and rolled it into a ball, put the washing machine on a gentle wash, after they cycle was finished I took it out and it was absolutely fine, I hung it up on a coat hanger to dry over night.  The next morning it was like new again (phew!!). It is now stored away in my wardrobe.   As I said before I took a risk with my dress and have to say that 45 minutes  it was in the machine were the longest of my life!  Would I do it again?  Not in a million years, which is why I will always recommend having it cleaned professionally.  I got lucky, but I do know that if it had gone horribly wrong I would have been devastated.


So what next?
All your loose ends are now tied up you have found a home for all your gifts and life is settling down.  If you are still feeling at a loss, take on a new project like decorating a room, taking up a new hobby (or picking up an old one), catch up with friends, invite them round for dinner.  Most of all spend quality time with your new spouse, after all that's what the whole event was all about, both of you starting your new life together.


I hope you have enjoyed our series on Planning Your Wedding and that you have picked up some useful hints and tips along the way.   Beauty Weddings are here to assist, advise and guide you through one of the happiest and exciting phases in your life.   Don't get married without us! 

Planning Your Wedding - Part 5 The Wedding Day

The big day is here at last! This is your day, where you and your future spouse start out on your new lives together as a married couple.  This is a day of celebration and it should start as it means to go on.

Available to buy from Gorgeous Gifts

For the Bride
Get up early, shower and have a light breakfast.   Breakfast on today of all days will be the most important meal that you eat, as it could be hours before you get to eat or drink again, and this will provide the much needed energy you are going to need.  

Do not start stressing about things that might be going wrong, there is very little that can't be sorted, replaced, rearranged in the worst does happen.  My previous post titled It's my wedding day what could go wrong addresses this.  What you need to do is delegate and it will be taken care of.





Enjoy having your hair and make up done, have a glass or 2 of bubbly but not enough to get your tipsy, you don't want to remember your wedding day for the wrong reasons! 





Cherish the moments when getting dressed, if you are calm and relaxed you will be surprised by just how emotional and special the moment can be, as you share a special moment with your friends and family, and remember those who maybe can't be with you, in the last minutes before you make a life transition by creating a family of your own.


Many brides have a few jittery moments in the hours leading up to the wedding, this is the day that you have been meticulously planning and organising and its finally here and you start to panic hoping that it all goes to plan,  just take a moment, take deep breaths and it will pass. Everyone knows what they should be doing, trust them to get on with it.


You are dressed, have your flowers in your hand and you look and feel beautiful, the car has arrived and its time to go. (or if getting married in the venue, its time to join your guests! )    Before leaving, take a deep breath, relax and SMILE.  


Walking down the aisle can be a very emotional moment, no matter where you get married.  The ceremony may be the shortest part of the day but it is the most important and most meaningful part of the day.  When you say your vows to each other, face each other and look into each others eyes, its each other you are making those promises to, to the celebrant.     I have seen so many couples over the years that don't look at each other when saying their Vows, they have missed out on such a special moment where it feels as if it's only the 2 of you in the room.   I know that sounds soppy and romantic, but isn't that how it should be on your wedding day?  The rest of the day is going to go past in a flash, enjoy every second of your wedding ceremony that you can.


The Groom

Exactly the same as the bride: get up early, shower and have a light breakfast.


You should have everything ready the night before so that there is no last minute panics, your attire is hanging up and ready to wear (Tip  if you have a new shirt wash it a few days before - this will avoid any irritation caused by over starched collars and smell fresh too!)  You have the rings, your speech prepared, never leave it to the last minute, have everything laid out the night before that way you won't forget anything.


Avoid going to the pub before the wedding, have 1 or 2 of course, but don't get drunk,  there will be plenty of time for that later on in the day.   This is your wedding day too, enjoy every moment of it.

At the ceremony, when you hear the music begin, turn and face your bride as she walks down the aisle towards you, it's okay to shed a tear when you see her, you are making the woman you love your wife in just a few minutes and the moment can be very emotional.





As she arrives at your side, tell her how beautiful she looks and that you love her, she will appreciate it more than you will know.






After the ceremony if you plan on drinking, try not to consume too much before making your speech, nothing worse than a drunken groom trying to tell his new wife how lovely she looks as he tries to stay upright.  I don't think I have every come across a Groom who isn't nervous before making his speech.  Hoping that he has covered everything and has practised enough.   If you make a mistake just laugh it off.  My husband referred to me as "my bride to be & I"!  which resulted in much heckling from family and friends, we just laughed it off, what he was meant to say was "my wife and I".  I still tease him about it sometimes.


Dinners over and now its time to party... enjoy.


Both of you
When you say your vows to each other, face each other and look into each others eyes, its each other you are making those promises to, to the celebrant.     I have seen so many couples over the years that don't look at each other when saying their Vows, they have missed out on such a special moment where it feels as if it's only the 2 of you in the room.   I know that sounds soppy and romantic, but isn't that how it should be on your wedding day?  The rest of the day is going to go past in a flash, enjoy every second of your wedding ceremony that you can.



The Ceremony is over, it's time for photographs, videos, cocktail reception, wedding breakfast and of course the wedding reception itself.   You will probably only come together occasionally throughout the rest of the day as you mingle with your guests and pose for many more photos as the day progresses.   Take time out with your new husband for half an hour, whether that's finding a quiet spot in the venue, going for a short walk in the grounds or going to your room, just to enjoy a few precious moments of quiet and share your thoughts on the day so far.


Enjoy every moment of your wedding day, it about both of you and the promises that you make to each other as you start out on your married life together.






Next Week:  Planning your Wedding - Part 6  After the Wedding

Planning Your Wedding - Part 4

The Lead Up to the Wedding

The final 6 weeks before the wedding is the most stressful for any couple.   All those plans that you have been putting into place now need to be pulled together.

I am going to give you a few hints and tips to make this time just a little bit easier.

• Forget the previous lists that you have done, and create a new one!   you might want something like this:

Dress fitting appointment made
Dress fitting -  let everyone know that needs to be there
• Shoes found 
• Shoes bought 
• Underwear search done 
• Underwear bought 
• Make up purchased
• Rings ordered 
• Rings collected
• Groom and Groomsmen outfits ordered and fitted 
• Marriage licence 
• Officiant booked/confirmed
• Venue for both ceremony and reception confirmed (by phone if you like) 
• Timings checked and finalised
• Reception - food chosen and confirmed 
• Cars booked and confirmed 
• Flowers chosen and confirmed 
• Cake Chosen and confirmed 
Invitations sent and system to collect RSVPs in place
• Photographer booked and confirmed
Hen night and stag night arranged
Gifts for bridesmaids
• Flowers for mothers ordered (optional)
• Evening entertainment booked/confirmed
• Hair Trials booked 
• Fake Tan appointments booked (don't forget to have a trial run approx 6 weeks before so you can check that the colour of the tan is right) 
• Nail Appointment booked
• Make up trial booked
• Honeymoon confirmed (if applicable) 
• Glass of something strong and preferably of the alcoholic nature in hand after you have ticked stuff off this list! :D 

I always find it useful to colour code it so that you can see at a glance what you have completed.   Like this

Dress fitting appointment made
Dress fitting -  let everyone know that needs to be there
• Shoes found 
• Shoes bought 
• Underwear search done 
• Underwear bought 
• Make up purchased
• Rings ordered 

Red = Urgent   Amber = Needs to be done soon   Green = done

The most important thing is to make sure you make a start on the confirmations and appointment bookings as soon as possible, so in the case that anything might have to be changed then you will have plenty of time to do this.    Many brides will employ a wedding coordinator at this point as it can be very overwhelming to try and pull it all together, especially when you are working full time and it feels that there just isn't enough time in the day.  This is also the time when you as a couple need to spend as much quality time together as possible without discussing wedding plans.

Delegation is something that you really need to do at this point, you will be surprised at just how many people are willing to help out at this time, even if it is a small task.  You don't have to do it all by yourself! 

This is the time that should also be the most exciting, you have your hen/stag nights to enjoy with your friends and its a great time to let your hair down and have some fun.   

You will be starting to receive some wedding gifts from your guests, either write your thank you notes now or make sure that you have a list of who sent you what and when.   Never send a generic thank you note, always make it personal, don't forget that person has given some thought and effort into choosing your gift, returning the favour in your personalised thank you notes is the least you can do.   You don't have to start these before the wedding itself, it's something that can wait until after the wedding.   

Most of all its important that you stay organised and relaxed, if something does go wrong, take a deep breath and relax, don't go off in a panic as you will most likely make a rash decision that could be worse in the long run.

Next Week: 

Planning Your Wedding - Part 5    The Wedding Day