Congratulations you’re engaged! You’re on glad nine, your fiancée has declared his love and asked you to become his wife, you excitedly talk about the future and your wedding day. You dream about the dress, partying with your friends and of course becoming husband and wife.
But, then the panic sets in. Just how do you plan a wedding, where should you begin? In our fortnightly series we will break down how to organise a wedding like a professional wedding planner.
In our 6th instalment of our planning guide we talk about the design.
6-9 Months
The wedding is getting closer so now is the time to think seriously about your design and what you want the day to be like. Make a scrap book of magazine pictures as I’m sure you have hundreds at home. Section the images into flowers, décor, cake & stationery. This will help when meeting a florist or cake maker.
Florist
The flowers will make a big impact on your wedding style so choose a florist carefully, ask to view their portfolio of previous weddings and ask how long they have been doing it. There are many freelance florists who specialise in wedding & event flowers so are familiar with larger displays and how to create the wow factor. Discuss your initial ideas and colours with her and ask for suggestions on what flowers are in season and what would work well for your wedding.
Remember to ask about:
- Bouquets
- Button Holes
- Ceremony Flowers - pew ends, altar, registrars table, pedestals
- Reception Tables
- Reception entrance
- Reception focal points
Cake Maker
When selecting a cake maker think about whether you want a simple cake to cut & serve or whether it should be a dramatic feature of the day. Is it to be sliced in the evening or served as a desert. How many guests does it have to feed (daytime + evening guests + cakes to be posted). Ask your venue for recommendations on local cake makers and visit their studio to see current designs. Then compare to the more national designer cake makers. Talk about the fillings and style of cake you like i.e. traditional, cup cakes, contemporary or chocolate. Popular flavours include:
- Lemon drizzle
- Carrot
- Ginger
- Rum and raison
- Cherry
- Chocolate
- Coffee
Stationery
The wedding invitation is the first chance guests get a glimpse of the wedding style and design. It can be an exciting process selecting the right designer who understands your vision for the wedding. Think about whether you want stationery designed bespoke for you or whether you are happy to choose pre designed versions. Ask for samples so you can check the quality of their work. What type of card is the stationery printed on, is it textured, coloured, floral or iridescent? Does the sample arrive in good condition? Local fairs are a good place to see designs in the flesh and quality check them. Also search the internet for stationery companies. Visit Chartula who offer some tips on etiquette or appropriate wording as well stunning stationery.
The stationery used in a wedding normally includes:
- Save the dates
- Wedding invitations inc. RSVP, directions & info card
- Order of service
- Table names
- Seating cards/tags
- Table plan
- Thank you cards
