Tips for Choosing Wedding Makeup
August 24, 2010
Experiment with wedding makeup
In the run-up to your wedding, one of the things for brides to plan and choose is what makeup you’ll have for your wedding and whether you’ll do it yourself, or hire a makeup artist. Here some tips to help you choose what you’ll do with your wedding makeup.
Your makeup for the big day is likely to be something you don’t think about until the final few months of preparation. Ideally, by then you should have sorted out your wedding colour scheme and got a wedding dress, so you can coordinate your makeup if you wish.
Do Your Own Makeup or Have Makeup Done For You?
One of the first issues to think about in relation to your wedding makeup is whether you plan to do your own or hire a makeup artist to do your makeup for you. Whilst the latter option is more luxurious and can help you feel pampered on your special day, if you’re happy doing your own or are on a budget, then it can work out well for many brides to do their own makeup.
Whichever option you choose, it’s a good idea to have a run through in advance, so you know what makeup you’re doing and which products you’re using. This is especially important if you’re buying or trying any new makeup for your wedding – such as a special eyeshadow, foundation, mascara or lipstick – as you need to ensure that it suits you in looks and in effect. You don’t, for example, want to have a sudden allergic reaction to it on your wedding day!
Choosing Wedding Makeup Colours
Think about how makeup colours could be toned or chosen to match your wedding colour scheme. It doesn’t have to be anything outrageous, but if you’re having pink roses in your floral bouquet, you could perhaps find a matching shade of pink lipstick to fit the scheme. Do choose colours that suit your complexion and skin colour too – if you’re unsure, wear them in advance to make sure you like them and that they look right on you.
Natural Wedding Makeup
Wedding makeup doesn’t have to be plastered on, it can be as natural as you want it. If you don’t normally wear much makeup, then don’t be persuaded to go for a really made up look if it isn’t your style or something you’re happy with. Remember that the makeup you wear on your wedding day will be something you’ll see forever more in your wedding photos, so it’s important that you like it.
10 Ways to Cut Wedding Costs and Save Money
August 11, 2010
Save money on wedding costs
Weddings are a costly business, but with some careful planning and organisation, there are ways of cutting your costs and sticking to a budget. Here are 10 ways that you could cut your wedding costs and save money.
1. Print your own wedding stationery
Wedding invitations, orders of service, menus, place names and thank you cards can all be made yourself and printed out at home. It’s cheaper to buy the card and ink yourself and do the work than paying a hefty price to get someone else to do it.
2. Hire a wedding suit or dress
Cut the huge expense of buying a wedding dress by hiring one instead. This goes for the groom, ushers and bridesmaids too, who can also hire suits or dresses.
3. Scour wedding forums for wedding sales
Lots of people who’ve recently got married sell their unwanted items through wedding forums. You could find table decorations, veils, shoes, candles, favour bags or tiaras at reduced prices.
4. Get married on a weekday or a Sunday
Saturday’s are the most popular day of the week to get married, but by bucking the trend, you can save money. The cost of receptions, such as hiring a venue, is considerably cheap on a weekday or Sunday.
5. Buy reduced priced items in sales
Keep an eye out for sales and buy items you need for your wedding at reduced price, even if you have to buy them in advance.
6. Look for a wedding dress in sample sales
Sample sales can be a good way of saving money on the cost of a wedding dress, especially if you’re a small size.
Hire a wedding suit
7. Buy a wedding cake from a supermarket
Most of the major supermarkets sell plain iced fruit cakes or sponge cakes in different sizes. Buy three different size cakes, stack them up and you can create a cheap and easy wedding cake. Decorate with ribbon and fresh flowers.
8. Keep the flowers simple and buy your own
Keep your wedding floral decorations simple and elegant and, where possible, buy your own flowers and do your own decorations.
9. Get friends to do the photography
Find friends that are good with photography and get them to do your wedding photos. Digital cameras produce great results these days.
10. Save postage on wedding invitations
Hand deliver as many wedding invitations as possible, or email them instead.
Three Reasons Why You Need a Wedding Coordinator
August 4, 2010
Get help from a wedding coordinator
Planning a wedding can be a huge job and it does make life easier if you can share he burden and stress with other people. If you haven’t got close family or friends nearby to help you out, then hiring a wedding coordinator can help ease the pressure of organisation and give you more time to focus on the fun aspects of organising a wedding. Here are three of the many advantages of hiring a wedding coordinator.
1. Sharing the Organisation
One of the major benefits of having a wedding coordinator on hand is being able to share the organisation of a wedding. With the best will in the world, planning a wedding can involve major feats of organisation, both in the early stages of planning and in the weeks and days running up to the big day.
It’s a lot for one or two people to handle and, having the assistance of a wedding coordinator, frees up time for the bride and groom to focus on the more enjoyable aspects of planning.
2. Stress Reduction
There’s no doubt about it – organising a wedding can be a stressful experience! Stress can occur at any stage of the planning process, from trying to whittle down your guest numbers and work out who to invite, to trying to sort out table plans, flower arrangements or evening entertainment.
Having a wedding coordinator on hand gives you an extra person who you can delegate tasks too – and they will be happy to do all the jobs you don’t enjoy, as they’re being paid for their work.
3. Budget Control
Weddings can become awfully expensive and it’s easy to spend loads of money without realising how it’s all adding up. Having a budget is a good idea, but unless you keep careful control over the purse strings and keep hunting down the best deals, you can exceed your budget.
A wedding coordinator can take control of the budget and ensure you don’t go over it. They can control a spreadsheet of expenses, so that you always have an up-to-date running total of how much you’ve spent, and will have time to suss out the best bargain buys for you. What’s more, most wedding coordinators will come with a bulging book of contacts, so they may quickly and easily know who to contact for the best price.
8 Bridal Perfume Ideas
July 15, 2010
Which wedding perfume will you choose?
Everyone needs to have a bridal perfume, but as there are hundreds of different perfumes on the market, it’s often hard to know where to start when you’re looking for a new scent. Here are some practical tips to help you when choosing your perfect wedding perfume, plus details of 8 top wedding bridal perfumes for brides.
Types of Bridal Perfume Fragrance
Bridal perfumes tend to fall into four main types – floral, fresh, woody or oriental.
Floral scents, such as those containing jasmine, rose or white flower fragrances, are very popular with brides, especially as they can often match the scent of the flowers used in wedding bouquets and flower arrangements.
Fresh scents, such as those containing notes such as citrus, green leaves, light fruits, sage or ocean inspired fragrance, have a clean, pure and crisp scent and are often popular with brides wanting a contemporary and light scent.
Woody scents are those which contain notes of musk, spicy woods and deep, rich citrus scents and can be popular with brides at winter weddings.
Oriental scents often have base notes of spiciness, amber, vanilla or wood and are popular with brides that want a heady scent that will get them noticed.
Top 8 Wedding Perfume Ideas
If you’re not sure which perfumes to try out, then here are some ideas of some of the most popular bridal perfumes that may appeal to you.
1. Beautiful by Estee Lauder – A firm favourite with many brides, this romantic perfume has top notes of rose, tuberose and lily, plus undertones of musk.
2. Euphoria, by Calvin Klein – An exotic, oriental fragrance, with notes of pomegranate, black orchid, lotus blossom and persimmon.
3. Angel Shooting Star by Thierry Mugler – A popular choice with modern brides, this unusual perfume combines notes of blackberry, vanilla, musk and chocolate. The bottle is very quirky, as it’s in the shape of a star.
4. Classique, by Jean Paul Gaultier – A floral fragrance with sexy musk base notes. It comes in a curvy, feminine bottle too.
5. Coco Mademoiselle, by Chanel – A fresh and floral perfume with notes of jasmine and rose. It comes in the classic square Chanel bottle.
6. Rose, by Paul Smith – A fresh and memorable perfume with a light and sensual scent. A modern version of a classic rose fragrance.
7. Flower, by Kenzo – A contemporary oriental perfume for the modern woman that has warm tones of vanilla, white musk and opopanax, combined with notes of Bulgarian rose, violet and cassia.
8. CK One, by Calvin Klein – A light, pure and contemporary fragrance, CK One combines top notes of pineapple, papaya, cardamom and bergamot, with middle notes of nutmeg, jasmine, rose and violet. It’s a fresh and sensual fragrance.
Do you have a favourite wedding perfume?
Choosing a Wedding Perfume Scent
July 9, 2010
Find a special wedding fragrance
You’ve got the dress, the shoes and the accessories, now it’s time to think about your wedding perfume!
A wedding perfume should be a scent that you love, but that’s also special. It could be that you’ve already got a particular perfume that you’re very fond of, but don’t often wear, or perhaps your fiancé has previously bought you a special perfume to mark an anniversary or occasion.
Choose a Special Wedding Perfume
Even if you have an existing signature scent, that you wear every day, it’s nice to have something different to mark your wedding day. It will be a scent that you always come to associate with your wedding and something you can wear again on special occasions to evoke memories of your marriage ceremony.
Traditional Perfume
Some women like to choose the perfume that their mum or grandmother wore on their wedding day and you could even use it as your ‘something borrowed’ or ‘something old’, if you’re following the folklore wedding traditions. Classic favourites like Chanel No. 5 are still as popular today as they were years ago and it’s nice to carry on traditions by choosing the same perfume that another close family member enjoyed.
Complementary Perfume
If you’re having a bouquet of flowers to carry down the aisle, then look for perfumes that complement the floral scents, such as those containing rose, lily, iris or jasmine. Also think about how you could layer your perfume, for the best, long-lasting effect. Look for products that have matching body lotions or shower gels, so that you can maximise the scent.
Shopping for Bridal Perfume
Have a look for a bridal perfume well in advance of your wedding and take time to browse the different scents available. It’s a good idea to either get some small sample sprays from the perfume counters of shops, or have the sprayed onto different cards, so you can keep sniffing them as the perfume changes. It may smell unpleasant when it’s first out of the bottle, but then turn into a lovely delicate long-lasting fragrance, or have the opposite effect.
It’s also good to have the option of trying both a sample and sniffing the cardboard testers, as perfumes can smell very different when worn, as opposed to being in the bottle or on a piece of cardboard.
Take time to savour the different scents and find the perfume that’s right for you. It will be a fragrance that you’ll forever associate with your big day.
6 Wedding Reception Table Name Ideas
June 18, 2010
Table name ideas
If you’re having a seated wedding reception with a number of tables, then it’s a nice idea to come up with names for each of the tables, rather than just numbering them. Not only does it help people find where they’re sitting more easily and make your table plan better to follow, but it ’s a lot more fun and can also be cleverly tied into your wedding theme.
If you’re stuck as to how to name your wedding reception tables, then here are some ideas to get you thinking!
1. Your favourite places
Choose table names that reflect your favourite places, be it cities around the world, beaches, local beauty spots or places you’ve lived.
2. Favourite chocolates
A favourite with chocoholics, you could create table names based on your favourite chocolates. For example, tables could be named chocolate truffle, strawberry crème, caramel whirl or chocolate marzipan. If you’re leaving favours on the table for your guests, then naming your tables after chocolates gives you the ideal opportunity of matching the table names with the favours. So the favours on the chocolate truffle table could, of course, feature gorgeous truffles.
3. Favourite dates
If you don’t mind a spot of speculation about what you were up to on each one, then another idea for your wedding reception table names could be based on favourite dates you’ve shared as a couple.
4. Family surnames
A nice way of reflecting the different names that run through both your families is to use them as a basis for your table names. For example, include the bride’s maiden surname, your grandparents surnames and maiden names and any other names that you know run through both your families. This would be particularly apt for anyone involved in tracing their family history, as they’re likely to have unearthed plenty of interesting names along the way.
5. Colours
Name the tables at your reception after different colours. For an interesting theme for the reception, each of the tables could be decorated in a matching different colour.
6. Cakes
Another edible favourite is to name each table after a different type of cake, such as Victoria sponge, chocolate cake, carrot cake or cream bun. You could include a centrepiece on the table with each of these different cakes displayed – edible or fake – or give everyone on each table a mini cake to take home with them.
7 Ways to Beat Wedding Nerves
June 10, 2010
However much preparation you’ve done, and however much you’re looking forward to your wedding, it’s only natural to feel nervous too. In order to help beat your nerves and help the day go with a swing, here are 7 tips for getting on top of your nerves and easing wedding stress.
Our 7 tips
1. The weeks and days leading up to the wedding can be stressful, especially when trying to sort out last minute arrangements. To try and ease some of the stress you’re under, share the responsibility and organisation with other members of the wedding party. That includes your husband-to-be, bridesmaid and any other family members involved in the wedding organisation.
Focus on your big day
2. If you are feeling stressed, then take time out to relax, either on your own or with your fiancé. Exercise can be great for relieving stress, but you could also do yoga, have a massage or go for a swim.
3. Try and get plenty of sleep, especially in the days leading up to the wedding. Get a few early nights and try and have a complete break from thinking about the wedding.
4. If you’ve bought new shoes to wear on the day, then ensure you wear them around the house a bit a few weeks before the wedding. It make take a while for them to feel comfortable and knowing they finally feel okay can help ease worries about accidentally tripping over in your new shoes or that they’ll rub your feet.
5. Phone and speak to the caterers, the flower arrangers and the reception centre a week before the wedding. You can check that everything is going to plan and, if necessary, sort out any problems in good time.
6. Make sure you have a wedding rehearsal at the venue where the ceremony will take place, a day or so before the wedding. Ideally get the best man, chief bridesmaid and any other key players involved to take part. It can help allay any last minute nerves and offer reassurance that everything will go to plan.
7. The day before the wedding, make sure everyone else knows what their duties are on the day, so that you don’t have to worry about anything. You can relax and focus on the important part of the day – getting married!
Five of the Best Wedding Favour Ideas
May 6, 2010
Beautiful wedding favours
Wedding favours are small gifts that are given to guests at a wedding by the bride and groom. They’re usually left on the table at the reception, next to the place where each guest sits, and are a simple way of saying thanks to the guests for their support and attendance at your wedding.
Traditionally, they were known as bonbonniere’s and often contained sugared almonds or other sweets. These days the tradition of wedding favours has continued and, in addition to giving out sugared almonds, there are plenty of other small gifts that you can give your guests. Here are five of the best wedding favour ideas.
1. Chocolate Wedding Favours
A firm favourite with old and young, chocolates always go down well as wedding favours. Wrapped heart-shaped chocolates are widely available and appropriate for weddings, or you could choose your favourite chocolates to include. Just be aware that if you’re having a wedding in the height of the summer, some chocolate may be prone to melting, so choose carefully.
2. Sweet Wedding Favours
Like the traditional sugared almonds, wedding favours that can be eaten are popular. Any types of candy or sweets can be used and popped in small gift boxes or organza bags. Pick your favourite sweets, or opt for Love Hearts for a vaguely romantic twist.
3. Scented Soap Wedding Favours
Small scented pieces of soap, or fizzy bath bombs, fit well into small organza bags and work nicely as wedding favours. Choose items that work with your colour or floral scheme, such as pink rose scented soaps or lavender bath bombs. This type of wedding favour is best aimed at women – you could combine it with something other favours at men to appeal to everyone.
4. Personalised Wedding Favours
Some brides and grooms go the extra mile when creating their wedding favours and add personalised touches that will provide long lasting memories for guests of attendance at the wedding. For example, you could include a small box of matches, a wine stopper, photo coaster or personalised playing cards, with details of your names, the date of the wedding and even a photo of the happy couple.
5. Teddy Bear Wedding Favours
For the fans of all things cute, then tiny teddy bears could be added to wedding favour boxes to provide an unusual take-home present. If they happen to have a red heart on their front, all the better!
Choosing a Wedding Cake
May 3, 2010
Beautiful wedding cake
Your wedding cake is an important part of the wedding reception and ceremony and, whether you want a traditional wedding cake, or a modern alternative, it’s something you need to think about and plan for. Here are some tips on choosing your perfect wedding cake.
Collect Wedding Cake Ideas
It can be a bit daunting knowing exactly how you’d like your wedding cake to be – how many tiers, what sort of decorations you’d like and what shape of wedding cake you’d prefer. So it’s a good idea to collect as many ideas and inspirations for wedding cake ideas as you plan your wedding.
Wedding websites, wedding magazines and wedding blogs are all really good sources for wedding cake ideas, as are the websites of wedding cake makers and decorators. Cut-out photos of cakes you like the look of, or save web URLs, and build up your own wedding cake file full of ideas. A good wedding cake maker should be able to use a photo to re-create your ideas and get a better idea of how you’d like your wedding cake to be.
Wedding Cake Colour Theme
Many people link their wedding colour theme to their wedding cake theme and this can be a good starting point to think about for anyone choosing a wedding cake. For example, if your colour theme is lilac, then you could aim to have your wedding cake decorated with dainty purple flowers or purple ribbon, of if your colour theme is burgundy, then you could have burgundy sugar roses on your cake.
Taste Wedding Cakes Before You Buy
If you’re having a wedding cake made for you by someone else, especially if it’s a specialist wedding cake company that you’ve not heard of before, then always ask to taste a sample of one of their wedding cakes before you commit to buy.
Companies exhibiting cakes at wedding fairs usually have plenty of samples available for you to taste, but if you find your cake maker privately, don’t be afraid to ask to taste their cooking ability. If they’re not too keen to oblige, then think carefully about booking a cake from them – even if their decoration skills look wonderful – as the taste of the cake is just as important as how it looks.
Should You Have a Wedding Gift List?
April 8, 2010
Wedding gifts
Some people love them, and others hate them – if you’re getting married, should you have a wedding gift list?
Giving a gift to couples getting married is a long established tradition, but in order to avoid the numerous toasters or cut glass that some couples seem to end up with, it’s become a more modern tradition to produce a gift list. The gift list is a good idea to help avoid duplicate items and it means that you do at least get to choose thing you need or would like for your home.
The politics of gift lists are hotly debated though, with some people being less than thrilled to find a long gift list included with their wedding invite, especially when everything on it seems to cost rather a lot.
Tips For Creating a Wedding Gift List
Many large department stores now offer wedding gift list creation services, whereby you choose which items you’d like added and people then see what’s available to purchase. It does make the process much easier than having to handle it all yourself and is even easier to manage when the lists can be viewed online, as well as in store.
- If you do decide that you want to create a wedding gift list, then here are some tips for making the process go smoothly.
- Try and choose items for your wedding gift list that fall into a range of price brackets, from inexpensive upwards.
- If there are items you’d like that will cost more, then consider asking for monetary contributions or vouchers towards them instead, so that lots of people can chip in and help spread the cost.
- Make sure you keep records as to who has bought you what and remember to send thank you notes to them. Department store gift lists are useful for this, as they should also retain a record of who purchased what items which you can always double check if you need to.
- If you’ve been living together for a while, and have all the kitchen equipment and household goods you need, then perhaps you could suggest contributions towards your honeymoon fund instead?
- Alternatively, why not ask for donations for your favourites charities, instead of any gifts? The chances are that some people will still give you a gift – many people like to, regardless of whether or not you have a list – and your charities can benefit at the same time.