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?

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.

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.

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!

Find the perfect wedding photographer

Photography is a big part of any wedding and you want to end up with high quality photos of your special day that you’ll treasure and enjoy for many years to come. With so many wedding photographers out there, in can be a hard task choosing who to go for. Here are some practical ideas on what to look for when choosing a wedding photographer.

The Personality of the Photographer

Avoid picking a photographer out of a brochure or just from seeing their work online. As you’ll be with them for most of your wedding day, getting on with them is important too. If your photographer lacks a personality, has a really bad sense of humour or isn’t on your wavelength, then you could be in for a bad day.

Always make an appointment to meet a photographer before booking them, so that you can assess whether you’ll get on with them. Wedding fairs can be a good opportunity to meet a variety of photographers for the first time and see the style of photography they offer.

Photography Style

Don’t book a photographer before you’ve sussed out their style of photography and made sure it’s the kind of thing you’re looking for. Some specialise in doing traditional, formal shots, whilst others are more geared up to informal, relaxed photos. If they can do a mix of the two, then that would be a good bet for some brides and grooms.

Photographers should offer you the chance to see plenty of examples of their work. If they don’t, then ask to see some to get a better idea of how they usually work.

The Price of Photography

The price the photographer is charging is going to be a big issue for many people, but don’t let it rule your decision completely. Look at the packages a photographer is offering and how much the actual photos will cost to buy, as well as how much they charge to attend on the day.

Some photographers might not charge much to attend for the day, but if the cost of buying all the photographs is high it can work out as a more costly option than going for a package deal.

It’s also worth looking for a photographer who’ll sell you a CD or DVD with all the photos from the day on it. Although it can be pricey to purchase, this does at least mean that you can print out the ones you want to use at a later date, and for less than it may cost you to buy prints direct from the photographer, so can be a good deal.

1. The A-line Wedding Dress

The A-Line Dress

The a-line wedding dress is a class dress style that suits all sizes and shapes. It’s characterised by a fitted bodice that moves down to an a-line skirt. This style flatters the bust, slims the waistline and hides the hips.

With a-line dresses that are wonderfully embellished, through beading, embroidery or sequins, on the top half of the dress, the eye can easily be naturally drawn to the top half and away from areas you’re trying to hide below.

2. The Empire Line Wedding Dress

The Empire Line

Empire line wedding dresses are where the body of the dress falls from just below the bust, rather than from the waist. This style of wedding dress is perfect if you want to create a romantic look, reminiscent of the type of dresses worn in the Jane Austen era, and want to make yourself look taller than you actually are.

3. The Full Skirt Wedding Dress

The Full Skirt Dress

This style of wedding dress is big and flouncy. It’s what many people regard as a fairytale wedding dress, as it has a big full skirt. Some people can carry it off well, but if you’re short in height, it can be too overwhelming. Or if you have wide hips, then the style can over-emphasise them, so avoid if necessary. If you’re not sure if it’s a style you can carry off successfully, then give it a go in a bridal shop – with honest advice from your friends.

4. The Column Wedding Dress

The Colum Dress

The column wedding dress is a fitted style that typically hugs the body and produces a long line look. Some column dresses are ultra fitted and structured, with a straight skirt, whilst others can be a bit more floaty in style. This style of dress is perfect if you want to show off your body. If you’re not keen on clingy dresses, then you may find it reveals a bit too much for comfort.

Chocolate wedding cake

If the traditional, white iced, tiered wedding cake isn’t your cup of tea, then why not choose something more unique to you?
Your wedding cake should be something that you feel happy with and if you really don’t fancy a white iced rich fruit cake, then don’t choose it. There are a plenty of wedding cake alternatives available to suit all tastes and styles and you can be as creative as you like.

Wedding Cupcakes

Stunning wedding cupcakes

Cupcakes have been really popular for a few years and are a good way of having various different types of cake on offer for guests, instead of only the one pption. You could have different flavours of cupcakes, or simply alternate the icing colour used on them, such as pink and white, and the cupcakes can be as lavish and indulgent, or simple as you wish.

Cupcake cake holders, which display an array of cupcakes, can be really stunning and create a good visual impact at your wedding reception. The individual nature of cupcakes also takes away the hassle of having to cut up a wedding cake, as they’re already produced in individual portions.

Cheese Wedding Cakes

Unusual cheese wedding cake

It may sound a bit strange to some, but cheese ‘cakes’ are another modern alternative to the traditional white wedding cake. By cheese, we don’t mean sweet cheesecakes, but instead large round pieces of cheese that are stacked up in incremental sizes to produce the effect of a tiered wedding cake.

Cheese cakes are a good alternative for those who aren’t keen on sweet cake and would prefer to end their wedding breakfast with a cheese course.

Chocolate Wedding Cakes

White chocolate wedding cake

Wedding cakes don’t have to be fruit cakes with icing – if you’re a chocoholic at heart, then why not choose a chocolate wedding cake? It can be as chocolatey as you wish, with chocolate fillings, chocolate icing or chocolate decorations. If you’d still like it look a bit like a traditional wedding cake, then you could always have the outside of the cake decorated in white chocolate.

Although chocolate wedding cakes can be a bit rich and sickly, so too can the traditional rich fruit cakes. And, to anyone that thinks chocolate is too much, just remember that you only really need to serve small slices, so there’s no need for a major chocolate overload!

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!

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.

Wedding rings

In the months leading up to your wedding day, one of the tasks that you have to consider is choosing and buying your wedding rings. But what type of metal is best for your wedding ring?

In the past, the most common choice for a wedding ring band was gold. Although still popular for many people today, there are also various other types of metals that are now widely chosen, giving more options for wedding jewelery for brides and grooms.

Some people feel that the choice of metal for the bride’s wedding ring will depend on what metal their engagement ring is made of, but it’s not always a necessity and you don’t have to go along with this if you don’t want to. Neither is it essential that both the bride and groom’s wedding ring bands are made of the same metal. Sometimes you can even have a mix of metals, such as a gold wedding ring with a band of platinum running around it.

Whatever metal you choose, the important thing is that you’re both happy with your wedding ring purchases.

Common Types of Metal Wedding Rings

Some of the common types of metals typically used to produce wedding rings are yellow gold, white gold, platinum and titanium.

Yellow gold wedding rings are the traditional choice and are available in a choice of carats. The purest type of gold is 24K, but as it can also be soft, it’s not ideal for wedding rings. The most popular choices are 18K or 14K for women’s wedding rings and 9K gold for men’s rings.

White gold wedding rings have become a popular alternative to the traditional gold wedding ring band. If you like silver jewellery, or wear platinum jewellery, then a white gold wedding ring will complement these colours very well.

Platinum has also become a modern choice for wedding ring bands. As a metal, platinum is more expensive than gold, so wedding rings will cost more, but it’s a very strong metal, so you can be sure in the knowledge that platinum wedding rings should be very durable.

Another type of metal wedding ring that some couples choose to have is that of titanium. This is more of a modern choice for wedding ring bands and is another form of grey/silver metal. Like platinum, it’s known for its durability, so should produce a wedding ring that will be solid and durable throughout your life.