CATHY KEEN, 14 & SIXPENCE www.14andsixpence.co.uk @14andsixpence We’re engaged! Now what? I believe the first three things to consider are venue, photographer, then dress. Most other parts of your day continue from those starting points. Once you know your venue this really helps with picturing your style influencing your dress, your pictures, your bridesmaids etc Book your dress appointment early; at least eight months beforehand. If we’re ordering a gown this can take four months to arrive, then three months for alterations. If you’re looking for something sooner though there are some great off-the-peg options available immediately and are sometimes a little cheaper too. The girls’ dresses should come after yours, so you can envision your pictures and palette. You could go with all the same or similar but in the same fabric and colour. Ordering for bridesmaids can take 10-12 weeks plus some time for alterations. I’ve found my dress, what about a veil and accessories? Consider carefully where you buy your dress, and they should be able to help you with this. Independent boutiques love to help in any way they can and are there to guide you every step of the way. Enjoy your dress journey! How can we make our big day totally us? The most important people at the wedding are you are your partner. Make it yours, make it memorable. Personalise it with your creativity, add something blue to your dress or inside it, maybe a coloured or floral veil or shoes that are totally you! What’s your top planning tip? Make sure you can move in your gown and wear shoes that will work with your altered dress length. This will all help you to be the most beautiful version of yourself and if you want to dance till the wee small hours, you can! DEB STODGELL AND JACKIE ALDRICH, JUST CEREMONIES https://justceremonies.co.uk | @justceremonies We’re engaged, now what? Start by thinking about where you want to tie the knot. You get to choose the venue, but you also have a say in who conducts the heart of your day, the wedding ceremony. If you want something personal and meaningful, not just the legal words, you might want to consider using a professional celebrant. And then there are no restrictions on where that ceremony takes place, so you’re free to be creative in your choice. What’s the difference between a registrar and celebrant? In a nutshell it’s all about how personal and special you’d like your ceremony to be. A celebrant meets with you, finds out about you and writes a ceremony that weaves your story throughout. Your guests will be interested in it because it’s all about you, and the celebrant will have no time constraints. A registrar on the other hand meets you for your legal interview in the half-an-hour before your ceremony and must follow a prescriptive script with legal words. They normally have multiple ceremonies to go on to, so timings are strict. A celebrant can’t legally marry you on the day but will advise you how to go about those legalities. How can we make our big day totally us? Imagine a wedding ceremony that goes beyond the conventional, a celebration that resonates with your story as a couple. A celebrant will give you a ceremony that’ll cause your guests to exclaim: “That was so them!” We’ve conducted ceremonies in orchards with the natural blossom falling, in home gardens, by beautiful lakes, on farms, in a pub and very many rooms in beautiful hotels and houses. It’s your choice, wherever you’d like, but start with a ceremony that’s uniquely you and sets the tone for the whole day. What’s your top planning tip? Think about how you want your ceremony to look and feel, including what elements are important to you. Don’t settle for run-of-the-mill if that doesn’t seem right for you. Find the right person not just to conduct a ceremony but write your story in the way you want it to be told, someone who resonates with you as a couple, and make sure you talk to them about your wishes. “We do” www.paulastonphotography.com Say ‘yes’ to the dress 50
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