TOPIC Our experts solve your problems WEDDING WORRIES HOT REST AND RELAXATION I’m feeling stressed and overwhelmed by the wedding planning process. What are your top tips for planning a stress-free day? There really is a lot to think about when planning your wedding, so being organised is key! Consider setting up a dedicated email address to track all your communications. That way, your important wedding emails won’t get jumbled up with all of your normal spam! Having an online document storage account, like a Google Drive or a Dropbox folder, is also a great way for both of you to have 24/7 access to all the important contracts and documents you’re using for your wedding. I’ve also found that using Google Forms is a great way to track RSVPs, as they collect automatically into a spreadsheet from which you can collate all your guest dietaries for your caterer and then produce a table plan. Setting good foundations for your planning is vital. I recommend using my planning journal, The Wedding Blueprint, which can be found at the website www.theweddingblueprint.co.uk. This will take you through the planning process I use with my clients and will help keep you focused and on track, tackling one task at a time and avoiding it becoming overwhelming. It’s a great planning tool if you can’t afford the services of a professional to support you. My other piece of advice would be to choose who you discuss your plans with. It is such an emotive subject that everyone will have an opinion. Too many different ideas and contributors can be confusing and overwhelming. This can definitely add to the stress! One of the main causes of stress during the planning stages is budgeting, so planning out your finances early on can avoid a variety of stresses such as overspending, last-minute panic purchases, awkward conversations about paying for your wedding and setting your heart on costs that are just too expensive. Emily Andrew from Emily Andrew Events www.emilyandrewevents.co.uk www.salsabilmorrison.co.uk DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY My wife-to-be and I are looking for entertainment that will appeal to guests of all ages. Do you have any suggestions? All weddings are different, with a wide choice of entertainers to keep your guests happy. It is important to pick entertainment according to your own personal preferences and, of course, to know what your guests will like accordingly. Here are some of my suggestions: Background music during the reception and meal. It can be live background music, such as a wedding singer or something similar. A good-quality sound system should be provided if you want to play recorded music, and of course, microphones should be available for the speeches. Bands are available to really get the party going and there are a wide variety of choices available. If your budget is not high, a quality disco can provide a good alternative. Extras can be added, like close-up magicians around the tables or surprise entertainers like wedding singers who pretend to be waiters, and at some point during the meal, start singing from various parts of the room. The best advice for anyone planning on getting married is to consult and discuss with a reputable entertainment agent, a professional event organiser, or a reputable wedding planner who can advise on all of the options available. Barry Dye from Barry Dye Entertainments www.barrydye.co.uk 57 EXPERT ADVICE
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=