Waves Weddings & Events © www.mirabellamarmalade.co.uk ONE YEAR TO GO Now’s the time to start tightening up that guest list and sending out savethe-dates. This might be a particularly good idea if your date falls during school holidays or a bank holiday for example, as your guests are likely to fill their diaries much sooner at these times. Natalie at Bradbourne House says, “Send your invites out in plenty of time. Make sure to check for special meal requests and dietary requirements.” It’s time to say “yes to the dress.” Victoria Walton, owner of Victoria Elaine Bridal Boutique says, “Plan ahead! If you’re after a made-toorder or made-to-measure gown, try to have it ordered at least a year in advance. You need to take into account the time the gown takes to be made and shipped to the store, as well as alteration time.” If you’re working with an event caterer rather than the venue’s in-house supplier, they’ll likely be devising a bespoke menu for you, so you’ll be thinking about the food a bit earlier in the process. Clare from Touchays recommends you think about the season as you work on this together. “We purposefully design menus to ensure couples are getting the best value for money, but even more importantly, that it highlights the bounty of each season as well as the uniqueness of the occasion,” she says. WEDDING PLANNING 61 GettyImages FOOD FOR THOUGHT Another area that should be top of the agenda is the catering. Let’s face it who wouldn’t want to prioritise food? If you’ve taken the dry-hire route with a blank canvas venue and you’re pulling the whole shebang together yourself, this is doubly important. Clare Smith from Touchays Event Caterers says, “Organising a dry-hire wedding is a massive undertaking for anyone. Inevitably it comes with its challenges, especially when fitting it around a basic barn or field venue where you have to organise every element. So, why not book a caterer who goes beyond the kitchen and offers a full or partial wedding-planning service as we do? That way you won’t have anything to worry about on the big day.” Touchays Event Caterers © pierragphotography.com READY, STEADY, SHOP! Since wedding dresses often need to be ordered well in advance, it’s a good idea to start shopping early on as it could take time to settle on the one. Victoria Walton, owner of Victoria Elaine Bridal, has some words of wisdom on this front: “Look out for designer events. Boutiques can’t have every dress by a single designer in one shop. So, they often hold designer events to show off an entire collection for a week or two a year. If you know the designer you love, talk to your local stockist about their next event. “Once you’ve made your appointment, consider who you want to bring. Trust us on this, you don’t want the entire hen party there! Select two to three people whose opinions are invaluable to you and that’s enough. If something catches your eye on the rail, try it on. Plenty of brides come in with a fixed idea of what they hope to find in a dress and go away with the complete opposite!”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=