THE STORY OF US Local celebrant Janet, from Janet Shell Ceremonies (www.janetshell.co.uk) says: Many couples start by looking online or reading a wedding magazine, such as Your Surrey Wedding, so you’ve already come to the right place to get some specialist ideas! Depending on your timescale, you’ll want to decide on a venue and book in with the person who’ll officiate the day for you. Options here include a religious ceremony, which you’ll know about; a civil ceremony performed either at the local registry office for a small fee but with limited time and no spiritual elements; or a civil ceremony at the venue of your choice, generally for a much larger fee with the same scenario. In each of these cases you are legally wed but there are restrictions on content and time. There is another option, which some venues don’t make clear. That is to have the legal bit carried out a day or two beforehand and ask a celebrant to perform the ceremony for you on the date you booked to celebrate at your chosen venue. You can then include all the things you wish from great auntie Nellie doing cartwheels, to the music, words and readings you envision. You can have your own vows incorporated into the story of you and with a familiar face who you’ll have liaised with already. There’s no set scripts as yours will be individually crafted by your celebrant to celebrate you. PICTURE PERFECT Penelope Norton from The Signature Canvas (www.thesignaturecanvas.com) says: More and more soonto-be-weds are looking to give their wedding guests unique experiences filled with surprises and delights. So this might be something you want to look into when you start your planning. We all know how fast a wedding day flies by, so while you’re putting so much time and effort into planning it, have a think about ways to keep those memories alive forever. Why not, consider embracing the time-honoured tradition of having a guest book but with a modern twist that allows your loved ones to embrace another experience while you gain a timeless keepsake? Often, couples find that the traditional guest book with messages from individual guests doesn’t get written in, neither does it reflect their personalities. However, if you’re looking for something different The Wedding Signature Canvas is an alternative guest book idea that enables your nearest and dearest not only to partake in the creation of the canvas but also observe the art as it takes shape and evolves throughout the day. The objective is that you’ll be the proud owner of a bespoke piece of artwork created by a professional artist created with the help of your loved ones on the day. It’s the alternative guest book for your wall that keeps memories alive forever through art. FINDING THE ONE Lorraine Langridge from Brides Visited (www.bridesvisited.co.uk) says: There are lots of things to do to organise your big day, and some arrangements can take longer than you think. For example, venues can become booked up well over a year in advance. Wedding dresses, if you’re ordering new, can take six to eight months, including fittings, to be wedding-ready. However, here at Brides Visited, we have an off-the-peg range too, so you might be lucky enough to find what you’re looking for in this collection. This is great if you have a shorter lead time, as there’s obviously no ordering time to factor in. So, it’s never too early to start looking for your dream dress but if you want to see the most current collections then around a year ahead is a good time to begin. If this is the first time you’ve tried on any wedding gowns we’d recommend looking at different shapes and styles – you might just surprise yourself as to what suits you. Our top tip is to keep an open mind and don’t dismiss the wild card, as we’ve seen many of these make it to the final cut. Be guided by your consultant, a good one will have seen all their gowns on, so they’ll know which will work for you. Be honest with your consultant about your budget, this will help them find you the styles to try without wasting your time. If your budget is flexible, tell them. It doesn’t mean that they’ll go to the top of it, simply that they’ll know not to go over it. We tell our brides: “Be brave and think slightly outside your comfort zone. You want the wow factor but you want people to look at you and be impressed not shocked. Be you, but the best you that you can be!” 64
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