BALANCING THE BUDGET Katie Lloyd from Maddison J Creations (https://maddisonjcreations.com) says: One of the hardest things about setting a date is finding a venue to suit that also lines up with numbers and requirements. Reducing your guest list will give you a wider choice of venues and help with costs too. Weekday weddings are typically cheaper, meaning you have more budget to spend on other areas of the wedding. With fewer guests to cater for, it gives you more scope. Maybe you’d like a brunch style wedding breakfast, or a twilight ceremony. With more budget available it allows you to splurge on the more important things to you, like venue styling. Creating your dream decor with beautiful flowers and elegant styling will mean more to you than sending out invites to people you might not have seen in a long time. One thing’s for sure, it’s your wedding and therefore it should be your way. Making your big day truly spectacular is way more important than a huge guest list. I DID IT MY WAY Photographer Jaine Briscoe-Price (https://jainebriscoe-price.co.uk) says: The most important thing is to please yourself! Don’t add any elements you think you ought to in order to please others or follow the traditional, larger wedding route. Here are a few more tips to help you along the way. •Why not hire a country house for the whole weekend and really spend time together? This is becoming so popular. •Determine the feel of the day. Will it be a relaxed, outdoor summer celebration with a garden party vibe; woodland boho; or perhaps an elegant late afternoon dinner party? •Have a clothing theme. Guys in shorts on the beach or black-tie elegance... Guests prefer to fit in and honour your style preferences. •Choose a celebrant to make the ceremony as personal as your wedding or vow renewal. Let them convey your authentic selves with carefully scripted words and beautiful readings. Including your guests in the ceremony too; there are so many ways to personalise it and include everyone with smaller guest numbers. •Have one large table for your meal. Perhaps ask the gents to swap places each course so that your valued friends and family can mingle and chat easily. •Have a couple’s quiz, see who knows you best. •Bring in a challenge. You could all draw something in 15 minutes such as a bowl of fruit or the happy couple with the best winning a prize. •Choose your music with care to suit the feel of your nuptials. WISH LIST Your Cheshire & Merseyside Wedding editor Kelly Andrews says: One of the toughest parts of planning an intimate wedding is narrowing down the guest list. After all, deciding just who makes it into the very select group is an important decision; presumably the reason you’ve opted for intimate is that you don’t want to invite Uncle Tom Cobley and all so be careful not to jeopardise that vision. Start by thinking about those who you can’t envision your day without. Think of those people who’ve had a positive impact on your life and your relationship. Receiving a wedding invitation is an honour, it’s a way of thanking them for being there for you both. You want to create an environment of love, support and well wishes, so curating a list of those closest to your hearts will help you to achieve this. Start by sitting down together, just the two of you, and coming up with a list of everyone you’d consider inviting, then whittle it down from there. Eventually, you’ll be left with a top tier of your very nearest and dearest. Family politics can often come into play, so it might be wise to talk to parents/guardians before you finalise things though, just to make sure you’re not making a huge faux pas that will only cause you stress and tension in the long run. But in general, if you haven’t seen them since you were six and you have no intention of doing so again after the big day, there’s no need to invite them. They should understand. Remember, you’re buying these people dinner, and you want to feel happy about doing so for those who are by your side on this most momentous of days. www.estellelaceweddingphotography.com Kari Bjorn Photography on Unsplash https://jainebriscoe-price.co.uk EXPERT ADVICE 55
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