Your South Wales Wedding - November/December 2019 (Issue 70)

ROCK N ROLL My partner and I can’t decide on a song for our first dance. I love 80s rock while she prefers smooth jazz. Do you have any tips on how we can decide? ❤ Before making a decision, make sure you can dance to the song. It’s vital that you feel comfortable enough to move to the music. For instance, some smooth jazz songs have strange beats, and some have none at all, which will make dancing extremely difficult. ❤ If you feel uncomfortable slow dancing in front of your friends and family, then don’t force it. Don’t do anything that puts you out of your comfort zone and keep things as real as possible. ❤ Choose a tune that relates to you both and combines your personalities. Martin Goddard Director | musichq.co.uk WALKING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND We’re having a Christmas-themed wedding, but we’re not sure where to start with the planning process. Do you have any ideas? ❤ Set your budget: Establish what you want from the day and how much you want to realistically spend. Once you’ve decided on an amount, stick to it. ❤ Pick a style: Create a moodboard, joint Pinterest account, or purchase a scrapbook. Once you’ve gathered enough images, you’ll start to notice a pattern of particular colours or styles you both like. ❤ Theme: Look for silvers, golds or deep shades of blue and green. Once you’ve picked a hue, it will make choosing suppliers a lot easier. ❤ Venue selection: Venues charge more at Christmas and are often booked well in advance, so you’ll need to be flexible with dates or book a year or more in advance. Be prepared that churches will be unavailable if you want to get married on Christmas Day and your guests may have other commitments. ❤ Time of day: Catering for breakfast and lunch tends to be cheaper than dinner. The time of day will also impact your photographs. Talk to your photographer before the big-day and explain what you’d like to capture in your pictures. ❤ Invitations: Send festive-themed invitations at least three to six months before your wedding and save-the-dates as soon as you’ve secured a venue. ❤ Legal requirements: If you’re getting married in the UK, then you’ll need to give notice at your local registry office at least 29 days before. ❤ Bridal party: You may already know who you want in your bridal party. If not, don’t feel pressured into making a decision. The role requires those selected to support you in the run-up to and on the wedding, so think carefully about who you want to fulfil the position. ❤ Guest list: Just because you invite someone to the ceremony, doesn’t mean they have to come to the reception and vice versa. You’ll also need to decide if you want your guests to bring a plus one or children. ❤ Suppliers: Ask your venue if they have any recommended suppliers or engage the services of a wedding planner to help. Don’t book the first supplier you come across. Compare prices and do your research before booking. Jennifer Holdway Wedding and event planner | exquisiteivoryevents.com SNOW IS FALLING My wife-to-be and I are getting married next December, and we’re worried about the weather ruining our photographs. Do you have any suggestions? Couples always worry about whether the weather will have an impact on their photographs. Choose a supplier and venue that can cater for all conditions. Expect the worst and plan for the best, and you’ll be fine regardless of what Mother Nature throws at you. A good photographer will have assessed the location before the big day and looked at backup options. Bring a large white umbrella that can be incorporated into your pictures. Peter Morgan Photographer | morganjamesphoto.co.uk morganjamesphoto.co.uk 76