Just in time for wedding season, vashi.com have put together the 100 most iconic wedding dresses of all time. Sigh, we love them all.
If you are getting married then get your hands on a copy of The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity. It has great advice on planning your perfect wedding and is written by our editor, Catherine Balavage. It is also available in Ebook format and is a great guide for wedding planning.
Many women have dreamed of their wedding day since they were little girls. Although I didn’t and had no idea what I wanted on my big day after getting engaged. I had to start getting some ideas together and make what felt like a million decisions. It was fun but it was stressful. To cut down the stress for other brides I wrote my wedding planning book. Hopefully it will make the journey easier for other brides. In the meantime, here are some tips for creating your dream wedding.
Your Dream Wedding: Wants And Compromises.
You may have a specific idea of your wedding in mind but the reality will probably be different. This doesn’t need to be a bad thing. Just choose the things that you are not willing to negotiate on. When you know what is most important and worth spending money on you can focus on that and then look at cheaper options for other things. Or rope family and friends in. Most will be happy to help.
Budget.
This is the tough one but you need to work out what it is and then you need to stick to it. Enquire if any family members can help and then sit down with your fiancé and have a proper discussion about what you can and cannot afford. There is no point in going into debt for a wedding or taking out a loan. It is only one day of your life, an important one, but one day. You can have an amazing wedding on a small budget. No one should start their married life in debt. Watch out for the ‘W’ bomb. As in ‘wedding’. The W word makes everyone vastly put their prices up.
Guessing cost.
Always overestimate. That way you won’t be left short. Always remember VAT. Some venues and suppliers will be coy about whether VAT is included but ask them and get a direct answer and then make a note of it.
How much it will cost.
This is the question. The answer is: quite a bit. My husband and I managed to get married for less than £10,000. We paid for the majority of this ourselves but did have some family members contribute. Not bad when the average wedding costs £21,000. Spreadsheets are your friend. Negotiating will also be your friend. Try to get money off everything. Don’t take the first quote and rope family and friends into the planning if money is tight.
Controlling Costs.
This is very important. Watch out for VAT and always account for everything. Use a spreadsheet if you can. Keep an eye on the small things as they can all add up.
Dealing With Suppliers.
When dealing with suppliers always remember that you are the customer. Be polite but always be firm. Read the small print and make your wishes clear. More importantly, don’t pay any final invoices until everything has been checked. One supplier charged us for VAT despite the fact they said they wouldn’t. Hmm. Always be careful.
Hatton Gardens.
Hatton Gardens is the area in London where all of the jewellers are located. You can get a very good deal here.
Spreadsheets
Spreadsheets are your friend. If you don’t know how to do one then quickly brush up your skills. They will be your saving grace. Have one for your wedding budget and one for your wedding guest list. For the wedding guest list one, leave space for information such as dietary requirements, RSVP received, gift given and thank you card sent.
Organisation Tips
Have everyone’s contact details to hand. Use spreadsheets and have plenty ‘to do’ lists. Make sure your partner pulls his or her weight. Weddings are hard and stressful to organise, don’t go it alone.
Wedding Planner: To Go It Alone Or Hire Help.
If I had the money I would have hired a wedding planner in an instant. However, they are expensive and you don’t really need one. I am not saying that in a rude way, they will save time and probably a lot of money but weighing up the cost is important. Your venue might have a wedding planner or venue coordinator onsite. If so, this is a tremendous bonus.
If you get a wedding planner make sure you check their recommendations and also have a clear idea of what you want. It is their job to take your ideas and make them into the wedding of your dreams. Don’t accept anything less, budget permitting.
If you are getting married then get your hands on a copy of The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity. It has great advice on planning your perfect wedding and is written by our editor, Catherine Balavage. It is also available in Ebook format and is a great guide for wedding planning.
When I first started planning my wedding I was daunted. The cost of most weddings is over £20,000. It seemed insane to spend this on one day of our life. The majority of our wedding was paid for by my (now) husband and I so I had to keep things cheap. I decided to stop panicking and start researching instead. This research became my book, The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity. I have an excerpt on wedding planning from my wedding book below. I hope this eases the stress and helps a little. You need it when planning a wedding.
Tips For Saving Money On Your Wedding
Cutting the guest list.
This is the best and easiest way to cut the budget. Every single person who comes to your wedding costs you money. So be ruthless and don’t feel you have to give everyone a plus one. Cutting children from your wedding will also save money but if you do this make it a rule across the board. If some guests have gone to the expense of hiring a babysitter and then see other children running around they are probably not going to be happy about it.
Cut the hours
The longer the wedding the more it will cost to feed people and give them drinks. You don’t have to have a long wedding, just do whatever you want. This will be easier if you have to be out of the venue at a set time but don’t feel like you have to use all of your allocated time, or pay to entertain your guests for the full amount of time. As long as you feed people and give them a certain amount of alcohol then they should be grateful and not too bothered if they have to put their hand in their pocket at the end of the night.
Marry off-peak
Getting married during the week will save money not only on the venue, but also with suppliers too. Your guests will have to take a day off work so factor this in. An autumn or winter wedding will also be cheaper.
Go Online
Buy things cheaply online and also check for cheaper deals than you have been offered. Car boot sales and charity shops will also have cheap stuff that could come in handy.
Getting Organised
Being organised and booking things in advance will save lots of money.
Minimoon
This is a mini honeymoon that couples have when they have to delay their honeymoon. You can also extend your first night hotel stay into a mini honeymoon. Staycations are best for minimoons. There are plenty of amazing places in the United Kingdom where you can have a romantic getaway. Cornwall, Brighton, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Devon, London…the possibilities are endless.
Have Your Honeymoon in Europe
If you live in the United Kingdom then not only will having a honeymoon in Europe be easy to get to, it will also be a lot cheaper. There are plenty of beautiful, romantic places to go.
Have Prosecco Instead of Champagne.
It is cheaper but tastes just as good. As long as you buy the right one.
The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity is available in print, ebook and Kindle. The Kindle version is only £2.99.
It is still bloody freezing outside, so what better time to curl up with a good book? Here are some of our top books for this month.
I Should Have Said Daisy de Villeneuve
The French have a particular expression for when words fail – ‘’Pensées d’escalier.’ It refers to the inability to think of the perfect response in painful or awkward situations until you’re out of the door – a scenario many of us can relate to at some point in our lives.In I Should Have Said, London born illustrator, designer and writer Daisy de Villeneuve pools together her personal experiences of friendships, flirtations and full-blown romances to equip you with quips for when dialogue dramas strike.From forthright frenemies, bemusing boyfriends or lukewarm liaisons, Daisy’s artistic, anti-romantic antics will be your armour against unrequited amour so that shocked silences, desperate dilemmas and wavering words are a thing of the past.
We loved this book. Wonderful illustrations and witty retorts. Daisy de Villeneuve is effortlessly cool and this book is fun and entertaining.
100 Ideas That Changed Advertising Simon Veksner
Like it or not, advertising shapes our lives. This book is thorough, entertaining and educational without being boring. Perfect for anyone with an interest in advertising. 100 Ideas That Changed Advertising takes a look at the key concepts and developments that have shaped the world of advertising, from the early Twentieth century to the present day. Divided into mini-essays, it explores the socio-political and cultural factors behind these changes and the impact that they have on the ads we’re exposed to every day.
Illustrated throughout with hundreds of examples of classic and contemporary ads from companies such as Apple, McDonalds, Dyson and Coca Cola, it’s an accessible and informative read that offers a fascinating insider’s insight into the ad industry.
100 Ideas that Changed Advertising is available here.
Obsession in Death J.D Robb
Another brilliant crime thriller from J.D Robb AKA Nora Roberts. Entertaining and indulgent.
A crisp winter morning in New York. In a luxury apartment, the body of a woman lies stretched out on a huge bed. On the wall above, the killer has left a message in bold black ink: FOR LIEUTENANT EVE DALLAS, WITH GREAT ADMIRATION AND UNDERSTANDING.
Eve Dallas is used to unwanted attention. Famous for her high-profile cases and her marriage to billionaire businessman Roarke, she has learned to deal with intense public scrutiny and media gossip. But now Eve has become the object of a singular and deadly obsession. She has an ‘admirer’, who just can’t stop thinking about her. Who is convinced they have a special bond. Who is planning to kill for her – again and again…
With time against her, Eve is forced to play a delicate – and dangerous – psychological dance. Because the killer is desperate for something Eve can never provide – approval. And once that becomes clear, Eve knows her own life will be at risk – along with those she cares about the most.Nora Roberts published her first novel using the pseudonym J.D. Robb in 1995, introducing to readers the tough as nails but emotionally damaged homicide cop Eve Dallas and billionaire Irish rogue, Roarke.
With the In Death series, Robb has become one of the biggest thriller writers on earth, with each new novel reaching number one on bestseller charts the world over.
Obsession in Death is available here.
At The Break of Day Margaret Graham
Another brilliant novel from Frost favourite Margaret Graham. Brilliantly researched and engrossing. A must read.
It is 1946, and as Europe slowly picks itself up after the trauma of war, Rosie Norton faces a bright future in America. Evacuated in 1939 by her grandfather, she escaped the cramped streets of London to a new world in Pennsylvania.Suddenly, at the age of sixteen, she is called home to a Britain bruised by war and still suffering the hardships that America knows nothing about.While struggling to become accepted again by her family she is supported by her childhood sweetheart Jack.Until Jack is sent to war in Korea and a homeless Rosie, together with the child he doesn’t know they have, is left to fend for herself in London.
At the Break of Day is available here.
When I Met You Jemma Forte
The new novel by best-selling author and TV personality Jemma Forte. When I Met You is the third book from Jemma. Jemma writes about a range of hugely relatable issues with reverence and emotional intelligence including family, illness, life decisions, romance, love and growing older. This is the perfect novel to lose yourself in. Imaginative, clever and addictive.
Marianne Baker is happy. Sort of. She’s had the same job for 15 years. She’s 31, still living at home with her mum and sleeping in a single bed. Playing the violin is her only real passion – but nobody like her does that for a living.Then one night everything changes. The father who abandoned Marianne as a child turns up on the doorstep, with a shocking secret that changes her live forever. Suddenly her safe, comfortable world is shattered. If her father isn’t the man she though he was, then who is he? And more to the point, who is she?
When I Met You is available here.
And if you are getting married…
Check out our editor’s book The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity by Catherine Balavage. It has had some five star reviews and covers every aspect of wedding planning from the perceptive of someone who survived planning their own wedding. It is well-researched and entertaining.
Engaged? Daunted by wedding planning? Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, this book is a no-nonsense guide to planning the perfect wedding no matter what your budget. With time and money-saving costs, advice on handling difficult relatives and hints and tips to plan your perfect day. This is the only wedding book you will ever need.
The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity is available here.
Would you send your wedding invitations by email? He announced his engagement in The Times in November but it seems in other areas Benedict Cumberbatch is less traditional. In fact, he sent his wedding invitations by email. The actor is expecting his first child with fiancé Sophie Hunter, a theatre director. It seems they are in a rush to marry and friends say they will marry “within months”. The couple got engaged after dating for a year. Benedict is up for an Academy Award for his work in The Imitation Game.
A friend told The Mirroer “The invitations have gone out already which is very quick, It’s shocked a few people but they want their special day to happen before they have the baby. The details have been sent out in an email rather than a paper invitation as time is of the essence.”
The wedding is top secret but the source also said “They’re planning the perfect day, Life couldn’t be much better for them at the moment.”
When my (now) husband and I got engaged we send out our save the date cards by email but posted out wedding invitations. I wrote about finding good but inexpensive wedding invitations here. Sending wedding invites by email is much more environmental friendly and we did think about it, in the end we thought our older relatives would like a memento that they could keep.
What do you think? Is it okay to send wedding invitations via email?
If you are getting married then check out my book The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity, it has everything you need to know about planning your dream wedding.
Getting married and feeling daunted? Our editor, Catherine Balavage, has written an excellent wedding planning book. It covers very aspect of getting married from engagement to the honeymoon. This is Catherine’s second book, the first one was about acting and was very well-received.
The book is available in print, ebook and Kindle. The Kindle version is only £2.99. It is also a perfect gift for anyone who wants a wedding book for Christmas.
Buy The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity here.
Frost was quite surprised at the results of a survey done by Vashi.com They surveyed 1,000 bridesmaids to spill the beans on what really goes on behind the scenes. The results are in and you wouldn’t believe what it reveals.
Seven out of ten bridesmaids say they have been forced to wear an unflattering dress to make the bride look prettier!
Unfortunately, it looks like Bridezilla isn’t too thoughtful when it comes to how she treats her closest friends on the wedding day.
72% of respondents felt they’d been lumbered with a questionable outfit. Yikes.
More than a fifth (22%) of bridesmaids insisted on altering their outfit before participating in the wedding.
One third of the bridesmaids surveyed were given a choice in deciding what they’d wear on the big day.
43% of bridesmaids admitted to going to a wedding that was a ‘bit naff’ (lacking taste/style), with only 9% of them envying the bride on her big day.
A third (37%) revealed that they had been at a wedding where they felt the bride and groom were mismatched and should not be tying the knot.
More than half (54%) explained that they had been a bridesmaid at a wedding where they were delighted that they were not marrying the groom themselves!
A fifth (20%) have actually picked up a new man at a wedding where they were bridesmaid!
6% have secretly fancied the groom
3% admitted to being romantically involved with the groom before he met his bride.
Celebrity jeweller and founder of Vashi.com, Vashi Dominguez says, “”We’ve all looked at wedding photos and thought, ‘What are the bridesmaids wearing!?’ Well, now we know the answer. In seven out of ten cases, the bridesmaids are convinced they’ve been lumbered with a dress to make the bride look prettier. I’m sure most brides do not see it that way. They’d say they chose bridesmaid dresses that went well with the wedding dress! The solution is for everyone to relax – no bridezillas or bridesmaidzillas required. Brides should enjoy the process and involve their bridesmaids more in choosing their outfits.”
If you are getting married then get your hands on a copy of The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity. It has great advice on planning your perfect wedding and is written by our editor, Catherine Balavage. It is also available in Ebook format and is a great guide for wedding planning.
Out of all of the things to get right on your wedding, the photography is very important. Why spend all of that money and not capture the day properly. Your wedding photographs will be something that even your grandchildren will look at. The pressure to get them right can be tremendous.
My husband and I got very lucky. I met Emma-Jane at a press event and she was an easy choice as our wedding photographer. Talented, friendly and professional. She wasn’t just a photographer on the day, she was someone who was calm and unflappable, she was endlessly helpful and managed every crisis that came her way. She has a great eye and her pictures are just stunning.
She took this picture of me. She managed to capture the light perfectly.
I can’t stop gushing about her. Emma does other photography and has been in Tatler, Hello and this magazine you are reading now. She is endlessly talented and I can recommend her for any photography project you have, including the one on the most important day of your life.
http://www.emma-janephotography.co.uk
