WEDDING DIARY OF A STYLIST - WEEK 1

OUR FAVOURITE STYLIST IS GETTING MARRIED!!

The eternally chic Ann Russel of fabulous, fashion blog Frock Trade has agreed to share her wedding planning top tips in the lead up to her Big Day. Ann is a professional writer and stylist working in the fashion industry - currently at the top of her game, she frequently writes for British Vogue and in 2014 was nominated for a Scottish Fashion Award. Taking allll this into consideration, we can think of no-one better qualified to offer advice on the Do's and Dont's of organising a wedding.

WEEK 1 - THE BASICS...

When it comes to wedding planning it’s important to do your research and feel fully prepared for the decisions ahead. We know the world of weddings can be overwhelming so it's ok to ask questions along the way. From the smallest details to big ticket items like venues and photographers, every bride should have a handful of key questions in their mind to enjoy a stress-free planning journey. Arm yourself with this list and you won’t go far wrong….

1. VENUE – Is the venue used on an exclusive use basis? First things first, spend some time searching for venues that suit your wedding style. Whether you’re looking for a rustic barn or dream of jetting to the Caribbean there’s a wedding venue to suit your tastes. Once you’ve shortlisted around a dozen venues contact each one by phone or email to make an initial enquiry. Have a  weekend wedding in mind? Remember some properties require the couple to take the venue on an exclusive use basis at weekends. This means the venue will only be open to your wedding party, however, costs typically escalate if the venue has several bedrooms. It’s important to understand the venue's terms and conditions at an early stage rather than face disappointment at a later date.
2. PHOTOGRAPHER – How long will it take to process my wedding pictures? We’ve heard horror stories about couples waiting months for their wedding pictures so ask your photographer for guidelines when it comes to image processing. Most photographers will have your photographs uploaded to an online gallery by the time you return from honeymoon. If you’ve requested printed albums the turnaround time will be longer but don’t wait more than a couple of months to see a digital version of your images.
3. BAND – Can you learn our favourite song? Most wedding bands worth their chips will offer to learn a specific song for your first dance. It goes without saying that traditional swing bands will struggle to replicate house music and it wouldn’t make sense to ask a soloist to perform a four person harmony. Exercise common sense when selecting your music and speak to your band about what’s possible and within their remit. Most bands will do all they can to accommodate your tastes and perform your favourite song to perfection.
4. DRESS – Which collection/season is my dress from? Picture this - you’ve found the wedding dress of your dreams but you decide to spend a few weeks looking at other dresses just to make sure the dress of dreams is really the one. After much consideration you decide to purchase the original dress only to discover it’s been discontinued or has gone into a sample sale. Disaster! This scenario happens more often that you might think. Wedding dress shops have seasonal stock and older dresses are often discontinued to make way for new arrivals. If you’ve fallen in love with a dress from a previous season make sure you snap it up quickly and enquire about any pending reductions.
5. FLOWERS – Which blooms are best when we get married? Unless you’re in the industry few brides have a complete understanding of which flowers are at their best each season. To avoid blowing the budget speak to your florist about seasonal flowers that suit the colour scheme of your wedding. Summer brides often choose hydrangeas and anemones are a popular Spring time flower with their light, delicate petals. If you’re a Winter bride and have your heart set on sweet peas they only tend to appear from late Spring onwards which rules out the beginning of the year. Florists are able to import certain varieties from Europe, however this will significantly increase the cost of your bouquets and in most cases an alternative bloom is available.