The Wedding Plan
The Ceremony
The Wedding Dress
The Wedding Flowers
The Photographer
The Wedding Transport
The Reception
The Catering
The Cake
The first step is to book the date of the service with the priest, minister, registrar or other authority. When the date is confirmed you can start to make serious arrangements.
You can be married in the Church of England if you have not been married before. It is your parish priest's decision whether to marry two people in church if either of you are divorced.
Generally couples marry in the home parish of one of the partners. If you would like to get married at a church outside your local parish, you will need to be on the church electoral role, and have attended public worship at that church 'regularly'.
Once you have met the vicar to discuss church fees, and he has learned more about you. He will arrange for the Banns to be read. The Banns are a public announcement of your intention to be married, and they need to be read out on any three Sundays prior to your wedding in the parish of both the bride and groom. If the Banns cannot be read then the vicar is still able to issue a common licence allowing you to be married in the parish. Providing that either you or your partner has lived there for 15 days prior to obtaining the licence.
You will need to give your vicar as much notice as possible, a minimum of six weeks but preferably more, as there is every chance that your parish church will be busy with weddings all year round.
The fees, set nationally each year, cover the use of the church and the services of the priest. In addition, there will be fees for bell ringing, the organist, and choir and prices will vary according to the parish church council.
The Wedding Dress
When you visit any bridal store the wedding dresses you try on are samples. Once you have chosen a style, then the shop will take your measurements, order one gown especially for you, and then arrange a schedule of fittings. Ordering and fitting can take up to 16 weeks, so you need to plan well in advance, look for a dress early and allow time for final adjustments to your gown when it arrives.
When it comes to floral arrangements at your wedding, there are no rules. However, many brides opt for a bridal bouquet at the very least, together with matching flowers for the bridesmaids.
You can chose floral decorations for pews, stands and pillars in the church, as well as for the entrance. Remember that you will need to ask for permission, and check whether there are any areas that you can't decorate.
At the reception you can continue any theme, and the colours from the church, with table decorations and flower arrangements around the dining area. This can even extend to the cake, with a garland of fresh flowers.
If you are arranging a floral decoration in a hired venue, once again you will need to speak to the owner or manager to obtain permission and to check any specific requirements.
Some florists are specialists in providing wedding arrangements, and will have plenty of seasonal ideas to match the time of year and your chosen colour scheme.
When you first meet your florist it is a good idea to take along a picture of your dress and the attendants' outfits, a sample of the dress material, and, if you can, a sample of the stationery. These will convey the style of the wedding, and will help the florist to select appropriate flowers. Plan to see your florists two or three months prior to your wedding to discuss what you require. Even if you intend to make up the arrangements yourself, the florist will have some helpful advice on which flowers to order.
Unless you intend to have your newlywed bride and groom photographs taken after the wedding day, you only get one chance to get it right, so be very careful when you choose your photographer. Quality should be the priority. A qualified professional photographer will be able to show you the style and quality of their work beforehand. Ask to see samples from a previous wedding presented in an album.
A good photographer's work will tell the story of the wedding day, and will be much more than a series of photographs. Be careful because price doesn’t always reflect quality!
Qualified photographers tend to specialise, and it therefore makes sense to choose someone who specialises in weddings. A local photographer will know the venue, and should know where to get the best shots. Ideally you need to visit the church or location with the photographer to discuss what you would like. If the weather is going to make difference to your photography then decide on your alternatives. Good photographers are likely to get booked up early, so try to allow six months for planning.
When you are looking around for wedding transport it will soon become apparent that you can choose between an enormous variety of vintage and modern four-wheeled and two-wheeled vehicles or, alternatively, four hooves!
When you are looking for alternatives, don't simply rely on a photograph, as scale and colour can be misinterpreted.
Take the trouble to go and look at the vehicle, and consider the obvious:
Will you be able to get in and our easily, and without too much embarrassment’
Depending on the service offered, ribbon and flowers may be provided as standard, but ask anyway - especially if you want specific colours. Owners of vintage cars and carriages will probably want to use their own silk flowers, as fresh ones can stain and mark the interior.
If your wedding is on a Saturday then there is a good chance that you will need to book up to a year in advance in order to secure the car that you want. When you have booked the vehicle make a date to meet them again two to three weeks, before the big day to ensure they have the correct times, addresses and route.
Where to hold your reception will depend on several factors, with cost and budget the most important, coupled with how many guests you wish to invite. In addition, you need to consider how much time you can personally spend on organisation.
We recommend that you work to an approximate budget per guest. This will give you a good basis for making comparisons. The main options are to hold the reception at home, in a hired venue, or in a hotel or restaurant.
Holding your wedding reception at home will certainly keep the costs down - providing you have the space. For small receptions it is ideal and gives you complete freedom to decorate in your own style. If you have the luxury of a spacious garden then you could hire a marquee to add more space and a certain sense of style. Holding the reception at home gives you the option of using an outside caterer or you and your family providing the catering.
If you have decided to hire a venue it is likely you will have heard about it, or used the hall or venue, before. If not then you will need to look for appropriate locations. Consider access for guests, catering (and catering restrictions) and parking. Security is also important, if the hall will be left unattended after setting up.
For a quiet life hold your wedding reception in a local hotel or restaurant, which offers a specialist reception service package or, one of the new licensed venues where you can hold the ceremony and the reception. You may want to check accommodation details for you and your guests if they are travelling from a long way away. Using a hotel or restaurant will free up a great deal of your time to concentrate on enjoying the day, and getting the rest of the many organisational details right.
The Catering
If you are keen to do your own catering, plan well in advance and think about how much time you will have closer to (and indeed on) the wedding day for the final touches. While most caterers will be more than happy to devise a menu just for you, they will also have their own sample menus which you could choose from across different price ranges. Remember to consider the vegetarian options, and any other special requirements your guests may have. The caterers will also be able to quote you a cost for supplying crockery, service, table linen and glasses.
If you or a friend decide to bake the cake yourself then you need to plan to bake it at least a month before the wedding, and to ice it in three parts over the next four weeks. Professional caterers can either make a whole cake for you, or just ice your own if you wish. A lot of brides choose to have the whole cake made to their specification. Ivory and gold are currently very popular cake colours. Many caterers offer a surprising range of coloured icing and designs on demand, with different themes and styles.