When you’re planning your wedding, it’s easy to get caught up in all the details. There are exciting choices to make, things you may never have thought about before and, of course, plenty to look forward to as the day starts to come together.
With so much going into planning a wedding, sometimes it’s the simple pieces of advice that are worth remembering. And who better to offer them than the wedding professionals who work with couples every day? Some of the brilliant suppliers in our directory have shared the one thing they think every couple should know before their wedding.
Think beyond the wedding day
When commissioning a tailor-made suit, choose a design intended to be worn with pride long after you say “I do”.
With timeless silhouettes, impeccable fit and carefully selected fabrics, your wedding suit can become so much more than something you wear for a single occasion. It can accompany you to anniversaries, formal gatherings and future milestones, gathering memories along the way.
Personal details, such as your initials and wedding date, can make it even more meaningful, transforming an exceptional garment into a personal heirloom.
After all, a truly special garment is defined not by a single day, but by the life it shares with you.
Advice from Toby Luper, Hemingway Tailors
Think about how you want your wedding to feel
There’s a well-known quote that says people will forget what you said and what you did, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel. It’s a lovely thought to keep in mind when planning your wedding.
Consider how you want both you and your guests to feel on the day. It can make those endless decisions much easier and help you work out where to prioritise your time and budget.
If you want everyone to feel entertained, perhaps book a live illustrator, musician or magician.
If feeling your most beautiful is important to you, you might decide to splash out on your outfits, hair and make-up.
And if you want you and your guests to feel moved by a memorable and meaningful ceremony, consider choosing a Humanist celebrant who can create something personal to the two of you.
Instead of starting with a checklist of everything you think a wedding is supposed to have, start with the experience you want to create.
Advice from Helen Phillips, Humanists UK Accredited Celebrant, Your Best Life Celebrant
Make it unmistakably yours
Your wedding can be a total reflection of who you are as people.
If your day is filled with your favourite things, you can happily skip traditions that aren’t important to you in favour of the things that genuinely make you smile.
Lego place names? Absolutely. A Diet Coke tower? Why not? A brewery wedding? Even better!
Traditions can be wonderful when they mean something to you, but there’s no rule saying your wedding needs to look like anybody else’s. Often, it’s those personal and unexpected details that guests remember most.
So embrace your personalities, your shared interests and even your quirks. It’s your wedding – make it feel like it.
Advice from Liz Pickering, The Chapter Hall
Don’t forget to enjoy it
It’s easy to become so caught up in creating the perfect wedding that you forget to enjoy the day itself.
After all the months of planning, make a conscious effort to take a few quiet moments together. Pause, look around and truly take it all in – the people who have come to celebrate with you, the atmosphere you’ve created and, most importantly, each other.
The flowers, cake and decorations are all wonderful, but it’s the promises you make and the memories you create together that really matter.
Your wedding rings are one of the few things you’ll take from your wedding day into every day that follows. They become a lasting reminder not only of the celebration, but of the commitment you made to one another.
Because you don’t just share a surname – you share a lifetime of memories.
Advice from Nicole, Share Jewellers
The one thing to remember
Ultimately, your wedding should be about the things that matter most to you.
Think beyond the day itself, consider how you want your wedding to feel, don’t be afraid to do things your way and, when the day finally arrives, remember to enjoy it.
After all, the best weddings are the ones that feel like you.