Wedding Forum - 101 TOP TIPS (CLAIM YOUR TIP!!!)...

51 - If you want the big cake but you dont have the budget....have a dummy cake for photos etc and then have a sheet cake out the back for cutting and giving out MUCH CHEAPER!

52 - Buy a plain cake from m&s tesco etc and decorate them yourself - Hails

53 - Out of season weekday weddings tend to be cheaper - Hails

54 - Get Wedding insurance......Then if anything goes wrong on the day, like your cake not being delivered or your photographer turns out to be diabolical, then you have some back up

55 - Working to a budget then cut out some things not really needed like have a later wedding with just a buffet in the evening for all, have the wedding cake as dessert for a sit down meal, have a hof roast or bacon rolls instead of an evening buffet, have a cash bar instead of providing drinks!

56 - If family want to contribute financially, make sure you know how much they want to/ can realistically afford to put it. Ask them to put the money into a special wedding savings account as soon as they can, that way you don't end up relying on cash that doesn't materialise!

57 - Everyone will have an opinion about your day and will love to give you advice. Learn to smile politely and vent when they have gone - Tori

58 - Try as many dresses on as possible, go with an open mind, it's sometimes the least obvious dress that turns out to be 'the one' - DebraM74

59 - don't worry about getting the dress dirty on the day. It will pick up dirt but it will still look fab and let's face it there are better things to be doing on your wedding day than holding your skirt round your ankles! - Kat

60 - when booking your honeymoon make sure you know your budget, check to see if they offer a discount for the happy couple and what extra freebies they throw in. And if you don't plan to have a formal gift list see if they allow friends/family to donate to your holiday fund - Elaine Long aka lovelylainee

61 - if getting married abroad make sure you take your wedding dress into account in terms of weight allowance or extra baggage if it won't travel in a suitcase. Lighter dresses are much easier to transport, but if you have to fold it you don't want a material that will crease and be crinkly in your pictures - Elaine Long aka lovelylainee

62 - Get a good night sleep the night before - you won't have time to sit with cucumbers on your eyes in the morning!

63 - don't be afraid to ask other family members for help whether it be financially or if you are stuck for ideas or you haven't got time to do all the invitations. The last thing you want is to be stressed out and feeling like you're on your own. - Mrs T Hurley 2B (Teresa)

64 - Shop around and look for alternative such as using chair sashes as table runners, cost much less and are just as long! also look at alternatives to the standard wedding and bridesmaid dress such as using cocktail dresses - you or your bridemaids can wear them and they cost a lot less - Janie

65 - Don’t be badgered into having certain bridesmaids/guests by anyone, even if your parents are paying for the reception, it's your wedding! - JessicaM43

66 - make sure your card box isn’t near an exit door, make sure it’s well in the room so no-one can nick anything out of it!

67 - don’t cater for all the night time guests because not everyone eats!

68 - Make sure you do eat breakfast, just don’t eat too much as you don’t wanna be bloated

69 - don’t worry about walking down the aisle, it goes soooooooooooo quick!!

70 - It is you and your partners day do what you want to - Little Kettle ****HAILS - worth noting that this is very similar to the one in the previous post - may want to combine these. I think it was this one I did and not the other one, but added my name to both - sorry if it's confused matters!****

71 - Take advantage of your bridesmaids get them round to help with your invites and favours - with a cheeky glass or two!! - trikstaniksta

72 - Every bride is entitled to the odd bridezilla moment. Just try not to turn into a monster too often - Tori

73 - Collect lots of pictures from magazines, and take photo's, of the things you like. This will help you explain to your suppliers - Florist, Card Makers, Room Decorations, Dress Suppliers etc etc - what exactly you want and help you get the right colours. - KATG (Kathleen)

74 - Most Bridal Shops are by appointment only and especially on Saturdays. To avoid disappointment make sure you phone for an appointment well in advance

75 - Wear a very good bra when you are trying on dresses, a bad bra will ruin any good design. You may decide you want to wear other supportive underwear for your wedding day, if so, wear the same when trying on styles - Hails via the net

76 - Do not bring loads of family or friends with you when you are viewing, go yourself or with one person, whose opinion you value. Then, when you have narrowed your choice down to two or three dresses, get the troops together to help you decide on the dress - Hails via the net

77 - Finally, don't get overwhelmed or fooled by detail. The most important aspect of buying your dream dress is to find the right shape that suits you. We all have different figures and shapes and the trick is to find the right shaped/designed dress that will compliment your good points - Hails via the net

78 - On viewing the wedding car, the car should have a Taxi Regulator tamper proof license attached to the front windscreen near its road tax and insurance. Remember No License means no insurance for hire and no Nct = No hire. If you are paying money to hire your wedding car it must be licensed if not please walk away . You wouldn't get into an uninsured car normally and especially not on the" biggest day of your life" - Hails via the net

79 - When having make up and hair trials look 6 months before in case your allergic to the make up they use and wash your hair the night before so its not too soft to put up etc and leave it natural (if your hair is curly leave it, if its frizzy leave it dont put any products in it) so they know exactly what your hair is like - Hails

80 - HAVE A PLAN - Write out an agenda for the day with approximate times of events and important points throughout the day. Give this to ALL of your suppliers with contact details to enable them communicate effectively with each other both before,during and after the event.
Some key things to think about:
1.Photos - where, when, how many?
2.Starting and finishing times, (including your arrival and departure from the venue).
3.Are you going to have an official line up or a welcome speech?
4.Length and content of speeches: are you going to need specialist equipment?
5.When are you going to formally cut the cake? Are you going to have the first dance?
6.How long is the meal going to last? Will evening guests be arriving and do you want to provide additional catering?
Your caterer or wedding planner should be able to assist and advise on all the essential requirements. This means that come the important day you can relax and enjoy the time with your family, friends and partner! - Hails

81 - Get a good night’s sleep the night before so you are not tired on the big day. Tiredness makes most people more edgy. - Hails

82 - Get some exercise in the days leading up to the speech so that you have a physical outlet to release some of that tension. - Hails

83 - Prepare your speech thoroughly - Hails

84 - Rehearse, rehearse and rehearse. The better you know your speech, the more comfortable you will be and the less nervous. - Hails

85 - Take some deep breaths just before you speak. Breathing deeply pumps oxygen into your blood and it helps keep the brain focused and alert. Hails via the net - Hails

86 - Smile when you speak. Laughter and smiling are the best remedies for tension, and smiling is infectious, after all. - Hails

87 - Speak from the heart and don’t be afraid to show emotion. Weddings are meant to be emotional. - Hails

88 - Make sure the amount you need to save is realistic and acheivable and always have a ten percent cushion for unexpected costs and little extras. - LauraJo87

89 - Try and book your venue and the registrar at the same time. There is no point paying a deposit on your dream venue then discovering that no one is available to marry you. - LauraJo87

90 - Check the legalities before booking anything. Getting married outside of your district has added complications, and for those marrying abroad there will be different legal requirements and formalities that you need to look into. Church weddings also have certain procedures that need to be followed which vary between religion and denomination. - LauraJo87

91 - Remember your venue quote will most likely not include registrar fees. These can be up to an additional £600 although prices vary from district to district. - LauraJo87

92 - Any children will need to be kept entertained. Consider hiring a children's entertainer or create activity packs for them to stop them from becoming bored and most likely a nuisance. - LauraJo87

93 - If you are having a wedding on a week day, or guests need to book time off or make travel arrangements, invitations will need to be sent out earlier - LauraJo87

94 - Make sure to get all discussion in email or written down on paper as some vendors can back out of verbal agreements - Geordienic

95 - If your on a budget for your dress, and dont want the worry of ordering online, find the dress you want and then look around to see if you can get it cheaper. Just dont tell the shop you originally tried it on that you looking elsewhere though. They can get a bit funny about things like that. I managed to knock £500 off my dress by looking around. - mrscookiecrew

Every ones posts have been deleted once they have been added to the list! (so we know where we are and to keep this thread tidy as it says above)
There are over 90 tips up there Becky, yours will be in there somewhere..............some tips were mentioned twice just worded slightly differently so in this case we have left those ones out or adjusted what was already there to fit both in!
But all tips that have been left on this thread HAVE been added to the list!

Yeah we (the other mods and me) thought that earlier lol and we all went ermmmm bug ger we all forgot that part lol

WE FORGOT ABOUT ADDING THE NAMES TO EACH TIP (NOTE I WASN'T THE ONLY MOD TO UPDATE AND FORGET NAMES :-( lol ops )


So ladies claim your tip/s please


Ive had to make a third post as the one above was too long lol

dint see that its a great list x

So ladies we have still got some unclaimed tips on the list so if you have added a tip to this thread let us know which it was and we will add your name to it!
ALL tips that were on here have been added to the list....some have been repeated

We still need lots more tips so get your thinking caps on :-)

I think number 3 was mine.....I think x

EDIT: All done by LK - thanks Tattty!

* When looking at venues, many now offer packages which can offer great savings

* Independant hotels are a great place to look for your venue, usually much more negotiation and personal service

* If you have opted for a package deal and something is not needed or does not suit, ask if they can offer something else or give you a discount. We have booked a live band so did not need the disco provided in the package. Quick chat with the manager and £200 knocked off our bill!

* If you don't ask, you don't get, the worst thing any supplier can say is No, you've nothing to lose!

THANKS ELLE. I'VE ADDED THESE TO THE MAIN LIST FOR YOU. LK X

Make regular visits to window shop at your local florist for ideas on blooms, colours and styles. I've been walking passed and having a good ol nosey at my local florist who regularly sell a wide variety of bouquets. This is great to give you some inspiration on colours which will help you to then choose your colour or theme for your big day. This is especially good if you have a favourite flower in mind to use as you can see which other colours/blooms it works well with. Also if you have the chance check the time of year you plan to get married a year in advance to give you inspiration.

ADDED TO THE MAIN LIST BY LK- THANKS JULIE!

don't forget to add your own Natalie