 Killer Heels VS Flats for your big day - which will you choose
I definitely considered Flat wedding shoes for my big day and being 5’8″ and liking my comfort made it a very
possible option for me but I wouldn't have felt at all gamorous unless I had worn some sort of a heel and so
I compromised wore a 2inch kitten heel which I have to say was extremely comfortable and with my dad being 5’9″ ,
I didn't want to be towering over him. However Heels do make your legs look longer, make you stand up straighter
and give your outfit a more glamorous edge. On the flip side they can make negotiating uneven floors a nightmare
and dancing until dawn a near impossibility so do definitely cons all the pros and cons of the height before you purchase
Right now, there are more gorgeous flat wedding shoes than ever on the market. In fact, many brides are actually treating themselves to two pairs for their special day – a pair of leg-legthening heels for the ceremony and a funky pair of flats for the evening reception.
Whether you want funky flat wedding shoes, wonderful wedges or pretty platforms,
Here’s my guide to buying the perfect pair…
1.Can I walk in them?
You’ll want to spend your wedding day walking around, smiling at guests not crying over blisters in the toilets! Make sure you can walk in your shoes. Try them out on carpet at home before the big day and get used to the heel height. If they make you feel unsteady or nervous, they may not be the pair for you.
2. Do they match my dress?
Shoes won’t be seen under the majority of wedding dress but your photographer will want to capture all your details before you get ready so your shoes do have to fit in with your dress. Colour wise they don’t have to be an exact match to the white or ivory of your gown, but they should complement them by having similar details – things like lace, diamanté or pearls. Remember, you need your shoes before your final dress fitting because your boutique will need to finalise the length
of your gown.
4. Are they suitable for my venue?
Heels + sand = sinking brides! Make sure the shoes you buy are suitable for the wedding venue you’ve chosen. Flip flops or flat wedding shoes for the beach, wellingtons for a muddy reception in the country and killer heels for a chic city venue.
5. Are my feet ready for them?!
There’s no point in showing off a pretty pair of peep toes with knarled, unsightly nails poking out! Book yourself in for a pedicure and polish before the big day so your toes are in tip top shape and ready for their close up!
Whatever shoes you pick take your time choosing them as the last thing you want to contend with is the aching pain of your feet - Happy shoe shopping
 - The theme and timing of your wedding will undoubtedly affect your moms outfit. Are you tying the knot in a traditional church, a hotel or in a country barn? Think about the time of year. Will it be hot or cold?
- Help her to choose colours that complement the wedding theme and never, ever allow her to wear white or ivory - that is reserved for you! Also, check what the mother of the groom is wearing and avoid clashing with her! Black can look stylish if worn with another colour.
- Layering is a key look for modern mums. A dress with a matching jacket or a smart blouse over the top of a camisole can look stylish and if the weather is warm, you can remove layers.
- Traditional, stuffy dress suits are out and figure-flattering outfits are in. Treat your mum to a trip to a personalstylist to find out what suits her best.
 - Boost your mum's confidence by finding an outfit that accentuates her best bits.
- Mothers of the bride should dress glamorously but within their usual realms of style. If she doesn't usually wear sky-high heels, for example, avoid them at all costs!
- It’s a good idea to try shopping at the more unusual stores to avoid wearing something that another guest might have chosen.
- Although hats are making a comeback at more traditional weddings (a la Kate Middleton's mum), fascinators are the head wear of choice for modern mothers of the bride. They make you stand out without flattening your hairdo!
- Think about jewellery, shoes and handbag – all things that can help make her outfit unique. Use these as statement pieces, perhaps in a brighter colour than the rest of the outfit.
- Remember that the most important thing is to feel comfortable. She'll be wearing the outfit for around 14 hours on the big day, so comfort is key to a happy, confident mother of the bride.
 "Wedding day nerves are something we can all relate to".
Even Prince William admitted to having wedding days nerves before he married Kate Middleton. It’s the same feeling as sitting your driving test, or taking your first sit-down exam. I can assure you that as soon as you walk to the end of that isle and your your husband to be takes your hand, those nerves will disappear, but how do you cope with them in the meantime?
Well, to give you some top tips on calming those wedding day nerves in the lead-up to and on the big day itself, I have come across a blog by Eleanor Copp one of the leading lights in dealing with anxiety in all walks of life, as well as being a hypnotherapist.
Any day which carries such a huge amount of time, cost, preparation, pressure, expectation and stress is bound to cause a woman to feel nervous. I got married 20 years ago and remember the worry that I had about getting all the details right. The guest list, my husband’s family I didn’t know, the bridesmaids, and ultimately wanting to please everybody.
My sister got married two weeks ago, and it was a wonderful day
In the photos, my sister looks radiant and happy – just as a bride should, but I know that it took 18 months of meticulous planning and some real ups and terrifying downs along the way, and so to help her I gave her some top tips on how to relax.
The difficulty about a wedding is that it can easily get out of hand, with so many aspects to arrange and pay for, and with so many emotional entanglements it can be a recipe for a disaster.
Strategies for managing the run up to your big day smoothly, calmly and easily .
1. Identify your list of chief concerns, make a list, get some hierarchy and perspective going. Identify your big worries, know the smaller ones and accept them.
2. Surround yourself with positive people… Anyone that has an agenda about your wedding should not even be in your vicinity. Do not engage with them.
3. Any doubts about anything will fester so articulate them to your nearest and dearest, don’t get distracted but do tackle what you need to tackle them. Confronting them and taking action will instantly reduce stress levels.
4. If you start feeling anxious, focus on your breath, and in particular, your diaphragm. And become calm – yoga is a brilliant way to learn body awareness, build stamina to stress and remain flexible, emotionally and physically. Take it up! Spending five minutes each day focusing only on your breath is a fantastic strategy for dealing with worry. Once you are calm, check the trigger for your nerves, is it new or unfamiliar? Who planted the seed of worry? See if you can catch it early, the more practised you get the easier it becomes. It’s important to interrupt stress before it takes root and shakes the whole tree.
5 . Start visioning a wonderful day ahead of you, with people want to share it with you… This is the gift of a wedding.
 6. Allow yourself to be supported. This wedding is not solely your responsibility, you can delegate tasks to chosen trusty friends, you do not have to be the one holding it all together alone.
7 . Think of your posture, think of your body. If you think you’re getting overwhelmed you will look at the floor more, give and receive eye contact less and your voice will become more high pitched. If you haven’t realised yet you are stressed, those around will have done. Acupuncture is a brilliant way to counteract the manifestations of tension and finding a good practitioner will pay dividends.
8. Allow yourself to be pampered – let go and relax. Have fun in the run up, lighten up, see the funny side to any conflict.
 9. Rehearse the day in your mind, from beginning to end. If there are parts you are worried about (these are usually the aisle walk, the vows and the speeches) focus on your role in that only – you can’t control what anyone else does or says . So don’t waste energy on it.
10. Be positive, be happy and ENJOY your day.
It’s going to be amazing!
Guest list made and ready to order those invites?
Here are a few helpful tips to help you on your way.
 There are a number of aspects to take in to consideration when ordering and planning your wedding invitations, here are a few helpful tips to help you on your way to STRESS FREE wedding stationery delights!
Number of Wedding Invitations
Before you even begin to look at designs, colours, lay out of invitations make sure you know how many you need! Remember 100 guests will mean approximately 50 invitations. This is only a rough guide and it’s well worth the time sitting down and going through the list properly with your partner to get a precise number. If you are sending it to a household and you are inviting the children who
are under the age of 18 then one wedding invitation will suffice but if they are over the age of 18 they should receive their
own wedding invitation as a matter of courtesy.
When to Order
Aim to order your invitations when your Wedding guest list is final (about three months before) I would advise to
send out the invitations 8 weeks before the big day, so that you can ask your guests to return the rsvp 4 weeks
before your wedding day giving you time to follow up the stragglers and compile your table plan
Who’s inviting Who?
Sit down and talk openly about whom will be hosting (inviting people) to the wedding. Traditionally the Brides
parents invite guests to the marriage of their daughter, but with more and more Brides and Grooms paying
for their own weddings or multiple parties contributing then who’s name goes on the invitation can become
a taboo subject, if not approached head on! There are many different wording options that can include everyone,
so if you find yourself lost just ask your wedding stationer for help.
Names
You have to think not only about the Bride and Groom’s names here. For example, do you want to include middle
names or even surnames? Whose name is first? I could go on… but you’d probably stop reading. You also
need to consider how you’re going to display your guests’ names. Some choose not to include names on their
invitations. In my experience I personally would always recommend stating exactly who is invited and more importantly
who isn’t!! You don’t want to be in a situation on the day where you assumed Auntie Sue & Uncle Pete are coming to the wedding but their 24 year old son with his new girl aren’t, only for them all to turn up on the day with nowhere to sit,
and nothing to eat. Awkward! Better to make it clear from the very beginning whom is and isn’t invited.
RSVP
It’s always a good idea to include an RSVP to ensure you get your responses in the time frame you want, including
all the information you need. As an extra you can put a stamp on the RSVP, we did this and our guests did appreciate
it, but it is costly depending on the amount of RSVP's. Always check with your venue when they need your final confirmed numbers, and how many vegetarians, vegans, gluten free, allergies etc. meals you require.
Specify a confirmation date of 4 weeks before your wedding date.This way you can make sure get your guests
response in a reasonable time, plus a little time for you chase any one slacking.
All in One
Think of your wedding invitation as a tool for guests. So you'll want to provide them with the information they'll need.
Translation: names of bride and groom, day of the week, date, time, address of the ceremony and/or reception,
and RSVP. (You're not expected to include any, though response cards tend to save trouble)
Map cards, name and number of a local hairdresser for the ladies and a list of hotels and B&B's in the local area,
maybe in all different price ranges to suit everyone's pockets is an ultra-considerate touch.
Your day!
Above all, remember it’s YOUR WEDDING. There are no rights or wrongs, I can tell you the traditions but in
the end it is up to you and your partner what you want to include and don’t want to include.
Happy Planning!
 Yes it is true that there is allot of traditions when it comes to weddings, but things have changes too.
Here it is in black and white - those formally set in stone rules that just may not hold up anymore !!
 Old School Rule: The brides parents pay for the Wedding
Every couple funds the festivities in different ways. Maybe your mom and dad want to pay for every single thing, but, unlike in the past where the bride's family was expected to foot the whole bill, they're in no way obligated to now. Grooms' parents and the couples themselves chip in nearly as often as brides' parents do. It just depends on your family's situation. If you'd like your fiancé's parents' help, your husband-to-be will need to ask for it -- not you. Just remember "Whoever pays gets a say".
If you know your mother-in-law will insist on an in-church ceremony if she contributes and you've got your heart set on exchanging vows on a sandy beach, you may be happier cutting your guest list than asking her to contribute anything. As the age group of people getting married is rising allot of couples are paying for most of the wedding festivities themselves these days, with contributions from one or both sets of parents, we did this and it is allot of pressure but it remains your wedding day with most of the decisions staying your own.
 Old School Rule : You must walk down the aisle.
New Rule:
You don't have to walk anywhere! Perhaps you're a flats-wearing gal and your trip down the aisle may turn into a real trip in your wedding day heels. Or maybe you'd prefer to skip all the hoopla that's associated with that long walk. Whatever your rationale, it's your prerogative. Your groom is already going to be up at the altar; why can't you be too? Who says that you have to have a processional at all? Personally I found the walk quiet hard. Everyone looking at you with all eyes on you but I was glad I personally did it after all. Remember its whatever you feel comfortable with.
 Old School Rule: You must invite everyone with a guest
New Rule:
If they'll know others, skip the plus-one. It's still polite (and very appreciated!) to invite guests' significant others, but if you're inviting a group of co-workers, for instance, and two or more of them are single, they should have no problem attending solo. Only when guests won't know anyone aside from the couple is it mandatory to let them bring a date. It's kind to invite attendants with guests too (they are shelling out big bucks for their attire!).
 Old School Rule: You must wear a long, white gown.
New Rule:
Wear whatever you want! Sure, most brides go the long white or ivory route, but for your wedding day attire, anything goes: from a retro short dress to a silver, slinky sheath. As long as you feel fabulous in your outfit, it can be any color or style. You can even skip the veil! Warning: Your fashion choices may wind up shocking your older guests, especially the ones who equate wearing white with "purity." If you'd prefer that your look pleases the crowd but aren't willing to go totally traditional, try working in a hint of color via a dress sash, your shoes, jewelry or a hair accessory or opting for a tea-length dress.
 Old School Rule: The first time you see your groom on your wedding day should be at your ceremony.
New Rule:
You can spend every minute with your groom before the ceremony. We promise that it's not bad luck if your fiancé catches a glimpse of you in your gown on the wedding day (or even before it, but why not surprise him if you both can hold out?).
In my experience many couples who decided to wait until the ceremony to see each other preferred to have the inevitably emotional experience during their ceremony and to have the photographers capture this moment when you first see each other. Each couple is individual but I loved surprising my husband on how I looked walking up the
isle - it was amazing
 Old School Rule: Ceremony seating is based on a bride's side
and groom's side.
New Rule:
Guests can choose to sit wherever they want! It used to be that guests of the bride sat on the left side at the ceremony and guests of the groom sat on the right. Even now, plenty of your guests will go by this guideline to find their seats. But if your fiancé's family is huge and yours is tiny, your ceremony will look a little weird if most people are seated on the right side. And at Jewish weddings, the sides are flipped anyway! (Gotta love when everyone winds up on one side at an interfaith wedding!) If you're having ushers, ask them to direct your VIPs, parents, grandparents and the like to prime seats toward the front of either side and instruct your other guests to sit in any open seat.
 Old School Rule: You have to leave for your honeymoon right after your reception.
New Rule:
You can go on a honeymoon whenever you want. Heading straight to your honeymoon sounds romantic, but it can be a logistical nightmare. Think it over: You'd have to lug your luggage from the ceremony to the reception and keep your passport and plane tickets in a safe place the entire day. But even if you're the queen of organization, you'll be so exhausted from your whirlwind day that you'll want nothing more than to just veg out for a while with your new husband after the wedding. And that's okay! When you take a honeymoon is entirely up to you two (and maybe your boss a little bit). No matter if you leave the day after or the year after, it'll still be the wonderful, well-deserved vacation you always imagined it'd be
Somewhere new or somewhere you love?
A tricky one… Do you revisit a place you know you both love that has happy memories for you, or do you take a risk and catch a flight to a destination you’ve never visited, but have always wanted to? I think there are pros and cons to both here – you know you’re guaranteed a good time in your favourite spot and you know the best places to go, but you do run the risk of being disappointed, perhaps it’s not as nice as you remembered? You’re also more likely to go to the same spots you went to before and not explore the other great places you missed the first time. Going to somewhere new is a bit risky because it could be a let down, but at least you’ll be exploring somewhere new together and creating new honeymoon memories to treasure!
Winter or summer?
So, your chosen destination is going to be in the winter season when you wed, is that a problem? Winter Holidays bring the opportunity of snow sports, fab photos and a winter wonderland setting that’s oh-so romantic. But then summer offers something just as appealing – cocktails on the beach, a fab tan and the chance to wear that bikini you’ve been saving! Decisions, decisions…
We chose to get married in the last week of August as we wanted a Summer wedding but we did not want to be surrounded by children on our Honeymoon - hence we had our honeymoon in September when they were all back at school
Another reason being was that we were spending our first week of our Honeymoon in Orlando enjoying all the amazing theme parks and did not want to spend all day queing for the rides - The ques were only 15 - 20 minutes on average in September compared to 1-2hrs on average the month previous - makes you think
Long or short breaks?
There won’t be many more opportunities to take a break from work and visit a far-flung destination, so do you make the most of it and take a honey-month or stick to the two-week break and have holiday to spare for the rest of the working year? Part of me thinks it’s a great chance to take the plunge and really experience a country or two, but will you resent it if you’re stuck working on birthdays and other events throughout the year?
Put it back or go straight away?
Many couples choose to go straight to the honeymoon after the big day, In my opinion you need a break after such a big event. Sooo much planning goes into your wedding day, that you need at least a week or two off to re-coperate and to get your energy back. Plus there is a bit of an anticlimax after the wedding is over and at least you have your Honeymoon to look forward to. On the otherhand some people might feel that If you go straight away, you don’t have time to really reflect on the wedding with friends and family while it’s still fresh, when you return all they all want to talk about the honeymoon! Plus, if you put it back a bit, it gives you something to look forward to later in the year and you can save more money to really make the most of the trip.
It really is up the couple themselves......................................................
Home or abroad?
Don’t think you have to go abroad for your honeymoon, although this can be a real treat! There are lovely destinations in Ireland such as Donegal, Kerry, West Cork the list does go on and it will be a lot cheaper to take a break here. "Mini-moons can be very beneficial if you already have children" – you can ether take them with you, or if not, you know you’re not too far away if you need to come home for some reason. Perfect!
 Assess your Budget
Planning your honeymoon is a very enjoyable experience but be sure that what you are booking is what you can afford. Work with your travel agent and tell them your budget in mind. After talking to the Travel Agent see if you can purchase the holiday cheaper online yourselves to save a few bob. When planning your Wedding - you may choose a time which is off season for holiday making, thus reducing your expenses on travelling. They say the average amount spent on a honeymoon is around €4000, if you can afford this, that is great but we are in the depths of a recession and every couples financial situation is different, so don't put yourselves in debt for a two - three week holiday.
If you have a tight budget think outside the box and make your money go as far as possible
So there we have it. It’s a real challenge choosing a honeymoon that’s right for you both, but it shouldn’t be a hassle. Enjoy every minute of planning your trip and write the pros and cons to every possibility. The main thing is that you have a great time celebrating your first break as husband and wife, wherever it may be!
 Choosing a song
“You’ll remember your first dance for the rest of your life so it’s really important that you love your first dance song. Make sure you listen to the lyrics, because some songs are surprisingly unsuitable!”
"Your first dance should reflect your personalities"
TIMING
To make your life easier, a song with a middle beat is ideal, because it’s tricky to dance either really fast or really slow. The most typical first dance mistake is dancing for too long. Whether you’ve had a dance professionally choreographed or winging it with a cuddle and a sway, your guests’ attention will only last so long, as will your ability to remember dance steps. The ideal length is no longer than 3 minutes – it’s much better to have a fabulous short dance than a long mediocre one. Most songs last more than 3 minutes so why not finish off your first dance by asking your DJ or singer to invite the guests to join you on the dance floor for the rest of the song? We picked the song At Last by Etta James and I only realised afterwards that it was too slow if I had my chance again I would have picked another song.
Why take lessons?
“Your first dance is the last moment of your wedding day when all eyes are on you, so it’s a shame to shuffle about in circles looking embarrassed when you could be dancing with confidence and style, putting on a great show for your guests and getting the party started. Learning to dance with the person you love is so romantic and dance lessons are a great way to get some time together away from all the stress of wedding planning. Having your dance professionally choreographed means you will know exactly what to do on the dance floor and the dance will suit your ability and natural style, making you look your very best in front of all your family and friends.”
First dance with an Hilarious Difference
Length of your Wedding dress
Be aware of the type of Wedding Dress you are buying. If you buy a dress with a long train it does hinder your ability to dance. My train was really long and if I had my chance again I would have bought a different dress. Personally all i wanted to do is dance with all my friends, family and husband and it made it quiet hard. I still danced all night but my dress had to be held up with about 50 pins and was ruined by the next morning.
TOP 10 SONGS OF 2012
1) Everything, Michael Buble
2) Let’s Stay Together, Al Green
3) Amazed, Lonestar
4) Make You Feel My Love, Adele
5) Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You, Andy Williams
6) Greatest Day, Take That
7) At Last, Etta James
8) Better Together, Jack Johnson
9) Time Of My Life, Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes (from Dirty Dancing)
10) You’re The First, The Last, My Everything, Barry White
Last but not Least - No matter what happens during your first dance...like forgetting a step or twirl, just keep dancing, enjoy the thrill of this special time together and just have fun and enjoy your first dance! Remember no one knows what your dance steps should be but you. Also ladies....no matter what last minute changes he makes....follow him anywhere!
"And finally enjoy every minute of this special moment as you will remember it forever"
 From my experience you don’t have to break the bank to have the wedding day of your dreams. Try to be as creative as possible with your ideas, shop around, ask for discounts, keep your eyes opened all the time for bargains especially in the summer and January sales and you will save money. Below is a list of some more practical ways to save money, not all of them will apply to you but even if you can do 2 or 3 of them it will make a difference, and believe me everything adds up in the end!!!!!!!!!!!!!Keep the number of bridesmaids/groomsmen to a minimum – Remember you will be the ones paying for the dresses/suits, shoes, bags, accessories, hair & make-up and all these costs definitely add up if they’re multiplies by 4. If you have a number of close friends who would love to be included in the wedding party I’m sure they will understand if you explain you need to keep costs down. They can be included in the wedding in other ways, whether it’s in the planning or doing a prayer or reading at the ceremony.Buy a pre-owned wedding dress - I attended a fabulous event in The strand Hotel in August 2010 - its held every year by a company called Sell my wedding dress http://www.sellmyweddingdress.net/ and they sell wedding dresses once used by a previous bride. The dress's were in immaculate condition and the array of dresses all shapes and sizes was fabulous. The prices of the dresses were half of what you would pay in the shops - you would have never known that these were second hand dresses - excellent ideaUse the internet to do your research – There are plenty of blogs and bridal forums out there and they are full of great tips and ideas from past brides, brides to be or else people in the wedding business. The internet is great for looking up reviews on suppliers before you book them to see how other brides found them.
Don’t get carried away with Wedding Favours – They are a lovely finishing touch to the table to the reality is that most of them are left on the tables at the end of the night and that really is a waste of your money. Try and keep the favours simple, inexpensive and something that will be used. Items such as scratch cards/lotto tickets or a donation to charity are becoming very popular - personally I didn't buy any favours, I felt they were a waste of money so Instead I spent money on a fereroe roche pyramid - which my guests loved
Ask family & friends to get involved – Do you have a relative or friend with any useful talents? If you know any singers, musicians, bakers, hairdressers or makeup artists ask them to contribute their talents instead of a wedding present. They will probably be more than happy to help you out and be able to contribute something to your big day. I got a family friend to bake our cake, my husbands cousins did the music at the church, his uncle did our wedding video, and his sister sang our first dance - it made it very personal and I loved it Savy Retail shopping - Keep your eyes open at all times for bargains especially around sale times in the year, I got my bridesmaids bags and shoes at a fraction of the price in the January sales. Look at renting your bridesmaids dresses - In my experience people do not wear these dresses again and renting is half if not a third of the cost of buying
Does anyone you know drive a fancy car? – Why not ask a friend or family member with a fancy car if it could be used to get to the church. Your classic wedding cars can be quiet expensive for the length of time you have them. We had a Roylce Royce on our big day but we shopped around and got an excellent price - be ware that suppliers that offer good value get booked up very quickly so it pays to shop around as early as possible on the major aspects of the wedding
Take note of what is & is not included in your wedding package – It may look like you’re getting a real bargain with your wedding package but you could get caught out with hidden costs or items you thought were included in the package as standard.
If you don’t ask, you won’t get. If you don’t expect to get a discount, this will be obvious to the supplier and they will automatically opt for charging you full price. So speak up and let one of the first questions you ask them be "is that your best price, is there anything else you can through in??". Especially when dealing with hotels - keep on plugging away on discounts or extras for the price they are quoting you - don't feel embarased to ask - think of the price quoted as an opening price and its time to negotiate -
Master the art of negotiation – Get into the habit of asking for a discount or some added extras with all your suppliers. No matter how big the discount is they all add up and everyone else will be asking for these discounts too so don’t feel embarrassed! Do not put down a deposit until you are happy with the price agreed.
Well good luck and remember every penny counts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 The Bride's Speech
Brides like me and you are making speeches at more and more weddings. Quite right too, after all it's your big day!
You've probably worked harder than anyone else making sure the day is a huge success. Why should only the Groom, The Best Man and your Father get their moment in the limelight?
Bride's speeches are so often the best ones because
they don't have to follow a formula like other traditional wedding speeches. Here are some tips you can follow.
1 Do your homework. Some people can stand up and give a great impromptu speech on the spur of the moment, but not many are very good at it. Unless you're sure you are good at it, prepare your speech carefully. This is one thing I would regretted not doing. I was happy with my speech but I didn
2. Be realistic about timings. Don't feel you have to speak for however many minutes, even if you're the bride. Speak for as long or as little as you feel comfortable with… and for as long as it takes to say what YOU want to say. That's all that matters – quality, not quantity.
3 Be yourself - In my speech I thanked everyone that had given me the most help i.e my parents, Joes parents, my sister my brother and my aunty. I spoke from the heart and Spoke about things that meant allot to me .
4. Be careful about making jokes. By all means tell a joke or two provided that it won't upset anyone – if you're good at telling jokes. Avoid overtly rude humour; no matter how much we dislike gender discrimination, most women can't get away with telling blue jokes and being funny (but most men can). The upside is that women can be funny in a much more subtle and clever way.
5. Rehearse your speech so you feel comfortable with the content. But don't over-rehearse to the point that you get bored with the sound of your own voice! Just rehearse enough to be comfortable without losing any freshness.
 6. Don't rely on your memory to get you through the speech, especially if you're the bride. If you don't want to speak from a written script, that's fine, but at least put your key points down on cue cards and then… make sure you have not one, but TWO copies. Number the cards and then pin them together so if you drop a set you won't be poking around on the floor trying to get them back together in order. And give the spare set to someone you trust, so if you lose the first set you know you have a standby.
7. Microphones are very helpful. If it's possible to get one to use for your speech it will mean you don't need to speak as loudly, but you will still need to ‘project’ your voice – speak more slowly and clearly than you would in normal conversation, and speak out to the room. The microphone on the day of our wedding kept on going on and off for some reason which was quiet annoying so if you could get someone to check it before hand
8. DON'T have an alcoholic drink until you've given your speech. People will tell you that a drink or two loosens the tongue, makes you funnier, wittier, etc etc, but frankly that's nonsense. All alcohol does is make it harder to concentrate, and easier to make mistakes. So save the bubbly until the guests are applauding your wonderful speech!
 Planning your wedding day and making sure everything is just how you want it can be a bit scary. After all you only get one crack at your big day and you want it to be completely perfect!
What I’d Do Again on my Wedding Day- Get the guests to put their finger prints and signatures on a guest book tree – mine is now framed and I look at it everyday
- Get married on a Friday – a day off work for many people which gave them a lovely long weekend – and we were able to have a fab party on the Saturday night
- Make a speech on my own
- Hire a bus for family and guests to get to the wedding reception
- Book a live band during the day and night
- Choose a more expensive photographer who was familiar with the Venue - worth every penny
- Blow the budget on flowers!
- Our colour scheme – pale lemon, pink and ivory perfect for late summer
- Planned the photo’s I wanted on the day and asked certain people to get people together for them
- Sending out stamped and dated RSVP’s with the invitations – Only a few stragglers to chase up
- Taking dance lessons before the big day – the steps will never be forgotten
- Wearing false eye lashes to make my eyes stand out
- Discussing with family & friends what you want them to do on the day – don’t assume they will know
- Asking some of our family members to video before, during and after the wedding and putting it together ourselves – saved allot of money on a videographer
- Got a company to dress my reception room – giving it the wow factor
Getting mom to join dad giving me away at the top of the alter
Write a list of our favourite songs to be played
Have my hair and make-up done professionally
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