Inspiration Board: By Thematic Colours

I love seeing photos of people's wedding where they have incorporated their theme colours so beautifully. The saturation of a single colour throughout the design can be beautiful although some may consider the concept to be playing it safe. Found a few beautiful inspiring images on the web:

Purple:
Note- I've chosen to go for purple/lilac/lavender'ish bridesmaid dresses. It has been very difficult trying to find a matching purple coloured tie. If you are also going with the purple theme and can't find matching colours, then silver will match the purple. See the image below for the silver ties for the groomsmen - that will match the purple toned dresses. Silver shoes for the BM ladies will ensure that their shoes matches the ties that matches the dresses.



[My notes: The purple BM gowns are ravishing however the choice of mixing the deep pink with pastel colours makes the bouquet appear a bit odd looking- the deep pink draws too much attention from the other flowers in the bouquet]



Yellow:



[Yellow blue and grey wedding with birds as central theme. Source: Unkown]

 Red:

Blue:

White:



[Garden wedding using white as theme colour. Source: Unknown]



Retro Look:



[Love the pin board of inspirations. Source: Gemma Clarke Photography]



[Love the paddle pop signs. Source: Gemma Clarke Photography]

Misc Look:

Inspiration Board: Wedding programs

 Wedding programs usually list the following:

1. Cover
2. Wedding party
3. Ceremony + reading + vows
4. Thank You/ In Memory (if any)

[Wedding ceremony designed as a fan. Source: Unknown]



[Pink wedding program booklets. Source: Marthastewart.com]



[Floral and retro colourful looking wedding programs. Source: Unknown]



[Super pretty wedding name place cards hung on pegs and ribbons. Source: Unknown]



[Place/name cards with paper flowers. Source: Unknown]



[This is a really cute wedding program]



[The images used in he programs are pretty cool]




Inspiration Board: Wedding stationary

 Place and name cards:

[Escort place cards. Source: Marthastewartweddings.com]



[The prettiest wedding seating plan. Source: Unknown]



[Handmade wedding name card. Source: Unknown]



[These paint streaked name cards are so striking in simplicity and beauty]




[These can be made with any stamps since they're so simple and striking in design]

 
Table numbers:

                                       

Design and effects that can be incorporated:



[Can't recall the site where I found this awesome idea of using the cut base of celery to stamp cards]




[<3 the polka dot look. All the colours combine to look really fun and flirty. I'm loving all the creativity of the folks on the web who are making stamps by carving erasers and the ones incorporating polka dots into their designs]



[The purple textured print is really interestingly used! Loving it <3]

 Wedding invitations:


[<3 the balloon design...it's floaty and fun in design]



[Love the green trees in the design. This card is perfect for garden/bush/forest/nature weddings]



[This card oddly incorporates the differing elements really well: Classical motif with modern birdcage and yet oriental lanterns]

[Simple motifs used in repetition can be striking in design]

Wedding invitations

I've been all over the web in search of wedding invitation inpirations. Now that I've bought the bridesmaid dresses, my theme colour has been finally established: purple/lavender/lilac. So having said that, the invitations and all the associated name cards and table numbers etc will have those dominant colour themes to tie the entire day together in harmony.

Trawling the net for wedding images, I've been remiss in terms of noting where I got the images from so if anyone notices an image of theirs that I've posted up - please let me know and I will either a) remove the image if requested or b) acknowledge your image with a caption and provide a link back to your website.

The cost of wedding invitations

DIY invitations can either look fabulous or tacky and amateur. Invitations that can be ordered online can range from $3 to $12 per invitation and that's not including any associated stationary yet! Whoa.

Invitation designs that I heart:

From: http://www.theinvitationcollection.com.au/ Wedding card at $6.90 each - the double pink ribbon looks great!

Wedding card $10.90 each - wow - probably costs so much because of the fancy bucky with pearl decoration!

Loving the green freshness of this green invitation - $7.90/invitation

Loving the pink and brown combinatin with that cute tag- 7.90/invitation

Wedding invitations

Traditionally issued by the bride's parents even if they're not paying. It's optional to include the groom's parents on the invitation. Most modern invitations include both parents' name. Invites are usually sent six weeks before the wedding.

For a fully co-ordinated wedding:

* Wedding invitation
* Evelopes
* RSVP cards
* Location maps with directions to the ceremony location(church/garden) and the reception venue
* Place cards
* Thank you cards
* 'Save the Date' cards
* Order of service sheets
* Menu cards
* Cake bags
* Bomboniere cards
* Coasters
* Matches
* Table napkins
* Wedding album

The wedding invitation design sets the style and tone of the wedding. Need: time for preparation, addressing, mailing, extra invitations for errors/mistakes/keepsakes, check the drafting several times before printing, confirm details for the ceremony and reception and an accurate guest list.

Outer envelope should have full names of the invited guests, the phrase 'and family' shouldn't be on the outer envelope. Invitation on the inside should contain the first names of all invited guests, including children. If you don't want to invite children, you can write "Adult Reception' on the invitation. You can add a handwritten note explaining that the reception does not cater to children. For singles, add the words 'and guest' to the inner envelope and invitation only- make an effort to find out the partner's name.

Components to the invitation design

* The design/look/appearance/style
* The wording
* Style, colour and typeface
* Popular Gaphic Overprint invitation styles includes Bay Series, Fine Impressions and Elegance
* Once invites are printed- ost couples handwrite or have a calligrapher write the names on the invitations
* Gold foil raised names look beautiful and are fancy

Music playlist

Classical repertoire

* Tango, Albeniz
* Ave Maria, Bach
* Symphony No 5, Beethoven
* Violin Concerto, Beethoven
* Selections from Carmen, Bizet
* Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Mozart
* Canon in D, Pachelbel
* The Four Seasons, Vivaldi
* Classical Gas, Williams
* The Blue Danube Waltz, Strauss
* Quartet No 9, Paganini

Music from youtube that I would love at our wedding

* Ben Chan Violin Solo playing 'Kiss the rain' by Yiruma: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_oDM7aDmoc

Itinerary At The Reception

This is suppose to be the traditional order of the night:

* Guests arrive at the location
* Cocktails and canapes are served
* Guests are seated
* The bridal couple arrives usually announced by the MC, sometimes a receiving line
* Guests are seated and dinner is served
* Toasts and speeches
* The cake is cut
* The bridal waltz or first dance
* Everyone dances or mess around
* Bride throws bouquet
* Groom tosses the garter
* Farewells as the bridal party leaves
* Parents farewells the guests
* Time for everyone to go home

Traditional order of speeches and toasts during the night

* Welcome by the MC(Master of Ceremonies)
* First course
* The Loyal/Royal Toast
* Main course/and/or final course
* Call to attention by the MC
* Introduce person proposing toast to the bride and groom
* Groom responds and proposes toast to the bridesmaids
* Best man responds
* Toast to bride's parents by a relative or close friend
* Father of the bride responds
* Toast to the groom's parents by a relative or close friend
* Groom's father responds

Main pointers about speeches

* Four main speeches: Toast to the B&G, the groom's speech, the bride's speech and the best man's speech
* Memorable speeches are usually no more than five minutes and have a combination of sincere feelings and humour
* 'To the B&G' is a toast to the B&G given by the father of the bride or a close family friend. Warm words about the bride, welcoming the groom and his famil into the bride's family is the essence. Thank those who have travelled to the wedding and a few anecdotes about the B&G can draw the speech to a close
* 'The Groom' replies to the toast on behalf of himself and his wife, thanks everyone who helped make the day possible and highlight those who did special tasks, conclude speech toasting the bridesmaids (nb to self: that advice was a bit odd)
* 'The Bride' some choose not to to a speech but it's a great opportunity to thank those who have helped and offered guidance through the planning process. Thank both sets of parents who have been generous with the time, help and understanding, toast the BM and GM to conclude
* 'The Best Man' needs to finish off with reading any letters, faxes and emails of congratulations

Speeches 'To Do' list

* Choose best man and MC
* Decide who will speak and in which order
* Advise MC of the order of speeches, give a little background on each speaker
* Advise all speakers when they will be required
* Confirm the necessary facilities with the reception venue (microphone, lecturn etc)
* Rehearse alone and in front of others
* Deliver the speech

MC duties

* Announcing the bridal party upon entry
* MC will call guests to attention for each speech
* Announce the cutting of the cake and afterwards invite the bridal couple onto the dance floor for the first dance
* Advise guests when it is time to bid the B&G farewell

Pointers for a successful and fun reception:

* Get everything in writing, from the dance floor size, play list to be be performed during the night, itemise the various pricing instead of getting an overall price
* Venue chosen should meet all your needs and not just some
* Coordinate delivery of your cake, flowers, decorations etc with the venue. The venue may have previous suppliers they can refer you to. Advise the venue of when the delivery and/or storage requirements of your cake and flowers well in advance of the wedding day
* Speak to one person, preferably a wedding coordinator so that one person will take responsibility for disseminating and delegating any necessary information
* Be considerate of your guests with the timing between the ceremony and reception. If you need more time for photography, arrange with the venue to allow guests in early and greeted with drinks and canapes
* Plan the night, give the MC a schedule of events so that you won't need to worry about the night and order of events

Last tip in the article was that the success of a wedding reception was in the 'planning, planning and more planning'.

Bridesmaids

I've asked three friends to be my bridesmaids. Hopefully they'll all get along. They are from different groups and parts of my life and represent the current circle that I hang out with. One is a friendship from over a decade ago. One represents my hobbies and interests side. One represents the social circle side. All three represent the groups that I find myself spending regular time with and they all have beautiful, caring and thoughtful personalities. I know that I can trust them with anything on the day and that they'll look after the duties just as I would have done myself if only I had 8 pairs of hands.

It's easy to become a control freak but I just know the day will be busy and will require delegations. I aim to do as much as possible myself before the wedding day and hopefully their duties won't be that burdensome. I already feel guilty at the thought of monopolising their weekends simply for wedding planning when I know how busy and stressful their lives are without that on top. It's suppose to be a happy day right?

As long as the planning is all done, the day should come together like clockwork. I've offered to pay for the dresses and shoes so I can't go too overboard with all the other expenses coming along however finding a dress that looks beautiful on all three will be no easy task.

Sydney Wedding magazine had a breakdown of the budget for expenses on each bridesmaids:

* Dress $200~$50?
* Shoes up to $150?
* Hair on the day - up to $100 each? Not sure how much it costs these days
* Makeup on the day - up to $100 each? Again - will need to get quotes
* Bridesmaids gifts and helper gifts - $? Unsure
* Accessories? $50~$80 Not sure if it's self provided or I'll need to buy some?

Budget - will need to multiply the sum of the above by my three bridesmaids. We've yet to start shopping so prices and costs are currently not yet known.

Time to plan and allocate for

* Dress shopping/fittings
* Shoe and accessory shopping?
* Parties to organise and invites to send (Hens stuff)
* Shopping for gifts for bridesmaids/groomsmen + family/friends who have contributed a lot in time and effort
* Hair/makeup trials
* Invitation writing/making and envelope stuffing (most likely will get family to help with this)
* Wearing the shoes in before the day so that they're more comfortable

Perhaps I should ask them to wear their own shoes and I'll supply the accesories because what if I bought them all had brand new, matching shoes and then they all end up with matching blisters on the day due to shoe discomfort?!! I'd feel so guilty!

Bridesmaids dress colour

I've got a few colours I'd like them to try dresses in to see which colour looks best on everyone: Red, dark pink, fuschia, magenta, violet, lavender, mauve, purple and lilac. They're all such pretty colours and are what I like to surround myself in when I buy flowers/plants/clothing/accessories. I'd like the deeper hues than the pastel ones because they're more dramatic and add a bigger splash of colour. I can already imagine using shiny, purple violet ribbons across the invitations.

DIY wedding bouquets

My fiance's mother and I plan on hitting the wholesale flowers market on Friday to buy the blooms and form our own bouquets that will revolve around the bridesmaids' dress colour and the wedding colour theme. Although the thought is scary it does sound fun however I hope we won't be too stressed out by assuming too much work upon ourselves instead of outsourcing.

A wedding flower magazine had the following breakdown for colour schemes that sounds useful:

MONOCHROMATIC
One hue in varying tints, tones and shades

ANALOGOUS
Colours alongside each other on the colour wheel

TRIADIC
Colours that are three equidistant colours apart on the colour wheel

COMPLEMENTARY
Two colours that are directly opposite one another on the colour wheel

SPLIT COMPLEMENTARY
A hue from one side of the colour wheel and the two colours that lie on either side of its direct opposite

TETRADIC
Two sets of complentary colours

PRIMAR COLOURS
Red, yellow and blue

SECONDARY COLOURS
Created by mixing equal parts of two primary colours

TERTIARY COLOURS
Created by mixing equal parts of a primary colour and secondary colour

Wedding Reception Venue

We've already booked our venue. It's going to be at a Chinese restaurant with a banquet meal. Still a lot of things to do:

* Venue decorations
* Entertainment (magicians/dancers?)
* Seating plan after sending out invites and obtaining RSVPs
* Timetable of the night's running order: Bridal party and family entering the reception venue, speeches, cake cutting, bridal waltz, videos or photos to play - to make copies for ourself, reception manager and the DJ/entertainers

Phew heaps of work to do- no wonder I have trouble sleeping!

Planning the Wedding Cake

The cake should ideally match the wedding theme and colours. Things to consider: colour, flavour, size, shape, icing and decorations. How and where will it be displayed at the reception? An average two tier cake will serve around sixty people if the bottom 25cm layer is used and if the top is 18cm then it will serve 100 people. Soft cakes and wedding cakes used as the only desserts usually require larger slices.

Most of the weddings we've attended have desserts already provided so we've noticed that people don't eat the wedding cake which is served last. I'm not sure if we'll be serving up our cake so it will be a simpler affair, most likely two tier. Fancy icing and fruit cakes are two components that will probably up the price of the cake.

Cake traditions

Usually the top tier is saved and frozen, to be eaten on the first anniversary. The cake maker needs to be advised of this according to the bridal magazines however that begs the question why? :/ What's the difference between a wedding fruitcake and how would it differ if we told them that we plan to eat the top layer one year later? :/ Hopefully not via more preservatives.

Cake timeline

SIX MONTHS
* Decide on the style of cake to best match your wedding theme and budget, choose the flavour/s and whether it will be served as dessert, after dessert or for guests to take home
* How many will you need to serve and do you wish to cater for dietary requirements and allergies?
* Compile your ideas and research some cake makers online to see some of their creatiions. If you like their work, contact them and if you like what you hear, make an appointment to visit their stores and taste some samples.
* Ask for detailed quotes and compare costs

THREE MONTHS
* Pay the deposit with your cake maker and have a detailed contract/invoice that outlines the cake description, cost, time, place, location of delivery and any hidden charges
* Ask your reception venue if they can serve the cake either as dessert or after desserts

TWO WEEKS
* Call your cake maker to confirm the details and pay the balance of the costs
* Ensure a cake knife has been organised for the reception

WEDDING DAY
* Cake to be served at the reception or packaged for guests to take home

Planning Wedding Music

Below a few helpful hints that I've found in the bridal magazine. We've got to get a move on because the wedding is in less than five months and we haven't done anything yet! *panic panic*

Music for the day will be messy. From organists, choirs, string trios, quartets, soloists, harpist to taped music. We are hoping to have a violinist(classical) or guitarist (rock and roll), a band for live music during the reception and a DJ for later in the evening to play dance tracks.

Music during the ceremony

We're having a garden ceremony so there will hopefully be music in the following parts:
* Music before the wedding
* Processional music (walking down the aisle): Mendelssohn's Wedding March or Pachelbel's Canon or Wagner's Bridal Chorus (We are loving Pachelbels Canon!!)
* Music during the service
* Music during the signing of the register
* Recessional music and incidental music after the wedding

Questions to ask when hiring:

* How long have you and the other performers been playing together and do you have samples that I can watch or is on youtube or your website? Or can I see examples of you work and speak with former clients?
* Ask to see a list of their repertoire, agreee on a list of music and songs they are to perform, check the list and confirm it in the contract
* Contract should cover the following: terms and conditions of the hiring, names of all musicians and performers should be listed along with the style of music they will be performing down to the specific songs, arrival and departure time clearly stated along with setup and break times, food and beverage allowances for the band, equipment provisions and liability-insurance coverage, will they play 'filler' music during their break? and what about the DJ?
* What will you be wearing when you perform?
* Do you charge by the hour or a flat rate?
* How much room do you need for your equipment and performance area?
* Will you beable to play in a garden or park using your own power supply?
* Will you be rehearsing before the wedding?
* It's suppose to be protocol to feed the band members during celebrations so check with venue or caterer about vendor or supplier meals and prices
* Ensure your reception venue can accomodate the band due to some venues having restrictions over the noise/space/acoustics and electrical requirements

Hiring a DJ

* DJs usually provide the music, sound and lighting equipment and can play continuously without interruptions
* Choose music that is meaningful to the both of you so that you can have great memories of the night
* Music can be dramatic, romantic, sexy or fun
* Agree with the DJ on the list of songs and music pieces to be played, 'must play' songs and fillers
* Easy listening tunes 'background music' during the meal and more dance tunes later in the evening
* Black tie formal- Jazz or contemporary band on arrival and disco DJ for the dance hours


Entertainment

* Surprises for guests can include such entertainments as: fireworks, laser light show, fire breathers, jugglers, stilt walkers to greet guests arriving, cabaret, flamenco dancers, mime artists and magicians, comedians, snake and sword acts, impression artists

Music timeline

SIX MONTHS
* Figure out the kind of music you and your fiance would like at your ceremony and reception and how much you are willing to spend
* Find examples of performers work on the internet, on their website, at  live shows, friend's recommendations
* Do you need a band and a soloist?
* Reception entertainment are usually booked out early so book ASAP, always watch their performance before paying the deposit
* Ensure you have a written contract/agreement outlining the date, time, location, length of performance, break time and any extra charges for travel, meals and overtime
* Check with your ceremony and reception venues about assembling audio equipment, microphones and loudspeakers. Will be there sufficient room for a dance floor, lecturn and performance area?

THREE MONTHS
* Give the DJ/musicians your 'play list' and 'black list' along with special requests. Ensure that they know when to play the bridal waltz and the music to be played.

ONE WEEK
* Call and confirm all details with your musicians
* Written agreement should outline what the musicians will be providing at what costs, the breaks they are having and at which times, if hey require a meal, ourly rae for additional time, venue address, reception starting time and the time that he band is expected to start playing
* Organise time when the band can prepare their equipment and carry out a sound check
* Liaise with the reception venue and provide contact names and numbers for both parties to confirm the setup time

Planning Wedding Flowers

Some like the extravagant lavish and ornate flower arrangements. I prefer something more simple. Flowers are so expensive in Australia. We are hoping to visit the wholesale flower market at Flemington and make our own bouquets and floral arrangements. The colour scheme will be dependent on the bridesmaid dress colours so that everything looks visually stunning. People use ivy as a cheaper alternative. The trick will be knowing what blooms will be in season to match the dresses and the colour theme of the wedding!

Flower components to think about:

* Bride and bridesmaid bouquets
* Buttonholes for groom and groomsmen
* Corsages or buttonholes for bride and groom's fathers
* Flower hairpieces
* Rose petal confetti
* Floral arrangements for the ceremony and any topiary bushes
* Floral centrepiece arrangements for the reception (We may just have flowers on the bridal table since we're having an asian banquet)
* Fresh blooms for wedding cake (we probably won't have fresh flowers on our cake)

Timeline planning for wedding flowers

 SIX MONTHS

* Once you've got your gown sorted, choose the bouquet design you want in consideration of your dress, wedding colour theme, bridesmaids' gowns, time of year and location
* Decide on quantity of bouquets and floral arrangements you would like to order (I'm tossing between having and not having floral centrepieces at the reception)
* Search for a florist, ask to see their portfolios and ensure you get along with them (We're making our own)
* Bring fabric swatches, stationary samples and the chosen cake design so that the florist can understand your theme and wedding style
* Compare quotes and get the best deal

TWO WEEKS

* Call your florist and confirm the delivery time, date and address for the bouquets. Confirms setup location, time and date for ceremony and reception decorations

Planning Wedding Bomboniere

Bomboniere are the thank you gifts for guests. With the exception of two weddings, we usually get bombonieres at every other wedding. Thinking back, after a while no-one really remembers what the bombonieres were and when we didn't get any at two weddings, no-one even really missed it that much. So far, I've got about five chopsticks set, two fans, lollies and some fake flowers that have gathered dust as they just sat on the shelves. However some bombonieres were truly memorable because love and thought had gone into them via the gifts themselves or the packaging and design. It's obvious when someone has made an effort to co-ordinate the designs/colours and theme throughout the wedding with personal reflections or momentos of the couples journey to the wedding day.

An edible or useful bomboniere, a display shelf bomboniere or a stuff-it-in-the-drawers bomboniere

I tend to consider gifts belonging in three main categories:  Edible or useful (eg food and winestoppers), something that you place on shelves or in display cupboards that may gather dust and require dusting and some that aren't quite display worthy and people are unsure about what to do with them so they just jam them into their cupboards and drawers until they're suddenly found again when the drawers get cleaned up.

We are thinking of providing small glass jars of jelly belly beans. I want to give something edible(jelly belly beans), something durable and usable/functional(glass jars which can later be used to store herbs/spices/sweets) and something to tie the bomboniere into the wedding theme so they match beautifully via the ribbon and tag attached with a personal message of thanks and wedding details which could be scrap booked or kept as a keepsake by some. The jelly belly beans have around 49 flavours, are really cute and best of all, tasty! Once I attach some ribbons and a label that matches the stationary then it should hopefully look really cute and elegant. After a pile of bombonieres gathering dust on my shelf, I'll stick to the edible gifts which can be enjoyed and munched on in days or weeks after the wedding.

There are thousands of bomboniere gift ideas on the internet. The traditional gift was five sugared almonds however modern bombonieres range from lollies, fortune cookies, candles, chopsticks, fans, name/place card holders in the shape of hearts/fish/birds etc, photo frames, keyrings, cookies, cupcakes, chocolates and truffles,  magnets to more elaborate gifts such as engraved bookmarks and wine bottle stoppers. The price of bombonieres on the internet range from around $1 to $10 per guest.

Adding the personal touch to your bombonieres

It's a great opportunity to have either the bomboniere itself, the packaging or the labelling match your wedding colour theme used in your fabrics, stationaries, invitations etc. The bombonieres should complement the centrepieces, napkins and any floral arrangements. Always have extra bombonieres for the ones that get damaged and you can gift them to other suppliers whom you have appreciated help from and possibly a few for momentos.

Bomboniere timeline

SIX MONTHS
* Analyse your guest list and calculate how many you will need and how much your budget will be
* Ready-made versus DIY bombonieres > you can get ideas from the internet, bridal magazines, craft shops, bridal stores, fairs, other friends' wedding, wedding blogs
* Research your prices on the internet, get quotes from suppliers, try and source wholesalers if possible, ask for bulk buying discounts, as for further discounts if you pay cash, get written quotes which outlines the product and shipping costs

 THREE MONTHS
 * If you're making a DIY bomboniere, buy the supplies you need and set aside spare time to make them, try to enlist other family and friends in the process so that it's not as stressful and it'll be significantly faster
 * If the bombonieres are perishable or edible such as seedlings, cupcakes, jams etc then they will need to be organised closer to the date

TWO WEEKS
 * If the bombonieres are DIY then they will need to be completed if non perishable so that you won't stress over them
 * If you are buying them, call the supplier/stockist to confirm the order, date, time and place for delivery and pay for them
* Organise for your friend, reception manger, wedding coordinator or family member/s to arrange the bombonieres on the tables,  on a main table by the entrance/exit or arrange for a friend to hand them out when guests start leaving. The easiest method is to arrange them on the table beforehand.

Buying a Wedding Dress

Recent friends have been paying around $2k for their wedding dresses and they said that was cheap! Whilst we haven't got a budget, we usually ask for multiple quotes to get a reasonable and competitive price and we also do a lot of web hunting for the best deals so even setting a firm numerical budget isn't really that effective. Despite our budget being almost unlimited, neither my fiance nor I are lavish spenders and we are aiming for a simple, elegant wedding and not something overly elaborate and flamboyant.

Anyway, I've been reading up on wedding dresses and a few important notes that I wanted to remember when going wedding dress shopping:

* Can you raise your arms, walk, dance, hug and breath easily?
* Does it suit the season and formality of your wedding?
* Is it the right length? Will you require gown fittings?
* Does it look nice from behind?
* Will you need to wear special lingerie underneath?

Timeline for wedding gown shopping

TWELVE MONTHS
* Make a scrapbook out of your favourite dresses
* Formalise a budget

NINE TO SIX MONTHS TO THE WEDDING
* Gown hunting, book private appointments with boutiques and dressmakers, bring your mum or maid of honour along with you
* If you have found your dress- check that it fits with your veil, headpiece, shoes, lingerie and jewellery image
* Pay your deposit and ask for an invoice listing the size, style, inclusions and delivery/pick up details

SIX TO FOUR MONTHS TO THE WEDDING (This is where I'm at today with noneof the above yet accomplished! Panic panic!)
* Attend first fitting, bring accessories such as shoes, veils and lingerie
* Finalise accessories and ensure that your veil and headpiece complements the gown and bridal hairstyle

ONE MONTH
* Final fitting, ensure lingerie doesn't show and that the gown is comfortable (check weight loss or gain)

ONE WEEK
* The gown should be at your home. Store it securely away from odours and cooking smells. A steamer will remove any creases before the big day. Sandpaper the soles of your shoes and remove all price tags.