Planning

Skincare doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. Your 8-hours of nightly rest are a time of rejuvenation and renewal for your whole body, including your skin. So make sure you’re getting the most from your sleep with these bedtime skincare tips.

Double-cleanse every evening

Double cleansing in the evening washes the day away, removing makeup, sebum, sweat, dirt particles from air pollution, and dead skin cells. But you need to find a balance between effective cleaning and a gentle touch. Otherwise, you’ll strip away important oils and upset your skin’s pH level.

Use two different types of cleansers to get the best results, a foaming cleanser and an oil-based cleanser. It doesn’t really matter which order you use them in, but if you have dry skin, it’s best to use your oil-based cleanser last.

Make sure you choose a foaming cleanser that’s free of sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS). This chemical is often included in cleansers as a foaming agent, but it has a drying effect and disrupts your skin’s pH.

Finish your night-time cleansing ritual with toner, to get lots of moisture into your skin and ensure optimal pH levels. Have you ever tried a mist toner? It’s a refreshing way to get your skin ready before applying night cream.

Use a nutrient-rich night cream

The job of a night cream or night moisturiser is to help your skin heal and nourish overnight. While you sleep, the level of the stress hormone cortisol falls and your body sets about repairing damage caused during the day. You can support your skin’s repair and renewal process by applying a night cream that’s rich in nutrients.

Dab your night cream onto your face, then massage it in with circular movements. Don’t apply night cream to your eyelids, but you can apply it to the lower part of your eye socket.

Okana’s Berry Blend Intense Repair Night Moisturiser, which is 100% natural and fragrance-free, contains mixed berry juice to neutralise free radicals, macadamia oil to balance sebum production, and apricot kernel oil to slow the signs of ageing.

Drink chamomile tea before bed

Chamomile tea is the ideal evening beverage to prepare you for sleep. Chamomile contains apigenin, an antioxidant that promotes sleepiness and prevents insomnia.

It’s also good for digestive health and assists with blood sugar control, both of which will make for more peaceful sleep.

If you dislike the taste of chamomile tea, other options are lemon balm tea, passionflower tea, or any of the sleepytime teas on the market.

Read a real book for 30 minutes

It’s fine to watch a movie or series in the evening, but you need a break from the lit screen before you go to sleep. The display screens of smartphones, computers, televisions and many other digital devices emit significant amounts of blue light. Blue light inhibits melatonin production, the hormone that helps regulate your sleep cycle and helps you fall asleep.

To give yourself an hour that’s free of blue light before bedtime, spend 30 minutes getting ready for bed — maybe your beauty routine plus some yoga stretches — then read a book or magazine for 30 minutes. Certain brands of e-readers are OK, too, if you adjust their lighting right down.

Make a list of things on your mind

If you have a busy brain at night, clear your mind before bed by listing all the things you’re thinking about that might require action tomorrow.

Getting these things out of your head and onto paper helps you to enter the calm state required for a good night’s sleep.

Practise mindful breathing

Mindful breathing calms your mind and body so you can drift off to sleep easily. Try breathing in for three, holding for three, exhaling for three, then counting to three before inhaling again. Repeat this five times.

Another approach is even more controlled. Breathe in for five counts, hold for four counts, breathe out for seven counts, and repeat until drowsy.

While breathing, let you attention rest on your breath itself wherever you sense it most naturally. You’ll be feeling peaceful in no time. Mindful breathing can also help calm anxiety and stress during the day.

Change your pillow slip regularly

Your pillowcase is in direct contact with your skin all night. It absorbs things from your skin and hair all night, and they accumuate over time. Think about it, a pillowcase that isn’t changed will slowly collect:

• Skincare products
• Sebum
• Dead skin cells
• Sweat
• Dirt
• Oil
• Sweat
• Hair products

If that all sounds a bit gross, then you’ve realised why changing your pillowslip every 2-3 days is a good idea. It’s easy to do and will keep your skin clean and fresh.

Planning for your big day can be stressful, as pre-wedding jitters take their toll. As you run down your pre wedding checklist, making sure that your i’s are dotted and t’s crossed, it’s a good idea to add one more item to your already hectic schedule: a massage.

A pre wedding massage can do you the world of good and provide a much needed break from all the planning and anxiety.  During a massage session, your heart rate is lowered considerably and your brain releases ‘happy hormones’ that put you in a good mood. Many people consider massage to be a luxury, but it should actually be built in to any healthy lifestyle. Massage helps to relax the muscles, improves circulation and can aid detoxification.

You could decide to go with your partner, your wedding party, a friend or family member; however you decide to approach it, just one hour of relaxing massage will strengthen your immune system, help you recharge and more than likely provide the inspiration you need to make your day as special as it should be. At the very least, you’ll have an hour to yourself, where you can just forget about it all and relax.

Below are some more prudent reasons why a pre wedding massage is an absolute must before your big day.

Stress reliever

Are the in-laws driving you crazy? Are the contractors not returning your calls? Planning for your big day can be the ultimate test of patience; it can also cause significant psychological and physical fatigue. While there are many things you can do to stay calm and collected during the planning period, one of the most effective ways to relieve stress and promote relaxation is by taking a massage. In small amounts, stress can be useful for getting things done, but in large doses, it can be quite harmful. There are very few activities that can result in severe psychological and physical stress as when you’re planning for your wedding.

Improves sleep

There aren’t many days in a woman’s life that can pose a threat to their psychological health as the last few days before her wedding. As the big day draws closer, the sheer number of things that need doing can affect how well you sleep. Every newlywed knows the importance of catching enough sleep before the big day – not only to maintain that crucial wedding glow, but for cognitive function, improved mood and general health. Having a massage a few days before your wedding will do much to aid your circadian rhythm. Massage has been known to help improve sleep at a chemical level by increasing the delta brain waves that are connected to deep sleep, improving concentration and increasing energy levels.

Lifts mood

Different things work for different people, but sometimes, all you need is just an hour on the massage mat to lift your mood. Planning for your wedding can be overwhelming; when things appear not to be going as planned, it can have a negative effect on your mood. The truth is that a negative mood will only do more to hurt your plans than help. You could find yourself snapping at people who are only trying to help or end up making mistakes that could have been avoided. This overwhelming feeling of stress and moodiness can happen at any time while you’re planning for what should be the happiest day of your life. A good massage session will increase serotonin (the hormone responsible for regulating anxiety) and reduce cortisol (the stress hormone) in your body, effectively putting you in a happy and healthy place.

Radiant and healthy skin

Radiant and healthy skin is another benefit of massage that might not be immediately obvious. Multiple facial massages before the wedding will help in solving the problem of ‘bad skin’, which almost every bride is worried about on the big day. This type of massage helps the lymphatic system, which is the body’s waste disposal system. It also helps to improve circulation, which brings much needed nutrient rich blood to the massaged areas, resulting in healthy skin and a fresh glow.

Reduces bloating

It wouldn’t do to feel bloated during your wedding; you’ll feel so uncomfortable that you might not be able to enjoy your special day. Thankfully, certain massage techniques can help increase the metabolism of antioxidants and nutrients. When your body metabolises faster, you can easily flush out toxins and subsequently digest food better.

This process helps to reduce bloating and any discomfort that comes from improper digestion. Massage sessions can be helpful in making you feel one hundred percent throughout your wedding day. After all, there are better things to think about – such as flower arrangements and bridesmaid dresses – than the state of your stomach.

Enjoying your massage

The importance of a pre-wedding massage cannot be overemphasised. However, you’ll also want to be able to enjoy the full massage treatment and all its associated benefits. This means speaking up if you’re in an uncomfortable position or need to visit the toilet. The most important thing is that you’re comfortable enough to enjoy your massage treatment.

Massage therapists are always interested in getting your feedback, so if the pressure is not what you want or the atmosphere unsuitable, don’t hesitate to speak up. You’re meant to pamper yourself during your pre-wedding massage so don’t feel reluctant to do so.

However, understand that massage isn’t quick fix solution; it usually takes more than one session to feel the long term benefits. It’s also a good idea to have a massage pampering session a few days before your wedding, as you’ll need the benefits to be evident if you plan to be the life and soul of the party.

So, as you plan for your wedding, make provisions for a few massage sessions. Expunge your body of those toxins and put yourself in the perfect frame of mind for your big day.

Planning a wedding can be one of the most stressful times in a bride’s life and everything from the major decisions like venue and dress to the seemingly more minor decisions like centrepieces and wedding favours can seem like an incredibly daunting and induce stress in even the calmest and most composed of brides.

While it would be ideal for your day to go exactly as you have dreamed of and have been planning for, it is important to remember that you need to take the time to destress and relax during the planning to ensure the run-up to the big day isn’t engulfed by stress but rather an enjoyable and memorable experience that you will have with your other half and closest friends and families for the rest of your life.

If you’re worried that you’re the only bride who’s pulling their hair out with all the competing pressures of planning a wedding – fear not, there are a lot more brides in exactly the same boat as you.

Fortunately, there’s a few easy and proven methods to tackle the stresses of planning for a wedding and some handy tips to help your day and its run-up to go as smoothly as possible.

Planning a Wedding is Not For The Faint-hearted – and the Statistics Prove It

According to a survey done by wedding company, Zola, on 500 engaged or newlywed couples, 96% of those survey called wedding planning stressful with 40% of those surveyed even going so far as to describe it as extremely stressful.

When probed as to the biggest stressors:

• 35% stressed most about getting everything done
• 20% stressed most about managing guest lists and RSVPs
• 14% stressed most about finding a venue

Perhaps one of the most interesting statistics to emerge from the survey however was the fact that 71% of participants said that wedding planning is more stressful than one or more of the following:

• Public speaking
• Finding a job
• Having bad credit
• Applying to college
• Buying a home or moving to a new house

If you’ve been feeling the effects of wedding stress, you’re not alone. Many couples experience a high number of stress-induced symptoms when planning a wedding, as is evidenced by the results of the Zola survey, which found that of 86% who experienced on average three or more stress-induced symptoms:

• 56% had elevated anxiety
• 37% had difficulty sleeping
• 35% had mood swings
• 30% had shorter tempers
• 27% had headaches
• 15% had skin breakouts
• 12% had hair loss

Signs You’re Too Stressed

It is important to recognise that stress and pressure is part and parcel of planning for one of the biggest days of your life. It is highly unlikely you will meet a bride who has said that they didn’t find wedding planning stressful (and if you do, they’re lying). Some signs that you may be too stressed and on the verge of burn-out are:

• You’ve got wedding on the brain – you are obsessing over the minor details all day, every day from when you’re in that work meeting, to when you’re lying in bed at night even so far as when you’re in the toilet
• You start questioning all of your decisions – you want everything to be 100% right and you begin to overthink every decision you ever made
• It’s not fun anymore – wedding planning is supposed to be fun and exciting, but it feels like more of a chore now
• Your relationship with your partner is strained – you’re freaking out because your partner isn’t freaking out about all the things that could go wrong on the day and its affecting your relationship

It can be easy to lose the run of yourself and plans can spiral and become unmanageable. The best way to tackle this problem is to take a step back from the wedding and the venue picking, dress choosing, food tasting and band listening by making some time for yourself to relax. That way when you come back to it a few days’ time, you’ll have a fresh head and be able to approach your ideas much better and your wedding (and your guests) will thank you for it. Some of the best ways to beat the wedding stress include:

Get a Massage

A massage is not only a luxurious, indulgent break for both your body and mind, it also has proven health benefits and is well-recognised by healthcare professionals for its healing properties in the fight against stress, with many studies showing that massages reduce anxiety and depression.

Services like The Massage People who provide mobile massages in London and Match Skin Salon who offer Massages in Brighton & Hove are a great and cost-effective way to fit a massage in and get that golden relaxation time that your body and mind so desperately crave. What’s even better is that the therapists will always come to your specified London and address.

With loads of options of massages to choose from such as Swedish massage, Indian head massage, relaxation massages and full-body massages, it really is a relaxing experience like no other and a must for brides in the run-up to the big day. Why not kill two birds with the stone and incorporate some massages for you and the girls into your hen party or bridal shower?

Exercise

The benefits of this age-old remedy are two-fold: you’ll fight the creeping stress as well as contributing towards how good you’ll look in that dress on the day. Even something as simple as going for a walk is a great way to free your mind and will leave you feeling more focused and relaxed in the long-run (pun intended!).

Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Reserve seating plan woes and dress shade troubles for strictly the day time. Your bed is the place to be resting not planning so before you settle down for the night, put your wedding thoughts in a box, get into a comfy pair of PJs and relax so you’ll get a restful night’s sleep

Take a Break

Whether it’s rock-climbing, reading or going for a massage, set aside a few hours every week where wedding talk of any sort is under a strict ban and let your mind go elsewhere. Stick to the wedding planning in the designated hours.

And remember, no matter how stressed you are, wedding planning is a joyous occasion and a memory you’ll have for the rest of your life so make the most of the madness and try not to let the stress bog you down as your day will always be great in the end!

A wedding throws up a few grey areas, the greyest of which is who looks after the mother of the groom! Usually, this can be negated if the bride’s family is particularly helpful and nice, or if the mother of the groom has a daughter who they can rely on to go outfit shopping, underwear shopping and generally, feel involved! If however, you only have a son, or two sons – it’s easy to feel very lost! Below, we put together a little guide to help you through your son’s wedding…

Outfit Planning

This is a pretty wide subject, as Mother of the Groom – you may wish to ask what colour the bridesmaid dresses are wearing, to either match or avoid that colour (it’s all personal preference) To help with choosing an outfit, you can always ask to attend the wedding dress fitting, or any of the bride’s shopping trips for the big day (there’s always a few) alternatively, if you know what you like and like what you know, just choose a dress in a colour which makes you feel comfortable, and confident. 

It is also worth speaking to a lingerie company, who will be able to advise you of all of the shapewear and lingerie that you need, to make you feel brilliant.

Hen Party

An invite to the hen party may or not be forthcoming, there’s no huge pressure to attend – although it’s a lovely way of bonding with your new family if you are to attend. Spa days, and even a spa weekend can work well, however if three nights in Benidorm or Magaluf isn’t your thing – don’t feel that you have to go along with it.  If the Hen Do isn’t your scene, it can also be nice to organise something quieter and separate, which can be as simple as a meal out.

Wedding Contributions

This is also a tricky topic, and one which is up to the family to organise. Of course, making a wedding contribution always used to be the responsibility of the bride’s parents – although today this is much more flexible. It all really depends your financial circumstances, and is something best confirmed by all families and those involved. 

Wedding Gift

If there is a wedding list, it’s always nice to see in advance of the guests so you can choose the gift that you would like to give to your son and his new wife. As more and more people are cohabiting before marriage, not all new couples need a toaster or a dinner set. Many couples today now prefer cash gifts or vouchers for a honeymoon. Either way, it’s always nice to be first in the know so you can plan these things well in advance.

Help in Planning

This again all depends on the organisational capabilities of your son, he may or may not need helping in organising some aspects of the wedding, some sons even need help in booking their own stag do! Help can vary from setting up tables, getting in touch with the registrar, to sorting out seating plans to sending out and receiving invites and RSVPs.

Helping Guest Lists

If your sons are anything like my sons, then their wedding guest list doesn’t include half of the family which should be attending, or needing to attend. It’s always helpful to cast your eyes over the list and make sure no aunties or uncles have been (accidentally or intentionally) forgotten. This saves for embarrassment and awkwardness before, during and after the wedding day!

Speech

It’s not commonplace or compulsory for the mother of the groom to do a speech, however – there’s no tradition here. If you want to say a few words, then do! Remember though, only have two drinks before it!

Mother & Son Dance

Talking on more of a traditional level, it’s customary for the bride to dance with her father, whilst the groom dances with his mother. So dust off the dancing shoes! You can always rehearse a routine, or just go with the flow!

If you have any tips of how to survive a wedding as the Mother of the Groom, please get in touch and leave us a comment!

We have always been wowed by people who look beautiful without appearing to make so much effort. But the truth is that women who appear naturally stunning always have to put some work into it.

After all, true beauty is about enhancing the facial and body features you were born with. So, the big question is: How do you achieve ‘effortless beauty’ without having to have your face and body altered so much?

According to Beauty Schools Directory, “Flawless makeup that accentuates your natural beauty in a subtle, striking way is an art you can only learn from the best beauty schools or get from their graduates.”

They recommend these 9 stress-free secrets used by ‘naturally’ beautiful women that you’ve always admired on screen and in real life.

Exfoliate

Your skin never remains always the same. And that is because new skin cells are constantly developing as old ones die. By exfoliating your skin, you remove the dead cells, therefore exposing the fresh skin underneath. Regularly exfoliating will keep you looking clean, natural and radiant.  

Use light makeup

Your makeup should accentuate your beauty and not hide or distort it. It is always advised to work with a foundation that is just a shade lighter than your natural skin tone.

And this includes your selected lipstick colour. For a more natural look, avoid deep, dark tones and use shades that are close to the natural colour of your lip.

Reduce blusher application and always blend well

Blushers add a glow to your skin, so to achieve a more natural beauty look, use it sparingly. And like all makeup, make sure to blend it well in a way that makes your skin tone appear even and natural.

Keep your eye brows well trimmed and healthy

Of course, don’t skip on the eye brows in your ‘more natural look’ goal. Keep it tidily trimmed and in good condition. If you have to pluck out a few strands, keep it minimal as thin eyebrows are just as unnatural-looking as a heavily, jet-black painted one.

Learn to always feel beautiful and flash a confident smile

Real beauty radiates from the inside out and starts with you having faith your own natural attractiveness. So, always keep a positive view of yourself, avoid frowns as much as possible and you will look more beautiful.

Drink water and eat lots of fruit and vegetables

You’d probably heard this a thousand times, but have you ever made a real commitment to it? If you change today to a more healthy diet with lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and taking plenty of water every day, you’ll be astounded by how fresher and more naturally appealing your skin, eyes and hair will become.

Get more exercise

According to Dr. Dee “Exercise is not only for keeping fit and healthy, it also helps you look younger and enhances your natural beauty. That is because as your muscles and bones move, the blood flow to your skin increases, keeping your skin better refreshed, glowing and natural-looking. “

Get enough rest

The popular phrase “beauty sleep” was coined for a reason. Adequate sleep really does make you beautiful.  When your body and mind are at rest, your body cells renew themselves which is reflected in the way you feel fresh, happy and beautiful after a deep sleep.

But if you’re constantly denying yourself of enough or quality sleep, you’ll feel and look burned out. If you struggle with or have sleep issues, try and relax, and avoid caffeine and alcohol. You can also try adding a few aromatherapy oils to your bath or do some deep-breathing exercises.

And don’t forget to protect your skin too

This is especially important if you have a sensitive skin. Temperature changes with the weather and along with it could come some hazards to your skin beauty.

Sometimes, you may be inadvertently damaging your skin texture and freshness while trying to regulate temperature in extreme weather. For example, people tend to turn up their heating systems in deep winter, and in the process dry out their skin and make it appear aged.  

Extreme sunny conditions can also cause your skin to become flaky, dry and dull.  That is why you should make moisturizing a part of your regular skincare routine to keep it looking beautiful and flare-free.

Even for the most nonchalant individual, the wedding day is the day to pull out all the stops and look their best. Many brides and even grooms go out of their way to look perfect for their nuptials and considering the number of times they would have to pose and smile for the camera, this is understandable.

But you need to remember that the camera does not only capture the beauty of your dress and the poise of your pose. The camera also captures the brilliance of your smile.

Brides are concerned with a lot of things when it comes to their wedding. From their body to their wedding dress, hairdo, makeup and smile, everything should be just perfect for their big day. No bride wants to go through her wedding photographs to see that her teeth were not at their pearly white best.

One of the commonest issues dentists handle before a wedding is the bride’s teeth. Chipped, discolored and stained teeth have to be fixed before the big day. Fortunately, there are lots of things you can do to ensure your teeth can give you that perfect smile when you say “I do.”

Grab a seat

Grab a seat at the dentist’s office actually. On her wedding day, the bride is decked out in a beautiful shining white wedding gown, maybe a tiara, beautiful flowers and lots of fancy accessories, but none of them are as pretty as a happy smile. A pretty smile is the best accessory a bride can have, and to make that happen, a visit to the dentist is required.

Depending on what you want done to your teeth, you might need to get the process started some time before the wedding draws close. Placing porcelain veneers can take up to two months, while realignment and straightening can take up to a year.

“It is a good idea to start a year before your big day,” says Dr. Cecilia Luong of Tiger Smile Family Dentistry. This is rather sound advice because the bigger the change you want to see in your teeth, the longer it is going to take, and you wouldn’t want to scramble when it gets close to your big day.

Start whitening

If you want your teeth to match your wedding gown then whitening is the thing to do. Whitening your teeth takes at least two weeks so you don’t want to leave it until the late minute. There are several good DIY teeth whitening kits that can give you your desired results, but even these work with time.

Don’t make the mistake of whitening your teeth a day or night before your big day. Whether you visit a dentist or choose to do it at home, ‘cramming’ the whitening of your teeth can lead to gingival irritation.

So for the soon-to-be brides reading this, if you like everything about your teeth except the color, then a teeth bleaching solution is enough to give you the dazzling white smile to make your wedding perfect.

White smile program

Apart from the obvious health benefits, you actually help your teeth when you munch on crunchy, fibrous fruits like apples, carrots, celery and broccoli. These foods are packed with fiber which is an abrasive that helps clean and exfoliate your teeth and remove stains.

The white smile program involves a healthy consumption of these fruits and vegetables. The program also involves paying attention to your hydration. Drink lots and lots of water. It’s a no brainer really, water keeps your body hydrated, improves your skin (what bride doesn’t want smoother skin on her wedding day?) and helps prevent your teeth from getting stained. And best of all, water keeps your mouth lubricated and your lips moisture which will make it easier for you to smile more on your perfect day and keep your lipstick looking fresh all day long.

As you get closer to your big day, try as much as possible to stay away from food that stains – such as red wine, coffee or tea, barbecue and soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, berries and even soda. But if you can’t remove them from your diet completely, then always remember to drink water during each meal and rinse your mouth with water afterwards.

Maintain your dental habits

There are a thousand and one things to think of and put in place before the wedding. Guests list to plan, invitations to send out, shopping to do and so on, but taking care of your teeth is still a priority. The best thing any bride-to-be can do is to maintain a high level of dental health at home at all times.

Even if you decide not to go for whitening procedure to enhance the whiteness of your smile, it is still important to maintain proper oral health habits. You should never be too busy or frazzled to brush your teeth properly, at least twice a day and of course, flossing.

The months prior to the wedding can get really hectic but that doesn’t give you an excuse to skip on your regular dental checkups and dental works. Unless you don’t plan on smiling all through the wedding.

Don’t forget the groom

Guys will be guys. They don’t really care if there is a bit of green stuck in their teeth when hanging out with the boys. But this is your wedding we are talking about here. It makes a lot of sense for the bride to want to have the brightest smile in the room but it is also a good idea to carry the groom along. You wouldn’t want to have to hide some of your wedding photographs, would you? The groom might need to whiten his teeth also before the big day so that both of you can flash your matching pearly white 32s at the camera on the big day.

Finally, remember that the wedding is your big day; long awaited and tireless planned. You are the star of the day and it is vital you are ready to take the center stage as the beautiful bride with the perfect and dashing white smile.

These days, organising a bridal showers is becoming as important as planning the wedding itself. A lot of “about to weds” even contract the management and planning to brands to ensure they get the bridal shower of their dreams.

If you’re the bride’s best friend and you’re asked to take charge of the entire process, what would you do? What ideas would come to your mind to make the event unique and fun filled? Here are some of our best kept secrets to planning a successful bridal shower.

Share creative ideas and tasks

First of all, you shouldn’t feel every concept must come from your head. Gather all the friends of the bride and rub minds together. Think of ways to make it fun without losing perspective.

When you all have agreed, distribute the tasks amongst each other. If there’s someone who is a wine connoisseur, let them handle the drinks. Those who have an eye for fashion can take care of the style you all want for the day – and so on.

You can as well talk to married women who have had the experience in the past. They would likely come up with concepts to help you save money, time and effort. Even if you’re an events planner, two heads are better than one. Allow others contribute their own opinions.

Come up with theme ideas

Getting a theme for the bridal shower is one of the major aspects of the entire organising process. Be creative about theme decorations and colour. Here are some popular themes you could consider:

A travel theme – You can have the different maps to the bride’s favourite cities or countries embedded in invitations, clothing and gifts – if you’re giving out any.

Cultural theme – You can style the attires for the day to fit a particular culture. It could be African, Caribbean, Arabian or English. This could even inspire the honeymoon destination for the couple afterwards.

A lingerie theme – It’s an all-girls party. You all can decide to look kinky in silk or chiffon clothing. Short, long, plain or decorated, it all adds spice to the event.

Personalised theme – You can get all the props that would be used for the event personalised with the bride’s first name, initials, nickname, favourite phrases, and so on – from napkins, flower vases, photos and gifts to clothing, shoes and even the walls of the venue.

Food and drinks theme – There are many sub-concepts to this. If the bride is a foodie or even all of her friends, you can have a special recipe and meal prepared for the occasion. This gives everyone something to remember and a taste to lead them into the wedding day.

On the other hand, you could also have a BYOF shower – Bring Your Own Food. This also goes for drinks. Instead of spending a lot on drinks, you can tell every guest to bring a bottle of drink from a range that would be communicated to them via the invitation mail or ticket.

There are also the paper showers, hardware shower, tech shower and many more for you to consider any if you want to customise for more uniqueness.

Plan from start to the finish

When planning, make sure you follow through from start to finish. From the invitation to the invitees and the venue, make sure the “WOW” effect is consistent. When giving out tickets, be certain the content will instantly fascinate and catch the attention of the invitee. It can be a funny sentence, a captivating image, or a special type of calligraph or material texture that lets the reader in on what to expect when they arrive.

Furthermore, if it’s a surprise, don’t forget to indicate it on the ticket. Provide contact details so anyone can reach you for further information.

Don’t forget to include the name of the bride. As the guest of honor, it’s only wise that people know whose bridal shower they are going for. Be clear with the details and the purpose, so people won’t think it’s just a party or something else.

Indicate the date and venue in places where they can be easily seen on the ticket. Talking about venue, if the party isn’t going to be in a popular location or a place where people can locate, add the directions to the ticket. You can also put information about parking.

The dress code is very important. Make sure it’s in line with the theme and the venue. You wouldn’t ask people to wear an evening dress to an outdoor bridal shower during the cold or rainy season. Indicate the colour of the day too.

Confirm with the bride that she likes the concept

Since the event is majorly about the bride, do not lose sight of her. Ensure that whatever idea you all settle for is approved by the bride and is one she’s comfortable with.

In some cases, the bride might even want to take up some of the responsibilities. Respect her wishes and let her provide any extra information she feels will make the bridal shower better.

However, there are brides who might wish to have a bridal shower but can’t afford to and perhaps you are planning one as a surprise – enlist a close member of her family into it. If you know the bride well enough and you are certain of how her regular schedule is like, who most of her friends are, the things she likes and so on, then you’re good to go.

Let the day be about the bride

The day has to be about the bride. Let no one else steal her shine. It’s important she’s well pampered and taken care of. The funniest person in the clique could volunteer or be asked to anchor the day to make sure she laughs, blushes and is excited all day.

Make videos, rent a photo booth and take pictures, and try not to let a dull moment ruin your efforts. Another friend can help take down the names of people who came with gifts – while you all open them.

April has ended and May has begun, bringing with it the sweet sound of wedding bells. While some brides are at the end of the planning journey and getting married quite soon, others are searching through a wide range of magazines and websites trying to find everything they need to make their dream weddings come true without piling on the extra stress and expense that turns a dream into a nightmare. Thankfully, many articles have been written discussing how brides can turn this potential disaster into the day of their dreams.

As any wedding planner, bride-to-be, or wife knows, there is much to be organized in a wedding, but the presentation of the reception and food is a vital consideration. Whilst the wedding is ultimately about the bride and the groom, unhappy guests are a quick way to drag the mood down. Here are some ways to avoid problems:

Eat Indoors

Imagine a beautiful wedding by the beach. Now think about having the reception out on the beach or set up in a tent right next to it. This may sound lovely, but the guests and the new couple will not be so pleased when their food has been seasoned with sand. An easy fix to this is to have the wedding on the beach and move the reception somewhere nearby that is indoors. Another idea is to ask someone to help with planning, either with the food and reception itself or with another area of the wedding so the bride can focus more on this area.

Ask For Advice

There is no shame in asking for help, even from a friend or family member, if there is not enough money to hire a professional. This allows someone to pay a lot of attention to smaller details that might have gone unnoticed. For example, with wine glasses, martini glasses, and gin glasses to choose from, it’s important to have the right glassware for each drink. It’s also nice to keep the theme from the wedding in the decorations, tablecloths, and tableware. Decisions must also be made regarding when and how to serve the food, whether it entails a buffet, food stations, a dessert buffet, or traditional dining.

Rehearsal Dinner

Having a rehearsal dinner can help settle all the jittery nerves before the actual event occurs, and it can be much more relaxed than the real reception might be while still giving the couple an idea of anything that might need immediate attention should a seating arrangement not work out, for example. Moreover, there is no need for things to go perfectly during a rehearsal. While couples may decide to run one a few days before the wedding to see how everything looks and tastes with the rest of the party and close family members, they can include having the toasts (and roasts) and spend time getting to know members of the other family.

Weddings have become an event to both desire and dread for many brides out there, and anything that can lower the anxiety and stress for these women can help ensure that dream wedding stays a dream wedding.

Wedding planning isn’t easy. There’s so much to get done, from booking the perfect venue to choosing that perfect wedding dress. When it comes to hiring a live wedding band, you could be forgiven for feeling a little intimidated. There are so many options out there, so many bands to choose from, in so many styles.

So where do you start? Our number one piece of advice is to choose a band who perform the style of music you love. It’s your big day after all. That advice does come with a caveat: you need to consider who will be attending the wedding. If your guests don’t love the music too, then you could be left with the nightmare of bored guests and a deserted dance floor.

To help you out in picking a band that’ll be loved by everyone from your 5-year-old niece to your 80-year-old grandpa, we’ve listed the 5 styles of band that, in our experience, prove the most popular with guests of all ages.

Pop and Rock Wedding Bands

Probably the most popular choice of live wedding band. Pop and rock wedding bands offer something for guests of all ages thanks to their versatility. While some bands will err more to either the pop or the rock side of the spectrum, on the whole, these bands have a wide-ranging repertoire of songs by artists as diverse as The Beatles, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Adele and Coldplay.

Dancing and singing along to a live band performing incredible renditions of your favourite tunes, guitars blazing, bass thumping and drums kicking, is an incredible experience. If you’re looking for a band that’s absolutely guaranteed to pack out the dance floor with grooving guests, you can’t go wrong with a pop and rock wedding band.

Funk, Soul, Disco and Motown Wedding Bands

Funk, soul and Motown bands deliver the perfect mix of exhilarating songs that make dancing impossible to resist and smooth, soulful numbers for those romantic slow dances. These bands capture the showmanship and charisma of legendary artists like Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Aretha Franklin, as well as modern greats like John Legend and Bruno Mars. The irresistible grooves, funky guitar licks and spine-tingling vocals of a Funk, soul, disco and Motown band will have you and your guests reminiscing about your wedding entertainment for years to come.

Jazz and Swing Wedding Bands

Classy and sophisticated, jazz and swing bands add a refined touch to your wedding reception. Smooth crooners sing well-loved songs by all the greats like Sammy Davis Jr, Bobby Darin, Dean Martin and, of course, Frank Sinatra. Don’t worry, there’ll also be a few tunes from the modern heir to the Rat Pack crown: Michael Bublé. Backing the velvet-voiced vocalists are impeccable jazz musicians, including full brass sections to produce those unmistakable swinging sounds. Booking a jazz and swing wedding band gets guests of all ages jumping and jiving.

Acoustic Wedding Bands

A huge trend in live wedding entertainment right now is Mumford and Sons inspired folk acoustic wedding bands. Incorporating acoustic instruments like the banjo, double bass, acoustic guitar and cajon, these bands deliver an upbeat performance that never fails to put a smile on guests’ faces.

Thanks to their all acoustic performance, these bands are a great choice if your wedding venue has any limitations on how loud a band are allowed to perform, as they will be able to meet even the strictest decibel limits.

Another advantage of booking an acoustic wedding band is that many will offer a roaming performance where, thanks to their acoustic instruments, the band will mingle with your guests as they perform. A unique wedding day treat!

Vintage Wedding Bands

If you’ve got a vintage-themed wedding planned, then you need to book a vintage wedding band to bring it all together. Vintage bands evoke the glamour of the roaring twenties with their exquisite period attire, authentic instruments and stunning renditions of 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s standards.

To cater for the tastes of younger guests, many vintage wedding bands include vintage arrangements of more modern songs: there’s nothing quite like hearing “Gangsta’s Paradise” performed in a ragtime style by a full band with double bass, horns and strings!

Picking the music is either the best part of planning a wedding or the worst. You’re tempted to either go for the old favourites for the sake of easy pickings or take your wedding music right there and make a completely unique and crazy playlist. No matter which way you choose, there’s bound to be some work involved. So, if you need some help picking out your music, here are some tips to make the job a little less difficult:

Keep away from clichés, and don’t be afraid to break tradition

If you want your wedding to be memorable and special then you should probably steer clear of those songs we always hear at weddings. No one needs to hear the Village People singing about the YMCA for the thousandth time and Unchained Melody, despite being a beautiful song, has been done way too many times. Stop trying to think about what suits a wedding and decide instead what suits you. Your first dance doesn’t have to be a slow one and the song that plays you up the aisle doesn’t have to be Pachabell Canon. Look through your favourite songs and take your time daydreaming about which would be best for your big day.

Pick some songs to fill in the silence

Save all of your favourite songs for the party. When you’re herding everyone into the church or hanging around for pre-dinner drinks, you’re going to want a little bit of background music to set the mood. Keep it relaxing and low-key. All you need is some music to set the scene, so something instrumental will suit it perfectly or hire an acoustic duo.

Leave the little decisions to a professional

While you might be tempted to just kick the DJ out of the booth and pick the music yourself, this is supposed to be your day to relax and have fun. So, when you pick a DJ, pick one that you can trust with your wedding music. That way, you won’t be stressing about the next song when you’re out on the dancefloor. Find a wedding DJ that’s willing to design their set around your tastes. If they’ve already got a playlist and aren’t willing to compromise, give them the boot. Best of all, you want a DJ that understands what you like and can bring fresh ideas to the table. If you’re looking for a London wedding DJ, or a DJ for an Essex or Kent wedding, RedLine are a great option. All of their wedding setlists are unique and designed around what you like, so you won’t have to stress about an empty dancefloor or the dreaded Cha Cha Slide.

Coordinate with your theme

Nothing’s more jarring than sitting down for your elegant wedding dinner in a fairy tale venue and hearing thrash metal playing from the speakers. Pick music that will match the tone and theme of your wedding. Your music should create an atmosphere for your guests and define your wedding’s personality. Anything goes when it’s time to get people on the dance floor, but background music during the dinner and drinks should set the scene.