The secret to creating the perfect summer wedding
The sun is smiling down on us, and much like the optimistic smell of sun tan lotion, love is in the air. Ripe with opportunity for breezy dresses and group games out on freshly cut lawns, summer is the hottest season in which to have your wedding. First though, you must find your perfect match. No, no, not your groom (we’d hope you’ve had that minor detail covered for a good few years by now); we’re talking about your suppliers!
Think about it; you may well know exactly what you want your bouquet to smell like, what your food should taste like, and you may have a hugely comprehensive artistic vision of what your wedding photos should look like, but the difficult part is finding a supplier who really understands the fairytale wedding in your mind. You need to find someone who has the ability to turn your dream in to reality. Yes, in order to have a truly white wedding, not spoiled and stained by any blood, sweat or tears, you have to find your perfect match: the supplier who will make you the happiest woman in the world.
‘For a woman, their wedding is one of the most important events in their life’, (amen!), ‘and they need to have the peace of mind that the suppliers they’ve chosen will not let them down’. This is Jonathan Ward, founder of wedding supplier directory app The Holy Bridal. He understands that, like when making any love match, you’ll want some sort of checklist to help you find your perfect partner. You know the type: ‘over 5ft11, non negotiable; green eyes, bonus’. Ok so physical attributes are going to be less important here, but there are a few things you should vow to do when picking your perfect supplier…
Caterer:
‘Food is a massive part of the day; everyone needs feeding so there needs to be plenty of food for the numbers!’
I hereby vow to…
Request a tasting – the more tastings you do, the more you’ll appreciate really fine food when you find it
Ask what could go wrong – you’re not tempting fate by doing this, just preparing for all eventualities and therefore planning ahead to reduce their likelihood
Ask if they provide drinks too – this will make a significant difference to your catering costs so it’s important to establish early on if there will be a charge
Photographer:
‘These guys are there to capture all the special moments of the day. A wedding day can go so fast for a couple, so it’s important that they have photos and videos to look back on and share with family and friends in the future’.
I hereby vow to…
Ask to see a portfolio – this’ll help you get an idea of if their style is similar to your personal vision
Discuss the type of photos you want – think about whether you want staged shots, or if you just want lots of live action shots captured throughout the day
Ask how much time they’d want for the official shoot – it’s important to factor this timing in to your day and ensure the other guests are kept entertained during this time
Florist:
‘Flowers help get the theme for the day across; they’re also captures in photos so it’s important that they’re fresh and last throughout the day’.
I hereby vow to…
Ask how long they’ll need to set up in the morning – you don’t want to be stressing that your venue still hasn’t been decorated just before guests begin to arrive
Think about all the tasks I’ll need them to take care of – it’s not just your bouquet that’ll be important, but also table centerpieces and corsages
Let them in on the wider vision for my wedding – they need to know everything from your colour theme to the planned flow of your day to make sure the flowers are best suited to your vision
Venue owner:
‘The venue is chosen by the bride & groom as the destination for their wedding day so they just need to be on top form ensuring all of the agreed services are honored and everything runs smoothly making sure the bride & groom have a stress free day’.
I hereby vow to…
Ask what’s included in the price – for example some will include in-house catering, others will not
Think about how many venues I’ll need – you might want a venue that can host everything from ceremony, to wedding breakfast, to evening party, or perhaps you’d prefer separate venues for each
Think about accommodation for guests – take into consideration if there are a good number of hotels nearby for guests who are travelling from afar
Dressmaker:
‘The dress is the most important part of the day, so after the bride has chosen the one she wants, the dressmaker needs to make sure alterations are completed and that the dress is ready on time’.
I hereby vow to…
Think about whether I actually need a dressmaker – you may well find your perfect gown off-the-rack
Discuss their personal style – there’s little point asking for an uber-modern, high fashion dress from a dressmaker who specialises in vintage lace
Take in to consideration how much weight I might lose – no bride should feel they have to lose weight, but if you’re planning on doing so, let your dressmaker in on this so they can sew accordingly
Evening entertainment:
‘Good entertainment is key for a fun wedding day. It’s meant to be about celebrating the event with all your friends and family together. What better way to do this then to enjoy great music and have a dance! The most important thing is that the guests are enjoying the music and having lots of fun’.
I hereby vow to…
Think about what most of my guests would like – you don’t want to alienate any one group by choosing a wildly extreme music genre
Think about the tone of the evening – you’ll want to choose differently if you want a relaxed evening of mingling and chatting to if you want everyone up and dancing
Ask how long they’re happy to play for – you don’t want to find yourself with no music after 9pm because they’d forgotten to tell you you’d only paid for an hour long set
For a marriage made in heaven, seek wisdom from The Holy Bridal this summer by following them on Twitter and Facebook!
