You can decide on your ideal ceremony location, pick out the perfect gown and choose gorgeous table settings, but there’s one thing you can’t control or guarantee on your big day – the weather. While certain conditions and temperatures can be expected at particular times of the year, there’s an old saying, ‘climate is what you can expect and weather is what you get,’ so the best thing you can do is be prepared, have a wedding plan that will make your day stress free no matter what the weather!

The Heat is On

In summer you may need to contend with scorching temperatures, humidity or strong sunlight on your wedding day. While many brides want to wear a full length wedding gown for this special celebration, steer clear of voluminous styles or heavy fabrics during the warmer months. The guys may even like to wear open necked shirts, depending on the formality of the occasion.

Think about appropriate accessories for the warm weather, too. Parasols, fans or sunglasses can provide a welcome relief from the sun, plus they make great props for the photos. Flowers can wilt in hot weather, so you may want your florist to wire the bouquets to keep them looking great all day, or you could stand them in water until you’re ready to leave for the wedding ceremony.

Keep the wedding menu light and fresh, and provide plenty of chilled water and non alcoholic drinks to keep everyone refreshed and hydrated. Wedding cakes can melt in high temperatures, so if you’re getting married in the height of summer, fondant icing is best as it’s more resistant to heat than butter cream.

If you’re saying ‘I do’ outdoors, hold the ceremony in a shady spot, and when you set up the chairs, make sure your guest won’t be blinded by the sun. Advice guests on your invitations that it’s an alfresco ceremony and arrange for the ushers to offer them sunscreen on arrival. Limit the length of the wedding ceremony to 40 minutes maximum so your guests aren’t exposed to the elements for too long.

Chilled Out

A cold snap can strike at any time, but it’s especially important have a wedding plan for nippy temperatures from April to October. Keep the wedding party cosy with three-piece suits for the guys, and wraps, faux fur stoles, bolero jackets or long sleeved gowns for the girls. Rather than strappy wedding shoes, choose closed toe styles to keep your feet warm.

Check that the wedding venue is well heated, too. If your guests will be mingling outside after the ceremony, consider setting up some patio heaters. Then, as they arrive at the wedding reception, welcome them in from the cold with hot apple cider or mulled wine.

Breeze Along

If you wake up to blustery conditions on your big day, it’s probably best to opt for an up style hairdo, as the wind may tangle your hair if you wear it loose. Carry a small bottle of hairspray and some bobby pins in your bridal emergency kit to deal with any flyaway locks.

Choose a sheltered spot if you’re having an outdoor wedding, making sure your registry papers and wedding decorations are well anchored. A good sound system is essential, too, so your voices aren’t carried away by the wind.

It’s Raining, It’s Pouring

With 600-1600mm of annual rainfall in New Zealand, wet weather is a common occurrence throughout the year. Your wedding plan should include enough umbrellas to shelter the wedding party if it rains. It’s also ital to have a contingency wedding plan for outdoor ceremonies and photos.

Muddy grass and heels aren’t a good mix, so you may like to invest in a pair of heel caps to stop your shoes from sinking into the ground. Alternatively, wear a pair of funky gumboots if you need to venture onto soggy ground for photo shoots. If your gown has a train, make sure it can be hitched up to prevent it from getting wet or mud splattered.

Snowed Under

During winter, it can snow heavily in mountainous areas and in the South Island. As roads can be treacherous during snowy conditions there may be road closures or slow moving traffic, so try to allow some extra time for travelling to the ceremony and between locations. It’s also a wise idea to ask your venue or an usher to arrange for someone to clear any icy or snow covered pathways that you’ll be using.

Whatever the Weather

On the day, no matter what hand Mother Nature deals you – whether it’s brilliant sunshine or thundery skies – embrace it and enjoy yourselves! As long as you are well prepared and have a foolproof wedding plan you can’t go wrong. As English poet John Ruskin once said: ‘Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.’

Planning a wedding is an exciting experience. This will probably be the biggest party of your life and it won’t all come together on its own. Regardless of how organised you are or how much lead time you have, there’s a lot going on. With all the financial considerations, family dynamics, dealing with suppliers, and make endless decisions, it’s easy to end up feeling a little tense and overwhelmed at times.

Managing that stress is important, or you could end up taking it out on the person you care for the most. Here’s our advice for avoiding tension and arguments and putting the focus back on you:

Super Planning

With so many details to arrange, all while carrying on with your normal daily life, you’ll need a system. Pick something that works for you – it might be a spreadsheet with different columns for tasks, suppliers, quotes and notes; or a concertina file divided into sections, where you can keep menus, swatches quotes and pictures, all safely in one place.

Check out www.brideandgroom.co.nz for an array of helpful planning tools. There’s an organiser with checklists, a to-do list, a planner divided into sections containing basic information, ideas and suggestions with space for notes. Print these off, along with expenses worksheet and contacts list, and add them to your planning file.

photo credit: lululemon athletica

Get Moving

Yes, you’re busy and maybe a little tired, but you’ll feel so much better if you get some oxygen pumping through your system. Exercise is a great stress buster and it has the added bonus of helping you stay in shape. A brisk 30 minute walk three or four times a week is a great start, and it’s a perfect activity to do together. If you’re really keen, you could join a gym and have a programme tailored to your exercise goals.

Mental Health

Your head is probably buzzing with ideas, tasks and decisions, and you may be finding it hard to sleep. Help calm your inner wedding planner with some gentle yoga or meditation. Find a local class or buy a mediation CD and schedule in some regular time to clear your head. It’ll help you concentrate and focus.

Clean up your Act

Remember what your mother always said about looking after yourself? Get some early nights, reduce your coffee and alcohol intake, cut out the junk food and drink more water. Include plenty of B vitamins in your diet from foods such as bananas, tuna and leafy green vegetables or by taking supplements. Establishing some good habits will help you manages stress better and look great on your wedding day and beyond.

Pamper Yourself

Take yourself off for a restorative facial, manicure or massage. You’ll come out feeling like a million bucks. If your budget is tight, don’t discount the benefits of IIY. Treat your partner to a relaxing massage (you might not get one in return) or take 15 minutes out for a home pedicure. You deserve to look and feel good.

Wedding-free Zone

It might be a challenge, especially for some brides, but have at least one day a week when you don’t talk about the wedding or do any wedding planning at all! Grooms will probably circle this day on their calendar. Give it a go – it’ll help put things back into perspective and stop the wedding from taking over your like.

I Want You on My Team

Good communication is paramount in any relationship, and even more so when you’re planning a wedding. Never forget that you’re a team and you’re both working towards the same goal. Don’t take your stress out on each other – talk things through and make decisions together or perhaps you can delegate some of the jobs to others you trust. If you need more help, ask. Neither of you is a mind reader, so you’ll need to speak up.

Hiring a wedding planner is too expensive for some couples. Those on a budget who need to plan their own wedding need two things: information and organization. Many thus seek out a good wedding planner book. But what makes a good book? What should couples look for when deciding between options? Here are some criteria to watch out for:

How the book is put together matters. If it is bound like most other books, it may break given the use it will get. You should look for spiral bound books, as these will resist the damage of daily wear. Even better might be a binder – the great thing about these books is that you can add your own pages to it as you need. The only problem is that it might be easy for pages to be ripped out of the book.

What is in between the covers matters. The amount of information imparted by these books will vary. Some books just give basic advice for particular areas of the wedding, like photography, guests, music, etc. Others will go into much more detail; some even give you specific suggestions! (Your book may give you esoteric detail on how to plan beach weddings, for example.) You and your friends’ experience level with planning weddings should dictate how much info you need. If you got things together, you can skip the detailed books. If you’re clueless, look for as much info as you can find.

Perhaps what you’re really buying the book for, however, is organization. You need a centralized journal and filing system to keep track of all your ideas, schedules, calendars, and vendor information. Make sure your wedding planner book has sections where you can write in relevant information about your wedding decision. You will also want a book that will keep your organized, as you will have tons of ideas (both your own and others’ ideas) to keep track of. Some books even come with sheets you can copy and pass out or fill out as you need. Fancier books contain other offerings like computer programs and calendars that will further help you with wedding planning.

Spend your wedding celebrating your love and future happiness, not worrying about the cost.

A wedding budget planner helps determine your wedding priorities by detailing every cost from the invites to the honeymoon. But as every bride is different, so is her wedding budget. Even the most organised bride will find more expenses than she bargained for, adding as much as an extra 10 per cent to the total wedding budget. So it pays to prioritise your costs from the start. You and your fiancé will need to be realistic and focused when determining where you most need to save and where you can splurge.

Doing it yourself may help save money in areas while adding a personal touch. For instance, you can create your own invitations with a computer, printer and some creative flair. Bulk-buy ribbons and paper then deliver those you can by hand. This way you avoid any hidden material, design and postage costs.

Another do-it-yourself tip is to choose a reception venue where you can supply the drinks. Purchase the amount you will need during sales. You will avoid paying corkage and mark-up fees. And you can bring unfinished bottles home.

Burn your own CDs or play your iPod on the venue’s sound system rather than pay for a band. Nominate a friend to keep an eye on the tunes who can change the song order if you are suddenly inspired to switch the mood on the dance floor.

Make your own wedding cake or create small cupcakes instead. Cupcakes are easy to make and can double as dessert and name-card holders. This helps you avoid spending extra on layers of cake that might not get eaten.

Spend smart simply by marrying and celebrating at the same wedding venues. Keep in mind that getting married in a church can have many hidden costs. For example, you’ll need to decorate the church with flowers and candles, possibly donate money to the church and design wedding programmes for you guests.

Having one wedding venue also saves transportation costs. The wedding car rental company and driver usually charge by the hour. You may be able to make two trips in the same car or hire a bigger car rather than a few separate vehicles. Your might even have a friend (or friend of a friend) who owns a perfect car that you can borrow for the day.

While opting for a couture gown may be more expensive than buying off the rack, keep in mind you may need to make alterations and buy your veil separately. Why not decide on purchasing your bridesmaid gowns from the same shop if possible? Dress designers may give you a discount if they make all the wedding party’s gowns. Leftover material can be used for the groomsmen’s’ ties and flower girl’s dress.

Ultimately, your wedding budget is a work in progress. Don’t stress if you spend more or less than you had hoped. Keep a tally of each cost to minimise surprises down the track. It’s natural that you may pay a bit more than originally anticipated. If you overspend in one area, try cutting back in another.

Remember what is most important – you have shared a special day with those you love and who love you. All the money in the world can’t buy that.

Wedding Ideas on a Budget

• Email your save-the-dates to save on paper and postage
• Decorate your cake with fresh flowers instead of intricate icing.
• Use our bouquets as the floral decoration for your bridal table.
• Consider marrying during the week. There is more room to negotiate deals for a wedding day other than Saturday.
• Consider how long your reception will be – every hour adds up.
• Expect dress alteration costs if you buy off the rack.
• Make your beaded jewellery to match your colour theme and gowns.
• Remember, the larger your bridal party, the greater the cost – for gowns, gifts and accessories.

As you’ll probably spend at least 40% of your total wedding budget on your wedding reception, advance research and planning is vital to avoid a major budget blow-out. The overall price you can expect to pay for catering will depend on the menu you select, food preparation, the equipment required and the number of staff you’ll need.

Comparing the cost of wedding venues and different catering options can be confusing and time consuming as the packages venues offer vary considerably. Some include everything, while others have separate room-hire costs and, in the case of hiring a marquee, everything is itemized down to the last chair and spoon.

Most often, the decision you make comes down to your budget. To help you work out what that is, first establish the maximum amount you want to spend on your wedding  reception. Then, work out the total all-inclusive figure you can spend per head. For example, if you have $8,000 to spend on a reception with 90 guests, you’ll be spending around $88 per head.

Next, compare wedding packages. The easiest way is to add up all the costs involved. Factor in everything, including the average menu price, all beverages and corkage costs, plus venue-hire fees and furniture. For marquee weddings, also include toilets, lighting and flooring, crockery, cutlery and linen hire, and anything else. Now divide each final figure by your total number of guests and you’ll have your cost per head. Then, you will be able to tell whether you can afford that package.

There are various ways of cutting costs, if you need to. For example, go for cheaper ingredients, such as chicken instead of seafood, or change the menu options, say from a set menu to a buffet, if it works out to be less expensive. Have your wedding reception as a less costly breakfast rather than a dinner, or hold your wedding on a weekday, instead of the more popular weekend. Just remember to consider all your options carefully before booking a wedding venue and paying out a deposit.

Black and white are two very different colors. They are in fact so different that they are often used to represent two things from each end of the line such as good and evil, yin and yang, etc. But what if these two things were matched together? How would they look together? What would they produce? Well, what they’re going to create is the perfect motif for the dream wedding.

A black and white wedding is not a new thing. It was big during the 40’s, mellowed down, and is now making a big comeback. Unlike the black and white weddings in the past, the modern version is all about depth and texture. It’s more about thinking outside the box and looking beyond the obvious.

A black and white wedding made up of the usual things that you see in these events is nothing special. If you want something that would both be memorable and fun, I suggest that you go for a 40’s inspired wedding instead. It’s sure to make your special day memorable, plus it’s not very difficult to put together.

BRIDAL GOWN

A 40’s inspired wedding leans heavily toward the old Hollywood. When going for this theme, you need to make it light and pure. The bridal gown for this type of wedding is ideally a classic, sleek gown cut. Stay away from puffy dresses as they could ruin the overall feel of the wedding. You might also want to have sultry red lips for the bride to compliment the look of the gown.

The groom and the other men can wear tuxedos, while the maid of honor and the bride’s maid can wear black gowns with little white accents.

VENUE AND DECORATION

Picking the right wedding venues for this kind of wedding is critical, and your average wedding tent won’t do the trick. You might want to choose somewhere with lots of heavy moldings and dark tones for the wall. You can also use a ballroom for the reception, but stay away from chair covers. You might want to go for black leather dining chairs instead, which was very popular during the 40’s.

A wedding would not be complete without candles, and you may want to use black candles for this occasion. You can use a black candle as a centerpiece or to decorate the couple’s table. Feel free to use them wherever you like, but don’t overdo them.

WEDDING FAVOURS

There are a lot of black and white wedding favours available on the market, but my favorite is the hugs and kisses soaps which are shaped into an X and an O. The box is made of black and white, which is a great fit for your wedding theme. You can see these soaps online, which is for sale for only $2.25 per box.

Couples are taking advantage of the wealth of information on the internet to help them make their wedding day a success

Maybe you met on the internet, maybe your even got engaged over the internet – and now you’re using it to plan your wedding? More couples are turning to the internet to help them plan their big day, and the wealth of information on offer is one of the main reasons.

The number of people using the internet to plan their weddings is increasing in number by the day. When we want information about anything at all we go straight to a computer, and wedding planning is no different.

One of the popular free wedding websites www.nzbride.co.nz  has an easy-to-use format that puts everything you may need to know in categories so people can easily access exactly the information that they want without any tricky navigation or confusing headers to battle through on the way.

From the site they can then approach various vendors about their needs and even get very specific to avoid wading through too much information yet again.

If someone is searching for a wedding venue, they can narrow the search down to coastal venues, outdoor venues, specific-size venues… it’s not like using the Yellow Pages where you have to try everyone until you get exactly what you need.

The wedding website also includes a discussion forum where you can ask the wedding pros questions and get even more specific about your hopes and desires for the perfect day.

Another of New Zealand’s best wedding websites is  www.nzweddingplanner.co.nz, it has a Bridal Club which you join for free and it gives you regular updates on the website, its services and activities in your area. By registering, you also have the chance to win Your Essential Wedding Software, which is created locally with you in mind, and you get your own wedding home page to share news and information with your family and friends as you begin the official countdown to your wedding.

photo credit: joannacortez38

Donna has been a wedding planner in New Zealand and internationally for over five years, and has the website www.weddingheaven.com, which she runs from Christchurch.

When asked what she thinks users mainly want to know when they access a wedding site, she doesn’t hesitate in saying, ‘Everything, and why not? That is what the internet is all about – instant information.’ She has two websites that cater to quite different markets. The site www.weddingsnewzealand.com is for couples requiring a wedding planner to organise their wedding for them. This site gives them ideas about venues, wedding photography, and information on marriage licences, among other functions.

The other site, Wedding Heaven (www.weddingheaven.co.nz), is designed for couples who want to organise their own wedding, but need ideas on venues, stationery, accommodation and vehicles etc.

Personal wedding websites are a great source of information – I do not know where we would be today without them.

Using international wedding websites is best when you want inspiration or to better understand wedding etiquette – it is not really practical for booking wedding catering or flowers. You can, however, search for the perfect designer wedding dresses, international designer or a specific pair of wedding shoes, but there is always a risk that you will be disappointed with the final product. Or feel cheated, given the price you pay for it.

Buying over the internet is fraught with danger as you are dealing with individuals rather than large organisations, and you have little recourse if your dress supplier is on the other side of the world.

But overseas websites do cover everything you might need to know about getting hitched and the stresses involved, such as religious issues, making your children feel welcome and how to tackle planning a second wedding for one or both partners. They also have tips on reception planning, creative wedding themes, attendants’ duties and speeches.

Some websites even have helpful downloadable spreadsheets to help you with the often large sums associated with a wedding.

Wedding planning websites can make putting plans in place for your big day much easier and perhaps even more creative too, so set aside some valuable time to go forth and surf!

Every culture has different wedding norms that are usually hybrid evolutions of even older traditions, but Western culture has merged to the extent that weddings in North America and Western Europe are largely homogeneous. For some couples, these traditions are important to uphold, but for others, following the crowd is boring and unacceptable, so some cutting-edge, non-traditional wedding trends are emerging.

Changing Trends in Wedding and Engagement Rings

Wedding bands have become more diverse over the decades – diamond wedding rings are still popular, but rings with other precious gemstones, or no gems at all, are gaining in popularity. Many women are choosing to have their birthstone or a stone consisting of their favorite color, fitted into their engagement rings. For some brides, this is purely an aesthetic choice; for others, it’s a conscious moral decision to not financially support diamonds mined by children and other mistreated workers.

Some couples have taken the trends toward more unique wedding rings even farther, and have gotten wedding band tattoos instead of or in addition to their physical wedding bands. Sometimes the tattoos look similar to an actual ring, other times the tattoo involves the wedding date or their betrothed’s name.

New Styles in Wedding Dresses

One of the most prominent aspects of the entire wedding is what the bride is wearing. Like wedding rings, once traditional styles have branched off into many assorted varieties. Wedding dresses can be found in almost any style of dress, long or short, extremely conservative or daring and risque. Color wedding dresses are available in muted tones like ivory and pastels, but also in bright hues and even in black.

Some aspects of a modern wedding may shock more conservative attendees at the wedding, but it is important to remember that this is the bride and groom’s big day, not theirs. If a neon green wedding gown and matching wedding ring tattoos are what it takes to make the couple’s wedding day perfect, then so be it.

Our wedding expert tells us why wedding packages are such a good idea and what to look for in a package.

What are the advantages of choosing a reception venue that offers set wedding packages?

A set wedding package is convenient, easy and a quick way to organise a wedding. The couple don’t need to spend hours trying to source different products – all the legwork has been done for them. All the bride and groom need to do is select the menu and perhaps the centrepieces and chair covers they like.

Choosing all inclusive wedding packages also gives the bride and groom peace of mind that they will be using tried and tested products and services. For example, most wedding venues have selected suppliers for their packages whose products and services are of a quality consistent with the high standards you would expect.

But doesn’t a set wedding package place constraints on the couple?

Not at all. Quality venues provide different packages to suit different needs. After all, not everyone wants everything in a package; some couples prefer to do certain things themselves. Flexibility within a package is essential. You could even start with a small wedding package which includes a basic wedding menu and build up from that.

What should a couple look for in a wedding package?

Couples should look at what each individual package offers, whether the package offers value for money, and the quality of the items offered in the package. For example, many cheap wedding packages offer table centrepieces but it’s important to find out if there is flexibility in the types of flowers you can have or if there is one standard arrangement for all weddings. If beverages are included, be sure to taste the wines offered so that you know they are of a quality acceptable to you. It’s also a good idea to check if there is choice in the menu and whether the menu can be adapted to suit your tastes.

What is the best way to compare the packages of different venues?

The best way is to make sure you understand exactly what each is offering. Also, look at the pros and cons of each venue and make sure that you are comparing packages of a similar style and standard of venue.

You have waited long enough for your wedding day and now it’s finally here. You wanted it to be very special for your family, friends, and most especially to both of you. You also want to have an everlasting keepsake for the people you love the most so that they can still remember the most special day of your life for many years to come. So, how you create lasting memories on your wedding day?

One of the best ideas today to share your affection and gratitude to your love ones on this very special day of yours is to give them elegant and unique wedding invitations. Yes, beautiful wedding invitations are not just simple papers wrapped in a fancy wedding invitation box. They are the gesture of your love, affection, and appreciation to people especially for your closest friends and family.

There are many beautiful designs of wedding invitation boxes such as embellished ones, silk ones, and many other simple but elegant cards inside a lovely pouch. These wedding keepsakes will definitely capture your magical moment in your wedding day and keep them alive for a very long time. These elegant cards and their lovely boxes will allow your cherished loved ones to remember you and your special day. Then as you aged, these little things will mean so much to you and to your loved ones. You will have a memento of your wedding day or a family member or closest friend’s wedding day. A unique wedding invitation is definitely a good keepsake that can be displayed above your fireplace, in your display cabinet next to your other family mementos, or kept with your family albums to safety.

Whether you chose the simple wedding invitation boxes, you will surely capture the moment of magic, gratitude, and romance while you walk down the aisle. You can even handmade your wedding invitations to make them have a very personal touch from you. Nevertheless, you can have them custom made to your wedding invitation design. The results are just the same: they can be such precious memoirs for the years to come.

Everyone wants to have a memorable and enjoyable wedding, where everyone has fun and you and your spouse-to-be feel celebrated and loved.  I have compiled a list of ways to add sparkle and uniqueness to your wedding, a mixture of tried-and-true ideas and new or unusual ideas.  Read on!

1. Hire a chamber quartet for your wedding instead of getting a DJ or using a playlist.  This gives a charming and very personal feel to a wedding celebration.  If you are worried you wouldn’t be able to afford it, let go of those fears.  There are many ways to arrange a chamber quartet.   You could ask the local high schools, the local youth orchestra or university orchestra or music department.  Teenagers and university students will often be of a very high standard of music and be very willing to play at your wedding, sometimes only for the exposure, not just money (but you should definitely give them a thank-you gift even if they insist on no payment).  But you certainly wouldn’t need to be looking at professional musician hire fees.  If you get a youth quartet or soforth to play, they will generally be very willing to accomodate you and of course, unlike professional musicians, students are likely to have more time to sit down and negotiate with you what you’re after at your particular wedding.  It’ s a great experience for them, too.

2. Use personalised chocolates to name everyone’s places at the tables for reception.  Instead of just using cards; because if you use personalised chocolate it will give everyone something to do with their hands, break the ice a bit before the food gets to the table and start the conversation rolling at each table; almost everyone loved chocolate and nowadays you can get very elegant, professional and lovely-looking personalised chocolates made up, usually online, saving you the time of one less thing to pick up from the city during your wedding planning.

3.  Have your wedding ceremony at a wildlife preserve, nature reserve or natural protected area.  You’ll have a beautiful setting, you are unlikely to need to pay any fees to use the area, and you will have the natural beauty of the area and the birds, water, trees etc around you making it a very unique place for wedding photographs.  Afterwards, you can have a leisurely drive back through the countryside to wherever you have decided to hold the reception; probably a countryside or beachside resaturant.  Everyone will appreciate the peace and unaffected backdrop to your wedding ceremony, which after all should not have to compete with a busy or stressful setting; ultimately the wedding is about you and your loved one.