PLANNING A WEDDING ABROAD - My basic steps 1-10
Choose a country : Cyprus
Choose a venue & date: Hotel in Paphos, August 2018
Send out save the dates to guests: I sent mine at some point in 2017, once I had booked the venue and the date was confirmed.
Choose wedding party: I verbally told my bridesmaids and maid of honour, they basically knew anyway ! The earlier the better as it's a big deal getting people abroad !
Visit the location the second time to book: florist, photographer/videographer/musicians, make- up, hair etc.
Look for dress: I found my dress 10 months prior to wedding date, it then took 4 months to arrive after I had ordered it. Give yourself plenty of time ladies!
Send out invitations: I started to send my invites from January 2018 onwards (at least 8 months before the wedding date).
Make more bookings: transfers/ hotels/pre wedding party lunch (these are the niggly bits)
Purchase the groom's outfits and outfits for the whole wedding party: My fiancé and I did this gradually. We started this at the beginning of the year, due to various changes of mind and changes of sizes. There is a lot to factor in here.
Wedding bands: We did this three months before wedding. It was quite a quick process and we went back to the same place that made my engagement ring !
Along with the above basics, there are many more things to include, such as bridal accessories, the groom's outfits (tie, shoes and belt), name placements, seating plans and table numbers, church leaflets, hotels, flights, wedding website, wedding party gifts, bridesmaid dresses and bridal fittings. And not to forget....hens and stags!
Hen & Stag Do's
Both my fiancé and I were very lucky as our wonderful best man and maid of honour planned our stag and hen do. So it was a relief to relax and not worry about organising a whole other event, alongside the biggest event of your life!
I was whisked off to Marbella for the weekend and had an amazing time. I also went INNNNN on shopping it up for that weekend and I bought new swimsuits and white bridal inspired outfits. I loved every minute of being able to indulge in all the bridal gear!
See below some of my favourite bridal inspired looks for my Marbella hen weekend. I have also included details of where to purchase some of my favourite items.
Wedding Dress
It has been one of the questions I have been asked most..
"Have you found your dress?"
"What's it like?"
I thought finding a dress was going to be long winded and difficult, however I can honestly say the process was quick and quite easy ! I am lucky to say that I loved every dress that I put on !! It was simply a matter of which dress I wanted to wear on my big day!
Although all of the dresses looked lovely, I knew what I wanted and I had a specific vision in mind, so this made the elimination process easy. Also unlike most brides, I chose to only go to two shops as:
1. I had limited time to indulge in weeks and weeks of dress shopping; and
2. I didn't want to give myself too many options, so that I was stuck delberating and
spending weeks trying to pick out of the 20 (plus) dresses I tried on.
Overall I tried on about 10 dresses and the one I chose was a clear winner for me !! I am naturally quite a decisive person, which made the decision making process quick and easy !
I also chose to only take my mum with me to the bridal shops, as a Cancer (star sign) I am quite a sensitive soul, so throughout the process I wasn't prepared to let anyone else's opinion hurt my feelings! Although I am dying to just show my best of friends, I am also excited for them to see it for the first time on the big day!
The dry patches
My partner and I got engaged in 2015 and our wedding is in 2018. Thats three years of limbo in wedding land !
First off, I would like to say just how much I have and am enjoying being engaged, it really is that happy in-between full of love and commitment but with no marriage pressures. Maybe that calls for another blog??
Anyway, what I want to say is, that with so much time to plan the process has been up and down. Some months are very busy with so much to do and then the next month there is not a lot you can do. Especially with a wedding abroad, for example you can't visit your venue or vendors for a chat!? I did have some moments in the dry patches where I felt deflated about the wedding and I just wanted it to hurry up.
HOWEVER, I totally have loved having plenty of time to plan the wedding. I am super organised and I have made the most of having the time to make lists and tick things off slowly as they get done.
Now we are a month away everyday is a wedding day!!!
Enjoy it
From the minute we started planning the wedding we promised each other that we would keep it fun. No matter what obstacles came our way we wanted to make sure we didn't forget why we are doing this!!! I feel a lot of couples get so wrapped up in the materialistic things and they miss the point! YOU ARE MARRYING THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE, EVERYTHING ELSE REALLY SHOULDN'T MATTER. SIMPLE.
Now don't get me wrong I have had my moments where I have been wrapped up in the whole thing. I mean...it's no fun if you don't splash out on some pointless decoration is it?? However, I pride myself on being chilled and outgoing and I apply this to my wedding planning and preparations.
Exclusivity
As much as I want tell you all more, I have to stop for now. Stay posted for my further updates on the wedding once the big day has been and gone. I don't want to give too much away, especially for my amazing guests who are travelling all that way !
I will write another blog after the whole experience...... with some pictures too if your lucky!!
For now I will leave you with this....
If your planning your wedding, enjoy, enjoy ENJOY the process. Keep it about YOU TWO and nobody else but the happy couple. The people that love and care for you (and your big day) will be easygoing and helpful towards you.
So have fun brides to be and HAPPY WEDDING PLANNING !
LFL XX
(Love From London)