Mori Lee for a Sheffield themed wedding at Kelham Island Museum – Sian & Joe
In a bid to help guide you, our lovely readers, through the minefield that can be planning a wedding, we always ask our featured brides who share their big days on the blog to share a few words of wisdom too.
This can range from practical advice on suppliers and the budget, to emotional advice, such as who to include in your special day and how to remain calm and composed. Either way we’re always super impressed with the gems of knowledge that our brides pass on following the lessons they’ve learnt when planning their own celebrations.
So today we thought it would be helpful if we took a little time to recap what we feel are the top 20 tips from brides who featured on the blog during the first half of 2016.
Ladies, prepare to take note as these wise brides complete the following sentence – “My top tip to other Brides Up North would be…
Click on the links to see each wedding in full.
sian says:
[Top image] It’s never too early to start organising. Get ahead and it will help you later on. The final two weeks can be extremely stressful and they certainly were for me, I was just glad that I had done what I could in the early stages. Also, you may get hung up about the fine details but remember that you won’t be able to do everything and not every cute idea that you see on Pinterest has to be part of your day. There were things like broken pompoms and a dud balloon canister that meant that I could not use all of the decorations and ideas that I had in place. In the end, it mattered little!
Vera Wang for a stylish and sophisticated wedding at Newby Hall – Katy & Warren
katy says
Tailor the wedding to your own styles/interests and preferences and don’t be swayed by others. At the end of the day, if you are enjoying your day, then everyone else will enjoy it too!
A pretty and personal homemade wedding in Oldham – Warren & Jennifer
jennifer says:
If you are having a wedding at home remember the less glamorous things like sound/audio equipment, skip hire, generator, water supply and parking. Also, consider a videographer. We were unsure but so glad we did as there are so many things you forget or miss on the day and having the video fills those blanks.
Ronald Joyce for a Christmas wedding at Eaves Hall – Anna & Dan
anna says:
Consider having a party/gathering the night before the wedding if possible. We loved having a little Christmas party the night before. It was a great way to get everyone together and relaxing before the big day and meant we had more time to spend with our guests. Getting married just before Christmas was brilliant too as we just continued celebrating into the New Year!
Justin Alexander for a dreamy pink wedding in the North East – Claire & Anthony
claire says:
If you like to wear your makeup or hair in a certain way, then do it. Don’t feel like you have to conform to a certain bridal image. You will feel more confident if you are happy with your look.
Ronald Joyce for a romantic wedding at Linthwaite House Hotel – Lauren & James
lauren says:
After hearing of people not getting any sleep the night before the big day, James and I decided to stay together. Some traditions just didn’t fit with us, so we didn’t do them. Even after the wedding, I’ve kept my own name. Do your own thing so you can enjoy your day, your own way!
A colourful and personal wedding at The Bowdon Rooms – Anna & Dan
anna says:
Try not to get overwhelmed by choice, just think about what you really want and be decisive!
Alfred Angelo for a fairy-tale wedding at Peckforton Castle – Maria & Tommy
maria says:
Do whatever makes you happy! We didn’t invite children to our day which isn’t something everyone would agree with, but our guests were really supportive of our choice. Everyone will have different priorities so there is no correct way to plan your wedding – just make it a day that you will look back on and smile at. Don’t worry about little things that might go wrong. And remember, if at the end of the day you are married to your best friend and love of your life, then it went well!
Maggie Sottero for a relaxed marquee wedding in East Yorkshire – Ellie & Dan
ellie says:
Don’t stress too much about following a specific theme. As long as the day is everything you both want, it really doesn’t matter. Even the most random ideas all come together in the end!
Pinks and peonies for a timeless wedding at Inglewood Manor Hotel – Heather & Fergus
heather says:
Don’t be afraid to ask to customise your wedding dress if there is a detail you want added/changed. I changed the back of the bodice to do up with buttons (which I had always wanted on my dress) from ribbon and was really pleased with the outcome. We also changed the buttons on the bridesmaid dresses.
Madeline Gardner for a fun-filled wedding at Crewe Hall – Emily & David
emily says:
Enjoy every moment and plan things early. We planned the whole wedding ourselves and this was an amazing experience, it meant we knew every little detail about the wedding and we were fully in control. The planning can be so much fun but can also be stressful if you leave things to the last minute so my advice would be to make a timeline and to stick to it! You should never be afraid to book something too early, we had 18 months to plan a wedding and were told many times that certain venues or vendors were fully booked!
Justin Alexander for a personal wedding at Abbeywood Estate – Kate & Chris
kate says:
Try to keep in mind that the wedding is only one day. We set a budget at the beginning and each wrote down separately what our non-negotiables were and also what we didn’t really care about and then we tried to pull a bit of a budget together. We managed to come in below budget and did most things we wanted to; we also asked for discount on everything; some people said no but you may as well ask! Get a good spreadsheet to track tasks and budget (I am a project manager so I loved this.)
A rural barn wedding in North Yorkshire – Beth & Dan
beth says:
Don’t ever feel obliged to invite people to your wedding for the sake of it. It’s your day so you have the people that mean something to you there as they are the people that make the day what it is. We kept it intimate and it felt special. Also, don’t feel the need to say hello to everyone, make the most of having fun, being with your husband and enjoying everything you planned.
Roses and gypsophila for a neutral themed wedding in Manchester – Caroline & Matthew
caroline says:
Prior to the wedding we were advised by other couples to pick a good photographer – a tip I would definitely pass on to other brides.
Enzoani for a bright and cheerful wedding at Slaley Hall – Kate & Michael
kate says:
Keep clam and don’t go mad. It is so easy to see all the beautiful things on offer and want to incorporate everything. I recommend getting a scrapbook and spending a little bit of time getting ideas and discussing what you both like. Remember a wedding is about two people joining together, make it a story of your relationship. On the day, enjoy it! What will be will be, don’t worry about the little things, just focus on your amazing day.
Antlers and heather for a countryside wedding at Chatsworth – Tom & Clare
clare says:
Don’t be put off by the thought of having only a few months between your engagement and your wedding. We got engaged in August and got married in the following February. We loved that the momentum never dropped from engagement to wedding, and it was just an exciting journey from one to the other. I would also not shy away from a winter wedding – we both live for the summer and the beach and everything that comes with that, but now we have a beautiful memory and date in the depths of winter to celebrate and relieve such a happy day. We didn’t feel like we didn’t have ‘the perfect day’ because it wasn’t in the summer – it really is about who is there and sharing the day with them.
Watters for a blue and yellow themed wedding in Manchester – Sally & Dan
sally says:
Speak to friends who have recently got married for any recommendations in relation to suppliers. Also, decide as a couple what your priorities are and organise those things first and agree what you can compromise on. Lastly and perhaps most importantly, remember your wedding day is your day – a chance for your friends and family to share in the things that make you both happy, so do what is going to make you both happy and ensure that you enjoy the best first day of married life.
A bespoke dress for a romantic wedding at Denton Hall – Katie & James
katie says:
Be organised! Start making plans soon after your engagement then you have more time to relax as the big day draws near. Also, on the day take time to look around the room and appreciate your lovely friends and family who will help make your day simply perfect and one you will never forget.
Roses & stocks for a black tie wedding at Hassop Hall – Laura & Dominic
laura says:
Get your family and friends involved! It was great having one friend do our stationery and another sing our first dance. It made everything so much more personal and special!
A bespoke dress for an enchanting wedding in York – Emma & Matthew
