Here are some useful tips to consider when planning your dream wedding day. The best thing about these tips is that your budget is well considered.

Tip 1 – Start with a budget.

However idealistic you are about your wedding plans, you would have to admit that one of the strongest foundations of a dream wedding day is budget. When we say budget, we do not mean having a small amount of dispensable money but having a price range for your planned wedding expenses.

Talk to your groom-to-be about the acceptable amount of money you want to spend for your most important day as a couple. List down and itemize possible expenses, if you have to. Consider not just your couple savings but also other sources such as both your parents’ commitments to chip in for the said wedding expenses.

Tip 2 – Conceptualize the kind of wedding you both want.

You can never control your budget if you do not agree on the kind of wedding you want. Be sure to sit down with your fiancé and talk about the details of your desired nuptial day. Develop a wedding day vision and tackle details such as ideal venue, number of guests, reception venue and food, giveaways and mementos and even honeymoon. By agreeing on similar concepts, you can easily hatch a detailed plan for your special day and agree on the expenses you both think are affordable and practical at the same time.

Tip 3 – Shop around.

If you love shopping, then you would surely get your heart’s desire when planning and preparing for weddings. You would need to shop for a bridal dress, for bridesmaids attires, for giveaways and gifts, for flowers and bouquets and also look around for the perfect ceremony and reception venues.

Be sure to widen your search and never commit before you are a 100% decided on something. You can also attend at least one bridal show not just to harvest great ideas and inspiration but also to collect contacts and networks for your nuptial day needs. A bridal show can be your easy solution to all your wedding day needs so be sure to attend at least one way long before the special date. Be sure to have your wedding directory ready for contacts to help out on your momentous day.

Tip 4 – Know which items you can get for free or for discounted prices.

Weddings do not always have to dent your finances. There are even those who manage great memorable weddings even for the most modest budgets. The key is to also be resourceful especially in accomplishing your wedding help list. Friends and family members would surely want to chip in – in the form of money, help, products and labor. For instance, some friends might want to create the invitations or even giveaways so you immediately save money on those.

Giving out wedding favors as a display of true appreciation is a long standing tradition. Everything that is seen at the wedding: from the reception place to the menu, will be certainly enjoyed on this special day. However, it is the wedding favor that will make the wedding to be remembered for a long time. So picking out the right party favor is extremely important. But with a great number of options out there for these little tokens of love and appreciation, sometimes, it could cost a tremendous amount of time to decide which one to choose.

So, where do we start on deciding which wedding keepsake to choose? Here are some pointers to help us decide the right favors for our guests. By determining the theme and personality of the wedding beforehand, picking the appropriate wedding favors should be as easy as an ABC.

Flowers, Flowers, Flowers! What is something that is most remembered about the wedding besides the brides’ gown and the food? Of course, flower arrangements – since they primarily define the theme of the wedding – Remember that different flowers represent various meanings of love. By choosing something like charming calla lilly bouquet candles, calla lily photo frames or even calla lilly design napkin holders as a favor can accent the symbols of beauty and exquisiteness of the wedding. A traditional yet timeless long stem rose crystal can enhance the elegance and romance of the magnificent wedding. Or if we want to intensify passion and exoticism, orchids gel candles or scented orchid-shape soap will be one of the most appropriate favors to share this special moment of your life.

If we are one of the practical types, we may want to start our wedding favors selection by thinking about practical items such as key chains, coasters, CD cases and many more. One good thing about choosing practical wedding favors is that the guests will be using them often, and thus, our wedding will be remembered every time they use the favors we handed out. But some of us may think that practical items may not be as lovely as other decorative favors. We could, for sure, scratch that idea since there are so many items with sophistication and perfection. Who can deny a cute sandal shaped notepad that can go with a beach theme or even a chic jewelry pouch; not to mention a sweet pair of silver pear shaped salt and pepper shaker that could definitely leave our guests in awe.

But wait. There are more to come. Some of us even want to go beyond the most common favors simply because we want to add more fun and attitude to the splendor of this ceremony. For instance, those who have passion for western theme could choose a shooter charm that enriches a personal touch of entertainment. Or perhaps choosing a unique ethnic theme such as a coaster painted with the word “love” in Chinese or Spanish will make the favors more exclusive and meaningful.

In short, most of us may think that choosing an affordable wedding favor can be time consuming. But it does not have to be that much work once we have some tips on where to start. Always remember that it is the company of friends and family that make a wedding memorable. Rewarding those who come to share your special day with a thoughtful favor gift is a wonderful way to show your appreciation.

Although there are so many hair styles to choose from, keep in mind that you’ll have to look at these photos for ever, so I would advise against anything very different or extreme (the kids will probably just tease you about this later!). If you want your wedding photos to be timeless, go for a classic, simplistic hair style that would be easy to manage throughout your photo shoot and day.

Its important to have a trial run with your make-up to avoid last minute disappointment. You know what you feel comfortable with, again, this needs to suit your personality. You want to mingle with your guests feeling comfortable and self assured. Your wedding make-up should compliment you, not change you – rather keep it natural and fresh.

Keep the main thing the main thing – firstly you need to feel comfortable and most importantly be yourself so that your unique personality would reflect on the photos. But a girl needs all the help she can get and if a few props will help you to relax and have fun – why not! Take some props with or ask the photographer to supply some interesting objects that you can use during your photo shoot, for example a hat, colourful sarong (that will double up to keep your dress clean in case you have to get down and dirty), a wedding invitation, your garter, a cigar for the groom etc . Give your photographer some healthy attitude and the right tools to be creative.

We so often invest our precious time in things that won’t last – yes, its important that you look absolutely breathtaking but besides looking beautiful, the photo shoot takes priority as this is what you would take with you long after the champagne has lost its bubble. You can either shy away and lose out on stunning memories or you can forget yourself, go beyond yourself and have fun!

Its important to decide what your goal is before you enthusiastically approach your first page. Would this book only tell your wedding day tale or do you want it to include everything from the engagement to the honeymoon? Decide on a look and feel (romantic, vintage, clean) as well as on the colour scheme before you start this exciting project.

The most popular way is to go with your wedding colours, but it might be interesting to add a bit of extra colour, for example if your wedding colours were white and lilac, you can add silver and a deep purple to this, even a slight touch of pink. As long as the colours don’t overpower your photos – the extras should be subtle in order to make your photos the primary focus (the majority of the memorabilia can be stored in a nice memento box). You wouln’t want to look at this in 15 years and shreak, therefore its better to keep it simplistic, which will definitely guarantee a timeless and elegant look.

It would be wise to do your planning before you hit the shops. This would include how many pages your album would be, what photos and memorabilia you’d like to use etc. To create a personal, intimate feel, use the more spontaneous photos for scrap booking, the more posed photos can be framed or sent to family members, the remainder of the photos can be stored in a separate album. It’s a good idea to print a duplicate set to work with – this would give you peace as you’re working, knowing that your originals are safe.

Memorabilia you might want to include:

- Wedding and bridal shower invites

- Fabric from your dress (as well as any other fabric samples)

- Receipts

- Bridal registry

- Napkins

- Any form of printed material (menu, song-list etc, congrats and thank-you cards)

- Honeymoon tickets and extras

- Congrats and thank you cards

The foundation of a scrapbook is the journaling, sit down somewhere where you won’t be disturbed and go back to that special day – What did you feel when preparing for this big day, when the minister declared you husband and wife, sitting at the reception looking at your guests? When writing, be real and be yourself. We so often forget these very special moments, this way your memories will be preserved as long as you both shall live.

Bring in some of your friends or family’s thoughts – ask a few people you are close to, to write down a sentence or two on what it was that stood out for them on this day (supply them with nice paper or a colourful pen). Start the book with a dedication page – why you are creating this book, why your wedding day was such a special day etc. Some other pages you can add is “what I remember” or “what I was grateful for” or even “what didn’t matter at this stage” – as women we often plan this day and want it to be absolutely perfect, but when we are in the moment, we realize that that’s so not the point of this day.

As you create your book, be real and true – don’t only choose the perfect pictures – being real when choosing your photos and writing your love story will show throughout your book. And most of all, enjoy making this book and enjoy this season!

For info on wedding photographers in South Africa go to SA Wedding Photographers

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