Bridal Preparation Advice by The Wedding Guru Oskar

BRIDAL PREPARATION ADVICE BY THE WEDDING GURU OSKAR

Many Brides often wonder how the morning of their wedding could look like and although it might often seem like an organised chaos, there’s a few things you can consider in preparation to your special day.

Over the next few paragraphs, I will be bringing to you a list of things that will make this process easier and more relaxed, so that you can enjoy this moment of pampering before your all-important marriage ceremony.

Is there any part of the morning of the wedding you’re most concerned about or looking forward to?

Let me know your thoughts on this subject in the comments below – the more the merrier and many Brides might find your personal opinion useful!

LIST OF JOBS

My number one advice is to create a list of jobs which you can delegate to your Maid of Honour, Bridesmaids, your Groom-to-be, Best Man, Ushers, Parents, etc.

You won’t be able to do it all by yourself and you don’t have to! There’s a reason why you’ve selected these important people to give you a helping hand on the most important day of your life!

Trust me, they’ll also love having the responsibility and being involved.

It might also be a good idea to have these lists printed for them and given out on the morning of the wedding.

GOOD NIGHT SLEEP

This applies to Brides or Grooms, having stag dos or hen dos on the night prior to your wedding is definitely not a good idea, nor is it staying up late, and although you might have a lot going through your head, try and relax and put your head to rest at a reasonable time.

Your wedding day goes fast but it is also a long day with most preparations starting around 8am.

There are many solutions that might help you relax on the night prior to your wedding such as essential oils, relaxing music or ambient lighting.

Have you got any suggestions on how best to relax before your sleep? Remember sharing is caring and all advice can be found helpful!

BREAKFAST

Don’t underestimate a good base and start to your day!

This is particularly important and although you might not feel like eating much, make sure you have what you enjoy for breakfast and that is also fairly filling, as your first meal after that will be your Wedding Breakfast, normally served around 5pm.

You simply don’t want to be feeling faintly, hungry or dehydrated on the day of your wedding, so please make sure you take this part seriously!

If you’re planning to nibble on things throughout the day – it might be useful to purchase the same lipstick your make up artist will be using on the morning of your wedding, for touch ups.

THE SPACE

It is very important to consider the space you’ll be getting ready in too!

Does it have plenty daylight? Does it have easy access to the bathroom? Is it large enough for your group? Is it equipped with enough of and correct furnishings for hair and make up?

If you’ve decided to get ready at your venue – has it got a dedicated room which is setup for this purpose?

Have you decided if you’ll be getting ready at home or at your venue?

TIMINGS

It is imperative to get your timings right, because you do not want to feel rushed on the morning of your wedding. You want to create as much of a relaxing atmosphere as possible, right?

Good idea is to put your hair and make up teams in touch with each other and listen to their advice – they’ll know exactly how much time will be needed to make sure you’ve also got some spare time for breaks and any emergencies.

There are also businesses out there that provide a full service in one place for you – if you’re not sure of how to “marry” the two together, you might want to consider that option too.

DRESSES

It is advisable to keep your dresses out of the bags and hang as high as possible to let the fabric breath.

If your dresses need to be transported on the morning of your wedding, you might need to place them in a steamy shower room to get rid of the creases from transport.

On the other hand, if you will need to arrange for steaming service for the morning of your wedding, make sure you arrange this well in advance as a lot of dry-cleaning businesses will be closed at the weekends.

Additionally, you might want to keep your dress as far away from any make up and bring in a specialist to help you get in your dress when you’re ready. Remember, your Bridesmaids might have never done this before and they will also be wearing make up already.

Is there anything else you’d add to the care necessary to look after your wedding dress on the morning of your wedding? Comment below!

GATEKEEPER & PEACEMAKERS

Having a dedicated person or a Wedding Planner on the morning of your wedding can save you many unnecessary conversations or “helpful” visits. The less people helping, the better too!

Nobody will question if your Mum or Wedding Planner opens the doors and says you’re busy with the photographer 😊

A few years ago, when I was assisting a Bride, all was going to plan until the zip on one of the bridesmaid dresses broke off completely! The only option was to sew her in. I took on this challenge, having stocked my pockets with a sewing kit. My skills must have been rather good as the thread wasn’t visible and lasted well until the night. The bride and I still giggle over this.

MARRIAGE SCHEDULE

I’ve seen this forgotten about so many times especially when the ceremony is held at a venue.

Somebody must be made responsible to bring your marriage schedule on the morning of your wedding to the venue.

Without it, legal marriage cannot take place, and this is another reason why delegating jobs in advance is so important.

Would you add anything else to my list of preparations to the morning of your wedding day?

Finally, ENJOY IT!

It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to have this experience!

If you’ve taken care of all previously mentioned steps, you should have a fabulous morning, filled with heartfelt words, beautiful emotions, improvised toasts and plenty chat, giggles, fizz and nibbles.

As mentioned previously, the day goes within a blink of an eye, so take the time to capture mental snapshots of it all.

Now, go on, put that gorgeous dress on and meet your guests and most importantly, nervously awaiting your arrival other half!

Useful things to be aware of when planning for a wedding in Scotland!

Useful things to be aware of when planning for a wedding in Scotland!

Scottish weddings in particular, might be slightly different to other traditions you might be aware of, especially when you’re planning a destination wedding in Scotland – this might also be useful for our English friends beyond Hadrian’s wall who plan to get married in Scotland.

Wedding Day Schedule

Unlike in some other parts of the world, it is considered unlucky in Scotland for the couple to see one another before the official wedding ceremony so if you’re used to first look photos, this might come to you as a surprise that here, we start with separately taken preparations photos and official couple photos post-ceremony. This is why, traditionally ceremonies in Scotland start between 12 noon and 2pm, although a professional wedding planner can tailor a wedding day schedule specifically to your desired outcomes.

Ceremonies

You might be surprised that neither civil nor religious ceremonies are the most popular forms of legal marriage registration here… that’s right! Scotland, unlike England (although we’re all in the UK) is one of those very few places in the world where Humanist and Independent ceremonies take over the traditional forms of legal marriage registration, the reason for that is that couples have a lot more freedom and can personalise their ceremony a lot more when choosing a Humanist or Independent Celebrant to conduct their legal ceremony. And, it is the celebrant that carries the license, that is why in Scotland you can marry at the top of a hill, outdoors, indoors or in a family backyard – how could you not love this level of flexibility and freedom, right?

Gratuity

It is not as popularly considered at weddings as it is in other parts of the world and if you do decide to offer gratuity to your suppliers or venue in the UK, it is considered a very generous thank you gesture for an excellent service you’ve received. Remember that in the UK, minimum wages and unit prices are regulated that is why some services or products might seem more expensive than in other parts of the world.

Wedding world language

WOW, this is indeed a very exciting topic! For us in the UK, phrases such as Wedding Breakfast, Drinks Reception, Canapes, etc. are so obvious nowadays, however, they might not be as obvious for those couples who are starting to learn about our traditions, so let me bring to you a few of those phrases and their alternatives:

Wedding Breakfast - named as this for it is the first meal for a married couple, it is in fact - a Wedding Meal

Drinks Reception – otherwise known as the Cocktail Hour, this one take place post-ceremony when guests are entertained with canapes and drinks, giving the couple time for professional photography and venue the time to turn things round or complete the final setup touches

Buttonhole – otherwise known as Boutonniere, often floral decorative piece worn by men on their left lapel

Canapes – also known as Hors d’oeuvres, often taster sized savory or sweet refreshments served during the Drinks Reception

Starter / Main Course – might be also referred to as Appetisers / Entree

Chief Bridesmaid – often referred to as Maid (single) or Matron (married) of Honor, the most important person in Bride’s line of Wedding Party, normally assisting the Bride and standing right beside her during the ceremony

Open Bar – term a lot more popular in the Americas, as alcohol sales in the UK are a lot more restricted and regulated with venue licenses, minimum unit pricing and alcohol measures. In the UK, this might be referred to as an Account Bar, where couple pre-pays or pre-orders additional drinks for the guests to enjoy through the wedding day in accordance with the above-mentioned regulations

Additional charges

Some venues and vendors in the UK might charge an additional security deposit which is to cover any damages, normally refundable, but it is important you are aware of this so you’re not surprised last minute that you’ve got to have this amount put aside in addition to your final payments

Additionally, some venues and vendors might or might not include taxes such as VAT in their quotes – so make sure you always ask the question as standard VAT in the UK is 20%, which again could affect your wedding budget especially if this relates to venue hire or catering

Seasonality

In the UK, we’re both, blessed and coursed by the weather conditions, but you would always want to have a bad weather Plan B in place, no matter if your wedding takes place in June, July or December, January – I in fact got married in January and had a lot nicer day for my wedding then that of the first two weeks of June this year.

Additionally, you might want to consider the benefits of daylight – once again we’re blessed with it in the summer and cursed with it in the winter. Because of the far north location of Scotland (similar to that of Norway) we can enjoy up to 18 hours of sun in the summer months and as little as 6 hours of sun light in the middle of the winter, so this is particularly important when considering venues and locations for your wedding photography – also important to consider this in your wedding day schedule.

Suggested Wedding Planning Timelines

Suggested Wedding Planning Timelines

Couples often ask me about suggested wedding planning timelines and although these may vary dependent on your personalised requirements and preferences, I’d like to share with you some of my recommended steps you should take in the lead up to your special day.

12 MONTHS OR MORE…

-        Determine your budget

-        Make an initial guest list

-        Setup a wedding email address

-        Book a venue (and caterers)

-        Send SAVE THE DATES

-        Start considering your overall theme and design preferences

-        Contact those important suppliers about availability – i.e. Photographer / Videographer; Band / DJ / Entertainment and Music supplier; Ceremony Officiant…

Can you say you agree with my first tasks for your wedding planning timeline shared above? Let me know in the comments below.

Now, you will be wondering what’s next in my suggested wedding planning timeline! Well…

12 TO 10 MONTHS BEFORE…

-        Start shopping for your dress

-        Consider accommodation options for your guests

-        Create a wedding website with an FAQ section which you can update regularly (Trust me! It’ll save you plenty time by not having to answer the same questions over and over again)

-        Book your important suppliers

-        Start looking up invitations’ ideas

-        Choose and assign immediate Wedding Party

Would you add anything to this list?

We’ve now explored two big steps in your wedding planning timeline and now we’ll be looking at tasks you should consider -

10 TO 8 MONTHS BEFORE…

-        Purchase your wedding dress – remember it takes time to make your dream dress and there’ll be more fittings and alterations along the way

-        Register for a Gift List so it is ready to send along with your invitations

-        Meet with potential florists and discuss floral options

Does that sound like a fair list of tasks for 10 to 8 months before your special day? Let me know in the comments below.

Now, we’ll be looking as tasks and projects you should consider around the six months mark.

Here are some ideas, I’ve prepared for you:

8 TO 6 MONTHS BEFORE…

-        Consider if you’d like a rehearsal dinner and who you’ll invite to it; what venue you want for it and caterer

-        Start booking hire items such as linens, chairs, draping, bespoke dance floor, lounge furniture and any other décor pieces

-        Choose and order your Bridesmaids dresses

-        Book your hair and make up

-        Start considering your wedding day music choices and ceremony readings

-        Discuss your ceremony script, vows and ask for advice on requirements for marriage license with your Officiant

Would you add anything else to this list?

The last six months is when your wedding plans will start shaping up and picking up speed and I’m sure you’ll be proud of the efforts you’ve already put to your plan!

The next vital steps in your exciting wedding planning journey will be taking place in

6 TO 4 MONTHS BEFORE…

-        Book your menu tasting

-        Book yours and guests’ transportation (if required)

-        Book and confirm your honeymoon arrangements

-        Order Menswear and book final fittings for all the outfits

-        Order your cake and wedding favours

-        Post your invitations

-        Review and update your ceremony script and vows

-        Choose and order your wedding rings

How are you finding this wedding plan so far? Would you find it easy to follow and execute or would you consider hiring a Wedding Planner to help and guide you through it?

It must feel good to have achieved so much in the last two months of your wedding planning, right?

For many couples wedding planning is the first and only project of this volume they’ll be responsible for, but it can be exciting and fun when it is broken down into more manageable plan.

What do you think you should be doing

4 TO 2 MONTHS BEFORE?...

-        Attend your menu tasting

-        Attend Hair and Make Up Trail

-        Start crafting any DIY pieces you’ve planned for

-        Start practicing your speeches and vows

-        Update your guest list

-        Ensure you’ve fulfilled all the legal requirements for your marriage license

-        Start shopping for your wedding party gifts

Don’t you feel the excitement building in the air by this point? Let me know in the comments below if you’ve arrived here already?

Now, the time has come to start finalising things for your very important and special day – don’t forget, this doesn’t need to be stressful, because you’ve already achieved so much! Can you see it?

2 MONTHS BEFORE…

In the second last month before your special day you should focus on:

-        Type up a list of must-take wedding photo shots

-        Attend a dress fitting and try on those gorgeous wedding shoes to start breaking them in

-        Finalise arrangements with your florist and event designer

-        Supply your song selection to ceremony musicians, DJ and/or Band

-        Purchase final wedding day bits and bobs

How would you feel at this stage in your wedding planning? Very excited, right?

1 MONTH BEFORE…

In the final month prior to your wedding there will be a lot of final details admin, but worry not, you’ve got it!

Your final months before wedding will likely consist of:

-        Assembling favours, activity packs and little bits and bobs into organised and clearly labeled boxes or bags

-        Arranging final payments with your suppliers, venue and caterers

-        Finalising guest list, orders of service, speeches and ceremony script

-        Having a final run through with your Wedding Planner and venue

-        Confirming a final run through of your special day and sharing all important contact details with your suppliers

YAY! You did it! Now, it’s a matter of days to your most amazing wedding day! You must be proud of yourself!

1 WEEK BEFORE…

Finally, there might be a few final tings you’ll need to do in the week leading up to your celebrations, so why not plan for these too:

-        Pick up your marriage schedule (if required)

-        Arrange a drop off time for your wedding DIY items, favours, activity packs, table stationary etc.

-        Pack your bags for the honeymoon

-        Attend final dress fitting and collect your dress

-        Treat yourself to final cosmetic treatments

-        Practice your vows and speeches

and… drumroll… GET MARRIED AND BE JOLLY!

Now, it’s the time to enjoy all the hard work you’ve put into your wedding plan!

Is there anything else I could explore for you in my next projects? Email me at oskar@theweddingguruoskar.co.uk or let me know in the comments below.

Things NOT to miss for your wedding ceremony!

Did you like the post-lockdown trends I have explored for you in my last blog?

I have now decided to focus on something more practical and share with you my advice about the most important element of your wedding - your ceremony.⁠

There'd be no wedding without it, so I'd like to give it some much deserved attention in the coming days, so stay tuned in and watch out for my tips rolling in day by day for you.⁠

LOCATION

Firstly, let's focus on the location...⁠

You might think that this is a personal choice and an obvious element to consider first, but why?⁠

Venue ceremony licences believe it or not vary across the UK and for instance, in England your desired and dreamt about venue might not be licensed to host your legal ceremony.⁠

Some venues might also charge you an additional ceremony fee and in some cases holding ceremony and reception in the same or different venue might offer you some benefits, such as an option to re-purpose your decorations or reallocate your budget towards other elements of your wedding.⁠

Finally, if you're dreaming of an outdoors ceremony - have you considered what your contingency is on a wet day?⁠ Have you given much in-depth thought to your ceremony location?⁠

CEREMONY OFFICIANT

Ceremony officiant is another area of your wedding ceremony you will need to focus on.⁠

Dependent on your wedding destination you might be able to consider an independent or religious ceremony which are legally binding, however, there are destination in which you might need to do marriage registration separate from your religious or independent ceremony.⁠

Moreover, civil ceremonies are traditionally a lot shorter and less personalised, so you might need to think if this option is for you. Normally, you will also not get to choose your civil Registrar and will only meet him/her on the day of your wedding.⁠

If you choose to have an independent, humanist or religious ceremony, you'll have a lot more choice and say in the format of your ceremony, however, you must remember that their availability might be limited so I highly recommend aligning your plans with their availability and booking them as one of the first ones.⁠

Did you expect to have to give so much consideration to your ceremony?⁠

MARRIAGE LEGALITIES AND REQUIREMENTS

Legal parts of your ceremony are particularly important if you're planning for a destination wedding.⁠

There might be certain local regulations that you will need to fulfil in order to carry out a legally binding ceremony registration, so it is worth contacting your designated Registration Office at your destination to find out more details.⁠

Some couples choose to obtain legal registration on their home ground before travelling for their symbolic ceremony at a foreign destination to avoid any legal complications.⁠

Remember that no matter the destination or location of your ceremony, you will be required to give notice of your intend to marry, this notice period vary dependent on local laws and regulations.⁠

All in all, you want to ensure that you do everything required of you to have a legally binding marriage.⁠

How do you feel about the rules and regulations on marriage? Let me know in the comments below.⁠

CEREMONY MUSIC

Ceremony music is incredibly important to consider early on, especially if you'd like your ceremony to be accompanied by a live music from a harpist, string quarter, pianist, Piper... you name it - they get booked up years in advance too.⁠

Music at ceremonies is often used to fill those important gaps, such as marriage schedule signing, group photographs or simply accompanying hymns or readings.⁠

This is why you might want to consider what music pieces you'd like for your ceremony, when they are to be played and how they will be played, from the beginning of your wedding planning journey.⁠

If you're choosing pre-recorded music for your ceremony, ensure you've got the appropriate equipment for this and that you've got a reliable person briefed on how to work your device and your playlists.⁠

Have you given much through to your ceremony music? Let me know in the comments below.⁠

CEREMONY READINGS

What are your thoughts on readings and hymns at wedding ceremonies?⁠

With humanist ceremonies becoming the most popular in Scotland, personalised readings and hymns are highly encouraged.⁠

Couples aren't only limited to a small selection of readings at it happens with civil or religious ceremonies, they can in fact pick and choose their preferred items for this.⁠

Two years ago at our wedding, we've incorporated "A Red, Red Rose" by the Scottish poet Robert Burn.⁠

What poem or reading comes to your mind first when thinking of your wedding ceremony? Have you got any favourites?⁠

CEREMONY SCRIPT AND VOWS

Ceremony script and wedding vows writing has become a lot more popular in recent years and with more independent and humanist ceremonies taking place around the world, you can now not only personalise your vows, but also write your entire ceremony script with the help of your celebrant - something that Tim Maguire - Humanist Celebrant shared with you on a few occasions now in my online wedding fayres and instagram take overs.⁠

Would you like your ceremony script and vows to be personal and written by you and about you?⁠

This is definitely something you could now consider in humanist and independent ceremonies.⁠

CEREMONY DECORATING

Ceremony decorating is another topic I wanted to touch upon with you, especially from a logistical stand point.⁠

Some venues might offer early setup and some might not be able to do so. This is why it is important to ensure you check your venues' setup capabilities in advance of committing to logistically challenging setup arrangements.⁠

Additionally, it is important to check with your venue about any other limitations such as height, wall decorating, fixtures etc. to avoid disappointment.⁠

Finally, you can definitely see you wedding budget stretch further if you decide to re-purpose your ceremony decorations - you will also need to consider the logistics of that. Will your venue be able to do so or will you need your florist to stay longer for the turnaround?⁠

CEREMONY SEATING AND PROCESSION ORDER

Have you considered your ceremony seating and processional arrangements?⁠

Will you be offering your guests formal or informal seating and if it is formal who will be responsible to ensure this happens correctly?⁠

The same questions relates to Bridal processions:⁠

- will you be going in first or last?⁠

- will your Bridesmaids be entering with ushers or alone?⁠

- will your Mum be seated by Best Man?⁠

- will you be having flower girls and page boys?⁠

- what will be the order of procession?⁠

Have you given much thought to this and did you know there was so much choice? Let me know in the comments below.⁠

TRANSPORTATION

I often ask couples how their guests are arriving to the ceremony, because, there's so much to consider for it.⁠

If your ceremony and reception take place across two different venues - how will your guests move between them?⁠ .

If your venue is in the city centre, the question falls on distance from the nearest airport, train station and supply of car parking spaces.⁠

You would also want to ensure that your guests don't arrive to the venue too early or two late and vice versa that you don't arrive to the venue too early or too late.⁠

I remember once in my career having Bride and her entourage 30 minutes in advance of the ceremony - I sent them on "a city sightseeing tour" until all the guests were seated 😁⁠

Finally, always consider your travel arrangements, timings and distance if you're arriving to the venue in a car from a longer distance on the day of your wedding.⁠

WEDDING GIFTS AND CARDS

One element of the ceremony is often forgotten about by wedding couples - gifts and cards.⁠

Although wedding lists are particularly popular for weddings these days, your guests might still decide to bring along a symbolic congratulations card or a personalised gift along to the wedding.⁠

The question is - what happens with these? Who will look after them and how will they be safely stored?⁠

I highly recommend a safe deposit space or facility and to allocate one responsible Usher or wedding party member to help you look after these on the day of your wedding.⁠

How did you find my ceremony tips in this blog post? Have you found them useful? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or simply comment YES!

Curious about post-lockdown / 2021 wedding trends? Check out this blog!

Recently, there’s been quite a lot of discussion about when the lockdown will really end for group gatherings and events such as weddings. The signals we’re currently being sent is that larger gatherings won’t take place before the end of 2020, so realistically, we’ll now be considering new trends for weddings for 2021.

Below, I present to you some of the ideas I think will be particularly popular for 2021 considering the increase in “wedding” related searches on Google and in social media in the past few weeks.

Before I start, have you heard of my 2nd Online Wedding Fayre going LIVE at 11am on Sunday 17th May 2020?

This event is a must see Facebook Live for those couples that are continuously wedding planning during lockdown. The last time, this virtual and LIVE alternative wedding exhibition/open day was seen over 1,500 times and attracted couples from as far away as Hong Kong, Canada, Australia and other locations around the world to watch our expert guest speakers giving their advice answering live questions in Q&As.

CLICK the button below to sign up now:

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2021 - THE BUSIEST YEAR IN HISTORY

With 2/3 of 2020 weddings already postponed to 2021 in addition to the existing bookings for that year, we will observe a wedding boom next year like never before. This also means that you can be expecting the highest number of mid-week invitations in history.

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LIVE STREAMING

LIVE streaming has become a bit of an everyday reality for us now and with some potential travel restrictions carrying on into 2021, we might see a lot more remote families and elderly guests tuning in to LIVE streamed wedding ceremonies, speeches and first dances - have you considered this option for your wedding?

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CREATIVE AND DIY DECOR

Inevitably, we’ve all found ourselves having a lot more time to dig deeper into wedding planning including creative and new designs that are intended to impress our wedding guests - so we can be expecting a lot of surprises and a lot more couples will use their time in lockdown to challenge themselves to do some additional wedding DIY. We can already see increase in tutorials on YouTube, Pinterest and IGTV on how to prepare wedding related decorations and surprises, so expect the unexpected!

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LOCALLY INSPIRED AND PERSONALISED MENUS

Change to supply is already very clear with disruption to international transport and deliveries, in addition to growing concerns for the British home-grown produce. In 2021, we will be observing couples turning to and requesting locally sourced menus once again. ‘Local’ and ‘Seasonal’ will be the buzzwords of 2021.

A lot more couples will also opt for family favourites, especially with desserts once again complemented by seasonal British fruit. How do you like the sound of this British infusion in your wedding menu?

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ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCES

The words that come to my mind when thinking of the conversations with wedding couples about their wedding day - is to provide an unforgettable experience to their guests in a relaxed and fun setup.

I think that in the age of social media - we’re more inclined to focus on these once in a life time experiences that will remain in our memories forever.

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SUSTAINABILITY AND MEANINGFUL RITUALS

We will be observing a lot more couples wanting to reduce on the carbon footprint with wedding websites instead of invitations, set menus instead of buffet to reduce wastage and a complete ban on plastic.

Additionally, couples will move towards the meaningful rituals including choosing local churches for their ceremonies, hosting weddings on family grounds or tree planting and using flowers and plants that can be replanted post-ceremony or wedding reception.

I personally really like this consideration for how your wedding will affect the world around you and what it will stand for over time - wouldn’t it be lovely to look at that tree you planted on your special day in the years to come?

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TIK TOK ANYONE?

How many of you have joined the heat of Tik Tok during lockdown? With more time on our hands than ever before, we can be expecting a lot more fun and creative Tik Tok inspired first dances. Do you dare join the challenge of choreographing your first dance and impressing your guests with it?

P.S. Looking for tips on how to save your time while wedding planning? Check out my latest 3 steps guide today!

Creative ideas for your lockdown wedding anniversary!

I have recently talked about what you could do if your wedding got postponed and since then one of my former couples approached me asking what I recommend they do for their anniversary, as their plans also got cancelled and they still want to celebrate, but before I go into more details…

Have you heard about my brand new FREE guide - “3 Mistakes to Avoid while Wedding Planning - Expert Advice for Busy Couples”?

CLICK the button below to download your FREE copy today:

I thought the subject of creative ideas for lockdown wedding anniversaries could be interesting for many reasons to you too and this is why I wanted share them with you, so I am starting with something I might also do during this quarantine with my hubby - create a wedding memorabilia scrapbook!⁠

I got married over two years ago now and I still have boxes from our wedding in cupboards. I think it happens to us all, whether we go on honeymoon right away or not, when we return to work, we all get busy and these little memories wait for some free time to arrange them all.⁠

There's simply no better time than now to go through it all and create these beautiful scrapbooks, photo albums, picture frames and other things we've been planning to organise for so long!⁠

Imagine how romantic it would be to read out your vows once again to one another on your wedding anniversary 😍⁠

What do you think of this ideas? I always wonder how many couples would remember or save the wording of their ceremony vows.

Who doesn't like a nice spa treatment?⁠

I think we all know the answer to this question! So, why not treat one another with an at-home spa treatment! Brilliant idea, right?⁠

How many of you will give this idea a LIKE?⁠

I think that this - 1) gives couples an opportunity to spend time pampering one another and who doesn't like that? and 2) a brilliant opportunity to unwind and relax.⁠

Why not pop open that bottle of bubbly you've been saving for a special occasion?⁠

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Or maybe you've not had that signature cocktail from your wedding day since your special day? Treat yourself!⁠

There's no rule against raising a glass and toast to spending the rest of your lives together again!⁠

Simply, celebrate in style your at-home anniversary this year!⁠

Finally, how about dressing up in your wedding outfits once again and in the comfort of your own house, dance your first dance once more?⁠

How romantic would that be, right?⁠

Most importantly, would you still remember all the steps?⁠

Hit the LIKE button if you liked my ideas on how you could celebrate your anniversary during the current lockdown.⁠

Fell free to also share your ideas, photos and stories in the comments below - I LOVE A LOVE STORY!⁠

P.S. If you would like to learn brand new ideas daily, simply follow me on Instagram today - @theweddingguru_oskar

THANK YOU for attending our Online Wedding Fayre!

A massive thank you to all of you that have attended our ONLINE WEDDING FAYRE yesterday lunch time!

We had a great day filled with a line up of award winning wedding experts sharing their wedding tips and hints in Facebook Lives, giving couples the opportunity to ask questions and interact with our speakers just like you would have at a wedding exhibition.

If you have missed this one-off event, worry not!

THERE'S STILL TIME FOR YOU TO JOIN OUR GROUP AND WATCH ALL THE VIDEO ON #REPEAT

Are you still planning for wedding day photography, ceremony scripts, what to consider when buying your wedding dress or how to impress your guests with breath-taking florals and your first dance?

The feedback below speaks for itself so weather you're feeling confident with your wedding plans or not, you'll want to grab a pen and notebook as these experts share some of their biggest secrets in these video sessions.

Should you have any questions, comment #REPEAT + your  question and our experts will come back to you with the answer.

With warmest regards,
Oskar.

With Oskar, you know you're in the most capable hands! He's professional, warm, super organised and diligent - nothing was too much trouble for him and he knows the wedding industry inside out!

Michelle, The Bride

What to do during this downtime if my wedding got postponed?

What to do during this downtime if my wedding got postponed?

OK, so there's been quite a few wedding postponements, that's the reality.⁠

I now see many couples on numerous Facebook groups and forums asking what they could do during this downtime?!?⁠

In the below paragraphs, I would like to bring to you some of my ideas on how you can fill this time productively!⁠

Firstly, I'm thinking... why shouldn't you throw a video call party on Zoom or Skype on the original date of your wedding with your friends and family?

Go on, you deserve it! You've worked very hard towards this date, so have a bit of a moment to cheer and have fun!⁠

I'm sure many of your guests would love this as I'm sure many of them have supported you during this challenging time too!

Now is the best time to raise a glass, unwind and celebrate!⁠

My tip number 2 is to plan your seating plan.⁠

Having got married myself two years ago, I can appreciate how time consuming and demanding it is to plan your wedding seating arrangements.⁠

Why not start now? I know, you don't have your RSVPs yet, but it's a lot easier to make small amendments closer to the time than start from scratch, right?⁠

This is one element of wedding planning that I see couples struggling with most, especially when leaving it until you get your RSVPs back and starting it one month before the wedding when there's so much else to finalise too.⁠

You know my favourite saying: "Plan ahead!"⁠

My tip 3 is to perfect your wedding vows, speeches or even updating your entire ceremony script!⁠

When working full time and wedding planning did you not feel like you've not had much time for this?⁠

Now is the perfect time for you to sit down together or separately to ensure that you're putting into words exactly the message you want heard on your special day.⁠

You might want to practise your speech, record it and time it, so that you know it's perfect for when the day you need to deliver it comes.⁠

Have you considered to put some more time for your written or spoken elements of your wedding? Let me know in the comments below.⁠

My tip 4 on using the current downtime productively is to research your suppliers' and venue's social media.⁠

Just like you, the entire wedding industry will have some extra time on our hands now to feed our social media with creative ideas, so why not to follow your suppliers and venues online if you've still got to finalise a few bits and bobs.⁠

Who knows you might come across something tried by your venue or supplier that you've never though of and could add to your special day.⁠

Are you currently following all your suppliers and venue on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook?

Finally, you could use this extra time to practise or learn your first dance.⁠

Wouldn't it be amazing to impress all your guests with the dancing skills they never knew you had?⁠

There's plenty options how you could do this in the comfort of your own living room, however, if you're looking for some professional help, feel free to contact me for my recommendations.

Have you found my top 5 tips on productively using your downtime useful?⁠

LIKE and SHARE this post if you have and let me know any of your questions or feedback in the comments below.⁠

WEDDING COUPLES - we, your wedding suppliers DON'T STOP!

WEDDING COUPLES!!!⁠

Although new measures have now been introduced by our Government, we, as your wedding suppliers DON'T STOP!⁠

I promise to be working tirelessly to help you with your wedding planning virtually over the coming months, as I know many of you will be working from home and looking for hints and tips on your special day.⁠

As you can see my website has already received a little face lift with a new and refreshed look, so feel free to check it out when you've got a minute!⁠

In my latest highlights/stories on Facebook and Instagram, I have announced that since we're unable to meet in person over the coming months I will be putting together Facebook Lives for you featuring my "Guide to Effective Wedding Planning" talk, so that we can meet virtually and continue your wedding planning journey!⁠

I was due to present my Guide at five wedding shows and open days in the next two months, which have now been postponed to the end of the year, so I thought I could come to your living-rooms, home-offices virtually with my top wedding planning tips and hints and answer your questions as if we met at one of these events.⁠

Let me know in the comments below or send me a DM with your preference of when you'd like me to host my first of a series of Facebook Lives?⁠

Is your wedding affected by Coronavirus??? Worry not! I CAN HELP!

Are you worried your destination wedding could be impacted by Coronavirus?

It is expected that weddings that involve international travel will be affected first. Additionally, shipments of wedding items such as outfits, welcome bags, favours and memorabilia might be also affected.

No matter the challenge, there’s always a solution, so don’t let the panic set in! I want to keep this blog post positive by proposing some value solutions for your consideration.

Is your wedding to be in the affected area?

There are two solutions here really, postpone your date or consider hosting your wedding in your home country. For those clients of mine who choose to bring their wedding back to the UK or Scotland, I can secure locally sourced and recommended suppliers to ensure you’re covered under all circumstances.

Are you unable to move your wedding?

In case of any cancellations, understand all policies involved and if you’re booking travel, ensure you opt in for flexible cancellation terms. It is also highly recommended to obtain fully comprehensive travel insurance for all of your travels during the Coronavirus outbreak.

If your guests will also be travelling to your wedding, plan for smaller numbers, just in case, to avoid disappointment.

Are you beginning to shop for a wedding dress or awaiting its shipment?

I highly recommend working with your local dress designers or even consider purchasing your dress off-the-rack if your wedding is only under three months away. This is to avoid disappointment, and ensure that you don’t set your heart on a dress that may not be ready on time. You can always ask for local alterations to ensure you love your selected dress.

The same applies to any accessories you might have ordered or considered to order from China – under the current circumstances you might want to consider shopping locally or be creative with what’s available in the shops just now.

Are you only a few weeks away from your special day? Worry not!

It’s OK to plan for everything to go on as it is, but remember to stay informed and ensure you seek regular updates from your vendors.

It is also highly beneficial to keep your wedding website updated for your guests, so you can avoid numerous questions from your family and friends.

You might also consider streaming the most important parts of your wedding to your elderly and vulnerable guests.

Are you just starting to plan your wedding?

Plan ahead – you will have learnt that these are my favourite words! Don’t leave the big decision to the last minute, but most of all don’t panic! Weddings are normally planned for at least one to two years in advance, so if you’re making your plans for a wedding in 2021 or even further away, you shouldn’t worry. Make sure you check your cancellation policies and don’t underappreciate the value of wedding insurance!

If your destination wedding is being impacted by Coronavirus and you don’t know how to combat your challenges – I can help you! If you were to consider to move your wedding back home, I can take care of all the important arrangements including sourcing locally recommend suppliers to ensure we can bring your dream wedding vision to life in the UK!

Venue Wedding Coordinator vs. Independent Wedding Planner

Over the past three weeks I was asked to present my Guide to Effective Wedding Planning talk at wedding open days, wedding fair and wedding showcases throughout Scotland.

At the end of these presentations, I was often asked by couples: "What is a Wedding Planner?" and "How does your role differ from their Venue Coordinator?"⁠⠀
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In few pointers below, I would like to bring to you the differences between my past venue roles and my current independent wedding planning role.⁠

I want to reassure you upfront that Venue Coordinators and Wedding Planners complement themselves in their efforts and can truly work together on creating the most magical day for you and your guests!

Firstly, let’s begin with a little bit about my background. I've been a Venue Coordinator for many years and at times I used to look after over 100 weddings each year across up to three venues.⁠⠀

Let's put this into perspective, many Venue Coordinators do an amazing job, win national awards for their excellent work and provide the best service possible, just like I did! Nevertheless, I'm sure a lot of you will agree that over 100 weddings each year is a lot!⁠⠀

My aim as an Independent Wedding Planner is to focus on 10 very special wedding celebrations per year and truly provide a top class service to each and every one of my couples! That's less than one wedding per month - can you see the benefits to that?⁠⠀

Another interesting factual difference is wedding suppliers relationship.⁠⠀

As a Venue Coordinator, I booked suppliers included in our packages such as Piper, Toastmaster, Linen Company, however, for all other requests I would have had my Recommended Suppliers List for couples to approach separately.⁠⠀

Now, that I work with couples directly, I can take care of all admin related to booking your wedding suppliers. Not only will I negotiate your rates (preferential trade rates, often in turn covering my fee), but I can also liaise and book those suppliers for you, without the need for you to worry about anything - removing the stress factor completely!⁠⠀

This is the area couples feel most overwhelmed by majority of the time, with managing multiple contacts and communication streams at the same time and ensuing everyone is all on the same page.⁠⠀

How do you feel about managing your time, multiple contacts and all relevant information effectively? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.⁠⠀

My final thought on the subject of Venue Coordinators vs. Independent Wedding Planners is the convenience and availability factor.⁠⠀

It was always difficult for me to detach myself from the most important day for my wedding couples, on my days off and holidays.⁠⠀

This was very clear when returning to the office from my days off or holidays and my inbox and voicemail were bursting.⁠⠀

It is a difficult balance for Venue Coordinators working when wedding couples are at work, and off duty when their couples plan their weddings.⁠⠀

I find this as the biggest advantage now that I can be available for my wedding couples at the most convenient times for them, online or at the most suitable appointment location to them, being unrestricted by venue walls.⁠⠀

All in all, Venue Wedding Coordinator and Independent Wedding Planner roles vary and at the same time complement one another very much! Irrespective of the roles, it is everyone’s passion in this industry to provide the best dream wedding experience possible to all happy couples.

Let me know in the comments below how helpful you’ve found this blog and feel free to book my FREE 15 Minutes Discovery Call to discuss how I could help you make your dream wedding vision a perfect reality!

Why Wedding Planning?

“There is not a better way to describe Oskar other than the wedding Guru!!

He is a true professional and his attention to detail is incredible. No matter what questions or worries my husband and I had he was always on hand to offer answers, support and reassurance. He made sure the run up to our wedding, our wedding day and the day after were as stress free and enjoyable as possible. Even keeping us in check when we had forgotten things.

I can honestly cannot recommend Oskar highly enough and I will never forget how relaxed and at ease he made us feel.”

Nicola – The Bride

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Why Wedding Planning?

I am often asked why I chose a career in wedding planning and I don’t really have one straight answer to this question. I also can’t honestly say that I planned for weddings to become my passion, they just did.

I started my career with hotels in 2009 when I entered my undergraduate course in Events Management at university. This was exactly 10 years ago last October! The management at the hotel I worked for very quickly picked up on the fact that I have an excellent attention to detail. For this reason, I was quickly moved to predominantly look after the weddings there and deliver them on the day. Both the management and the couples felt at ease with me at the steering wheel of all things weddings and I started realising that I really enjoyed weddings and I was good at running them. It was back then that I learnt about the practical logistics of delivering successful weddings, giving me a well-grounded experience for my next career steps.

Five years forward and I found myself in my first wedding planning role for four hotels in Edinburgh’s city centre. This is when I started learning about certain regulations and procedures relating to wedding planning, giving me a completely new perspective on this complex process. I grew my connection base with other venue coordinators and a strong network of wedding suppliers.

From there, I quickly progressed to take on my first management role in weddings for a portfolio of three luxury venues, this is when I was honoured by many of my wedding couples who nominated me to receive three Scottish VOWS Awards recognitions and I also received an industry recognition from the Scottish Hotel Awards during this time.

Following my success, I was privileged to support a team of nine venue coordinators UK-wide as a mentor in their wedding planning efforts and also presenting training workshops to venue coordinators annually at a national wedding workshop.

It was mid-year 2019, that I thought of planning weddings independently and for couples across the whole of Scotland or even world-wide.

So… why wedding planning? Because I absolutely love what I do, and I find my work incredibly rewarding and satisfying. I love seeing my couples faces on the day of their wedding, I always get a little tear…

What’s my favourite part of the job – you might ask?

I can’t say that there’s just one part of my job that I enjoy the most, but I most certainly have my favourites!

People – I just love meeting new wedding couples! They come to me excited, but at the same time a little overwhelmed and this is when I can provide them with much needed reassurance and just simply offer a pleasant introductory conversation. You’d be surprised how much of a bond you can create with a couple over many months of wedding planning, which makes it all even more fulfilling. I still keep in touch with many of my wedding couples to this day, and love hearing about their milestones!

Is there any one piece of advice I could give wedding planning couples?

Enjoy it all, because it goes faster than you think! I hear many couples throughout my career saying they would do it all over again as it’s gone way too fast, so take your time to truly enjoy your wedding planning together. If you can take time with your wedding plans and work on them together, you’ll find it bringing you both closer and you’ll experience some incredible things during this process. If you find yourself needing some help with your plans – I’m sure I could give you some advice.

Any particular stories that remain in my mind?

I have told you about the amazing story of Mr & Mrs Love in my previous blog – my heart still melts to this day thinking about their beautiful wedding.

There’s one more wedding story close to my heart that I would like to share with you… even my husband had a tear in his eye when I told him about it.

I worked with this loving and incredibly enthusiastic couple for over a year and a couple of months before their special day, I was asked to help with one aspect of wedding ceremony in particular – arrival procession.

Sadly, the Bride’s parents were no longer there to provide a resting hand on her special day and this beautiful Bride was having the dilemma of who to ask to walk her down the aisle. After some careful consideration, I came up with an idea that lighted up her gorgeous face, which also made my day! I suggested for her Groom to meet her ready in her dress, at this very important and special moment of entering the ceremony hall, and to walk her into the next chapter of their lives together. You can’t imagine how emotional and at the same proud the Bride looked when the doors to the ceremony opened and she entered the room with her soon-to-be husband! This is one of those beautiful stories that brings a tear to my eye, still to this day.

Wedding Planning Tips - Music / Venue Decorating / Photography

During my wedding planning consultations, I often begin with an open discussion with the wedding couple about their plans in order to identify areas which require the most attention. This allows me to easily come up with simple and tried solutions to help them along this process.⁠

I have recently looked over my notebooks and noticed that three areas come up quite a lot in our conversations - music, venue decorating and photography.⁠

Over the next three days I will be revealing a few simple solutions referring to these hot topics, so remember to join me on my Instagram and Facebook stories.⁠

WEDDING MUSIC

There's really three questions to ask yourselves when planning for your wedding music:⁠⠀

What? When? and How?⁠

It is definitely worth looking at the types of music and songs you would like to have at your wedding, across the different parts of your day.

Will you be having music for your ceremony and will you entertain your guests during the drinks reception? Finally, are you planning for background music in your Wedding Breakfast?

It is also particularly important to consider how this music will be supplied - are you thinking of live music or will it be music supplied on a digital device? Does your venue supply you with a sound system?

You can now see why it is important to spend some time thinking about this part of your wedding planning too.

WEDDING VENUE DECORATING

There's much logistical planning needed when it comes to wedding venue decorating.⁠⠀
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Having delivered weddings operationally for over four and a half years, I will tell you exactly what elements of planning for your venue decorating you should consider.⁠

There’s really three integral wedding planning elements to consider when thinking about venue decorating:

1) Will your decorations vary between the different parts of your day? Are your decorations portable and easy to move?

2) Does it all require a specific setup and who will be looking after this? Including turnarounds and moves between different stages of your special day.

3) When does it all need setup? Is early access for setup permitted or will your venue permit setup the day before your wedding?

Venue Decorating does indeed take a lot of planning and it needs a lot of consideration - at the end of the day it only happens once.

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

I see a lot of couples forgetting to think about this important element - which in turn will produce one of the only physical memorabilia of your special day. Of course, your professional photographer will have a perfect plan for your day, but if there’s any particular photos you want to have - you will need to consider these early. Once again, you’ve only got one chance to get these right!

I often recommend for couples to meet with their photographer for a briefing to discuss exactly what photos you want taken on your wedding day. Plan and discuss your timings and locations - if you’re planning to travel to a remote location for your wedding photography, you will need to take timings particularly into account.

Finally, who from your wedding party will be responsible for family portraits? Even the most experienced photographer might struggle with this when they don’t know individual members of your family - will you allocate somebody to take charge of this?

I hope you found this blog and my Instagram and Facebook stories useful - let me know in the comments below if there’s any other topics you’d like me to touch upon in my next series of wedding planning tips by the Wedding Guru - Oskar.

P.S. Special Engagement offers from my recommended suppliers:

Janet Annand - Wedding Harpist (LINK)

2 for 1 on ceremony and drinks packages OR 15% discount on ceremony or drinks only packages - for all bookings confirmed by 31st January 2020

Next Scene Films - Matt Crofts (LINK)

10% off all packages when quoted “Wedding Guru Oskar”

BagPiper Online (LINK)

Special negotiated discount on all packages when booked through the Wedding Guru - Oskar

The Wedding Guru - Oskar (LINK)

2 for 1 on One Hour Wedding Planning Consultation for all bookings confirmed before 31st January 2020

REAL WEDDING - Mr & Mrs Love

I have recently been asked about the highlights of my career and one of those beautiful moments I often recall is the wedding of Amanda and Stuart in the winter of 2016!⁠⠀

I still remember to this day how excited Amanda and Stuart were at the prospect of their timeless and sophisticated winter fairy-tale wedding!⁠⠀

It was on the morning of their wedding during the final setup that I could fully appreciate Amanda's vision - see for yourself in the images from Amanda. It is these moments that make my job incredibly rewarding, to see the beautiful effects of my work with my lovely wedding couples.⁠

One very special moment of Amanda and Stuart's wedding will remain in my memory forever - during my morning check on the Bride, Amanda opened a gift from Stuart and in a little lovely decorated box were sitting two porcelain turtledoves with a love message. My heart was melting. This might sound like a cliché, but you genuinely could feel the love surrounding this couple!

Amanda says that the turledoves are still make a very important part of their Christmas tree decoration to this day! You could simply feel the strong bond surrounding this beautiful couple - Mr & Mrs Love!⁠