Wedding tips for the disorganised bride….

If you have been following my blog or Instagram page for a while then you’ll know that I’m not the best at forward planning (or organisation in general…) The current trend of ‘Marie Kondo-ing’ your life doesn’t really work with me – I never get round to the second step of finding what sparks joy and it all ends up back in the wardrobe! So wedding planning was always going to be the ultimate test…..will I/won’t I have a dress on the day….(I joke, I’m not THAT bad!).

Luckily the man that I’m marrying is partial to a spreadsheet or 3 and, if I’m honest, could wipe the floor with ‘Don’t Tell the Bride’ so I’ve been in safe hands. However there are the obvious things that he hasn’t been able to sort, my outfit on the day, hair, make up etc, where he’s had no choice but to delegate these to me! Here are a few top tips that I’ve picked up throughout the process that might be useful for any brides to be (disorganised or not!)….

1. If you are having someone style your hair on the day then research their previous work thoroughly before booking. I fell into the trap of panicking about needing to get someone booked in as early as possible, and therefore paid a deposit to secure the date, and then regretted my choice of hair stylist. I’ve rebooked with someone who I’m 100% confident can work some wizardry-like magic with my fine, lifeless hair but did have to swallow the pain of the loosing the deposit I’d previously paid. Lesson learnt – do your homework!

2. Get your wedding shoes early enough that you can break them in to make sure they will be comfy enough on the day. I’ve been tottering around in these stunning shoes from Paradise London Pink (via Lace & Favour) for the past few weeks and I can now confidently say that they are blister proof and ready to take me through to midnight on the big day! If you are stuck for wedding or occasion shoe inspiration then head over to Lace and Favour for a huge array of styles to suit any bride or guest, with choices from all the main bridal shoe brands. I personally waited until I had my dress before choosing my shoes as it helped to narrow down the style I wanted. I did however get slightly sidetracked by the beautiful occasion shoes also featured on the site and am currently eyeing up several glittery pairs for the honeymoon!

3.  Whether you are doing your own make up or getting someone to do it for you make the most of the bridal make up tutorials that lots of beauty counters offer.  I spent an hour with the lovely team at Bobbi Brown Cribbs Causeway a few weeks ago, who took me though bases, lip colours (and a little bit of sparkle!) to help narrow down what sort of colour palate I want on the day. It was the most relaxing hour, their customer service went above and beyond and the best thing is it’s totally complimentary! Whilst I’m having my make up done professionally it was so useful to have a play around and work out what type of look I want.

 

  Emma at Copper Fox planning

4. If wedding panic starts to set in or you hit a wall with inspiration have a look in your local area for wedding consultants who offer one off sessions to help get those creative juices flowing again. I met up with the lovely Emma from Copper Fox Planning  (based in Bristol) about 5 months before the big day and it was great to have someone to bounce ideas off and check that we were on track with our to-do list. She exudes energy and excitement about all things wedding related and has a wealth of knowledge when its comes to the planning process. There’s a risk I think that wedding planning can become this unmanageable beast of a task that begins to overshadow the excitement of it all and sometimes having an outside person to touch base with and ground you again can be really helpful.

5. Once you’ve chosen your dress stop looking! There is a reason why you said ‘yes to the dress‘ and continuing to browse afterwards will only make your doubt your original choice. There are a million and one dress styles out there and endless choices but be confident in the one that you have picked and pour your energy into loving that one, rather than thinking there is perhaps another one out there for you! Sometimes this means locking those bridal magazines away!

None of these tips are groundbreaking but things that I have picked up along the last 16 months as a bride-to-be novice. With 2 months to go we are now firmly in the home straights and beyond excited for the next chapter of our lives! Feel free to share any last minutes tips or advice for this bride-to-be below.

Jess X

~ This is a collaborative post with the lovey people at Lace & Favour who very kindly gifted me the bridal shoes ~