Classy Weddings

This is a great idea for all your friends to catch up on who you are going to marry and it should have photo's of family members from both sides on it. The story of the bride and the story of the groom, where you met, how you met and how he proposed.

You can have your wedding gift registry on there too and you can keep adding to it each time you have a chance.

It is a great way for people that will be going to the wedding to get to know everyone that will be there so that they are not strangers to each other on the big day.

The focus must be on the two of you and when you email your "save the date" you can add the link to your website.

Someone can manage it for you but it is nice for the bride and groom to work on it together so that they can go through the memories and have a laugh while doing so.

Photo's of the engagement can be included here and any information on the two of you, along with your hopes and dreams, honeymoon ideas etc can be added.

You can also have a space for your friends and family to add their thoughts, memories and photo's too.

Your gift ideas should be planned and thought out before you add things that you will not need. Check in at a great store that sells almost everything to do with the home and take pictures of the items that you would like.

You can let your guests know where to go and inform them that there is a list to follow as well as add it to your website with the photo's of the items next to each one.

This way people will know exactly what item you are wanting and with the registry they will be prevented from buying doubles.

There are so many ideas for invitations and many people have chosen to do it by email or via their website but an invitation is personal and it is nice to get something fun in the post.

You can have them specially designed according to your theme, which means that you should have an idea of what your wedding day is going to be.

If your wedding is going to be elegant and classy, your invitations should be the same as people will have an idea of what to expect at the wedding.

Invitations can be done in so many different ways and a nice touch to it is to add lace, silk or damask to make it unique.

Gold embroidered writing is so eye catching and it looks incredible on a silky paper.

If you like lace then add it to your invitations somewhere and go old school by getting the writing done in calligraphy.

Another great idea is to have it sealed with a wax seal and your initials embossed into it.

Be original, be unique and don't be afraid to use fabric and colour as this is the countdown to your main event and it should say something about you and your wedding day.

Many wedding planners have graphic designers working for them and they can come up with almost anything to make your invitations your own.

Scrolls and wax seals are interesting, satin or silk envelopes are beautiful and the invitation itself can be done with imagination.

A great idea that we have used in the past is a photo frame that is hidden by two doors covered in gold fabric, closed with a diamante brooch. It is a good idea for people who loose paperwork and all they have to do with your invitation is stand it on a shelf in order to reminded on a daily basis.

A silk box is beautiful but to send this to everyone that you have invited can be expensive, so if you do not have the budget, the boxes are not expensive but the posting is.

A silk box is exactly what it sounds like a box covered in silk that opens up outwards. The invitation is placed into the box and has writing done in a gold calligraphy with an embellishment wrapped around it.

Get a designer to make your cards for you in any way that you would like them to be because it can be done. The prices are not cheap if you want designer cards but they will be the talk of the town!

This is of course one of the most important aspects of your wedding, the dream dress. Having it made as a one of a kind is a great idea and a designer dress can be they way that you want it to be, fit and look.

Go through catalogues from big designer names and find one that you would have in mind, add things onto it or take things away and let the designer know what you want. Remember to be specific because your ideas explained could be interpreted differently and the end result will be countless alterations before your wedding.

The wedding dress must be exactly how you have pictured it and you can choose to do whatever you want as long as you find a designer and a dressmaker that knows what they are doing.

There are some fantastic designers out there that will understand exactly what you explain and will have it done your way.

The bridesmaids should compliment you and this can be done with classy dresses that are not made one size too small, too short or too revealing. The colours should compliment all the girls and if you have a flower girl, she can have a few colour matches with the bridesmaids too.

The wedding make - up should be done by a professional so that everyone is blended in and accentuated, rather than overdone and in the wrong colours.

There is nothing worse than having a photo with the bride and her bridesmaids all dressed in pastel colours and soft makeup, with one girl wearing dark red lipstick and eye shadow that could "marry the night."

Get hair and makeup done by the professionals so that they work for you to compliment the wedding and every ones features, without anyone being offended.

Select a colour that you like and get the shoes and all accessories to match up to you so that nobody comes in wearing outrageous when you have planned elegant.

For a classy wedding you need an elegant venue but you have to be careful when selecting this as it could be lacking in atmosphere. For a wedding to be classy it does not have to be uptight and in the most expensive venue that you can find. The little things and the fine touches that you add make it classy.

Avoid empty halls if you are not going to fully decorate as this will be cold and uncomfortable.

Should you choose to use a hotel conference room then you need to be careful that the food that they use is good enough for your guests and the bride and groom don't have to wait for service.

You can use an venue as long as you make it your own and th decor can change the entire atmosphere of the wedding.

Less is more sometimes and it is the fine details that mean something. It is great to make the venue full and colourful but at the same time you do not want it to be overdone.

Should you be doing Tiffany chairs then a bow or sash and a cover is way too much and it will look trashy not classy.

Tiffany chairs are beautiful just as they are and all you need to add there is a centrepiece on each table. The idea of a chair cover is to hide the ugly chairs that are usually in the venues but Tiffany chairs are made to be shown off.

If you choose to have a centrepiece on the tables then remember that it is just that....a centrepiece. It should not be too high or too low and there should be only one.

Your guests need to sit there and speak to the other people at the table and they won't feel as thought they are a part of the wedding if they are hidden and isolated by a huge centrepiece.

If you are having flowers on each table then make them all the same, the only table that can be different is the main or bridal table. Every other table should match up because too many colours will clash and look overdone.

A red carpet is nice but it has been over used and it sometimes spoils the effect at a wedding, especially if you have a colour theme going on and it does not include red.

If you are wanting a carpet or long entrance mat, then go for something different and ask the decor team if they can get another colour. You could even have rose petals along the floor to make a carpet, it is beautiful, effective and you can use a colour to match your theme.

Should you have gold as a theme, then avoid using silver cutlery and other colour under plates.

When your guests arrive at the venue it should be easy for them to find out where they need to sit and instead of them waiting aimlessly for you to arrive after your photo's have an area where they can relax and meet up and socialise with everyone else. A welcome drink in an open aired space is a good idea.

An usher is also a great idea to take people to their seats instead of using a board with table numbers on it.

If you choose to have a board then add photo's to the names so that people can see who is sitting at the table with them.

Don't mix cutlery and crockery they should all be uniformed, so if you like crystal then stick with crystal.

Keep your tables uniformed too and avoid using round and square at the same time, again, the main table is the only one that should be different to the others.

Table cloths should be quality materials and they look beautiful and effective if they are long and the tables are fully covered.

An overlay should also just be a hint of colour and having too many on the table can take away the elegance.

Whatever you choose to use, just remember that sometimes less is more.

Centrepieces and candles look beautiful and eye catching at a wedding reception if done in the right way. Too many can also give the wrong feel to a wedding.

For a centrepiece you need to decide whether you would like one big main attraction or a few smaller objects on the table but avoid having everything on one table.

If you like photo frames then stick with a photo frame and a few tea candles with flowers. Should it be a large centrepiece you are looking to add, then don't overdo the floral arrangement and do not fill up the table with all your ideas. Narrow them down to a few simple objects just to accentuate the theme.

Do not mix themes either as it will make your reception a little too busy.

Have a wedding planner or coordinator to help you with the decor to avoid it looking overdone. They have many ideas and they do know what compliments and what looks too much.

Don't mix too many fabrics together either.

Make this original and do not use what everyone else has done in the past. Do something that nobody has done before.

Your gift to the guests to say thank you for coming must have something to remind them of you on it. With this gift you should add a photo of the happy couple to remind your guests where they were on that day.

If it is chocolates that you are wanting to give out, then add a printed picture of the bride and groom onto it.

You could also have a gift that goes with the decor at your wedding reception and something that can be used in the guests home, is a great idea, to rpevent it from being a waste of money after they leave it in a room or cupboard somewhere.

Get a nice ornament or something that will be useful.

At a wedding there are so many ideas for food and most people usually go for the buffet. Although that is nice as it gives people a variety it is sometimes not that elegant for the bride to be waiting in line in a wedding dress.

A sit down meal is good because your guests can be served at the table and you can select a starter, main and dessert that you like.

Getting caterers means that you need to get someone that knows how important your wedding is to you and they have to have passion for food.

Hotels that cater for weddings usually have the buffet menu or a specific a la carte menu for you to choose from but it sometimes means that they prepare the food way before they should, which could lead to a mediocre meal.

Tell your caterer what you would like to have at the wedding and what type of food you enjoy. Get them to come up with some fusion food or something extraordinary for the "wow" factor.

Your wedding cake should also go with the theme of your wedding decor and a good caterer can do just that for you. A cake with many tiers is pleasing to the eye, especially when it will be the focus of your wedding at some stage of the reception.

Should you want anything but traditional, then you need to ensure that the cake is going to be made just before the wedding to prevent it from being dry on the inside.

If it is a cake with many tiers than the lighting should be good on that table and if it is the focus in the room, you need to get your event planner to emphasise the cake with pillar candles or a light that leads the eye to the cake at the right moment.

Build a website to personalise your wedding and get your guests to see who is going to be there and let them share the memories with you.

Your wedding invitations can be hand made and delivered by a courier.

Find a dress that is designer made and unique to you.

Decor, catering and the venue should be done through professionals in order for it to be the event of the year.

Your wedding car can also be something original and hiring a live band will do the trick to create a party and a fun vibe.

Everything about your wedding should compliment you and your groom, so think carefully about the things that you both like, to make your dream wedding a reality.

Magazines love to do articles on very original things and if your wedding is not conventional and it has a specific or original flair to it, then it will be covered in a magazine. You can get your local magazine to cover it and you can even get it recorded for a wedding show.

The venue is also interesting if it is unique and nobody has thought to go there before.

Get photographers to take photo's of you and your husband to be in original places too.

Your special day can be the event of the year, especially if you have celebrity friends or you are wearing a one of a kind dress made by a known designer.

Unusual decor, catering and bridal wear can make it into the magazines.

Your entertainment can also be important, if you have the money to hire a live band, especially a known one, then you have got the recipe for a classy wedding.

There are so many ideas for invitations and if you don't trust someone enough to get the invitations done, then do them yourself.

Here is a youtube video on how to make your own invitations.

It is also a great way for you and the groom to celebrate getting married.