Wedding Magazine - October 2015

WEDDING

The UK’s best value glossy bridal magazine

www.weddingmagazine.co.uk October 2015

new

934

Only

£2.50!

Az

ways to wow

THE

Flowers, cakes, venues, dresses, champagne, décor and more...

-

of everything! (#bridalbible)

hey gORGEOUS! glossy hair & catwalk beauty secrets

R e a l life w ed dings

’ . . . d a h I ‘I wish

Fa shion

A year on, brides tell all

Shop your big day from £5 - £5,000

WIN!

R eception st

y le

Worth YOUR DRESS £2,000

New Cover Sooz.indd 9

28/08/2015 11:27

wedding debate

Would you take your children on honeymoon like Ashton and Mila?

Two former brides share their thoughts on honeymooning with and without their children

yes

T

no

says finance director Heidi Langham

here wasn’t a single moment where we questioned our decision to take our brood on honeymoon with us – we always spend quality family time together, so why would our honeymoon be any different?

My son is my world, and being under one at the time, he needed my attention.

It also wouldn’t have been fair to not take my husband’s children from a previous relationship, so we made it

A

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis took thir daughter Wyatt on their California road-trip honeymoon

TY IMAGES Wilcox. PHOTO: GET compiled by: Leanne

“We should’ve invited our parents!” a family-moon. While I had always imagined honeymooning further afield with just my husband, life has a way of surprising you, so we had to choose somewhere that was childfriendly and not too far away. A 4-hour flight to a hotel complex in Turkey worked out perfectly for us. That’s not to say we didn’t encounter a few problems along the way. It wasn’t an easy task to please everyone, namely because of the age differences – they all wanted to do different things. But we accepted that the trip wasn’t about us as a couple, it was about our family, and despite romantic moments alone occurring few and far between, we wouldn’t have changed it for the world. Honeymooning alone might have been easier and slightly less stressful, but I can’t see the appeal of leaving your children behind. They were a huge part of our wedding day, so why wouldn’t we include them in our honeymoon? However, maybe we should’ve invited our parents so we could have had some peace and quiet!

26 Debate SUBBED.indd 24

Yes or No? @amelievondollar No, absolutely not. It's a special time for the newly weds, a time to relax & enjoy each other without the stress of kids @The_Mrs09 We took our daughter with us, we didn't want to leave her out of any of the wedding @shoe_smurf Our marriage means we finally become a "family" (with the same surname) and the honeymoon will be a family hol. @clairemu1 Yes. If they could be entertained separately – could have time together as 2 plus family time

join the debate

tweet us @weddingmagazine and tell us what you think!

says beauty therapist Yasmin Woods

dult time is often overlooked once you have children, which means it’s important to grab alone moments when you can – especially when you’ve just tied the knot! So while it was really upsetting to watch our little girl’s eyes fill with tears and her smile turn upside down as we said goodbye to go on our honeymoon, it was also a relief; we needed a break, and I couldn’t wait to spend some quality time alone with my husband. While I can understand why couples might choose to go on honeymoon with their children, it’s the only time where it seems to be acceptable for loving parents to be child-free – so why wouldn’t you jump at the chance? Of course our little girl is our world and she will always come first but, for once, we wanted this to be about us – after all, we’d spent a very hectic year planning the whole event! I was a full-time mum, then a full-time wedding planner, making decisions over décor,

“We didnt want Legoland on the agenda” stationery and colour palettes. So once you’ve exerted all of your energy on planning the big day (before you immerse yourself in the celebration itself), you’re so exhausted you need time together to relax, take it all in and just breathe. I’ll admit it wasn’t easy leaving our daughter behind, but as our trip involved lots of sightseeing and walking, it just wasn’t practical to take her with us. We wanted a romantic escape – and one where Legoland wasn’t on the agenda!

www.weddingmagazine.co.uk 27/08/2015 09:24

Expert interview Dresses galore!

Inside Phillipa’s London boutique

Jacqui Ainsley and Guy Ritchie

rt e p x e interview The

Phillipa is still involved in all aspects of the design process

Phillipa Lepley is having quite a year, designing the wedding dress of not just one high-profile bride, but three – with Geri Halliwell, Jacqui Ainsley and Ali Astall all recently walking down the aisle in one of her creations. We spoke to Phillipa about finding the perfect dress, and what mistakes all brides-to-be should avoid What bridal trends will we see throughout the next year?

I don’t think that lace is going anywhere. I’ve been doing lace dresses even before Kate Middleton wore one. And I think clean, simple dresses will always be around as well.

You shine more in a plain dress. Also, more people are choosing sleeves, in particular three-quarter length ones, and there aren’t as many strapless gowns around as before.

WORDS: LAURA ATRI. PHOTOGRAPHY: Phillipa Lepley; INSTAGRAM/jacquiainsley; NORTH NEWS; REX FEATURES.

What advice would you give to a bride-to-be shopping for her dress?

One of Phillipa’s classic haute couture gowns

Relax and enjoy it as it will be over in a flash! And don’t bring too many people, just your mum or a really good friend. Leave all your preconceived ideas at the door and try on the odd wild card – you might be surprised!

What’s the biggest mistake a bride-tobe can make when choosing her dress?

Listening to others too much and not going with her heart. It’s always good to be open-minded, but you must make sure you look like you! For example, if you never usually scrape your hair back, don’t do it on your wedding day.

How important are wedding day accessories?

I’m a huge believer in not having too much going on, and letting your face do the talking. I prefer it when brides don’t wear a necklace; it’s very lengthening and youthful. I am a huge fan of veils, as they are so romantic.

And of course, we all love Manolo’s!

You established your shop 25 years ago – how have bridal fashions changed since then?

We didn’t have strapless dresses 25 years ago; we used to have big puffy sleeves, like Princess Diana! I have also noticed that dresses have got a lot less formal, and there are more slinky gowns around now, especially compared to the 80s or 90s.

Geri Halliwell at her wedding to Christian Horner

In your opinion, how does a bride know when she has found The One? (Dress that is...)

Usually the bride will gasp and say “this is the one” and might cry – and then everyone starts crying! For me, that moment is still really special. It makes all of the hard work worth it.

For more information, visit phillipalepley.com

www.weddingmagazine.co.uk Expert Interview.indd 47

Declan Donnelly and Ali Astall

W edding

47

26/08/2015 15:18

of everything you need to know about

abE

They look good, but are not so great for being the last on the dance floor.

Cowboy boots later in the evening will keep you do-seedoing till dawn.

Heels

A -z H THE

Sandals, £595, Jimmy choo

getting married

Gifts

From dress shopping to paperwork, and Pinterest to bad weather, we’ve got it all covered.

The most popular month to get married in the UK. Avoid or aim for at your will.

Remember you will be catering for your entertainers too, so make sure that 13-piece swing band is a must…

48

Wedding

A-Z.indd 48

Pretty organisers look nice but a spreadsheet gets the job done.

Delegate,

Banns

Before a church wedding they will be read at three services, and you will need to attend one of them.

delegate,

Catering

df Excel

c August

g

You don’t need to splash out on expensive jewellery for your maids if you’re on a budget – put together ‘day after’ packs with painkillers, plasters, water, chocolates, face mask and Berocca.

delegate,

We don’t want to be Debbiedowners, but if you’re having a traditional wedding this is maybe the one occasion where you really can’t do it all yourself.

Final fitting

Build-up nerves/ excitement means you might lose more weight than you intend – book in a final fitting a couple of weeks before the big day.

www.weddingmagazine.co.uk

27/08/2015 17:40

H k L g JpO m Qr N wedding features

Invites

Get them out early.

Especially if you’re getting married in wedding season.

K i ds

Keep little ones entertained with crayons and toys, or a balloon-wrangler.

Lineup

They mean you get to speak to every guest. Even with the best of intentions you might not have time later.

Busy kids = happy kids =

Jewellery

relaxed parents

Only after you’ve decided on dress, hair and makeup, should you turn your mind to bling.

Online research

Pinterest is your friend. Just remember that friends sometimes lead you astray. Stay strong… Don’t get lost down the rabbit hole.

Necklace, £39, Mirabelle

Priorities

Make time

Grabbing moments together during the day can be surprisingly difficult, so remember to make the time.

Question

Seriously question anything you feel you should do…

RSVp’s

words: marcia moody. PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES, ISTOCK

What’s the most important thing to you? Food? Venue? Décor?

When you’re working on your budget, start with that.

Write guest’s names on the individual cards, or when they start rolling back in you’ll have trouble identifying who they’re from.

www.weddingmagazine.co.uk

A-Z.indd 49

Name-change

Order multiple copies of your marriage certificate if you’re changing your name – you’ll need to send out several at the same time to different organisations, and they won’t accept photocopies.

Wedding

49

27/08/2015 17:40

s

Out of season ingredients will be more expensive, as will flowers, so if you fancy asparagus and peonies at a winter wonderland, expect to pay more.

Se

aso n

ality

Umbrellas

uV

It MIGHT rain – think about investing in a few bridal brollies if you’d like them to be in pictures.

X

The Dress

A wedding dress feels totally different to anything else you will have worn. Let the experts make suggestions and be open to ideas.

Dresses take at least six months to make.

WZ Weather

If it rains, instead of worrying about trying to create that blue sky feel, just go with it and let the photographer capture the true feel of the day.

Z yZ YO LO

XXX

You’ll be doing lots more kissing than normal, and popping up in a lot more pictures, so keep your lippy handy.

Videography

Videos can be forgotten about, but they capture the sounds of music and chatter that photos don’t.

Don’t sweat the small stuff.

It will never be perfect.

50

Wedding

A-Z.indd 50

T

Eyemask, £11.95, Bombay duck

Invest in an eye mask for the night before.

Choose one with double elastic, as one strap pulls across the eyes.

www.weddingmagazine.co.uk

27/08/2015 17:44

One year on... ... after their big day, we ask three brides would they do anything differently...

Milly Wilson, 29

I

stressed about the weather,

the wording on my invitations, the exact timings on the day and whether everyone would be happy with the seating plan! When I look back now I realise how insignificant these worries were. I also wish I had known just how quickly the day goes by – you blink and you miss it, which is why it really is so important to just take a few minutes during the day to stop, look around and savour the special moments.

Rob was very helpful with the planning of our wedding day, taking a genuine interest in every stage. However, I did take the lead as a lot of the preparation required a creative flair which wasn’t so much his forte!

Looking back, I know I should have asked for more help from willing friends and family, particularly in the final week before the big day. Never has the saying ‘Many hands make light work’ been more apt.

I think part of me wanted to keep the details as a surprise, and the other half was

52

Wedding

One year on FONTS.indd 52

just being stubborn! In the week before the wedding, I barely slept and we were up until the small hours decorating our marquee, handwriting the homemade signs and chalkboards, compiling playlists, hanging bunting and sticking labels on more than 200 jars of jam.

I should have asked for more help Brides-to-be, ask for help – your loved ones will be delighted to be part of this exciting time and it is NOT a sign of failure. We had this vision of learning a first song dance routine, to wow our guests, but time was not on our side, and we didn’t get a chance to fulfil this dream. If I did the whole day again that’s one thing I’d definitely do!

www.weddingmagazine.co.uk 26/08/2015 15:19

wedding features

I didn’t eat enough – by 1am I was starving!

Amanda Welsh, 29

A Words: laura atri. photography: katherine ashdown photography; Elizabeth Lois photography; Ian Martindale Photography.

lot of our guests had travelled a long way and

made a huge effort to come to the wedding, and there are people I wish I had spent more time with. You don't really think about it before, but it's difficult to spend lots of time with everyone at a wedding with 100 guests!

Like most couples we had our official photographs taken almost straight after the ceremony, which looking back, could have been cut down. We actually prefer the more candid, natural shots, so it probably wasn't necessary to have so many formal photos – we could have spent the extra time enjoying the canapes and champagne, and chatting with our guests.

I'd advise that a few key people know what needs to be done in the last 48 hours before the wedding. I made a ‘wedding information pack’ which contained timings

for the day, contact numbers and what jobs needed to be done by when and who by, and this helped make our day run smoothly so we were able to totally enjoy it.

I do wish I had eaten some of the evening food. At around 10pm fish and chips were served, but I was too busy dancing to stop and eat. When it got to 1am, I was starving!

Luckily, the staff made us sandwiches and saved us some cake to get stuck into before heading to bed.

We went on honeymoon the next day. As we live in Dubai and got married in England, we didn’t want to spend our first few days as newlyweds staying with other people.

However, we had completely underestimated how exhausted we would feel after the wedding, so before we knew it, it was time to head off – and we nearly missed our flight due to traffic on the M25! My top tip? Make sure your suitcases are packed in advance...

Gemma Calvert, 36

I

’d advise brides to think about what you’re wearing for getting

ready. In my pictures I'm wearing bright yellow shorts and an orange bikini top! I'd had a spray tan and wanted it to soak in. Really, I should have found a silky kimono. We planned our wedding in seven weeks. Yes, seven weeks! Marcus proposed when we were in Italy for his 40th birthday.

At the time my dad was very ill with cancer, and four days after we got engaged, my brother phoned to say dad was getting worse. We started planning straightaway and luckily, our dream venue had a cancellation.

I know my dad held out to walk me down the aisle and that is one of the kindest things

he’s ever done for me. We did get to have some time together but I still wish I had spent more time with him. He was so sick then, and he passed away two weeks later.

I will always remember him looking at me and saying ‘Come on, we can do this!’

He was such a trooper, and it stopped the day from being a sombre affair and made it a celebration. Dad was so happy and proud and this rubbed off on everyone else.

A bit of advice you might not usually think of... check your DJ has all the music you want. When it came to our first dance, Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud, the DJ didn't have it! Thankfully a friend had it on their phone.

Gemma is organising a charity walk on October 17 to raise funds for The North Devon Hospice, who cared for her father. To sponsor her, visit gofundme.com/greatgraham.

I wish I’d had more time with dad

www.weddingmagazine.co.uk One year on FONTS.indd 53

Wedding

53

26/08/2015 15:20