Getting married can be very expensive and the whole idea can be daunting. But there are many things you can do to cut down the cost and still have the most stylish and beautiful wedding of your dreams. Here are some tips to consider:

1. Wedding Venue – This is one of the biggest costs in your wedding budget but you will be happy to know that there are ways to bring down the cost:

a. Pick a wedding venue where you can hold both wedding ceremony and wedding reception in one roof. This will save you money in transporting guests and wedding vendors.

b.Find a venue without up-front hire charges. Venues with all-inclusive packages including food and beverage can often work out cheaper.

c. Pick a wedding venue that does not require a lot of wedding decoration for it to be beautiful so you can immediately save money on that front.

d. If you have the space, perhaps you can also consider getting married in your own back garden – this can be very romantic!

2. Wedding Date - Many wedding venues offer a slightly lower hire fee if you choose to get married on a weekday or during an off-peak season.

3. Wedding Guests – One of the quickest ways to cut down the cost of your wedding is by limiting the number of people you invite on your wedding day.

4. Lunch Wedding Reception – The packages you get for lunch are typically cheaper than dinner and you can save a lot of money by opting to have your wedding reception in the afternoon.

5. Wedding Dress – Find a talented up and coming bridal designer whose prices are more affordable compared to the big names in the industry.

6. Wedding Stationery – Creating your own wedding stationery is becoming more popular amongst brides these days – it’s fun and adds a personal touch to your wedding.

7. Wedding Music – Consider making do without a live band or DJ on your special day. Here are some things you can consider doing:

a. Ask one of your friends or relatives who are musically inclined to play a beautiful piece as you walk down the aisle.

b. compile some of your favourite music onto your ipod and use that to provide background music as well as dance music in the evening. Or get one of your bridesmaids/groomsmen to arrange this.

8. Wedding Cake – You will be surprised to know how costly wedding cakes can be. But here are some ways to help you save a bit:

a. Sugar icing flowers/decorations are difficult to make and can be expensive. Fresh flowers are usually a cheaper and arguably more beautiful alternative.

b. After the ceremony, consider using your bridal bouquet and bridesmaids’ bouquets to help decorate the wedding cake table.

c. Let your wedding cake be your scrumptious dessert, so you can avoid paying extra for dessert. Or use the cake as wedding favors, which I am sure they will enjoy eating the next day.

9. Wedding Flowers – Wedding flowers can be costly but there are  ways to save and still have the most elegant wedding flowers on your special day:

a. Pick flowers that are in season and are locally produced.

b. Stick to fewer types of flowers instead of a large variety

c. Use more foliage

d. Consider using cheaper flowers that still go with your wedding theme. For instance, Calla lilies are cheaper than Phaelenopsis orchids

e. Recycle your ceremony flowers and re-use them for the reception tables or elsewhere.

10. Wedding Videographer – In an ideal world, you’d have both a wedding photographer and a wedding videographer. But if your budget is tight, I’d recommend skipping the wedding videos and invest on hiring a really good wedding photographer to capture all the beautiful memories of your wedding day. From my experience, unless you pay top dollar for a videographer, the quality of the editing can be fairly amateurish and I’ve known many brides & grooms who’ve been disappointed by what they get. Hence an alternative might be just to get someone with a camcorder to capture some key moments during the day, and you can in the future pay for a good editor to create some special video clips for you.

Photo courtesy of Andy Le Gresley of CKP Weddings

Related posts:

1. Top 25 Wedding Songs – Timeless Classics
2. Wedding Planning Checklist
3. Choosing a Wedding Venue

With so many foundations out there to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to start. But keep in mind a few things when hunting for the perfect base: your skin type.  There are foundations that give a matte finish which are great for oily skins , but for drier skins, a more dewy foundation can give a better finish.coverage.

If you want a very natural finish, then a tinted moisturiser or a sheer finish foundation is what you are looking for, such as Nars Sheer Glow Foundation (£35) or Laura Mercier Tinted moisturizer . For a medium coverage, I would recommend Dior Nude foundation, which is my most used foundation.  If you have a lot of redness, broken veins, blemishes, you might with to go for a more full coverage foundation, like Bobbi Browns Foundation stick (£26).

Colour

Don’t just try foundation on the back of your hand – you will be wearing it on your face, so that’s the best place to try.  Try dab of foundation on your cheek and our forehead and check in the colour in day light to give the best indication for a colour match.  Generally foundations with a yellow undertone are more flattering than those with a pink undertone.

Application

To apply, you can use your fingers, a sponge or a foundation brush.  I tend to find that when applying with a sponge, a lot of the products is wasted by being soaked up by the sponge, so my preferred way is to apply with fingers, blending into the skin, but avoiding the sensitive eye area, and then take a cosmetic sponge with a small amount of foundation to flawlessly blend under jawline and around the hairline.  The warmth of the skin on the fingers I find helps the foundation blend well into the face rather than sitting on top of the skin.

Related posts:

1. The Perfect Primer by Mailin Haddow
2. The Perfect Moisturising Cream by Mailin Haddow
3. Mailin Haddow, MV Make-up

Apply the primer after your daily moisturiser all over the entire face. Let it  settle before applying your foundation.

A favourite of mine and many other make up artists is Laura Mercier foundation Primer £27. However if you skin is particularly oily, or prone to shine around the T-zone, YSL Matt Touch £28 is an excellent mattifier but apply sparingly and only where needed to keep unwanted shine at bay.

Related posts:

1. The Perfect Make-up Foundation by Mailin Haddow
2. The Perfect Moisturising Cream by Mailin Haddow
3. Mailin Haddow, MV Make-up

The very beautiful, talented and charming Mailin Haddow of MV make-up will be sharing with us her bridal beauty tips on “How to Create the Perfect Base”. She will have a weekly bridal beauty column here at Dolce Sposa this month of April and it is something to look out for! Join us as we discover some tried and tested bridal regimens and beauty products that she swears by as a professional make-up artist.

The Perfect Moisturising Cream

Starting with a fresh cleansed face, always apply moisturiser to your face and neck, to provide hydration.  Choose a moisturiser to suit your skin type, whether its dry, combination, oily, sensitive or mature. If you are already in a skincare routine that suits you, don’t go changing products in the final month before your wedding as that could cause some upset.  If you are not getting the results you want from your current skincare, seek advice from a skincare professional several months before your wedding.  Skin renews itself on a 28 day cycle so it will take a full month to see the difference and notice the benefits from a new product.

I really like Avene Anti- Redness light moisturising cream (£12.99) from Boots.  Great for sensitive skin prone to flushing.

Related posts:

1. The Perfect Make-up Foundation by Mailin Haddow
2. The Perfect Primer by Mailin Haddow
3. Mailin Haddow, MV Make-up

Musical taste can be quite personal and certainly many of you will have your own sentimental favourites that you have in mind for your first dance or wedding slideshows/videos, and those songs that have a special meaning for the two of you should definitely be your first choice!

But to assist you, we’ve compiled a list of some timeless classics which simply get better with age!

Rather than hunting around for the perfect wedding compilation CD or having to buy several CDs of music, we would highly recommend using Amazon’s MP3 store to purchase songs at just 69p or 79p each (iTunes is another option but I generally find Amazon to be a little cheaper). That way, you only purchase the songs you want and can then burn them onto a CD or ipod to be used on your wedding day. Very cost effective and will also save you a lot of time (I wish I’d discovered the wonderful world of MP3 downloads a little earlier – compiling my wedding music took me almost a week)! You can click on any of the tracks below to be brought to Amazon’s MP3 store where you can also listen to an excerpt.

Without further ado, here they are – DS’s picks of some of the best wedding songs that have survived the test of time…

Related posts:

1. Planning a Wedding on a Budget
2. Top 10 Tips to Provide the Perfect Wedding Soundtrack

1. Waterpoor mascara – make sure you use a waterproof mascara and to keep this in your bag for touch-ups. This will prevent mascara smudges when you dry those tears away.
2. Lip Gloss – it will be great if you can bring all three lip esentials – your lip liner, lipstick and lip gloss. But if space is an issue, then just have a neutral colour lip gloss for that gorgeous pouty look.
3. Blusher – keep the rosy glow on your face all day by applying this whenever you feel the need to.
4. Concealer – brighten up those eyes with a concealer pen whenever you retouch and don’t forget to dab it with some loose powder for a more natural look.
5. Blotting paper – you may not always have the chance to go to the ladies to retouch with your loose powder so a blotting paper will come in handy to keep you looking fresh
6. Perfume – smell good all day and bring with you a small perfume.
7. Make-up remover swab – it is the most emotional day of your life so it is understandable to have an overflow of tears and even waterproof mascara might not work. And if that happens this will come in pretty handy.
8. Mini toothbrush– do not ruin all your wedding photos with stained teeth from the red wine so bring a mini toothbrush with you to keep that bridal smile all day and night. Bring two for you and hubby.

Here are some products many brides have sworn by, loved and can’t go without even after their big day! Some are award winners and some are just great products to have! We particularly love the Laura Mercier lip glace as it comes in small sizes so it is really ideal for your wedding make-up essential kit!

1^st row – Laura Mercier Mineral Translucent Finishing £25.00, Bobbi Brown long-wear gel eyeliner £15.00 , Christian Dior Show £18.00

2^nd row -Laura Mercier Mini Lip Glacé Set £30.00, Nars Orgasm Blusher £18.50, YSL Touche Eclat £20.00, L’occitane matifying papers £6.50

3^rd row – L’Occitane perfume balm £6.50, Jane Iredale make-up swab £18.00, Muji travel toothbrush £2.95 each

Related posts:

1. The Perfect Primer by Mailin Haddow
2. Clive Christian No. 1 – Most Expensive Perfume in the World
3. The Perfect Make-up Foundation by Mailin Haddow

skate beneath the stars with the one you love...

If Christmas is our favourite time of the year, then this would be our favourite ice skating rink in the world. A good place to watch the happy faces soaking up on the romantic and joyous season as they all share the fun, the laughter, merriment, excitement and joy with all the people they love. Whether you go with your family, your husband or fiance, solo or with a group of friends we know for sure that you will have a great time here day or night. A trip here will surely bring a smile on your faces the same way it affects us when we go on our yearly visit.

Oh isn’t it lovely how a place or yearly event like this can make us feel all the L-O-V-E in the air?! DS is a big fan and is just so in love with this place….

Skate at Somerset by Tiffany & Co is open now until the 24^th January 2010. So enjoy and make sure to take lots of photos….

Tips – A romantic proposal setting!! Of course, it will only be an option if you are not shy but you will definitely be hearing a lot of “ohhh”, “ahhh”, “so sweet!!” and more…

Related posts:

1. Skate at Somerset House
2. Babington House, Somerset
3. Exclusive Caroline Castigliano 2010 Launch Event

This is a very exciting part of your wedding preparations – finding and trying on your dream wedding dress! DS have compiled our 7 tips for every bride before going for your first wedding dress appointment:

1. Know your wedding venue – It would be very helpful if you already know your wedding venue before you go for your first wedding dress appointment. The type of venue, setting and style will allow the bridal shop and the sales team to efficiently help you in finding the perfect wedding dress for you that also works for your setting!

2. Know your wedding date – Knowing your actual wedding date will allow the bridal shop to ensure that you can get your wedding dress in time for your special day. You will require a few wedding dress fittings until the dress suits you perfectly. So it is always best to order well ahead of time and avoid all the unnecessary stress – many top designers require at least 6 months to make your dress and complete your fittings.

3. Have/bring wedding dress ideas – Bring photographs/clippings of the wedding dresses that you like or have fallen in love with from anything that you’ve seen before. This will give the bridal sales team an idea of what you have in mind and narrow down the search for you.

4. Who to bring with you? – Bring someone whose opinion you really trust and, if possible, try to avoid bringing a lot of friends with you. This is when “less is more” works best. Everyone’s got different ideas and it can be overwhelming hearing too many thoughts as it can be confusing and even stressful at times.

5. Hair and make-up – DS strongly recommends that you wear a bit of make-up and fix your hair when you go for your wedding dress appointment. You will be trying on some of the most beautiful wedding dresses for the very first time and you want to look the part and get a closer glimpse of how you will look like on the actual day.

6. Bring the right pair of shoes – You need to have shoes on whilst trying on the wedding dresses – it’s likely that you won’t have found your ideal shoes yet at this point, but it’s good to at least have an idea of the height of shoes you want. Most of the bridal shops will have bridal shoes that you can use but they might not have your size or your desired heel height. Any colour is fine as you shouldn’t see it when you’re trying on your dress (unless it’s a short dress), what’s important is that you can see how the dress looks on you with the right heel height. You should be able to leave getting your actual bridal shoes till later.

7. Bring some bridal accessories – Like bridal shoes, most shops will also have a good collection of wedding accessories to match different wedding dresses. But if you want to be very particular or wish to wear an heirloom or your favourite diamond stud earrings, you can also bring it with you so you can see how it suits the wedding dresses you will be trying on that day.

And a final bonus tip from DS – make sure you enjoy the whole experience! The whole process can be stressful and daunting at times but always remember that it’s a special and happy occasion – so keep the excitement and pack your brightest smile with you when you go for your wedding dress appointments!

Here’s wishing you all a happy and memorable wedding dress shopping experience…

Wedding Dress by Angel Sanches, Kenneth Pool and Carolina Herrera

Related posts:

1. Vintage Wedding Shoes by Emmy
2. Phillipa Lepley Wedding Dresses
3. Suzanne Neville Wedding Dresses

Finding the perfect wedding venue for your special day is not an easy task. In fact, this part of the wedding planning is the most difficult part to finalize because there are tons of beautiful wedding venues in the UK and you can get overwhelmed with the possibilities out there. But you will be happy to know that after you find the ideal setting for your special day, then everything will be as easy as 1-2-3…

We have narrowed down and made a list of the top and most important things you have to consider when choosing your perfect wedding venue and we hope you find it useful.

1. Wedding Budget – make sure that you and your husband-to-be have set a clear budget before searching for your dream wedding venue. This will save you time and help you focus on the type of venue to look out for since wedding venue fees can vary considerably from £1500.00 to £30,000.00.

2. Availability – confirm and finalize your wedding date before contacting the wedding venue. This will help them check availability more effectively. We also suggest having 2-3 alternative dates just incase the first choice is already taken. Also remember that most wedding venues require a minimum of 6months advance booking.

3. Wedding Style – there are tons of beautiful UK wedding venues but in order to help you find the perfect venue easier, we highly suggest that you have a clear idea of what you want. For example, decide whether you want to have a castle wedding, church wedding, marquee wedding or a destination wedding etc. The other alternative is to perhaps look in to it based on the season like winter wedding, spring wedding, summer wedding or autumn wedding. Figuring this out will help you find the perfect wedding venue and see if they can offer this kind of experience for your special day.

4. Number of Guests – intimate wedding of 20 or a big wedding of 300 – this factor will greatly influence the choice of your wedding venue and it is advisable to have a good indication of the number of guests you are expecting to have so that you can find wedding venues that can cater for this important requirement.

5. Civil or Church Ceremony – check with the wedding venue if they are licensed to hold civil ceremony or a religious ceremony. This will help you figure out whether or not you have to include this task of visiting local registrars or churches on your wedding venue search. Distance between marriage ceremony venue and the wedding reception venue will be important to take in to account. In-house wedding coordinators are usually very helpful and they can give you a list of registrars, churches or list of other vendors within close proximity to their venue.

6. Vendors – all b2b and h2b have different requirements on what they need on their special day and it is just understandable that each wedding venue may or may not answer all of these. Some wedding venues can only offer the ceremony venue and reception venue but not the accommodation, catering and other wedding extras. This means that you have to look for your own wedding vendors or you will have to contact the venue’s recommended vendors. All these issues will affect your wedding planning and wedding budget so always know all the important facts when you start liaising with the venue so you get all information as early as possible and plan accordingly

7. Child Friendly – if you are expecting to have lots of kiddies on your wedding day, it is also good to find out from the wedding venue whether they can accommodate children. Some venues like castles or stately homes can be quite strict about this and can also impose age restrictions due to some of their fine arts and antique collections.

8. Do’s and Dont’s– check with the venue if they have will impose certain limitations or do’s and dont’s on your wedding day. Some venues have rules like no load music after midnight, no confetti, no candles, no high-heels due to floor damage, no red-wine  and more. This might not affect you if you are head-over-heels in love with the wedding venue but it is still good to set everything clear from the beginning to avoid any surprises.

9. Accommodation – not all wedding venues have accommodation for you and your guests. But make sure to ask if they can give you a list of recommended hotels and B&B around the area so that you do not have to do your research about this. Ask if they can also give you a map to show the location of each hotel in relation to the wedding venue. For everyone’s convenience and ease of transport, you certainly would want your family and friends to be within close proximity to the beautiful wedding venue where you will be getting married.

10. Wedding Photography Considerations – dolceSPOSA places a great emphasis on wedding photography and we think that this is  an important consideration when you are looking for your perfect wedding venue. An ideal venue will also provide breathtaking spots at the venue for both indoor and outdoor photography. One golden rule is to have ample natural light as it will give you sharper wedding photographs but if the venue is slightly on the darker side (e.g. gothic, medieval castle wedding venues or simply most winter weddings), this means you will have to find wedding photographers who can capture images even in lowlight conditions. You only get married once so you want to ensure that you will have great wedding photographs. So we feel that this is an important factor to also add on the list.

That makes up our Top 10 Tips in Choosing a Wedding Venue and we are certain that following these points can help you make the wedding search fun, easy and enjoyable. Good luck and enjoy the search for your perfect UK wedding venue.

Happy wedding planning!! You only get married once and plan for this special occasion once so you have to make sure that you enjoy every minute of it!

Photo of Garden Wedding courtesy of Xander Casey

Related posts:

1. Ashford Castle, Ireland – Romantic Wedding Venue
2. Planning a Wedding on a Budget
3. Leeds Castle, Kent

Dolce Sposa highly recommends this wedding fair especially if you are looking for the best wedding vendors for your wedding day. Everything fabulous and luxurious in the world of wedding will be in one roof for two days so do not miss this chance.

Here are some of the things you can expect to see and do during the wedding show:-

• check out different wedding venue stalls
• meet potential wedding vendors from bridal cakes, wedding cars, wedding stationary, wedding planners, honeymoon planners, wedding accessories and the like
• view portfolios of different wedding photographers
• bridal make-up consultations
• see the latest trends in bridal design during the bridal catwalk
• you also get the chance to try on different gowns from bridal designers like Carolina Castigliano, Jasper Conran, Stewart Parvin, Pronovias and more
• if you are lucky you can also meet some of the internationally well-known bridal designers!

With everyone’s busy schedule, it is not always easy to meet all the wedding vendors in UK so this is a great opportunity for you and your husband-to-be to explore. Going here with your bridesmaid or mum will also be so much fun…

Enjoy and mark the dates on your calendar for this great wedding event.

EVENT DETAILS

The Designer Wedding Show
British Genius Site, North Carriage Drive
Battersea Park, SW11 4NJ

Tel. 0871 230 5579

Ticket costs 16.00 advance booking and 18.00 at the door

Opening hours – 10:00 to 17:00

Related posts:

1. The Designer Wedding Show, London – 15-17 February 2008
2. Wedding Shows 2008
3. Angel Sanchez Trunk Show 2008