Planning a wedding can be so exciting but also incredibly stressful at the same time, as your mind races with a million and one things for perfecting your big day.
Heather Glen’s owner, Judith, who has helped organise and plan hundreds of weddings, has let us into her top five wedding planning tips to help you organise your dream wedding.
1. Prepare for all weathers
Cumbria is a beautiful part of the world, with its rolling luscious green hills. But we all know the weather can change in an instant, so having a back up plan is always worth it.
“I personally think you have got to look at the risks involved when choosing an outside ceremony,” said Judith. “If there’s any threat of rain, the ceremony officers won’t go ahead and the wedding will be moved inside.”
At Heather Glen, our country house is the perfect base for your wedding, come rain or shine. Our two and a half acre gardens mean there’s plenty lovely areas you can get beautiful photos while guests enjoy a welcome drink and children – and adults – can run about the lawn. If the weather takes a turn as Cumbrian weather can so quickly, you can enjoy the warmth of our 19th century building, with our cosy snugs and seating areas.
2. Keep it simple
Many of us have been planning our dream wedding for most of our lives, right? So when the other half pops the question, wedding planning time is a-go-go! You trawl through Instagram, look through Facebook and multiple Pintrest boards as you think about every little detail on your day. And many past brides are first to admit, they wish they’d kept it more simple. “The simpler you keep it, the less likely you’re worrying about all the tiny details when it comes to your big day,” said Judith.
Simple doesn’t have to mean lacking either. Here at Heather Glen, all of our wedding packages include all nine of our luxury bedrooms, meaning you and your nearest and dearest can spend the night of the wedding on site and you can enjoy talking about your perfect day the following morning with some of your guests over a hearty breakfast together. You don’t have to think about renting cutlery, chairs and other little details, meaning you’re free to relax while planning your wedding, safe in the knowledge that we’ve got it covered.
3. Choose suppliers carefully
“Choose suppliers that you really feel you get along with,” said Judith. “Ask for advice. They have done lots of weddings and know what works. Florists, for example, go with their ideas of flowers in season, which will be easier on your budget and helps the planet, too.”
It’s a minefield choosing who is best to supply the essentials, and more, for your big day. Flowers, table decorations, photographers, videographers, DJs, bands, the list goes on! The best thing to do is to speak to everyone you have in mind to get a feel of who they are and what they do.
The beauty of Heather Glen is that you don’t have to think about the likes of chairs, tables, cutlery, lighting and table cloths, it’s all there. If you don’t want to decorate much, no worries, because you’re choosing somewhere that has more than just the basics, it’s your home from home for the day. Equally if you want to choose extra decorations, go for it, we love to see how couples can be so creative and love to see their visions come to life. We also have a range of table decorations available at Heather Glen, including candles and mirrors, giving you one less thing to think about and organise on your wedding day.
4. Go with your first thoughts and ideas
There can often be a number of years between the start of wedding planning and the big day itself. In this time, trends might change, social media, Pinterest and magazines might show you something new and exciting and all of a sudden a colour theme has changed, bridesmaid dresses and ties have to be returned and you need to start again. It’s so easy to think the grass is greener and change a plan, we totally get it. However, this can add to just another thing for you to do, an extra thing to tick off, and often even more work.
Stick to a plan and roll with it. If you think you might change your mind a little too much, don’t decide on things like bridesmaid dresses or table decorations too soon. Remember, some people get engaged and organise a wedding within a matter of months, so if you anticipate you might change your mind a little, only choose when you’re really sure.
5. Don't listen to everyone else
“Don’t take very much well meaning advice from well meaning friends,” said Judith. “Because I think brides and grooms can start to doubt themselves. Everyone has got a picture in their mind of their wedding day. Some might want extra flowers and plenty of decorations, while others might want to keep it simple. When you’re taking advice from too many people, it can just confuse you and give too many choices.”
And the advice will come thick and fast from the engagement get go. “I wish I’d done this on my wedding day,” or “these are my top wedding planning tips,” the list goes on. It’s (mostly) always coming from a good place, of course, but equally it can get overwhelming, too. Listen to the advice, but make sure you pick and choose if it works for you and don’t feel pushed into something that isn’t right for your big day.
