50 May 2015 Love Takes Centre Stage www.womanthismonth.com Have a tranquil wedding day by planning each detail in advance. Follow Woman This Month’s check-list for a happy grand day. Don’t forget to adapt the steps to your own ceremony and reception traditions. 9 MONTHS BEFORE: • If you haven’t yet, you must organise your families to meet. Pick a nice restaurant that you both enjoy and take your parents for an enjoyable lunch or dinner. • You can also start thinking of bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girls and page boys. • Discuss the type of wedding you want, if a big fat wedding with the whole family and friends or a romantic escape with a few close relatives and good friends. Include budget in the discussion, this way you also define what kind of celebration you will have. • Start searching for the styles of dresses you like best. You can collect wedding magazines, cut out the frocks and make a visual collection. • Organise your gift registry. 6 MONTHS BEFORE: • Help your mother and mother-in-law with their outfits. • Investigate accommodation options for outof-town guests. • Book in for a marriage preparation course if required. • Start thinking of your honeymoon. What kind of trip you would like to take; the romantic package or unusual adventurous places. Research to find the best destination, use your budget as guidance (read more about it in our Travel section). • Select the stationery for invitations, envelopes, thank you cards/notes and place name cards. Book a calligrapher if you want to use one. • Start visiting venues and caterers to shortlist the options and then decide on the venue. Having an idea of number of guests will help define your choice. 4 MONTHS BEFORE: • Discuss your beauty regime with your beauty therapist. Decide if you want to change the colour of your hair, let it grow longer or start any hair treatment by then. This way you get the best results when the big day comes. • Decide if you want live music or a DJ to provide the entertainment at your the party. If you are going to invite kids, it would be a nice idea to provide some sort of distraction for them during the party. • Choose and purchase your wedding rings. If you are going to have a special design, it is important to select it in advance so it is ready for the wedding day. • Renew passports if necessary. FEATURE | wedding
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