Any first time brides in their forties?

Hiya,

I'm a first time older bride, I'm 46 and will be 47 when we marry in June 2016.

We are going all out for our wedding, I want to enjoy it all just like any other bride, so I've chosen a a dress that has sparkles and tulle, when I tried it on in the bridal shop, I was twirling away like crazy, I loved the way it made me feel. I want it to be a day to remember. Have to say wedding planning is a massive learning curve, but I'm enjoying it.

We've booked the venue, registrar and I have my dress. Next on the list is a photographer and I love dancing so were looking for a good DJ.

Were just pacing ourselves and enjoying the experience.

Don't feel old, you have every right to go all out for your wedding, go for it, I know I am!

Hello,

I will be 41 when we get married next year, we've been together 10 years and are going all out lol (well I am he's just gotta turn up) we both have kids from previous relationships and he (we) has a granddaughter.

we have booked the venue, the photographer, the videographer, the photocab, the florist, the dj and a vintage ice cream van for just after the ceremony as a surprise for the guests. I've also purchased the adult bridesmaids dresses.

I'm going shopping for my dress on Tuesday with my mum, I've got a couple that I love (in pics) but don't know what they'll look like on me lol. Definitely want the 'dress' xxx

I turned 40 on my wedding day in January (but we had only been together just over 2yrs). We did keep it low key, partly cos of our age I suppose, but also cos I have some social anxieties and wouldn't cope very well with a full-on big wedding. You can see the pics in my report if you want!

If it helps, I'm a third time older bride at 55. Yes, we are having the whole mashings. Nowadays you can do whatever you want. Big, small, traditional, funky, go with what is you and your OH. The choices are only limited by your imagination, and budget lol.

you might get comments from some but ignore them. We have not a single negative comment from anyone about any aspect of our wedding. We are having the full works with immediate family and friends approx 200 miles away, then ten days later, having a massive party in our home town for all family and friends. We are having two wedding cakes and will all be wearing our posh gear again absolutely everyone is as giddy as a giddy thing. So fulfill your wedding dream and have a ball. X

I'm 44 and will 45 when Iget married. I'm all out for the church and reception as its my 1st time.

Through reading different threads on here go with what you xxx

Hi, I'm an older first time bride; I'm 47 will be 48 when we marry. We have also been together a very long time, it'll be 28 years when we marry and we have a son who will be 21!

Kilner - we also decided in quite an unromantic to get married.

We're having the whole thing in a hotel, but what began as a relatively small 'do' is morphing into something bigger! Some aspects of it i'm very comfortable with others not so, for example I think it will be brilliant to have family and friends together for a party but I am very nervous of the whole walking into the room at the start of the ceremony etc...i think its because I'm not so keen on being the centre of attention. However that is just me and my own insecurities ?

Other than that we have booked: registrar, venue, chair covers, ceremony singer, evening entertainment, suits for the men, my dress is picked and ordered, invitations have just arrived, family member is a cake maker so thats sorted, flowers I'm making table decorations but have friends who are florists so no worries about flowers.

At over 6 months is seems ages away but I'm guessing the time will go quickly!

I'm 41 and will still be 41 when we get married in August. We're gone for a quite understated house party for close family - we have a small hotel that dates back to the 14th century to ourselves for two days where we'll have both the ceremony and the reception. I've never really been mad about doing the whole traditional wedding thing so have steered clear of that.

We've been together close on five years now. A couple of friends of ours are getting married next year - he currently 41 and she's 49, ha, and another of mine is getting married in September at the age of 40 (we were room-mates in our first year at University) - so there are quite a lot of us about!

Wow thanks girls.

Lovely to hear about your plans and reassuring to know you are not holding back because of your age!

I must say that we did start off wanting a low key affair but somehow it has managed to spiral into something bigger and more expensive.

We are really cutting corners were we can though and plan for the day to be simple and elegant. So long as our families and friends are there we will be happy.

I've decided to decorate the venue myself (not sure how yet!) so will not be having a florist so hope this works out ok - a bit worried but sure it will be fine. Simplicity is the key. I don't have any theme as I'm not that keen on all the matching colours etc. I like pastel colours so will probably get a range of seasonal flowers and pop them in jars etc.

Has anyone thought about wedding favours as I find them a bit cheesy but can't think of anything a bit more quirky than the usual sweets and the like that most people seem to do?

Thanks for all your replies. It's a great help.

We decided against favours. We had originally been going to make our mustard and put it in individual pots but having heard that so many of these things just get thrown away we decided we'd still make the mustard but only one larger pot that people can have with the cheese. Its still personal but much easier to take the leftovers away with us.

I'll throw in a question too ... what are your honeymoon ideas? The idea of a beach bores the socks off me, in fact I wilt in the heat.

We had Scottish tablet favours, in little perspex boxes with tartan ribbon. I wanted a nod to the fact we were in Scotland without going too OTT. I thought they were cute and I know everyone took them home - but then we only had eleven guests so it was easy to keep track!

ETA: here's a pic

For favours we've done cake pops, our lot are gannets so they will all get eaten. I've made wine glass charms so those who want can keep them, those who don't won't, and everyone will get a glass heart nugget on their place card/menus. Again, if they keep them fine, if not, I'll have them lol. I would sy do anything that would upset you if they were left or ignored. Some people love favours, me me me, others aren't fussed, so it's not worth doing something where guests might not then meet your expectations.

Mmmmm.. some nice ideas thank you. There is certainly a lot to be thinking about.Not on the high street have some cute ideas too but still can be pricey.

Changing the subject now, I've just been shopping and got some shoes at last! There is a real shortage of shops to physically go and try bridal shoes. Got some in John Lewis in the end.

'Bubblebee' - re: honeymoon; sadly we won't be having a honeymoon but hope to get away with the children for a short break later in the year. To be honest, neither of us are that worried about a honeymoon. A night away in a hotel together without the children would be good enough! I suppose like most things now, you can do as you wish for a honeymoon destination, nothing has to be traditional, go with what you want to do.

My next task is getting music together for cerremony,dinner etc and seating plans - we have a meeting next week at the venue. We both love music, we just don't know where to start as there are millions of songs that we love. Gonna be a long discussion with OH !!

I'm a second time bride at 49, we've been together 15 years with two teenage boys. Ours was an unromantic ' it's about time we got married' type of proposal. We're all really excited, especially the boys who can't wait till I have the same surname as them and OH!

It's OH's first marriage so he had the final say about the day and he decided he wanted the whole big do! So that's what we're having :-) We've had no negative comments, apart from my dad telling me i should be wearing a suit when i told him i'd bought a wedding dress lol

As for favours, we weren't having any but then decided to have Marie Curie pin badges in honour of my mum and OH's dad who recently passed away. X

I'm 45 getting married in July and a first time bride. I will be OH's third (and final!) wife.?

We did consider going abroad but we're both big party animals so are having a big informal do here. I think as an older bride you're less likely to have people sticking their oar in and even if they do you have the confidence to tell them where to go. Or maybe I'm just bolshy!

Our initial guest list was about 200 but we've been ruthless and cut it to about 150. I expect we'll end up with about 120 attending. Our main focus is the party. We have two bands. We're supplying a lot of wine for the tables and our favours are home made miniatures of limoncello and strawberry vodka (we do have non alcohol favours for the few non drinkers). The favours will also serve as place names with little tags attached.

I'm not having a traditional wedding dress but a full length evening dress - nothing to do with age, it's just more me and I really don't suit white/ivory etc.

I think the key is to have the things you want. Don't be manipulated into other peoples vision.

And this applies to brides of any age.

We both come from huge families - he's scottish, I'm irish. We have approx 130 first cousins between us so when I say we've been ruthless I really mean it.

Heathy2b

We've had no negative comments, apart from my dad telling me i should be wearing a suit when i told him i'd bought a wedding dress lol

This made me laugh - my dad asked me if I was getting dressed up? I think he was expecting me to wear a suit aswell. I've got a Monsoon dress and I absolutely love it! It's classy and stylish. Didn't want to go down the whole bridal shop thing!

Love your pin badge idea too - a lovely touch.

I'm 47, its my second time (1st was when I was 20) but that was just the 2 of us at the register office with 2 witnesses. There was no planning and it didn't feel like a celebration or an occasion. Things are totally different this time, its for all the right reasons & I know he's my soulmate. We've gone for a small casual affair, getting married later in the day, 3pm & just having a meal with some live music afterwards. There is 54 of us, no separate night do just a lovely evening with those we love & whose company we enjoy. At first I felt self conscious, thinking everyone would imagine I was mob! That only happened once at a wedding fayre .... Mortified at the time tho!

Just have exactly the wedding you want, huge & noisy, small &sedate, your day your ideas and your hopes & dreams xxx

I'm 42 and this is my second wedding, my H2B's first. My first was 15 years ago, a church wedding followed by a party with buffet at a community centre with a mediocre DJ and the whole extended family invited (how is it possible to not know so many people at your own wedding?) It was very much what my parents wanted as it was paid for by them.

Up until a very very surprise proposal I hadn't really considered the idea of marriage, but it's the best thing that has happened to me. We are having a beautiful venue and have planned what I think should be a fantastic day (couple of days if you count the shared breakfast in our exclusive use venue). I have had a few dress wobbles as I've chosen a very traditional and big dress. I keep thinking I should have gone with something a bit less weddingy considering my age but then look at the pic to remind me how much I love it.

I have pretty well loved all the planning. We have loads of little twists that are very 'us', like completely non-traditional evening invites with a pic of my evening trainers, H2Bs Tootal scarf and our wedding rings; our music for the day is an eclectic mix of indie and punk, Northern soul, funk and dance; table plan features more of H2B's photos of our favourite places. it really feels like our day and apart from a couple of gripes at each other has brought us even closer together.

I would honestly say do whatever you want for your day, don't listen to anyone who may try to tell you what you 'should' do, and enjoy it all.

I'll be 46 and my H2B will be 50! We wanted to marry the week before, a day before his 50th, so didn't feel like I was marrying an old man lol but couldn't get the registrar for the time we wanted 2nd time round for both of us and we have the works. Dress, bridesmaids, suits, flowers and the big party. We r both young at heart so why not. Really looking forward to it now, Really nervous at walking in The dress, no one will recognise me, I NEVER wear a dress lol.

Although last night "we" became grandparents for the first time so it's official now, WE are old lol (but don't feel it)

xx

I'm not a first time bride but I will be 45 when we marry next year. This is my OH's first time though so we are doing the big traditional wedding (except in a registry office instead of a church). I was nervous about being a bride again in my forties but decided what the heck. This is our day and were doing it our way! After all age is just a number x ?