EVERYTHING WEDDINGS

Hello!

3 A lot of couples have the men wear their own suits, but this really only works if the men are all in the kind of jobs where they normally wear suits for work etc.

4 You don't have to have flashing disco lights. The prettiest ones are colour change LED uplighters supplemented with colour change disco lights. They can create stunning effects in the room without actually being "flashy"

5 MOH is an American tradition, you don't need to observe it or appoint an MOH at all.

Hello, and congratulations on your engagement!

1. That's entirely up to you. The great thing about modern weddings is they can be as personalised as you like. You can keep it subtle or go crazy. My OH and I love Japanese culture and anime/gaming, so we're bringing that into our wedding through the music (I'm walking in to a song from a Studio Ghibli movie, and want the DJ to play Still Alive, from Portal, for the last song). Our centerpieces are also loosely based on Japanese ikebana style, with mini figurines from our favourite shows and games incorporated. The first thing you need to decide is what aspects of your personalities you want to bring in, and how subtle or in-your-face you want to go. Have a look at http://www.offbeatbride.com for some really personalised weddings.

2. That depends on your skin etc. The same makeup won't suit everybody. Are you thinking of doing it yourself or having a makeup artist? A makeup artist would be able to advise, or if you're thinking of doing it yourself then makeup counters in places like Boots or House of Fraser can give you advice and tips.

3. Again, up to you. I've left OH to decide if he wants to buy or hire his suit. We're telling the rest of the groomsmen to wear their own and we'll just provide anything that we want to match. None of them wear suits regularly, so we're going to tell them to just wear something they already own - we're not going to ask them to buy something new.

5. You don't have to have an MOH or even any bridesmaids. It's quite common for girls to walk up the aisle without bridesmaids, have male attendants, or walk up the aisle with just their fiances. (Plus, if you're on a budget, you'll save on the dress costs!)

Happy planning!

Hi there

RE: 'disco lights'. What is it you particularly don't like about lighting you've seen previously? Can't be sure but it sounds like you've seen a few bad wedding DJ setups - lots of people have! Things have really moved on on recent years and lots of more professional DJs have *stunning* lighting setups. I often get pleasant comments about my lighting really enhancing the room - particularly using uplighters.

Your OH is correct, it will seem strange to have no room or dance floor lighting.

Maybe it would be worthwhile making a list of what you've seen before that you didn't like. Make sure you see pictures of potential providers' setups and explain your fears and dislikes when you enquire.

James

If you've managed to fall out with your MOH with over 3 yrs to go, then I would say consider having none or maybe just one bridesmaid if you have a sister, SIL or close friend. The harsh truth is that nobody will be particularly interested in your wedding when it's so far away, so don't expect anyone to get excited about being a bm til maybe the one year mark or maybe even less. I had no bridesmaids and every time I read a bm problem thread on here, I'm positive I made the right choice.

With regard to makeup - I don't understand how your skin is dry and oily at the same time? Do you mean dry in some areas but oily in others? If you're not sure, I'd suggest going to a counter like clinique and having them analyse your skin and make product recommendations. It's far too early for you to be worrying about makeup as all kinds of fancy new products could cone out in 3yrs, but it's never too soon to get into good skincare habits, especially if you aren't already.

I wouldn't even be thinking about bridesmaids this far in advance, friendships may change in the next three years so hold off until about the year mark and think about it then.

1. I don't remember favours (despite spending heaps on ours). I do remember the venue and whether or not I had a good time.

2. Hire a make-up artist. They will sort this out for you.

3. We paid for our groomsmen's suits. They were rented as they were nicer than the ones for sale. We bought shirts and ties which they could keep.

4. I HATE disco lights, too. I think they are bloody tacky, and I would skip them all together.

5. As others have said, you don't need a MOH or bridesmaids. I had two - my sister and my friend. My friend pulled out (but still came to the wedding), and my husband's cousin stepped in with less than 8 weeks' notice. No worries. As others have said, I would probably put this on hold for another couple of years.

1. Other than the venue, bride and groom, most guests won’t remember the little ‘touches’ that us B2B spend hours thinking and fretting about – I wouldn’t stress over this too much (or bother with it if I’m honest!) Unless edible I think the general consensus is with most favours (not all) is that they’re left behind!

2. I have very oily skin and swear by Estee Lauder Double Wear – but if you are hiring a make up artist I’m sure they’d be able to advise you and a trial will show you how long the make up lasts.

3. We are paying for the suit hire for groomsmen as we want them to be matching – if you aren’t concerned with them being matching and are happy with just providing the cravats I can’t see an issue with asking the groomsmen to wear suits they already have. Asking them to buy specific suits just for the wedding is something I would definitely avoid….

4. What about coloured uplighters dotted around the venue? They set an atmosphere but don’t flash

5. You don’t have to have a MOH – but to echo what others have said – I’d wait until closer until the time.

Unfortunately, I totally understand this - its a pretty common scenario for most Im afraid ☹️ I have an oily middle of the face and dry outside, my H2B is the complete opposite, my BM has oily skin some days, and horribly dry the next day! Facial skin is hard work ? For this reason, Im having a make up artist for the wedding - its one less stress because they know what theyre doing and have such a wide range of products on hand

Good luck with everything x

Oh yeah, I have an oily nose but dry rest of face, that's why my next question was "do you mean dry in some areas and oily in others" - but my skin has never been dry all over one day and oily all over the next. If that's what the op meant, that certainly needs looking at by a skincare specialist, cos makeup isn't gonna help. I have a good thorough skincare regime, but have had to come to terms with the fact that nothing will stop my nose being oily. I just keep it as balanced as poss and use a good anti-shine primer. I feel like I've written 'oily' a lot.