How to Experience Wedding Planning Differently

Wedding planning can undoubtedly be a stressful experience at times. However, as luxury wedding planners we believe in maximising the more enjoyable parts of preparing for your wedding by turning certain elements of the planning process into a unique experience with its own memories.

1. Menu Tasting

Whether you are being catered for by your wedding venue or hiring independent caterers, you will need to set aside time to decide on the menu for your wedding breakfast. Usually, you and your partner will be given the opportunity to try a couple of dishes for each course as well as different wines to compliment various dishes.

Presumably you will have chosen a venue or caterer with the knowledge that they offer the finest cuisine, so although this will be one of your last duties as a betrothed couple, you should fully indulge in the opportunity. Clear your diaries for the evening, book a room and don’t worry about driving home so that you can make the most of a quiet evening together with fine food and great wine for company.

2. Dress Fittings

It may seem fairly obvious, but it’s not every day that you get to try on beautiful wedding dresses. However, all too often brides-to-be have preconceptions of what they want and as a result end up with tunnel vision. The best way to find your dream dress is to be open to all options, partially so that you can discount for definite what you do not like but more importantly because you might find yourself falling in love with something you thought you’d hate.

Make the most of this (hopefully) once in a lifetime experience by taking a trusted confidante with you to a handful of the best boutiques. Most stores prefer you not to bring an entire entourage due to space and the confliction of multiple opinions, but there’s no reason why your mum and maid of honour can’t be by your side. Treat them to a relaxing spa treatment or a champagne afternoon tea afterwards to make a new memory together.

3. Cake Tasting

It’s no longer a choice of fruitcake or fruitcake. As a luxury wedding planner we will introduce you to couture cake makers can bake pretty much whatever your imagination and taste buds desire, so it’s best to have an in-depth knowledge of these sweet treats. Whether you want a multi-tiered, magnificently decorated tower or a selection of sweet cupcakes, there is a whole world of baking options available.

Companies such as GC Couture offer their clients the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes. With a guided tour of their bakery, you can indulge in a day of tastings as you pick out your perfect flavour, discuss your colour palette and décor schemes and work towards designing a cake tailored specifically to you.

4. Sourcing Entertainment

It’s no good relying on crackly recordings and shaky Youtube videos embedded in websites to decide who will get the party started at your wedding reception. You need to make sure you book an act that will ‘get’ you and your musical tastes, which is why we recommend that when you’ve drawn up a shortlist, you see your acts performing live, in person.

Whether you’re after the hippest DJ to fill your dance floor or looking for a brilliant band to get your guests boogying, you really do need to see them in action. Use the opportunity to round up your bridesmaids and groomsmen for a few nights out and canvas their opinions as you head to gigs.

5. Speech Writing

Often the most daunting part of wedding planning for the gentlemen is the prospect of having to write and execute a flawless, funny, touching speech. Aside from those well-practised public speakers, this really is the stuff of palm-sweating nightmares. The good news is that there are at least three of you who will have to go through this, so why not do it together?

Book an afternoon with your best man, your father-in-law and any other trusted confidantes and spend the time relaxing in your favourite country pub. You will find that the more chilled out you are, the more likely that witty tales from your past will emerge. Speeches should be borne out of genuine relationships and circumstances, not out of hackneyed jokes and speech-writing websites, so use the opportunity to source material for you all and turn it into a genuine, heartfelt monologue.