Kathleen Natural

Weddings can be an extremely hectic event to plan, from planning out stage design, picking out the perfect wedding dress or arranging the invitation cards, even planning out the guest list. So, we interviewed a number of women who have walked down a mile in the wedding shoes and asked them for their wedding tips.

Question 1: How much does the average wedding cost?

It’s ranging from £3,000 to £35,000, in a variety of styles and sizes. The average cost is around £23,000. But don’t worry, it is always possible to have a perfect wedding for you on whatever budget.

Relax and sit down with your fiancé, thinking about the look, the style and the people in your wedding and figure out how much you’re willing to spend. You and your fiancé then could sort out the priorities and pick the top five for the wedding. You can then allocate the money, time or energy according to the priorities.

Here is just an example of wedding budget breakdown:-

Rings and other Jewelry: £1000
Engagement Ring: £3000
Venue: £3000 / £0 backyard party
Food & alcohol: £3000 / £500 light meal party for 50
Depending on the number of guests
Photography and Videography: £1000
Skin Care/ Hair/ Makeup/ Nails: £2000
Flowers: £600
Cake: £300
Entertainment: £1000
Dress: £1400
Shoes: £130
Outfits for others: £1,000
Invitation cards & Stationery: £300
Honeymoon: £4000
Gift List: £2,000
Others: £2,000

Set up a binder to organize wedding inspirations.

Question 2: Should I arrange my facials before wedding?

With us busy in work, one could hardly find the time to arrange and smooth out one’s skin; however, despite everything being planned out properly, you don’t want to wake up on the day of your wedding with enormous eye bags, pimples and constant mood swings from working constantly all the time. So I would suggest arranging your facials before wedding just to get the skin glowing and give you ultimate feeling of relaxation and refreshing.

6-9 months before the wedding day

Find a salon which able to provide full wedding skin care, hair, makeup and nails services. It also gives you enough time for your skin and hair to get back to its best condition. If you haven’t been diligent about your skin care routine, now’s the time to begin. Your therapist at your first facial would be able to advise you the best skin care and hair products for your wedding home care.

3-6 months before wedding day

Schedule facials, hair, nails and makeup appointments .
Do a few trial runs of the wedding hair style, makeup and nails.
Take some pictures with a proper camera, both with and without flash to see how you’re looking. .
Your wedding day is a marathon and your makeup and hair must hold up through every last photo, dance, toast, and selfie. Pay attention to the temperature and venue (indoor or outdoor) to decide your makeup and hair style.

1 month before wedding day

Relax and continue with your facials and hair treatment. Stick to “clean foods“ and drink water regularly.
Consider home teeth-whitening treatment and pass on dark, stain-inducing drinks, like coffee, soda, and red wine.

1 week before wedding day

Final facial and hair treatment and reconfirm all the beauty appointments for the wedding day.

Question 3: What are the clean foods?

Fruits
Any fruits are always a clean choice, both fresh, dried even those that are frozen! As long as there are no added sugar. 100% fruit juices also as the list, but be careful that fruit juices usually contain added sugar, and don’t contain the beneficial fiber. Avoid canned fruit for they all contains sweeteners.

Vegetables
Vegetables should be the main part of your clean foods because they are low in calories and high in fiber. Most dark green vegetables are higher in vitamins and minerals. Some root vegetables, such as potatoes, are starchy and are higher in calories and carbohydrates. Avoid preserved or canned vegetables just like you do for fruits.

Protein
Choose leaner meats, such as chicken breast and chicken thigh, sirloin and lean ground beef. Meat offers protein, iron and vitamin B12. Fish and shellfish are also in consideration as they are super-healthy protein sources and contains heart-healthy omega-3 fats. Nuts, seeds and beans are all great choices for plant-based proteins. However, avoid processed meats, such as bologna, salami and pepperoni —they are usually high in sodium and may contain artificial colors as well as preservatives.

Whole Grains
Whole grains, such as brown rice, quinoa, barley, oats, farro or millet, are unprocessed and contain nutritious and fiber-rich. Look for whole-wheat pasta, bread and muffins and you’ll be on the right track.

Dairy
Dairy products, such as cheese and milk are good. You can opt for nondairy alternatives, such as soy, coconut and almond milk. Plain yogurt is preferable. But, always look for unsweetened one.

Seasonings/ Sauces
Use natural herbs, garlic, tomatoes etc rather than canned and preserved seasonings, sauces and condiments e.g. ketchup, mayonnaise and pickles.

If that’s okay, start your “clean food” meals as soon as possible. It helps improve your skin, quality of sleep and your health!

Question 4: What are the Ten Commandments for the wedding day?

1. Get to bed at a decent hour during the night before so you would wake up refreshed.
2. Leave plenty of time to get ready because you would want to be relaxed instead of stressed. Furthermore, no one likes being rushed, so don’t put yourself into that corner.
3. Wear a dress shirt or top that can be unbuttoned when getting your hair styled. You don’t want to pull the T-shirt over your beautifully done hair.
4. Bridesmaids are great at helping a bride remember everything. Assigned the to-do-list before the big day. We don’t want to hear the story about a bride who forgets where she put her engagement ring or accidentally sent her engagement ring down the drain.
5. If you bought new shoes for the big day, you better be sure to break them in ahead of time.
6. Don’t forget the wedding day survival kit.
7. Do a packing list for the end. A lot of you may be planning for a honeymoon straight after your wedding. But, you definitely don’t want to be told after your honeymoon that your jewelries were left behind in the venue.
8. Be careful with alcohol
9. Be magnanimous
10. Enjoy every moment on your wedding day. I was so occupied during mine whilst making sure everything was perfect, and spotless that sometimes I forget to breathe; which I much regret. So, enjoy your wedding day and the  dinner date, your dance with him, the big kiss with daddy and mummy… Everything else can be dealt with later.

Question 5: What should be packed inside the wedding survival kit?

Do you still have questions about your wedding plan? Share your questions with us.

If you have done a wedding, please take a moment share us about your experience during wedding day.

We would love to hear from you.