I had never been the type of girl

who planned every last detail of

her future wedding – the dress, the

venue, the horse and carriage.

In fact, I had never even thought

about wedding arrangements until

the engagement ring went on my

finger. So planning a wedding for

110 guests in seven weeks turned

out to be a real crash course in

event planning! I was a little

nervous leading up to the big day

that things would not come together

in time, but it turned out to be

the single most amazing day of my

life. Since then many people, both

those who attended and those who

have seen the beautiful photos,

have asked me how it was all

arranged in such a short time.

For about a week following our

wedding my only real memory was

“perfect, couldn’t have been better”,

but then I saw the photos and

it all came rushing back: The excitement

and nerves before the ceremony;

the feeling of “Wow, this isn’t

a rehearsal” that I felt halfway down

the aisle; and the happiness that

filled me when I finally got to stand

next to the man of my dreams and

exchange our vows. The ceremony

was (of course!) my favourite part

of the day, but afterwards I really

remember the fun that the wedding

party had when we were having

our photos taken, and the reception

being a long party with family,

friends and great food – the perfect

combination!

The most useful advice I have is:

Don’t forget, your wedding day is

something that you will look back

on for the rest of your life – staying

happy and stress-free on the day

will mean joyful memories for many

years to come.

•Make an early decision

on the style of your wedding,

but stay flexible.

•This day belongs to you

and your husband-to-be

– any major decisions

should be made by you.

•People such as the

celebrant, photographer

and DJ have a

huge impact on the feel

of the day – make sure

you choose people who

you are comfortable

with and confident in.

•Don’t be afraid to

delegate... your bridal

party is there to help.

•If you want it, you can

make it happen! Seven

weeks or seven years

of planning, it can be

done.

•If something doesn’t

go to plan on the day,

don’t stress – no one but

you, your new husband

and the bridal party

will ever know!