Tag Archives: wedding timeline

Wedding Make Up & Beauty ; Wedding Day Make Up

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Amy
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Wedding Make-Up & Beauty Tips; 1 week before wedding

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Amy

Top make-up and beauty tips for the week before your wedding from the talented Clare Hogan Make-Up Artist. This week pre wedding beauty treatments. Thanks Clare over to you..

Hello brides-to-be.. its the week before your big day and you’re probably finalising the last bits and pieces that need to be done. This week can be hectic, so plan it well if you can, especially when it comes to your beauty treatments.

My biggest tip for the week before your  wedding is DON’T leave your treatments such as facials, tans or waxing until the day before your wedding, especially if you haven’t had them before. The last thing you want is to have a reaction or tan disaster which then has to be treated or fixed on the day!

Facial:
If you’re having a facial, have it a week before to allow for any breakouts. A week should be enough time for your skin to settle if it does break out and if you do get that dreaded spot the night before DO NOT SQUEEZE unless it’s ready to be. You can end up doing more harm than good and concealer is the best way to cover it up.

Tan:
If you’re having your tan done then I would give it a couple of days so the colour settles and will allow for any fixing if you’re not happy with it. You don’t want to be trying to scrub off a tan that’s too dark on your big morning.

Eye Brows:
If you’re going to have your eye brows shaped do this a couple of days before and if you have one or two stray hairs you can pluck these the night before but try to avoid any major plucking on the day itself as it can cause redness and irritation.
I mentioned it in one of my earlier in my pieces and it’s especially true in the immediate run up to the day, drink plenty of water. It will hydrate your skin, help flush toxins and generally help you feel better on the day. It will also help reduce puffiness and dark circles under the eye’s.

Make-Up:
If your make-up artist has suggested some products for you to have on the day for touching up such as lipstick or powder then have these bought and ready for the morning.

Beauty Sleep:
Lastly, and very important, try to get as many early nights as possible. This can be easier said than done with everything that’s going on but I would try to get at least 1 or 2 early nights especially the night before. Your big morning can be chaotic and you need to be able to cope with anything the day throws at you so if you’re tired and stressed you’re more likely to worry over small things and not enjoy the day as much.

If you are starting to think about your wedding make-up you can contact me at www.clarehogan.ie or pop over to my facebook for lots more wedding make-up and beauty tips.

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What does a Wedding Planner do; Guest Blog Elegant Events

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Amy

Guest Blog Time: This morning we are delighted to be introducing you to guest blogger Collette O’Leary of Elegant Events- a Dublin based wedding planner who plans weddings all over Ireland and abroad too.  Elegant Event’s wedding design, planning and management service is an all encompassing service which attends to every aspect of your wedding preparations.  Collette shares with us her knowledge of current wedding trends, a little about wedding planning and the benefits having a wedding planner can bring to your special day. Enjoy x

 

What does a wedding planner do?
My role as a wedding planner is to make the bride and groom as happy as possible and relieve them of all the small details and to fulfill their dreams for their wedding day. I work with venues, suppliers and products and negotiate the best prices. I offer practical advice on budgets and services and furnish brides with innovative and inspirational ideas that reflect the couples dream day.

Wedding Sign

What do you enjoy most about being a wedding planner?
I really enjoy getting to know the couple and discovering what their style is, and then I love to help them to make all their dreams come true. I get a great buzz  from seeing their faces when they walk into the church or venue, when finally all the planning and design and little details come together. Its worth everything to see that joy.

 

 

What makes elegant events special?
I am naturally artistic and creative and have a good sense of humour. I generally get on with most people and these skills combined make me a great wedding planner. I also have a very practical outlook with regards to budget and I have always been a good negotiator. In one, I am a consultant and mediator, a sounding board, financial advisor and sometimes the calming influence on pre wedding nerves. I like Winston Churchill’s quote “STAY CALM AND CARRY ON !”

Elegant Event’s

Do you have any tips and advice for couples who are starting out the planning process?
I think the most important thing is budget first. In these difficult financial times you have to really watch your budget.  Watch all of your spend including magazines and trinkets, stamps, etc. etc.  Set up an excel spreadsheet and take note of everything. Spend your money where it counts, like a really good photographer. Remember, you have to look at those photos for the next 50 years. Think about your individual style and choose a theme that will reflect you both and work with that. It can be casual, formal, funky, whatever and it doesn’t have to cost the earth. Use the internet and wedding sites to get your ideas but most of all enjoy every minute and make lots of lists.

 

 

Do you have a favourite wedding moment?
There was one great wedding moment a few months ago, when on the morning of the wedding I texted the groom to see if he was ok?( it can be all about the bride but let’s not forget the lads!). He replied ” problem big problem! Please help!”. I knocked on his door  and he told me that he read somewhere in a magazine that if you put your suit in the shower it takes the wrinkles out. He left it in the shower for 3 hours and the bathroom resembled the Botanical gardens. The suit was soaking … “Will I get another suit in Leitrim?” he asked. I told him not to worry I would sort it. I went to my room and got my rather large hairdryer and blowdried that suit for 45 mins and it was perfect.  I then ironed his shirt and all with an hour to go before the wedding . I got his Mum to pin the button hole on and there he was, all handsome in his beautiful Italian suit.  I love all the weddings I am involved in and usually cry when I see the bride dressed and when I see the groom waiting, all nervous. I know its “Gonna Be a Lovely Day”

 

 

What are the key styles for winter 2011 and spring 2012?

Wedding Dresses: Illusion necklines, elegant and timeless.

Vintage touches: All things vintage and old

Eco Friendly weddings: Are here to stay

Modern Choices: The modern bride is opting to choose a different style of dress, cocktail, casual, vintage or funky.

 

Have you experienced any interesting wedding trends for 2012?
What happens in America usually hits here a season or two later. I usually attend a big wedding fair in the US every year so that I can keep up with the latest trends and ideas.

Photobooths: Fun in photobooths is everywhere, you will need feather boas, mad glasses, moustaches and beards and beads, anything that your guests can dress up in for fun.

Photobooth

 

DIY: DIY started out to combat the recession and save money but now it’s more than that,  it is personalised and makes the day very unique. DIY is huge, buying favours is going out and making them is in. This is one area where couples can save money, be it on favours, wedding invitations, venue decoration, the list is endless. Enlist your bridesmaids and girlfriends to help with these projects. Lots of wonderful ideas on www.marthastewart.com

Vintage: All things vintage are very much making a comeback. Perhaps in our economic climate we like things from the past. Shabby chic, country fair, 1950’s style, all still there and using real actual pieces really works. Mismatched china to display your cake, cupcakes or pop treats are very stylish.

Food and Drink: Couples are thinking differently about food now, heading away from the traditional wedding fare and think hog roasts, barbeques, afternoon teas, fish/chip vans , ice cream vans .

Ice cream van

Social Media Choices: couples are keeping their guests informed on their own websites and by Twitter and Facebook. This trend is gaining in popularity.

Thanks so much to Colette from all the team at Pretty as a Picture, we really enjoyed this interview.  Elegant events offer a range of options, from full bespoke wedding planning, to design consultancy and wedding day coordination contact them at info@elegantevents.ie.

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4 Wedding Make-Up Looks; Clare Hogan Make Up Artist

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Amy
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Your Engaged! Now What?

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Amy

Your engaged! Here at Pretty as a Picture we know how important it is to a couple that their wedding day is everything that they’ve imagined it to be and we also know how many details there are to coordinate and how stressful it can become. With this in mind we have developed a wedding planning timeline for you to follow from engagement to wedding. The timeline starts from 1 year away (plenty of time to plan that dream wedding) but here are some basic steps you should follow before the real planning begins. Enjoy your engagement x

Spread the word
Start off by telling those closest to you- parents/siblings/grandparents. Then you can announce your engagement to the rest of your family and friends either by word of mouth or with an engagement party/ get-together (just make sure you don’t invite anyone who won’t be invited to the wedding) Oh and now get prepared for the 100 questions..where did he propose? can I see the ring?  when is the wedding?

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Start Dreaming..
OK so some of you will have been dreaming about your wedding since you were a little girl, but either way the next step is for you and your fiance to start sharing your ideas and visions for the perfect wedding day! Do you dream of a cosy autumn wedding, a winter wonderland or maybe an elegant spring wedding?  Your wedding vision is important as it will have a huge impact on the the wedding date (time of year), the type of venue and the overall wedding feel (black tie/ casual etc). Inspiration boards are great for getting all of your initial thoughts and ideas on themes, colours, destinations etc together. Check out Pretty as a Picture’s Wedding Inspiration Boards

Tip
Start an ‘Our Wedding Inspiration’ folder on your computer and save any wedding images you like.

Choose a Date..
Now that you have loads of ideas for your wedding its time to start thinking about when you would like to get married. You will have already considered the seasons when envisioning your perfect wedding, now check your calender for bank holidays/ religious holidays. Consult with family members about other events in the year to see what you have to work with (I know a couple who’s wedding was booked for the same day as a nephews confirmation). Start thinking about what day of the week you would like to have it, is it definitely a Saturday wedding or would you consider a week day where there may be discounts and more availability from your venue and other vendors. Some couples will choose to mark special occasions with their wedding date, so for example the anniversary of the day you met/ one of your birthdays/ parents anniversary etc. If at this stage you are definitely decided on which church the ceremony will be in or which venue you want, you’ll want to check when exactly they’re available.

Wedding Planner
Planning a wedding can be a complex and daunting process, theres so much to consider in a certain amount of time. If you are considering hiring a wedding planner/co-coordinator to work with you on your wedding then it is time to start interviewing/ obtaining quotes now.  What exactly does a wedding planner do? Read our guest blog by Wedding Planner Collette O’Leary of Elegant Events here. Collette shares her experience of wedding trends, a little about wedding planning and the benefits having a wedding planner can bring to your special day.

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Wedding Timeline; 12 months to go

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Amy

Its 12 months before your wedding!!  Hopefully you have been really enjoying your engagement and are now ready to get stuck into planning! To help, we have developed a Wedding Planning Timeline which will carry you through to your big day! So here are the important first steps -read on and print out our detailed checklist to be completed by you and your fiance over the next couple of months. Good luck x

Website/ Email specially dedicated to your wedding
When planning a wedding you will be in contact with numerous vendors, friends, family etc so it is so important that you keep super organised! A wedding website/ email specially dedicated to all online correspondence relating to your wedding is a great way to keep everything in one place.

Budget
Deciding on a budget is a really important step in the wedding planning process, needless to say your budget will have an affect on a lot of your decisions. If you have no idea of what costs might be then it is a good idea to talk to friends who have organised a wedding before and also to obtain a few quotes from various wedding vendors first, that way your budget will be more realistic!


 

Guest List
Compiling your guest list will probably prove to be one of the hardest tasks during the wewhole process. After you decide on a budget but before you pick a location you will need to come up with at least a first round headcount.  Start with you and your fiances list’s, then add both parents list’s. Your budget will often determine the amount of guests, so if you already know the amount of guests you can invite then tell your parents before they make their list’s.Remember anyone left off the list can always be invited to the evening reception.

Bridal Party
Choose close friends and family members who will support you during the wedding planning process to be in your Bridal Party. Generally Bridal Parties would include a Maid of Honour, Bestman, Groomsmen, Bridesmaids, Flower Girl and Page Boy/ Ringbearer but this is your wedding so you can include/ exclude any of the positions.

Tip: If you can’t include everyone you would like to in the Bridal Party why not consider them for a reading.

 

 

Location Location Location
OK so for some of you the whole wedding will be planned around your dream location but if not don’t worry, choosing your wedding location can be a lot of fun! There are dozens of types of venues–outdoor, indoor, formal, casual, modern and traditional. The key is to find a venue that compliments your style and vision, whilst considering your budget, guest numbers. Make sure to discuss parking and accommodation options with your venue and to book a rehearsal time at your ceremony location.

Wedding Dress
Its a good idea to start looking for the perfect wedding dress around 10-12 months in advance of your big day as it will usually take up to five months for your dress to arrive once ordered (custom dresses may take longer). Start browsing through pictures of wedding dresses in magazines, brochures and websites. Decide on your budget, style and colour. Then make appointments to try on your favourites. See our favourite wedding dress pictures from New York Fashion Week here

Photographers
Research photographers and browse through their galleries to get an idea of the style you like. Make a short-list of the ones you like for interview/ price quote.

Band / DJ
Research and book your band and/or DJ.

Save the Date Guest List
A Save the Date is a card sent to your guests around 9months in advance of your wedding to let them know that they are to be invited and should literally ‘save the date’.  This allows guests to plan travel arrangements, accommodation, holidays, childcare etc. and is particularly useful when you have a lot of out of town/ overseas guests or if your wedding is taking place over holidays. Wouldn’t it be very disappointing to think that more of your family and friends could have come to your wedding if only they were given more notice! Get working on a list of guests to receive a save the date at the 9month mark. You don’t have to send a save the date to everyone who will be invited, but everyone who receives a save the date must receive an invitation. 

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Wedding Planning Timeline; 9 months to go..

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Amy

With just 9 months to go to your wedding, your guest list is drafted and your venue is picked! So now to the next stage of our wedding timeline, which will take you through all the wedding planning required for the next couple of months. See 12 month’s to go if you missed it to make sure you’re on schedule.  Once your Save the Date card’s are sent and you know your wedding is marked on your loved ones calenders, its time finalise your wedding colours and theme so you can research wedding flowers and décor then hit the shops and make sure and make sure you and your bridesmaids will be looking fabulous! After all of that you’ll be glad to sit and relax while searching exotic locations for your honeymoon. So read on and print out our detailed checklist to be completed by you and your fiance over the next couple of months.Happy Planning!!

Send Save the Date Cards
Its time to send a Save the Date card to guests who you want to ensure will have enough notice to attend your wedding, particularly out of town/ overseas guests.  Further into the wedding planning process you will choose a wedding invitation suite which is a set of complimentary pieces, so if you are decided on your theme/ colour scheme it would be a nice touch to co-ordinate your Save the Date’s, but don’t worry if you haven’t decided on any of that at this stage, it is not necessary! In terms of etiquette and wording save the dates are usually a lot less formal than the main invitation and couples often just put their wedding website/email on to the save the date. See save the date wording ideas here

 

Aberdeen Save the Date with matching stationery suite.

Finalise Wedding Colours/ Theme
The possibilities are endless when it comes to choosing your wedding colours! You may have an idea of colour combinations you like from the inspiration process but when making the final decision on colours it is important to consider your chosen venue too i.e. what colours are the carpets, walls etc.

 

 

Flowers
Flowers are a beautiful way to decorate both your ceremony and reception. Start to research and find flower ideas for your wedding by browsing pictures of wedding flowers and bouquets for inspiration. When flower/ flower decor ideas are finalised start to interview and obtain quotes from florists before making selection.


 

Hit the Shops
Its time to make sure your bridesmaids will be looking as superb as you will!
Shop for bridesmaids dresses using your chosen colour(s)/ theme. Purchase bridal accessories too.

Honeymoon
You can start researching honeymoon locations! Check passports/ visa/ vaccination requirements.

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Wedding Planning Timeline; 6 months to go

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Amy

So with just 6 months to go to your big day (can you believe it!) you’ve set the date, booked the perfect venue and decided on those all important vendors. Now moving on to the next steps in the wedding timeline its time to finalise that guest list and start thinking about wedding invitations and stationery…If you missed the 9 months to go timeline click here to catch up!
Firstly, your wedding invitations will be your guests’ first introduction to the wedding you and your fiance have been so carefully planning. So it’s important to make them really special! There are many different elements that can make up a wedding stationery suite, it can take a lot of research! but lucky for you this is our area of expertise and we have loads of wedding stationery designs, tips, trends and advice for you. So read on and if you haven’t already, print out our checklist to be completed by you and your fiance this month. Happy Planning!!

Amor

 

Finalise Guest List
Firstly it’s time to finalise that guest list to determine numbers for invitations. You will only need one invitation per couple/ family but it is a good idea to order extras to allow for mistakes when writing them or for adding someone to the list last minute. You may also want to keep one or 2 invites as a keepsake. The decision of how many extras to order really depends, in part, on you and how certain you are of your guest list! If you’re pretty certain that your guest list is set, we recommend ordering an extra 15 invitations. If you’re inviting 98 couples/families/individuals, you should order 98+15 = 113! Also, keep in mind calligraphers often need additional envelopes and even if you’re hand-addressing your invitations yourself, you may want extra envelopes to allow for mistakes or for invitations which are sent back to you because of a wrong address.

Arrange Accommodation
Depending on your location guests may wish to stay overnight after dancing the night away at your wedding. If your reception is at a large hotel, the majority of them will most likely stay there. Hotels will often allow you to reserve a number of rooms and offer a special discount rate, so confirm this now. If it is a smaller venue or you would also like to suggest a more affordable option you will need to research this so that you can send details (address, price, reference for discount etc) along with the invitation on an information/ accommodation card.


Harlow Letterpress Invitation

Browse wedding invites
There are lots of wedding invitation designs out there to choose from. Start browsing invitations online now. Check out our collection of  letterpress invitations printed on luxury bamboo paper or for a more affordable option see our digital invitations ,all of which can be customised to suit your style, colour scheme etc. Wedding invitations and stationery provide a great opportunity to incorporate your theme/ wedding colours into the day so do choose an invite that suits your wedding style be it vintage, modern, formal, destination or simplistic, we have designs to suit all. For information see our wedding inspiration boards built around our favourite letterpress invites. If your looking for something completely unique and personal for your wedding invitation consider a custom invite, here at Pretty as a Picture we have inhouse illustrators and designers who will custom design your invites especially for you while taking you through the whole process step by step. See some of our custom design projects here to inspire your design.

 

 

Custom illustration invite

Order Sample/ Book Consultation
When you have chosen a design(s) you like why not order a sample. Here at Pretty as a Picture our samples wedding invitation sets consist of the requested invitation design, a reply card, an outer envelope, and a reply card envelope. Or why not come and visit us in our studio and we will show you our albums and go through all of the available options and the customisation process with you.

Research Wedding Stationery Pieces
Wedding Stationery includes ceremony booklets (pictured below), seating plan, seating cards, menus, thank you cards etc. It can be quite confusing for couples when deciding on which pieces are needed, but overall this will depend on your wedding. Read our guide to wedding staionery pieces covering pre-wedding,  wedding-day and post-wedding stationery – that should be all the research you need covered!

Etiquette
Once you’re decided on the perfect invitation for your wedding and its accompanying pieces, its time to decide on wording. Wedding invitation etiquette offers you a useful and historical guide when wording your wedding invitations, but this is only to be treated as strong guidelines as essentially just like choosing your stationery pieces, how you word your invites will depend on your wedding! see our guide to etiquette for wording ideas for every family situation.

Place Stationery Order
Order your complete invitation suite now including thank you cards. Use our wedding stationery checklist to make sure you haven’t missed anything.

 

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Wedding Timeline; 3 months to go

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Amy

3 Months to go, your wedding is now so close! You’re nearing the end of the wedding planning process. Hopefully your on schedule, see 4-5 months to go if you think you may have missed a step. For now though the time has finally come to show off a bit and give your guests an insight into the amazing weeding you and your fiance have been busy planning by sending out your invitations. We can help you with addressing your invites but when it comes to guests not RSVP’ing on time we’re afraid your on your own! So read on and print out our detailed checklist to be completed by you and your fiance over the next couple of months, oh and we’ve also included a cool guest book alternative idea this month in the form of our custom thumb-print guest tree. Happy Planning!! x

Send Invitations
Aim to send invitations out eight weeks before the wedding giving guests plenty of time to make arrangements. Also the earlier they receive their invite the earlier they RSVP, allowing you to make the final headcount! Send your envelopes to a calligrapher or make time to write them out yourself.

Chasseral Letterpress Invitation

Wedding Accessories
Wedding Accessories including cake toppers, guest books and ribbon to name a few are the little things that make your wedding unique. From the wedding ceremony to the reception, wedding accessories will make your friends and wedding guests take notice ensuring it’ll be a day to remember. Check out the Pretty as a Picture customised thumb print guest tree, a unique alternative to the guest book. Have guests thumb their print in chalk stamps and sign a message or just their signature on your customised tree. The result a gorgeous piece of art to remember your special day by.

Custom Thumb-Print Guest Tree

Hair and Makeup
Research hair and makeup looks and book your makeup artist/stylist. Read our blogs by make-up artist Clare Hogan Make-Up Artist for top make-up and beauty tips from engagement to wedding day. Clare addresses the diy v make-up artist debate, tries out 4 wedding make-up looks and more.

 

Order Wedding Favours
Favour’s are the perfect way to show your appreciation to guests and ensure they will always remember your special day. Favour ideas include edible favours, charity favours, check out The Alzheimer Society of Ireland’s wedding favour cards, coasters and favour tags to name a few!

Tip: It is a really nice touch to have the design of your favour tags matching the rest of your wedding stationery and they can also be customised with your names and wedding date to make them even more unique. Favour Tags usually include a message to your guests as a whole such as “thanks for celebrating with us” but you could also consider individual messages for close friends and family.

Gifts
Shop for gifts for each other, bridesmaids, parents etc.

 

 

Finalise wedding transportation


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Wedding Timeline; 1 Month to go

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Amy

Just 1 month to go!!! You and your fiance are nearing the end of your planning and are almost ready for your dream wedding. There are just a few more small steps to take care of to make sure your wedding day is perfect. Firstly your invitations have been sent so RSVP’s will be incoming. You will need to be super organised and keep track, you may have to follow up a few guests, perhaps split the list between yourself and your fiance according to which side the guests are on, and also ask parents to follow up their guests. There is some fun in this last month though as it is time to hit the shops for honeymoon wear, have your first wedding dress fitting (yay) and then there’s hair and make-up trials with your chosen stylist and make-up artist. So read on and check these last steps off your to do list. Happy Planning! x

First dress fitting
How exciting its time to have your first dress fitting!! It is a good idea at this stage to try everything on together such as headdress, accessories and underwear to make sure everything fits and works together.  Also get some practice walking in your new gorgeous shoes!

Practice walking in your wedding heels

Hair & make-up trial
Contact your make up artist and hair stylist about a trial, especially if you’re not sure what kind of look you’re going to go for. I would suggest bringing pictures of looks that you like so the artist/stylist can get a better idea. Read more about make-up looks and trials by make-up artist Clare Hogan here.

Meet with priest/ registrar to confirm order of service

Prepare photos list for photographer
Prepare a list of photos and

Follow up RSVP’s
Its the final countdown

Prepare playlist of favourite songs for band/DJ

Shop for honeymoon/day after the wedding
You will be seeing guests again the morning after your wedding so make sure to have a nice outfit packed and sent to the hotel.

We hope that you have been following our wedding timeline and that it has been helpful to you during the wedding planning process, we wish you all the best in this last few weeks of planning and of course on your special day. Here at Pretty as a Picture there is nothing we love more than weddings and would love to hear about yours. Drop by our facebook to chat to us about your wedding plans or send us pictures to feature in the real weddings section of our blog.

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