Wedding planning definitely isn’t what I thought it would be. I mean the movies make it look like it’s just going round department stores with those fancy scanners adding stuff to your Wishlist or tasting 235 types of cake.
I have news to break though, 1. We haven’t registered at any department stores so haven’t used one of those fancy scanners and 2. we’ve had no cake tastings. Rude.
With just a few months till our big day, we’ve been getting into wedding planning mode a lot lately, weekends are filled with ‘wedmin’ and sometimes I will have a little freak out about how close the wedding is getting. The news of the royal engagement on Monday also got me thinking. As much as I love the Royals, and have the biggest girl crush on Meghan Markle, I did get a little nervous when I saw they were planning their wedding for Spring 2018.That’s not very long to plan a wedding is it? Especially when she’s moving in to a new place getting to grips with a new job and settling her dogs in to their new home.
So I thought I’d put together some tips on how I manage to juggle everything, which in my case has been; my job, a college course, having a house, the gym, and of course having Frank (my dog.) Thankfully I’ve discovered some really useful coping mechanisms, including Care.com, the world’s largest online destination for finding and managing family care, including pet care and housekeeping services. So whether you’re doing a Meghan and Harry and planning your big day in a matter of months, or doing what myself and Henry did, and giving yourself a good couple of years, you can keep wedding planning stress to a minimum.
So here are some tips for how to avoid stress when wedding planning, which hopefully will help whether you’re a Royal or non Royal couple :)
Spreadsheets Will Be Your Best Friend - Get Organised!
When it comes to juggling wedding planning, your career, chores, pet care and well, having a life, you need to be organised. I won’t lie, I was a little all over the place when it came to wedding planning in the beginning. Little notes in random notepads, post it notes and a Pinterest board didn’t really cut it. We soon realised our mistakes though and set up a wedding planning spreadsheet which has got tabs on everything to do with the wedding, i/e guest list, suppliers, budget (though I tend to not look at this too much as it makes me feel a bit sick) table plans, etc… At least we have it all, in one place, everything we need to know, which makes your life a lot easier. I’d also recommend having a separate wedding email account for wedding admin, as it’s then easier to reply to suppliers.Having Set Days For Things - Cleaning, Wedmin, etc…
It can sometimes be a bit overwhelming when you’re trying to plan a wedding, reply to 3373 emails, clean the house, walk Frank and a million more things, all at once! I’ve found that the best way to stop me getting stressed, is by having designated days for different tasks.Because I work from home, I sometimes find myself trying to do everything and then getting frazzled and stressed and shouting ‘WHY DIDN’T WE ELOPE!’ So weekends are our designated wedding planning days, and then we’ll catch up with house chores and we also enjoy going on walks with Frank on a Sunday, leaving Monday-Friday to concentrate on work. Of course sometimes life doesn’t always work this way, but I find it makes things a little easier to manage knowing that I have set days for different things.
Asking For Help
We don’t like leaving Frank on his own for too long, so it can sometimes be difficult when we want to go and do something wedding related, but can’t take Frank with us.
Instead of either not going, making quick visits or leaving your poor pet behind, this doesn’t even need to be a worry thanks to Care.com. I thought it was a childcare website, so I was surprised about the variety of care services, including pet care, all at one destination. Pretty useful eh?”
There are a plethora of dog sitters, dog walkers, even dog groomers, who you can get in touch with to help look after your beloved pup whilst you’re out for the day doing wedding stuff. It’s a helping hand and would be one less thing to worry about whilst wedding planning. You could also alternately use Care.com to find housekeepers, so you could hire someone to take care of your chores whilst you’re busy doing other things. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help, there’s also lots of other things you can use the website for too, and there’s reviews on each carer so you can read them before enquiring about their services. I think that I will be looking into the housekeeping and dog sitting services as both are affordable and would be a huge help in the run up to the wedding!
Lists, Calendars and Reminders
I don’t know where I’d be without my calendar and reminder app on my phone. I have a memory like a sieve and when you have a million things to remember and do, it can be easy to miss a task here and there.I literally log everything in my calendar, such as ; meetings, gym classes, deadlines, etc… and I also utilise my reminders app, so on important tasks flash up on my phone. Even if it’s just for little things, I’d definitely recommend the reminder app as you can hardly miss things when they’re flashing up on your phone!
Learning To Say NO
This has been my least fave part of wedding planning, saying no to people. Both me and Henry are people pleasers, and hate upsetting anyone which let me tell you is V difficult when planning a wedding. The guest list is probably a tricky one for any wedding (no matter what your budget is) and the family politics that occur can be one of the most stressful things to deal with. But its YOUR wedding. No one else’s. Learn to say no to the invite of your third twice removed cousin Karen if you have no plans of having her there, or if someone is insisting that their friend who makes unicorn cakes does your wedding cake, and you don’t exactly want a unicorn cake. You’ll find that people are usually okay, as long as you go about it in a nice way. You will never be able to please everyone, but as long as you and your partner are happy, that’s all that matters.
Pinterest Is NOT Your Best Friend
Okay, so you may be thinking ‘woah Corrie, you ok hun?’ with that statement, but hear me out. I loved Pinterest when we first started wedding planning, I mean I had a wedding planning board before I was even engaged #keen. But soon I started to realise that Pinterest was becoming more of a hindrance than a help and here’s why.I started to pin everything on to one board and Henry would be like ‘you’re PINNING everything’ and I soon realised that I was finding it hard to work out what I exactly wanted, cause I had so many ideas. So I stopped pinning, and suddenly it was much easier to work out what we wanted, our theme, etc… Pinterest is great for getting ideas, but don’t let it overwhelm you.
Hopefully you’ve found these tips helpful, they have all helped us when it comes to juggling wedding planning with the other responsibilities in your life and has made it a little less stressful.
I’d love to know if you have any tips for keeping wedding planning stress free and of course are you excited for the upcoming Royal Wedding? I’m very intrigued to hear if it’ll be around the same time as ours!
Post sponsored by care.com but as always my views and opinions are 100% honest, to find out how I work on sponsored posts, read my disclaimer here.
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One thing that I was excited about straight away when I got engaged, was how I would ask my bridesmaids to be my bridesmaids. Although they already know who they are and I've always said they'd be my bridesmaids, I still wanted to ask them in a cute way. It seems like it's becoming a bit of the norm to ask your chosen wedding party with a gift/or gesture, so today I thought I'd share with you, how I'll be popping the question to my two bridesmaids.
I thought I'd show you how I've created two cute little gift boxes, and how you can recreate them at home. They can cost as little or as much as you want :)
So you will need:
A Box:
I used a white box which I received a press gift in, but you can get boxes from Amazon, Ebay, The Card Factory, etc...Or you could choose a coloured box, or go for simple neutrals. It doesn't even have to be a box, you just need something to hold all of your items.A Card:
A Mini Bottle:
I mean anyone could ask me to do anything and I'd say yes if they presented me with a mini bottle of something. What is it about mini bottles that are so damn cute? Anyways, you can either push the boat out with a mini of something like pink Moet ( HOW CUTE?) or this amazing little Bottega bottle. You guys know that I have fallen hard for the Bottega range recently, so I think these are the perfect gifts. However, everywhere does mini bottles depending on your price range, I personally think a mini bottle of something pink fits in nicely, but you could perhaps get your BM, a mini of their favourite drink whatever that may be, and if she doesn't drink, a glass bottle of coke, or something like that would look just as nice too.
Notepad:
The notepad is obviously for all of their notes, for planning your amazing hen do of course! I'm just joking, but I think that you can never go wrong with a notepad, they can use it for wedding stuff or for their food shopping, or whatever their heart desires. I couldn't find any stationery that was what I had in mind, so I got these amazing personalised notebooks from Chroma Stationery. I love this quote about Pinterest weddings, I once said it to my sister and she said 'oh god!' So I had to have it on the front of one of the notepads. You could also just have something simple like 'Bridesmaid's notes' or perhaps a notepad with their name maybe. Like I said, you can never go wrong with a new bit of stationery, but I think having it personalised just gives it an extra special touch.Confetti:
Beauty Products:
Jewellery:
Other things you could include;
Chocolates, sweets, a first aid kit (handy for the day) or a hangover kit (handy for the hen do), a candle (what twenty something woman doesn't love a candle?) a balloon, or well whatever you fancy.I love the idea of building up a box, of things that are personal to your wedding and your bridesmaid. You could also use this box idea as a gift for your newly engaged BFF ; instead use a congratulations card, but you could still put in a mini bottle, nail polish, pamper-y beauty gifts, and perhaps a wedding planning book/notepad.
I hope you liked this little idea, and I'd love to know if ; 1 . has anyone ever asked you to be a bridesmaid in a cute way, and 2. what one thing would you put in this box for your bridesmaid?
Guess what?
I'VE FOUND MY WEDDING DRESS!
Okay sorry for the shouting, but I am EXCITED and RELIEVED- okay let me calm down.
So last weekend, I found 'the dress' - I was starting to lose hope a little, as I'd felt like I'd not found anything that wowed me yet. But when I really think about it, I hadn't been looking for that long and this was only my fourth appointment at a bridal boutique so it's not like I'd had thousands of appointments, but I have to say, that I feel so much better now that I've found 'the dress.'
I still have to order my dress, but I'm retrying it on next month and then fingers crossed if I'm still in love with it (which I am 99.9% sure that I will be) I'll be ordering it eeek! But shopping for my wedding dress definitely wasn't what I was expecting, in fact, I found it a little stressful. Today, I thought I'd share some things I learnt from A; wedding dress shopping and B : some advice from my five years of working as a Saturday girl in a bridal boutique.
Hopefully it may make any of you struggling with wedding dress shopping feel a little better, so let's get started.
1. It Isn't Like It Is In The Movies:
You do have this idea of what wedding dress shopping will be like ; boutiques that look like the one in Bridesmaids, (pre food poisoning incident!) That you'll be showered in champagne, and twirl around in dresses like you're Carrie Bradshaw. However, whilst some shops may be like this, not all of them are. In fact, I don't think I've ever been to somewhere where you get champagne, I don't even know if this is a thing? What I would say, is to not put too much pressure on your wedding dress fittings. Don't take lots of people with you, just the people who's opinions matter to you the most (personally I think you should only take a couple of people) and don't go in, expecting to find your dream dress there and then. You very may well find it in one outing, or after ten, just don't go in with too high expectations but that doesn't mean that it's not an exciting experience, of course it is, have fun and don't stress!
2. Wedding Dresses Look Completely Different On And Off The Hanger :
From working in a wedding dress shop whilst growing up, I know all too well that all wedding dresses look different on and off the hanger. It's also important to try all styles as what you may have in your head, may not feel right, and something could surprise you. Have an open mind and try everything, even if you're not sure about it on the hanger. The amount of times that I saw someone do a full 360 on the kind of dress they wanted was un real! Is my choice what I had in my head? Yes, it's exactly what I wanted (with a few changes) but remember I have had a lot of practise haha, also you have to try on, at least one big Princess dress, because why not!
3. Do Your Research:
Something I found very helpful, was to do a bit research into different styles and brands. Whilst your first appointment is good to go in to with a an open mind, once you have found what kind of styles suit you and you have a good idea of what you want, it's good to then start doing some research. I had a certain style of dress in mind, and I knew what elements I wanted, so I could very easily look at brands and dis-count them from looking at their dresses. I would then find the stockists of designers/dresses I liked, and would go to try on there. It was a sheer coincidence that I found my dress/the designer, and I realised that this designer was literally so up my street. I didn't want to just go to shops where they might not have the kind of thing I was after, so by having a clear idea of the designers and dresses I wanted, at least trips out wedding dress shopping wouldn't be wasted.
4. Take Lots Of Pictures:
Firstly, let me just say that it boggles my mind a little bit when wedding dress shops won't let you take pictures, because looking back at those pictures will be so helpful when it comes to making up your mind. I mean, I know that some places are perhaps worried you'll copy their dress, but if you're going to do that, you could probably just research the dress that you tried on anyways. Okay so rant over. I found that looking back at the photos was really useful. For example, on my first wedding dress shop outing, I thought I'd found 'the dress' and this dress was gorgeous, but it was completely different to what I thought I wanted. I of course, know this happens, but I think I got a bit caught up in the moment, caught up with standing in a gorgeous dress, everyone telling me how lovely it looked and my Mum being in love with it. I came away genuinely thinking 'I've found the dress!' But then when I got home, I uploaded the pictures from my camera of the dress and as soon as I saw them, I was like 'Oh.'
The dress just didn't look as amazing in the pictures, and I of course know it's not all about that, but to me, it didn't look like 'the one.' I felt like it didn't really flatter me in the pictures, and I felt deflated. I told myself, I'd see if I still thought the same in a few days, and honestly, I pretty much forgot about the dress. I knew then that it wasn't the one, it compromised too many things that I wanted and I knew I'd probably regret ordering it. Having those photos really helped to give me another opinion, it's so hard to remember what the dress looks like just from memory. Get someone to take photos of all angles, even videos, so you can study it later, as you need time away to process and think about things.
I can't stop looking at the photos of my actual dress. Every time Henry goes out of the room, I look at the photos, I'm obsessed with this dress and love how it looks. Seriously though, pictures will help you out so much, when it comes to making your decision.
5. You'll Know When It's The One :
A few weeks ago, I'd have rolled my eyes at that statement. I was starting to think that wedding dress shopping was a bit meh, maybe I'd never get that 'wow' moment and more of a 'yeah this is nice, it'll do' but when I put on my dress last week, I looked in the mirror and got a feeling. A feeling that said 'I think this could be the one', I felt giddy and excited, and also a little relieved when everyone else loved it too.Tash, my sister in law to be, said that I just instantly relaxed in the dress, and I knew it was the one because I didn't want to take it off. Then afterwards, any other dress just didn't compare and since coming away from the shop, I keep looking at the pictures and I feel content. I have no plans to look at any other dresses and I have even unfollowed all of the wedding dress designers that I was following on Instagram. So if that's not commitment then I don't know what is!
6. Don't Worry- You Will Find The One :
Finally, if you're reading this thinking 'I'll never find the one' don't worry- I totally get it. What I will say though, is don't stress. You will find the one, just keep trying and keep looking. Perhaps take a break from looking, or go and try different places and remember it's not a chore, it's an exciting time. I wish I'd chilled out and not put so much pressure on the appointments, and let myself enjoy the process more. In the end, I found my dress when I was least expecting to.
So there is all my pearls of wisdom re wedding dress shopping, I am so, so excited to try on my dress again, and feel like a little kid at Christmas. To be honest with you, wedding planning is something I've found pretty stressful, but finding my dress has made me excited again.
I'd love to know if you have any advice for wedding dress shopping?
You should know one thing about me.
And that is, that I am a massive essie fan girl. Like huge. The biggest.
I have my favourite colours and can spot an essie shade from a mile off, in fact I’ve had to stop myself from saying ‘are you wearing Fiji right now?’ to an absolute stranger on more than one occasion.
Anyways, you also should know that I have special nail polishes for special memories, for example, you can read here about my proposal and engagement polish which shocker, are both essie shades.
So with me being a bit sentimental let's just say, about my nail polish choices, it probably won't come as any surprise that I've already thought about how I want my nails for my wedding day next year. I can’t decide between false nails, gels or just using polish, but a new range from essie has come out which could definitely sway my choice towards the nail polish route a little more.
Okay cool, grab a cuppa and we'll get to it.
As I mentioned in Monday's post, I went to London last week for a couple of days of events, and meetings. I made time to visit the Jo Malone Regent Street boutique as they emailed a little while ago to invite me to have a Wedding Scent Consultation. This is a complimentary service that anyone can have at any of the Jo Malone boutiques, and it can be as detailed as you want, either selecting/getting ideas for your wedding fragrance, to choosing your whole bridal party's individual scents or scenting your venue.
Because my wedding isn't for a little while yet, we focused on just finding a bridal scent for myself and experiencing the service (as I thought it would be good to try, to tell you guys about.) Let me first of all say that the Regent Street boutique is just beautiful. It's one of those shops that could provide you with many Instagram uploads. If you're like me and love marble, black and white, you'll be in heaven.
Now I wasn't sure what to expect with the wedding consultation, but I felt at ease as soon as I walked in. The staff were all so lovely and attentive, any initial nerves soon drifted away. Ann Marie looked after us, and she was so, so lovely. You could tell she was so passionate about her job and knew her stuff. She instantly made me feel relaxed and cooed over my ring (what any engaged girl likes to hear!)
Before I'd got engaged, I thought wedding planning would be a doddle. After all, surely all you had to do was choose a venue, cake, dress, food and that's it right? Yeah I soon had a shock when I realised how many parts there are to a wedding. Most of them can lead to being a bit stressful, so I'll jump at any chance to do something wedding related that isn't going to stress me out. I hadn't even thought about choosing my wedding scent, it was an aspect that hadn't even crossed my mind, but when you think about it, it's such an important thing. Also how lovely to then forever have a scent that will remind you of your wedding day.
First of all, we spoke about the plans for the wedding, I showed pictures of our venue, the time of year it will be and the colours that we're thinking about. I also showed some of my Pinterest ideas, from some dresses I liked and where in the venue we'd probably be getting married. From this, Ann Marie was able to start thinking about what scents may work. I had mentioned that at the moment, I am loving English Pear and Freesia as an every day scent, so we aimed to mix scents with this one.
We tried a few scents together, as it's recommend to combine your every day scent with a different one, which is so clever. I eventually picked Peony and Blush Suede mixed with English Pear and Freesia. The scent was light, slightly floral, fresh and feminine, Peony and Blush Suede has notes of red apple, peony and suede to create a delicate fresh soft floral and fruity fragrance. My other fragrance English Pear and Freesia has notes of King William Pear, Freesia and Patchouli to create fresh autumnal inspired scent. The two mixed together just compliment each other so much. Although I haven't picked my dress yet, I knew that this would be the perfect scent for my wedding day. To me, it was how a bride should smell. It was perfect. I am making this part sound very easy, let me tell you that Ann Marie put together so many beautiful combinations of scents that it was very difficult to choose just one favourite!
Once we decided on scents, I was treated to a lovely hand and arm massage to demonstrate my chosen colognes. First of all, a shower oil scented with Peony and Blush Suede was used on my arm, then washed off. Then an English Pear and Freesia body lotion was massaged into my arm and hand. Ann Marie recommend layering scents by washing with your chosen scent's shower oil, then applying body lotion. This will lock the scent into your skin, ensuring the scent lasts all day. I had never though of layering scents this way but it totally makes sense. The body lotion felt so lovely on my skin. Then she sprayed Peony and Blush Suede on my arm and patted it in. This is a good way to lock scent into the skin, Ann Marie recommended spraying and patting areas such as my décolletage and chest especially if I was going to wear a strapless dress. She also said to perhaps spray Peony and Blush Suede on my front, whilst spray English Pear and Freesia on my back so that when I walk down the aisle and then back again, there will be a different fragrance which I quite liked the idea of.
I felt so relaxed and pampered. The hand and arm massage was really lovely, and I of course smelt amazing. I probably spent about 45 minutes choosing what scent to have, but you can go into more detail by picking the venue scent, or even taking your husband/bride to be with you so they can choose theirs as well.
Jo Malone then very kindly gifted me the Peony and Blush Suede fragrance, and the English Pear and Freesia body lotion which was wrapped up in a box engraved with my new initials and the date of our wedding. I was so touched when I saw this as it was a total surprise and was such a lovely thoughtful touch.
There is an in house engraver at the Regent Street boutique ( I think they are only there on certain days of the week so please check!) so you can get bottles, lids, or boxes engraved yourself which I think is just lovely. This would make such a nice wedding present, or a lovely idea for presents for Bridesmaids/Mother Of The Brides. Hayley, my sister and maid of honour also decided to choose her scent to wear on the day which was Wood Sage and Sea Salt which she said reminded her of our Mum's signature fragrance. This also smelt amazing with English Pear and Freesia so I think she will layer those two scents together, as it has notes of Ambrette Seeds, Sea Salt and Sage which adds a floral/fruity dimension to the sea salt freshness.
I had such a lovely time at the Jo Malone boutique, I had been feeling a little stressed about wedding planning recently but this has got me feeling excited again about things. I would recommend booking a consultation online and going with perhaps your maid of honour or Mum as it's such a lovely experience. Even if you're not getting married, there is also other complimentary services such as a Hand and Arm Massage, or finding a Scent For Your Home that you can do in the boutiques. They are all complimentary and I think it's such a lovely way to pamper yourself.
I did however find myself making a pretty huge wish list after leaving the Regent Street boutique, I think I will have to treat myself to a new candle once I move house (you know to celebrate getting through the stress of buying a house!)
But honestly, if you're a bride to be, I'd recommend having a consultation. If you can't pamper yourself when you're getting married then when can you?
A huge thank you to the lovely Jo Malone team for inviting me down, and for my extremely generous gift. I am so excited by my wedding fragrance, and now I can't wait to get stuck in with all the other planning!
What's your favourite Jo Malone fragrance?
So today I am back with part two of my bridal gift guide. If you missed my first post, you can see that here. Today I am focusing on what to buy brides for their wedding present. Many couples, choose different options for their wedding gift, some will register at department stores ( I've always thought this looks the most fun), some will ask for contributions towards a honeymoon or money perhaps. Some will have no preference, which can be tricky trying to work out what to the buy the bride and groom.
I thought today, I'd include some examples of presents you can buy for brides, or for couples, and thinking in mind what I think I'd like and then what myself and Henry would like as a couple. So I hope it’s helpful in some way…
For The Bride: Gifts For Her Honeymoon
If perhaps, you are close with the bride but aren't too close with her new husband, you could perhaps get her a little special something to celebrate her big day. I think a lovely gift idea is buying her something for the honeymoon, perhaps some nice underwear, or luxurious pyjamas. Victoria's Secret have some amazing silk pyjamas that anyone would love to receive, but Missguided have some lovely budget ones which would look so pretty wrapped up in tissue. Jewellery is also lovely, I love this Kate Spade bracelet, or perhaps some lovely earrings such as these ones which would be so perfect for her to pack with her to go away. Or perhaps something to eat, such as her favourite sweet treat? I found these personalised sweetie jars online which I thought were cute, or maybe a box of macaroons if she's a big fan? I think all these presents are lovely, and I'm sure any bride would be made up to receive them. Other ideas could be a personalised/or new passport holder, compact mirror to take away in her hand luggage or perhaps some fragrance.
For The Couple: Classic & Keepsake Presents:
A guest book is also a lovely idea, if the bride and groom have just moved into a new place together, I like this Vera Wang Wedgwood one as you can pop a picture in the front to make it a little more personal. Like I mentioned in my previous gift guide, a personalised print perhaps of their wedding date would be lovely, and a more personal touch for them.
For The Couple: Gifts For The House:
Gifts for the house are always a good idea for wedding presents. If you know a very stylish bride, who's house is like something from a Pinterest Board, then I'm sure she'd love this Vera Wang Wedgwood candle, which is so sophisticated. Or you could buy her, her favourite scented candle which is always a lovely present. Picture frames are also always thoughtful, especially if you print out a picture from the wedding, or from a happy memory before hand to put in it. You could get them a personalised set of mugs such as these Mr and Mrs ones from Emma Bridgewater, or even some fun pillow cases from Old English Company.
Other things you could even buy are; a spa day voucher for them to unwind with after a busy few months wedding planning, restaurant vouchers for date night, or even get a little crafty with filling a jar with notes of date ideas on.
There are so many lovely presents out there, and don't feel stressed if you don't know what to buy the bride and groom. My best advice would to be think about what you would like to receive and then get something like that. I really hope you liked these gift guides that I have done recently, let me know if you'd perhaps like to see more like this in the future.
I hope you all have an amazing time at weddings this summer, and if it's your wedding then how exciting! I hope you have the most incredible day.
So tell me, what would you like to receive as a wedding present?
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However, although my nuptials are still a little while to go, I know that there will be plenty of other weddings and bridal showers/hen parties to attend this summer, and I thought I'd write up a couple of posts featured around gifts you can buy for the bride to be. Today's post will be focused on recently engaged brides to be/couples, or what gifts to take to bridal showers and hen parties. Gifts are obviously not necessary, or needn't be too expensive, but I thought I'd show some lovely ideas that I have seen from different places whilst I've been researching wedding ideas.
I feel like these are the perfect gifts for your best friend, or sister, or for someone who is incredibly close to you. So I really hope you like these posts, I had so much fun creating them and if you are either my sister/close friends and you're reading this, then *cough cough* here are some hints for you for the future ;)
Presents For The Newly Engaged Bride To Be:
So you just know someone who has gotten engaged, how exciting. If you want to get the happy couple or the bride to be a little gift to celebrate this special time, then there are so many options. I was overwhelmed by the lovely presents that we received when we got engaged, it was something that I was completely not expecting, but it's such a lovely time and these are presents you will treasure forever.
Wedding Planning Presents:
The most helpful presents are ones that are going to make the next few months of wedding planning that little easier. Wedding planning does seem to be incredibly difficult so anything that makes the process a little less stressful will always be a winner with future brides. I received a lovely wedding planner from the thoughtful girls at Etsy, which has been so helpful. You can get these from stationery stockists such as Etsy, Kikki K and Amazon. You could also have a personalised notepad made for your happy couple, such as this one from Chroma Stationery, ideas to have embossed could be their ' X and Y wedding notes' 'Wedding Planning' or whatever quote you'd like.Traditional Presents For The Classic Bride:
For your Stylish Bride To Be:
If your bride to be, is like one of those stylish girls from Pinterest who has everything you could possibly imagine, then how about getting her an engagement ring holder like this one from Vera Wang at Wedgwood? I think this is a lovely idea and not something that you would have already. It's perfect for popping your ring on at night, or when you're doing something where you don't want to damage your ring (and we've all seen Stuart Little when the mum drops her ring down the drain whilst washing up.)
For The Beauty Obsessed Bride To Be:
Know someone who has just got engaged who is a huge beauty fan? Well, why not treat her to something like a manicure at a salon, which is a perfect way to pamper her and an excuse for her to show off her new ring! However, if you're on a budget, why not pick up a pretty nail polish shade from Boots to give to her? I'd recommend Ballet Slippers, Fiji, and Mademoiselle from Essie, but also look for bride to be nail kits from brands such as Essie and OPI which are a very cute present. Seeing as I love beauty, I'd probably fall under this category and I would have loved a present like this.
A Personal Present:
If you want to get a more personalised present, then why not see if there are any photos of the proposal that you could print out and frame? I think this is a really thoughtful present, and you could use a frame such as the Vera Wang Wedgwood Infinity Frame which is just beautiful. Other than that, if the couple got engaged in a place such as a city, why not have a map print printed and framed for them? Etsy has a great selection of maps that would really make a personal gift for the couple. If you're not entirely sure what to get, you could get them a voucher for somewhere like Etsy (which will come in so handy for wedding planning) or a department store such as John Lewis perhaps.Celebrating an engagement is such a special time, and the exciting part of planning a wedding, is yet to come!
So now, let's move onto what to buy the bride to be, a little nearer to the wedding. Say your BFF has her hen party or bridal shower coming up and you want to buy her a little something. Well here are some small gift ideas that I thought would probably go down very well.
Beauty Bridal Shower Gifts:
The run up to the wedding can be a super busy time for brides, or so I can imagine (I'm busy right now and it's still two years away haha!) So if you feel you know the bride really well, then buying her a special beauty product would probably be really appreciated. Choosing a fragrance to wear on your special day is a pretty big decision, but buying a bride to be a Jo Malone fragrance will always go down well. I love the lace detail on this English Pear and Freesia bottle, it's so pretty. Even if your bride wants to wear another fragrance on her wedding day, at least she can take it away with her on Honeymoon.
Make up wise, I know that I will most probably turn to Charlotte Tilbury products when it comes to choosing my bridal look, so a CT lipstick would be a must have for any bride. Choosing a pretty nude colour that she can pop on throughout the day is such a lovely present and just look at the packaging, it's gorgeous! You could also make her a pamper kit for either the big day or for the honeymoon, you could pick things such as nail polish, nail files, face masks, hair treatments fake tan, etc... or just whatever will make her feel special. You could always throw in a dvd and some wine and suggest a pamper evening in the run up to the wedding?
Something A Little Fun For Your Non Traditional Bride:
If you're stuck for ideas, why not get something a little more fun than traditional? I love the idea of gifting a FujiFilm Instax camera, it could be used on the day of the wedding making Polaroids that can be kept forever, or for the couple to take away on their honeymoon.Other things such as bridal robes, tops to wear on the morning of the wedding are always cute, Victoria's Secret has an amazing bridal silk robe right now (insert the heart eyes emoji.)
I'm going to be doing a part two of this gift guide which will feature items that you can buy brides/couples as an actual wedding present. I hope you liked today's post and it gave you some ideas if you're stuck for gift ideas right now for a bride to be.
So what would you buy a bride to be who has just gotten engaged?
Vera Wang, acclaimed authority for bridal elegance, is truly an icon. Synonymous with a modern approach to classic style, at the heart of her design is an understanding of tradition and beauty, mixed with a contemporary edge.
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