Ask an Expert: Planning

How much time should I allow for the wedding breakfast when working out what time to invite my evening guests?

I generally work on around 2.5 hours for the wedding breakfast, including 3 short-ish speeches. If you have fewer or more speeches you may want to adjust the time allowed. Equally if you have a very small number of guests or a very high number you will... Read more

Is it acceptable to serve tap water to guests? My caterer seems to think we should use bottled.

It is not surprising that they would prefer you to use bottled as it means that they can charge you for it but if you are on a budget then tap water is perfectly acceptable. Whichever you use, ensure that there is enough water throughout the day to keep... Read more

Do I need a master of ceremony? I don’t have one at the moment but think I may need one?

A master of ceremony is traditionally a very formal role. I do think an MC is essential however in most cases a hotel manager, friend or usher can do the role very well and often add a touch of humour to the proceedings and is far more informal than an... Read more

What is a groom cake? My American friend has asked me if we are having one and I haven’t even heard of it!

A groom’s cake is an American tradition and is a cake that has either been chosen by the groom or created with his tastes and hobbies in mind. It is very different from the tiered wedding cake and is often novelty in design. It can be served at the... Read more

The venue we are using has really ugly chairs. My mum thinks that we need to hire chair covers but I think we can avoid it and save money as once the decorations are all up the chairs won’t be so obvious. What do you think?

I think that the cost of chair covers in the context of an overall wedding budget is relatively small and it will make a huge impact to the overall look you are trying to achieve. I am afraid that however beautiful the décor there is a good chance that... Read more

I saw some vintage linen wedding invitations in a magazine a while ago but can’t find the article. Do you know where I can find these?

I suspect you may be talking about The Vintage Draw where you can find a range of bespoke stationery created using beautiful vintage textiles. If that was not what you had in mind there are a range of different suppliers who may be able to help on Etsy. Read more

I have seen moustaches on sticks for photo booths which I think are really fun. Where can I buy these?

There is a good selection on Etsy. Pipii also carry some of these. It is worth including the cost of postage when working out which ones or how many you want to purchase. Read more

We have a vegan at our wedding. Do we need to provide them with an alternative to the wedding cake?

There is no obligation to do this but it would be a nice touch. You may want to ask your cake designer if they can provide a little something. Alternatively a pretty packet of sweets would be a very simple alternative but it will let your guest know that... Read more

We are getting married in 2015 but haven’t set a date. We really don’t mind what time of year it is. When do you think is best?

Each couple is individual with their own priorities so there is no one set time of year that suits everyone. If you are very focussed on the budget, a winter wedding may be best (avoiding Christmas). If you have your heart set on a particular type of... Read more

Is it essential that we serve champagne at the wedding? We were thinking of substituting sparkling wine but my parents are dead against it. Obviously there is a big cost difference.

I always think that champagne adds a lovely touch of luxury to any celebration but it does come at a price. I would look at the issue in the context of your overall budget to see if it is something that you can afford. It may be that it is important for... Read more

Our wedding meal is being served at 6pm. Do you think we still need an evening buffet?

The guests that are eating at 6pm will probably want little to eat later on but I would still ensure that something is provided, even if it is just a cheeseboard or snacks at midnight. If you have guests coming for the evening alone they are likely to... Read more

We are having a marquee wedding and were planning on guests leaving coats on racks at one side of the marquee. I am now worried though that this will look untidy. What are your thoughts?

I absolutely think that a separate cloak room is worth the investment. Not only will it keep things looking tidier but it will also stop anything getting damaged. Read more

I am getting married in two weeks and am VERY nervous. I am really worried that it won’t all come together. What are the last things that I should do before the day?

It is always worth running through all of your plans end-to-end as a final sanity check. Double check your timings and ask someone else to walk through them with you in case there is anything you have missed. Create a contact list to share with your... Read more

My band has asked me to make sure they have enough power. Is this a normal thing to ask? How do I make sure they have enough power?

Yes, it is a normal request and it is good that your band is ensuring that they have covered this off with you. If you are having a marquee for your wedding or any time of wedding that involves hiring a generator, you will need to speak to all of your... Read more

I am worried about the best man speech as he always uses bad language and is likely to go too far. How can I make him keep it clean?

The short answer is that I am afraid once he is in front of your guests there is really little way to control what he says! It really is advisable to think through who you ask to be your best man for this reason. However I definitely recommend trying to... Read more

Is six months before a wedding too soon to send out wedding invitations?

I would say that 6 months is a little too soon. You risk people delaying responding, either because they see it as a long way off or because they are not yet sure of their plans. I would be interested to know your reasons for wanting to send your... Read more

How long do you recommend a wedding speech should be?

As a general rule I recommend no longer than 5 minutes for each speech. You have to consider your guests and if you aren’t careful the speeches can become a drawn out affair! I recommend that you consider splitting the speeches, perhaps having some before... Read more

We are worried about rain at our wedding. We chose the venue as it has lovely outdoor spots for a wedding but I am concerned that indoor pictures won’t work as well. Are we best trying to get outdoor pictures even if raining?

Your photographer is the best person to advise on the lighting conditions for photographs and also you will want to decide whether you want to risk getting your dress wet or muddy for any outdoor pictures. I would wait till the day itself before making... Read more

We are getting married in a couple of months and are worried that there is not enough decoration planned for the tables. What do you recommend for a simple way to decorate napkins?

A single stem flower laid on the napkin can provide a beautiful detail to a table setting, as can tying it with a suitable ribbon or, even better, strip of fabric, which allows greater variety. Dotcomgiftshop also has pretty little charms that you can tie... Read more

I love the vintage, chintzy style but have no idea how to make it work. Please can you tell me how to go about it?

The chintz looks combines a number of different fabrics that appear to have been ‘thrown’ together. The general rule of thumb is to try to vary the prints that you are using, having one with a large print, another with a small pattern repeat and then... Read more

We have a number of guests with children. We don’t mind them coming to the reception but don’t want them at the wedding (in a church). Would it cause offence if we asked them to come later?

It really depends on how understanding your guests are. Some people see children as an integral part of a wedding and resent them being excluded however generally people are understanding. You will have to accept that this may mean that some guests are... Read more

How important is it that the style of my dress fits with my wedding theme?

Some wedding stylists would argue that it is incredibly important however I would say that it is your day and you should feel free to have the dress as well as the theme that you want. It is also hard to apply a hard rule here. For example, if you have a... Read more

I don’t know whether to create a play list for our DJ? He says he prefers not as he likes to ensure he plays music that guests respond to so they dance. What do you find is best?

If you have some key songs that you really want to be played then insure you highlight those, otherwise I suggest that a guideline play list is best rather than a very strict one. Your DJ is right that if you restrict him too much he won’t be able to... Read more

I have heard a few horror stories about guests pinching things from weddings such as centre pieces. We are hiring bird cages from our florist and these will need to be returned or if lost paid for. How do we ensure nobody takes them?

It is a sad fact that sometimes things do go missing from weddings. This can be due to staff, guests or outsiders. It is however extremely rare and on the whole it is extremely unlikely that a guest would help themselves to table decorations. If you are... Read more

A number of our relatives have dogs and our venue is dog friendly. Do you think it is safe to allow them to come to the reception?

I would say that this very much depends on the dog or dogs concerned. I have never had any problem with dogs that have been at a wedding but any that I have encountered have been very calm, sociable and well behaved. On the other hand I would not dream of... Read more

How many toilets will I need for our marquee reception?

I am afraid that there is no generic answer for this as a number of things need to be taken into account such as how many guests you are expecting, how long the toilets will be used for as well as what sort of food and drink you will be providing. I... Read more

The venue has a midnight cut off for music and a 90 decibels. Will this be loud enough?

The short answer is that yes, 90 decibels is quite reasonable. While it won’t be blaringly loud it should create a good party atmosphere. Generally most venues have a decibel limit in place so this is not unusual. Read more

We really don’t want to invite children to our wedding as we don’t have enough room however we don’t mind a couple of guests who have babies bringing them along. Will this cause offence to other guests who have children?

It can be very hard to find childcare for very young children so I like to think your other guests would appreciate that and not think twice about babies being included in the numbers. If you have any concern you could cover it in the wording of your... Read more

We are getting married in a couple of weeks and Easter and are having an Easter theme for our wedding. Where can I find last minute details that would make the day special?

Pipii has a great range of Easter decorations that could add those extra special details to the big day. I don’t know what your colour palette is but they also have a good range of items in various colour schemes that can be adapted to an Easter theme. If... Read more

We are having a very small wedding reception with just 25 guests. I have always wanted a 3 tiered cake. What happens in these situations? Would the cake decorator be able to take away some of the tiers so they aren’t wasted?

I doubt you would find a cake decorator who would be willing to take away unused cake however you could choose to freeze the cake or divide between guests so that they can all take a large portion home. A very common option however is to have false tiers.... Read more