Weddings are a time to bring family and friends together to celebrate your love and new chapter in life, but it can be difficult to decide who can and cannot come to your wedding. To begin planning, you should decide on how many people you can invite. (If you already have a venue in mind look at the amount of people that value can hold). Create rules and limitations for your guest list to avoid offending family members. Finally, writing multiple lists can help you maximize the number of people who can come. With some patience and careful consideration, soon you will have your guest list ready for invitations.

Even if you’re not sure on the specific figure, you can determine roughly what size of wedding you want. This will help you get quotes from caterers and venues while allowing you to figure out the specific number later. Some people decide just to invite immediate family members and a few close friends. A small wedding is generally around 50-75 people. The average wedding is around 150 people. A large wedding is 200 people or more.

Keep your budget in mind. The most basic and easiest way to decide on how many people you can invite is to look at how many people you can afford to invite. This one is simple, the more people you invite, the more expensive the reception and ceremony will be. If you have the luck of parents chipping in, find out how much each couple is contributing. Factor that into how much you and your partner can afford to spend. Get a few quotes from local caterers to see how much the reception may cost per person. Remember to factor in drinks and cake as well. Catering should take up about 25% of your budget.

Size of the venue. The number of people you can invite may be decided by where you have your wedding, if you already set a venue before your guest list. If you have your heart set on a particular venue, ask them how many people they can hold. Please do not invite more than this number, the risk is that you may find yourself scrambling to fit everyone.

Children or not. Some people prefer to have a childfree wedding because they worry kids will be loud or disrupt the ceremony. Others feel that a wedding is a big family event and that children are of course part of the family. There is one more option to have children only attending the reception. You must understand that some guests may choose not to come if their children are not invited. If you want a childfree or not for the ceremony I definitely recommend to set an age limit to decide whether you are inviting teenagers or not. This could be as young as 12 or as old as 18 it’s all up to you to choose.

Plus one. Who will be allowed to bring a guest or will everyone be allowed, that’s a decision for you to make. If you don’t have the space for all of your friends to bring an extra person, you might want to skip the option to bring a date on the invitation. By that said, if you have a friend who is in a long term relationship or married, then you should invite their partner as well. Keep these info with you when counting your guest list.

Put your guests into different groups. When planning, create four or more groups of people you are considering. Next number these groups by their priority. Here is an example, it might be more important to you to invite close friends than extended family members. Here are the typical four groups:

• Immediate family members

• Extended family members

• Close friends

• Work mates or colleagues

Establish rules with your family. Your parents and your partner’s parents may have their own ideas about who to invite, this is very normal. Let them know upfront what kind of wedding you want. Tell them how many people they can invite. Don’t forget to be firm about your boundaries, they must understand that they need to follow these rules. Here are some rules you may want to consider:

• Only invite people you’ve talked to in the last year.

• Friends of the couple have priority over friends of the parents.

• Certain estranged family members may not be invited.

Next step. Start by writing two lists, the first list is the people you absolutely want to invite. By that I mean family members, close friends, or other special people. The second is your back-up list , yes a back-up list. The backup-list is the list of people you would like to invite but don’t have space or the budget for. It’s simple, if a person from the first list declines,then go ahead and invite a person from the back-up list. I recommend to assume that approximately 20 percent of your invited guests will not be able to attend. Which means that you can have at least this number on your back-up list. This will help you maximize the number of guests who can come to your wedding and spots won’t go to waste.

Last edit. Before you go ahead and send anything out, take a second look and edit to make sure that you are not inviting any more people than your absolute maximum. If you want to cut guests, start by going from the lowest priority guests (colleagues, distant family members, family friends you might not know) and up to the highest on the list.

Set a date when the backup guests will be invited. There need to be enough time for them to be able to come, you don't want to send out anything last minute. Make sure that you send out your first round of invitations early enough so that you can send out a second round later.

Consider inviting people to the reception only. Are you getting married in a small venue, are you struggling to fit all of your dear friends onto the list. I would say, consider having a separate guest list for the reception. It’s easy to explain, just say that you would love to have them at the wedding but that you are limited with space.

• A good way to explain it is: “Our venue is so small that we cannot invite everyone we want to the wedding, but we would still love it if you could celebrate with us. You are welcome to join us at the reception.”

• If you have a destination wedding, you may choose to have a reception in your hometown. You can invite all of the friends that could not attend the wedding to this celebration.

Your reception tables will play a big role in the overall atmosphere of your wedding day. There are various shapes and sizes for you to choose from, each option adding a unique touch to your reception area. The shape and size that you choose will depend on your specific wedding style and the space that you’ve chosen to have your reception in. 

Here are the options that you have available to you. 

Square or Rectangle TablesThese shapes are best for events that are taking place in unconventional areas such as under a tent or on a lawn and are a great way to create borders in your reception area. This doesn’t mean that you need to line them up perfectly either. Square or rectangle tables can be placed at different angles to create a unique look and feel. If you will be using this table shape, be sure to use an even number of chairs and quality linens to soften any edges. 

Round TablesRound tables are used most often for events because they work in just about any space. If you do want to make things more interesting though, try using a few tables of different sizes. Beautiful chairs, cutlery, linens, and flowers can really bring these classic tables to life. 

Banquet Tables. Since banquet tables are longer, they generally work well in larger reception areas. Banquet tables work well when organized in U or L shapes but you could also place them in rows.  Using décor of different heights and sizes helps break these larger tables up; candle holders and vases being some examples. Use runners of different textures or square plates to add some character to the tables. 

Remember that while you need to choose the right table for your unique space, the tables act as a base for your reception area and can be used to create any style and atmosphere you want on your wedding day. 

Choosing your bridesmaid dresses doesn’t have to be stressful, in fact, if you know exactly what to be aware of, it can be a fun and relaxing part of planning your wedding.

Here are a few tips that will help you during the process:

1.    Take your wedding gown style into consideration.Even though you will be the one to stand out, it still looks great when your look coordinates with your girls. If you have a lot of details on your dress, keep your bridesmaid dresses simple.  The same thing applies to necklines – make sure that they aren’t exactly the same.

2.    Consider skin tones and body type.You want your bridesmaids to look and fell beautiful on the day too, so choose a color that works well with their skin tones and body shapes.  You may even want to throw hair color into the mix when deciding on a color. 

3.    Keep the season in mind.Before you decide on a look, take the season that you will be getting married into consideration.  It’s fine to choose long dresses in summer or short-sleeve dresses in fall, but make sure that your ladies are comfortable.

4.    Start shopping early.You never know how long it will take you to find the perfect bridesmaid dresses so don’t start shopping too late.  Plus, you may need to order your dresses and delivery could take a while, so keep this in mind.

5.    Price matters.If you will not be buying your bridesmaid dresses, it’s really important to keep price in mind.  Your bridesmaids are investing quite a bit of time and money in your big day so make sure that the dresses you choose are actually affordable.

6.    Get their opinions.Your bridesmaids will really appreciate having a say in their dresses so ask them if they had any ideas about what they would like to wear. You should, of course, still have the final say, but it’s great to include them in the process too.

7.    Speaking of roping your bridesmaids in.  If you want to reduce some of your wedding planning responsibilities and stress, get your maid of honor to research dresses and prices for you. 

I think out of all the planning with a wedding I think the say Yes I do to the dress is one of the most exciting parts of the whole planning. When you are in that bridal shop and trying on dresses it really becomes real at that moment, this is it. It is soon happening and all you can do is smile.

I am very excited to be sharing a very special bridal designer with you, Katya Katya designer. They are two strong women Katya and Marina who met at school and became close friends. As the years went on and life took them in different directions, their friendship never faded. Built on love, loyalty and happy memories shared, their passion was to create something truly beautiful which reflected them as individuals.

KATYA KATYA became their creation together that they founded, specialising in divinely modern feminine made to order French & Italian laced gowns. One important part of it is to Only us the finest materials Katya’s gowns ooze romance, versatility and comfort, with interchangeable elements to suit every woman.

Katy Shehurina is originally from Latvia, she graduated from the prestigious top ESMOD fashion design school studying the craft of couture. She then went into a period with renowned French designers Nicolas Fafiotte and David Purves, I am sure it gave her a good knowledge and confidence to go ahead and decided to launch her own business in 2007. Katy is focusing on her unique design style which reflects modern vintage inspired aesthetic, impeccable craftsmanship and a lightweight ethereal finish, to melt for. It’s perfect and timeless.

Since then, her distinctive style has gained international recognition. As Katya’s first flagship boutique opened in London in 2011, the brand has continuously attracted the attention of the UK press as well as international buyers.

Our gowns are made to order to your size and take about 7 months to make. However due to the unprcedented circumstances our time frames are flexible and we do cater to all brides with all time frames. We also offer off-the-rack dresses for brides who decided to celebrate sooner or have weddings coming up very soon. For further information please do get in touch with us on +44 2073514359 or on info@katyakatya.co.uk or click here

I think this one is one of the more trickier things to plan, timing how long everything will take to make sure everything will go smooth for your wedding day.

Part one

What time you start your bridal prep and amount of time you allow for this will for sure depend on several things:

• The size of your bridal party.

• The complexity of your hair and makeup.

• How much you prepare in advance.

• The time of your ceremony.

• The distance between where you are getting ready and your ceremony location.

• Whether you plan on having any photos with your bridal party prior to your ceremony.

Where do we start the best starting point when it comes to working out how much time to allow is to ask the expert! If you are having your hair and makeup done professionally then ask your hair and make-up artist how long they think they will take (as a general rule, I would allow a couple of hours for bridal hair and make-up and an additional 45 to 60 minutes for each member of your wedding party).

Work back from the start of your ceremony and factor in travel, putting on your dress (this takes longer than you think so give yourself at least 30 mins!) and timings from your hair and make-up artist. This will give you a rough idea of your starting time!

Expert Tip!

Don’t forget to count in the breakfast and lunch (and of course a glass of bubbles!) into your bridal prep!

If your bridal party are doing their own hair and make-up then ask them how long they think it will take them to get ready and then double it! Overexcited bridesmaids will always take longer to get ready than they think!

Last but not least leave a margin of error of around 1 hour. This will ensure that you’re ready in plenty of time and can enjoy the morning.

Part Two Ceremony!

There are two elements to consider:
Firstly, what time should everyone arrive at the ceremony?

As a basic guide I advise the following:

• Groom, Best Man / Men and Ushers – 45 minutes before the ceremony.

• Guests – 30 minutes before the ceremony.

• Groom’s parents – 15 minutes before the ceremony.

• Mother of the Bride and Bridesmaids – 10 minutes before the ceremony.

• Bride and Father of the Bride – 5 minutes before the ceremony.

Secondly, how long should you allow for your ceremony?

This will ultimately depend on whether you are having a Religious Ceremony, a Non-Religious Ceremony, or a Civil Wedding / Partnership…

• Non-Religious Ceremony – 20 to 45 minutes.

• Civil Wedding / Partnership – 30 to 45 minutes.

• Religious Ceremony – 60 to 90 minutes.

Expert Tip!

If you want to use your ceremony location for some group pictures and the confetti shot, if you do then remember to count this into your timings.

Part Three

The drink reception I recommend to allow 1 ½ to 2 hours for your drinks reception as this will give your photographer and videographer plenty of time for your group and personal portrait shots. It will also give you enough time to mingle with your guests and enjoy your canapés and bubbles.

Expert Tip!

If you want a longer drinks reception then it is essential to your keep your guests entertained, with games or shows of any kind and provide plenty of drinks and canapés!

GROUP AND PORTRAIT PHOTOS

The number of group photos you want will ultimately determine how long your photographer will need. However, as a general rule of thumb allow 5 minutes per group photo and at least 30 minutes for your personal portrait shots.

Expert Tips!

Make sure everything runs like clockwork by asking your photographer to scope out some potential backgrounds in advance.

Make a list of different photos and combinations of your family and wedding party that you don’t want the photographer to miss. Then arrange for the relevant people to gather at a designated spot right after your ceremony so that nobody goes AWOL when they’re needed for group shots!

Give somebody trustworthy (and someone who knows the difference between your dad and your distant uncle) the job of rounding everyone up for group photos and chasing any stragglers!

Part Four

For your guests to move from the drinks reception I recommend to allow up to 30 minutes for your guests to move to the location of your Wedding Breakfast and for them to then find their seats. If you are planning on having a receiving line then allow an additional 40 minutes on top of this.

Expert Tip!

Designate at least a couple of your Bridesmaids or Ushers to direct guests, assist with the receiving line and speed up any loitering guests!

This is a perfect opportunity for you and your beau to steel some time together, whether that’s using the time for a little one-on-one time or indeed to capture those couple’s shots.

Part Five

This one is important allow no more than 30 to 40 minutes for your speeches. With each speaker allocated up to 10 minutes. It is important to try and stick to these timings as speeches that take any longer normally result in fidgety guests and your evening may lose momentum.

Expert Tips!

Don’t forget to ask your speakers how long they think they’ll take always double it. From experience I have never known a speech to run to time, it just doesn’t happen.

Part Six

How much time of you need for your wedding breakfast you may ask? The best starting point is to once again ask the expert for advice.
Your caterers will be able to give you a guide on how long they think their service will take depending on the number of guests, choice of food, number of courses, number of catering staff and type of venue. General guide allow up to 2 hours for a 3 course meal.

Part Seven

When the evening reception has begun timings can often go out the window. There are some key elements that need to be factored into your schedule as otherwise they can easily be forgotten in the excitement of the evenings festivities, you don’t want that to happen, right.

That’s why I advise my couples to plan in their first dance, cutting the cake and throwing the bouquet no later than 45 minutes after the end of their wedding breakfast (this will also ensure that their photographer manages to capture everything before they leave).

Expert Tip!

If you have invited evening guests ask them to turn up at least 30 minutes after your wedding breakfast. If your wedding breakfast overruns the last thing you want is to have evening guests turning up whilst people are still eating.

Don’t forget that each wedding is unique and different and timings will vary between different weddings. Use the above as a loose guide, but no need to feel like you’re doing it wrong if you want to skip it or do only some parts of it, remember it’s your day after all! Last thing this covers lot’s of the traditional elements of a wedding and you may want to skip parts of these to suit you the best.