Exciting wedding planning tips: Venue, dress, and more!

PLANNING your wedding? For most couples, the starting point is a ‘to-do’ list with the date, venue, and, crucially, your budget the most important. Whether it’s a hotel, castle, beach, barn, or halfway up a mountain, choosing and confirming your wedding venue is best done as early as possible as dates for popular locations are in high demand.

Grooms and groomsmen can be kitted out by Lochcarron of Scotland which designs and weaves tartan at its mill in Selkirk in the Scottish Borders

There are no hard and fast rules about how far in advance you should book your venue but at least a year in advance is recommended to avoid disappointment. The venue will most likely be your largest expense so if you’re on a tighter budget, it’s a good idea to consider an off-peak period and avoid a Saturday.

While a church or registry office is the traditional and first choice for many couples, others have become increasingly inventive, choosing unusual venues and even involving their pets. Scotland certainly has plenty of inspirational venues to offer couples wanting to do something a little different, with castles, barns, and byres frequently near the top of the list – but hotels remain popular and there’s nothing to stop you from getting married on a beach or the top of hill either.

Popular venues in Scotland include Dun Aluinn, a design-led, exclusive-use venue situated on a private estate overlooking the picturesque town of Aberfeldy and Kinkell Byre, near St Andrews in Fife.

Of course, the thing about weddings is that it’s your special day, arguably the most important day in the lives of you and your partner. So, it must be about what you want. Convention is fine, tradition is fine, quirky is fine – even eloping on your own is fine if that’s what you want as a couple. It all comes down to individual taste and choice.

For those planning a wedding or civil partnership, there’s always a lot to do regardless of the size of your celebration. Planning a wedding will have its stressful moments which is why some couples opt to hire a wedding co-ordinator or choose a hotel that offers the services of a specialist wedding planner.

Accessories from Lochcarron of Scotland for your wedding day

However, for those on a budget, this might not be an option and the best advice would be to try not to get bogged down by the minor details – focus on what’s most important to you then deal with things such as table plans and name place cards nearer the time.

Outdoor weddings became popular during Covid and remain a choice for some – although the downside is the unpredictable Scottish weather. Smaller weddings are also common for those on a budget but also for couples who don’t want a grand affair and prefer to keep their nuptials low-key with just a few family and friends sharing their special day.

Bear in mind, though, that having your wedding at a more unconventional venue may throw up some unexpected challenges. So, preparation is key and the more organised you are, the more simple and stress-free things will be – although good venues will always work with you and do everything they can to make your big day unforgettable.

The key to stress-free planning is to give yourself plenty of time. Craft bakers need time to create that showstopper bake while florists can get booked up well in advance and will need to source certain flowers depending on what you want. Experienced wedding photographers will be busy during the peak season so will need to be booked well in advance. If you’re having bespoke rings created and made, your jeweller will require sufficient time, too.

Dun Aluinn is an exclusive-use venue situated on a private estate overlooking the picturesque town of Aberfeldy

Then, of course, there’s your wedding dress – if it’s something special, then experts recommend starting the process at least a year to 18 months in advance. Why? Well, some gowns can take six months to arrive then there will be a series of fittings and alterations. Similarly, if the groom and groomsmen are having, for example, custom-made kilts or made-to-measure suits, this clearly isn’t something you can leave until the last minute.

Many couples will have picked up some ideas for their own big day after attending the weddings of friends or relatives and it’s a good idea to ask them for advice – what did they do that worked perfectly, was there something they did that didn’t go according to plan? There are also plenty of specialist magazines that offer inspiration while attending a couple of wedding fairs will also provide some food for thought.

Whatever you decide to do celebrate your special day, and whatever the time of year, make sure you enjoy it.