Im a big Gossip Girl fan and last night I watched the wedding of Eleanor and Mr. Rose. It was so wonderful how intimate and simple the ceremony was. The bride and groom said their own vows. Mr. Rose said ‘I take you Elenaor as yourself’ and she said “I am my beloved, my beloved is mine.’
 

 
It got me thinking about alternatives to the usual wedding vow - I, (Bride/Groom), take you (Groom/Bride), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, …

Last week, I wrote two posts on how to ask for money. But then I thought about how it would be seen to a wedding guests. My personal opinion is that if you badger on about how you need money then it might irritate your wedding guests. However, if you say something like “You dont need to buy us a present, but if you want to, save your money and just give us cash so we can use it” 
Yesterday, my fiance and I received this email (oh the horror!) invitation …

I’ve been drafting my wedding invites and am stuck on how to ask my guests to dress formal for our wedding. I guess other brides would be having the same dillema. I think its extremely rude if guests turn up dressed scruffily at weddings because its so disrespectful to the couple and the effort they put into the wedding. Just as you dress up for job interviews, you should look just as presentable at someone’s wedding. I am even tempted to ask the bouncers at my venue to not let …

Here are the most popular songs that British Brides chose this year:
1. Wildor - Toccata from Symphony No. 5
2. Pachelbel - Canon in D
3. Handel - Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
4. Bach - Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring
5. Clarke - Price of Denmark’s March, Trumpet’s Voluntary ** MY FAVOURITE***
6. Franck - Panis Angelicus
7. Charpentier - Prelude from Te Deum
8. Mendelssohn - Wedding march
9. Grieg - Wedding Day at Trldhaugen
10. Morricone - Gabriel’s Oboe from The Mission
 
And the most offbeat ones were:
1. Z cars Theme
2. Star Wars Theme
3. Sound of …

I heard the horror story of someone who did not write a gift list and ended up with 10 photo albums. Recently, a work colleague of my fiance gave us a £100 voucher at John Lewis. Whilst the gift was so thoughtful, when you have a voucher, you end up walking around in the shop hardly finding something you really want. 
So instead of noting down a gift list, my fiance and I will be asking for money. I know this is looked upon in horror and my fiance’s friend suggested …

I’ve been keeping note of what other people spend on their weddings as a good reference for how much I should budget for my wedding. Of course, some people priorities and spend more on one area than the other. For e.g. I cant imagine someone spending so little on wedding and engagement rings - these are items you wear for the rest of your life!
Anyways, here they are, maybe they would be useful if you could make an excel sheet where you plot what the average cost is and then …

Originally, I planned to do a slideshow at my wedding with photos of my fiance and I from our childhood up to present day. I have an absolutely adorable picture of my bridesmaid Linda and I from when we were 5 years old. Our venue has two screens in the hall where we will be married. However, I will be getting married at the front of the hall and the screens are at the back. Also, the guests will be ushered into the hall so will not have time to …

Here is a list of wedding songs that you could play for your wedding. I listened to them all on youtube and have pasted the address for your hearing pleasure:

Crazy Little thing called love - Michael Bubble
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-xrlONMEpM&feature=related
 
Stuck on you - Lionel Ritchie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G392kLoGyaU
 
Your song - Elton John
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13GD78Bmo8s
 
It had to be you - Harry Connick
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToiL_ryumBY
 
Can’t take my eyes off you - Andy Williams
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWtLK7XP-Bk
 
Golden Touch - Razor Light
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdA5IcjWcIs
 
Straighten Up and Fly Right - Robin Williams
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1f-7ejxEGE&feature=related
 
Everlasting love - Jaime Cullum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITLs4umWEFw
 
Something Stupid - Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BdiAQmEaf0
 
Build me up Buttercup - yes the one …

Not sure how much you can really save but here they are. I would advise others to not over do some of the ideas because you just look really tacky and cheap:

 
Buy the plain white iced cakes from Marks &Spencer or similar and decorate with fresh flowers
 
Buy bridesmaids dresses from ebay or Monsoon/Coast in the sales
 
Rope your friends and family with any skills in to help - decorating rooms, floristry, neat handwriting for invitations and name places, musicians, people with nice cars to drive you, people with big gardens, photographers, …

BEFORE THE CEREMONY
1. Wedding dress hanging
2. Bride’s shoes
3. Bride’s bonquet
4. Bride getting hair and make up done.
5. Bride in wedding dress.
6. Bride with bridesmaids
7. Bride with mother / father/ parents
8. Bride getting into car
9. Groom getting ready
10. Groom with best man
11. Groom with ushers and bridesmaids
 
AT CEREMONY
1. Guests outside the venue, registering
2. Groom and best man outside venue
3. Ushers escorting guests
4. Music
5. Bride arriving
6. Bride and father walking down aisle
7. Bride and Groom hug/kiss the father
8. Bride and groom exchanging vow
9. Ring exchange
10. Signing register
11. Bride and groom walking up …