Guides for Brides - The Wedding Podcast

Discover how you can make a positive impact by incorporating a charity into your special day. Together with our charity partners at VOW for Girls, we give you practical tips and ideas to feature your chosen charity within your wedding day, gift list or the related events on the build up to the big day.

For over 25 years, Guides for Brides has been a leader in the wedding industry. We bring together the best wedding venues and suppliers in one place, making it easy for you to find what you need. Simplify your wedding planning using our free online tools and wedding directory! 💍

Useful VOW for Girls links:

This week, Nikita is joined by Elizabeth Ruddick, the owner of 29 Atelier, a renowned British luxury bridal wear brand dedicated to catering to the eco-conscious bride. Together, they delve into the realm of ethical bridalwear decisions, shedding light on numerous approaches to embrace sustainability. From opting for eco-conscious labels to selecting dresses made from sustainable materials, they explore various avenues. Additionally, they touch upon the concept of redesigning wedding dresses post-ceremony, enabling them to be repurposed as separates for a lifetime of use.

In today's society, the significance of sustainability cannot be overstated. This episode serves as a valuable resource for anyone contemplating eco-friendly choices for their bridal attire. Whether you're actively considering such options or simply seeking further knowledge on the subject, this conversation is sure to pique your interest. Tune in and discover how you can make your bridalwear journey more ethical and environmentally conscious.

Guides for Brides has been an industry leader for over 25 years. Bringing together the best venues and suppliers, in one easy-to-find place. Use our free online planning tools and wedding directory to take the stress out of wedding planning! 💍

Useful 29 Atelier Links:

Join us as we dive into the art of delivering a captivating wedding speech, featuring our special guest, Heidi Ellert-McDermott from Speechy. Hosted by Nikita, this episode covers everything you need to know, from structuring your speech to captivating the entire room with your love story.

Speechy, a renowned platform, brings together a team of talented writers with impressive backgrounds in TV shows and comedy writing. Their expertise allows them to not only inject humour into your speech, guaranteeing laughter from the crowd, but also seamlessly weave in your unique love story.

With Heidi's personal experience of writing her own wedding speech and Nikita's upcoming wedding where she plans to speak herself, they provide valuable insights and practical tips to help you gain the confidence you need to shine on your special day.

If you're a bride-to-be who wants to deliver a heartfelt speech but finds yourself unsure of where to begin, this podcast episode is an absolute must-listen! Tune in to gain the inspiration and guidance you need to create a memorable and unforgettable bride's speech.

Guides for Brides has been an industry leader for over 25 years. Bringing together the best venues and suppliers, in one easy-to-find place. Use our free online planning tools and wedding directory to take the stress out of wedding planning! 💍

Useful Speechy Links:

In this week's episode Nikita is joined by Karen from Kemp & Kemp Catering, an Award Winning catering company. Having heaps of experience in the industry, Karen has a passion for all things food. And she’s here to help answer some of your wedding related questions. From organisation ahead of the big day, to incorporating your memories in dishes, this episode covers it all.

Guides for Brides has been an industry leader for over 25 years. Bringing together the best venues and suppliers, in one easy-to-find place. Use our free online planning tools and wedding directory to take the stress out of wedding planning! 💍

Give us a follow on Social Media 👇

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/guidesforbrides/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/guidesforbrides

Twitter https://twitter.com/guidesforbrides

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@guidesforbrides

Head over to Guides for Brides to create your FREE online wedding planner now!

Join us for a new episode of Guides for Brides - The Wedding Podcast as host Nikita sits down with Tracey Mann the founder and owner Tracey Mann Cake Designs. Tracey has many years of experience having loved baking from the age of 12 she has gone on to make wedding cakes for couples in her local area. The second wedding cake she ever made was her own! With a great reputation and cake expertise Tracey is able to create the perfect wedding cake for her couples taking into account many details of the special wedding day.

During the episode, Tracey shares her insights and tips so that you can be armed with knowledge when searching for your own wedding cake or sweet treats. From allergen information, to pricing and good flavour combinations this podcast has everything you need to consider when looking for your dream wedding cake. Tracey also discusses how different couples are after different styles from classic tiered cakes and novelty cakes and even includes a funny story about a cake that was purposefully leaning to create a talking point on the night!

Guides for Brides has been an industry leader for over 25 years. Bringing together the best venues, suppliers and tips in one easy-to-find place. Use our free online planning tools and wedding directory to take the stress out of wedding planning! 💍

Learn more about our guest:

Join us this week for a new episode of Guides for Brides - The Wedding Podcast with the wonderful Kirsty Grieve and Rebecca Preistley from Flowers by Kirsty! With a stellar reputation and 10 years of industry experience the pair discuss everything you need to know about wedding flowers with host of the podcast Nikita.

Having an experience florist create the beautiful flower arrangements for your big day is an incredible experience and a great way to make your day special. Kirsty and Rebecca share what goes on behind the scenes at your wedding as well as top tips for what to ask your florist and what to expect in return. From saving last minute disasters to recommending the flowers that suit your style and budget that are in season for your wedding this sister duo have what it take to put your mind at ease!

Guides for Brides has been an industry leader for over 25 years. Bringing together the best venues and suppliers in one easy-to-find place. Use our free online planning tools and wedding directory to take the stress out of wedding planning!

Learn more about our guests:

Join Nikita in this episode of Guides for Brides - The Wedding Podcast, as she sits down with the very dapper and knowledgeable Alex Edwards, founder of The Cotswold Tailor. With a reputation for impeccable tailoring and a keen eye for style, Alex has helped countless grooms and wedding party members look their very best on the big day. During their chat, Alex shares his expert insights on the latest trends in wedding menswear, from fabric colours and patterns to shoes. He also shares some insider tips on how to decide whether to hire, buy, or go bespoke for your wedding suit, as well as his thoughts on some of the most controversial accessories in the game. Whether you're a groom-to-be, a best man, or just looking to up your style game, grab a pen and get ready to take some notes, because this episode is a must-listen for anyone getting ready to source or style their wedding suit. Guides for Brides has been an industry leader for over 25 years. Bringing together the best venues and suppliers, in one easy-to-find place. Use our free online planning tools and wedding directory to take the stress out of wedding planning! 💍

Learn more about our guest:

Would you like to run a wedding dress shop?

In this episode of the podcast, Nikita has joined Ellie Sanderson at her bridal shop in Kiddington to discuss Ellie’s new bridal shop franchise. They discuss how Ellie got started in the industry and how you can too, the advantages to being part of a well established brand and how you can join the franchise.

Guides for Brides has been an industry leader for over 25 years. Bringing together the best venues and suppliers, in one easy-to-find place. Use our free online planning tools and wedding directory to take the stress out of wedding planning! 💍

Give us a follow on Social Media 👇

In today’s episode of Guides for Brides - The Wedding Podcast, Nikita is joined by James and Tom from THAT Event Company. They are talking about how lighting can help personalise your wedding venue and really impress your guests.

Guides for Brides has been an industry leader for over 25 years. Bringing together the best venues and suppliers, in one easy-to-find place. Use our free online planning tools and wedding directory to take the stress out of wedding planning! 💍

Give us a follow on Social Media 👇

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/guidesforbrides/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/guidesforbrides

Twitter https://twitter.com/guidesforbrides

Happy Mother’s day! 🌸

In this episode, Nikita is joined by Lee and Lucy from Canvas Collection. A shop that specialises in beautiful and flattering mother of the bride and groom outfits. They talk about how you can help your mother figure feel comfortable and confident whilst trying on dresses, as well as some of the traditional etiquette surrounding mother of the bride outfits.

Guides for Brides has been an industry leader for over 25 years. Bringing together the best venues and suppliers, in one easy-to-find place. Use our free online planning tools and wedding directory to take the stress out of wedding planning! 💍

Give us a follow on Social Media 👇

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/guidesforbrides/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/guidesforbrides

Twitter https://twitter.com/guidesforbrides

At the start of January, we were invited to Dubai to take part in the Global Wedding Excellence Retreat. At this event, top wedding planners and platforms from lots of different countries came together to network, advise each other, discuss current trends and learn about the wedding offering in Dubai. Whilst out there, Nikita had the chance to talk to some globally recognised UK destination wedding planners and Dubai venues, to ask for their top tips for planning your dream destination wedding.

Guides for Brides has been an industry leader for over 25 years. Bringing together the best venues and suppliers, in one easy-to-find place. Use our free online planning tools and wedding directory to take the stress out of wedding planning! 💍

Give us a follow on Social Media 👇

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/guidesforbrides/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/guidesforbrides

Twitter https://twitter.com/guidesforbrides

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@guidesforbrides

Head over to Guides for Brides to create your FREE online wedding planner now!

Have you experienced any wedding dress wobbles? 👰

In this episode of Guides for Brides - The Wedding Podcast, Nikita is joined by Rebecca from TDR Bridal. They discuss tips for how to overcome and handle any anxiety you may be feeling about your wedding dress. From trying it on again to talking it through with your bridal boutique, they have some amazing tips for you. They also discuss the process of having your wedding dress fitted to you and how this can improve your feelings about your wedding dress.

Guides for Brides has been an industry leader for over 25 years. Bringing together the best venues and suppliers, in one easy-to-find place. Use our free online planning tools and wedding directory to take the stress out of wedding planning! 💍

Check out TDR Bridal here

Today on The Wedding Podcast, Nikita is joined by Jacob from the Henley Distillery. Having worked in distilleries across the UK and having owned his own pop up bar service, Jacob has all the tips and tricks for planning your wedding day drinks.

Guides for Brides has been an industry leader for over 25 years. Bringing together the best venues and suppliers, in one easy-to-find place. Use our free online planning tools and wedding directory to take the stress out of wedding planning! 💍

Check out The Henley Distillery here 🍸

In this week's episode Nikita is joined by Nicola from Skin Geek, an Award Winning skin care expert. Having over 20 years experience in the industry, Nicola has a passion for all things skincare. And she’s here to help answer some of your wedding related questions. From spots on the big day, to aesthetic treatments and skin care routines before your wedding, this episode covers it all.

Guides for Brides has been an industry leader for over 25 years. Bringing together the best venues and suppliers, in one easy-to-find place. Use our free online planning tools and wedding directory to take the stress out of wedding planning! 💍

Give us a follow on Social Media 👇

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/guidesforbrides/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/guidesforbrides

Twitter https://twitter.com/guidesforbrides

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@guidesforbrides

Head over to Guides for Brides to create your FREE online wedding planner now!

Episode 1 removed due to technical issues. We will re upload after fixing this on 9th January 2023!

We're back for Season 4 of Guides for Brides - The Wedding Podcast!

If you're planning your wedding, you're in the right place! Having gotten engaged over the summer, Nikita knows all the ups and downs of wedding planning. Join as she talks to expert guests, here to help guide you through the process and offer their advice. From wedding dresses and suits to catering and skincare, we have it all covered on season 4. All you need to do is sit back, relax and enjoy.

The new season will be launched on the 6th January 2023, and released every two weeks. 

Give us a follow on Social Media 👇

In today's episode we’re talking about something fun, wedding confetti! And what better guests to discuss confetti with than Ashley and Alannah from Shropshire Petals? Shropshire Petals produce confetti from real flower petals, so they are completely natural and biodegradable, something which is required by many wedding venues these days. Ashley and Alannah talk through everything from the traditions behind throwing confetti over the newly-weds, to the best ways to throw wedding confetti and the varieties of colours that couples can choose from.

Guides for Brides has been an industry leader for over 25 years. Bringing together the best venues and suppliers, in one easy-to-find place. Use our free online planning tools and wedding directory to take the stress out of wedding planning! 💍

Give us a follow on Social Media 👇

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/guidesforbrides/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/guidesforbrides

Twitter https://twitter.com/guidesforbrides

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@guidesforbrides

Head over to Guides for Brides to create your FREE online wedding planner now!

Today, we are talking all about sustainability and your wedding day. 🍃 Often, it is the last thing on your mind when planning the day of their dreams, but weddings can be carbon intensive and create lots of waste. Simply being aware of that helps you to consider the environment and sustainability when planning your wedding day, thus making your big day more eco-friendly or sustainable. So, for this episode, Nikita is joined by Michelle Miles from the Sustainable Wedding Alliance (SWA). They discuss top tips to make your wedding day more sustainable, easy ways to reduce waste, making eco-friendly wedding decisions and even things you can do after your wedding to Carbon Offset the day. ☀️

Guides for Brides has been an industry leader for over 25 years. Bringing together the best venues and suppliers, in one easy-to-find place. Use our free online planning tools and wedding directory to take the stress out of wedding planning! 💍

Give us a follow on Social Media 👇

In this episode, Nikita is talking to the fabulous Tim and Lizzie from Boujee Music. As a wedding music agency, they know everything about planning, choosing and the logistics of live wedding music on a wedding day. They talk all about the Dos and Don’ts of having live music for your big day. From when to have the music throughout the day, to what style of music is right for you and the atmosphere of that particular moment, they cover it all!

Guides for Brides has been an industry leader for over 25 years. Bringing together the best venues and suppliers, in one easy-to-find place. Use our free online planning tools and wedding directory to take the stress out of wedding planning! 💍

Give us a follow on Social Media 👇

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/guidesforbrides/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/guidesforbrides

Twitter https://twitter.com/guidesforbrides

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@guidesforbrides

Head over to Guides for Brides to create your FREE online wedding planner now!

https://www.guidesforbrides.co.uk/planner

Boujee Music provide wedding music services across the UK and beyond. Check out Boujee Music on GfB. 

With lots of talk in the media recently about whether as a feminist you can take your husbands name once married, we thought we’d ask someone who helps people change their names for a living! In today’s episode of Guides for Brides - The Wedding Podcast, Nikita is joined by Cecile from NameSwitch. They go through their takes on the big question, as well as many other common queries of a similar nature. They also walk through the options you have when it comes to your married name; including double-barrelling and even blending names together to create something completely new.

Guides for Brides has been an industry leader for over 25 years. Bringing together the best venues and suppliers, in one easy-to-find place. Use our free online planning tools and wedding directory to take the stress out of wedding planning! 💍

Give us a follow on Social Media 👇

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/guidesforbrides/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/guidesforbrides

Twitter https://twitter.com/guidesforbrides

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@guidesforbrides

Head over to Guides for Brides to create your FREE online wedding planner now!

https://www.guidesforbrides.co.uk/planner

Let NameSwitch help you change your name:

We all want the special moments of our big day captured forever. It’s a priority for so many couples when they are planning their wedding. But how do you feel comfortable in front of the camera when you’re a bit shy or not used to being the centre of attention? Well, we have the podcast episode for you! Today, Nikita is joined by a panel of award winning wedding photographers Sam and Steve Vaughan, Laura Shaw and David Bostock. They talk pre-wedding photoshoots, boudoir photography and their top tips for being comfortable with your photographer and in front of the camera on your wedding day.

Guides for Brides has been an industry leader for over 25 years. Bringing together the best venues and suppliers, in one easy-to-find place. Use our free online planning tools and wedding directory to take the stress out of wedding planning! 💍

Give us a follow on Social Media 👇

In this episode of Guides for Brides - The Wedding Podcast, Nikita gives all of her top tips and tricks when it comes to setting a budget and managing your wedding spend.

In this episode of Guides for Brides - The Wedding Podcast, we get into an excellent discussion with Jennifer Patrice about how choosing a celebrant is a great way to ensure your ceremony is memorable for you and your guests.

Having your wedding ceremony be unique to you is what every couple strives for. Celebrants are able to inject a bit of fun and emotion into the day, that gives couples a ceremony that isn't cookie cutter. The restrictions of a traditional and classic wedding are removed, allowing for complete creative freedom when it comes to planning the perfect ceremony.

Jennifer explains the importance of telling the couple's love story and how crucial it is for couples to do thorough research into their future celebrant so their journey is portrayed in the way they have always envisioned.

Topics such as LGBTQ+ and fusion weddings are discussed.

Currently (May 2022), independent celebrants are unable to perform legally binding wedding ceremonies in England and Wales but there may be change on the horizon with the Law Commission's review of marriage laws which is hoped to bring the rules in line with Scotland and Northern Ireland. The review is due in July 2022.

In this episode of Guides for Brides – The Wedding Podcast, Nikita and Amelia are joined by Colette from CJ Beauty & Co to reveal some expert secrets for bridal beauty. The episode includes hair and makeup hacks, tips on how to choose beauty suppliers for your big day, and advice on booking them in plenty of time!

What’s discussed in this episode?

It’s important to get bridal beauty right. After all, getting your hair and makeup spot-on for your big day can really make your whole look pop! There’s a lot to think about, from making sure that your hair works with your veil, to picking the makeup style which helps you to look and feel your absolute best.

Colette has tips on how to make those key decisions, as well as advice on hair and makeup trials, how to choose your beauty suppliers, and when you need to book them by. Plus, she also reveals some top-secret expert tips which will help you in your day-to-day beauty regimen!

Related articles and links for this episode

In this episode of Guides for Brides – The Wedding Podcast, Nikita and Amelia are joined by Cecile from NameSwitch to run through all the options when it comes to choosing your married name. There are also helpful tips on how to get your documents changed, what to do if you’re feeling overwhelmed about changing your name, as well as an exclusive offer for Guides for Brides’ podcast listeners!

What’s discussed in this episode?

Choosing your married name might seem as simple as the traditional switch from ‘Miss’ to ‘Mrs’, but there’s a lot more to it than that! In this episode, Cecile takes us through the many options available to both brides and grooms when it comes to picking a married name.

Whether you’re looking for something more modern, something a bit different or something which sticks to traditions, there are lots of different choices when it comes to picking your new name! Cecile also gives us some useful advice on making sure all your important documents are changed, what to do if switching your name feels like it’s too much work, as well as how to manage both a personal and a professional identity.

Can NameSwitch help me change to my married name?

In this episode of Guides for Brides – The Wedding Podcast, Nikita and Amelia are joined by husband and wife team, Sam and Steve Photography, to discuss everything you need to know about finding and choosing your wedding photographer.

What’s discussed in this episode?

Finding and booking a wedding photographer is an important part of your big day. After all, you want to be able to look at those photos with a smile for the rest of your life! So, how can you make sure you choose the right photographer?

We asked Sam and Steve, a husband and wife team whose expertise in wedding photography comes from more than a decade of covering celebrations of all sizes and styles. They've also won two Guides for Brides Customer Service Awards, including one at our most recent ceremony in April 2021. Full of fascinating insights and funny stories, this episode will guide you through the different styles of wedding photography, when to make your booking, and features top tips on how to choose the right photographer for your special day.

In this episode of Guides for Brides – The Wedding Podcast, Nikita and Amelia discuss wedding music, the options you have available to you and trigger your wedding song inspiration.

What’s discussed in this episode?

In this episode, Nikita and Amelia run through 5 common queries we get about wedding music. They discuss budgeting for wedding music, how to choose what you will have at each moment of your wedding day and finding the right DJ / band or musician.

To give you some inspiration and help trigger your thoughts on the kind of music you want for each part of the wedding, they also pulled some song ideas and suggestions that are ideal for each moment of the day, from ceremony to the first dance.

Related articles and links for this episode

In this episode of Guides for Brides - The Wedding Podcast, Nikita and Amelia are joined by Heidi Ellert from Speechy to discuss writing and delivering the perfect wedding speech.

What’s discussed in this episode?

We can all recall wedding speeches, the good ones, bad ones, and the awkward ones particularly stick in your mind. So, to help you avoid writing and delivering a bad (or awkward) wedding speech, we asked the experts. 

Heidi and the team at Speechy are expert comedy writers. Between them, they’ve ghostwritten for some household names of comedy, directed shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, and written for some of your favourite comedy shows on BBC, Channel 4, and Sky. It’s safe to say, they know their comedy and wedding speeches are known for their comedic elements.

This episode is full to the brim with tips for writing and delivering great wedding speeches, from comedy tips to wedding speech etiquette and advice for giving your speech. So, if you are writing a wedding speech for your own wedding or a loved one’s, this is a great episode for you to listen to.

Related articles and links for this episode

In this episode of Guides for Brides - The Wedding Podcast, Nikita and Amelia are discussing a hotly requested topic: Bridesmaids. Specifically, how to solve bridesmaid dilemmas.

What’s covered in this podcast episode?

Nikita and Amelia look at effective ways to manage your team of bridesmaids and how to resolve the common dilemmas and disagreements that may arise during the planning process.

They also look at ways that you can manage your bridesmaids’ expectations when it comes to finances and their responsibilities within the bridal party and avoid any conflicts and issues that may come up.

This episode was based on our Bridesmaid Survival Guide which is designed for couples to give to their Bridesmaids to avoid conflict and help them to support you as effectively as possible.

Related articles and links for this episode

Nikita and Amelia are joined by Beaulieu-Taylor Harris to discuss wedding celebrants and celebrant-led ceremonies.

What’s covered in this podcast episode?

In this episode of Guides for Brides – The Wedding Podcast, Nikita and Amelia are joined by Beaulieu of Beautifully Taylored Ceremonies to discuss wedding celebrants and celebrant-led ceremonies. 

A celebrant is a professionally trained officiant who performs formal ceremonies such as weddings (or funerals or naming ceremonies). Their ceremonies are tailored to their clients wants and needs and can be totally personal to you as a couple.

As a celebrant herself, Beaulieu covers the different options couples have when it comes to planning their ceremony along with discussing how a celebrant can be the couple’s perfect choice for lots of different situations. 

Beaulieu also gives couples considering a celebrant-led ceremony her tips for planning their ceremony, their mini-ceremonies and how to work with your celebrant to create the perfect wedding service for you and your partner.

Related articles and links for this episode

In this episode of Guides for Brides – The Wedding Podcast, Amelia and Nikita bust the myths about wedding gift lists.

What’s covered in this podcast episode?

This episode of Guides for Brides – The Wedding Podcast was inspired by a question from one of our listeners. Nikita and Amelia discuss wedding gift lists, identify common myths about them and answer some of your questions.

Using results from one of our Instagram ‘Friday Thoughts’ sessions, Nikita and Amelia look at some of the responses and polls from our followers, understanding your views on wedding gift lists. They then bust some of the common myths about gift lists and discuss the benefits of having one.

In this episode of Guides for Brides - The Wedding Podcast, Amelia and Nikita are joined by Fran from Farnham Castle to discuss historical wedding venues.

What’s covered in this podcast episode?

This episode is the first in our new season of Guides for Brides - The Wedding Podcast. In this new season, we will be having more focused discussions and are beginning with a focus on Historic Wedding Venues.

Maybe you are considering a historic wedding venue for your special day or maybe you aren’t sure about where you’ll tie the knot. If you are starting to research and consider wedding venues, this episode is for you.

Historic wedding venues come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, styles and ages. Nikita, Amelia and expert guest, Fran, discuss historic wedding venues, whether you need to be a lover of history to choose one and what identifies a venue as historic. They also discuss the most common questions and preconceptions couples may have about a historic wedding venue.

Related articles and links for this episode

In this episode of Guides for Brides - The Wedding Podcast, Nikita and Amelia discuss wedding stationery and look at the key elements that you’ll want to consider for before, on and after the wedding when you are choosing your wedding stationery suite.

There are just so many options out there and while we do focus on the more traditional, physical stationery, we do give a nod to the digital options you can choose from where it’s relevant. 

By the end of this episode, you’ll be ready to start researching and choosing your wedding stationery and know where it fits into your wedding timeline. You'll know what information you should include on a wedding invitation and you’ll also feel ready to speak to a professional stationer about your wants and needs when it comes to this element of your wedding.

Related articles and links for this episode

In this episode of Guides for Brides – The Wedding Podcast, Nikita and Amelia are joined by the wonderful Ellie Sanderson to discuss the basics of shopping for your bridal wear along with an insight into the new world of virtual bridal appointments.

What’s covered in this podcast episode?

In this episode, Nikita, Amelia and Ellie Sanderson discuss all the basics of shopping for your wedding attire. From where to start with your research, to how to know which bridal store is right for you and the appointment itself. They also discuss top tips for preparing for your bridal wear appointment, along with what to expect from an appointment in person and virtually.

By the end of this episode, you’ll be ready to book your bridal wear appointment, whether it will go ahead virtually or in person. You’ll also know how to prepare for your appointment and all the research you should do before you start shopping.

In this episode of Guides for Brides - The Wedding Podcast, Nikita and Amelia discuss a general timeline of planning a wedding and advise on how you can plan out your planning. They also cover the key suppliers you will likely need for your wedding and when is best to book them.

What’s covered in this podcast episode?

We look at the key suppliers that you’ll need to consider for your wedding, along with a general wedding planning timeline and how you and your partner can effectively work out what you need to do and when. If you’re struggling to know who to book and when, and wanting to be more organised with your wedding planning to keep up with key tasks effectively. This episode is for you!

By the end of this episode, you and your partner will feel confident about planning out your wedding planning, no matter what timeline you are working with. You’ll also be ready to consider your key wedding suppliers and have a good understanding of when you should book them.

Related articles and links for this episode

In this episode of Guides for Brides - The Wedding Podcast, Nikita and Amelia are joined by the wonderful wedding venue owner, Samantha Wordie-Gilchrist. Together, they discuss everything you need to do, know and consider when searching for and booking your wedding venue.

What’s covered in this podcast episode?

Finding and booking your wedding venue is the most important task in your initial planning stages. A lot of your future wedding decisions and supplier bookings will rely on you securing your venue and subsequently, confirming the wedding date. Nikita, Amelia and Sam discuss the process of booking your wedding venue and everything you need to do and think about during the process.

As always, this episode is filled with lots of detail, so, to help you with your venue search, we have created a downloadable checklist to help you ensure you don’t miss something important. 

In this episode of Guides for Brides - The Wedding Podcast, Nikita and Amelia discuss the wedding guest list, along with how and when to approach it.

What’s covered in this podcast episode?

It’s one of the most important wedding admin (or wedmin) tasks to get sorted early on in your planning. Having at least an approximate understanding of who you will invite to your big day is key to knowing what you need from a venue or supplier and will help ensure you get accurate quotes.

This episode is filled with lots of detail, so here’s a quick run-down on what was covered:

• Writing the big list and how to approach it
• Working out your budget per head for venue and catering
• Prioritising the guests on the big list
• The A-list, B-list and C-list
• What to do when you’ve found your venue
• When and how to make a decision on who will be invited
• Do you invite children to your wedding?
• What to do when you want to invite someone on a whim

By the end of listening to this episode, you’ll know why it’s so important to get your guest list written up early on in your wedding planning. You’ll feel confident about writing your guest list and ready to tackle it!

Related articles and links for this episode:

Congratulations to all you newly engaged couples out there! In this very first episode of Guides for Brides - The Wedding Podcast, Nikita and Amelia discuss what you need to know and do when you first get engaged, from telling your family members to what you’ll need to consider first in your initial wedding planning stages.

What's covered in this episode?

This episode covers the initial moments of being engaged and planning a wedding and how to approach them. We discuss:

• Enjoying your engagement bubble and the celebrations that follow
• Key considerations and decisions you and your partner should discuss before your wedding planning starts
• When, where and how to start planning your wedding
• Tasks that need to get ticked off your list in your first months of wedding planning
• Where to find inspiration (links below for this too)

After listening to this episode and our discussions, we hope that couples will feel prepared to start planning and more confident about where to start. This is one of life's major events, so we hope you will find this episode useful, especially if you've never planned or assisted someone in planning a wedding before!

Where can I find inspiration?

As mentioned in the podcast, there are lots of places you can go to find inspiration for your wedding. Here are some places we discussed:

In the second episode of Guides for Brides - The Wedding Podcast, Nikita and Amelia discuss a difficult, but important, wedding decision - who is going to be in your wedding party?

What is covered in this podcast episode?

We run through who we consider to be in the wedding party, how to choose those key roles, how to manage those people’s expectations of their role and avoid upsetting those who can’t be in the wedding party. 

During our discussion, we defined the wedding party as those who have a key role in your wedding. This includes those who have a specific job and potentially an additional cost (both time and money).

Key roles discussed include:

• The wedding couple
• Both of your parents
• The person walking you down the aisle
• The groomsmen / bridesmaids
• Ushers
• Any children who will have some involvement in your wedding

By the end of this episode, you will know what your key considerations are when it comes to choosing your bridesmaids, groomsmen, people of honour and others who are involved in your wedding. You'll also learn how to approach the idea of children being involved in your big day and deal with the disappointment of those who potentially can't get as involved as they may have hoped to. We provide you with some great ideas for asking people to be in your wedding along with knowing how to manage the expectations of those involved.

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