We’ve covered a few aspects of planning your wedding in the previous article (Planning your Wedding - Part 1) – it addressed most of the arrangements that you should get out of the way first when starting out your wedding planning. In Part 2 we cover the rest of your to-do list.

Research and planning
With all the research tools at hand, the wedding world is your oyster! It’s now possible to visit a site like The Wedding Directory and get all the information you need in the comfort of your home. Not only does this directory offer valuable advice on different wedding topics, it is packed with bright ideas that can make your wedding unique. Get your man involved and visit bridal fairs in your area – this will get both of you excited about what’s to come and flood your mind with different ideas and options. In addition to this you can purchase some bridal magazines or get some from friends who have walked this bridal road already.

The Bridal Party
The wedding party consists of the maid/matron of honour, bridesmaids, best man, groomsmen, flower girls and pageboys. Choosing the right people will always be a sensitive matter and there will most likely always be someone that’s not happy with the arrangements - sit down and think who you want this honour to go to and once you have peace with your decisions, leave it at that. The size of your wedding as well as your personal taste will determine the size of the wedding party (bigger weddings lend themselves to bigger bridal parties, etc.).

Flowers
Flowers add to the atmosphere and there is just no end to what you can achieve with these little gifts from nature. If you have a flair for flower arranging, do you own flowers. If you find yourself in my position (slightly handicapped when it comes to flower arranging), hand it over to the professionals and get on with life. They can create whatever you can think up, whether it’s for the church and pews, your bouquet, the reception etc. There are so many original ideas when it comes to flowers, you just need to do your homework.

Wedding Music
Music has a way of bringing up memories and by choosing your wedding music you have a chance to create memories that the two of you can cherish forever. Choose a DJ or wedding musician with good references as your wedding music can make or break your reception party. Set up an interview with the DJ and go through the contract. Remember to check whether he is flexible and prepared to stay on if the wedding is in full swing by the time he’s supposed to pack up.

Kitchen Tea / Hens Night / Pamper parties
You have a choice of one of the above and it should be organised by your bridesmaids or maid of honour. The kitchen tea of yesteryear is old, so please do away with the boring guess-what-the gifts-are-and-get-a-forfeit-when-you’re-wrong game - this is pure punishment for your guests. Leave the gifts with the bride-to-be (like you would do at a wedding) and enjoy the get together. With the pamper party there are many options - get creative and organise something fun that involves loads of pampering (a girl’s second best friend) like a pyjama party or organise for a spa to come to your house for a home treatment. When all else fails, hire some entertainment.

Transport
Seeing that you are probably putting this whole wedding together by yourself, it’s just fair to hand some responsibility over to the love of your life. The size of the wedding party will determine your choice of transport. Your options vary from a limousine or vintage cars to a horse-drawn carriage, a motorcycle with a sidecar, a boat or anything you can think up that fits in with your theme. Book your transport about 6 months in advance.

Nitty Gritties
The Wedding Fairy designed this category just to keep things balanced – no bride can live on excitement alone! Although it’s your day, it’s important to be flexible and pay respect where it’s due. When doing research, try and put together seating arrangements that will leave everyone involved happy. Other questions to keep in mind: Who will fulfil the roll of MC and what will his duties be (be specific)? Will both the bride and groom speech? Who will pay for the bridesmaids dresses, hair, make-up, manicures etc.? By giving attention to the small details, you indirectly prepare for a smooth wedding day.

Honeymoon
The cherry on top. This is absolutely the best part of planning a wedding – a journey that symbolizes the start of a new and exciting life together. There are so many choices when it comes to honeymoon destinations, it’s best to start at the beginning: What is your budget and your dream location/s. Will your trip be international or local? How long can you afford to go away for? Would you have one destination or a combination (one week at a beach resort and 1 week at a lodge or mountain cabin, for example)? Will you be planning your trip by yourselves or go through a travel agent that can suggest packages and specials that you might not be aware of? Whatever your decision, I can assure you that you’ll come back saturated in love, ready to take on your new life together as Mr and Mrs.

Favours
If you’re on a tight budget you might want to create your own favours (with the help of your bridesmaids or family) or leave it altogether as these gifts are not a must-have. With weddings where finances are not an issue, you might want to get in touch with someone that does this professionally. What favour to present may be a challenge – you need a small gift that fits in with your theme and suits your budget (without looking tacky or like a last minute add-on).

With your to-do list items ticked-off, all that is left is for you to sit back and daydream…

As I’m walking down the aisle, family and friends stare at me in disbelief… ”Oh, what a breathtakingly beautiful bride”, they whisper all teary-eyed. And then I saw him and time stood still. How I love him! And in this moment I knew that I wouldn’t have this any other way – this was orchestrated way before our time. Meant to be.