Admin, Author at The Wedding Man

What is the average cost of a wedding photographer – a brief guide to UK wedding photography pricing in 2022

Wedding photography When planning and budgeting for your wedding day, you will undoubtedly have several competing costs and services to consider. These will include everything from the venue to flowers, catering, photography, dresses and suits, to rings, entertainment and much more. How much you spend on these will depend on your individual priorities as a couple. However, the single most expensive items often tend to be the venue, catering, and the wedding photographer. The venue and catering obviously speak for themselves as an integral part of the day. But the wedding photographer? Capturing the moments from your wedding day by an experienced, professional photographer are usually seen as a worthy investment by most couples. The pictures will last you a lifetime, and of course there will be no second chances to capture the memories from your wedding day. The average cost of weddings According to Hitched.co.uk, from surveying 2,000 couples who got married in 2021; the average cost of a wedding in the UK in 2021 was £17,300 (not including the cost of the honeymoon). Of this, couples spent an average of £1200 on the wedding photography. Conversely, in the USA. From a study of 15,000 couples across the country The Knot identified the average cost of a wedding as $28,000. They identified the average cost of a wedding photographer as $2,500. In both studies, variation on prices and spend was highlighted according to the location. But as you can see, both surveys suggest that to provide the lasting memento from the day, couples are willing to invest a significant proportion of their wedding spend on photographer. This is reflected by the average wedding photography pricing. What is the average cost of a wedding photographer? Most experts will recommend that you spend between 5-10% of your wedding budget on the wedding photographer. If your wedding photography is less of a priority you may lean on the lower side of this ratio (5%). Or on the higher side of 10% or more if you want to ensure a high quality and premium service for your wedding. However, it is important to highlight that no matter your budget, you are likely to be able to find a wedding photographer to capture your memories of the day. Some couples may choose to keep costs down and ask a friend or relative to take the photos for you. Personally, we wouldn’t recommend this option to most couples. Despite a few savings – remember there will be no second chances to retake the photographs from your wedding day. For most, this is an integral part of their wedding experience and future memories. In the UK, according to Your Perfect Wedding Photographer; the cheapest region for wedding photographers is the north east where the average full day starting package is £1,100. The most expensive is in the south west where a similar package would cost £1,700. As you would expect, wedding photographers from London would also be above the national average. According to their survey, overall, the average cost for a wedding photographer was £1,590 – higher than the £1,200 spend identified by Hitched. Pricing for wedding photography As demonstrated by the discrepancies from the two industry sources above, identifying an average price for a wedding photographer is not a straightforward task. There are several variables in wedding photography pricing that will impact the cost. These include the location, the photographers experience, whether you have a ‘second shooter’, the number of final photos and the length of time you are booking the service for. There will also be variation in additional features depending on your photographer and package, such as a pre wedding shoot, albums, and prints. All of these will affect the price. Many wedding photographers will therefore offer a choice of basic, mid-range or premium packages that take into consideration the factors above. It is important to remember that there are also several hidden costs for a wedding photographer including postproduction, admin, marketing, insurance, travel and investment in equipment. Factors that will affect your wedding photography pricing will include: What are your options? You may be able to find a budget photographer for less than £500 who may be starting out in the industry and have less experience. This is not to say that you won’t be able to find a talented photographer in this area. However, in this bracket they are less likely to have invested in equipment (so may not have the backup if there are issues with equipment or challenges with the weather conditions.) You are also less likely to get additional features with your package. On the other end of the scale, a premium photographer costing £2,000 plus is likely to have a wealth of experience. They will have invested heavily in having a range of equipment to cover all eventualities and should offer several additional features such as a pre wedding shoot with the highest level of service and products. As a broad ballpark figure, wedding photographers will charge around £150 per hour. For an experienced photographer we would advise budgeting between £1,000-1500 or slightly more depending on your wedding location and desired features. For this price, you should expect to have great service and peace of mind that your photographer will provide beautiful pictures of your day. This should include a full day’s coverage with 3-400 fully edited watermark free images on a USB stick. For £1500-2,000 you should also expect a pre wedding shoot at a minimum. This will allow you time to meet and relax with the photographer properly. This price bracket may include more edited images, copyright for the images and a bespoke album. As with many things in life, with wedding photographers you really do get you what you pay for. Do your research and speak to several photographers before booking to see what they charge and what’s included. Bear in mind that cost is not the only factor to consider. You should also ensure you choose a photographer that you like (you

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Who should you invite to your wedding – a brief guide to your wedding guest list

So by now you’re knee deep in wedding plans. The venues been booked and you’ve got one eye on your wedding catering options and costs. Regular daydreaming of your honeymoon destination may have began and you are already getting nervous that your original budget is looking somewhat on the optimistic side. Now it’s time to decide the wedding guest list. Amongst all this planning in the eye of the wedding storm, you must decide who will actually join on the big day. In other words, who are you going to invite on your wedding guest list? Who are you going to add to your wedding guest list? Now it’s time to get down to business. This should be easy right? Make a budget, determine how many guests you can afford to come – or your venue can accommodate – send out the invites and bosh, you’re all done. Not so fast there senor and senorita. If you’re both on the same page this can be easy, however there’s a good chance this can become an all mighty tug of war between you both. Your parents may get involved with their own invitees, your best pal wants to bring the girl he met on Tinder just last week, and your cousins ten hyperactive kids are waiting in line to chow down on the sweet table whilst costing the earth to feed. Deep breaths now. Let’s go through this one step at a time. With our 5 handy guest list tips you’ll be through this in no time. 1 – What is your budget and venue capacity First things first. Let’s cast our mind back to the budget and the venue. Ask yourself the following three questions: Are there any restrictions on numbers at the church or venue? What is your budget for catering, bearing in mind the other outgoings for the day? How many guests would you like to attend your day celebrations? (Make a rough list) Next up, if you haven’t already done so – speak to your venue or caterers and get an estimate of your catering costs on a cost per head basis (this will become a familiar term in your wedding journey.) If you’re opting for a traditional drinks reception and three course meal; with prices ranging from £30-£100 a head or more (this can vary immensely depending on what type of venue/catering you opt for), you can see how guest numbers can make a huge difference to costs. Catering is up there as one of the most expensive items of the day (unless you are cunning and choose one of our cheaper alternative catering ideas) so numbers here will be important. You may be a popular couple and have hundreds of guests you would like to invite, but sadly you are likely to face limitations on your budget here. One sage piece of advice to consider: is it better to have fewer better fed and watered guests to enjoy your day, or more guests that you will have to treat more sparingly. Many guests will likely opt for the former. 2 – Your wedding guest list – three events in one day When it comes to your wedding day, bear in mind that the ceremony and reception are essentially two separate events. These will also be distinctly different from the third part of the day which are your evening celebrations. The reception usually follows on straight from the ceremony. However if you are having a ceremony in a small church and your venue is larger; you invite your most important guests to the nuptials. You can then invite your nearest and dearest, plus the other important guests to the reception (I.e. the more fun bit.) This will roll through the afternoon with drinks, your wedding meal (the wedding breakfast) and into your evening celebrations. Your evening reception offers another opportunity to invite more guests for the party aspect of the day in. This is after all the formal parts of the day are complete, and everyone can let their hair down. Your extra guests here may include work colleagues, plus ones you are less familiar with, and perhaps older or wider friends groups. There is less pressure here on capacity numbers and catering costs, however you may still wish to consider these guests in your evening catering numbers (but that’s up to you.) Bear in mind however, that having extra guests for the evening will of course depend on the location and accessibility of the venue. Guests to the evening event are less likely to make a long journey for this aspect – as opposed to guests there for the whole day who will travel from far and wide to be part of the celebrations. 3 – Make a list – or multiple lists – of people to add to your wedding guest list This is the time to break it down (and I’m not talking about break dancing, at least not yet anyway). Sit down with your other half. Between you, write down three categories for your wedding guest list including the guest ‘must haves’, ‘like to haves’ and ‘could haves.’ The ‘must haves’ are your mandatory guests consisting of your nearest and closest friends and relatives. These are the ones you can’t imagine getting married without. The second category is the ‘like to haves’ – these include your wider circle of good friends and the relatives outside of your immediate family (think cousins, uncles, aunties etc). Finally there are the ‘could haves.’ These are the seat fillers that make up the rest of your available spaces. Ironically, these are probably the ones that will require a disproportionate amount of thought and may consist of friends from work, family friends of your parents, more obscure relatives etc. These are the people you don’t see as often and quite frankly wouldn’t be too disappointed if they aren’t available to come to your day celebrations. For everyone else – providing you aren’t getting married abroad or too far away –

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What does the best man do – the ultimate best man duties checklist for the wedding

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Congratulations, you’ve been chosen to be the best man. Make no mistake, this is a major honour that sets you ahead of the rest as one of the most important members of the wedding day. You will be Robin to the grooms Batman, a shoulder to lean on in the build-up to the big day and a whole lot more. Importantly; as the groom’s right-hand man, your delivery of best man duties for the wedding should aim to go above and beyond expectations. But never fear, with our ultimate best man duties checklist you will hit the ground running with all bases firmly covered. But what are the best man duties? Read on as we break down exactly what being a best man entails. What does the best man do – your expected duties As the best man, you will be expected to be a person to rely on in the build up to the big day. Cool headed, pragmatic and someone with a helpful word to offer in the fraught and often stressful times that can lead up to a wedding. Once you have been officially appointed to your role, one of your first major tasks will be to co-ordinate the stag do. This will involve researching and identifying an appropriate location and activities that the groom will love. You will then need to co-ordinate family and friends old and new to attend. A man of action, on the wedding day your best man duties will include helping to co-ordinate the groomsman, greeting guests and most importantly delivering an awesome and fitting best man speech to send your best friend into married life in (slightly bruised) style. This role is not to be understated; you will be responsible for delivering possibly the most important speech of the three main speakers on the day. Who is usually chosen as the best man at a wedding – finding your wingman The best man is usually a close friend or male relative of the groom. This could be the groom’s best friend from school, university or college, long time best bud, dad, or brother. The role comes with a lot of responsibility and demands that will require several key skills. The best man should be a good communicator, organiser, adviser, and man of the world. The perfect best man will embody all these traits and more. If you are the groom, consider your choice wisely. As the main man, ensure your best man is a suitable match to deliver an epic stag do and speech that will truly do you justice. Still not decided? See our full guide to choosing a great best man here. Can there be two best men at a wedding? This is the 21st century gentleman, which pretty much means you can do whatever you like! Of course, you can. Two best men are quite common at weddings, and sometimes even three get called to do the best man duties. By employing two skill sets it will help to play to their individual strengths and split the workload through the organisation stages. Pulling together an unruly crowd of stags can cause fatigue in even the most energetic of organisers! Then when it comes to the speeches, you have two friends to work together and deliver something special. Whether its one, two or three best men; our best man duties checklist will guide you through the important tasks to get the most out of the wedding day. What does it mean to be the best man? It means sir, you have been chosen as the cream of the crop to assist your best friend with one of the most memorable and significant days of their lives. It’s a true honour to be asked, and something as a man you will be able to tick off your life bucket list. Take the job seriously. Pay attention to the best man duties checklist and plan ahead to fulfil your duties with style. Best man duties for the wedding day Being the best man involves several duties and responsibilities. It will be up to the bride and groom how they delegate duties in the build up and on the day. Most commonly you will be expected to organise an epic stag do, help with preparation duties such as collecting and returning suits etc, delivering a fantastic speech and looking after the rings as a minimum. For a more thorough breakdown, see our list below: The ultimate best man duties checklist What are the best man duties? These are some of the best man tasks that may be required of you: Planning the stag do Write and deliver a fantastic best man’s speech Look after the wedding rings Help with the collection and return of the wedding suits Assist with greeting the wedding guests Organise the wedding cars Be the point of contact to co-ordinate the ushers/groomsman on the day Co-ordinate a gift to the groom from the best man and groomsman Spend the night before the wedding with the groom Help the groom to get ready on the wedding day Help to co-ordinate the guests for group photos Deliver key announcements such as the first dance and cutting of the cake (in the absence of a master of ceremonies or toastmaster) Sign the wedding registration as a witness (if required) Assist in the setup of the venue and collection/return of items Key responsibilities – read on as we break down a few of the key responsibilities further: Planning a stag do This is often the jewel in the crown of the best man duties. Organising the stag do is one of the main responsibilities of the best man. You will need to chat to the groom to gather ideas of where and when they’d like to go, and what sort of activities he would like to do when you get there. Some of this you will take upon yourself, but make sure you have a good idea of the grooms’ tastes

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The best man speech – 11 steps to effortlessly write a great best man’s speech in less than 24 hours

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Congratulations, you’ve been picked to be best man! But what does the best man actually do, how do you structure a best man speech and what should you include? Hold on tight gentleman and read our top tips on writing the ultimate best man’s speech to cement your legendary status to the other guests. Setting the scene So picture this. Your best mates wedding is closing in and you’ve been asked to be best man. You’ve already organised an epic stag do. Now the big day is approaching and it’s time to think about writing the best mans speech. Congratulations and good luck. The best man speech is often the highlight of the three main speeches (father of the bride, groom and then best man.) Whilst the others will feature a degree of comedy, they are largely devoted to the bride and history of the couple. The best man speech however needs to be funny, entertaining, and worthy of your best pal. All eyes will be on you to deliver a good one that is fitting of the groom to send him into married life in style. But don’t stress, with our top tips on how to write your best man speech you’ll breeze through it. Hold tight and get that pen and paper at the ready! 1. Write down initial ideas of what to say First up try and get some ideas down on paper of things that stand out about the groom and/or your relationship to each other. Are there any particular stories that stand out about the groom and are worthy of the best man speech? Consider how long you’ve known each other, the background to your relationship and whether there are any major (or funny) slip ups he’s made over the years. How has he changed since he met the bride (keep this positive with a mention of how he’s punching above his weight!). Draft some ideas that you think will be promising. This will act as a framework to tie your speech around. Think about how you will structure the best man speech working from your introduction (and ice breaker), through to the main anecdotes and stories, serious heartfelt points (if any!), toasts, and then finally how you will close the speech. Do a read through, check the timings and how it flows then tweak as you see fit. If you have a trustworthy partner or friend, take advantage, and use them as a sounding board for your ideas. They will be your reference to determine if they work well or are inappropriate. When planning your main content, don’t forget to consult other friends and relatives for great stories and anecdotes about the groom that you could include. 2. Consider the audience So you want to give the groom a good ribbing, but is that story about Amsterdam, the stag do or the festival and the nefarious activities you got up to fitting? Consider the bride and grooms parents and close family will be there. Bear in mind the whole audience for the best man speech and determine your stories and jokes appropriately. Think more PG-13 than X-rated. Don’t kill all the fun from your speech but judge the content wisely so the audience don’t become too uncomfortable. Remember to never reference previous girlfriends/relationships of the groom or over emphasise if he has had a lot of luck with the ladies previously (no bride wants to hear too much about his previous girlfriends.) But if he hasn’t go for it – in a nice way (and not too crude way of course)! Your best man speech hasn’t got to be a laugh a minute, and don’t let the groom off, but ride that knife edge wisely. The key to a good best man’s speech is to teeter close to the edge of acceptable mick taking without falling off it. Think a punch in the arm, rather than a karate kick to the face. You’ve got this! 3. Research If you are adept at writing speeches or speaking to a crowd, then you may be quite comfortable coming up with a suitable best man speech straight off the bat. On the other hand, if you’re struggling or need some inspiration, do your research online for some introductory best man jokes and structure for the best man speech. Be careful not to copy too much from what you find online however. We have attended weddings and heard the same icebreakers and jokes on 2 or 3 consecutive occasions. This is an easy way to undermine the integrity of your speech. Used sparingly, a few key one liners and jokes taken from the web can be useful as good icebreakers to work into the speech or to bookend the start and finish. These can be a handy addition to a funny and entertaining best man’s speech. 4. Speak to the room and make eye contact Don’t be the best man that has his eyes pinned down to a crumpled sheet of A4 for the whole speech mumbling his way through. This won’t do yourself or the groom justice. Unless you have experience in public speaking it will undoubtedly be nerve wracking (fingers crossed the wedding speeches are before the food so you can enjoy it!) Methods of reducing anxiety can be to familiarise yourself with the venue (this could be worth a timely visit beforehand.) Practise reading and performing it all the way through and be confident. Again, take advantage of your confidant here. Most importantly, remember to speak slowly and clearly. Leave pauses at the right times for laughter and enjoy your moment in the limelight. Once the best man speech is complete, you are home free! Check out these tips to improve your public speaking. 5. Practice makes perfect Following on from above, sometimes aspects of a speech or public performance will look great on paper but when read out loud don’t flow properly. Sentences might be too long. There might not be sufficient pauses, or your main points

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Your essential guide to wedding speeches – who does them and in what order

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Traditionally wedding speeches play a huge role in the wedding day. These are usually looked forward to with great anticipation by the guests, whilst potentially filling the designated speakers with dread! If you are starting to think about the wedding speeches and wondering who does wedding speeches and in what order we’re here to help. Wedding speeches in order There are traditionally three main speakers. The order of the key wedding speeches is as follows: Father of the bride Groom Best man In recent years, some couples have moved away from traditional formats, and there are no hard and fast rules as to who does wedding speeches. You may choose to take a more relaxed or unusual format. Additional speakers may also include the bride, bridesmaid/maid of honour or other important guests. It’s your day, so you can tweak the order of the wedding speeches and who does wedding speeches to reflect you as a couple. If you are one of the lucky guests giving a speech, planning ahead and knowing the do’s and don’ts of your wedding speech will make your life considerably less stressful in the run up to the big day. Who manages the wedding speeches on the day? To facilitate the speeches smoothly and efficiently and to avoid any messy gaps, there are a few options for your wedding day. You may wish to appoint a trusted and appropriate guest to manage the introduction and announcement of the wedding speeches. Ensure that the appointee is confident in public speaking or has had experience in such a role previously. This will help smooth the transition between speeches considerably. Alternatively, depending on your venue, there may be a representative who manages this for you. You may also consider employing a master of ceremonies (MC) for the day. An MC will ensure timings run smoothly and run to plan throughout your day. They will also offer some flair to proceedings. Finally, ensure all speech makers know the order and are familiar with the plan beforehand. This will help to avoid any untimely toilet breaks and awkward handovers! Who does the wedding speeches and what should they include? Father of the bride The father of the bride would traditionally give the first speech as in days gone by, they would usually be the ones to host the wedding. Wedding speeches in order: First Key points: Welcomes the guests and thanks them for attending Welcome the groom to the family with warmth, recalling first impressions and early relationship nerves Mention the key people in the brides life, giving a voice to those who wont be speaking Tell stories from the brides childhood and growing up i.e. ambitions, driving lessons, memorable moments Toast to absent friends Remember: Keep it entertaining and formal Don’t make it a dry list of thank yous and don’t go overboard on praise for your daughter Don’t make it too long (there’s at least two more speeches to go!). 6-8 minutes is fine. The Groom The main man himself. A good start to the groom speech is to thank the father of the bride for his speech and the bride’s family for welcoming you. Don’t forget to compliment your new bride on how beautiful she looks. Wedding speeches in order: Second Key points: Thank the guests for attending and for their gifts Thank you and presentation of gifts to key members of the wedding party including the parents of the bride and groom, best men and groomsman, maid of honour and bridesmaids Thank both sets of parents and toast the brides parents if they are hosting Recall your story – how you met, what were your first impressions, what was the first date like, what you fell in love with (keep it to the point and don’t waffle) Sprinkle the speech with humour and don’t make it too sentimental Finish with how lucky you are and how much you love your new wife before a final toast (and perhaps add in not to trust a word the best man says about you!) Remember: Don’t forget the toasts and thank yous Don’t go overboard with the superlatives amazing, beautiful, fantastic. Remember less is more to give the compliments greater impact Best Man This is the big one and finishes off the three main speeches. There is a lot of pressure for the best man to be funny and entertaining, so don’t forget to add in some great best man jokes. Wedding speeches in order: Third Key points: Follow the grooms toast by thanking the bridesmaids and complimenting the bride Compliment the couple Tell anecdotes and stories about the groom. Don’t let the groom off lightly, but also bear in mind the audience i.e. humiliation without being X-rated Keep it simple and don’t try too hard. Use the tried and tested format: ice-breaker, introduction, main stories and laughs, serious heartfelt points and final toast Get your timings right – not too short (under 5 minutes) so it feels you haven’t done the groom justice and not too long (over 10 minutes) so guests start to lose attention. Between 6-10 minutes is fine. Checkout our guide to writing a best man speech here. Remember: We’ll say it again – remember your audience. Think how the groom’s gran would receive the jokes. If it’s likely to be stony silence, tone them down a bit. Don’t let one period of the grooms life (i.e. adolescence or university) dominate the whole speech. Also don’t go overboard on ‘in jokes’ that no one else will understand. Don’t mention the ex. Previous girlfriends are a big no no. By all means roast the groom on his lack of success with the ladies, but don’t mention it if he’s had considerable luck. The bride WILL NOT appreciate this. Don’t be too harsh. Mild humiliation and lots of laughs – yes. Hang your head in shame humiliation – no. He is your best friend after all. Find out what other best man duties to expect and how

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Wedding gifts – your ultimate guide to choosing the perfect wedding present for the big day

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With a wedding on the horizon (whether it’s your own or one you are attending as a guest), you may be wondering how to choose a wedding gift. With choices ranging from wedding gift list companies to cash, honeymoon contributions and everything in between. Choosing the perfect wedding gift can sometimes present a challenge, from what to buy through to the wedding present amount. It’s a generally accepted norm that if you attend someone’s wedding – especially if you are there for the whole day – that a gift is given to convey your well wishes for the happy couple. But what do you ask for as a wedding gift if it is your wedding day? Or if you are attending a wedding, how should you choose a wedding gift for the happy couple? People have different views on this and some say you shouldn’t expect flash tokens from guests. But let’s be honest – getting a bevy of treats really is an upside of the day. If you are the married couple to be, it is also a great opportunity to treat yourself to something special and potentially save money down the line. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve heard horror stories of spoilt couples demanding guests contribute a certain amount to pay for the day (don’t be like them!) and this certainly isn’t the way to go. You want your nearest and dearest there to make fantastic memories, not for financial incentives. But after all the blood, tears and table plans – it may just be your best chance to kit out your home or pay for that dream honeymoon you’ve been considering. Looking for inspiration? Read on for some great ideas on how to choose a wedding gift: Money Is it okay to ask for money for a wedding gift? Well as the old saying goes, cash is king – and for good reason! Offering the ultimate in flexibility, a cash gift from your guests can be spent as you see fit. Whether it’s towards your honeymoon, household goods to furnish a new place or to help pay off some of the (now gigantic) credit bills you’ve somehow accumulated. Some guests may prefer not to give cash for this very reason. They may prefer that you have an actual gift to cherish rather than some easily accessible money that may be absorbed into spending elsewhere. We’ve all been in the position of accidentally frittering away a sum of money intended for a more exciting cause, and it’s understandable that some will opt for something more tangible and lasting. This will be for you to judge, but if requested most will be happy to oblige. Especially if you have stated what you intend to spend the funds on, such as that dream honeymoon to the Maldives (see below). Don’t forget, your less organised guests will always be happy to fall back on a cash wedding gift as a last minute option. We think it is okay to ask for money for a wedding gift, and there’s a good chance you will have some cash to put towards something special even if many prefer to opt for a more formal gift. Wedding gift list companies With an abundance of wedding gift list companies out there such as John Lewis and Prezzola in the UK, a wedding gift list offers a great opportunity to treat yourself to those essential or indulgent items you haven’t got round to buying. With a huge range of high quality items from leading brands, this could be the perfect time to upgrade that hand-me-down cutlery set, buy those posh wine glasses or treat yourself to some plush Egyptian cotton towels, a new coffee machine, or that toaster and kettle set you’ve had your eye on for a while. The great thing about a gift list from one of well know wedding gift list companies is that you get to pick out a number of great items at different price points and easily add them to your DIY wedding gift list. This is then circulated online and guests can browse and choose your wedding gift according to their budget – giving you a lasting gift to enjoy. Big names such as Prezola – the UK’s favourite wedding gift list and honeymoon fund – offer a smooth and enjoyable process to to do this, with a wealth of amazing high end products for you to choose from. Just sign up (use this link to get £50 to spend at Prezola with gift lists over £200) and share the link. This will then guide guests through your pre-selected choice with a mix of cash, gifts, honeymoon contributions and more available on the one list. With curated lists of the most popular wedding presents online – they will take away a lot of the hard work from you. Sign up now and Prezola are also offering £50 towards your list when your gift list amount is over £200. Our top tip: Pick a broad selection of gifts at different price points. Most guests will fall into the £30-100 region, but offer a number of medium and higher priced options for the the big hitters to choose from. Please note: we may make a small commission if signing up to a gift list via our links above at no additional cost to you. Honeymoon That dream trip to the Maldives, sun kissed cocktails in the Caribbean or big game safari tour in Kenya – yes please!!! Billed as one of the best holidays we’ll have of our lives. We all want to make the most of our honeymoon and create some perfect memories from the first magical getaway as a married couple. However, if you’ve overspent on the big day itself, adding on additional £2-5000 on top of an already burgeoning credit card bill can feel like a bit of a stretch. Well , why not ask for guest contributions towards your dream honeymoon? They will feel more at ease about steering away from a

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Finding your wingman – top tips for choosing your best man

Leave a Comment / Pre Wedding, The Big Day / Admin

The grooms wingman, second in command and person responsible for delivering an exhilarating, funny and suitably apt speech for the main man. So how do you choose your best man for the big day? Here are some of our top tips to choose a great best man for your wedding day. Alongside the groom, the best man is up next (arguably ahead of the father of the bride) as the next most important man of the day. If you’ve read our wedding traditions post, in days gone by you’ll remember the best man was literally chosen as the best swordsman to defend the couple from any troublemakers on the day. High responsibility indeed. And for grooms once you’ve popped the question – this will be one of the most important choices on your wedding planning journey. As your second in command on the big day, your number 2 will help you hold it together through the emotional rollercoaster ahead. Knowing you have a calm and reliable side kick throughout the planning and the nuptials really will help. As such, it cares to put a bit of thought into choosing your best man. The Robin to your Batman, Rodney to your Delboy or Penfold to your Dangermouse. The best man is the best friend who will join you at the front of the alter before your wife (or husband) to be comes strolling in. Make no bones about it, this is a high pressure job and you need a fine chap who can rise to the occasion and help the day run smoothly (without outshining you!) Who should your best man be? First off, it may be worth identifying a list of contenders. The shortlist may include your dad, brother, best friend from school, uni pal or your partner’s best friends husband aka your new best mate. As far as your father and brother go – unless you want to highlight your bond for a particular reason or they are truly your best friend, they will already be fairly prominent on the day (with your brother lined up as an usher.) Instead it may be nice to consider one of your friendship options instead. Speeches work well written by a close friend who knows your best (and worst) sides. But as with everything for the day, this is up to you. To help choose, it is of course worth considering the responsibilities and obligations they will be expected to carry out as part of the best man duties. Your best friend from school Stevo may be the life and sole of the party. But if after a couple of beers and a round of Jager bombs, he descends into drunken oblivion – he may not be the chap you want slurring away and dishing out all the juiciest stories from that distant weekend in Amsterdam to all of your friends and new family. Your best man is going to be your head cheerleader before and during the day. With power comes great responsibility, and you need someone who is going to pull you through in style. Stuck between two choices of best man? Why not have two – we’ve seen that grooms are now regularly choosing a couple of best pals for the top job. This could iron out any competition between friends and could also benefit the day by taking advantage of their different skill sets. What are the responsibilities of the best man? Before the big day Your best man will be expected to organise and pull together your friends and male family members to create an epic stag or batchelor do. This could be at home, abroad or both. The man in question will need to have good communication and organisational skills to pull this off. The aim here is to create lasting memories with lots of hijinks you will laugh about long after the day. (Ideally without anyone ending up having to call the British consulate from an eastern European jail.) Bear this in mind when choosing your best man. Leading up to the big ‘I do’ Just before the big day, your best man may ease your nerves with a couple of drinks the night before (just a couple, mind). On the day as you step ‘into the breach’.. the best man will help you get ready on the morning as the groomsmen assemble. You will then entrust him with the rings ahead of the big ‘I do’. From then on the best man will be the Robin to your Batman as you nervously await the moment of truth. He will help to greet your guests, gather friends and relatives for pictures after the ceremony and step in as the go to guy to iron out any small problems. Once the formalities are out of the way, either before or after your wedding breakfast, all eyes will be on the best man to deliver the key note speech of the day. Bear in mind, this is THE ONE that all your guests will be looking forward to. You want someone who can skilfully hold guests in the palm of their hand as they wax lyrical about how great you are/how little joy you had with ladies before you met your lovely wife and a number of cringey stories that will leave guests in fits of laughter. This takes some skill, and as you – hopefully – only want one of these speeches, you want the best man to do you justice. Best friend or not, if your pal struggles to string together a sentence when in front of a crowd, you may want to reconsider his part for this role when choosing your best man. After the ceremony Once the speeches are out of the way, the main gig may be over but the best man should still be there to watch your back throughout the rest of the day. They should continue to help take care of any operational headaches dealing with venue staff,

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