Pre Wedding

stag do

Gentleman assemble – how to organise an epic stag do, a best man’s guide

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So you’ve found yourself at the helm as the best man or you are the groom and leading from the front yourself. Now it’s time to organise an epic stag do ahead of the wedding day. It’s your job to pull together a great team of lads, create epic memories, stitch the stag up nicely and ultimately organise the best stag do you can. This will also offer perfect material to form the basis of some great best man speech jokes down the line (and of course some which shouldn’t make the cut!) Now its time to organise an epic stag do to send the main man off in style. Make sure it goes off without a hitch by following these simple pointers. Work out the guest list for the stag do Spend time with the groom to work out who they would like to invite on their stag do. Start by drawing up a list of names and contact numbers/details. This will include close friends, family members, work/uni mates, in laws and so on. If you are travelling abroad, bear in mind that you may have two events – one away and one locally. The chances are you will want your closest friends (and party animals) along for the foreign do, whilst the wider circle of friends will make it to the local event.  Have a rough list for both, or invite everyone to both events. Inevitably cost and availability will whittle the numbers down accordingly. Just having one stag do in your home country? Then identify who the stag would like to invite, then get the invites out and confirmations early on. Now your set. Decide the location of your stag do Choose your location wisely. Has the groom given an indication of where he’d like to go? Will you be having a local and a foreign do?  You will need to play to the crowd and the stags wants here, using a sprinkle of your own imagination and initiative.  Popular stag do locations in the UK include these tried and tested destinations: Leeds Bristol Newcastle Bournemouth Edinburgh Cardiff London Nottingham Brighton Liverpool Manchester Newquay All of the above will offer plenty of activities and great nightlife. Bear in mind however, prices may vary depending on where you go. If you are looking for alternative stag do ideas in the UK – read this for some inspiration. Thinking of further afield? You can’t go wrong with the following stag do locations in Europe and further afield: Budapest Prague Hamburg Tallinn Krakow Amsterdam Berlin Dublin Riga Barcelona Bratislava Madrid Las Vegas As above, the prices will vary significantly from country to country so put in a bit of research first.  For example – pints in Prague will cost around a £1 each compared to Dublin where you are looking closer to £5-6 per pint, so choose your destination wisely. Remember the critical components here: price of booze, quality of women, activities and nightlife. For an in-depth analysis of European locations, find out more at Pissups review of their top 7 European locations in 2019 here. Consider the stags budgets when organising the stag do Keep money in mind for your stags. This can be one of the main bones of contention, so give a realistic idea of costs from the outset to cover the key elements including travel expenses, accommodation, activities and any extras early on.  It’s also a good idea to provide a rough estimate of living expenses or extra costs to budget for. These will include food, booze and anything else you may have planned. Try to get an idea of the stag do costs as early as possible to allow the stags ample time to save or decide if it’s not for them.  Nobody likes repeatedly being asked for extra money as costs escalate, so try to give a realistic idea from the off to reduce any problems later on. This is a big treat for you all, so you want everyone on the same page from the beginning and don’t want to be scrimping when you get there. Get the invites for the stag do out early We are all busy people right? People like as much notice for big occasions as possible, especially when you’ve got to save, take time off, get the other half to agree… or organise childcare. Once you’ve got the stag do date and location decided – get the invites out as early as possible. This will allow you to gage numbers – and once you ask for deposits – identify serious contenders. It’s up to you if you offer a few potential dates for the crowd to decide. However, this can cause challenges and it is always difficult to please everyone. Get a consensus of availability, pick your date, get confirmations and think about getting it booked early on. Then you can relax safe in the knowledge you’ve got a big weeekend of fun on the horizon! Getting to the the stag do – planning and logistics The boring bit. To ensure your epic stag do weekend runs smoothly, make sure you do the hard yards beforehand and begin your preparations and planning early on. Make sure everyone has the travel plans, lifts arranged, times and dates. Check if there are any visa requirements for your location. Give the boys a nudge to check passport dates are valid and mention any kit it might be worth taking if you have specific activities planned (or to take swimmers if there is a pool or hot tub nearby.) Then ensure you have each other’s contact details in case someone gets separated from the group so you don’t leave a man down in an unfamiliar city, or share your locations on your phones to stay connected. Enlist your most organised friends to help with any details and keep this on track. Remember the old boxing adage: train hard, fight easy – and apply this to the planning and delivery of an awesome stag do.

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wedding guest list

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

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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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best man duties

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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8 Top tips for a stress-free wedding day

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Congratulations, you’re getting married! Once the initial excitement of the engagement has passed, it’ll be time to get down to the nitty gritty of organising the big day. We’re here to help make your wedding day as stress free as possible. Your wedding will present its own unique set of challenges to work through, and yes – this will create stresses which you may not have experienced before. Stresses on your relationship, finances, time and much more. But fear not, take heed of the following 8 top tips and you’ll be well on your way to the stress-free wedding day of your dreams that you deserve. 1. Make a budget Get online, pick up the phone and start doing some initial research to map out the main costs for the day.   Be realistic and write your budget down. We recommend allowing a 5-10% contingency fund on top of this to buffer the shock of any unexpected expenditures. Identify the proportion of your budget that you would be willing to spend on key elements including the venue, catering, entertainment, photographer, dress and rings etc.   Costs such as the venue and catering are likely to take up 50% or more of your budget so be realistic on what you can afford to spend, and subsequently where you would like the wedding to take place. Tools such as spreadsheets are great to keep a track of the budget. If you are lucky enough to have friends or relatives who will assist financially, tentatively ask what you can hope to receive from them.  Whether it be a loan, lump sum or purchase of a certain aspect of the day such as the dress, venue or honeymoon for example. This will then help to determine how much you will need to save or borrow for the wedding yourselves.  Put the work in first. Your budget will then be your bible! 2. Create a timeline This can be as important as the budget.  If you have a year or more before the big day, it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking you have all the time in the world.  Believe us, when you have the date confirmed, it will come around sooner than you think! Make a list of the key decisions that need to be made and elements that need to be booked or managed – ensure you have deadlines for these to keep you on track.   Key aspects such as the venue, catering, entertainment and photographer should be booked as early as possible.  Popular services – particularly during peak season – can become booked up a year or more in advance, so act early to avoid disappointment! Many services will only require a deposit to confirm your date.  Be proactive, this will give peace of mind and help to spread your wedding costs over a wider period. This will help to ensure a stress free build up to your wedding day. 3. Send out your invites as soon as possible Once you have your date and venue confirmed, send the invites out to your day guests as early as possible.  It will be important for you to have key members of your friends and family there, so to avoid any avoidable date clashes ensure they have as much notice as possible.  This will also be useful to inform details such as catering numbers, dietary requirements and accommodation numbers as the day approaches. 4. Call in some favours, get your wedding team working for you  As the day approaches and excitement builds, take advantage of your network of friends and family to help with any key tasks that they are willing and able to assist with.  This can reduce the stresses on the two of you significantly.  There will be plenty of tasks you can delegate, ranging from getting the best man to arrange suit fittings and collection, to inviting the hens’ round for a social evening to make table favours or decorations.   Most will jump at the chance to take ownership and play a bigger part in your day. If you know anyone with any specialist skills (and you ask nicely enough), this could also stretch to a capable baker helping with the cake or catering, an amateur photographer taking some great pictures or a classic or prestige vehicle being utilised for your wedding transport, helping you save some money along the way. 5. Make it your own Don’t worry about traditions or living up to other people’s expectations, this is your day. The only people you must be true to are yourselves. Stay in control of the day you both desire.  If you want to go big and blingy go for out! Likewise, if you want to have a low-profile day with just your nearest and dearest, talk it through together and identify what means the most to you both. Don’t let overbearing friends or family push you into anything you don’t really want to do. 6. Prioritise the key elements to you There are various aspects which come together on a wedding day, most of which will inevitably cost money.  The chances are this will place stresses on your budget, and you won’t have an endless supply of funds to pay for everything. When it comes to the crunch, everyone will have different priorities of the key elements which make up their perfect day.  Talk this through as a couple and determine your must haves, and the things you are willing to compromise or cut corners on. Top priorities may for example be the perfect dress, the dream venue, brilliant entertainment or an exotic honeymoon.  Make sure you are on the same page, identify your priorities early on and funnel your budget and efforts accordingly. 7. Listen and Learn The great thing about weddings?  Lots of people have been there before you. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel – talk to your friends and family, learn from others experiences and take advantage of the knowledge available

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best wedding venues in England

Looking for your perfect wedding venue in the UK? Here are 11 amazing wedding venues in the west of England and Wales that we know you’ll love

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In the south of England, we’re blessed with some of the best wedding venues in England and the UK. But with so many on offer how do you narrow down the choices? Well, let us do it for you with highlights of some of the best wedding venues in England and Wales. Here are 11 of our tried and tested favourite wedding venues from across the south west of England and Wales. With everything from stately homes to renovated barns, lakeside retreats, country estates and castles. With our rundown of the best wedding venues in England and Wales, we are here to help you choose your perfect romantic wedding venue that is waiting to be discovered by you. Orchardleigh  Nestled on a 500 acre estate in the Somerset countryside just outside of the trendy town of Frome, Orchardleigh House is a fantastic former manor house built in 1856.  Restored to its former glory by a local businessman, the manor house offers Gothic styling, luxurious accommodation and a host of great photo opportunities.  Acclaimed as one of the regions finest wedding venues. Orchardleigh holds a late licence to keep the party going until the early hours, has its own helipad, lake and island church and offers the ability to extend your wedding into a 2-3 day celebration. The real beauty of the estate however is that it houses two separate and completely different wedding venues on the same site.  The Walled Garden – also known as Elmhay Park and the Orangery – is light and airy, comfortably holding up to 150 seated guests. The outdoor space is fantastic, housed in its own walled garden with a large patio and lots of space for guests to enjoy on the various lawns.  Ceremonies can be performed within the grounds. There is the choice of the nearby chapel and two outdoor spaces available, all of which are licenced for civil ceremonies and partnerships. A great do it all wedding venue, with a choice of old or new. Our favourite is the Walled Garden but you can’t go too far wrong with either. Visit Orchardleigh’s website for full details. The Gathering Barn A relatively new wedding venue in England, The Gathering Barn is a renovated barn sat on a working farm in a beautiful hamlet called Monkton Deverill – handily just a stones throw from the A303 in Wiltshire. Make as much noise as you want and make the place your own! The wedding venue offers exclusive four day hire from Thursday morning to Sunday afternoon. With self contained accommodation sleeping 6-8 guests, there is also room to house your most important wedding crew. Cosy, rustic and renovated beautifully, the Gathering Barn serves as a blank canvas to bring in your own suppliers to enjoy with family and friends. Set around its own U shaped courtyard, there is plenty of space to get married on site (or in one of the many nearby churches.) The venue can supply a bar for you to use – with no corkage fees – or bring in your own suppliers to run it for you.  Somewhat of a hidden gem, this is the perfect place to make your own fun filled memories for your wedding weekend. We can imagine The Gathering Barn getting very popular once word gets out. Brinsop Court I’ve only attended this venue once, but it was love at first sight! A 5* Grade 1 property, cited as one of the worlds top 100 wedding venues. Brinsop Court is a magical English country manor sitting in 800 acres of rolling Herefordshire countryside – one of the most picturesque and best wedding venues in England. Dating back to the mid fourteenth century, Brinsop Court is loaded with astounding period features. The wedding venue has its own spectacular moat and breathtaking photo opportunities wherever you turn. Available for two day hire to really make your own. Brinsop Court has luxurious on site accommodation for up to 33 guests and its own romantic private cottage for two with a hot tub. Perfect to relax after all of the wedding shenanigans! I visited Brinsop Court three or four years ago, and despite visiting hundreds of other wedding venues in England since – this one has really stood out in my memory. Have a look for yourself here. Gants Mill A beautiful family run wedding venue in a cosy corner of Somerset, Gants Mill pitches itself ‘as if you had a marquee in your own back garden’ with all the freedom that this entails. Bring in your own suppliers (with no corkage.) Get married in the gazebo and then relax and dine in the marquee, surrounded by beautiful well kept gardens. Run throughout the summer season with weddings only on Saturdays (with the occasional Wednesday.) The demand for Gants Mill speaks for itself with few dates left for 2022 already. Husband and wife team Greg and Elaine take care of things, with the friendly and welcoming Greg managing the front of house operations whilst Elaine puts her green fingers to action in keeping the glorious gardens in bloom for your guests to enjoy. Located just outside of Bruton in Somerset, we’ve been visiting Gants Mill since 2013 and its easy to see why The Independent named it as one of the UK’s 50 best wedding venues. A charming and enchanting wedding venue with the old mill as the backdrop for the day, book your own beautiful slice of the west country and get in touch with Greg and the team. Canada Lodge We love a visit across the bridge to Wales – with its gorgeous countryside, friendly and welcoming people and an array of fantastic wedding venues. Canada Lodge is no different and stood out as a Welsh wedding venue to remember. Nestled in a picturesque rural area besides a shimmering crystal blue lake, this is a country idyll a stones throw away from Cardiff. The perfect romantic wedding venue retreat for the most important day of your life. With luxury cabins

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choosing a best man

Finding your wingman – top tips for choosing your best man

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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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Diamond ring

Choosing the perfect engagement ring – your essential survival guide

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“My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me.” Winston Churchill Once you have decided to take the plunge and propose, the first formality towards securing your bride to be’s hand in marriage will be to acquire a ring for the job. By acquire, we don’t encourage you to pull off your own Hatton Garden robbery (the last one didn’t work out that well), but instead to choose the perfect engagement ring that will be a great fit for your future beau in a style and shape he/she’ll enjoy, and at a price that won’t break the bank. If you’re lucky there may be a family heirloom you/she has lined up for the job.  If so, the chances are you’ve probably spoken about this and your first steps will be to work out if any adjustments need to be made to the size of the band, settings of the stone and so forth. If not, then you are now in the market for an engagement ring and it is down to you to choose and buy the perfect engagement ring for your bride to be.  And if you are anything like most men, your knowledge regarding materials, ‘cuts’ of diamonds and what you are likely to get for your money will be sketchy at best. Don’t let that worry you, as we’re here to help with the following guide. Budget First things first, what is your budget? It’s best to determine this before you go haring off like a bull in and china shop or make outlandish claims of buying a 2-carat diamond for the good lady. Some sources suggest three months wages, some suggest one.  We would advise you not to break yourself financially and buy the best ring that you can afford, without throwing yourself into debt.   The ring should be a symbol of your love and it’s the thought that counts. However, bear in mind if you do the deed with a £500 ring under the guise that it’s the best you can afford, and then turn up shortly after with a brand new £5k motorcycle, car or other significant boy toy – get ready for the proverbial to hit the fan. She is likely to be unimpressed and this will be used against you until your dying day.   A months gross wages seem like a good place to start and tweak up or down as you see best. Style  What style of ring would your wife to be like?  You want to pick a ring that fits her preferences and gets the engagement off to a winning start!  This is the time to go secret agent on the good lady and cast your mind back to any conversations you may have had where she mentioned cut or styles she did or didn’t like.  Have any of her friends recently got engaged and what did she say about their rings? Look at her current jewellery – is it chunky or traditional, does she wear lots of white or yellow gold? Does she like simple, understated designs or is she a big bling kind of girl that wants the sparkliest number in the room?  If big and bold, you will want to get the largest diamond you can afford.  Alternatively, if her style is more understated or earthy, you may look to go for a more traditional sleek design or something completely different like an ‘ecoring’ styled from wood.  Is there a particular stone such as an emerald, ruby or birthstone she has mentioned previously? If so, you may want to look for a ring that incorporates these or if going off piste, have one of these stones instead of the traditional diamond for a different look altogether (carefully consider first if she’ll be okay with this and not just to save you a few pennies!)  In the lead up, it may be worth taking a subtle trip to a jeweller and gaging her response to different rings as you eye up the gents watches.  Take a minute away from drooling over the Breitlings and Omegas and prime her with a couple of comments such as ‘that’s a nice one’. Make note of her feedback and move on. Putting in the hard yards now will reap dividends later on. Band size Again, you may have to inject a bit of subterfuge into this one. Either have a look at one of her existing rings (or ask her friend or mum to) and take this to a jeweller to be sized or ask her ring size to buy her a test ring as a birthday or Christmas present. With a wide selection of rings that won’t break the bank, the online retailer Argento can be a great option for this with lots of reasonably priced rings from brands such as Pandora, Lilly and Rose and more.  When purchasing the engagement ring, one of the questions you should ask is if they will resize this for free if it doesn’t fit properly. This should however be considered as a last resort to save yourself any embarrassment of the ring being too loose – or too tight –on the day of the proposal. Material There are a variety of metals to choose from for the wedding band including rose gold, white gold, silver, platinum and palladium (and metals made up of a combination of these).  Each has their own advantages and disadvantages and they will also vary in cost (which could mean compromises elsewhere.) Platinum for example is the purest and most durable of these and is also the most expensive.  Yellow gold in contrast is up to 75% pure gold and is much softer which, after many years of wear may need to be re-plated.  For a girl who loves a bit of pink, rose gold is also a very popular choice. Yellow gold is very traditional but may be perceived to be old fashioned by some (most of our mum’s will probably have

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How to propose – top tips when popping the question

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“Marriage is not kick-boxing, it’s salsadancing.” ― Amit Kalantri Ah the proposal. For the uninitiated, you may be wondering how to propose and what the best way to propose is? Well, clench your buttocks gentleman and take a deep breath as this is one of the most nerve-wracking moments of your long and winding wedding journey.  But never fear – provided you don’t trip and fall onto one knee with a ring unexpectedly in your hand, you can take the surprise out of it (from your side at least) with the help of a bit of pre planning. Our top tips on how and when to propose will guide you through the sticky first chapter of getting married. Before we get into the nitty gritty, I’m writing this based on a few assumptions that would serve you well to adhere to, which are: You love your bride to be She loves you You’ve been dating/going out considerably more than 1 week – 6 months plus You are already fairly certain of the answer and/or you’ve taken so long to pop the question that the answer is a foregone conclusion You are not your bride to be’s stalker All agreed? Good. First of all, where should you do it?  Bear in mind that this story will be recalled to all and sundry through the millenia – particularly if it is either a good or a bad one.  And we all know which is going to be preferred by your – hopefully – wife to be.  “Yeah Dave proposed on Saturday night during the X Factor break, couldn’t really say no though could I!?” Yeah good one Dave, you’re areal hero. A little effort here goes a long way.  We’re not saying you have to whisk your beau to be off to Paris for a romantic weekend for the occasion (but if as the author did, you were going there anyway, it seems like a shame to waste the opportunity if you’re thinking along those lines!) As far as proposals go, there are cliché ones (but not necessarily bad), romantic ones, surprise ones, mediocre ones and frankly, a bit crap ones.  These may blend with the type of person you are.  You want to be true to yourself in doing so, but we’ve heard of some particularly average efforts and who wants to be the guy that drops to one knee on a drizzly Saturday night at home and spits out, shall we do it then…? It’s good to have some sense of occasion to erm, mark the occasion. Formalities – asking her father for her hand in marriage This one is up to you. The age-old tradition to ask your bride to be’s father for her hand in marriage is a great way to start off on the right foot.  This will depend how close you/she is to her dad, and if he is the type of chap that would like or expect this.  Also, is this something you think she would appreciate? (If you think he’ll say no but are determined to propose anyway, you may want to skip this part altogether!) If so, time your moment right – perhaps over a drink or two– when you are both in good spirits and you have a chance to have a quiet chat with minimal interruptions.  Broach the subject carefully but confidently, say there’s something you’ve been meaning to ask him and off you go.   The main point here is to outline you have his daughter’s best interests at heart, that you will be there to support her and help achieve her hopes and aspirations to become the best she can be, and enforce that you are not a fly by night character. Get Dad on side and you’re off to a great start – don’t forget this may pay dividends when it comes to helping to pay for the big day later on. When should you propose? This is the big moment, so its important you get the timing right.  This is going to be up to you to feel out, but it is important that you propose when you are both in a calm and happy state when you feel ready and not rushed. Considerations for this could include: Is there a particular date or anniversary that is special to you both?  This could be the anniversary of when you both first met, a birthday or maybe if she’s a girl that loves Christmas find your moment then.  Ideally before the drunken, comatose aftermath of an enormous Christmas dinner! Are you planning any special trips anywhere soon?  This could be the perfect time if you have the idea of proposing in mind first.  Great landmarks may be cliché (i.e. the top of the Eiffel Tower), but who cares?  This is your moment so go for it.  This may be extra special if there is something in particular she wants to go and see or do.  Helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon? Check.  A restaurant overlooking the sea after a great meal. Yes! Just make sure you leave yourself enough time to get the ring beforehand.  Is there somewhere she’s always wanted to go or do? Such as a hot air balloon ride, climb a mountain or go to a particular landmark or country?  This could be a great opportunity when deciding how to propose if she is already on a high from achieving an ambition or ticking something off the bucket list.  Hell, top it off with a good proposal and its all gravy.  Whenever you choose, try to find a time when you can both be alone afterwards to reflect and enjoy the moment together.  If you are away somewhere there may also be lots of phone calls to make so you may want a charged and in signal mobile ready to go! Where should you propose? This is probably the big one that will be remembered and will help to mark the occasion, so its worth putting a bit of

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