Top Tip Week ♥3

Worrying about the cost of your wedding dress? Never fear, Before the Big Day's Top Tips are here. Check out the fabulous advice below, and get the gown you want for a fraction of the price. Meanwhile, if you have any money-saving advice that you'd like to share with other brides, please leave a comment. Every little helps!

Tip ♥3 - Your Dress
The days of keeping your wedding dress for future generations are long gone. Most brides sell their gowns once they get back from their honeymoon, and there are thousands of dresses that have, by their very nature, only been worn once. Websites like Almost New Wedding Dresses and Sell My Wedding Dress enable you to search by size and designer, and there's no reason for you not to be able to try before you buy. Even better - go into the bridal boutiques and try on the style you like, then find one second-hand via the internet.

Photo Credits - {from top} 1. Jenny Packham 2. Temperley

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Real Wedding: Ricci & Joel

The Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas has to be the coolest venue for a couple inspired by their love of music, and Ricci and Joel are the ultimate rock and roll couple. Just check out Ricci's amazing wedding day style - I'm loving her ruffled Betsey Johnson dress, Christian Louboutin shoes {edible}, and super-cool half veil by YJ Designs. Doesn't she look fantastic? Also seriously impressed by Ricci's bridesmaids' rock-chic strapless numbers, plus their skyscraper heels. Now that's an outfit they'll wear again! Throw in splashes of hot pink florals, an exotic owl motif, on-trend cupcakes and the best orchid display ever, and I'm in wedding-heaven. Gorgeous photographs with thanks to Sarah Yates Photography.

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Top Tip Week ♥2

Looking to save a few pennies while planning your wedding? Don't miss the Before the Big Day Top Tip Week {TM!}. Top Tip 2 is all about stationery, but click here for more money-saving DIY ideas, and sign up for free Before the Big Day updates to never miss a helpful hint!

Tip ♥2 - Your Stationery
Invitations are only the first step in the world of wedding stationery. You're going to need response cards, menus, place markers, table guides, thank you cards and an order of service for each guest. Phew! It's not surprising that the average couple end up spending over £500 on paper goods alone. This is where DIY comes into its own. Plenty of graphic designers have cottoned on to the fact that brides want to cut costs, and they offer print-your-own invitation templates at a fraction of the price. Try Swoon & Creative or Ella & Grace Stationery for ideas, plus Download & Print for *free* printables - woohoo!

Photo Credits - {from top} 1. Download & Print, 2. Swoon & Creative, 3. Ella & Grace Stationery

Get more fabulous wedding advice by clicking here.

Top Tip Week ♥1

We love weddings, but we don't like how much they cost. I've figured out that if I was a billionaire, every second of planning my wedding would be pleasureable, because the only thing that really worries me is the cost. Right now, I'm worrying about the expense of catering, but next week it'll be the stationery, and the week after that, I'll be anxious about whether I should be spending over a grand on my dress. One thousand pounds? That's a lot of money to be spending on something I'll only wear once. So, inspired by my own desire to keep the cost of our wedding manageable, I've come up with a few tips which should help you save your pennies. I'll be posting one a day, so keep coming back for more, or sign up for free updates here!

Top Tip ♥1 - Your Reception
Save money and surprise your guests by serving a traditional British tea rather than the standard 3-course meal. Vintage is a huge trend in weddings this season, so hire antique crockery and cake stands from Pretty Vintage or Eclectic Bliss for that classic olde-English feel. Ask your grandmother to knit tea cosies for a personalised effect, and hand-hem floral material for sweet mismatching napkins. Cabbages & Roses or Cath Kidson are renowned for their old-fashioned fabrics, and if you're not handy with a needle, learn how to sew via Ooh. Instead of one grand (and pricey) wedding cake, ask your bridesmaids to get baking, and offer prizes for the best-tasting and best-looking!

Photo Credits - {clockwise from top left} 1. Olivia Brabbs Photography, 2 & 3. Eclectic Bliss, 4. Marianne Taylor, 5. Olivia Brabbs Photography

Get more fabulous wedding advice by clicking here.

We ♥ Offers

One of the best things about running Before the Big Day is the discounts! The suppliers love BBD, we love them, you love them, it's one big cuddle-fest!

Get 5% off the amazingly effective nkd diet with the code bigday (exact spelling), and get a honeymoon-svelte body. Click here for more info on this bargainous deal! They say you can drop 2-3lb a week on the nkd diet. Sounds good to me.



Get 10% off gorgeous nature-inspired jewellery from Alex Monroe with the code Big Day. Fans include Sienna Miller, Emilia Fox, Thandie Newton and Lisa Snowdon to name just a few.

Get 10% off stunning jewellery and hair accessories from Your Something Borrowed with the code Big Day. See something you like? Borrow it for a fraction of the purchase cost!



Get 10% off amazing vintage furniture and home accessories from The Vintage Wedding List. Simply call and quote the code Big Day. This is the best place for original items for your wedding list.



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Paper Gardener

Bright, cheerful and uniquely playful, these pretty paper flowers would be a fantastic addition to your big day. Add them to cup-cakes, canapés or cocktails to make your guests smile. I'm imagining them as place-markers, stuck in tiny terracotta pots. Their London creator and 'gardener' is Milla Love. Don't miss her cool banners and party decorations.

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BBD Theme: Nautical But Nice

Iconic themes are classy, there's no two ways about it, and the nautical theme is the classic oldie but goodie. There's just so many iconic motifs associated with the sea-side, that if you use it as the theme for your big day, you just know all the details will hang together just right. Just pick a few designs, be it anchors, shells, sailors' knots, starfish, crabs or stripes, and work it from there. Only choose a couple though, or else your wedding could end up decorated like a fish and chip shop in Blackpool!

Product Credits - {from top left} 1. Beach Grass Cottage, 2. Lollipop Workshop, 3. Buddy & Bean, 4. Iris Jewelry Design {from middle left} 1. Nauti and Co, 2. Rapunzels Gold, 3. Timeless Paper {from bottom left} 1. Nigh Sky Products, 2. Sewn Natural, 3. Sanskripts, 4. Buddy & Bean

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Real Wedding - Dayo & Tope

The best weddings are often the big family affairs. When uncles and aunts and cousins and second cousins once removed all come together for a huge party, fuelled by love, dancing and good food. Dayo and Tope celebrated their big day in this welcoming style, with 250 guests. Wow - now that's a wedding! I'm loving the lilacs, purples and golds in their colour palette, and Dayo's graceful princess dress. Also, it's super-cool that they made a nod to their heritage by changing into traditional Yoruba outfits towards the end of their reception. Other stealworthy ideas include the stunning cake, with its delicate sugar flowers, and Dayo's sweet tiara and veil combo. Huge thanks to FO Photography for their gorgeous pictures.

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