‘The love is overwhelming’

According to all those in the wedding business, March is prime time for wedding planning. All those festive proposals and summer weddings in the midst. With the pressure on for couples to make their big day as perfect as possible and us never adverse to some love chat over a glass of prosecco, we caught up with a few Bristol brides with some tips to share.

Wedding is a word wrapped in luxurious swathes of fabric, dripping in rose petals, cake in the shape of turtles, top hats and candy pops, fountains of money and a natty little swing dance to get the party started – lessons included. Don’t forget the place settings, photography, honeymoon and gift list, it’s a wild wedding web, to be pulled together, as if effortless.

Marriage is a word that means the recognised union of two people. At its core, is the love. The rest is the story, the decoration, personality and fiesta. As a couple preparing for marriage in one year, six months or tomorrow like Alabama and Clarence, you can do it your way. ‘It’s your special day,’ as we are told. You can have candelabras, castles and gold, you can get hitched in a registry office and then celebrate until the sun rises next to an apple orchard.

“Getting married doesn’t have to be stressful,” says Sally Telford. “When we got engaged, we decided to get married as soon as we could. He proposed on May 13 and by the end of the month we had the main components booked for the end of August. In hindsight, I’m so glad. We had no time to mess about or change our minds; we had to be decisive and that meant less stress. We had a late wedding, brief ceremony then dinner and dancing. It was basically a big party.”

Gina Jones was married on the ss Great Britain in 2013. She advises couples not to be afraid of asking for help: “Whether it’s a family member/friend or someone professional – if you can afford it – you will need help on your wedding day for things like decorating the venue, sorting the music, letting guests know where they need to be. We had The Little Wedding Helper to style the venue, because we only had it for a limited time and I wouldn’t have been able to get down there and do it all myself and didn’t have anyone close to me who had the skills to do it. She was brilliant and did everything just how I wanted it.”

It’s important to decide what your priorities are at the wedding and then work around them within your budget. Could everyone bring a dish, how about BBQ caterers, Pieminister Pies or maybe a beautiful three-course sit down meal? Would you like perfectly polished photographs, or would you rather the guests did the honours with disposable camera on tables? Is it important that the dress is designer, the suit bespoke, flowers spectacular? Remember though, Pinterest may be a source of inspiration, but emulating it is a tricky job you’re giving yourself. Relax.

One common comment is that there’s not enough time to speak to everyone, to perhaps have those moments of conversation, reflection and clarity. It’s a whirlwind. This is expected, but try and take a little time away with the one you love.

“It’s the most amazing feeling, having all your favourite people in one place, the love is overwhelming,” says Lauren Howard who married Chris in 2013. “But try to find a few minutes for the two of you, just to take in the awesomeness of it all together,” she says. “It’s all about the love.”

Gemma Milly illustration & Gina Jones photograph by Charlotte Stone

Lauren (pic one) purchased her dress from Jemima Rose Vintage in Clifton Village
Sally (pic two) had her dress sent from the USA by a dressmaker
Gina (pic three) had her dress made for her by Gilly Woo. Read an interview with Gilly Woo, here.