Whilst weddings may officially be on hold for now, the planning process definitely doesn’t have to stop. With 2021 and 2022 expected to be the busiest years for weddings, we definitely shouldn’t become too relax with wedding planning. With the constant changes in restrictions and a whole heap of uncertainty, it can often be challenging to know what to do, who to turn to for advice and where to start. Thanks to modern day technology, we can all still stay connected with our wedding planners and vendors. Whether you’re working from home, Inter-state or in a complete isolation-styled lockdown, you can still organise your dream wedding and we’re super excited to be able to share our best tips and tricks to ticking off that bridal checklist. From viewing different venues virtually, meeting designers and dressmakers over Facetime, to getting cake-testing boxes delivered to your doorstep, after this read, you’ll definitely be excited to start planning your special day. Let’s begin!
Photographer: @tone_image_melb //Bride: Kylie Michaelides // Designer: d’Italia
USE BRIDAL DIRECTORIES AND BLOGS TO INSPIRE YOU
Research is an extremely important and useful step to ensure you’re all prepared and ready to begin with bridal shopping. So, whilst you’re stuck at home, why not begin with hunting down some of your favourite dress ideas. Jump onto some bridal directories such as Ivory tribe, easy weddings, Bride.com or PolkaDot Bride (just to name a few) to get inspired and check out a whole range of real weddings. You can get an incredible insight into different dress styles, laces, how other brides style and accessorise their bridal looks and tie in with their wedding décor and bridal florals. Screenshot/save your favourite designs and compile them on a mini mood board or Inspiration folder. You can also read through bridal magazines and online blogs to see what’s trending and scout the different designers and labels that you like. Remember to also look at the different fabrics, laces and finishing’s as this will become very helpful later on when you meet with a designer.
Picture via: d’Italia
CREATE A BRIDAL PINTEREST BOARD
Whether you’re on the hunt for venue decoration ideas, floral bouquet inspirations or wedding dress designs, a handy app to use is Pinterest. Most brides create separate folders of the different bridal categories that make up their wedding. Search for what you’re after and ‘pin’ your favourite options into the corresponding folders. When reaching out to a designer, it’s always helpful to send them the link to your bridal folder or forward your favourite looks for them to get an idea of your vision and theme. Even if you can’t meet in person, these inspiration ideas can be a great start for your designer to begin sketching up some designs and thinking about the perfect fabrics to create your dream gown from. If you’re unsure of what style would suit you best, don’t fret, your designer and dressmaker will be able to guide you.
Picture Via- d’Italia Pinterest
ORGANISE A VIRTUAL DESIGN APPOINTMENT
Can’t come in store? No worries at all. With most businesses turning to digital and online services, you can now have the opportunity of meeting with a designer virtually from the comfort of your own home. YAY! So, what exactly is a Virtual Appointment? A virtual consult is commonly done through a video calling app such as Zoom, Facetime or Skype. You’ll meet with your very own designer who will spend time chatting with you about all your dress ideas and ways in which they can bring your vision to life. From sketching up your one of a kind gown, to showcasing a beautiful range of exclusive French laces and designer fabrics, it’s truly a unique and personalised experience that anyone can do, no matter where you live. A virtual consult, allows brides to speak with a professional about all their ideas and research whilst remaining in the safety of their own homes. Once you finalise your gown, your designer will send you fabric samples of the gorgeous materials you selected.
Picture Via: d’Italia
Is a Virtual Consult right for me?
Meeting virtually can be a very daunting and nerve-wracking experience for some brides but it can also be a whole heap of fun when you know exactly what to expect. It’s important to know that your designer is there to guide you along the way, provide you with design, construction and styling advice and can answer any questions you may have about the custom-couture process. But before you meet with your designer virtually, it’s important that you are all prepared and have done enough research to feel comfortable and confident with your ideas. If you know exactly what you want but can’t seem to find it anywhere then now is a great time to meet with a designer virtually. Once you’ve gathered some images, send them through to your designer so they are able to get a good idea of how to bring your vision to life. We understand that it can often be difficult to visualise your finished gown without seeing all the laces and fabrics in person. Your designer will go above and beyond to ensure your experience is as easy and smooth as possible. They will send you close-up pictures throughout your virtual consult, along with fabric samples in the mail for you to feel. If you’re still not sure if you’re ready for a virtual consult, give your designer a call first to have a chat about the ins and outs of meeting virtually.
Picture Via: D’Italia // Bride: Alex
CREATE A WEDDING WEBSITE
When it comes to staying organised, look no further! Whether you’ve had to postpone your wedding or you’re currently in the process of starting wedding planning, a wedding website is a great tool to use to streamline your planning process to keep everyone informed. For most brides, a wedding website is a new and daunting concept but with so many easy-to-use and free websites out there, you can create your very own in only a matter of minutes. What is a Wedding Website? A wedding website Is ultimately a digital tool that showcases the most important details related to your wedding. It’s a fantastic way to keep your guests informed about possible postponements, venue changes, and general information to get them all excited for your big day. It can also be a great way to keep track of all your RSVP’s (hallelujah!). Wedding Websites usually provide a variety of basic templates which you can personalise according to your requirements and preferences. It can be accessed from all internet devices to make it nice and easy to use.
What you can do with a Wedding Website:
- Update guests on last minute changes
- Set the tone of the wedding day (clothing attire, theme etc.)
- Share your planning process to get guests excited
- Countdown to the big day
- Track RSVP’s online
- Send out save-the-dates and invitations digitally
- Access important information from your guests such as dietary requirements
- Showcase a story on how you met, along with some super cute images
Picture via- Easy Weddings
PREPARE YOUR MARRIAGE SCRIPT
Planning a wedding from home may seem like a challenging task at first, but you would actually be surprised at how much you can do from the comfort of your own home. Spend your time in isolation, brainstorming ideas for your wedding speech and vows. Speak with your marriage celebrant to find out more about the process of the ceremony, how long it goes for, how it will work and how to create the best marriage vows. Whilst planning your very own vows, now would be a good time to also reach out to your loved ones and invite them to create their own speeches. Whether it’s a reading at your ceremony or a toast at the reception, now is the perfect time to set up a Facetime and tick this off the list. Planning the speeches is a beautiful way to get your family and friends involved and excited for your wedding day. It can also be a great reminder for what’s to come as we wait for restrictions to be eased.
Photographer: @danny.milo // Bride: Elle // Designer: d’Italia
HOST A VIRTUAL BRIDAL PARTY
One of the most exciting things about planning a wedding is definitely hanging out with your bridal tribe. From dress shopping, to bridesmaid dress hunting, to picking a theme and researching décor ideas; planning a wedding without your bridesmaids, just wouldn’t be the same. With current restrictions in place, we know this can add a massive damper to your wedding planning. Bring everyone together over a virtual video chat, to speak about all things wedding-related. Share a glass of champagne from the comfort of your own home, whilst researching and discussing the most exciting day of your life. Get your bridesmaids involved by setting up fun activities and tasks, from picking their favourite floral bouquets, to sending you pictures of their favourite bridesmaid dress ideas, to voting on a colour, venue or theme etc. In normal circumstances, you might be planning a weekend lunch or girl’s night out, but as we all know, we are currently living in very different times. Instead, host a games night with all your bridesmaids and groomsmen. If you want it to be a wedding related then the wedding shoe game is definitely one of our favourites.
Designer: d’Italia // Photographer: Madeline Kate Photography // Bride: Gabrielle Lopser
