Wedding planning in a pandemic

The man of your dreams has just asked you to marry him, and you can't wait to start planning straight away. Then COVID-19 hits us, and all your plans to visit wedding shops and gather decorations for your wedding day have been halted. I'm here to share with you a few things you can do from your home whilst in lockdown to prepare for your wedding day. You may feel like there's a cloud over your plans, but I'm here to shed a little light and give you a boost. Here are some reasons why amongst the disappointment you can still be excited for your big day.

YOU HAVE TIME I know for some of you planning isn't your strong point, you perhaps started to feel the pressure of the long list of to-dos. You now have time to gather your thoughts, plenty of time to browse Pinterest and maybe put the finishing touches on your table plan. You also have more time for some online shopping for your honeymoon; you can never have enough swimwear, pairs of shoes or a new dress, right? Maybe everything is ticked off your list, and you were ready to get married in a few weeks. Planning your wedding has been a bit of a whirlwind and as much as you would like to say "I do" and celebrate with your friends and family, you now have time to breathe, pause and spend some quality time with your fiancé. You also have some extra time to appreciate all your hard work, because planning a wedding is a huge task and you've done it!

BRIDESMAID DRESSES One of my best friends got engaged just before COVID-19 hit us hard. She was so excited to start planning but has felt like this pandemic has put a dampener on her plans. We had a conversation earlier this week, and she realised there are a few things that she can do from home, especially a few of the points I mention in this blog. One of the jobs started has been to order a selection of bridesmaids dresses to all her bridesmaid's homes to try on (including me). It may not be how she envisioned her bridesmaids trying on dresses, but it's given her something to focus on. I've tried on three different styles this week over FaceTime to her, and we have worked out which dress I will be wearing. It was really fun, and it was so lovely to see a smile on her face.

FLORISTRY You can 100% have a consultation with your florist over Zoom / Google hangout during this time. Start looking at the different types of flowers you would like for your wedding day, and your florist can guide your style and bring your vision to life. Pinterest is my favourite place to go for inspiration. Please check out my Pinterest boards below of some of my favourite florals this season. I'm sure you can find exactly what you're looking for and advise your florist accordingly, Pinterest is never-ending.

> Etheral Flowers - my floral pinterest board

> Botanical Wedding - lots of green and leafy inspiration on one of my favourite pinterest boards

> Naomi Joy Floristry Design - one of my best-friends, my bridesmaid and incredibly talented wedding florist who also did my wedding flowers. I'm biased but she is100% the top wedding florist in the UK. (See a photo of the two of us together on my wedding day above)

GET CRAFTY I understand some of you may not be the most creatively minded, and for others, you love a bit of DIY. If you're on the crafty side or even fancy having a go, make the most of this time by creating your table plan, name places, wedding favours, decorations, invitations and signs. Just think with a little extra time on your hands the styling for your wedding could transform and go to a whole new level.

> Ink & Alder - Event signage and calligraphy

> Anna Jayne Designs - Wedding Stationery & Floral Textile Design

> Crum&Co - Modern Minimal Vellum Stationery & Acrylic Signage.

PLAN YOUR VENUE VISITS You may not be able to visit venues right now, but you can do your research. Make a list of your top five venues and then have your list ready for when lockdown lifts and then make some appointments to visit the venues you've chosen when all this COVID-19 malarky is over.

GIFTS

Most couples like to show there appreciation for specific people and buy gifts for those closest to them. Sometimes these gifts are left till last, and you can feel under pressure to find the perfect gift for your family, bridal party and friends. If you're looking to get a personalised gift, there are so many suppliers on Etsy. COVID-19 has hit some small business owners hard so you can definitely support them during what is a tough season for their business.

Here are some suppliers I used for my wedding day and some of my incredibly talented friends on Etsy:

> Charlotte Mari Jewellery made hand-stamped silver cuffs for myself and all my bridesmaids, I still wear mine everyday. (see photos above). Her Etsy shop is currently on maternity leave as Charlottie has just had a baby.

> The Customise Company - Personalised gifts - I bought my flowergirl and page boy a gift from here and they were such lovely gifts.

> more stores to come...

FIRST DANCE This is one of my favourite tips so far. Why not get creative and come up with an impressive first dance or maybe even practice dancing together. I know it's a little cheesy, but your guests will love it, and I will love photographing you busting some moves. You never know you could have a lot of fun choreographing your first dance together, youtube has lots of inspiration, and some hilarious videos too. I know it's tempting to just Netflix and chill at the moment, but this is something you could have a crack at and get yourself moving while you're stuck in the house.

BEAUTY PREPARATIONS There are so many beauty tips and tricks that you can start to apply to your routine while stuck at home. I have written a blog all about getting beauty ready for your wedding day, here you will find links to all my favourite products and some direction on how you can prepare. We all love a little bit of pampering, so why not treat yourself to some new products, crack open a bottle of bubbly, pop on a face mask and maybe even ask nicely for a foot massage from your fiancé.

> 'My top beauty tips for brides' - and advice from my bridesmaid & beauty therapist Rosie

LET'S GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER It is really important to me to build a relationship with you - if your up for it. Understanding your quirks, any anxieties you have for the day, how you both engage with one another, basically just getting to know you more means I will have more of an idea on how to interpret you as a couple on your wedding day. If you have booked your photographer, get in touch with them, they would love to hear from you and connect. If I'm your photographer how about, we have a G&T or glass of wine over FaceTime or hop on the Houseparty app - which is so much fun! You never know by the time COVID-19 is all over we could be best friends by the time your wedding day comes around.

> Contact Becky - lets setup a Zoom / Google hangout and get to know each other some more. I hope some of these tips have shifted that cloud and reminded you that you can still have so much fun planning your wedding day and enjoy some quality time with your fiancé. I'm sure there are so many more things you can tick off your list from your sofa during this time. I'd love to hear what you've been planning and if I can help in any way with ideas, website links or suppliers you haven't booked yet, then please get in touch. We are all in this together. My favourite thing so far that COVID-19 has gifted us is the freedom to say hi to a stranger. When I'm out for my daily exercise, everyone I pass now says hello. It maybe a time of struggle, but my hope is COVID-19 brings communities together, and we have a deeper compassion for one another.