WIN the dress of your dreams with our monthly competition!

If you don’t know by now, we at the Wedding Dress Factory Outlet run a monthly competition on our Facebook page, where brides-to-be can win a designer wedding dress of their choice from our store. Or, if they’ve already visited the outlet and found their perfect dress within the last year, we’ll refund their purchase*!

Entering the competition is simple – just visit our Facebook page, click that little LIKE button. Then look for this month’s COMPETITION QUESTION on our wall and add a comment with your answer. April’s question is all about colour schemes – we want to know what tones and shades you’ve chosen for your wedding theme. And if you’ve been to the Wedding Dress Factory Outlet and want to write us a review or recommendation, then you’ll receive an extra entry to the competition. Couldn’t be easier!

Designer Wedding Dresses by Anna Sorrano

We stock over 700 discount designer wedding dresses – all of the highest quality from top designers and brands. We also have an exclusive range of  Anna Sorrano wedding dresses, a stunning contemporary line of bridalwear for modern brides at affordable prices. In fact, nearly all our wedding dresses are priced between £150 and £400, so you’re sure to find a gorgeous bargain whatever your choice.

And even better … be in for the chance to win your wedding gown and spend your dress budget on something else! Exotic honeymoon, anyone? Good luck, and if you’re not lucky this time, remember to enter our Facebook competition next month too!

* Up to a value of £400. The majority of our wedding dresses cost less than £400 – saving you up to £1500 on their full price!

Win a Designer Wedding Dress Every Month! is a post from: Wedding Dress Factory Outlet

So, what’s the best way to organise your guestlist and make everyone happy?

Well, first rule of guestlist compilation is that you’re never going to please everyone, and you have to draw the line somewhere, so be prepared for putting a few noses out of joint. However, if you approach it in the right way, you might be able to avoid all-out family war!

Guestlist Fundamentals

Your main points to consider are:

- Budget - When it comes down to it, you can only invite as many people as you can afford. Don’t be pressured into inviting more – stick to your guns and simply tell any determined extras that there’s just not enough money to accommodate everyone. Budgetary considerations include: space at the reception and venue, food, cake, drink and favours.

- Venue - Your venue will give you a maximum number that they can accommodate, so let that be your strict guide (and an excuse when you’d rather not invite certain people!). It might seem obvious but please finalise arrangements with your venue BEFORE you decide on your guestlist! Now there’s the option of inviting a small crowd to the actual wedding ceremony itself, and then an extended group of guests to the reception. You’ll still have people who are offended they can’t come to both, but at least you can invite everyone this way.

- Equality - This one’s a doozy. Do you invite all your colleagues, or just a few close ones? Do you invite your cousins, but not your partner’s? How do you make your guestlist fair? If you have similar sized families and groups of friends, then it’s best to split your guestlist equally between you and your partner. If one of you has more family than the other, then you may need a more unbalanced split, but keep the fundamentals the same. Start with your immediate families and work outwards: Parents, siblings, grandparents, significant aunts/uncles/cousins and close friends. Then choose carefully from the remaining spaces. Some people like to split the available spaces between the bride, groom and their parents, so that your family get their own say on who comes (and on their head be it if that great-aunt doesn’t get an invite!). Don’t feel because someone invited you to their wedding that they have to come to yours – when it comes down to it, you need to invite who you really want to share your day with.

- Conflict - Every family has ‘em – members who just can’t get along. Perhaps your parents are separated and your mum can’t stand your step-mum. Maybe you have siblings who can’t help getting into an argument whenever they’re together. An uncle who thinks he’s Michael Jackson when he’s had a few too many? There’s no easy answer to these issues, but try your best to keep your cool, gently remind people that this is a special day for you and your partner and you’d prefer if there wasn’t any drama.

With those things in mind, let’s start from the beginning. Before you announce your engagement beyond your immediate family, make sure you know what size wedding you’re going to have. If you start telling all and sundry about your wedding before you’ve decided on how many people can actually come, you might have some embarrassing moments ahead, explaining that actually, no, we can’t invite you, you and you…

Tips and Tricks

So, you’ve booked your venue, started looking for your perfect wedding dress, you have a general idea of who you want to come – what next?

- Save-the-date - Send out save-the-date notes, either via email or post, detailing the date and location of your wedding. This helps people book time off/flights/accommodation if necessary, and helps you to know early on if people are likely to come or not.

- Make  a Spreadsheet - Yes, highly geeky, we know, but it really will help. Divide it up into sections for guests invited by you, your partner and your families if appropriate, and note down names, addresses, contact numbers and each guest’s response. Later you can add in their meal preferences and accommodation details if necessary. A colourcoded spreadsheet will make it really easy to see if  you have any extra spaces, and help you keep on top of RSVPs.

- Have a Backup Plan - It’s safe to assume that up to 10% of your guestlist won’t be able to attend, so have a list of people in reserve that you can add to the invitation list.  When you get your invites printed, get some extras with blank spaces for adding names to, that you can send out to your ‘B’ list. It’s also a good idea to order one or two extra meals on the day, in case you have some very late arrivals who never replied!

- Be Specific - If each invitation includes a ‘plus-one’, make sure that’s clear. If you’re only inviting the person named on the invite, make sure that’s clear! If you don’t want children at the wedding, make sure that’s clear! If you’re inviting some people to the reception only, make sure that’s clear! Is that clear?

- Cut the Crowd - Ok, so we always end up with a few people at our wedding who we’ve never even met, but when organising your guest list, there are a few tips to try to avoid an entire crowd of strangers! If one or both of you don’t know the guest personally, then put them on the ‘maybe’ list. If you’re short on space, think about cutting the ‘and guest’ part of your invitation. If certain family and friends live a significant distance away, keep them in reserve – they may not want to travel all that way anyway. Adhere to the all-or-nothing rule – if you can’t decide between colleagues, or old school friends and don’t want to offend anyone, either invite them all, or none of them.

And finally…

Try to enjoy it! Planning your wedding should be exciting, after all! Spend an evening with your partner, get some tasty food in, a nice glass of wine and brainstorm your list. You’ll find that the first 30-50 names you put down are your nearest and dearest, so as long as you’ve included all of them, you should be happy. If you’re getting grief from pushy parents and friends, stick to a rehearsed line such as: “We’re sorry, but the venue can only fit X amount of people,” or “We want an intimate wedding with just our closest friends…” or “If we invite any more, we won’t be able to afford to get decent food/drink!” (Always a good one – no one wants to buy all their own drinks at a wedding!)

And if you’re really under pressure, then why not organise a cheaper post-wedding party or night out for all those you couldn’t fit onto your guestlist. If you arrange it at a restaurant or bar, everyone can pay for themselves and you can still get to celebrate with everyone.

Wedding Guestlist Tips is a post from: Wedding Dress Factory Outlet

We stock over 700 discount designer wedding dresses, offering savings of up to £1500 on brand new, highest quality designer gowns by well-known designers in a range of styles. And don’t forget to visit our Facebook page for the chance to win a designer wedding dress every month!

Wedding Dress of the Week 41 is a post from: Wedding Dress Factory Outlet

• Chocolate is loved by everyone. How about a chocolate fountain instead of dessert or as an additional feature?
• Bouncy castles are simply great fun. (Do check that they are insured for use by adults.)
• Giant garden games such as Twister, Snakes and Ladders, Jenga and Connect Four are loved by children and adults alike.
• Sky lanterns can be set off in celebration of your marriage or in remembrance of loved ones who can’t be there.
• Casino – let your guests have a flutter and try their luck at roulette.
• Hire a magician or caricatuirst to entertain your guests.
• Create a quiz around the theme of your wedding, you as a couple or your favourite game show.
• Hire a photo or video booth
• Karaoke – perfect if you love having a sing-a-long!

Fun ideas for your wedding reception is a post from: Wedding Dress Factory Outlet

We stock over 700 discount designer wedding dresses, offering savings of up to £1500 on brand new, highest quality designer gowns by well-known designers in a range of styles. And don’t forget to visit our Facebook page for the chance to win a designer wedding dress every month!

Wedding Dress of the Week 40 is a post from: Wedding Dress Factory Outlet

We stock over 700 discount designer wedding dresses, offering savings of up to £1500 on brand new, highest quality designer gowns by well-known designers in a range of styles. And don’t forget to visit our Facebook page for the chance to win a designer wedding dress every month!

Wedding Dress of the Week 39 is a post from: Wedding Dress Factory Outlet

You don’t have to be a Footballers wife or a be marrying a prince to enlist the services of a wedding planner. In today’s society we have our grocery shopping delivered and get someone else to do the housework. So why not employ someone with plenty of knowledge to do all the behind the scenes work to ensure you have your dream day.

What you require from your planner is ultimately down to you. Whether you want them to locate you your amazing venue or do plan everything from the wedding, reception and honeymoon. For many couples they choose to hire a wedding planner simply for the fact of not having enough time themselves. They are particularly helpful if you are getting married on a shorter time scale, if so with our huge range of discount wedding dresses available to purchase off the peg make sure you come visit us! If you are a bride getting married overseas then it makes sense to have someone who knows all the contacts and formalities involved to do the leg work for you or perhaps your a bride who feels totally overwhelmed by everything that a wedding involves.

The cost of an organisers services can vary some will charge a flat fee rate whereas others will charge a percentage of approximately 10-15% of your overall wedding cost. Other planners may charge by the hour with some setting a minimum fee amount or you may be charged individual payments by task. Do ensure you discuss how they wish to be paid and their costs before you agree for them to work with you. Any costs and fees should be agreed upfront and should be put into writing or a contract.

Ideally when looking for a wedding planner you should opt for someone who has been personally recommended to you. Alternatively you can find them via the Internet or through advertisements place in bridal wear magazines. When choosing check that their own style and individuality is a reflection of your own by browsing through their portfolio of other weddings they have planned. Do ask for references and contact numbers from previous clients to check they were happy with the service they provided.

Wedding Planners – do you need one? is a post from: Wedding Dress Factory Outlet

We stock over 700 discount designer wedding dresses, offering savings of up to £1500 on brand new, highest quality designer gowns by well-known designers in a range of styles. And don’t forget to visit our Facebook page for the chance to win a designer wedding dress every month!

Wedding Dress of the Week 32 is a post from: Wedding Dress Factory Outlet

“The brand new bridal collection by Anna Sorrano brings you a range of contemporary designs made in beautiful soft taffeta. The styles range from simple elegance to flamboyant tulle and lace with care give to the smallest detail. Attention has been focused on exquisite styling as well as ensuring that your gown as excellent fit and dress structure.“

Our range of Anna Sorrano wedding dresses are available to view on our website. Anna Sorrano gowns are exclusive to the Wedding Dress Factory Outlet, and as with all our gowns, you are able to purchase designer quality at wholesale prices. Please contact us if you like what you see and we can find out if we have it in stock for you. With over 700 discounted wedding dresses to choose from and our stock constantly changing we are confident that we can assist you in finding your perfect wedding dress.

Wedding Dresses by Anna Sorrano is a post from: Wedding Dress Factory Outlet

The beautiful blonde bride looked striking in an elegant ivory wedding dress that was designed exclusively for her by Australian Bridal Wear designer Jane Hill. Her A line wedding gown featured a delicate overlay with straps and was complimented with a matching veil that was sat in the back of her loosely curled hair. The look was completed with a pair of dazzling Jimmy Choos and a classic posy of cream roses. Her ship broker husband opted to wear a navy tailcoat and contrasting pin striped trousers, finished off with a pink tie.

As they kissed at the end of the ceremony there was rapturous applause from the guests and lots of tears from the bride’s father and 26 year old brother Sam. During her interview with Hello! magazine Holly said “Dad cries at anything, even adverts. My brother, Sam, was even more emotional – he was literally uncontrollably crying. Blubbing his eyes out.”

Although a huge fire destroyed the Great House on the famous island back in August the couple were under no disillusion that their wedding was to still go ahead. Talking to the magazine, she said: “Because it is such a dramatic environment, you don’t get a sad feeling on the ruins, it’s more of an uplifting, wow, a feeling of celebration and a time to reflect. It’s definitely our special place and it looked absolutely beautiful, even thought it was still very rustic – there are still piles of rubble – it was dramatic. And it’s stunning because you’re at the top of a hill so there are incredible panoramic views.”

Even though on the wedding day a tropical storm hit the island the guests were not going to let anything get in the way. When a boat ferrying guests from another island was unable to moor due to high waves they dived into the sea and swam to shore! The wedding had some royal attendees – Princess Beatrice and her sister Eugenie, choosing to decline the Queen’s pre- Christmas lunch invitation.

Celebrity Wedding Dresses – Holly Branson is a post from: Wedding Dress Factory Outlet