Sadly, some brides make classic beauty mistakes before their wedding day and have to live with them long afterwards. Every time they look at their wedding photographs. Not something YOU want to be doing.

So here are five key bridal beauty errors to avoid ...

1) Getting tan and having strap marks which show at the neckline of your wedding dress. This is an easy one to forget about until it's too late. I've seen several photographs of brides with visible white strapmarks showing above their dress - and that goes for the bridesmaids too. So if you're trying to get a bit of a glow before your wedding day, watch what you're wearing and make sure your tan isn't going to leave visible marks - you need to have even skin color at the neckline of your wedding dress and you don't want to be trying to patch things up last minute with fake tan. Far better to be careful in the weeks before your wedding when you go out in the sun.

2) Completely changing your make-up. You may lack the confidence to do your own make-up on your wedding day and decide to use the services of a professional make-up artist. In that case, give her plenty of photographs of you so that she can see what your normal look is. You don't want to walk down the aisle looking nothing like your normal self - your bridegroom will get a shock and he fell in love with the way you look - not somebody who looks like a stranger. Oh, and ditch the lip gloss on your wedding day - it's likely to stick to your veil.

3) Overplucking/waxing your eyebrows before your wedding. Again, this comes under the advice given above - don't make drastic changes to your look. If you've never waxed your brows you might have a reaction to the procedure so you don't want to do it just before your wedding anyway. Your eyebrows frame your eyes and are a key part of your face - so don't change them dramatically in the build-up to your wedding. Get them professionally shaped by all means - but don't do anything too much.

4) Having a facial in the week before your wedding. Facials are supposed to wake up your skin, brighten and get rid of toxins. Which means that you're stirring everything up and those toxins are likely to come out in the form of spots and blemishes. (Ewww - not a good look for those all-important wedding photographs.) So have a facial a few weeks before so that your complexion has time to calm down.

5) Dyeing your hair a completely different color, having extensions for the first time, having a drastic hair cut. Again - you really don't want to have something done that you can't change before your wedding day and which doesn't suit you. Certainly, you should have your hair trimmed and deep conditioned so it looks its glossy best but don't become a platinum blonde if you're a brunette (or the other way around). If you must, save hair style explorations for after your big day when the photographs are safely taken.

Have you ever been to a wedding where you a) Didn't recognise the bride because her look had completely changed? b) Heard of pre-wedding beauty disasters? Let us know on our Facebook page to warn other brides to be!

If you're holding your bachelorette party in Fall, then you need to make the most of the season. It may be a little cooler than in summer - so no beach parties - and it may not be cold enough for skiing - but in fact it's a perfect season for being out and about and going places. 

The weather is crisp and clear, probably not too wet so it's ideal for hiking or exploring a city. Here's some ideas for a bachelorette party in Fall to enjoy with your squad.

1. Apple Picking: It's a Fall tradition so why not spend the day in the orchards? This is also a great idea if the bride and groom are doing a combined bachelor and bachelorette party. You can follow the apple picking extravaganza with with a late lunch or early dinner at a nice restaurant nearby.

How wonderfully relaxing does this look? The bride and her bridesmaids will have a fabulous day spent in bliss. Photo by LipstickandLuxury.com

2. Spa Day Pampering: While this can be done in any season, this is always a fun bachelorette party idea. Especially if your bride isn't into going to a club or bar hopping for her bachelorette party. This makes for great bridesmaid bonding and always needed relaxation. My friends and I did this for a close friend of ours for her bachelorette party and it was a total hit. We topped the day with dinner and drinks which made for a wonderful bachelorette party day.

3. A Spot of Tea: This is also a great idea for the bride who isn't into going to clubs or bars for her bachelorette party. Enjoy delicious pastries, scones, sandwiches and variety of teas. You can find various tea themed restaurants in most major cities or you can host one at home with the bride and her maids.

4. An Old Fashioned Sleepover: I don't care what anyone says, girls are never too old for a sleepover. Take everyone back to your middle school and high school days and do each other's nails, watch a scary or chick-flick movie (chick-flicks are my favorite, personally), make delicious but so bad for you food and let the bride enjoy one of the last nights as a single girl.

5. A Night Out with the Girls: If the bride is the type who wants to party, take her to a major city like New York City and rent a hotel room, go to dinner and club or clubs. You can also do a pub crawl and enjoy the night with some great music. You can also take your bride to a Broadway show or comedy show, that will be both entertaining and promise a lot of laughs.

Enjoy a night in a major city like New York City! Eat, drink and be merry with bridesmaids and friends. Photo by Vivienne Gucwa.

6. Toast the Bride at a Winery: Every fall I tell myself I will do more visits to wineries, but I never do. But what a fabulous idea for the bride and her maids! Travel to one winery and have a private party with assorted cheeses, wonderful wines. Or go to multiple wineries and have a variety of tastings and pick your favorite one! (I would recommend getting a party bus or limo with this as well.)

7. A Night at the Casino: Take your bride to the casino where the evening can begin with a delicious dinner and drinks and slot machines. This is always a bachelorette party favorite, many casinos also have clubs and bars in them that will surely complete the evening.

(Image credit David Pascolla)

Want to make sure only crowd favorites are played at your wedding reception? Of course you do. Who wants songs playing that no one wants to hear?!

Who wants songs that make people leave the dance floor en masse? Thought not. 

We've picked out 20 tried and tested pieces of music that will get the party started ... and going on until the small hours. 

Music plays a huge role in any party - it's a real atmosphere and mood builder. 

This list below by no means includes all of the best wedding reception songs, but it certainly will help to get you started. It includes hits for all generations too. (We've ideas for great music to walk down the aisle to here.)

1. Macarena - Los Del Rio. Who can resist? 

2. Vogue - Madonna

3. Blurred Lines - Robin Thicke & Pharrell Williams 

4. Senorita - Justin Timberlake

5. Word Up - Cameo 

6. Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson with Bruno Mars

7. Shake It Off - Taylor Swift

8. Crazy in Love - Beyonce

9. Push it - Salt 'n' Pepa

10. I Feel Love - Donna Summer 

11. Hey Ya! - OutKast

12. Funkytown - Lipps Inc.

13. Stayin' Alive - The Bee Gees

14. September - Earth, Wind & Fire 

15. Blame it on the Boogie - Jacksons 

16. Brown Sugar - Rolling Stones

17. Think - Arethra Franklin

18. Happy - Pharrell Williams 

19. Estelle - American Boy 

20. My Sharona - The Knack 

(All bridesmaid dresses by Dessy)

Remember in the film 'Bridesmaids' when a group of girls meet together for the first time? All they have in common is knowing the bride - and the fact that they are all going to be her bridesmaids. Which makes for a little awkwardness. 

Unless your wedding day party is drawn entirely from friends you and your other half knew at kindergarten school (and have kept up with regularly ever since), it's likely that you're going to be bringing new faces together. And of course you want them to have fun on your big day. You want to break the ice beforehand. 

To help you along we've thought of a few ways to make those all-important introductions

 

A post shared by Emily 🧜🏻‍♀️🌸🌴 (@hey.its.emily.k) on Jul 28, 2018 at 2:10pm PDT

1. A field day

Host a field day (you know like the ones you used to have in elementary school). Have your bridal party take part in tug-of-war, a game of cornhole, three-legged races and pie eating contests. This is a great way to get creative and really allow your important friends a chance to get to know one another.

2. A meal

Breakfast, lunch, brunch or dinner – if a simple meal is all you really have time for, that's fine. Co-ordinate a few hours with your entire bridal party at your favorite restaurant or in your own home that will give them an opportunity to get acquainted.

Pictures like this (with the girls in Dessy's Twist Wrap Dress) are the more memorable when the bridal party has gotten better acquainted! Everybody will be more relaxed (which makes for better images).

3. A sporting event

A great idea for both the men of your bridal party and the women. Co-ordinate a day to see a sporting event like baseball or football or basketball. Sporting events in general bring the unlikeliest of people together in the spirit of the game, so this could be a great way for your bridal party to get to know each other.

 

A post shared by Alana Buchanan (@alanacbuchanan) on Jul 29, 2018 at 7:54am PDT

4. A cookery class

If there are no games on nearby, or the weather is unseasonal or you just want to do something different, then how about asking a professional chef to put on a cookery class for you all. This could be to make a signature dish - maybe homemade pasta - and a dessert. Don't be too ambitious with what is cooked - it's not competitive! You could host the event in your own home if you have room or ask a nearby friendly restaurant if they could help. Then finish off by eating what you've cooked (or have a restaurant meal.)

 

A post shared by Nicola Winfield (@nicola_winfield) on Jul 26, 2018 at 12:44pm PDT

Other ideas are booking a bar and having a cocktail making class. Don't forget to ask along the groom's party too, if appropriate. 

Whatever you decide, having an event to break the ice before the wedding day is almost always a good idea. People can swap numbers, work out their skill sets and get well acquainted before the wedding day itself. Who knows what new friendships will blossom as a result? 

Having an outdoor wedding is beautiful, I've been to plenty where they are just breathtaking. 

• You get wonderful outdoor light
• You can make the most of the scenery
• You can create different atmospheres - in the woods, by the beach, in an orchard

But I've gone to these weddings typically in the summer months when the weather is warm and being outside just makes more sense.

When it comes to having a wedding outdoors, I think it is still acceptable in September. You can even stretch it to October, (well, early October, depending on where you are marrying). Get married later on and you may have to consider a completely indoor wedding, if you live in an area where the seasons change drastically between the months.

Have a fall wedding in October and be aware that you may get the perfect day for an outdoor wedding or you may have to consider some practical alternatives.

Plan an outdoor wedding where guests will just fall in love with the memories you share on your wedding day. Photo by Studio Eleven Photography

Same goes for early spring. April and early May could still be iffy when it comes to an outdoor wedding. The winter season may still be rearing its head and the last thing you want your guests to remember about the wedding is how cold they were.

I don't recommend a beach wedding in April, because in some areas of the country, it is still very cold.  But, if you have your heart set on a certain month and certain kind of wedding there are ways to get what you want.

Making an outdoor wedding possible (when it's a little chilly)

You can rent outdoor heaters where you know your guests will congregate for most of the wedding.

You can also offer the women pashminas and wraps they can take home with them.  These are stylish and perfect for the cooler earlier months of spring and fall. This even works for weddings where the climates don't see a drastic change.

Guests are enjoying this lovely wedding outdoors. Photo by Pasha Belman Photography

I also recommend having the wedding ceremony outdoors and have the reception indoors. That way you get what you want and your guests are happy too.

If your heart is set on an outdoor wedding, take the time of the year into serious consideration. 

Heated tents outdoors will make it easier to have an outdoor wedding as well. Just to flip the thought for a bit, you may also want to consider an indoor wedding when it is just too hot as well. The last thing you want is to have your guests suffer heat stroke.

What a beautiful fall (not cold hopefully) wedding looks like. Photo by Jessica Fike Photography

Nowadays many brides choose to 'theme' their wedding days in a different ways. They might go for a rustic theme, a bohemian mood or even a Marvel-themed day. 

But really one of the simplest ways of styling your wedding day is by color. 

Easy

It certainly makes your choices easier. Choose a color you love and the rest will practically fall into place. 

Here we've picked out some ideas for an apple green wedding theme. It's fresh, simple, classic and perfect for a spring or summer wedding day. There's also plenty of potential out there (you're not going to have trouble finding foliage for a start!)

Love this green apple-themed table centerpiece featured on Martha Stewart weddings. 

Serve color co-ordinated cocktails to your guests on arrival. (Image via Martha Stewart weddings). Find some cocktail recipes for Garden Daiquiris and Rosemary Fizz here.

Use the same shade as much or as subtly as you want.  For your invitations, bridesmaid dresses, wedding shoes, wedding cake... Buy ribbons to pretty up chairbacks, make DIY wedding invitations and decorate your reception tables with bowls of green apples and pears yourself.

Bridesmaids' dresses in Apple Slice by Dessy. Shown on the left Style Social Bridesmaids Style 8159, on the right After Six Bridesmaid Dress 1512

Wedding cake via Pinterest

Your wedding cake is going to be an attention grabber at the reception - so make sure the color blends in beautifully with your scheme. You don't have to go for a cake in a block color - just some subtle detailing or maybe ombre will get the idea across. 

Bridesmaids dresses by Dessy. On the left style Dessy Collection Bridesmaid Dress 3027, Flower Girl Dress FL4058

Dessy offers beautiful bridesmaid dresses in apple green in a variety of styles, so your bridesmaids can choose a neckline, length and design that really suits them. 

When you're talking to caterers and suppliers about your chosen color, you'll find the Dessy Pantone tool really useful (basically it gives you a color swatch to show everybody). You can also ask for a free fabric swatch of a color and fabric you're interested in. 

(Photo via @mauimakaphotography)

Bachelorette party.

Do those two words fill you with anticipation and excitement. Or dread?

Excited and happy because you're going to get together with your squad and have a fabulous time you'll remember forever for all the right reasons?

Or dread because you really can't face spending a load of money on something you don't want to do anyway, being holed up on a spa break when they're not your thing ....

It's your party and YOUR call

Think back to that classic film Bridesmaids where the maid of honor organizes everything just how she thinks it should be ... without really consulting the bride.

And that's the whole point really. It's all about communication.

Whilst surprises are fabulous, you really need to get over to your maid of honor exactly how you want your party to go. And that brings me onto another point. If your maid of honor has a tendency to be a bit controlling, then should she really be your chief bridesmaid anyway? (Read here on why your best friend doesn't necessarily make your best bridesmaid.)

Anyway ... moving on. You need to bring up the subject of your bachelorette event early on before anything has been planned and booked. Here's a few things to think about and discuss.

 

A post shared by KAJA SLODNJAK (@kajaslodnjak) on Jul 8, 2018 at 3:22am PDT

• Finances. Some girls will be on good salaries. Others not so much. (Again think back to the film bridesmaids where one of the girls has to fly off on a weekend she really cannot afford.) So may a luxury spa weekend or a flight off to St Barts won't work for some girls. Remember that what you really want is to have all your besties around you. So chat with your maid of honor about making your events affordable. Maybe adapt a sort of 'pick and mix' approach so that girls can join in all, some or one of the events. You could host a fun dinner at your place on a Friday and have beauticians into visit. Then maybe some of you could go off for the rest of the weekend to a spa break or trip further afield. If you're going to have a spa break, organize something that doesn't necessarily require an overnight stay so that the price is kept down.
• Look at some bachelorette packages to get ideas of prices for different options. Maybe before you decide on anything run a poll with your girls, asking what they'd like to do and what they feel they could spend. Ring each girl up and chat it through.
• Maybe get an AirBnB for a few days?
• Taking time off work or away from children could also be an issue for some of your girls, particularly if they're freelance, work on the weekends or have young children and childcare issues.
• Talk to your maid of honor about how you see your bachelorette party going. If you're a creative, designer-ish type then you could all attend a group cookery class and learn to make something a little unusual like sushi.
• Check that your girls have passports that are up to date if you're planning on going abroad.

 

A post shared by LK Fashionline 🗝 (@lkfashionline) on Jul 27, 2018 at 7:47am PDT

It's a fabulous time of year to get married ...

• You get the sunshine
• You get beautiful colors on the trees
• You get everybody back from their holidays
• You get long, light evenings ... 

September and October weddings fall into the "in-between" category: the end of sweet summertime and the beginning of our creep into winter (eek!). So, what would be the best bridesmaid dress choices for this time of year -  late summer and early fall? We'll help you make the right choices. 

There are four main factors that contribute to the bridesmaids' overall look.

• Fabric
• Cut 
• Color
• Accessories 

Let's talk fabrics 

Early-fall and late-summer weddings can be tricky when it comes to fabric selection. Depending on the climate, it's best to steer clear of satin and charmeuse in light shades - they can show perspiration - and dark shades of dupioni, as it can appear too heavy for a fair weather affair.

How about the cut?

Pick a silhouette (or silhouettes) with a bit more coverage - think one-shoulder, cap-sleeve or a sleeveless v-neck

Colors

For weddings that fall between the seasons it's best to not trend too far in one direction... Nothing too summery or too wintery. Navy, gold, purple, blue, green and silver are great options!

Accessories and styling 

Keep bridesmaid accessories clean and minimal. If you've chosen a strapless silhouette, consider getting your bridesmaid coordinating or matching shawls.

And remember the other golden rules

• Your bridesmaids dresses don't have to match in style - let each girl pick a gown that flatters them
• Necklines can be different, again to make the best of every girl's features
• However, it's best to keep lengths the same, whether you choose long or short
• You don't have to have one color. Choose contrasting colors (in this case autumn shades might be stunning) or a blend of neutrals (like soft blues, blush, greys ...)

Photo credits: All bridesmaid dresses shown above available from Dessy. Thanks to @AmyFanton, @wearethemitchells 

It wasn't so long ago that weddings followed a cookie cutter template.

• You got married in a cream, ivory or white dress that was long, with a veil.
• You wore shoes to match.
• Your bridesmaids wore matching dresses.
• All the bouquets matched (although the bride's would be a bit different).
• Invitations were always black and white script on card.
• The wedding cake was always three tier (or more). 

And so on ...

Image credits: Disney Weddings, Hester Lear on Pinterest

But thank goodness those days are gone and couples getting married now can express their personalities, rather than following a formula. 

It's got nothing to do with budget either. If you're prepared to spend a bit of time and effort finding good ideas on wedding websites and Pinterest, you'll find plenty of inspiration and there's masses of wedding stuff you can do yourself.

Image credit: Brides Up North 

So what's this got to do with your guests and seating plan? 

Well, what we're saying is that you can also have a bit of fun with this most important part of your reception and make it real personal. 

Image credit: Bodas.net

You could just hand it over to your caterers and have a standard board at the entrance to the reception ... but you might want to dress things up a little. 

• Instead of calling tables 1, 2 and 3 - think of some creatively themed table names. They could be the names of your favorite authors, athletes, artists, makes of car or places. So if you and your other partner have done a lot of travelling, the tables could be named after places you've visited: France, Italy, Greece, Bahamas ... you get the idea.
• You could call them after your favorite Disney characters or favorite films ... 

Image credit: June Bug Weddings on Pinterest

Here's a few ideas we've found on Pinterest to inspire you: 

• Find some old keys in a yard store or flea market and handwrite the table number and guest name
• Find an old mirror and write up your seating plan in silver or gold pen (or ask a friend who's studied calligraphy to do it)
• Get old photographs of your friends and put them alongside the table numbers. That will make everyone laugh when they see the board, that's for sure. Maybe some photos from your High School Yearbook? 
• Get some empty wine bottles, print up sticky labels with the guest names and paste them on the bottles. Fill with flowers. Voila and an instant table centerpiece too .. 

Image credit: Want That Wedding on Pinterest

Image credits Etsy, @afloral

Interior designers have known for a while now that the way to make a space special is by using carefully chosen accent colors.

You can have a neutral background - then mix and match with standout shades to add a depth of interest.

And you know something?  You can use exactly the same trick to personalise and style up your wedding day. 

Today's brides often give a nod to the past whilst incorporating elements of contemporary styling into their big day to give things an on-trend twist. 

Image credit Dessy Style 6777 in Vineyard Green

Here are some ideas for using color accents on your big day

• Use the same accent color throughout - say this year's Pantone Ultra Violet - for the groomsmen's vests and cravats, your shoes, the bridesmaids' dresses, your table settings, your flowers - but keep everything else white or cream.
• Have a brightly colored vehicle to take you to the reception from your ceremony.
• Have an all-white reception (if you're a bit of a traditionalist)  - linen, napkins, chairs ... but use your flowers to give pops of color.
• Maybe a colorful tiara?
• Put your bridesmaids in white but give them brightly colored, dazzling bouquets - and they don't all have to be the same shades either. Mix blues, reds, oranges and yellows in different posies.
• Wear jewel-coloured wedding shoes with a traditional white wedding dress.
• Or if you don't want to stick to one accent colour, think about ombre effects - where you use a graduated version of the same colour. Maybe from the most delicate lilac shade down to a deep purple. You can do the same with pinks, reds, oranges and greens

• 
• Image credit Wedding Chicks 

Top tip

Remember that if you introduce accent colors to a largely white wedding, you'll end up with better photographs and videos as it gives the photographer something to focus on. 

Image credit @LauraBodnar, Dolce & Gabbana