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Your Wedding Questions Answered

With more than 10,000 weddings under her garter belt, Bridal Events Australia founder, Director and leading wedding specialist, Mary-Anne Lowe knows exactly what it takes to be a winning player in the cut-throat industry that is the Australian wedding market - by simply giving brides exactly what they want.

Mary-Anne had an exclusive chat with Yahoo!7 Finance to answer some of the most commonly asked wedding questions. With her advice, you'll be sure to avoid any unpleasant surprises leading up to your big day.

1. How long in advance should I start organising my wedding?
Between 12 - 18 months depending on the type of wedding you are having, for a small intimate cocktail wedding, this can be organised in as little as 2 - 3 months, whilst a large formal sit down reception for 800 requires a little more time and planning.

2. Do I need a wedding co-ordinator? I thought only rich brides could afford this service?
Wedding Co-ordiantors can be great to assist you with the overall wedding budget, and by shopping around you will find that some co-ordinators will save you much more than the fee they charge you, and you don't have the stress of all the planning by yourself.

3. I need to plan a budget wedding. What are your top tips as to how I can prevent blowing the bank?
Save money on the not so important things. Ensure that you sit down with your partner and parents as soon as possible and ask if they are contributing. Couples find this to be hardest thing about the whole planning process, but instead of blindly hoping for a miracle, you can budget knowing exactly who is paying for what.

4. I would love to go on a romantic honeymoon but can't afford an over-water bungalow in Bora Bora. Any ideas?
If you can afford to get to Bora Bora, why not indulge one night in an overwater bungalow? There are lots of other honeymoon ideas that won't break the bank, but will still provide a romantic getaway for the two of you. If you want to stay in Australia, head up to North Queensland and indulge in Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas, or head up to the Whitsundays and spend a week on a secluded island. For those brides who are desperate to honeymoon overseas there are some great packages to Fiji/Bali/Phuket and you will find that you can get special offers and upgrades if you mention the word honeymoon. Another option of course is to budget your honeymoon first and work back from there!

5. What are those hidden costs that I should look out for?
Lots of little costs will add up in the last few weeks, so I would suggest booking and paying for small things as you go - Anything under $500 should be booked and paid as soon as possible, it also saves another trip to the same supplier in the last week just to drop off a payment. The hidden costs would be shoes, hosiery, last minute decorations, cake knives, cake bags, name cards etc.

6. What are your views about interstate or overseas ceremonies?
Overseas and interstate weddings can be a cost effective option for a small group, and are great if you have family and friends who are willing to travel to the wedding at their own cost. Many guests who say yes at the excitement of travelling to a wedding may not be able to as the day draws closer. The key thing to an interstate or overseas wedding is to plan early, get invitations out at least 12 months ahead (or even a save the date card) so that everyone can save and plan - the best bit is that you get to party with your friends and family and you are already at your honeymoon destination.

7. My dream dress costs over $5,000. I really can't justify spending this amount on a dress I wear once. What can I do?
The cost of a wedding dress can be a very large piece of the wedding budget, shopping online is a great way to research dresses, and compare prices. If the supplier is not within your price range, look for and off the rack dress of a similar design or shape and have it altered.
Another options would be to search for a bridal wear pattern and have the dress created from scratch, this can give you a great opportunity to add your own touches to the final gown.

8. What do I need to pay for when it comes to my bridesmaids and flower girls?
A lot has changed about who pays for what over the past 10 years, and this is one of the hot topics! If the parents are paying for a wedding, the bridesmaid would normally pay for hair and make up, shoes etc and the parents pay for the dresses. With over 50% couples paying for their own wedding, it has become the norm for a bridesmaid to pay for their own dress, shoes and hair and make up. This should be discussed when choosing bridesmaids so that there is no suprises. Traditionally the bride would give the jewellery to the bridesmaids as a thank you gift and they would wear it on the day.

9. How do I avoid becoming a bridezilla?
There is nothing wrong with a bride wanting what she wants, and by being clear in your expectations, this will ensure you are not branded a bridezilla. Remember to be reasonable, if you cant find shade 304 organza ribbon, but 305 is nearly the same don't drag your 3 bridesmaids to 12 shops in 4 suburbs looking for it! Don't stress the little things, instead look at the big picture and go from there.

10. Can you share with us your favourite wedding project you have worked on?
Favourite wedding project is easy! We did a magnificent wedding in North Queensland where a couple had travelled from England to get married, along with 40 family and friends. They were onsite in the resort for 7 days and had the perfect wedding, great food and a fun relaxed atmosphere, creating a wedding that I will always remember. Its not always about how big and grand a wedding is, but how memorable the night was and how special the guests fell to be a part of such an important event.

11. Can you share with us your most nightmare wedding project you have worked on?
Worst wedding project can be summed up in a few lines
80 guests flying into a remote island, cyclone on the horizon, planes not able to land and wedding had to be re located to the mainland. Over $150,000 had been spent to bring all the family and friends to the island wedding and then they had to have a reception at a local club as it was the only place not flooded by the imminent cyclone. As the bride was quite demanding and had planned everything down to the position of chairs on the sand, she was very unreasonable to deal with (and you can understand why)...

For more information, visit www.bridalexpos.com.au

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