In order to recession proof their nuptials, many couples are choosing to design and create their own wedding invitations.

One craft shop in Morningside in Edinburgh revealed that the dramatic upturn in demand for materials to create DIY wedding invitation had facilitated an increase in sales of almost one third over the past three months.

The company, Daintree Paper offers a wide range of materials and even offers over the counter advice on making wedding invitations.

Daintree Papers Manager Stephen McMahon commented:-

“You can cut costs in half, or even less on top of that if you want to want to make them the cheapest possible way.

In the last six months in particular there has been a definite swing in the level of business we are getting. Saving money is one of the biggest reasons for people making their invitations themselves.

We have had quite a few customers saying they want to cut back on costs and they are always delighted at how much they can save. Weddings are notoriously expensive so if people can cut back on some of that then they will, especially now.”

One local bride to be, Laura Calder revealed that she had saved somewhere in the region of £500 by making her own wedding invitations. She said:-

“It’s a fair saving and it means we can make it a bit more personal as well.”

One of the focal points of any wedding reception is the wedding cake.

Before you decide on which vendor you are going to use, there are a number of questions that a bride to be should have answered in order to make an informed decision regarding which cake designer will get her business.

Here is a short list of questions to ask any vendor before making your decision.

• Does the vendor have a portfolio of wedding cakes which can be viewed, either online or can a copy be sent in the post?
• Are there a number of set designs with set prices or is each cake bespoke?
• Does the vendor offer tasting appointments so that you can ‘try before you buy’?
• Is it possible to hire extra items such as stands, tiers, cutters and cake toppers? If they have to be purchased make sure that the cost of each item is clarified.
• Remember, the fresher your wedding cake is, the better it is likely to taste, so be sure to ask how far in advance will the cake be made before the day of the wedding.
• If additional cakes are required find out if these will be charged per slice, and if they will be delivered pre-wrapped and at what cost.
• Will your wedding cake be delivered (and at what if any additional cost?) or will you have to collect it, and if so, when? Bear in mind if you cannot collect or have it delivered on your wedding day, you will need somewhere to store it.

The worldwide credit crunch doesn’t yet appear to have deterred couples in the UK from tying the knot, but as global predictions for the 2009 economy hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons, many couples are sure to be asking themselves if it makes financial sense to marry at the moment.

But even in a struggling economy it is possible to have a wedding without sending your finances into a cold sweat, and the good news is that a stylish wedding needn’t necessarily be a hideously expensive one.

A simple tip is to make sure that the bride and groom look good, making sure that the focus of the day is on them, and keep the remainder of the wedding clean and simple. Remember the old adage less is more? Well now is a great time to apply that proverb and an uncomplicated and simple ceremony will likely be remembered as elegant.

Planning your wedding during a recession might even save you money! As others prepare to extend their engagements and postpone their nuptials, it is likely that wedding vendors will be more open to negotiations in order to secure your business, and there will be deals to be had. Venues are likely to be more flexible where dates are concerned, and again some will even reduce their prices in order to fill their calendars.

If you are planning to get married one of the things that you are required to do before the ceremony can take place is to secure the correct documentation.

For example after you have given your notice of marriage you will be required to produce proof of identification for both you and your fiancé.

A passport, birth certificate or driving licence are considered ideal identity proofs, although certain other documents are acceptable, your local registry office should be able to confirm which other forms of ID they will accept. (This includes supporting documentation if either party has legally changed their name by deed poll).

If either party has been married previously whether in the UK or in any other country, documentation to confirm how the marriage ended must also be produced.

If bride or groom has been divorced in England or Wales, the original and final divorce documentation or the Decree Absolute is required, and if either party has been divorced in another country, final divorce documentation must be produced, including an English translation of the papers if necessary.

In the event that either of the couple to he married has been widowed, the registrar will need to see an original copy of a death certificate.

Lastly, if you or your intended are under the age of 18, the written consent of either your parents or a legal guardian is necessary.

When planning at romantic winter wedding for the month of December, it could be worth considering holding a Christmas themed wedding.

And planning a Christmas themed wedding might not as difficult as you’d first think.

It is likely to be a little on the chilly side in December! Consider a wedding gown which incorporates faux fur or a faux fur hand warmer. A long velvet cloak or cape in a dark, rich colour wouldn’t look out of place during the festive season, and holly of mistletoe would both look great as buttonholes.

Many venues will already have their Christmas decorations up and this could save you time and money. You should allow at least a year to prepare for a Christmas wedding and many of the decorations and accessories can be purchased at discounted prices the year before in the January sales. If you plan your ceremony for a few days after christmas it isn’t likely that the venue will be booked up, and you might be able to negotiate a discounted price.

If possible, visit your chosen venue the year before your wedding over the festive period. This will give you an idea of how the venue will be decorated at the time of your wedding.

Another idea might be to have a beautifully decorated Christmas tree as a focal point at your reception. Under the Christmas tree would be a great place for your guest to leave your wedding gifts.

Catering for your reception will be incredibly simple - choose a traditional Christmas lunch with all the trimming and festive desserts such as mince pies or a traditional Christmas pudding, served with mulled wine.

TV and radio presenter Dominik Diamond has revealed that he plans to have nationwide bakery chain Gregg’s cater for his wedding bash in January.

38 year old Dominik, who is best known as the host of XFM radios breakfast show and as a columnist for UK newspaper the Daily Star plans to marry his fiancée of 10 years, 41 year old Phoebe Sicks in Edinburgh in the new year, before they emigrate to Canada.

Dominik told a national newspaper recently:-

“It’s good old-fashioned Scottish food - and it’s what I’m going to miss most about life here.

There’s so much pressure on folk to serve up some posh Gordon Ramsay-inspired guff for their wedding receptions.

But I reckon they’re daft. It’s Gregg’s all the way for me and Phoebe.”

I’m going the full Monty — I want pies, steak bakes, sausage rolls and bridies at my do.

I also want folk to experience how great the mighty yum-yum is - and how the apple turnover just melts in the mouth.

I’m planning on serving them up on silver platters and having French language descriptions of what the scoff is.”

After professing to his love-affair with Gregg’s, Dominik went on to reveal that it was their Cornish pasties that got him hooked.

Whilst a wedding is more often than not a combined effort between the bride and groom and their family and friends, the honeymoon is often a decision simply between the bride and groom.

A honeymoon should be the perfect start to married life; it will enable you some down time and help you to relax after the weddings, and will provide you and your new husband with some private time together before the practicalities of married life kick in.

As such there are a number of points to consider when planning for and booking your honeymoon, here are just a few:-

Budget - Decide early on, exactly what kind of honeymoon you can afford. Your wedding will likely have put you under some financial pressure, so there is no point planning an all inclusive fortnight in the Maldives if realistically all you can afford is a weekend in Brighton

Holiday type - Consider your perfect honeymoon from both points of view, its no good booking a relaxing beach holiday if your partners idea of a great holiday is hiking up a mountain

Freebies - When you book your honeymoon, make sure that your hosts are aware that you are newlyweds. You may be upgraded to a superior room at no extra charge or receive a congratulatory bottle of Champagne on the house

Time together - Wherever you decide to honeymoon, make sure that you arrange to spend at least some time together doing nothing at all, whilst you might enjoy sightseeing and exploring your honeymoon destination it is important to enjoy the beginning of your married life together, and this is your honeymoon after all!

Being a bride-to-be can be a stressful time in a woman’s life as can being a Mother-to-be can be, but being both at the same time, whilst exciting is surely enough to frazzle enough the steadiest of nerves.

But walking down the aisle sporting a bay bump needn’t take any of the enjoyment away from your wedding day.

In today’s market, maternity wedding gowns for pregnant brides are not the sack like wedding dresses for pregnant brides of yesteryear; in fact many of them are as elegant and as pretty as standard wedding gowns.

There are now a multitude of styles available to the expectant bride, including off the shoulder and strapless styles to suit any size of bump and skirts vary from empire line, to full skirted and even fitted.

Well-designed and stylish wedding dresses of georgette and lace are being crested with the pregnant bride in mind. A quick scour of the internet reveals well cut feather woven maternity bridal gowns and floor length cocktail style maternity dresses.

If you discover that you are expecting a baby after you have purchased your wedding gown, or indeed have a growth spurt before your big day, remember it is possible to have extra panels sewn into your gown by an experienced seamstress.

After your engagement has been announced, friends and family will no doubt begin to ask you when the big day is.

Some couples will have already decided before they announce their engagement, but the majority will not yet have a date in mind.

There are many options, and simply looking at a calendar will offer many prospective dates, many of equal attraction, but how exactly do you narrow them down?

The first thing to consider is the venue; even the most flexible of brides can be unwilling to compromise in certain areas. If you have your heart set on a particular church or wedding venue, checking out the availability can narrow down the dates naturally.

If you haven’t already decided on a venue or church, there are other way to narrow down prospective dates for your big day, for example if your minds eye sees you being married amidst falling snow, the month of June probably isn’t going be on your short-list, and if you picture a garden wedding under a blue sky, December probably isn’t the month for you!

Another consideration might be the honeymoon. If you have a certain destination in mind, the chances are that some dates will be perfect to travel, but others may see hurricanes risks or seasonal rains, again this can often help you to exclude dates from your calendar.

Your own important ‘life dates’ will perhaps also offer you more guidance than you might first consider. Can you and your husband to be both have the same dates off work? Another thing to consider is the availability of your guests, for example at certain times during the summer months, many of the them may be away on holiday.

If all else fails, try to pick a date that is meaningful to you both as a couple, it might be the date that you met, the date of your first kiss or the date that you became engaged.

Although most grooms would beg to differ, forward planning and good preparation are the key to him looking as happy and as healthy on your wedding day as you, as a bride hope to be?

Male beauty experts suggest that a grooms ‘beauty’ regime should begin around 3 months prior to the wedding day. Particular attention should be paid to the care of hair and skin. Hair should be kept in good condition with regular trims and conditioning treatments to avoid split ends, and skin should be exfoliated on a weekly basis where possible to keep it looking healthy for the big day.

However unlike the vast majority of brides, most grooms do not have the time or the inclination to carry out a beauty regime, even if it is for the most important day of their lives. So we have planned a six day guide to have your groom looking at his best for your nuptials, but one he won’t find too intimidating!

• 6 days to go
  Probably the best time for a hair cut, it allows time for hair to re-grow slightly in case of an over zealous barber!
• 5 days to go
  Pay particular attention to dental hygiene, brush the teeth and tongue at least twice a day to remove the bacteria which could cause bad breath on your wedding day
• 4 days to go
  Go for a facial to ensure that your skin is looking as healthy and fresh as is possible and continue to cleanse and moisturise you skin for the next 6 days
• 3 days to go
  Take care of your body hair! If bushy or unruly eyebrows need to be tidied up, today’s the day. Make sure that nose and ear hairs have been kept in check too.
• 2 days to go
  Feeling stressed? Nervous? Treat yourself to a relaxing massage to calm and invigorate your body and mind
• 1 day to go
  A grooms hands will be looked at on his wedding day more than on any other day of his life, making today the perfect day for a simple man-icure!
• The Big Day!
  Start the day with a relaxing hot towel shave, the perfect way to be clean shaven on your wedding day.