Unbridely - Modern Wedding Planning

Do you think of yourself as spiritual?  Have you ever had a spiritual experience?  Or are you more like my family and have an unnatural distrust of, and take personal offence to, alternative health practices, let alone spirituality? It's funny, but it's just not something that my family has ever really explored or taken an interest in, and yet, I like to think of myself as a spiritual pe...

Let’s chat about wedding vendor meals.   If you haven't heard about them before, you may be thinking: why do I care what my photographer eats on my wedding day? In this episode, I'm gonna share with you:  what vendor meals are, why it’s respectful and more efficient for you to provide a vendor meal for your photographer, videographer, DJ etc., if you need to account for them on your tabl...

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: “Your wedding day goes by so quickly”. And you’re like, what the hell am I meant to do about that?  The answer is multi-day weddings. In some cultures and religions, they’ve been doing it for centuries, but in Western culture, we’re only just starting to understand the possibilities. And this is where Dana and Courtney come in. As owners o...

If you want a simple way to make better use of your family and group photo time, if you wanna save yourself from stress, if you wanna get to your food and drinks quicker, and be in a better mood for your couple portraits, you need a photo captain (or two)!  In today's short and sweet episode, I am chatting with Valentina from Valentina Perez Studio about: the benefits of choosing the right pe...

I’m almost 100% certain that all engaged couples have this same problem. And even though you think it’s unique, that your family is a bit embarrassing, or out of the ordinary, I can assure you that every family has their quirks. You can’t choose your family and often, your relationship with them is not simple either.  It can get real messy real quick, especially when you’re talking about who you’r...

Aaaah, kids; on one hand, they can be cute, while on the other hand, they can be a massive distraction. So how are you going to work out which children (if any) are invited to your wedding?  If you’re planning an adults-only wedding, you might be shocked at how some parents will take your decision as a personal affront.  It’s best to be prepared with some strategies to communicate your decision as...

Money is almost always a touchy topic in weddings, but in the current economic climate there's def an added feeling of pressure and expectations. Making sure you have a wedding budget and are tracking expenses in a way that you are both happy with is crucial to a great wedding for sure, but even more so to the health and longevity of your marriage. So if you're planning the most epic par...

The fear of public speaking, or Glossophobia, is believed to affect up to 75% of the population.  So when your sister, best friend or daughter tells you that they want you to do a speech at their wedding and you’d rather stay at home and pull out your toenails with a pair of pliers, you're not alone. But rather than adhering to the “fake it until you make it” principle, Beth Sherman believes...

You know that one friend that says everything you are thinking, but out loud with virtually no filter? For me, in the celebrant world in Australia, this is Nat Sproal .  I feel like we share the same brain, but while, believe it or not, I'm a little more reserved in saying these thoughts in public, Nat, just don't care.  And it's genius because it's also part of her charm and m...

According to brides.com, the average wedding guest list has around 15-20% of guests who RSVP they’re not attending. So if you've got a 100-person guest list, for example, this would mean 15 to 20 people are not planning on showing up.  So you don't need to add them to your numbers for food, drinks, or table decorations. And when you really think about table decorations, you can imagine t...

Alysia Bridger runs her own Australian wedding and event planning, styling and design company, and has been recognized by Luxe Magazine as one of the top 20 global wedding planners.  She's super talented, warm, and can talk the leg off a chair.  Alysia's experience and vision are highly sought after, and she loves to work with clients, not only to create jaw-dropping events but also to h...

Sometimes engaged couples feel like they don't have a lot of input into their wedding ceremony and how well it goes. That either the celebrant or officiant gets it right, or very, very wrong. But when you have knowledge about these three key parts of your ceremony, you have the ability to affect the outcome and feel more confident too. And this is precisely why my chat with gregarious, dynami...

There are countless different traditions, superstitions, cultural influences and religions that you may want to consider and include in your wedding planning and your day of activities.  But the number one thing that I implore you to consider is:  ‘what does this mean to us’? Because feeling obligated and pressured to take part in traditions or customs you don’t like, value, understand or have any...

Do you want to feel valued, seen, heard, and loved on your wedding day. It’s a no brainer, isn’t it? So with that in mind.. What if I asked you whether, you also want your guests to feel valued, seen, heard, and loved at your wedding? You want that too, right? Jordan Kentris is a Canadian maximalist designer of 15+ years and founder of A Good Day who specialise in one-of-a-kind stationery and even...

Grooms and those who don a suit for a wedding are expressing themselves more and are generally stepping away from cookie-cutter looks. Which begs the question, where and how do you even start? Steven Athinodorou is the Adelaide Showroom & Business Development Manager for Australian made-to-measure tailor, Oscar Hunt . They create and specialise in custom-made attire, personalised and meaningfu...

If you’ve ever heard someone say: “just don’t tell them it’s for a wedding” then you know about the “wedding tax”.  This week in Ep26 of the Unbridely Podcast, your host Camille Abbott tackles the complex world of wedding tax. Through chats with married couples and wedding vendors, Kathryn Adams from Event Law and the summary of a study on the Consumer Perceptions and Pricing Practices for Wedding...

Did you know that some wedding gowns already purchased in anticipation of the big wedding day pre-covid, never got to have their moment in the sun? This was the case for Felicia’s second-hand wedding dress. Over the last 3 years with the pandemic and the fallout of travel bans, lockdowns and social restrictions, there has been a wholesale shift and change in many engaged couples’ wedding plans, ex...

This week I’m sharing the guest interview I did with Yvette Sitters on the Manage My Wedding podcast a little while ago. Yevette is a wedding planner with 22 years of experience, the creator of the Manage My Wedding app, the Manage My Wedding online store and obviously podcast host. She’s a bit of an overachiever, a type-A planner and a family woman. Yvette asked me what I mean when I say “wedding...

“Giving each thing that you do on your wedding day 110% will result in photos that make you feel something.” Wedding photographer, Alex Szczesniak, from Time With Alex , believes that engaged couples can get better wedding photos by doubling down on their intentions and making smart use of their very limited time.    He also believes that wedding photography is a service first and an art form seco...

Every week, newly engaged couples ask me where they should start with their wedding planning. And there are so many conflicting opinions, information and guides available.  So today I'm going to share with you what I believe to be the 3 indisputable, foundational and crucially important first steps you need to take after you get engaged. This is before you go and book anything in, go to venue...

When it comes to your wedding, if you already have kids, it's not about IF they'll be included in your big day, but HOW. They're your world and it makes sense to have them participate in some way, but what are your options? From pre-ceremony activities, to ring security, dog escort to photo captain, if your child is willing, we've got heaps of ideas for how they can be a specia...

I bet you’ve had this vision in your head for years now; You’re livin' it up with your bridesmaids, on endless summer days laughing in the sunshine, sipping cocktails and planning your most magical wedding day.  The reality, unfortunately, is rarely as shiny and perfect as that.  Often one or two of them are a lot less than enthralled, won’t communicate on the group chat you specifically set...

Are you changing your name after you get married?  What are your name change options?  What sort of identification do you need to change your name?   Did you know that it takes the average person who DIYs their name change 8 hours to do the research, paperwork, emails, letters and all the admin needed? And depending on where you live, the options you have for changing your last name after marriage...

Custom wedding design sounds fancy, expensive and unattainable, but whether it's limoncello wedding favours that your grandparents made, a cute way to announce your elopement with your video on a custom USB, or incorporating your most recognizable catchphrase into a lobster roll basket liner, your personality is key to creating a celebration that looks and feels like you and not a bland cooki...

They give you unconditional love every single day and are a member of your family.  Why wouldn't you want to include your dog in your wedding day?  Vet Nurse and owner of I Do Paws , Emily Tromans, agrees wholeheartedly. So if you're just wanting your furbaby for portrait photos or perhaps would like them to bring your wedding rings up to you during the ceremony, after 500 weddings worth...