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The essential guide, which will be exclusively distributed free of charge to all visitors to The Bride Show Dubai from 8 to 11 April 2009 at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre, covers more than the basics; the book offers trusted information, tips and enlightening ideas for the bride who wants to create the most magical day of her life.
Highlights include the guide's Budget Tracker, which helps a couple with budgeting by organising detailed lists of expenses to help alleviate exceeding estimated costs for their wedding.
The Absolute Wedding Planner, compiled by Sangeeta Kumar, Managing Director of Absolute Weddings, a wedding planning business in the UAE, has a list of questions for couples to ask prospective venues and photographers, a guideline to ensure that the reception is to their specifications and that no crucial moment will be missed on camera.
The planner is an indispensable resource for any bride-to-be, as it also includes pages to keep track of guests' details, notes on the formalities of getting married in the UAE, a guide to themed weddings, stationary comparison charts, a diamond appraisal section, a reception seating chart and a month-by-month checklist to highlight the major to-do's and timeframe of planning a wedding.
Daphne Cota, Exhibition Manager for The Bride Show, said:
"The Bride Show Dubai is the perfect launching pad for The Absolute Wedding Planner and I know so many of our visitors will welcome this help."
"Women will have the ultimate resource for planning their perfect day as they visit a show with the richest selection of wedding services in the UAE. Absolute Weddings are experts in their field and we are certain that any couple will benefit from their experience and insights," Cota added.
Top Tips for the Perfect Wedding:
By Sangeeta Kumar, The Absolute Wedding Planner
- Top 5 Ways to Keep Costs Down
1. Call Your Friend With the Fancy Car: Everyone has a friend known for his 'cool car'. Enquire around and ask a friend or relative to act as your chauffeur for the day.
2. Competitive Gown Shopping: When you're on the hunt for the perfect dress, gown stalls at large events like The Bride Show Dubai are great. Often, the best designer gowns are marked at competitive prices favourable to suit every budget.
3. In-Season Floral Arrangements: Choose 'in-season' local or regional flowers instead of importing exotic blooms from distant lands. This could slash your floral budget by 50%.
4. Do-It-Yourself Wedding Favours: Wedding favours needn't drain your resources. Opt for fun ideas like CDs with the couple's favourite songs or the soundtrack from the reception. This is a DIY idea, and works as a wonderful token of appreciation.
5. Spring and Summer Weddings: Seasonal weddings are always in demand, and rates in the UAE tend to be higher in the winter holiday period. If you go for a Spring or Summer wedding, watch venue rates fall and your overall budget shrink sizeably.
-Top 5 Ways to Alleviate Stress
1. Hire a Wedding Planner: Hiring a wedding planner will save you the stress and worry to get everything done within your timeframe and to fit your budget. Even if you don't want a wedding planner to organize everything, hiring one to make sure everything goes according to schedule on the big day will greatly ease your stress.
2. Do Not Procrastinate: Definitely pace yourself, but equally, don't leave everything to the last minute. Certain elements of a wedding need to be planned and confirmed in advance, so following a timetable is important. Organise your home and workspace so that you always know exactly where things are and you won't have to go through the stress of losing things.
3. Have a Rehearsal: A rehearsal is necessary to ensure that no unpredictable mishaps on your wedding day.
4. Emergency Kit for the Big Day: Your emergency kit should consist of all the things you might need for the big day, in case a minor problem emerges or a necessity is left behind. Include band aids, Panadol, moisturiser, hairspray, tissues, deodorant, a hand mirror, mints, lipstick, sewing kit and bobby pins. This way, no matter what, you have everything under control and won't need to stress on your wedding day.
5. Make Time for Your Fiancé: In the excitement and anxiety of planning a wedding, don't forget the real reason for your nuptials: to be joined in matrimony with the one you love. Make sure you spend some quality time with your groom-to-be.
-Top 5 Colour Schemes for 2009
1. Fuchsia and Navy
The contrast of a bright, intense pink with a stately navy blue can give a wedding an air of class and elegance with a nod towards experimental taste, fashion-forward thinking, and stylish fun.
2. Brown and Champagne
Brown hues are as elegant as the classic black, but bring a sense of warmth, perfect for weddings, and champagne hues of dusky gold convey instant glamour and sophistication.
3. Bright Yellow
Evoking canaries, sunflowers, lemons, and sunlight, bright shades of yellow are friendly to the eye and always catch attention, but most importantly, convey an overarching sense of happiness and tranquillity that fits well with the wedding day as one of the happiest days in a couple's life.
4. Purple
Violet, lilac, lavender, indigo, aubergine: whatever the shade, a purple theme nods toward nobility and ancient grandeur, but is also surprisingly fresh and different.
5. Black and White
Great for weddings that want to convey a sense of classic, timeless elegance, or alternatively for stylish contrasts with a modern, edgy feel. This combination works especially well if you're getting married in one of the UAE's grandest hotel ballrooms.
The Bride Show Dubai takes place from 8 to 11 April 2009 at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre.
Siba Sami Ammari
