18 Wedding Tips on Groom’s Fashion Guide

By Julie Ndagire

Going shopping cab be overwhelming at the best of times but when its for such a big day, you’ll most probably need some help. Don’t feel bad about it, it’ll be far more fun and will prevent stress induced bad buys. This is your big moment too and you want to get it right.

Don’t rush into anything. Take time to read lots of magazines for inspiration. If you’re still not getting anywhere, consult a professional designer of men’s clothes.

With the information from your research set a realist budget for your wedding outfit taking, everything into account and stick to it, rigidly.

Start your shopping well in advance of the wedding (preferably five months), particularly if you’re having something such as waistcoat, frockcoat or star Trek suit made, as your tailor will require lots of warning. The same applies if you are hiring an outfit –you might need to make alternations which take time.

Get yourself accurately measured for everything from waistcoats to suits.

Don’t buy anything tight fitting. It may give you bulges in all the right places but it is guaranteed to become devilishly uncomfortable after all that nuptial nosh and those bottles of bubby.

Buy your wedding shows at least a month before your wedding and wear them in as you don’t want to be begging for sandals at the reception. Not very manly

Coordinate your outfit with your bride’s and maids, by asking your bride for some details about her own dress. Whatever you do, don’t force information out of her or make her spill the beans if she really doesn’t want to. No does mean no, after all.

An ivory shirt looks better than white one which can often look like something you would wear to the office.

Make sure you wash and iron your shirt the day before so that you don’t end up with unsightly, unironable fold marks.

Morning suit wearers (grooms, best men and fathers of the bride, traditionally)
 should remember that cravats are worn by the groom and bestman only. It is ties for everyone else.

Dinner suits and black tie suits are generally reserved for formal evening dos.

Always leave the bottom button of your waistcoat undone – don’t ask why.

Never have a waistcoat matching your tie and handkerchief. Instead, choose a colour from the waistcoat and select your tie accordingly.

If you’re wearing a cravat, ensure you wear a high-necked waistcoat so that the cravat can be tucked in neatly in neatly with minimal fear of escape.

Ensure you trousers are the right length, neither too long or too short and that the sleeves of your jacket allow for an inch of the shirt cuff to be seen.

Your buttonhole should be made of the same flowers as your bride’s bouquet.

On the morning of the ceremony, don’t go the pub as way of solving wedding jitters. Go have a professional shave and manicure instead. The way you’ll be just as relaxed as if you’d downed a couple of pints. Your hands will look simply lovely when you exchange rings.

Morning wear is not in only suit. Take on board every style of jacket available – from a lounge suit  to a frockcoat or Nehru-style jacket but, above all, wear something you will feel comfortable in.

How to Achieve that Unique Wedding Look

By Betty Among

Hairstyles the world over has without a doubt undergone a dramatic evolution over years. In fact, some of the look like they might belong in the faraway future. Interestingly (and and perhaps rather thankfully), the really weird one in terms of extravagance, flamboyance and colour, have not yet quite made it onto the bridal scene.

Plaited styles are another unconventional way to do bridals hair. The favoured style is the minute braids, only plaited a little way off the scalp, leaving the ends straight, giving the stylist more options to work with on the day.
Braids can be left long to style into a chignon or to achieve a more flowing cascading hairstyle. They can also be cut short into any length of bob.
The easiest braids to style are the ones plaited with human hair,  but there are also synthetic styles out there that will hold a number of styles pretty well.
Braided styles, like dreadlocks, will make the transition from wedding day hair to honeymoon hair smoothly, without any unsightly messes that tend to resemble a bird’s nest. This is common with hair which has been weaved and bonded with extensions.

Short natural hair
I once tended to be a bride-to-be who wore her hair short. The very first time we met, what struck me about her was her considerable height (which helped her carry her distinctly pear shaped body beautifully), and her incredibly stunning face. I also remember thinking that no hairstyle would suit her better than the one she wore. Fast forward to the actual wedding day many months later; and there I was standing in front of a bride almost in tears. I had gone by to deliver some last minute items and was shocked to find the natural hair ‘gone’, and in its place a jet black, dead –straight human hair piece that had been fashioned into a short fringe with a lot of detail going on at the back. The

Look was not her at all and took away from her great beauty. I knew it, she knew it, but alas! It was too late to do anything about it because it had been bonded and heat-sealed onto her own hair! It turned out well-meaning older relative had convinced this bride that no bride kept natural hair on her wedding day. Needles to say, the bride’s day was off to a bad start…

When choosing your hairstyle for your wedding day, the trick that will ensure you look radiant and beautiful is to stay as close to your ‘regular’ style as possible. Only consider adding a bit of ‘glam’. For instance you could texturize your short natural hair, just to give it abit of polished sophistication. Add a trendy fascinator for that extra pizzazz.

When you are completely comfortable with your hair, make-up and everything that completes your entire look, it will show in the way you carry yourself and without knowing it, you will exude a radiance that no bride should be without on her special day.

Dreadlocks
That is not to say that wedding day hair has not also had a few non-traditional changes of its own. After what seemed like ages of seeing straight wedding hair styled into one up-do or another, I was pleasantly surprised to see a lovely bride with beautifully styled dreadlocks featured on the cover of every magazine.

Many times, dreadlocks have been frowned upon in our conservative cultural society, and even now, they enjoy a love-hate relationship with most people.

But the number of young ‘corporate’ women wearing their hair in dreadlocks (whether genuinely-grown or cleverly crafted), is on the rise; so much so that whereas before, a brie either chose to conceal with a wig or more drastically, cut off her dreadlocks, for fear of ‘offending’ the in-laws and other elders; today’s bride will wear her dreadlocked hair with pride on her special day.

A bridal Kit- What it must contain.

By Julie Ndagire

What happens if the zipper of the bride’s gown snaps open? If her gown gets a tear? If her make up is washed off by a drizzle or if her hair is blown by the wind? Would she face her guests with a shabby look? Here are items to include in the bridal kit that can be carried by the matron to fix mishaps.

Bridal Kit

Needles and Threads
These help to fix a tear neatly. Ensure the threads are in colours of the gown, changing dress and theme colours of the maids’ dresses. You do not need whole rolls of thread just a metre rolled on a piece of paper is adequate.

Spare buttons.
In case the bride’s gown has buttons, they are needed to replace buttons that fall off.

The handkerchief
The matron can use it to dab sweat off the bride’s face and prevent the foundation from running.

Facial Bloating Tissue
Used to remove excess oil as the day progresses leaving the bride’s make-up fresh. Tissue can be used by pressing your lips together in between. This helps to keep the lipstick on longer, then apply lip gloss.

Feminine wipes for freshness in the nether regions.
Body wipes to clean the bride’s hands
Perfume. A vail of scent is light to carry and allows the bride to freshen up in the course of the day.

Safety pins. These come in handy when buttons and zips come undone.

Brooch. There is a stylist who swears by this accessory. She plays around with it on the lapel of a jacket, on dresses below the shoulder blade and as a fastener on a belt made from fabric. You can use the brooch to disguise a coverup a tear near the shoulder.

Hairpins. These help to keep hair in place and neat.

Sanitary pads. These are needed for emergency, you never know when the bride’s periods might start. Even for brides with a regular cycle there have been surprises the excitement a wedding brings may cause the bride’s hormones to act up.

Pant liners. These are useful if the bride just ended her period or if she gets a light flow.

Fabric Glue. Can be used to stick detail on shoes finished with fabric incase the bow falls off

Makeup kit. As long as the matron can expertly apply make-up then this is a necessary tool. Include lip gloss, eye liner and eye shadow. Make up enhances bride’s features.

Compact powder. This is preferred to foundation because when you keep applying
The latter often, the face will look caked. However, the compact powder should be recommended by your beautician.

How to tame your bride and be gentle and loving about it.

By Julie Ndagire

The bride is one of the most reverend persons in human socio-cultural settings. It is the objective, or so it would seem, for every girl to one day be a bride.

This peculiar idea seems to pervade all cultures across the globe, with a consistency that is rather impressive; “One day, little girl, all lights will be on you; the world, for a little while, will be your oyster. In fact, for at least 24 hours, as for you are concerned, anything goes and at the end of the night, you will be married to your prince and leave for a beautiful gold-tinted future…”

So we go and create a little pocket of expectations in these sweet, often innocent young little thing, and they grow up into reasonable adults with one worrying schizophrenic flaw typified by a thought running thought out their minds; “I will rule with an iron-hand on my wedding day.”

Between the time she says, “Yes” to your marriage proposal and the time you sweep her away into the honeymoon suite with the Do Not Disturb sign attached to the door knob, you need to understand that you are holding a ticking bomb in your hands.

So how do you, the slightly bewildered groom, deal with this one rational young lady that seemed like the ultimate soul mate before the count-down to wedding date actually started, now seems to be about as insane as a nuclear explosion in Siberia? (It might sound extreme but there is a reason why wedding planners often refer to brides a ‘bridezella’)

After chatting with a few grooms that have walked down the aisle over the last 10 years or so, and me being involved in a number of weddings, I have decided this tentative blue-print, seeing as the subject matter (the bride) is an often volatile and highly unpredictable phenomenon.

Five ways to Tame your bride
It is advisable to say yes to atleast 90% of the suggestions that wife to be comes up with. This is an unfortunate but basic truism of the bridal process. She has already said yes to you went down on bended knee (or in case you did it by text message). Because she said yes, she figures you owe her an alarming number of yeses in return, and these will include but not be limited to:
a) The guestlist, which will triple in number, atleast;
b) Cake, which will be large enough to feed a small police force (if you are lucky)
c) The colour theme, which will include colours that you will probably be hearing about for the first time: azure, hot pink and lavender (and yes, lavender is apparently a colour!);
d) A bill from the salon that rivals the bill from the caterers (be particularly careful about this bill, and say yes with a firm casual nod of your head ; it’s a minefold)

Keep away from her
Women don’t just get cold feet; they take it to extremes, and sometimes get feet so cold, you would think they were Eskimos on leave. Stay as far from your bride as possible, and try to keep yourself busy with something. Different time zones would be ideal but if you cannot manage that, at least let her stay at her mom’s or something; she is so volatile, trying to figure out whether she has made the right decision or not that one single fight, one tiny disagreement over whether the centre-piece should have carnations or roses and the wedding is off.

Do not let her handle the budget
Women are wonderful with money; they save it well, use it well, and are generally favoured by banks…except when it’s their wedding question. If she helps you put together the budget, it will end up looking like the expense spreadsheet for a small (but rather wealthy) country. Leave other important details to her (she can take months agonizing over the décor and the dress, not much damage possible there), but letting her decide where the engagement ring is coming from or choosing the honeymoon destination is sheer madness.

Befriend her friends
Remember all those friends of hers you couldn’t stand? Now’s the time to find as many allies as you can; take them shopping, have tea with them or something equally appalling but make them your friends, fast! They will hold her hand, wipe her mascara when it runs and help keep her from running off into the night like Julia Roberts Wannabe (remember Run away bride) in case the whim overtakes the poor stressed-out dear thing.

Surprise Her
Keep somethings about the wedding away from her. Maybe it’s a guest artist singing a ballad she loves; maybe its an old childhood friend whose ticket you paid for so she could fly in to attend the darned thing; Keep something pleasant away from her, so when she is getting cranky and a little fidgety at the reception (those bridal gowns are not as comfortable as they look), you can get her smiling again.

It pays to have a smiling bride, my friend…and then maybe, just maybe, you will head for that gold-tinted happily ever-after without further incident.

12 Wedding Tips with no Regrets

By Julie Ndagire

Like most women. Glenda has been dreaming of her wedding since she was a little girl. But now that it’s around the corner, she is weighed down by all the things she needs to to to make her wedding the fairtale that she has always wanted. She never thought that planning a wedding a wedding could be such a headache. From the day her fiancé popped the question, the great elation she felt has since dwindled to near distate for the big day.

Nobody said that planning a wedding would be easy but many brides and their grooms don’t expect it to be so overwhelming. Once you zero in into the details, there is a lot to plan for. Apart from the real work, there is the money aspect of it.

Weddings are getting more and more expensive and the bigger your dreams is, the bigger the budget. Many a couple find themselves weighed down by planning and the stress actually impacts other aspects of their lives especially the relationships itself; with brides turning into ‘bridezilla’ if they are not getting their way.

It is possible to have a wedding and still keep your keep your head about you? Can you plan your wedding without alienating your family, friends and most importantly your fiancé? Yes you can. Here are tips to help you plan.

Do not procrastinate
From the moment you know that you are getting marries, start planning, Rogers Kisitu of forever events says that you need about a year to plan your wedding. “These days, you need about a year to book your church venue and even people getting married. You might get the church booked but find that the venue of your desire is unavailable on that day. That is why I would advise couple to start a whole year in advance so that they avaoid any disappointments or be forced to have their wedding during the week,” he says.
Spreading out on your planning overtime will also ease the burden of it so get on it as soon as possible.

Ask for help
Tell your friends what you envision your wedding to be like and ask them to help you come up with themes, colour schemes and other ideas. You will get more wonderful ideas with a little help.

Social media
Utilise social media to plan with your committee. You can have an e-mail group or facebook page where you can keep your friends updated with your planning and also get ideas from people without having to meet in person. This gives people time to contribute to your day in their free time without hassle.

Plan & Budget
Once you have set the date for the wedding , draw up a plan , a kind of timeline to guide you on planning for the big day. Once you have listed all the things you will need to do, put them down on the timeline so you have a spefic time allotted to a specific item.

Also, make a budget and stick to it. Pelga Origasha of Dashing Tale Events acknowledges that weddings are getting bigger each year, with couples breaking the bank to fund weddings they can’t really afford.’
“Stick with what you can afford so that you can avoid unnecessary stress, “ she says. “I would advise brides to do research beforehand and put a price on all the things they want like the gown, hair, nails, makeup etc. So you have a distinction on what you can afford and what needs to be out on the wedding budget for the meetings.”

Limit service providers
The less people you have to coordinate, the better. Kisitu of Forever Events say if you can get several services from one provider, utilize that opportunity. For example, get a venue that can a venue that can also provide the tables, chairs, linen, lighting, music and PA systems and even food plus drinks. This way, you will get a discount easily and also minimize the number of contacts.

Get a wedding planner
If you should shoulder the expenses, hire someone to shoulder the burden for you. Good wedding planners are available these days to help plan your wedding. Don’t feel like you are abdicating your role to someone, you can still make all the big decisions but she/he will work out the details. Pelga says that they are especially important in identifying the best service providers and can even get you good deals.

Me time
When you feel you are getting stressed out, take off time to exercise either by running, walking or going to the gym. Pelga advises brides to also use this time to have a facial and nails done months before the big day. A massage with your bridal entourage could also help release some stress. Also, by keeping fit and maintaining a healthy diet, you will have more energy to expand towards your wedding preparations while you are also keeping in shape for the big day.

Be flexible
Sometimes you might not be able to afford your dream wedding but it is not the end of the world. You should b willing to work within your budget. If you can’t have lilies, settle for roses. If you can’t afford expensive band, get a cheaper option. Remember that the wedding is only the beginning of the rest of your life.

Be realistic
Sarah Akwi says she had six months to plan her wedding but all pleasure she felt came from herself or fiancé.
“A wedding is special but it is about two people who are in love and have decided to make a commitment to each other and that is what matters most. We have such unrealistic expectations of the wedding day that we make it bigger than it really is. Think of it as a beautiful, important but fun day”, she says.
Once people look at a wedding more objectively, they will be less stressed.

Delegate
Managing wedding stress is all about understanding just how much you’re capable of handling and in turn, recognizing when you’re way in over your head. “Think critically about all the tasks you have on your plate relating to the wedding, everything from meeting with the decorator to compiling the guest list. While some things will obviously have to be handled solely by you, determine what task can be delegated and enlist close family members, friends and your bridesmaids to help execute all those finicky details,” says Pelga.

As the wedding draws closer, your committee should take over all responsibility and liaise with the service providers. You don’t need people to be calling you on your wedding day.

Time for Each Other
The stress of planning and money worries can put a strain on the relationship, or limit your time spent with your together. Purpose to spend time together not talking about the wedding – not easy but achievable. Always remember that the end goal is the marriage not the wedding day only.

Benjamin says the last month to his wedding was nightmare that had him and his fiancé fighting to no end. Two weeks to the  to the wedding, he called up his fiancée and drove them to Entebbe to spend the day at the beach. They laughed off the stress and came back determined to enjoy the rest of the  their time.

You can’t please at all
“It is your wedding. Friends and family members especially parents often want to have a say in your specially day. Try to remind them that you and your partner are the ones getting married and be firm with this,” says Pelga. You cant please your old school parents who want traditional dancers and also your friends who want traditional dancers and also your friends who want guest artistes at the wedding without breaking the bank. This might mean putting your foot down.

As you plan for your wedding, there will be some stress but you can decide how much it affects you. There is nothing like the perfect wedding; so don’t kill yourself trying to be perfect with every details. So exercise, rest, play and enjoy the planning. You are the star of your wedding so don’t let the stress dull your shine on the big day

Procedure for Church weddings

You have one opportunity to take your vows in an unforgettable ceremony, surrounded by your loving family and friends. Getting married will change your lives dramatically.
Change can be a good thing, but amidst all the excitement, you will need to feel emotionally calm and safe to be good to one another and to continue to love one another. Be one another’s soft place to fall, protect, encourage and look after one another.

A church is the ideal place to get married: there is a solemn atmosphere; it creates a dignified backdrop with heavenly organ music. You dedicate your lives to one another and to God, the strongest ally in all the world.
This is different from a birthday party or a reunion or an office party. This is the real thing! The contrast between the solemnity of a church ceremony and the jollity of the reception will add a special sparkle to the event.
The minister
Ask the minister to discuss the exact order of events during the ceremony with you. Remember to pay him and to invite him and his wife to the reception.
The minister will probably advise you to attend a premarital adjustment course. Invest in such a course it really is worth the effort!
Inform the minister in writing about who will provide any musical items, as well as the name of the composition and the composer.
The verger (a church official who acts as a caretaker and attendant and looks after the inside of a church, usually including the furnishings and the vestments) Book and discuss the day, date and time of your wedding with the verger well ahead of time. Ask him for information about all fees that have to be paid (the verger, organist, minister, etc.). Arrange a time for the rehearsal.
Rehearsal
Arrange a day before the wedding when the bridal group, verger, minister and, if possible, the choir can rehearse at the church. Make sure that everyone concerned knows exactly what will happen when.
Order of service
Include the names of the minister/officiant /priest, organist, choir, other soloists, composers and even the bridal retinue (if there is room) on the printed order of service. References to the readings, music and the words of the hymns that are to be sung should also be inserted.

Who sits where?
The bride’s family and friends sit on the left in the front of the church, the groom’s family and friends sit to the right.
When everyone has taken his/her place about five minutes or so before
the bride enters the bride’s mother enters and sits down in the first or second pew from the front. She keeps a place open next to her for the bride’s father along the aisle.

The order of events
The bride and her father drive to the church together she sits in the back of the car at the right, with her father to her left. He brings her into the church walking to his right: this is the place of honour. Her left hand rests on his right forearm, but she can tuck her hand into his arm if she needs a little more support.

The bride’s entrance is a dramatic moment: the guests rise, the organ music rings out joyously in a wedding march or another classical piece.

The groom and the best man wait in the front of the church. The bride’s father gives her to the groom at the end of the aisle. The bride stands in the centre, her father kisses her on her forehead or cheek, he and the groom shake hands (he tells the groom to treat his new wife well) and the bridal couple walk forward to the centre, right in front of the marriage officer.


The bride and groom do not touch. Once the minister (who must be a licensed marriage officer) has said ‘Take each other’s right hand’, they exchange rings and hold each other’s right hands. Only then should she take his arm (unless either of them needs more support before that moment!). After the blessing, the bridal couple, the minister and the witnesses sign the register. Then the bridal group leaves the church.

The bridal group leaves the church in the following order:
The bridal couple in front, followed by the bride’s mother walking out with the groom’s father to her right, then the groom’s mother with the bride’s father to her right, then the retinue.

The flower girls leave the church before the guests do so that they can be ready to distribute the confetti at the doors.

The photographer and videographer
A video and wedding photographs of the ceremony are precious mementoes. However, you need to agree with the minister and photographers about when the pictures are to be taken and how many will be taken.

Arrange a meeting between the videographer and the photographer sometimes they can get in each other’s way unless they have made some
prior arrangements. So, for example, the one can take the lead once, then the other

Tips on How to Avoid Children Ruining The Occasion

Many couples have relatives and friends with children who are cute as a button, or maybe even children of their own. Typically these children become flower girls and ring bearers which make a charming addition to any wedding party. However, their adorable ways can turn into antics fast without proper planning. If you are planning on having children in your bridal party, the following are a few tips to make sure that your pint-size guests meet your expectations.

A child loves to be the center of attention but today is not the day. In order to make them feel special take a few moments to show your appreciation. Before the ceremony, take a few pictures with them, tell them how cute they look, and give them a special gift just as you would the rest of your wedding party.

For those ceremonies not taking place in the morning, make sure your flower girl and ring bearer take a nap. No one wants a cranky child. Other pre-ceremony musts are using the restroom have to go light snack to avoid hunger, a double check of clothing for stains, go over directions, and give praise. Give them confidence and reinsurance so they do not freeze when all eyes are looking at them walking down the aisle.

Prevent children from being uncomfortable by providing a snack before and after the wedding ceremony. Choose snacks that will not make a mess nor stain clothing; crackers, string-cheese, and sugar cookies, and small bottles of water, are a good choice. Package treats in coordinating bags, embellished with ribbons and personalized name tags. Prepare treats for more than just your flower girl and ring bearer; other young children (if invited) will also become antsy sitting through the ceremony. Designate a parent or older child to pass out the treat bags.

Even though the flower girl and ring bearer are part of the bridal party, they may not be the most patient when standing during the vow exchange. Let them sit in the front row during the ceremony. Make sure that their parent or grandparent can motion them to take a seat beside them. Then let them rejoin the party during the processional. Also make sure that the child’s parent or another family member is prepared to scoop up the child if a tantrum breaks out. It is not the most ideal situation but knowing that someone is prepared well give you peace of mind.

Another widely accepted tip is to have fake rings attached to the pillow for the ring bearer to carry. Depending on the age of the child, younger children have a tendency to drop and loose things. Give the real rings to the best man and maid of honor.

After the ceremony can be the most important time to give the children notice. This is a time of celebration when all the attention turns to the bride and groom. Children can sometimes become confused on what to do next. Give them a hug, thank them, and let them know that you will see them later if you have decided that children will be allowed at your reception. If so, save them a dance!

Hopefully these tips help you start brainstorming on what to expect and how to be prepared for your younger wedding party guests. It may seem like a lot of work but it will save you a lot. You will t hank me when the wedding is done and it is a success