#adviceforbrides

Your wedding day is one of the most exciting times of your life. You’ve finally tied the knot and have married your best friend. Now that the wedding planning is over, it’s time to start focusing on your marriage. We spoke to relationship expert Rachael Pace from Marriage.com to get her top tips for a healthy and happy marriage…

Even those living a happy married life know that relationship issues are bound to happen every once in a while. Silly arguments about who forgot to fill the ice-cube tray and different ideas about what to do on a Friday night are common, but they shouldn’t overwhelm your marriage. That’s why it’s so important to learn the best tips and tricks for having the best marriage possible. Your wedding and reception were beautiful memories. But they were just the start of your journey as a newly married couple. That’s why we’re showing you the top 5 tips for a happy married life. Never Stop Dating Each Other Quality time is essential for maintaining a happy and healthy marriage. Studies show that married couples experience greater happiness and less stress during the time they spend together. Couples who make regular date nights a priority will see endless benefits. Research done by The National Marriage Project shows that couples who have a regular date night saw a spike in communication and sexual satisfaction. Date nights prevent boredom in the relationship and give you a chance to get together, flirt, and make one another feel special. Research also suggests that those who make date night a priority are less likely to get divorced! The more time you spend with your spouse, the closer you will become. Studies about lasting marriages reveal that couples who treat each other like best friends and view their marriage as a special, sacred institution are happier than those who don’t.

Healthy Communication is Key Communication is the backbone of any healthy relationship. It’s how couples get to know each other better, how they avoid relationship boredom, and how they learn to problem solve effectively. Studies show that staying curious about a partner boosts marital satisfaction. So, in order to build your communications skills, you’re going to need to start talking. Talk about life. Ask questions about your spouse’s upbringing, their thoughts and feelings on certain matters, and generally keep getting to know one another. As unpleasant as talking about money can be, it is essential to figure out your finances if you want to avoid relationship issues in the future. Be open and honest about debts, earnings, and find a budget for your marriage that works for both of you.

Explore Common Interests Build a great foundation for the rest of your marriage. Studies show that shared activities with your spouse promote marital satisfaction. Couples are happier when they are sharing hobbies and activities together. The longer you are in a relationship, the more routine your lives can become. Sharing hobbies with your spouse will give you something new to bond over and will strengthen your connection over time. Some examples of common interests you can have together are: Start exercising together Take up a sport Start sailing Go fishing or camping together Take up painting Travel together and write a blog about it Start a ballroom dancing class Start cooking exciting meals together Take up photography Take a class together Learn a new language Not only will these activities give you and your spouse something to do and to bond over, but it will also teach you patience and cooperation. Express Your Love for One Another One of the best things you can do to make sure you’re building a healthy marriage is to express your love for one another regularly.   One of the most basic ways of doing this is to express yourself verbally. Studies show that the more physically intimate a couple is, the more likely they are to express their love for one another verbally. Tell your spouse how much you love them. When you do this, be specific. Instead of saying, “I love you!” try citing examples like, “I love how patient you are with me, even when I get frustrated,” or “I love that you always know how to make me laugh.” Citing these specific instances will make your expressions of love more meaningful.

Make A Happy Marriage Your Priority As mentioned at the onset, date night is a great idea for couples looking to spend time together. A weekly date night is also great for new parents or for couples who have hectic schedules, since it gives you time out together to relax and reconnect on a romantic level. Part of spending quality time together means putting your phones away. Schedule an hour each and every day at the same time when you turn your devices off. This will allow you and your spouse to give each other your undivided attention. As newlyweds, it’s important to build healthy relationship habits. Make quality time a priority in your lives, explore common interests, look for ways to show gratitude for one another, and build up your communication skills. These will help you to avoid troublesome relationship issues and have a happy married life. However, problems are inevitable in a relationship. While most of them can be resolved between the couple, some problems need to be resolved exclusively by experts. If you ever hit a roadblock that you can’t seem to overcome, seek help from a marriage counsellor.

Looking for the ultimate romantic wedding theme? If you want a wedding day which is truly special and romantic, we think a Valentine’s day wedding could be for you! Whether you want to tie the knot on Valentine’s day itself, or just want to theme your day with love and red roses, here’s all the inspiration you need for the perfect V-day wedding!

Bouquet of Roses Nothing says ‘Valentine’s Day’ like a beautiful bouquet of roses. Whether you go for classic red, dainty white, or pretty pastel pink, opt for a gorgeous rose bouquet to emphasise your theme. Flowers are a wonderful way to enhance a colour scheme, so have some fun with your floral arrangements to create a V-day inspired bridal bouquet.

Balloons Instantly up the fun factor with some red, heart-shaped balloons. Perfect as venue decor or as a gorgeous photo backdrop, this stylish idea is a wonderful idea for a Valentine’s Day-obsessed bride. However, if you’re planning on letting them go, make sure you choose biodegradable balloons so you can be a stylish and eco-friendly bride!

Blush Dress Replace your traditional white bridal gown with a gorgeous blush dress which oozes with Valentine’s day glamour. Often associated with Valentine’s day, blush, pink and red are romantic colours which work perfectly for this theme. To match your beautiful blush dress, why not wear your hair in romantic, cascading soft curls to match your princess-inspired look? We are obsessed with this stunning Hayley Paige gown!

Romantic Readings For your ceremony reading, choose a romantic reading which speaks to you. From poems to classical readings, there are endless options to fit any couple. If you need some inspiration for your romantic reading, here are some of our favourite ideas! Wedding Cake When choosing your Valentine’s inspired wedding cake, it’s all about red rose cake toppers and classic white icing. Whether you go for fresh or edible flowers, this is a great way to instantly give your cake a romantic Valentine’s day touch. If flowers aren’t your thing, why not go for a sparkly red ‘love’ cake topper?

Heart-shaped Desserts When it comes to Valentine’s day weddings, it’s all about the little details. To make your theme continue throughout your day, create a dessert table full of love inspired sweet treats! We love these cute heart-shaped chocolate chip cookies, and think they’d be the perfect addition to a V-day wedding!

Love Signs Make your love shine with stunning lights! This popular wedding idea is great for Valentine’s day weddings and make perfect photo backdrops. From classic gold lights to floral table decorations, there are so many ways to include wedding signs in your day and bring some love into your decor!

If you’re wedding planning, then you’ll know that your wedding venue takes up a large chunk of your wedding budget. However, how much exactly do wedding venues cost for the typical couple? We broke down the costs in our Wedding Report, which included data from over 18,000 couples who married in 2017 and 2018, and found out exactly how much to spend on a wedding venue…

How much do couples spend on their wedding venue? According to our statistics, which make up part of the biggest wedding study in the UK, couples typically spend an average of £6,000 on their wedding venue. However, it’s important to note that there are few separate elements you have to take into account when budgeting for your wedding venue.  Firstly, is your wedding venue offering you a package, or just dry hire cost? A wedding package tends to include the catering and drinks built in on top of hire costs, which can sometimes bring the overall cost down. We combined our brides’ data with information from venues on Guides for Brides to calculate the average cost of a wedding package for 80 day guests. Prices ranged between £4,723 and £11,660, for an average cost of £5,234.  However, if you’re hiring your wedding venue on a ‘dry hire’ basis, i.e. bringing in all the caterers and bar yourself, then your prices look a little different. The average starting cost of venue hire was £2,506, going up to £5,071 for an average hire cost of £3,788.

How much does a marquee wedding cost?  Marquees often need to be hired out for a flat fee and then catering and drinks supplied separately. Depending on the marquee size and style, costs ranged from £1,870 to £4,450, for an average cost of £2,980. Bear in mind that you also may have to supply extras such as seating, toilets and heaters! When it comes to catering, there are so many different styles of packages at various price points that it can be hard to calculate an average. Our catering suppliers range from afternoon tea at £6 a head to formal four-course meals at £150 a head! However, we calculated the typical costs of a catering package offered by a venue ranged from £65.53 to £104. This came to an average total of £84.77 per head.