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After weeks (of often stressful) wedding planning both brides and grooms are often in need of some rest and relaxation away from the mood-boards and wedding checklists. Hen and stag parties have certainly changed, from the days when a quick drink down their local pubic house the night before the wedding to huge big budget overseas blowouts.

But as with your wedding day, the pre-wedding party should be your choice and you certainly shouldn’t feel forced into an elaborate night out that doesn’t suit you. Hen and stag party experts GoHen.com and StagWeb.co.uk give us a quick insight of what’s trending in the world of pre-wedding parties.

It’s the night before the wedding and you’ve planned everything down to a tee: the venue looks amazing, the groomsmen and bridesmaids have their outfits pressed and ready to go and your flowers are due to arrive at 10AM sharp the next day. Now it’s time to take some time out for yourself to ensure you’re relaxed, calm and ready for the big day.

1. Take some time out “The night before take some time to unwind and treat yourself to a leisurely soak in the bath” suggests Georgie Cleeve, Founder of OSKIA nutritional skincare.

Planning your wedding can be one of the most stressful periods of your life so it’s important to keep your nerves in check as you put your wedding plans into place.

Maxine Stead, founder of health and wellbeing spa Alexandra House, advises how you can stay stress-free to ensure you’ll not only enjoy the big day but also take your good health on your honeymoon and back home again to start your new married life.

Creating balance is important for both your mind and body. If you don’t look after yourself, you’ll get run down and risk becoming ill, or you’ll turn into the dreaded bridezilla and stress out your nearest and dearest as well as yourself! Worse still, you may become disorganised and forget about something crucial.

Thackeray Music supply string quartets/trios, harp or piano for weddings, corporate events and special occasions with the best professional musicians in the North West.  We can even supply a complete orchestra!

The players work with top orchestras, including the Halle, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Opera North.  They have played as backing musicians for Alfie Boe, Katherine Jenkins, Russell Watson, Texus and Mark Ormond.

We play in venues ranging from Cheshire to Cumbria, Derbyshire to Lancashire – anywhere in the North West and West Yorkshire.

Alanis Morisette sang about it, couples have nightmares about it and for many people, rain on your wedding day is a bad omen.  However, we are here to tell you that showers on your special day can actually be the perfect backdrop to a romantic occasion. 

Here, we talk rainy weddings and how to make the most of the bad weather by turning it into something spectacular.

In the current austerity climate each day we learn about another activity that can be done for less without compromising the experience. Weddings are no different; it may be the biggest day of your life but it no longer has to be the most expensive.

The catering bill is usually the biggest chunk out of the budget and is therefore an easy target for shaving costs if you put your mind to it. Many people plan in advance and opt for self-catering, with a trusted team of loyal friends and family members pitching in. Also, professional caterers will be happy to provide as much or as little of the food as you wish, meaning a hybrid event is equally possible.

My name is Sophie Thwaites and I am the proud owner of Just The Way You Are; the only dedicated plus-size bridal boutique in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Many people in recent years have asked me why I have decided to leave the well paid profession of accountancy and put everything I have into being a business owner. To answer that question, I have to take them back to my early teens when my journey began.

On the last day of the summer term, I was travelling to school with my Dad and sister Lois, when suddenly we were hit from behind by a pick-up truck. Initially we all thought we were ok, so Dad took the insurance details from the driver and we continued on to school.

As the excitement around your big day begins to mount, the endless tasks and boxes to tick can mean that some important aspects of the day are at risk of being neglected. Whilst there’s probably been countless hours spent selecting the perfect wedding dress, arranging the seating plan and choosing romantic floral displays, the groom’s outfit is often at risk of being given slightly less time and attention.

Whilst it might not be as big a talking point as the dress (many assume a suit is simply a suit), the groom’s suit should complement the colour scheme and the feel of the day perfectly, and careful thought should be given - not only to the groom’s attire - but to that of his party as well.

Traditional summer weddings have dramatically changed over the past few years, with the Bride & Groom looking for that little something that will make their big day stand out. Instead of choosing a drink for each part of the event, such as wine with dinner, champagne with the toast, and cocktails at the after party, wedding drinks have become more focussed on the personality of the happy couple.

Summer drinks of the moment include sparkling champagne mimosas, sweet mojitos and ice cold beer. For something non-alcoholic what about sparkling lemonades and fruity mock-tails… how does watermelon sound?