As a rare, low-key eldest child, I hadn’t given my wedding much thought until I got engaged last summer. Don’t get me wrong I’d thought about it, what girl hasn’t, but I hate being the centre of attention and all I knew was that I wanted something relaxed but that still felt special, and with all of my best friends and (pretty big) family there…. I didn’t want anything cookie-cutter, or out-of-this-world expensive.

When I first searched for wedding inspiration I was underwhelmed with the same repetitive options for outfits, but when I dug a bit deeper I started noticing smaller, cooler brands that were much more inline with my ideas for me and my bridal party.

Then when it came the venue, the opposite problem occurred and every venue on earth was an option - how do you begin to narrow that down? So from one bride to the next, here is my cheat sheet to get you through the long days of planning and hopefully give you some new ideas.

A cheat sheet to a chic (and budget-friendly) wedding