Even if you haven't made a final decision on destination, if you know you want to go somewhere exotic you'll need to have your inoculations done well in advance. The other thing you need to bear in mind is your idea of a perfect holiday. Whilst you may be happy to spend some time on the beach, your partner may need some kind of sports or activities so you need to find a destination that will cater for both of your tastes.

Last minute deals for honeymoons?

Last minute deals may give you the best bargains, but as this is your honeymoon you might not want to leave anything to chance. The other thing to keep an eye on is the timing of monsoon and hurricane seasons. Whilst the prices may be lower at those times, you don't want to be hiding in a hotel basement or getting rained on during your honeymoon!

Some resorts offer special deals for honeymooners ranging from free champagne and chocolates on arrival to a night of free accommodation if there is a stopover. If you dress smartly so you're more likely to get an upgrade on your flights by letting them know you're on your honeymoon.

Not all resorts are gay-friendly

Some of the well-known tropical resorts only allow heterosexual couples to book so you (sadly) need to check that the one you choose is gay-friendly.

Other practical matters

Order the travellers cheques in good time and note down the numbers in a notebook in case they're stolen, and make a separate note of your passport numbers too in case those go astray. Aim to have all of the paperwork in order at least two weeks before you go, just to make sure you don't go totally grey.

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This is an excerpt from the e-book, to read more practical advice, simply download your free copy of the Gay Wedding Organizer e-book here.

Over to you!

Where are you planning to go on your honeymoon? Is there anything you're worried about, or need help with? If so, be brave and let us know in the comments so we can help!

Who gives the speeches at a gay wedding?

In short: whoever you want to! If both you and your partner want to make a speech, go ahead; when it comes to gay weddings there are no hard and fast rules to wrestle with.

If you are having more than four speeches (i.e. both partners, best man or woman, fathers, mothers) then you might want to consider splitting them over the meal so people don’t have to sit and listen for a long time. The timing is entirely up to you, as is the order – you may want to let the most nervous speaker make their speech first so they can relax and enjoy the rest of the day. Before the meal, spread throughout, before the cutting of the cake, all are viable opportunities – the only thing you need is for everyone to be gathered together.

Practical matters to make your speeches go smoothly

Check if the venue has a microphone and that all the speakers have some water too – people tend to get a dry mouth when nervous. If you have arranged a chreche for the children of guests, you should let them know when the speeches are so the youngsters can be whisked away if you want them to be; it reduces the chance of a crying baby throwing you off your stride.

Give people who will be making a speech plenty of advance notice, and make sure they are happy to speak, there's nothing worse than discovering that they have a phobia of public speaking on the day before the wedding!

General speech making advice

Don't feel that you have to speak for a long time. No speech should last more than ten minutes, otherwise people will start to fidget. Make some notes just in case the nerves get to you on the day and practise it on someone else first if you are very nervous. Don't forget to slow down when you're speaking, and if you can bear it, make eye-contact with people as you talk.

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This is an excerpt from the e-book, to read the extra bits about what is covered in the speeches (like who thanks who), simply download your free copy of the Gay Wedding Organizer e-book here.

Over to you!

Who will be making speeches at your wedding? Is there anything you're worried about, or need help with? If so, be brave and let us know in the comments so we can help!

The simple answer is this: whatever you want to wear is the right combination! If you both want to wear grand weddings dresses, then do! If one of you wants to wear a slick top hat and tails outfit, then wear it! The most important thing is that both of you wear something that makes you feel fabulous.

Focusing on wedding dresses

If one or both of you decide to go for a traditional style wedding gown, there is a lot you can do to make finding your perfect gown easier, and style guides to help you find the best dress for your shape.

It's well worth your while to spend a couple of hours on the internet looking at different wedding dress designs (there are hundreds of sites out there and it doesn't cost a penny). Pick out wedding gown styles that you like and print them out. If you have a wedding planning notebook, paste them in. Wedding gowns are strange in that there are so many different styles that are "in fashion" at once, so you might be spoilt for choice!

Armed with said wedding notebook, the next thing to do is book an appointment at a bridal gown shop, and you can find gay-friendly suppliers in this book.

An appointment is the best way to guarantee that one of the staff are available to give you their full attention, and it is absolutely essential on a Saturday when every other bride in the area is off work too!

Keeping an open mind

It can be nerve wracking to choose a dress as it's for the most important event of your life and is probably the most expensive dress you'll buy. A good assistant will look at the dresses you like and will make a selection of gowns for you to try on. Keeping an open mind in this situation is so important; you may find that a dress in a style you'd never normally consider is the perfect one!

Wedding gowns and the dreaded body shape

There's quite a lot to bear in mind in terms of finding the right wedding dress. Firstly: shape. There are certain styles that suit certain shapes more than others.

Full skirts and tailored bodices are good for people with bigger hips but a smaller waist as the fullness of the skirt hides chunky thighs and bottoms.

If you're tall and thin, go for softer, elegant lines and wide or scooped necklines. For the very petite, something in an A-line, or a design with princess seams is a good bet, with nothing to cut you off at the waist and make you look smaller.

If you have quite a boyish figure, with a small bust and thick waist, you'll look good in an Empire line, preferably one with some fabric gathered over the bust to make it look like there's more there and balance you out.

If you're self-conscious about your upper arms, you can get wonderful jackets with some dresses to cover up them up, and short bolero style jackets accentuate slender waists and detract from small busts too.

The assistants at these shops know all the tricks so it really pays to listen to them. If you're having a winter wedding you could have had a glorious velvet coat or cloak.

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This is an excerpt from the e-book, to read the extra bits about choosing colours and how to avoid underwear disasters, simply download your free copy of the Gay Wedding Organizer e-book here.

Over to you!

What are you planning to wear for your wedding? Are you both going for dresses, suits or something completely different? I'd love to hear from you, so be brave and let us know in the comments!

Self-catering

It doesn't have to be just you of course, family and friends can be brought in to help! If you have the reception at home this could be an option but it takes a lot of planning and borrowing freezer space from friends and neighbours. It is possible though, one of my friends from work did it with great success. She recommended the following:

• Plan well in advance and do practice runs – don't forget to account for increased quantities.
• Divide the burden between willing helpers. (They had 'Team Kate' who did a wonderful buffet for the main course and 'Team Sarah' who made a selection of puddings and the wedding cake. )
• Don't underestimate how much freezer space you'll need, or how long it will take to defrost properly.
• Don't be too ambitious – a sit down meal for anything more than twenty guests is likely to be a big headache.
• Arrange to hire crockery and glasses – don't forget cutlery either.

Another option to consider is seeing whether your local restaurant would consider catering for an external event.

Options at hired wedding venues

Many venues that host wedding receptions offer packages that cover all of the catering requirements, from welcoming canapes to evening buffet. Many have set menus, or several options for each course that you can choose from to make your own menu. It makes it much easier to budget for, and you don't have to stress about anything at all. Plus there's no washing up or clearing up afterwards!

Canapes on arrival are a good idea, they stop the guests from keeling over, don't forget that many may have travelled a long way for the ceremony and not eaten for a few hours. If you have lots of them with the welcoming drinks you might be able to just go straight into the main course instead of having a separate starter.

Simple menus keep most people happy

Whilst it's tempting to pick interesting items for the guest, a simple menu may be the best way to keep everyone happy. Your guests will have different tastes so if you go for simple and popular it may not be the most exciting but your guests will be more likely to enjoy the food. You could always have a more adventurous desert choice.

Don't forget to send out a note with the invites asking guests about any food allergies or vegetarian needs.

Modern buffets are a good option

There's always the buffet option too, they aren't just sausage rolls and vol-au-vents anymore. It gives more flexibility in offering two or three choices for the main course plus a vegetarian option. Professional caterers will know how to organise things so that the queues are kept to a minimum and for hot buffets they often provide staff to serve.

A finger buffet may be good in the evening as guests are less likely to be very hungry if there's been a big meal in the day. It's best to order meals for half the number of guests otherwise there will be loads left over. If you've got a chocolate fountain going too this will be even more likely.

You could go for something a little more different by having a barbeque or even a spit roast if your big day is in the summer but you'd have to make sure that there's a contingency plan for bad weather.

Hiring external catering companies

There's always the option of getting external caterers into the venue, if it's allowed. Check when you make initial enquiries, some consider this if a higher charge is paid for the room hire.

Different catering companies have different ways of costing so when getting firm quotes, be sure to ask for a full break down because some charge more for certain menu choices if they have to use heavy pots and pans. The other thing to bear in mind is that if you use caterers for a marquee wedding, you might end up paying much more as they may need to bring fridges and ovens and generators to power them for use on the site.

Ask potential caterers if they're familiar with the venues that you're considering. If they are, they can often provide good advice on timing, how to lay out the tables and how many people can be comfortably seated.

Hmm, lots to think about, can you feel a list coming on?