Weddings are wonderful, but weddings are stressful - so today's our bridal hair and make up expert Carey Hawkins, shares her insider experience in her Bridal Survival Guide on how to make the most of your wedding planning and wedding day.

Bridal Survival Guide

Weddings - wonderful, magical and amazing events that at some point in our lives we will be invited to or be lucky enough to get married ourselves. But organising a wedding is no easy task. The invites, the caterers, the flowers (and don't forget the make up artist!) the list goes on and over time the planning can become a little stressful.

Being a make up artist I am in the centre of the activity on the morning of a wedding and can see how easily the whole situation can become a little overwhelming especially for our beautiful Brides.

So here are some simple solutions to keep that pre-wedding stress at bay and for you to enjoy your wedding a relaxed and radiant Bride.

• Truth - no wedding is perfect. Impossible, never going to happen. If you accept that early in the planning process then you are well on the way to having an amazing wedding. Only you know all the fine details and no-one else will notice if a napkin is the wrong colour or the fish was cod instead of haddock!
• Use a wedding planner. We all believe we are superwoman (I know I do!) and this is the time to use a professional to take care of all the finer details, supplier relationships and general organising of the day. You can then sit back a little and see that nothing else matters apart from the vows you will say to each other.
• Don't try to please everyone! This is your wedding day and you should do things exactly as you want not how Mum wants it or Aunty Mary! They had their weddings and now they need to step back and respect your wishes and support you even if your table choices are not to everyone's taste.
• Accept that there will be moments of tension and possibly arguments. Deal with these moments better by using some simple 'mindfulness' techniques to keep you and the situation calm. I love the book 'Calm' by Michael Acton Smith. Easy to read and beautifully illustrated.
• Nerves on the big day are normal - everyone experiences them in different ways. Distraction is useful. Chatting to friends, glass of champagne and music are all useful. Remember everyone is there because they love you, support you and want to part of you and your partner's day so take a deep breath and smile before you set off down that aisle.
• Look after you in the run up to the wedding. Take some time every week and designate it a 'wedding free zone' and go and do something just for you and your partner. Have a massage, go the cinema or catch up with friends - no wedding chat!
• Don't forget to eat well, exercise (even daily walking), sleep well and look after your skin to help you look your best and feel great.
• Lastly after the wedding (and honeymoon) is over and you return to normality plan something for the two of you to look forward to, for example a weekend away. After an average year or more planning it can feel a little quiet when you return home.

Carey Hawkins is a freelance make up artist and hairstylist. She is a regular contributor to FWS. Carey specialises in Weddings and lives in France. For more information visit: www.careyhawkinsmakeup.com.