Planning your wedding

We'll be having a separate section about wedding dresses in the future, but until then, here are a few pointers:

• Rule number one: Whatever dress you choose, you will look fabulous. So don't spend all your time, effort and money on trying to get the 'best' dress. Have confidence in your natural beauty, let it shine, and the dress will just be what it should be - a decoration.

• Many dresses look best if they are a few centimetres longer than your legs. If you are wearing platform heels to increase your height on The Day, then of course your dress must accommodate that.

  Give yourself plenty of practise walking in platforms until you feel comfortable. The Day is not the time for experimenting.

• Because the dress is probably heavier, larger and longer than anything you've worn before, it's most important that you practise walking in something that resembles a marquee.

  To practise walking with something that's too long for you, tie a couple of thick bath-towels around your waist so that 10 centimetres of towelling touches the floor in front of you. Now try walking naturally without falling flat on your face. You'll probably find it easier to slightly kick the towels with each step. That's the technique to perfect before The Day. An alternative method is to hoist the dress up with your left hand slightly, but this can be awkward because you'll be carrying a bouquet in that hand. The key - practise!

• Just to reiterate what we said earlier (see Assistants): If you are thinking about a young veil bearer and if you have a trailing skirt on your wedding dress, the child undoubtedly will step on the dress. When this happens, either the child prevents you from continuing your walk down the aisle, or you do continue and the child falls over and starts screaming. It makes an amusing video for later, but is not funny at the time.

Check our veil page. We will be writing much more about wedding dresses in the future. If you have any information you think would be useful for other people to see, or if you have any particular questions about dresses, please write to us at info@seiyaku.com

Most grooms go for a morning suit rather than a tuxedo. Hats are out. Gloves are in, but carried, not worn. If you are wearing a tux, no gloves.

Whatever the groom wears, it must complement the more important bride's dress, so choose the dress first.

Sorry mum and dad, but you'll have to wait until the bride's dress and groom's attire is selected before you choose yours. That's the way it is.