WEDDING VENUES

The Malta Postal Museum is home to an extensive collection of postal artifacts related to Malta’s long and colourful history.

If you want to add on to the romance of your wedding proposal you might want to think a bit outside the box or just add a little something to the surprise to make the occasion even more memorable. What’s more special than highlighting your partner’s likes?

1. When opting for a public proposal

You either choose your partner’s favourite place be it a park, a garden, a hotel, a monument or a restaurant. A place that has significance to both of you like for instance where you first met, or the place of your first kiss. If your significant other loves choral music or brass bands why not her a choir or brass band to serenade them. Or maybe you want to be a bit more adventurous and you send your soon to be fiancé on a treasure hunt.

2. Pop the question when on holiday

If you’re planning a romantic getaway for two you can make the most out of it and use this time abroad as the enchantment factor to your proposal. You can propose while on the plane or when visiting an iconic place in your chosen holiday destination. Another idea would be choosing to decorate your hotel room with candles and roses, as well as a bottle of champaign while your significant other is preparing to go out or away from the bedroom for a little wile.

3. Or maybe you want to do it from home

Starting from photo memories of your relationship, to using a trail of candles in an unlit apartment leading to the ring, home proposals are also very romantic. We’re pretty sure a five-star home cooked meal would also go down very well.

4. Why not surprise them at work?

We all know there are days when hours on end of work make you bored and tired. Popping the question as a surprise while your other half is working or about to go to work could be a fantastic boost to their day. This could be done by leaving some kind of message on their desk or maybe have your partner’s colleagues be in on the proposal.

By Nicole Borg

This venue enjoys scenic views of Balluta and Spinola Bay. It is a perfect venue for weddings, both standing and seated receptions.

Café Del Mar provides spectacular views of the Mediterranean Sea and St Paul’s Island. Cafe del Mar is becoming the most impressive sea-side location on the Maltese Islands.

Set on the sister island of Gozo, this beautiful venue is surrounded by lush countryside. Ta’ Mena Estate sets out to offer wedding couples and their guests something beyond a normal open venue.

The Upper Terrace is positioned overlooking the Seabank Resort enjoying the magnificent seaview on one side and

The Gabezo Terrace is nestled in open countryside, surrounded lush greenery with stunning views of Mellieha heights and The Red Tower in the distance.

It wouldn't be the first time a bride asks someone she trusts and loves to be her bridesmaid and something happens that causes the bride and her chosen bridesmaid to drift apart. This is why you need to make sure the people you're asking to be part of your bridal party are there to stay. But how could you know this for sure? What do you need to ask yourself?

First you need to make sure you know why you want these people in your bridal party. While some options are obvious, especially when involving your sister or sisters-in-law, others might seem forced. You might believe that because you've known someone for a long time, or because they chose you to be part of their bridal party, you owe it to them to include them in your own wedding preparations. At the end of the day, this is YOUR wedding day and so it is YOUR choice as to whom will get the chance to accompany you on your special day.

Moreover, when including your friends as part of the bridal party, you need to analyse their character and how able they are to handle stress and let go when an argument occurs. If you know someone is hot headed, has a tendency of bailing on you, or does not have the slightest of clues as to how to compromise, then you might want to opt out of choosing them to be part of your bridal party. On top of this, if you can tell someone won't be in your life for the long haul, then do you really want them to be in all the preparations, photos and videos of your special day? But then again, many times it is hard to predict the future.

Another thing you need to make sure of is this: do you think all the members of the bridal party can get along together? If you know two or more of the members don't agree on anything and just love to pick at each other, then it might be an option to opt out of having both of them in the group. Additionally, do take note on the groom's wishes and make sure the members of the bridal party get along with him well enough.

Finally, make sure that the people you choose will be willing to contribute to the planning and can help you out when you get stuck. If you know someone won't manage to be a helping hand, you might want to look elsewhere.

By Nicole Borg

When comparing Maltese weddings to those abroad, it is becoming more and more easy to see the spectacular celebrations these islands allow. However, to organise a wedding fantastically you need the make sure that you have a set budget in mind which you will work around to the best potential.

Due to this, reality eventually has to kick in: organising a wedding is expensive. In order to have a comfortable (not luxurious) wedding, to cover the cost of 100 guests from all facets one needs to have a budget of at least €10,000. The longer the guest list, the more expensive it gets. If you want to go for complete luxury, then for just 100 guests the price will go up to that of €30,000. Despite this being quite a large budget, at times planners still find it a difficulty to fulfill all of the couple’s wishes.

When working with a wedding planner, in fact, one of the first questions asked is actually what kind of budget they will be working with. Due to living in a country set by presuppositions on what a wedding should be like, many brides and grooms grow up with a thunderous amount of ideas and expectations for their special day, which unless they have an open ended budget for, they might not be able to fulfill. Through the setting of a budget, the wedding planner will be able to guide the couple better in terms of their financial reality and thus leading them to make the right choices that won’t break the bank.

As soon as there is a proposal for marriage, the couple then needs to start planning their wedding and the budget will determine all the remaining factors from now on. Whether it’s choosing a wedding theme, venue and even whom to invite, the bride and groom need to be strict with themselves but also make sure that they are making their own decisions and are not being pushed towards something that they will eventually grow to regret.

By Nicole Borg