The faces behind One Fine Day (onefinedaysydney.com), Nadean Richards of Photography By Nadean (photographybynadean.com.au), Jessica McLeod of event planning and design business Oscar & Ruby (oscarandruby.com.au) and Marissa Fleming of From the Owl gift registry (fromtheowl.com).

1. Add an intimate atmosphere with flameless candles

“Many weddings are held in historic buildings that suit a classic, vintage-style day. They do, however, come with some restrictions such as a ban on naked flames. As much as I do love real candlelight, one compromise is to hire natural wax flameless candles, available at Oscar & Ruby (oscarandruby.com.au). They last all night and cast a romantic light.” Jessica

2. Create cute keepsake caricatures

“Alexandra Nea (alexandranea.wordpress.com/buy) draws caricature bridal illustrations by taking your wedding photographs and turning them into framed artwork. Why not have a gorgeous illustration created just before your wedding day to be displayed at the reception for your guests to sign as a unique guestbook? Or wait until your first anniversary pops around and celebrate the traditional gift of ‘paper’ with an artwork of you and your hubby.” Nadean

3. Tuck in at food stations

“Delight your guests with fun food options from around the world and ice-cream and soda stands. Cantina Mobil (cantinamobil.com.au) has tasty Mexican meals while Liana Raine Artisan Pops (lianaraine.com) offers gourmet ice blocks – an alternative to dessert. Or, make your own lemonade stand with sweet props from Say Dream (saydream.com.au).” Marissa 

4. Jazz up the scene with fun props

“Add a dimension of colour and flair for your guests to enjoy with unique and fun displays and features. There are lots of places to buy or hire your props from such as The Hire End Event Hire (thehireend.com.au), She Designs Events (shedesigns.com.au) and Sydney Prop Specialists (sydneyprops.com.au). Here you’ll be able to find unique items that’ll suit your theme and jazz up a reception venue or photobooth. I guarantee they’ll make your photos pop.” Nadean

5. Mix up colour and length

“I love it when bridesmaids’ dresses work well together but they aren’t all the same shape and colour. It adds a dimension of interest to the bridal party. Think about choosing dresses that are a mixture of patterns, colours and textures. Peach hues are great for a garden wedding and for a beach ceremony try dresses that are the same colour, but with one in floral print and the other a block colour. Check out Twobirds Bridesmaid (twobirdsbridesmaid.com.au), and Fleur Wood (fleurwood.com.au).” Marissa

6. Get the party started with flashy dancers

“What better way to kickstart your celebration than to hire a couple of swing dancers or even a mini flash mob to perform at your reception. They’ll entertain everyone with an explosion of colour, music and movement – plus, your guests will be inspired to mimic the steps and dance the night away.” Jessica

7. Be expressive – say it in sign language

“Backdrops and signs work really well in photos as they create a fun vibe and add personality. Be inspired to make your own by exploring different shapes, colours and textures that might work well with your theme. They could be used as the ceremony backdrop or behind the bridal table or gift table at the reception. Cute signs with phrases such as ‘home is wherever I’m with you’ shows the type of couple you are and your shared values. If you’re having a summer garden party a ‘you are my sunshine’ sign could hang in the centre of the dance floor or at the entrance to the reception venue.” Marissa

Save the date!

Make sure you mark these dates in your wedding planner for the next One Fine Day fairs. *February 2-3, 2013, Sun Studios, Alexandria, Sydney (onefinedaysydney.com). *August 25, 2013, Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne (onefinedaymelbourne.com).

Win tickets

We have 10 One Fine Day wedding fair double passes to give away. Simply tell us in 25 words or less why you want to go to One Fine Day. Send your contact details along with your answer to cosmobride@bauer-media.com.au by Friday 1 February, 2013, by 12pm. Winners will be contacted by phone by 5pm the same day.