So, if you took the plunge this Leap Year and finally got him to agree to marriage, you may now be realising the amount of planning involved in making sure you get down the aisle with your sanity and relationship intact!

What about employing the services of a professional Wedding Planner? Ahem, we can all afford that...not!  And anyway, why hand over the fun of sorting out the venue, choosing the flowers, fighting over the guest list, finding the cake, making the favours, fighting over the seating plan, picking the bridesmaids, arranging the honeymoon, fighting over the stripper at the stag night...

A Wedding Fayre is the ideal means to discover the joy of wedding planning, where the visions of your perfect day come to life and where you will find experts on hand to make sure everything goes according to plan....minus the fights!

Roslin Beach Hotel, Thorpe Esplanade, Thorpe Bay is hosting one such Wedding Fayre on the 5th May 2012 at 10am until 4pm.  Indulge in champagne and canapés whilst you chat to local suppliers about what they can do to make your day perfect. Check the fabulous function suites the hotel has to offer, whether you are planning a small intimate affair or catering for up to 150 guests their friendly, professional staff will strive to make every aspect of your day stress free. And take a peek at the Honeymoon Suite. If you should choose Roslin Beach as your wedding venue then they can also offer discounted room rates for your guests.  Admission to the Wedding Fayre is absolutely free!

No top table would be complete without its stunning centrepiece. ChocolateLilly.com will create a bespoke wedding cake for your special day. You may want traditional fruit cake or to select from a delicious range of flavours; whatever design you may have in mind, be it retro, classic or borderline Gypsy Wedding, Chocolate Lilly can turn your vision into a reality.

Obviously it's compulsory to totally pamper yourself in preparation for your big day. Destination Luxury Spa and Clinic offers classic beauty procedures as well as clinical services and well being treatments. Choose from Silver, Gold or Platinum membership to suit your budget and it's Destination luxury! You can be scrubbed and buffed, massaged, waxed and relaxed to your heart's content! Destination also has a dedicated team of specialists who will cater to all your bridal needs to ensure a stress free build up to the big day and make sure you walk down the aisle looking like a million dollars.

As happy occasions go this is pretty much the big one, so your smile needs to be full on Hollywood!  Focus Dental Clinic (themselves a husband and wife team!) offer top class general dentistry as well as a range of cosmetic procedures including veneers and tooth whitening. And their affordable treatment plans mean your dazzling smile needn't break the bank.

Capturing all those special moments is an essential part of the day... but choose the wrong photographer and those once in a lifetime images could be lost forever. Jo Curtis Photographer in Southend will work with you long before your actual wedding day to ensure all the unique and special moments of the day are captured in the manner and style you choose, traditional, contemporary, fun or a fusion of them all... your album will perfectly reflect the essence of the day. And every wedding package includes a complimentary on-location pre-wedding shoot, a fun, relaxed session to alleviate those wedding day nerves!

Now if the man in your life is starting to get that 'glazed' look at the mere suggestion of the W word, try him with the H word... honeymoon...yep, see him perk up a bit there! If you're looking for a tailor made holiday of a lifetime, lazing on golden sands, or if you fancy something a bit different (honeymoon on safari anyone?) Karen Goldman - Travel Counsellors Southend is a specialist travel agent offering bespoke solutions for whatever you have in mind. What's more, for those of you not prepared to put your faith in the British weather for your big day, Karen will create the perfect wedding abroad just for you.

So who needs a Wedding Planner when there is so much local, friendly, expert help right here in Southend? You can find full details of all the featured businesses via our Business Directory. 

And if those bells aren't quite set to chime just yet, there's no harm in being prepared!