THE best way to start your wedding on time is by remembering that the reception time management begins when you wake up early in the morning on the actual day of the wedding.

Once you get behind it is difficult to recover the lost time, so everything has to be planned and prepared on time, things like hair and make-up, wedding attire and photograph session.

These and many other ways on how you can avoid issues that result in delays to the reception venue were what last week’s article was all about.

Today’s article is about having a valentine’s day as a wedding theme and making your invited guests feel the love as this is a time and month when love is in the air.

Before l write further about Valentine’s Day as a wedding theme, allow me to acknowledge feedback from the esteemed readers of this article.

Mr Gideon K.S from (Ndola) said he always reads and keeps copies of the article on “Your Memorable Wedding”. He went on to say that the articles are educative, informative, inspiring and eye-opening.

Victoria from (Ndola) and Namakau from (Chipata) also enjoy reading these articles in the Sunday Times of Zambia.

Charity from (Lusaka) and other brides who called to ask about what theme they can have to suit their weddings which are taking place this February, l believe this article will help you put up a wedding that you have dreamt about.

Wow! Getting married on Valentine’s Day, you must be very romantic. Valentine’s Day is a special time for celebrating love and that many brides choose as their wedding date.

Whether your wedding falls on Valentine’s Day or simply carries a Valentine’s theme or it is happening in February the month of love, yes! It is a time when love is in the air.

Remember to have your Valentine’s Day wedding reflect on all the romance of your love story with special details.

You can draw your inspiration from this romantic month by incorporating red, white and pink into your theme colors to create wedding favors and centerpieces that represent the day of love.

Couples choose to get married on Valentine’s Day or with a valentine theme for a number of reasons. It is the most romantic occasion of the year, making it popular for many loving couples to choose it as their wedding date.

Valentine’s Day may also be a sentimental choice for couples who had their first date or even got engaged on Valentine’s Day.

Whatever the reason, this romantic day is a popular wedding theme for many sweetheart couples.

A valentine theme wedding can be a romantic, cherished event, but it takes careful planning to ensure it does not become an overdone cliché.

Even if you are not getting married on the actual day on which Valentine falls, you can consider incorporating some of these touches for a truly inspiring day.

These are many ways you can incorporate valentine’s theme into your wedding celebrations, below are some of the ways.

Along with lots of red and white, you can use accent decorations in pink or gold and then mix and mingle the sweetheart colors of love into every aspect of your wedding.

Guys can wear red ties and vests with their tuxedos. Bridesmaid can wear red, pink or gold dresses.

Bear in mind also that the weather in February can be unpredictable, so plan accordingly for this rainy season by including appropriate attire which will keep you warm and at the same time you will be flexibly in them.

Another thing you need to put into consideration avoiding cliché whimsical symbols such as teddy bear or cupid figures unless you want that type of sweetheart and youthful look.

For that lovely valentine theme bouquet and those flowers to be used in vase as centerpieces, roses are the most popular flower choice for this type of weddings and red, yellow or pink blooms will definitely match the theme.

Other flowers in shades or red and pink, such as lilies are also wonderful choices that can be a bit more unique. Flower arrangements oh my!

They should be large and cascading, filling the area with luscious scents and beautiful colours.

When it comes to choosing a cake for a memorable valentine theme, go for a wedding cake, which is rich, elegant and it should contain chocolate and red velvet which are popular choices, as decadent chocolate cakes with strawberry or raspberry fillings.

This month many people are very careless when it comes to giving out presents for valentine, bars of chocolates are given out anyhow without even understanding what it means to give it.

Chocolate contains the same chemical our brains release when we fall in love, so do not give it out anyhow and for your wedding do not serve too much of this, just have it in the wedding cake.

The music at a wedding is always romantic, but this month amplify the romance for your spouse by choosing only love songs for weddings to play during your reception celebrations or create a play list of all songs that feature “Love” in the title.

Music has been called the language of love, so make sure your wedding speaks it fluently.

When deciding on the location (venue) for your Valentine’s Day wedding you must go for intimacy, a place where lovers might meet and enjoy very much.

Well you might consider a marquee or even your very own beloved garden at your parents or any of your relatives home.

Candles, either in candelabras or glass holders these make especially the romantic lighting for an evening wedding, whichever you choose, keep illumination soft and low.

After finding that perfect location, do not forget to take romantic wedding pictures to commemorate your day, in addition to typical poses and scenes use soft focus, selective coloring and other photographic techniques to capture the romance of your day.

To put up that memorable valentine theme personalize your table numbers by having your tables written “love” in all the Zambian languages , as this will work well instead of having numbers which has become a common trend.

To include your invited guests in a special way, have them write valentine messages on red or pink paper hearts.

These messages could include ways or reasons to express your love, or things to love about each other.

The master of ceremonies could read these aloud during the reception or keep them a secret and only open them later.

If you will be writing your own vows, find a way to include the words “heart” and l will be yours forever!

You could also arrange a time during the ceremony, especially at the reception venue for other couples to affirm their love.

All the ways incorporated into one, a valentine theme wedding can be a beautiful, memorable event that truly celebrates the romance in your relationship with careful planning and co-ordination.

Your wedding can be one of the most romantic days of your life. “Be mine” what better way to say it than to marry your true love on Valentine’s Day?

And you can enjoy that same magic and romance on any day in February of your choosing with a heart-thrilling valentine theme wedding.

To complete the memorable and romantic valentine theme wedding have guests shower you with roses instead of confetti.

Do not worry about overdoing it when you say the ultimate “be mine” with a Valentine’s Day wedding theme, nothing can be too sweet or too romantic.

The author is a wedding planner consultant and proprietor of Bernatta Bridal services Ndola.

Cell: 0966665468

Email: sunittasyabeene@yahoo.com