Most women dream about getting married someday. But while a lot of people get married in their twenties or thirties, other women don’t marry until they reach their forties or sometimes even later.

In some cases the bride may be marrying for the second time. In other cases she may have reached her middle years – or be even older – when she agrees to marry for the first time. How should you plan your wedding if you are an older bride?

The first thing to be aware of is that this is your big day. You want to feel special and not feel like you are too old to have the wedding of your dreams. A good place to start is to discuss what you want with your groom to be. Do you have any firm ideas to start from? Is there anything you really want to avoid?

Many older brides – regardless of whether they are marrying for the first time or not – decide they want to avoid the traditional white dress, train and veil. They may feel this is too overblown for their big day. If you agree with this, think about wearing a dress of a simpler design instead. A cream dress with a matching bolero jacket can work well, and you can always wear a simple tiara to complete the look.

The issue of whether to have a church or registry office wedding might depend on whether you have been married before and divorced, and which religion you belong to. But since some older brides tend to like the thought of a simple and elegant wedding rather than the all out overblown affair, a registry office might suit your needs better.

You might want to think about wedding gifts and whether or not to have a wedding gift list as well. Older brides are often not in the situation of needing lots of things to fill their new marital home. One partner may move in with the other, or both may sell their homes to buy a joint property. But in any case the need to start home together won’t be the same. In this case you might like to do away with a list altogether, or perhaps choose a charity to which people can donate.

It’s also worth remembering that being an older bride does have its advantages. You will be more worldly wise and know what you want to enjoy a good day. Instead of bowing to fashion you will go for what you want and what suits you the best, without worrying about what other people will think. In short, you stand a better chance of having the exact wedding day you want.

Just remember that preparation is the key to any wedding, and this applies regardless of what age you are. Focus on what you want and make sure you get it. And no matter whether you are sixteen or sixty, your dream wedding really can become a reality.

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