So we’ve found out – very methodically – which is the best UK wedding magazine and why. We’ve looked at each of the best UK wedding magazines in turn and picked out their best bits (and only gently hinted at their worst bits!) Time to think about YOU now…
The best UK wedding magazine for you?
Some are upmarket and full of stylish and expensive ideas, others focus on DIY ideas and affordable products you can buy for your wedding.
Some have tons of real weddings; some have only a few. Some have over 200 pages of adverts while others have fewer than 40.
Every bride and groom are different. Every wedding is unique. Every wedding magazine will appeal more to some of you than to others. Based on the results of the UK Wedding Magazine Review, here are some tips to help you find YOUR best UK wedding magazine!
If you haven’t found your wedding dress yet
If you’re still on the lookout for your ideal wedding dress, then the ads won’t do you any harm. I’d recommend Brides magazine, with tons of dress ads you’re bound to see designers and ideas you haven’t seen before.
Most wedding magazines have very similar wedding dress advertisements, usually double page spreads at the beginning of the magazine. Some are more upmarket than others, but with Brides magazine there are more ads so you’re bound to see the full range.
If you want to read wedding magazines on the way to work
The two handbag size UK wedding magazines are Wedding Ideas and Perfect Wedding magazine. Either is great to read in short bursts – while you’re travelling or in your breaks. Wedding Ideas is the bigger of the two by page count, and more focused on value for money. Perfect Wedding is a little more upmarket (quoting just under £20k as an average wedding budget figure) and has a little more to actually read.
If you want to see real weddings
The two UK wedding magazines with most real weddings (by page count) are Cheshire Bride – an annual publication – and Wedding Ideas (monthly) magazine. Cheshire Bride had 77 pages of real weddings in the issue I reviewed, while Wedding Ideas had 43 pages of real weddings. I’d also recommend Perfect Wedding which followed up each real wedding feature really nicely with ideas to recreate the theme shown.
If you’re inspired by beautiful bridal fashion shoots
This is pretty cut and dried – there are four wedding magazines you should consider if you want to see fabulous bridal fashion shoots:
- You & Your Wedding (40 pages of shoots)
- Wedding (28 pages of shoots)
- Cosmopolitan Bride (26 pages of shoots)
- Brides (24 pages of shoots)
The quality of each is pretty stunning… if you’re in a weddingy mood and looking for a bit of eye candy inspiration, pick up one of these wedding magazines. (stats are from the issues I reviewed and won’t be the same every time of course!)
If you’re after ideas and advice more than sell, sell, sell
The magazines with the best advice and articles are You & Your Wedding, Brides and Perfect Wedding. Read the covers carefully before you buy – there will still be far more pages of adverts and product ideas than advice features, so choose a magazine which covers a topic you really want to find out more about. Alternatively, look online and save yourself at least £3.
If you’re trying to save money
I think by buying Wedding Ideas magazine you could easily cover your £2.99 by using some of the budget tips inside! For affordable traditional weddings this is the magazine you should read, especially if you want all the trimmings at a cheaper price.
And a last little note for the wary…
Don’t buy a wedding magazine if…
- …you’re a boy. Avoid the magazines or you’ll begin to wonder if you’re involved in this big pink party at all
- …you don’t want to see advertising. It’s pretty much the focus of the wedding mags
- …you’ve already bought your wedding dress. It’s an advertising thing again – you’ll get RSI flicking past the dress ads at speed
- …you don’t like pink. Wedding magazines are mainly pink (also, the smaller they get, the pinker they become)
