The World Cup vs Your Wedding

Forget England vs Sweden - the real clash of the titans is The World Cup vs Your Wedding! If you're a bride whose wedding is scheduled for a match day this year, or you're planning your big day in a future World Cup year, here's how to achieve the delicate balance between happy guests and football taking over your big day...

Don't try to ban the football

This just won't work, especially if you have passionate football fans amongst your friends and family. People will almost definitely sneak out to find out the score or snatch a bit of the match - or worse, they may just throw a sickie altogether and not attend. Where you CAN ban football is during the ceremony; ask your guests to switch their phones off entirely until the ceremony is over, and reassure them that they're free to check the score after you've tied the knot. If you're uncomfortable doing this, you can ask your best man or registrar to make an announcement. 

Set up a screen

If your timing works and you can watch the game live, then it may be worth setting up a screen during the drinks reception so that your football-loving guests can watch live. Depending on what you prefer, you could set it up outside, near the bar, or even in a separate room so that the non-football fans aren't disturbed (and you don't have a large screen in your photos!). Speak to your venue about what's possible, and address the issue with your caterers if you think there's a chance you'll have to delay dinner. 

If you're not keen on this idea, bear in mind that you may find that the football fans sneak off or crowd around their phones anyway, so embracing it may be your best bet. 

Plan in advance

If you're not a fan of football and your wedding is falling during a summer, be sure to double-check that your date isn't going to clash with any big sporting events in advance. Obviously the World Cup is hard to predict, but it may be safer to try and avoid it altogether! 

Embrace it!

On the other hand, if you and your fiance are football fans, then embrace the theme and add some fun football touches to your wedding day! We have plenty of ideas on our Football Wedding Theme Pinterest board, but one of our favourites is giving chocolate football sweets as favours - it's a cheap and cheerful touch that's sure to score with your guests.