Posts Tagged ‘wedding planning’

Little Things Mean a Lot – A guide for any last minuet finishing touches

last minute touches

source: http://ugc.theknot.com/

Weddings involve an insane amount of planning and preparation, not to mention a vast imagination. After all of your efforts have been plunged into finding the perfect dresses and invites, figuring out the tricky seating plan and decided what you are going to give your guests to eat, it’s no wonder that most brides find the final parts of wedding planning such as buying thank you gifts so stressful, but fear not are here are a few ideas that will hopefully give every bride some inspiration for those finishing touches, that quite often mean the most to your family and guests.

Last Minuet Decorations

Once all of the reception details are decided, such as chair covers, food, flowers and colors, some bides like to add some final finishing touches  that reflect their personality and reinforce the look and feel that they want, as it can get all to easy to loose your original ideas and thoughts, and after all it is our big day.

A cost effective way of doing this, is by simply adding some neutral tea lights like these beautiful silver ones from Next  and simply fill them with candles to add an extra romantic touch, the soft candle light is simple and so effective. For a  more personal touch, grab some of your favorite flowers and fill the little tea lights with those or some gorgeous petals and dot the around your venue to add soft, subtle bursts of color.

This is perfect for spring and summer weddings, but if you are an autumn or winter bride, why not  play to the seasons and really enforce that crisp, beautiful A/W feel by placing some cinnamon scented pine cones, like these gorgeous heart shaped beauties from Not on The High Streetin metallic bowls like these from Debenham sand place them on tables, the stunning cinnamon aroma captures the warming essence of the cool winter months and will add an extra spectacular dimension to your day.

Gifts 

After all of the hard work and planning, not to mention all of the money that has been spent, gifts are usually the last on the to do list. With so much choice and options available its hard to know what to get and where from.

Flower Girls

What little girl wouldn’t like their very own set of pearls? Treat you little mini maids to a stunning sterling silver and fresh water pearl bracelet from top jewellery designer Molly Brown , this grown up piece of luxury is a perfect gift for them to treasure and at £28.00 they are reasonable prices to.

Bridesmaids

Thank your girls in style, with a bit of designer luxury in the shape of a watch from DKNY at The Watch Hut , watches are a great way of showing your appreciation, as they are not only something that will serve as a daily reminder of your big day, but they are something that can be treasured forever and if looked after properly can last a lifetime, hopefully like your friendships. This stunning DKNY is elegant and sophisticated, and offers some style sparkle that is sure to set their outfits off beautifully. The stainless steel bracelet strap adds a modern twist to this classic beauty and will ensure that it compliments any and every outfit.

Don’t sweat the small stuff, a little thought and imagination can go a long way, and after all it’s your wedding, so those little personal touches are sure to go along way and mean a lot your friends and family. Don’t be afraid to get hands on and make little trinkets for your guests, whatever you do its sure to be perfect.

1 May 2013
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Wedding Day Countdown – Bridal Must Haves

Wedding-count-down (source: www.myweddingideasblog.com )

Wedding-count-down (source: www.myweddingideasblog.com )

Weddings can be a stressful time for any bride, with the constant worry that everything will go smoothly and according to plan, not to mention the vast amount of organizing and ‘wedmin’ that comes with a wedding.

Also, it is no surprise that most brides opt for some last minuet beauty bargains and quick fixes in order to get them looking radiant and picture perfect. Here are a few bridal beauty must haves that will ensure any bride is picture perfect on her big day.

Skin care

A good skin care regime is something that can easily be neglected, or it is considered too time consuming to bother with. Well fear not as all that is needed for beautiful bridal skin is a good face cream, and the triple oxygen and vitamin c energizing cream from Bliss does just the job. This wonder cream revives tired and stressed looking skin with is luxuriously soft gel-cream and added vitamin c nutrients. It’s easy to use and is sure to guarantee you luminous skin in time for your big day.

Hair care

Give your hair some extra TLC ahead of the big day, and treat yourself to a luxurious hair mask. Boots have launched their own range of hair products, and the coconut and almond intensive hair mask is not only heavenly for your hair, it smells amazing and will leave your locks is shiny, pristine condition.

Nails

Prevent any breaking nails drama with some nail strengthening treatment from OPI, by using it once a week it will leave your nails in tip top condition and what bride doesn’t want beautiful nails on her big day to accompany her new shiny wedding band. Check out bridal nails with square nail tips to get an idea of what nail art you want to apply on your nails for your wedding day.

Gifts

Gifts can also be a last minuet worry; with so much choice available it’s hard to find something that is cost effective and long lasting. From bridesmaids, to flower girls and even the groom the list is endless. Molly Brown offers stunning jewellery for little girls that are perfect as a little token of your appreciation. Using luscious materials such as pearls and solid silver Molly Brown jewellery is something that will be treasured for many years to come. Another stunning gift option are the Brisbane gemstone rings.

It is becoming more and more popular amongst brides to get their husbands to be a gift for the big day, and what better gift than a watch. A timeless, classic watch that will be cherished for a lifetime. The Watch Hut offers a wide selection of watches, with over 90 popular brands on board. For inspiration they also have a dedicated wedding collection, to assist you in finding your perfect watch.

If you’re in the market for a high-quality bicycle, don’t forget to check out the bikes for sale at https://www.shoppok.com/bikes-for-sale-cg/giant-revive-sp to find a variety of options to suit your cycling needs

13 Mar 2013
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5 Surefire Ways to Make Your Wedding Day Go Silky Smooth

The saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” applies to your wedding day. With so many little details, it’s hard for a bride and groom to keep track of everything so here are some surefire ways to make sure your wedding goes off without a hitch:

Choose a ceremony space close to the reception!

A common mistakes couples make in wedding is by making things difficult for the guests. Your dream ceremony space may be an hour from the reception space but that creates a host of problems. There are tons of great locations in any place close together if you are open. And think how much easier your day will be without having to travel.

Designate a day of contact that isn’t the bride or groom.

Both are extremely busy the day of the wedding and should avoid taking phone calls but you also NEED to cater to your guest. Designating a knowledgeable contact is the way to solve both problems. Handing out some contact cards at the bridal shower, posting the information to your wedding website, and sending an email with the contact information are great ways to communicate who to call. The added benefit is that your guest will not feel like they are imposing if they do need to pick up the phone.

Make sure your guests have directions and a map.

Wedding websites are a great way to organize all the information the guests and family need. Keep in mind that the most important thing a guest needs to know is how to get to the wedding. Many brides make the mistake of only including addresses in their invitations include a map to the ceremony and reception location. Also post the maps to the website as well as include a web link that can be downloaded to GPS.

Publish your schedule and important information.

Make your guests feel more comfortable by posting key information to your website. But keep in mind not everyone is web savvy and that they may not have access that day. Make sure you make paper copies with a clear timeline and descriptions of important events.

Tip envelopes.

The last thing you want to do is forget about the people who made the special day possible (i.e. your vendors) but waiting until the last minute isn’t a good idea. Make up a tip envelope before the wedding and put some cash in there with a nice note.

Author Bio. Jennie is an event coordinator and blogger. She recommends Make Some Plans to help plan and organize all aspects of your wedding.  Make Some Plans also makes it easy to arrange your catering in Philadephia, with a vast selection of high quality caterers.

14 Dec 2012
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Dealing with the Number One Wedding Argument – Money

According to a wedding survey by BRIDES Magazine in 2011, wedding budgets for Americans are a bit down – probably because of the tough economy. Today’s brides and grooms spend an average of $26,501 on a wedding. Even though the dollar amount is down a couple grand from 2009, that’s still a huge amount of money. So it’s no wonder that brides and grooms argue about money frequently during their wedding planning process.

Luckily, we’re here with tips to help you avoid the arguing, set a realistic budget, and stay financially on track (and blissfully happy.) while you’re planning your dream wedding.

Figure out who is contributing

Today, more and more brides and grooms – even those who have never been married before – are contributing most or all of the total budget for the wedding. Parents just aren’t paying as much anymore, either because they can’t afford to as they approach retirement with less than ever in savings or because brides and grooms simply want complete control over the big day.

It’s important before you even begin planning your wedding to have an honest conversation with both sets of parents to see what they’re planning to contribute. Remember that as an adult, you’re not entitled to any cash from your parents. But if they want to contribute that’s great.

Note: Parents who do contribute to the wedding, reception, or rehearsal dinner may want to have more control over the details. If this bothers you, figure out a way to pay for the wedding on your own.

Find your own budget

Once you know what your parents will be contributing to your wedding, figure out what your own contribution will be. If you’re one of the lucky brides whose parents will foot the entire bill, you can skip this step. Otherwise, check out your own savings account and potential savings between now and the big day that you can chip in for your dream wedding. Remember to be realistic, and not to over-charge on credit cards (even low interest ones) if you decide to use them for some of your expenses.

Decide what’s most important to each of you

At this point, you should have your total wedding budget. But you’re going to put that dollar amount on the shelf for a few days. Right now, instead of focusing on money, focus on both parties’ dreams and expectations for the wedding day.

Chances are likely that certain things that are super important to you may be a little less important to your groom, and vise versa. And there are probably some wedding details that don’t matter much to either of you. An easy way to figure it out is for each of you to make a top five list. Write down, in ranked order, the five most important things about your wedding day. It could be the food, the mood, the decorations, the favors, the dress, the venue, the number of guests, or anything else about your wedding day.

Compare lists, and figure out what’s most important to each of you. Commit now to spend money first on the most important things, and to figure out how to cut expenses on the things that are less important as needed. This simple communication technique can help you through financial arguments well into your future as a married couple.

Set a realistic budget

Once you know what you have to spend and what’s most important, set a realistic budget. You may need to do some market research to figure out what things tend to cost in your area. (ie. In some places, you can rent a wedding venue for less than $1,000, but in other areas, that’s next to impossible.)

Budget for the things on your “most-important” list first, and then add in money for everything. Work on your budget line by line until everything adds up to exactly how much money you have to spend. You may need to take away money from some categories to be able to fund others, but in the end, you should have every dollar accounted for.

And one excellent way to avoid wedding finance arguments later on is to add a 10% contingency fund to your wedding budget. This extra 10% (which really needs to be accounted for in your original budget based on what you have available to spend.) can be used for emergencies or unexpected expenses that really need to be paid. The bonus is that if you get everything without using your contingency fund, you can have some extra honeymoon fun with the money.

Keep track, and stick to your budget

Having a budget is all well and good, but if you don’t track your spending and stick to your budget, you’re going to blow right past it, creating all sorts of tension in your wedding planning process. So track every single receipt in a spreadsheet-style wedding budget.

You should also host weekly or monthly budget meetings (depending on how often you’re doing wedding-related shopping) to discuss where you’re at with the budget. This will help you find areas where you might need to adjust because things are more or less expensive than you’d thought.

Remember, if you’re getting strings-attached funding from parents, you may need to include them in your budget meetings to ensure that they know what’s happening with the money they’ve allotted for your wedding.

Following these simple steps will help keep you organized and on budget during your wedding planning process. Since there’s nothing romantic about bickering over money, you can avoid all of that throughout your engagement just by creating and sticking to a wedding budget.

5 Oct 2012
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10 Things to Remember When Booking Your Wedding Venue

When it comes to arranging your big day, it’s natural that you want everything to be perfect. In finding your dream venue, the perfect dress and bride’s maids outfits, your own style and taste will be reflected in your choices. This is the ‘easy’ part of planning your wedding, the practical, nuts-and-bolts side is where things can become a bit more tricky. Most of us cannot afford the added luxury of a professional wedding planner so, for the first timers there are a few things that can easily get overlooked. Caterers, wedding favors, the band, photographer and the venue (among many other things!) all need to be researched and arranged.

Before you book your wedding venue, there are a few key questions that need to be considered. It’s the less glamorous side of the process but can have just as big, if not bigger, an impact on the day than almost any other single factor. Here are ten questions you should ask yourself before deciding if this really is the venue for you.

Is VAT included?

When budgeting for the venue, this cost can often get forgotten. It’s important that you find this out before calculating the expense, leaving this out could lead to blowing your budget (banal but equally important).

Do I have to hire tables and chairs?

Some venues will provide these as standard, if your reception venue is a hotel or restaurant for example, but more unusual venues may include an extra charge for this, or even require you to provide your own. With guests often arriving from all corners of the globe, it’s nice to be able to offer them a seat! If you are looking for an all inclusive wedding event venue, book this All Inclusive Wedding Venue in Dallas TX early. If you’re expecting a large number of guests, you should also inquire if the venue’s sanitation facilities can accommodate them or if you need to book a portable toilet rental from a local portable toilet rental service.

Is there an extra fee if I use my own caterer?

Although you may have found the perfect venue, some will charge an extra fee to use your own caterers. Be sure to look into this before committing, many venues have excellent, in-house caterers who have been chosen to complement the surroundings. This also unburdens you of any extra responsibility for ensuring their safe arrival on the day (which can only be a good thing!).

Does the catering quote include staffing costs?

Another hidden expense that could skew your budget is the cost of staffing your event. Hiring a cheaper venue or catering company may seem to be saving you money, but often these extra charges will add up. Make sure you find out before booking if waiting staff, bar people and clean-up fees are all included, it could save you a nasty shock in the long run.

Is the fee for the civil ceremony included?

Increasingly, licensed wedding venues can offer their own services in-house. Be sure to check whether this means extra cost if you are thinking of making use of it.

How much does it cost to BYOB?

Supplying your own alcohol seems like another common sense way to stretch your budget, but what is the reality? Many venues do not have a license for bringing your own alcoholic refreshment and of those that do, some carry an extra charge for the privilege. Speak to the venue manager beforehand to find out, most will be able to supply this for less than the cost of doing it yourself.

Do I have to book all the accommodation?

When hiring the venue, the ‘honeymoon suite’ will often be included but you may be required to book all available guest accommodation. In this case you may have to pay for guest accommodation as part of the venue fee to be recouped from guests later.

Will I be required to decorate?

Choosing a lower priced venue may mean you have to decorate it yourself; hiring chair covers, hanging bunting and drapes, choosing table linen and lighting’ all costing extra money, time and effort. The right venue will speak for itself and require minimal decoration, leaving you free to worry about the important things.

Don’t Forget To Budget For Evening Food.

Many caterers offer a package for the wedding breakfast but evening food can be extra. If you are inviting evening guest, check this out in advance, or risk letting them go hungry!

Late license Fees.

Many venues have a set finish time that cannot be extended and venues that do offer a later finish charge an extra fee. It’s worth considering whether you really want to extend the day. Tempting as it sounds to prolong the merriment, after a long day of high emotion, when many people may have traveled a long way and had a lot to eat and drink, a midnight finish is usually a good time to end, before things begin to get messy!

This post is from Gemma Edwards at Country House Wedding Venues, I’ll let Gemma introduce herself;

“I’ve been at Country House Wedding Venues for five years – how time flies when you’re having fun! In that time I’ve been a part of our Wedding Office Team – where I helped couples find their dream wedding venue – and more recently I’ve started the Country House Wedding Venues blog. I love to see the wonderful and imaginative ways in which couples make our wedding venues truly theirs on the big day and hope that by sharing wedding ideas and tips, I can inspire brides and grooms-to-be.”

Country House Wedding Venues is a wedding venue finding service with its own collection of unique wedding venues available exclusively for the big day, featuring wedding venues to suit all tastes including barns, castles, mansions and manor houses.

11 Sep 2012
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