Wedding Inspiration

9 Steps For An Eco-Friendly Wedding

If you do your best to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle in your “regular life,” then why not look at having an eco-friendly wedding?

Now, you’ll want your wedding to be a big party, but it’s also important to remember that the world doesn’t stop spinning just because we’re getting married.

The problems that the world has, and the duties we have to alleviate those problems, remain intact.

An eco-friendly wedding is easier than it sounds, and you won’t lose any of the fun. And, of course, you’ll be doing your bit to help practices that help the world develop that little bit more, too.

An Eco-Friendly Wedding Engagement

Everyone wants their engagement to be special, but here’s the thing — virtually any engagement where the person has put in a bit of an ounce of effort and care will be special.

While it would be nice to get engaged, say, overlooking the mountains of Patagonia, if you take a trip there you’ll have used up your “annual allowance” of earth’s resources just on the flight!

You don’t need to go to great lengths to have an out of the world engagement: save the magic for the wedding, and keep the engagement local.

On The Fingers

That wedding rings often have a huge – and negative – impact on the natural world isn’t something that’s terribly well known, but it’s true.

The average wedding ring that you buy you from a high street shop will have a high carbon footprint trailing behind it.

To have an eco-friendly wedding, therefore, you’ll need to think about what’s going on the fingers.

There are sustainable options available – like the rings at Ingle & Rhode, for example, which are ethically sourced and produced.

Plus, they’ll show your guests that you want to be environmentally friendly long after the day is over. You want to have an eco-friendly life.

Wedding Clothes

The manufacture of new clothes has a huge impact on the natural world.

After all, what do you think all those clothes are made from? Some people are pretty good at making the most use from their clothes or buying smartly, but then buy a dress or suit – which are expensive – that’ll only be worn on one day.

Wouldn’t it be better to save the planet, and tons of money, by buying something that’s more sustainable? Second-hand – yet virtually pristine – eco-friendly wedding clothes can be beautiful and affordable.

You can also take a look at ‘upcycling’ an old dress, if you have the skills that’ll allow you to do it properly (though it’s not as difficult as it looks).

Sending Out Invites

Oh, those poor trees. So many are cut down, and they’re not being used to publish the works of the next Shakespeare — they’re just informing people to keep a date far in the future free.

They’re not going to be pinned on the wall or have any details that really need to be scrutinised – they may just be read and thrown away. Argh!

If you aim to have a eco-friendly wedding, then this will be a bad start. If you’re going to send paper invites, then do so on recycled paper. Even better would be to send a digital invite, which will have no carbon footprint at all.

Celebrate Close To Home

There’s been a big rise in overseas weddings in recent years, and you can see why.

They’re generally cheaper than UK weddings, and you can be guaranteed agreeable weather.

It is, however, a disaster for the environment, since you’ll have so many people flying over to wherever you choose. So think about this before you start looking longingly at a map of the world and selecting an exotic destination.

It’s also worth remembering that while it might seem “cheaper,” in actual fact you’re just passing the cost on to your guests, who have to pay for their flights, hotels, etc. There are many beautiful wedding venues in the UK, check out the Bijou Wedding Venues website for some amazing ones!

Getting There

Even if you are getting married in the UK, there’s still going to be a lot of travelling involved for your guests, unless you happen to live in an Emmerdale-style village, where everyone who would be going to your wedding already lives locally.

Instead of having dozens of cars making the journey, maybe just have one vehicle transporting everyone?

Provide a bus to the venue from a central spot, and you’ll be environmentally responsible for one journey, rather than dozens.

If that’s not a practical option, you can look at cutting down on the number of vehicles travelling to your space by connecting guests who live close to one another so they can carpool for the trip.

Decoration Options

You’re going to have flowers at your wedding, but you’ll want to check where they’re coming from because some producers use dangerous chemicals to make their flowers bloom.

Once the wedding day is over, suggest to guests that they take them home, so they’re not single use.

Serving A Sustainable Dinner

What’s on the menu? Wedding meals are one of the highlights of the day for everyone, but who says that the meal has to involve meat?

While some of your guests might roll their eyes at the idea of a meal without meat, it’s worth keeping in mind that meat is one of the worst things for the environment.

The water needed to make one hamburger is the same as a month’s worth of showers. One! Now imagine if you’re serving steak to all your guests.

Take a look at vegan or vegetarian meals. There are a lot of delicious options that’ll ensure none of your guests has any complaints with the food.

The Honeymoon

Now that the wedding is over, you’ll be thinking about your honeymoon.

Having kept things as earth-friendly as possible, you won’t want to undo the good work by taking an energy-intensive trip to the other side of the world.

Keep things located within the UK, if possible.

There are many beautiful spots here that you may not have visited before! If you do want to go overseas, work with an eco-friendly travel company to keep things as earth-boosting as possible.

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Wedding inspiration Wedding planning

Entertain Your Wedding Guests with These Fun Ideas

Wedding parties are often all about the dancing.

Once everyone has eaten, the music can get going and everyone can boogie.

However, not everyone wants to spend the whole reception up on their feet, and many people aren’t too keen on dancing.

A lot of couples are also opting for longer festival-style weddings that can last several days.

No one will want to dance for that long, but you also need to make sure your guests are entertained.

Giving them things to do will ensure they don’t get bored, and it can also encourage conversation and help your two families to get to know each other.

Here are some fun ideas for things they could do.

Craft And Food Stations

One of the best things about a wedding is the food.

You get a free meal and there are usually plenty of things to nibble on too.

As well as providing your choice of wedding breakfast, whether it’s a three-course meal, a buffet or something more creative, you can have ways for your guests to have fun with food.

Consider setting up stations where they can get creative and decorate their own cupcakes or mix toppings into different ice cream flavours.

You can do the same thing with craft stations, especially for children who might want something to do.

By Gary Johnson

Fun With Photo

Every wedding needs plenty of photos so the happy couple and their guests can remember the day.

Everyone at a modern wedding will likely have their phone with them, but there’s something much more engaging about a photo booth.

It allows for fun group photos, your guests can play with props, and you can create a fantastic album of photos from throughout the party.

There are various products available to create the perfect booth for your wedding, including some options that have touch screens and digital enhancements.

Games

When your guests don’t feel like dancing, they could just sit and talk to each other.

However, if you want to make sure there are other ways for them to have fun, you could consider offering some games.

A simple way to do this is to have a selection of board games on a table that anyone can pick up and play if they feel like it.

For a retro touch, hiring arcade games gives your guests another fun way to play. It could be particularly good for a festival wedding or anywhere you have more space to work with.

Animal Fun

If you’re looking for something different, consider how to get animals involved in your wedding.

You can even hire a petting zoo for your party, providing lots of cute entertainment for your guests.

If you’re a big fan of dogs, allowing your guests to bring theirs could be a nice idea.

You could have dog sitters available to take care of them while your guests are partying to make sure they’re well behaved.

Keep your guests entertained by coming up with interesting ideas to give them a variety of options.

Wedding planning

How To Make Your Wedding Guests Remember Your Big Day For Years

If you would like to create a special day for yourself and your guests, it is important that you also take into consideration your friends and family’s preferences and their age, style, and ideal event.

After all, it is your responsibility to make the big day enjoyable for those you would like to share it with. Below you will find a few tips on how to make your day one to remember for everyone.

Image via Flickr

Create a Theme

It is important that you create a theme for the wedding that matches your interest and fits in with the expectations of your guests, too. You might be a massive fan of the Avengers, but your parents and grandparents and your boss might not be able to relate to the theme. Creating a themed wedding around general interest, such as fairy tales, happiness, valuing each other, and support will help you engage with your guests and get them to stay involved with what is going on.

Plan Your Entertainment

It is also important that your guests don’t get bored. When choosing an event manager and entertainer, you will need to plan the activities based on the demographics of your guest list. Choose from different live music wedding entertainment ideas and discuss them with your guests. Kids need to be entertained, or they will be running wild. It might be a good idea to set up a play area for them where they can watch a movie or catch up with each other, without running your catering team mad.

Get Them Involved

Image via Flickr

The best weddings include the guests as co-creators of the event. You can ask your guests to come up with ideas on how to make the most out of the time spent together. You might want to set up a game for your guests, or a competition. You can have a quiz or a cake eating competition; anything that your guests will enjoy when they are not talking to each other or eating. After all, you want to focus on your perfect wedding and not run around trying to cheer everyone up.

Consider Everyone’s Taste and Needs

It might also be a good idea to list the guests based on physical and dietary needs, so you can cater for everyone. You might want to ask everyone to include their dietary requirements in their RSVP, so you can talk to the caterers and make sure that there is something for them to eat and there is more than one option. If you have friends or family members with limited mobility, you might want to seat them close to the door, so they don’t have to feel obliged to stay seated because they don’t want everyone else to move.

To make your wedding memorable for your guests, it is important that you plan your entertainment and theme and consider the needs of your friends and family members.

Wedding inspiration Wedding planning

How To Ensure Your Wedding Is This Year’s Most Fun Event

Yes, your wedding should be magical, romantic, all those lovely things. But above all – and this is just one view – it should be fun.

You’ve got people visiting from afar to see you and your partner get hitched, the least you can do is make sure they have a fun-filled, thoroughly entertaining day.

So while you’ll want to ensure that your wedding ticks all the boxes of your childhood dreams, you’ll want to go to extra lengths to add the fun. But how?

Below, we take a look at five ideas to ensure your big day is this year’s most fun event.

Consider Trimming The Guest List

They say that bigger is always better, but when it comes to your wedding guest list, sometimes less is more.

The reason being, if the guests don’t know each other, or only know you dimly, then it’ll take longer for everyone to unwind and get into the fun state of mind (you’ll have more leeway if you’re making your wedding a multi-day affair, such as when it takes place overseas).

When you’re putting together your guest list, consider keeping it to people who you know will feel comfortable straight away, and who can bring the fun.

Add Your Personality

There are a few staple wedding additions that every big day seems to have. They’re lovely, worth including, but not necessarily fun. For that, you’ll want to look at adding your own personality to proceedings.

You and your partner have a full life — add touches of it to the big day. For example, if you’re big in to, say, cycling, then cycling related decorations would be a good idea.

Fun isn’t only about entertainment – it’s about putting your own spin on things.

Fun Touches

If you’ve been to a handful of weddings, then you’ll have seen the same things over and over again.

For your wedding, why not throw a surprise or two in there? You can set up a ‘make your own cocktail’ station, for example, or make the most of a photo booth hire, and have your guests take funny photographs all night.

If you’re going to be spending the bulk of the reception outdoors, then how about a bouncy castle? Your guests will love it.

Outdoor Games

If you’re getting married during the summer, then you’ll have the perfect opportunity to get into the outdoors and play good old lawn games.

It’s an awesome icebreaker for the guests who don’t know others, for starters, and there’s nothing like a little bit of friendly competitiveness to get people into the swing of having a good time.

Plus, if it’s a game that requires a hint of movement, they’ll also get people warmed up for the dance floor. And talking of which….

Dancefloor Goodness

You can’t have a fun wedding without a great dance floor! And where’s the fun? In the people, of course.

Of all the key decisions you’ll make, making sure you hire a DJ who understands how to keep everyone dancing will be among the most important!

All imagery from Pexels.

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Wedding inspiration Wedding stationery

Make Your Own Wedding Stationery To Save Money

There are so many ways you can save wedding budget. One way to shave some money off your budget is to make your own wedding stationery.

You can end up paying ££££ for wedding stationery, and although it’s an important part of your wedding, the budget could be better used elsewhere…like your wedding venue!

This short guide will set out the types of stationery you may need for your wedding planning and celebrations, and show you some examples of svg cutting files, fonts, logos and graphics you can download to help you create a personal, but professional finish. We can help you to create beautiful wedding stationery that you’ll be so proud to send to your friends and family. And, you’ll save a bob, too.

How To Make Your Own Wedding Stationery — Look at these beauts! You can get this design from Design Bundles.

The Wedding Stationery You’ll Need To Consider…

Wedding stationery you’ll need throughout your wedding journey, including the big day itself, can include:

1. Save The Date Cards

Usually sent long before the wedding day, to secure the date in people’s diaries. These are especially good for those of you who are going to be throwing a destination wedding.

2. Wedding Invitations

Make Your Own Wedding Stationery: A Guide

These are pretty crutial, but they actually don’t have to be done in the traditional day. Wedding planning couples send texts, create Whatsapp groups and invite people in person. Whatever suits!

3. Order Of Services

These are traditionally found during the (civil/religious) wedding ceremony, and guide wedding guests through the ceremony and the day. These are particularly useful if you’ve got various parts to your wedding, and if you need your guests to move between locations.

4. Wedding Menus

Wedding menus are not always needed, especially if you have a buffet for your wedding breakfast. Wedding menus are useful when you have different options for dietary requirements, or have a series of courses, or have something special to say to your wedding guests. There could just be one on the table for your guests to glance at.

5. Table Plan

If you’re having a lot of guests, a table plan is a very good idea. Usually displayed at the doorway of the wedding breakfast location, it helps to guide guests quickly to their tables.

You could create something unique, and incorporate your theme into the plan, or you could simply write people’s names nicely in lists on a decorated board. It’s absolutely your choice what you come up with.

Top tip – do this last! You’ll get very frustrated if you create your table plan and guests drop out or become ill before your wedding. I have been there, and re-printing the table plan was stress I didn’t need!

6. Table Names / Numbers

Table names or numbers are crutial so that you can guide your guests over to their correct table. You usually match these up via the table plan.

7. Place Names

You can get really creative here. You can write your own. You can print them on your home printer and cut them out. You can write on found objects like stones or leaves.

The more creative you get, the better, and you will be easily able to create something that look beautiful amongst your reception table theme.

8. Venue Signage

If you’ve got a tricky venue location, like a barn in the middle of the country, set amongst a farm for instance, it’s advisable to make some signs so that your guests don’t get lost trying to find where they need to be. You can create signs out on the roads, or just at your venue. Even a venue would benefit from a ‘toilets’ sign!

You can get digital by designing your own on your computer, printing them out and laminating them. You could use a stencil and paint on wood. You could even hand write a sign if you have nice handwriting 😉

9. Thank You Cards

It’s important to be able to thank your guests, and these days not everyone sends thank you cards. To save loads of time and money, you can create images using design programs like Canva, and send them via facebook messenger or whatsapp.

If you do like a traditional card, then using pre-designed graphics and printing them at home is a brilliant way to keep the costs down.

That’s quite a list, right? Imagine the costs involved in commissioning a designer to create and print those pieces. Not that we are suggesting you don’t do that, but there is so much money to be saved by getting creative yourself.

Below are the nautical themed wedding invites that I designed using SVGs and printed at home. I used Photoshop to create them, along with some brilliant graphic downloads like the anchor, the ropes, matched with nautical themed fonts and colours.

These invites asked our friends and family to attend our wedding down in Cornwall, so we needed a few pages with local hotels, directions and timings.

This theme ran through all of our wedding stationery, and subtly through our other touches such as navy Bridesmaid dresses. Andy had an anchor brooch on his suit jacket, and an anchor and ship wheel cufflinks on his shirt.

Graphical imagery is from Design Bundles.

Comment below and show us what you’re thinking for your wedding stationery – will you make your own?

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Wedding inspiration Wedding planning

Use Jewel For Cashback On Your Luxury Wedding Items

So, you’ve got your eye on some awesome jewel encrusted shoes that match your wedding dress perfectly?

You’ve chosen your wedding day make up, and seen some beautiful swimwear for your honeymoon?

You really want to treat your new Mother In Law to be with a beautiful designer handbag, and your husband to be would love an engraved watch as a wedding present.

Let us guess – you just had to pay your first installment on your wedding venue, and you’re wondering whether you should splurge after all?

What if we told you there was a way to save some money on the luxury details you’ve set your sights on?

Meet Jewel.

Jewel is a cashback site for luxury brands, where you can earn up to 15% cashback on EVERY purchase.

With cashback on brands such as Bobby Brown, Stila and Tarte for your wedding make up. For wedding shoes you’ve got Jimmy Choo and Kate Spade, and a whole host of amazing brands such as Anthropologie, Armani and Harrods for buying memorable Bridesmaid and Groomsmen gifts. Lucky them!

Jewel even offer cashback on travel partners such as Hotels.com, Emirates and Marriott, so planning your honeymoon just got more affordable!

If you sign up now, there’s a $5 bonus waiting in your account, and it’s super easy to get started.

If you’ve got friends who you’d think would love to benefit from the luxury brands cashback site, then you can earn $5 for referring each one. More cash for the wedding pot!

Once you’ve done your shopping, you will be paid every 2 months if the balance if $15 or over.

It’s really easy to start earning cashback on your wedding spendings. Perhaps you can use the money saved for extra cocktails at the swim up bar on your honeymoon!

Check out Jewel, the luxury cashback site to start saving now.

Wedding inspiration Wedding photography Wedding planning

Wedding Photography: Why Should I Hire A Professional

When preparing everything for a wedding, couples often forget one important thing – choosing the right photographer. Here we discuss the reasons you should hire a professional to do your wedding photography.

Should You Hire A Professional Photographer?

Wedding Photography: Why Should I Hire A Professional

A lot of people think that organising wedding photographs is easy and often give the responsibility to friends or members of the family.

But you cannot forget the fact that your wedding is not just an ordinary family gathering. It only happens once in your lifetime, so you need to make sure that you will have great wedding photographs which will serve as a wonderful record of that very special day.

Choice Of A Wedding Photographer – Crucial For Couples

Wedding Photography: Why Should I Hire A Professional

It is crucial to have a good photographer. I have personally been at weddings with no professional photographer, where members of the family took all the pictures. The effects were terrible! Of course, hiring a professional photographer can seem expensive, but having a wonderful record of the day is worth the cost.

When figuring out who to hire, personal recomendations are always a good place to start. If you are a bit stuck, Bidvine, who make it easy to hire a Wedding Photographer is a solid place to start your research.

The Main Difference Between A Professional Photographer And An Amateur

Wedding Photography: Why Should I Hire A Professional

One of the main reasons for hiring a professional over an amateur is the quality of their gear. While amateurs usually use cheap digital cameras, professionals have high quality SLR cameras, with additional equipment such as photo flash lamps, support stands, and so on. This equipment not only allows wedding photographers to take top quality photos, but to take pictures from all angles, in bad lighting, etc. Browse around here for additional info on photography equipment.

Wedding Photography; Price Equals Quality

Wedding Photography: Why Should I Hire A Professional

The only advantage to using amateur photographers is the price. Getting a friend or member of the family to take pictures at your wedding will usually be free.

So, if paying for a professional photographer will squeeze your budget, just hire a professional to take photos during the ceremony and then some formal photographs afterwards. Then ask a friend to take pictures during the reception.

Whatever you decide, having beautiful photos to look through when reminiscing about your big day will please you for years to come. Make the right choice when it comes to creating a lifelong momento of your wonderful wedding day.

Photos by Danny Feasey Photography

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Wedding Photography: Why Should I Hire A Professional

Wedding fashion

Grab A Bargain Wedding Dress At An Oxfam Bridal Department Near You

The British highstreet might be dieing a death (even though we don’t want it to), but not only is your nearest highstreet the best for getting window special offers, cheap fruit and veg, and pound shop hauls, its great for saving money on your wedding, too!

Grab A Bargain Wedding Dress At An Oxfam Bridal Department

Visit an Oxfam bridal department near you

Did you know, Oxfam have 12 bridal departments across the UK, all of which offer a warm welcome, specialist advice and a wide selection of bridal wear and accessories? Many dresses are even donated by designers (how brilliant is that!), so you can buy the wedding dress of your dreams for much less that you would expect. Check out the range of wedding dresses available online. Grab A Bargain Wedding Dress At An Oxfam Bridal Department

You’ll be sure of a warm welcome at Oxfam specialist bridal departments. Their trained volunteers will dedicate their time and attention to help you find the right wedding dress for you, with no hard sell.

Grab A Bargain Wedding Dress At An Oxfam Bridal Department

Over 95% of the wedding dresses are new, donated by designers and bridal shops that need to make room for the next season’s stock. There’s always a wide range of styles and sizes on offer. The average cost of an Oxfam wedding dress is around £250, and with loads even less than that. You can even get ASOS wedding wear at Oxfam! Now you don’t need to spend a small fortune to find the perfect dress for your wedding day.

Grab A Bargain Wedding Dress At An Oxfam Bridal Department

All Oxfam bridal wear departments are on the first floor where privacy is assured. Oxfam take care to create the right environment and atmosphere: every department has been specially decorated and their friendly volunteers want every customer to have a happy experience.

“I was bowled over by the lovely surroundings where I had the undivided attention of Molly and plenty of space to change and look at myself in the large mirrors…”

Grab A Bargain Wedding Dress At An Oxfam Bridal Department Visit the Oxfam bridalwear website to shop for your wedding dress now!

Want to save even more money on your wedding, and feel good whilst you do so? As well as bagging a beautiful bargain wedding dress, you can feel good by supplying charity wedding favours for your guests.

Wedding inspiration Wedding planning

How To Have The Most Fun Wedding Reception Ever

If you want to have the best wedding ceremony ever, or if you want to make sure that everything is being done to try and ensure you have a wedding to remember, then it’s important that you plan way ahead. When you plan in advance, you can then get all of the finer details planned out and you can also get the entertainment organised as well. On top of this, you can also feel confident that you have made the best decisions as you progress through your evening.

Seating

The first thing that you need to do is make sure that you arrange the seating. This may sound obvious, but make sure that you have a seating arrangement that is absolutely solid. It helps to place guests who know one another and guests who get along well at the same table. You do want to help people to make new friends, but you don’t want to force it because at the end of the day, they are there for you and to wish you all of the best with your celebration. Forcing them to sit with someone who they don’t know may not be the best way to make their evening fun. A good seating chart will lead to a good conversion and it will also lead to a good dance party as well. This will then lead to an unforgettable night!

Wedding Favours

How to Make Your Wedding More Memorable

When you plan out your wedding favours, this has to be the cherry on top of the cake. This is your chance to really let your guests know how much they are appreciated for being there and it also gives them a treat to take home as well. Think about offering them doughnuts, cocoa or even marshmallows. You could even include coffee beans, local produce from the area or a card with your wedding date. This is a great way for you to really bring everyone together and it can make all of the difference to your evening.

Toasts need to Be Short

How to Have the Most Fun Wedding Reception Ever

When you have a wedding toast that is lasting forever, guests can get bored. If you want to avoid this then make sure that your toasts are high in quality and if you know that you are having a long toast then try and make it fun in-between. This will really help you to make sure that everyone is enjoying what you are saying and it also helps you to bring everyone together.

Get a DJ

How to Have the Most Fun Wedding Reception Ever

When you hire a wedding DJ you need to make sure that they are on the same wavelength as you and you also need to make sure that they are going to play all of the tunes that you want them to play. A lot of DJs come with their own library of songs and this means that they are only able to play what they have with them. If you want to avoid all of this then you have to make sure that you work with your DJ to make sure that they are happy with your song choice and that they are also happy with the way that you want the songs to be played as well. This will really help you to get the most out of your playlist.

A Plan for the Kids

How to Have the Most Fun Wedding Reception Ever

If you want to keep the little ones entertained while you go off and do your thing then it may help to give them their own designated children’s area. When you do this you can easily give them a babysitter and you can also help them by overseeing any games and even any arts and crafts as well.

Shake Things Up a Bit

Getting Wed In A Way You Won't Forget

When you have your first dance, there is a high chance that all of the eyes will be on you. You may even want to give your guests a taste of something a little bit special as well, so if you want to surprise them or if you want to have a romantic dance then try and have something a little less classic. You could even swap things up a bit and have an energetic dance-off. This is a great way for you to really make your dance memorable and it is also a great way for you to step things up to that very next level.

Interactive Food Stations

How to Have the Most Fun Wedding Reception Ever

Great food ultimately means that you will have a great celebration, but if you really want to cater for your guests then you should have an interactive food station. When you have one of these set up you can then have your guests create their own food to their liking. This could include macaroni cheese or it could even have you hosting a hot dog bar. When you do this, you only need one person to look after the cart and the rest of your guests will then be able to line up and create something that they have only dreamt of in the past.

The Dinner

How To Make Those Wedding Reception Tables Extra Special

You may be thinking of having a three-course meal, but this is something that you’ll probably want to avoid. Instead of having something as boring as this, why not have it over 4 or even 5 courses? You can have each one a little smaller and this is a great way for you to add a small toast between each course. When you do this, you can then have everyone say something and you won’t have to worry about how it is going to fit together as well. This is one of the best ways for you to really bring out the best of your dinner and it is also a good way for you to keep everything that bit more exciting.

So there you have it, there are plenty of ways that you can jazz up your dinner and you really would be surprised at how easy it is for you to really make your wedding stand out when compared to the rest of your family’s. Why don’t you try and implement some of the above ideas today?

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How to Have the Most Fun Wedding Reception Ever

Wedding inspiration Wedding planning

Nine Tips For The Perfect Spring Wedding

There is something romantic about spring weddings. They are full of greenery and flowers, and you can enjoy some sunshine as well. While the weather in the spring is less predictable, you can still enjoy an outdoor reception, but need to have a Plan B, just in case there is a rain cloud heading your way on the special day. You can also wear your stunning dress without the long sleeves, and go on a ride in a convertible if you feel like it.

Spring weddings can be great for couples who want to save money on their honeymoon and avoid the peak autumn season for the best prices. Find out below what you need to do the plan the perfect spring wedding

1. Choose the Venue Carefully

Getting Wed In A Way You Won't Forget

Even if it is warm outside most days, you might want to have a plan B when organising an outdoor wedding. You can have a tent set up just in case the weather turns cold, or there is some rain, and make sure that you get some portable heaters that you can install in the wedding marquee. Choose tables and chairs that are easy to move indoors in case you have to escape from the rain. If you hire a venue with an outdoor seating area, make sure you can use the indoor meeting room, too, when you need to.

2. Floral Themed Wedding Stationery

Floral wedding invitations

Spring is all about bloom and glory. You should use floral patterns on your stationery and decoration, including the name cards and invitations. Add some colour to the tablecloths, and don’t settle for the boring white or silver. A discreet floral pattern will go a long way. Add dried flowers to your napkin rings and placemats, or create your signs using flowers.

3. Seasonal Flowers

How To Make Those Wedding Reception Tables Extra Special

The good news is that in the spring there will be no shortage of flowers, and they will be cheaper than during the winter. Choose the ones that are in season, such as tulips to save money, and start growing some yourself in the garden to put on the table. The sooner you order your floral decorations for your wedding the better price you will get, so don’t leave it to the last minute. If you are an outdoor lover, you can pick your own wildflowers for a romantic theme.

4. Choose Your Photoshoot Location

How to Make Your Wedding More Memorable

The best thing about having a wedding in the spring is that you will have plenty of options when choosing your photoshoot location for your wedding photos. You can visit your local park, the garden of a nearby castle, or your favorite landscape in your hometown. Whichever you choose, you need to make sure there are plenty of greens, yellows, and oranges to compliment your photos. A local botanic garden can be the perfect wedding photo location, but you need to make sure you get the lighting right.

5. Colourful Food and Edible Flowers

Colourful wedding food

To make the atmosphere of your wedding more joyful and pleasant, go for colourful food. Add colour to your cake, and use different fresh vegetables to decorate the plates. Get a large bowl of colourful fruit salad made, and add plenty of jelly for kids attending your reception. Edible flowers can give you an opportunity to add colour and flavor to your dishes, and they can impress even the most picky of your friends. Add pansies to your salads, and roses to your seafood for colour.

6. Floral Bridesmaids’ Dresses

Floral Bridesmaid Dresses

To make the most out of your spring theme, you can break up with traditions, and get a floral patterned material to get your bridesmaids’ dresses made to measure. Use bold and vivid colours, so they perfectly complement your own dress and they look good on your photos. Ditch the tiaras, and get natural flower crowns for everyone, based on their personality, hair, and eye colour. Get a flower bracelet for every guest made, so they can truly embrace your spring wedding theme.

7. Plan B for Rainy Days

Rainy wedding day

It is important that you have a Plan B for when the winter does its worst. If you booked an outdoor venue, have another one in place just in case. If you are planning a beach wedding, make sure that the reception venue is also available, or the hotel can supply you with alternative weatherproof accommodation, or your wedding can be ruined by rain.

8. Get the Lighting Right

Getting the lighting right in the night and during the day is equally important. Sit down with your wedding photographer to ask them what type of lighting they need for each location. If you are having a church wedding, make sure that you choose a time of the day when there is no direct sunlight on the altar, or your wedding photographer will have a hard time to make the most of your pictures. Likewise, with outdoor pictures, you need to make sure you visit the sites when you can make the most out of natural light.

9. Choose Your Wedding Dress Wisely

When it comes to finding a Bespoke Wedding Dress, you need to be prepared for all events. First of all, you should feel comfortable and warm enough. Wedding dresses that come with a bolero are a great choice for the spring, as they will keep you warm when you need extra cover, and help you make the most out of your dress when it is warm. You can also get special blazers or coats ordered with your dress that matches the style, so you can go for the sleeveless tailoring, but don’t have to freeze waiting for your ride to turn up.

Spring weddings can be unforgettable, and represent a new start. Make the most out of the abundance of greenery and flowers, as well as the natural light. Plan for rain and storms just in case, but have a positive attitude. Use flowers to create unique decorations and make your wedding as colourful as possible, so you and your guests will remember the day for many years to come. Spring weddings can be fun, colourful, and full of joy.

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9 Tips for the perfect spring wedding

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Getting Wed In A Way You Won’t Forget

You don’t need to be told that your wedding is the best day of your life. That’s why planning it can be such a stressful process. You want the whole day to be perfect for both you and your partner because you only get one shot at doing it properly. Perhaps you want a traditional wedding, or perhaps you have something a little more unique and creative in mind. Whatever the case, all that matters is creating a wedding that’s utterly unforgettable. This is about more than the day itself – it’s about the memories of the day that will last in the minds of you, your friends, and your family for years to come. Here’s some advice on getting wed in a way that you won’t forget.

Make an initial plan

Whilst you probably came to this article in the hopes of getting some help with your plan, you most likely already have some ideas in mind as to how you’d like your wedding day to play out. It’s important that you start making a list of all the things you want for your big day because planning is absolutely essential. Leave things too late and you run the risk of disappointment when there isn’t enough time or money to put everything together.

Getting Wed In A Way You Won't Forget

You need to make sure you have a budget in mind and then weigh up the pros and cons of different things you’d like for your big day. You might not have enough money to go completely overboard for your dream wedding, but you can prioritise your spending. You might want to check out this wedding ring set if you’re still after some high-quality rings for your big day. Again, it’s important that you spend your budget wisely. Some expenses are worth it, but a lot of the expense can be reduced if you do things yourself (we’ll discuss that further throughout this article).

Create a theme

As discussed in the introduction, there are lots of different ways to theme your wedding. You could go for the traditional approach to keep things straightforward, but you might have different ideas in mind. You should aim to pick your location for the wedding before anything else. If you have to book a date at a certain busy venue then you might be on a long waiting list and have to take the first date they have available (weeks, months, or even a couple of years from now).

Essentially, the venue you pick might have to determine the official date of your wedding and all other plans can pick up from there. Of course, you could pick an outdoor location that has some sentimental value for you or your partner if you want more control over your big day. You could even set up the decorations, seating, and a marquee as the venue if you want to save costs. The more you do yourself, the more money you can save for other aspects of your wedding. Plus, the personal touch adds some special to any wedding.

Keep the entertainment simple

At the end of the day, everybody knows how to have fun. As long as people can eat, drink, and have fun, they’ll have a wonderful time at your wedding. You don’t need to overload your big day with endless events. Keeping the entertainment simple will ensure that there isn’t a cluster of events. All you need is music and a dancefloor. From there, your guests will bring the party to life. Just don’t overthink it, and enjoy your big day.

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Ideas & Inspiration For Planning The Most Incredible Rustic Wedding

Choosing a wedding theme is, by far, one of the most difficult parts of planning your wedding, as there are just so many different options to choose from. Of all the themes out there, one of the best ones has to be a rustic theme. Why? Because it’s a theme that is adaptable, easy to pull together, and wonderfully easy to style, plus it’s wonderfully cute, quirky and pretty.

Bearing all of that in mind, it’s easy to see why rustic-themed weddings are becoming more and more popular. Do you love the concept of a rustic wedding? If the answer is yes, then you have come to the right place, as we will be sharing a wealth of ideas and inspiration below, for planning the most incredible rustic wedding.

Ideas & Inspiration For Planning The Most Incredible Rustic Wedding

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Choose your venue carefully

When it comes to planning your rustic wedding, selecting the perfect venue is vital. For a rustic-themed do there are really only two choices: a barn or a gazebo. Why? Because these venue choices are the ideal fit for the theme, as long as they are well decorated and styled, that is. Barns are ideal for rustic weddings as usually, they have a lot of wood on show and naturally have that rustic feel to them. Gazebos can also work well, as long as you are selective when it comes to picking the type of gazebo. For rustic affairs, yurt or tipi-style gazebos tend to work best, such as the ones offered by The Tipi Company, for instance. Before selecting a venue, take the time to look at your options and choose the one that is the best fit for you, your wedding, and your price range.

Pretty props are vital

Beautiful bunting, jam jars with lace around them, chalkboards with cute messages on, apple crates, and vintage-style tablecloths are just a few props that can work well as part of a rustic wedding. The fantastic thing about a rustic wedding is the fact that the props don’t have to be expensive, they can be homemade or second-hand, it doesn’t matter. For inspiration and ideas, Pinterest is an incredible resource.

Serve food that’s less formal

One of the major benefits of having a rustic wedding is that it can be much less formal than a normal affair, this includes the food that you serve. Rustic weddings are more fun and laid back, so having a formal three-course meal wouldn’t fit the theme. Instead, have a buffet, a hog roast, or a BBQ. As for dessert, simple dishes are ideal, think fruit salad, sponge cake and trifle.

Ideas & Inspiration For Planning The Most Incredible Rustic Wedding

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Be creative with lighting

Weddings are all about the glitz and the glamour, which is why getting the lighting right is so important. To add a subtle, romantic glow to your venue, fairy lights are ideal, as are tea light candles, or for a safer option, LED tea lights can work just as well. Whether you want to light up one section of the venue or add a sparkle to the whole place, getting creative with your lighting is key.

Go wild with the flowers

A rustic wedding isn’t about things being perfect; it’s about things being pretty and having that natural vibe to them. So when it comes to your wedding flowers, instead of having perfectly put together bouquets, opt for posies of wildflowers instead. Tie them with ribbon or lace, and place the table flower in jam jars or vintage-style vases.

Have a pimp your drink station

Don’t have waiters going around serving drinks, have a self-service drinks section instead. Pop different bottles of drinks here, some alcoholic and some non-alcoholic, as well as a selection of accompaniments for drinks, so that your guests can pimp their drinks with fruit, flavoured syrups, herbs, and flowers.

Go homemade with the favours

When it comes to the wedding favours that you give your guests, going DIY can be a great way to keep the rustic theme alive. If you aren’t sure what favours to go for, sugared almonds placed in cute squares of fabric and tied with ribbon can work well. Other options include homemade fudge or boiled sweets, or how about giving each guest a DIY hot chocolate kit? Get creative, and you are sure to be able to come up with a DIY idea that you love.

There you have it, a selection of ideas and inspiration for planning a rustic wedding. Take note of the tips and ideas above and you can ensure that your wedding turns out to be the most magical day.

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For Blue Skies And Summer Dew; Planning An Outdoor Wedding

Have you always dreamed of being wed outdoors? You’re not alone. There are many people who would love nothing more than to say their vows and exchange the rings while being surrounded by nature. Here’s a little advice on how to plan the perfect outdoor wedding.

Find A Location

There are plenty of private venues where you can get married outdoors. You’ll typically find this advertised when you go and visit the location. Of course, you might find the perfect spot to get married, but there’s no info anywhere as to whether or not they allow weddings to be held. The best way to find out is to get in touch with the local council. If they can’t provide you with the answer, they might be able to inform you who owns the land. You should then be able to get in touch with them and explain why you want to get married there. Landowners will typically be understanding as long as you don’t make a mess of the land.

For Blue Skies And Summer Dew; Planning An Outdoor Wedding

Plan For Bad Weather

Yes, it’s wonderful to get married outside in the open, but you still want a contingency plan in place in case you get bad weather. The best option would be to use a marquee hire company. That way, you’ll have a tent where you can dance the night away even if it does start to pour down. Of course, that’s not the only reason why you should hire a marquee. Weddings last hours and some guests won’t want to spend all of that time outside. A brilliant idea would be to have the ceremony out in the open and move under the marquee for food and the full wedding reception. That way, you get the best of both worlds.

Hiring Furniture

The next thing you’ll need is a furniture hire company. If you plan on getting married outdoors, there’s a good chance that you won’t be provided with furniture, even if it is a registered wedding venue. Luckily, there are plenty of companies that provide furniture rentals for couples eager to get married out in the open. You might also want to look into the possibility of waterproof furniture. If it does rain, it’s an easy way of making sure you aren’t charged for damaging the seats.

Dress For The Occasion

If you’re getting married outdoors, you’re probably planning on a spring or summer wedding. There are a wide variety of summer wedding dresses to choose from that are light to wear and absolutely stunning. All the major designers including Vera Wang provide these dresses so be sure to complete an extensive search.

Of course, you could be even more bold and choose to have an outdoor wedding in the middle of winter. If that’s your idea of a dream wedding, be sure to get a wrap to compliment your dress and stop your shoulders being your something blue.

I hope you find this advice useful and I’m sure that your outdoor wedding is going to be absolutely wonderful.

Images from Pixabay.

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Claire Pettibone Lace Wedding Dresses

I stumbled across a beautiful vintage lace wedding dress whilst looking for inspiration on pinterest, and ended up mesmerised by the whole Claire Pettibone wedding gown collection!

I have picked out these three from the lookbook but I could have gone on for hours! There are some amazing wedding gowns on the Claire Pettibone website, so if you’re looking for inspiration or’ the one’, take a look!

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dresses

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Classy but quirky wedding cufflinks

Not all guys want to wear fashion cufflinks that every Tom, Dick and Harry has got, which is why we’ve chosen our three favourite cufflinks from Notonthehighstreet.com. You can also keep these as a momento of your wedding day or special occasion. Also ideal for gifts for Best Men, Page Boys and Ushers.

Unusual wedding cufflinks collection