Tag Archives: wedding

Have a beach themed wedding

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Many absolutely adore heading to the seaside as a relaxing day out away from the troubles of modern life. Be it diving head first into the waves or sprawling out on your towel, it’s fair to say that we as a nation love going to the beach – we even spend money to sit on the sand abroad – but have you ever considered a seaside themed wedding?

You can’t actually get married on the beach in the UK without jumping through a few hoops. As such, it might be better to merely theme your wedding around the seaside instead, opting to exchange vows at a cliff-side stately home.

Acoustic Band

An acoustic band is perfect for the beach because let’s face it, electronics and water don’t really mix. Or rather, they do mix a little too well and that is very dangerous for all concerned. A summer party down on the sand after your wedding ceremony might just be the order of the day and with this in mind, they can stroll around with your guests and everybody can have a marvellous time!

Mermaids

Let’s be honest, a wedding is often a somewhat magical affair and to that end, why not take it from the realm of reality by hiring a mermaid or two to swim elegantly in the waves? At first, guests won’t be totally sure of what they’ve seen but after getting a glimpse or two of the tail, we are sure they’ll absolutely love the surprise! A fascinating act that is performed by experienced aqua performers, your wedding photos will be a sight to see, keep this in mind when planning your wedding entertainment.

Ice Cream Van

What’s a trip to the seaside without an ice cream? No trip to the beach is complete without a Mr. Whippy with 99 flake or a few scoops in a cone and your wedding is the perfect timing to hand one out to everybody! With the sun beaming on your wedding day and the sea breeze cooling everybody down, an ice cream will surely make a welcome change from the bottles of fizz doing the rounds!

 

Staying traditional

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Book a harpist for the ceremony

There’s something beautiful about having a harpist play at your wedding, the sound of a harp emanating through your wedding venue is a truly gorgeous moment. The tinkling of the strings really is the perfect sound to accompany a walk down the aisle and when it comes to tradition, we don’t think there’s much better.

Book a string quartet for the drinks reception

When the vows have been spoken and guests have retired for a few drinks, a string quartet is a wonderful accompaniment to their surroundings. The bride and groom will be having their photos taken with the wedding photographer and such a gap shouldn’t be an awkward situation. With the soothing sounds of a string quartet, this is a lovely opportunity to friends old and new to chat to one another on this special day.

Background jazz with your wedding food

Many guests’ favourite moment of the day with food, drink and of course, the speeches! The bride and groom often walk from table to table during the lunch or dinner and we find that having some background music certainly enhances the atmosphere. Booking a jazz trio is a great choice which is very trendy at the moment.

Book a function band for the evening

Not only does a band get the party started in style, they’re sure to fill your dance floor and ensure many a happy memory as the evening wears on. A band is able to learn a tune that has a sentimental attachment to the newlyweds or more than capable of rattling through the hits, so that  your wedding guests will keep rockin’ all night long.

Book a DJ to finish the evening

A DJ is a great choice, they are able to play virtually any song from the past 70 or 80 years, you’ll be able to seamlessly blend Gangnam Style with Crazy Frog, Agadoo and Ernie, The Fastest Milkman in the West (if you so desire). No matter the genre, our DJs are all hugely experienced and you can relax knowing that your party will still be going long after you head off to the hotel!

 

Common mistakes

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It’s supposed to be the happiest day of your life. As the bride, you’ll be the centre of attention, and not only will your friends and family be present, but your wedding photographs will capture the moment forever. On the big day, you want to look like yourself, only better. There’s nothing worse than a bride wearing a gorgeous gown, in the perfect location, whose wedding hair is so dreadful that guests can’t keep their eyes off of it.

Brides should always have a consultation with a wedding stylist who will be doing their hair one to two months before the wedding date to ensure that their dream hairstyle fits in with their dream day.

Here are some common hair mistakes that brides make.

1. You forget your veil or headpiece. The veil factors into your overall look, and its length and style may determine if you’ll want to wear your hair up or down. If the veil hasn’t arrived yet, ask the bridal salon to loan you a sample, or at least bring along a photo when consulting with your wedding hairdresser.

2. You cut your hair days before the wedding. Stay away from the scissors and don’t plan on getting a haircut right before the big day. Instead, do it a month or two prior to the wedding to ensure that you like the cut and it will work with the hairstyle you’ve chosen.

3. You don’t carefully choose your stylist. You will remember your wedding day forever, so choose someone you trust to style your hair. If your hairdresser doesn’t typically do wedding hairstyles, ask him or her for a recommendation, or speak with friends or other brides who have had hairstyles you’ve admired.

4. You experiment with hair colour. Talk to your stylist about how you envision your hair on the big day, and let your colourist know if you are planning on wearing your hair up or down. It’s also not advisable to dramatically change your hair colour before the wedding. You want to look like an enhanced version of you, not someone completely different.

5. You only try one style. Just as you tried on several wedding dresses (even if you knew the first one was the best), have your stylist show you at least three different looks based on your description of what you want.

6. You go to your consultation without any ideas. Pictures speak louder than words. Gather photos of hairstyles you like. This will give the stylist an idea of the kind of style you’re seeking. The stylist can’t make you look like the person in the picture, but he or she can attempt to copy the hair as long as the texture and length are not an issue.

7. You forget about touch-ups. If it’s in your budget, consider having the wedding stylist stay after the ceremony and throughout the evening to do touch-ups to your hair—or even give you a completely different look. If the expense is too high, ask the stylist for tips on how to touch up your own hair during the reception.

8. You forget about the wedding dress. Your hair should always complement your gown. Select your gown first and then decide on the hairstyle with your stylist.

9. You think short hair is your only option. If your cute bob doesn’t jive with your dream of having long locks on the big day, ask your stylist for extensions. This temporary fix can be a perfect solution.

10. You forget about the groom. Although you’ll be the focus of the big day, you will want his hair to look just as good. Make sure the groom gets a good haircut a week before the wedding.

 

Lose a few pounds before the big day

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If you’re not particularly thrilled with your body, you’ve probably been dieting as your wedding day approaches in an attempt to reach your desired weight before the walk down the aisle in your wedding dress. Many brides do this but find that they are lacking a few pounds a week or so before the wedding. If this sounds familiar, here are some important tips to lose those last pounds.

Eat More Often

That’s right. If you want to lose those last pounds before your wedding day, eat more often but eat much smaller portions. By doing this, you will be giving your digestive system a break as well as speeding up your metabolism. As your metabolism kicks into overdrive, you will burn more fat and calories – and lose more weight.

Drink More Water

Another important thing that will help you lose those last pounds is drinking more water. Most experts recommend that you drink 8 glasses of water each day.Not only does this help you feel full for a longer period of time, but it aids the body in the natural fat and calorie burning process.

If you find it difficult to drink so much water each day, there are a few different things you can do. Go to bed after drinking 4 ounces of water and drink 4 more when you wake up. This is one glass gone – only 7 more to go. If you don’t like the taste of water, slip a wedge of lemon in to create a more palatable drink.

Cardio Exercise

Don’t neglect your exercise as you try to lose those last pounds. Anything that gets your heart pumping and makes you break a sweat is an excellent exercise to do. For instance, jumping rope, skating, dancing and even jogging can help you lose those last pounds. While most people aren’t overly fond of exercise, doing it regularly will boost your energy and even your sense of well-being! Exercise each day for about a half an hour to forty-five minutes at a time.

Skip the Sugar

In the last week before the wedding, don’t indulge in processed sugar at all. Instead, fill your rumbling tummy with fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, beans and lean meat.This will help get rid of those last stubborn pounds and you may notice that you feel a lot better too!These foods are great for your health and provide important nutrients and vitamins.

By following the tips above, you can lose those last pounds and feel beautiful and confident in your wedding dress.

 

Take a deep breath and enjoy

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Enjoy the wedding morning

Getting ready on the morning of the wedding is bound to be stressful, but make sure you take time to relax and enjoy it with a glass of champers! It’s the one time you’ll be pampered within an inch of your life so sit back and look forward to what is to come…

Don’t go hungry

Couples actually forget to eat during their wedding day! You’ll be super busy greeting and thanking guests, that you might not have time to eat the delicious wedding breakfast you spent all that money on. Make sure you allow you and your hubby time to sit down and enjoy the meal.

Beauty trials

Always make sure you have a wedding hair and wedding makeup trial before your wedding morning. There would be nothing more stressful than hating your hair and makeup whilst knowing it’s too late to change it. We recommend having at least 2 trials before your big day to make sure it’s perfect!

Book a DJ

A lot of couples try to save money on wedding entertainment, and rather than booking a decent DJ they create a playlist on their iPod. Yes, this does save a ton of money but a good DJ will make sure all of your guests get up on the dance floor for a groove!

Comfort over style

Even though those glitzy stilettos may look gorgeous, will you last in them all day? If you’re opting for high heels for the ceremony, make sure you bring flats along too! Many brides end up in pain towards the end of the day due to their heels. We all know the feeling, so if you want to enjoy every second of your special day, sometimes being comfy is best!

Rope your Groom into helping

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Men aren’t usually as good at multitasking as women and many have a habit of leaving things until the last moment. So not to leave the Groom in the cold and help out the Bride here a last-minute checklist for your new hubby-to-be so he can see at a glance what he has to do and when – and you get the peace of mind of knowing that he’s on the case, hopefully.

Most grooms rise to the occasion of their wedding and dress smartly, even if they don’t go the traditional morning coat and tails look.

Whatever type of suit your fiancé wears, it needs to fit him perfectly and should be cleaned and brushed. He needs to have every aspect of his outfit in place and organised well in advance and absolutely not go shopping the day before.

Take his wedding suit out of its bag and hang it up the night before to air and allow any creases time to fall out. It’s also a good idea for him to have a spare shirt handy, just in case something gets spilled down his front at the last minute.

Wedding accessories are also key to a groom’s look. Firstly, he needs to have some new socks on. They don’t have to be black, if he wants to rock a colour or stripes then let him. Just make sure his socks don’t have holes! Other accessories he’ll need to have are cufflinks for his shirt, his tie or cravat and any other option extra’s that he wants to wear with his outfit.

His shoes should be shiny and polished and if they’re new he needs to wear them in a bit before the big day – just as you have been wearing in your wedding shoes. He might want to wear a tie pin as a piece of jewellery and if you want to give him a gift of jewellery for your day, then this is something to consider.

Just like you, your groom needs to be thinking about his hair on your big day (just think of the wedding photographs you’re going to have taken). He should have it cut no more than a week before the big day. If he wears it longer it needs to be shaped and if it’s short, then it needs to look sharp.

If you want to treat him, you could organise for him to have a cut and shave at a high end hair salon so he feels really special.

A ring is an everlasting symbol of your love and commitment for one another and it’s the groom’s job to get the rings organised. No pressure there then!

Your husband to-be needs to buy wedding rings for both of you and check that they are the correct sizes. If you’re having something bespoke created then you need to be sure that the rings are going to be ready in time, and the pair will need to be cleaned and tucked away somewhere safe until the big day. Your rings are a main event when you tie the knot so it’s essential that they fit correctly and that he has them ready.

Losing the rings may be something that happens in sit-coms but it has been known to happen in real life, too! It’s traditionally the best man’s job to take care of them in the church and hand them over to the groom in time for the ceremony.

 

Record your Wedding memories

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When planning a Wedding searching for a quirky way to record all your wedding memories and good luck messages? Look no further! Here are five fabulous alternatives to the traditional guest book…

Puzzle pieces

Your guests write a message on the back of the wooden jigsaw pieces and then you fit them together after the big day and create a wonderful, original work of art to display long after the big day. Just make sure you ask guests to write their messages before the drinks start flowing!

Celebration Tree

Let your guests design an original work of art for you to treasure and admire in your home for years to come with the Celebration Tree! Your friends and family simply ‘leaf’ their fingerprint onto a chosen branch. They can sign the leaf if you wish but celebration tree also offer a self-adhesive signature plate that you can stick to the back of the frame picture if you wish.

Vintage typewriter

Your guests type a message on the long scroll of paper set up on the old vintage typewriter. Hear the clunking of the keys and again another fun interactive way to engage with your guests. Great nostalgic idea and will make a wonderful table piece. If you can’t borrow – or you don’t want to buy – a vintage typewriter just for one day, how about hiring one?

Wishing well cards

Wishing well cards are a fun alternative to traditional wedding guest books. The pretty bird designs work especially well if you’re planning an outdoor or nature-inspired celebration. Your guests simply write their good luck messages, or their advice for the future, and then mail them into a beautiful birdcage. There are lots of colour options available, too, so you can easily find the one that works well with your theme.

Wooden hearts

This idea is so romantic! Ask your guests to sign their love on a wooden heart keepsake that you can keep in your treasure chest to look over on your anniversary. You could even make these wooden hearts your inspiration for your whole wedding theme, and offer heart favours and incorporate a heart onto your thank you cards.

A USA Wedding theme

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With an American themed wedding, you don’t want to just ‘have a go’, you want it to be full of all things Americana because let’s be honest, our friends across the Atlantic aren’t exactly the most subtle bunch of people on earth. No, they love a celebration and they love their country! No matter whether you’re looking to host a wedding with an American theme because you and your partner met in New York or perhaps one of you is American or because you just love the country, this is the ultimate guide to holding an American themed wedding with the finest US entertainment around.

An all american wedding band

If you’re looking to hire wedding entertainment then we know for a fact that you’ll be wanting to hire a band or two. The thing about the US is that it has so many genres so if you’re looking for common requests like Motown or soul.

Cheerleaders/Dance Performance

You can imagine it already, can’t you? If you met over a mutual love of cheerleading or want as good a reference as you can to the American High School system, then cheerleaders are a must.

Hot Dog/Candy Floss/Snow Cone Trikes

An American themed wedding will be nothing without an appropriate decoration of your wedding venue. We’ll leave the actual nuts and bolts of design your space to the professionals. You might want a Hot Dog, Candy Floss or even a Snow Cone trike. There are many more to hire, just let your imagination run riot!!

 

Photoboothing is all the rage

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What are the benefits of having one? Here are 5 reasons why you should have one.

They’re Great Fun

It seems like an obvious thing to state when hiring wedding entertainment – all of it is fun! – but a photo booth will give you more value for money than many other forms of wedding entertainment through the sheer amount of fun and laughter you’ll hear coming from the booth over the course of your wedding evening. It’s not a singular activity and people tend to visit the booth in large groups for a photo. Upon seeing the props available for their snap, even the most camera shy love to get involved as you take your four photos. And that fun and laughter we mentioned? It keeps other people at your wedding interested in the booth as well.

The Guest Book

Perhaps the main reason to have a photo booth at your wedding is for the guest book that comes with it. Once your wedding is over and upon return from your honeymoon, you’ll finally be able to have a look through your photo booth guest book and take in the photos. If pressed to write a message, many guests might struggle to know what to say but when delivered in the form of a photo that can be captioned, you’ll find some truly lovely thoughts from your nearest and dearest. Friends and family alike will have contribute to a unique wedding gift that you can treasure for the rest of your lives.

The Wedding Photographer Can’t Photo Everyone

A great reason to hire a photo booth for an evening and one of the main points as to why it’s a must have at your wedding is because your wedding photographer simply can’t photograph everybody in attendance. Some don’t like to be photographed for whatever reason whilst others might just keep missing the photographer as they come round. With a photo booth though, you can rest assured that you’ll have at least one snap of your guests to enjoy. Sure, they’ll probably be sporting ridiculous fluorescent glasses or have a random bowling pin in their hand, but at least you’ll have a photo!

 

Memories

 

Perhaps the number one reason for having a photo booth at your wedding is the memories that it creates. Not only do guests create photos for your guest book but they receive a strip of their photos as well. They could even send a digital copy to their email address if they so desire. So many people will see these photos over the next few years and so many people will ask questions as to where it was taken. Your wedding will live long in the memory thanks to just a few photos taken at a photo booth. They really are a wonderful addition to your wedding day.

 

Luxury Weddings on a budget

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With the average wedding in the UK costing around £20,000, it’s understandable why some couples quiver at the thought of tying the knot. But this shouldn’t steer those wanting to get hitched away from their dream day. Here are some handy tips on how to avoid a five figure bill while still achieving a wedding day to remember

Avoiding an engagement party to cut costs is totally missing out on a valuable opportunity to gather essentials which could help to cover costs otherwise incurred. By being opportunistic and holding a small gathering to celebrate will spark generosity between friends and family which will be needed in the run up to the big day.

Nothing pulls harder on a guest’s heart strings than a handwritten invitation. Scattered with personalised notes and hand-stuck pictures; there is no cheaper way of convincing a guest to join in the celebrations on the big day.

Everyone wants to say their vows on the weekend. Instead pay less and give family and friends the opportunity to take some well-deserved time off during the week to celebrate? It often costs much less to host your wedding on a Friday and means your guests can stay and celebrate with you all weekend long if you choose!

Being in love with a prestige location needn’t mean it has to be ruled out. For example, wedding venues in Oxfordshire, the Cotswolds, the Lake District and other countryside locations can be pretty pricey; however, by doing some homework, modern residencies like the Oxford Abingdon Hotel can cater for a range of sizes and budgets while still being in the heart of the destination.

One of the biggest costs faced is internal or external wedding caterers. As opposed to cutting back on courses or opting for a buffet, why not consider inviting fewer guests and upping the style of dining? Alternatively, a buffet can also be a viable option which will reduce the overall cost.

After stretching the budget to craft a truly fabulous wedding day, it could all have been in vain if one chooses to start a bar tab. Instead, pay-as-you-go to avoid a bad start to the honeymoon.

No matter how many lists or hints received by guests, it is inevitable that a handful of, to put it nicely, non-favourable gifts will be received. By utilising handy sites like eBay and Gumtree, shifting these will help save for a dreamy honeymoon.