May 17th, 2012 by
Kate
 George Watts first launched his TV career on screen as the Wedding Planner for BBC2′s The Good, Bad and the Ugly. Literally thrown in at the deep end and with just 6 weeks to go, George coordinated every detail from the cake to a stunning Aston Martin for the groom. Thankfully the couple even made it down the aisle to say ‘I do’… on time!
Recognised for his huge warmth and loveable approach, George is always up for a challenge devising and presenting inspirational ideas for summer stag and hen celebrations exclusively for GMTV. As part of their interactive wedding, viewers were invited to vote for their favourite options with activities including clay pigeon shooting and yodelling up a mountain!
George has appeared on The Alan Titchmarsh Show for ITV1 talking destination weddings, written for The Party Times and launched The Wedding Clinic LIVE on Facebook. His new ebook 51 Amazing Ideas for your Wedding also reached no2 on the itunes reference book chart.
For anybody in the process of planning a wedding this ultimate guide of amazing big day ideas is an absolute must have read. For the very first time, The Wedding Fairy is opening up his exclusive little black book of wedding solutions and A-list planning tips to ensure your big day is the best ever! It doesn’t matter whether you are newly engaged, the bride-to-be or simply want to inspire your best friend with a tasty selection of out of the box wedding ideas – this book has something for everyone.
Knowing where to start in terms of budgeting, putting together an a-z checklist of what to do and when, along with designing an overall look for your big day can be a bit overwhelming to say the least. Luckily this is where your Wedding Fairy comes in with a whole host of money saving ideas and tricks of the trade to ensure your journey to the aisle of I do is fabulous fun and stress free. Remember, the drama is always in the detail so this book is primarily full to the brim with unusual and unique ideas that will give your celebration the memorable edge no one will ever forget. From stand-out design ideas to practical money saving tips The Wedding Fairy has everything covered. This big day is all about you so let’s make sure your individuality is stamped all over it.
A wedding is never about the money spent; rather the originality and attention to detail that will take any big day from fine to fabulous in seconds. Whatever your overall theme or style and wherever your wedding is taking place, hopefully this book of amazing ideas will hold all those hidden treasures you have been so desperately looking for. Wedding planners, the time has come to unleash the list and get this party started!
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Wedding Ideas |
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May 16th, 2012 by
Kate
 Brides and Grooms have got to get to the wedding venue somehow so why not take the opportunity to have something special on your big day and look for an alternative to the classic wedding car. Grooms might like the idea of turning up to the church in an E Type Jaguar or other classic car while brides may be dreaming about the perfect horse drawn carriage.
Popular options for wedding transport are the classic VW camper van or the traditional red double decker bus, which can also accommodate the transport of the wedding guests to the reception. Ideal for couples who are having a vintage themed wedding these will add a fun element to the day and be a real talking point with guests.
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Wedding Ideas, Wedding Plans |
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May 14th, 2012 by
Kate
As the mythical birthplace of Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love and beauty, Cyprus has a well-earned reputation as the island of romance.
With regular flights from the UK, year-round sunshine, and a temperate climate – even in March – the third largest island in the Med has a well-deserved reputation as a top spot for UK weddings abroad; last year 4,500 British couples tied the knot on Cyprus, and countless more – including Zara Philips and Mike Tindall – chose the land of Aphrodite as the destination for their honeymoon.
Whether your dream big day will be held at one of the island’s world-class luxury five-star hotels (many of which have their own chapels), a secluded rural church in the alpine-esque Troodos Mountains or on one of the island’s stunning beaches, Cyprus has something to offer every couple. For the reception afterwards treat your guests to delicious fresh local produce or exciting international cuisine and drink a toast to your future with one of the oldest wines in the world, part of a 4,000 year old tradition of winemaking on the island.
With legal formalities similar to those in the UK and countless dedicated companies with decades of experience on hand to organise everything down to the last detail, the process is as easy as at home. If you choose to get married in a hotel, most have their own in-house wedding planner to take the stress out of the day. It can also be cheaper, with the average cost of a wedding in Cyprus around two-thirds of those held in the UK.
Tags: honeymoon
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Weddings Abroad |
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May 11th, 2012 by
Kate
If you’ve been put in charge of planning an event or party and been asked to come up with something ‘different’, it can be difficult to know what to do. If you’ve yet to explore the option of booking a cocktail masterclass, now may be the perfect time. They involve a group or several groups being given a friendly and engaging demonstration by an experienced cocktail maker before being given the chance to attempt their own. 
For anyone who loves drinking cosmopolitans, woo woos, long island iced teas and mudslides (to name but a few) then learning how to make your own could be a real treat. Furthermore, you’ll get to drink each beverage that you and your group concoct.
Full of banter, history about the drinks and, of course, sampling them, cocktail masterclasses have grown in popularity and are well-suited for a wide range of occasions – including hen dos, stag parties, birthday parties, Christmas parties and more.
They provide a great basis for the start of a night out and are often paired with a party booking for afterwards. This is where your group will get their own special area guaranteed for the evening, meaning you have somewhere to enjoy a sit down in between drinks.
So if you’re looking for an evening that’s a little different, but very memorable, choosing one with cocktails and VIP party areas could be the perfect solution.
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May 9th, 2012 by
Kate
It seems the grim reality of the recession has affected even the most romantic event – weddings. In 2008, the average cost of a UK wedding was over £20,000. However, in 2011 the average spending on a wedding dropped by a massive 25% to £15,541 and in 2012 it will drop even further.
We studied the data from the sales of around 1,600 wedding insurance policies purchased via CompareWeddingInsurance.org.uk to cover weddings taking place in 2012. We found that couples were purchasing policies to cover weddings for, on average, £11,441 of cover in respect of complete cancellation. Adding to this figure the £3,000 average cost of a honeymoon, this means that couples are spending, on average, £14,441 on getting married in 2012.
There are regional variations on the amount being spent with one of the surprising features being couples in London and the South East spending 42% above the national average. Provisional figures for average wedding spend in 2013 indicate a further drop of around 6% to an average cost of around £10,800 or £13,800 including the honeymoon.
It is getting harder and harder to finance a weddding in this financial climate and more couples are looking at DIY options and smaller guest lists in an effort to cut their costs, although it is still easy to get in to five figures for the venue, catering, brides dress, photographer, invitations, transport, flowers, wedding cake, rings and other “essentials”
Whatever you spend on your wedding, you’ll want to make sure you avoid paying for items twice – if there’s problem with your wedding dress or the venue goes bankrupt you’ll want the reassurance of wedding insurance. If it’s covered by your policy, wedding insurance will then pay for the replacement items so that you don’t slip over your budget. At an average of £14,500, your wedding is still likely to be the third most expensive purchase you’ll ever make!
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Wedding Statistics |
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May 8th, 2012 by
Kate
 This is a special year for celebrations in the UK with the Diamond Jubilee in the summer and also the Olympics later in the year. The UK Wedding Shows will be celebrating too, as they bring home not one but two awards from the BSPi Star Awards, the highlight of a conference for wedding show organisers worldwide.
The UK Wedding Shows’ Directors Linda and Bev received the awards in the categories for Best International Fashion Show and for Radio Advertising. This was quite an achievement as the company are relatively new to using radio media as a means of promoting their exhibitions.
The conference this year was held at The W Hotel in Scottsdale Arizona, with delegates attending various seminars and workshops over the week, listening to guest speakers and sharing their ideas to improve the exhibition experience both for brides attending shows and for the exhibitors themselves. The BSPi conference recognises the work and achievements of some of the best bridal show producers in the wedding industry, with awards this year in seven categories judged by an independent panel.
The UK Wedding Shows have now received five awards and Linda Williams, MD, was delighted with this latest achievement. “It is a real boost in the current economic climate to receive these awards in recognition of the hard work that goes in to producing and promoting every one of our shows. We would like to thank our colleagues from within the industry, and those who work with us throughout the year in the UK, enabling us to plan and co-ordinate all of the elements that go in to our shows”
Tags: industry awards
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Wedding Industry, Wedding shows |
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May 7th, 2012 by
Kate
Romantic Facebook fans can now propose digitally with the launch of a Love Hearts app which allows couples to send loving messages.
Swizzels Matlow, the confectionery company that makes Love Hearts, launched the app on Love Hearts Facebook page www.facebook.com/swizzelslovehearts on 1 February. It allows fans to send personalised messages such as I Love You and Miss You on a digital Love Heart.
Fans who use the app to propose could also win a supply of wedding favours for their special day. Sarah-Louise Heslop, marketing manager at Swizzels Matlow, said “Our fans are a romantic bunch so launching this fabulous Facebook app in time for Valentine’s Day made perfect sense. Now that Facebook fans can propose online we could be responsible for a summer of social media weddings.”
Love Hearts has also teamed up with the music streaming service WE7.com, the personalised online radio website to develop Love Hearts radio. Visit www.lovehearts.com to listen to your favourite love songs.
Tags: proposals
Posted in
Wedding Details and Accessories |
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George Watts first launched his TV career on screen as the Wedding Planner for BBC2′s The Good, Bad and the Ugly. Literally thrown in at the deep end and with just 6 weeks to go, George coordinated every detail from the cake to a stunning Aston Martin for the groom. Thankfully the couple even made it down the aisle to say ‘I do’… on time!
