Although a wedding should be the happiest day of a person’s life, it can also be one of the most stressful. With so many things to think about, organise and consider, it can be an extremely daunting and demanding experience. However, with so much emphasise placed on the larger, more expensive items, such as cars, dresses and flowers, it is important to remember essential stationary; commonly forgotten about.

There are so many things to consider when it comes to communicating with your guests. Forward thinking and planning is desirable when it comes to arranging a wedding to avoid disappointment on the big day. Many individuals may need to organise travel, accommodation, child care or time off from work before confirming an invite so ensuring that you are prepared is appropriate for both you and your guests. Nowadays it isn’t enough to simply send friends and family wedding invitations, but also ‘Save the Day’ notes, reply cards, location maps and many more. Ensuring that the main bulk of admin work is completed early on will allow more time to indulge in the fun activities and plan the exciting things, such as wedding dress shopping and the all-important hen night.

To ensure that you have everything covered when it comes to your potential guests, follow this check list:

Save the Day Notes: Well in advance, as soon as you confirm your venue and date, you should compile a list of guests that you wish to attend. By sending a ‘Save the Day’ note, potential guests are able to ensure that arrangements are put in place to make sure they are able to attend. This will not only help them plan ahead but also save you from the disappointment of loved ones not being able to attend.

Wedding Invitations: Once the venue, ceremony and reception is booked, invitations are ready to be sent out to all those people who are on your guest list. It is advisable to purchase invitations that are consistent with your theme or colour scheme. Although, this is not essential, it will help in setting the tone for your wedding and many retailers will allow you to personalise your own invitations, meaning the perfect design is easily obtainable.

Reply Cards: There’s little use in sending invitations without supplying a reply card with them. By doing so, guests can easily get in contact with you and confirm their invite or let you know otherwise. It is important that you are aware very early on about the number of people attending. This way, caterers, venue staff and hotels can all accommodate for them in the best possible manner.

Location Map: Providing guests with up-to-date directions to the venue will benefit both yourself and the guests. A printed version of the map should be inserted into the invitation to ensure that people are aware of the destination and the times. This, again, will avoid a delaying the day and allow for things to run as smoothly as possible.

Menu: Letting people know what food will be served throughout the day will allow them time to make special dietary requirements, if needed. For example, vegetarian options should always be accounted for in advance and anyone with allergies or intolerances will need to be identified and catered for. This will avoid disappointment from guests on the day and reduce the risk of waiting times.

Place Cards: To avoid confusion and disruption during meal time, place cards can be the ideal tool. By sticking to your theme and colour, tables can look pretty, appealing and organised. Accompany these place cards with a large seating plan displayed at the entrance of the dining hall so guests are able to determine their seats upon arrival and find them in a calm and orderly manner.

Thank You cards: Once the wedding is over and everyone is still buzzing about the spectacular event, you would assume your role as organiser is well and truly over. However, it is always advisable to send out thank you cards to those who have contributed to your big day, either by simply being there or purchasing a gift.

Chris will be exhibiting at the Ricoh show in January 2012 and we spoke to him about his love of the photography business and how much he enjoys working with couples to produce stunning images of their wedding day.

“I live with my beautiful partner Kasey in a lovely house called “Ein Cartref” (Welsh for “Our Home” a nod to my Welsh heritage, I was born in England) and I class myself as one of the emerging breed of young, hip, Wedding Photographers, aiming to bring my clients a younger, fresher and chic approach to their Wedding Photography! 

My professional background is as a Commercial, Fashion and Music Photographer (Two of my other big loves along with my beloved PS3), and when not hiding behind the lens I’m mostly found with my head stuck in a good book. Your Perfect Day Wedding Photography was created out of my desire to create a more personal type of imagery for Weddings. Gone are those clumsy, stiff portraits and instead I supply my clients with photographs that are beautiful, innovative and natural. I’ve shot weddings all over the world, and love mixing romance with creativity and inspiration, to create beautiful wedding photography.

I always aim to make everyone feel at ease in front of the camera and make the photography a really enjoyable part of their day. By creating a relaxing environment, I find that this helps to create really natural and stunning wedding photographs. I pride myself on my friendly, enthusiastic and honest service and treat every wedding as unique. I offer a totally bespoke service to clients, as I find that their needs differ so much, and so will their wedding day. My studio door inLeicester’s Cultural Quarter is always open for coffee and a chat and sometimes I find I’m a great ear to bend for other wedding matters and planning too.

I aim to capture every wedding ‘as it happens’, and find that my adaptable and fun manner can be applied to anybody’s perfect day. My work as a photographer is evolving with each wedding, and my experience is growing. A regular at local and national wedding fayres, I love meeting new clients to show them my latest photography technique; Off Camera Flash, Allowing the Wedding Photography to look more like a glamorous, on location magazine shoot.

These particular photos are ones that a client of mine has commissioned. Taken on a pre wedding shoot to test technique, and ‘Just for her’ I think these pictures have come out great. We used her unfinished dress as she did not want her fiance to see the final dress. I think you’ll agree that the photography and subject are stunning!”

From wedding invitations to favours for guests, Bride & Groom can easily become the wedding supplier of your choice.  You can visit their site and order all those small items that make your day special from the wide selection of quality wedding accessories and stationery. Begin with a harbinger of good tidings, save-the-date cards or magnets. Select one that will complement your wedding theme and add the names of bride and groom and the wedding date and upload a photograph for that personal touch.

Next, design the ideal invitation. Choose from contemporary or traditional styles printed on high quality paper in a range of colours. Incorporate a favourite picture into the design or find the perfect elegant vintage style to complement the theme of your wedding. Choose stationery that will coordinate with the invitation – from reply cards and note cards to order of service, menu and place cards, and thank you cards.

The little details that enhance the wedding ceremony are all available at Bride and Groom Direct.com. Choose a lovely traditional ring pillow, a silver tone ring box, or a whimsical ring bearer frog to bear the wedding rings. The little flower girl can carry the small white flower girl basket and friends and relatives can sign one of the elegant wedding guest books on arrival.

The bride can choose from four lovely garter styles that will provide her “something blue”. Entwined hearts, a lucky six pence coin, or pearl flowers adorn each style.

You can personalise wedding party gifts with the name or initials of the recipient. Choose gifts from the most elegant silver accessories to amusing cartoon flutes, while children’s gifts from a teddy bear to a silver tone yo-yo will delight the young members of the wedding party.

Bride & Groom will help you celebrate your special day in style and good taste. Visit their site and get all those delightful personal touches that will make the day memorable.

Every bride wants to look and feel their very best on their wedding day and honeymoon but many find it difficult to know where to start and how to stay motivated. The Boot Camp Brides Package, now available from Armathwaite Hall is the answer – a six week solution with set goals, a fitness and diet plan plus one to one guidance, advice and motivation designed to ensure that each bride to be is delighted with the results!

A member of our expert fitness team will guide and support the bride every step of the way through a focused, six week programme, tailored to their individual needs and designed to help them achieve their personal goals. The boot camp brides package includes support from trainers as well as exercise programmes and healthy eating advice to help to make the most of the six week programme.

Set in the secluded splendour of 400 acres of deer park and woodland, bordered by the calming waters of Bassenthwaite Lake and framed by the dramatic Skiddaw Mountain and Lake District Fells, Armathwaite Hall is the perfect place to inspire  a new fitness regime.

The luxury spa has a 16 metre infinity swimming pool, a thermal zone, fitness suite, dance studio, treatment rooms, a ‘hush’ tranquillity room with a veranda overlooking the gardens, a private spa lounge with a central fireplace and dining area an outdoor hydrotherapy pool overlooking the beautiful landscaped gardens and a state-of-the-art gym and exercise studio.

What’s more the bride to be can always indulge in a little pampering following their weekly training session. The Spa offers a full range of face, body and holistic treatments from luxury skincare lines [comfort zone] and Terraké which have been chosen to complement the traditions, ethos and integrity of Armathwaite Hall and for being results driven to ensure complete customer satisfaction.

Ice cream entrepreneur Charlie Francis has created theUK’s first portable nitro ice cream parlour.   The ice cream contraption uses a liquid nitrogen injection system to churn two custom flavours for up to 500 guests fresh in front of their eyes.  The machine is set up in half an hour by ninja ice cream warriors and makes fresh ice cream in under a minute.

Charlie says “I grew up on an ice cream farm inSouth Wales, my father is an ice cream maker and my mother is a fantastic baker.  I wanted a way of combining these two skills to create delicious frozen creations, mixing ice cream with home made tasty confectionary bakery goodness and churning the whole thing with liquid nitrogen.  So the ice cream contraption was born”

Charlie’s business, Lick Me I’m Delicious, was the South West Winner of Barclays Take One Small Step award earlier this year.  Since then he’s spent his time building his ice cream contraption and creating flavours in his new development kitchen.  

“I like to create frozen creations, tasty deliciousness which are more dessert than ice cream.  I’ve created a dark port ice cream with a stilton ripple, which I serve on a crisp thin water biscuit, a lemon meringue pie served in an all butter pasty case and a raspberry mojito ice cream using real raspberries, fresh mint and lots of white rum.”

He calls his contraption Thunderbird 1 and has plans for an army of ice cream contraptions.  Thunderbird 2 is rumoured to be an ice cream buggy and there’s talk of an ice cream boat being developed.

Charlie’s Ice Cream contraption can be booked for events, weddings and cool parties via his website www.lickmeImdelicious.com

When growing up, many may envisage their fairy-tale wedding. The long flowing white dress, a beautiful bouquet of flowers, friends and family sharing the day and a stunning traditional church providing the backdrop of the photos as the sun shines. Unfortunately, with the weather forever changing in the UK you can never be certain what your wedding day will turn out like, which is why more couples are swapping the windy shores of England for the warmer climates of Spain, Barbados and further afield.

The guaranteed warm weather combined with beautiful aqua blue skies are just two of the attractions for couples looking to make their dream wedding come true. Despite the vivid images of couples getting married in an intimate celebration on the beach, a foreign wedding can be held in a range of locations, from quaint churches in an Italian village through to a chapel in the middle of Las Vegas’ strip.

However, despite the various advantages of getting married abroad, it is worth remembering that there will still be some hassles such as who to invite, what time of year to hold the ceremony and whether to only go abroad for the ceremony and a few days either side or to incorporate a holiday and honeymoon into the experience too. Another consideration you’ll need to think about is which insurance policy is best, travel or wedding?

In truth, when getting married abroad you should not only purchase travel insurance to provide you with the cover you’d want when taking a family vacation, but you should also purchase wedding insurance which provides protection from various issues which could arise as part of your wedding.

Whilst travel insurance will be able to offer you a level of protection for minor accidents, ill health whilst abroad, or the delay of a flight; wedding insurance from the right provider will be able to cover a lot more.

Some of the things which wedding insurance covers you for lost, stolen or accidental damaged wedding attire, lost wedding rings, cancellation of a wedding due to issues with the venue, public and private liability cover and much more. Although what you receive will vary considerably from provider to provider, it’s always advisable to know what you are covered for and what is excluded in the policy before purchasing.

The price of wedding insurance will also vary depending on the level of protection the cover offers; however when planning for your wedding you should always take the financial cost of having the right wedding insurance policy into account, after all without the correct level of cover you could see your dream wedding turn into a nightmare!

If you are looking for a hen night with a twist we have this suggestion from Rebecca, Events Organiser at Chillisauce Ltd who specialise in Hen Weekends.

“There is always pressure to come up with a great idea for a Hen night, and it can feel like its all been done before. When it comes to the all important event, make sure you are made of honour. The theme, venue and overall experience will all on your shoulders, so here are some ideas to make sure it’s a night to remember.

Get creative girls, you don’t have to compromise between a fun activity and the chance to don your heels for a boozy night out. There are lots of venues and event organisers that can provide you with great cocktail making classes, with exclusive hire of the venue and food catered to your taste.

These classes include the demonstration of certain cocktails, allowing you to have a go and even make your own. You can compete for who has designed the best cocktail, gossiping and giggling over what to name your masterpieces.  You will be budding mixologists by the end of the session. Some venues will allow you to take you own iPods so you can dance the night away to all your favourite songs.

Cocktail making lessons are great because getting all your friends chatting, from old school buddies to work friends and family, can be difficult. This is the perfect way to get everyone in your Hen party involved and having fun. Also it can easily be incorporated in to your Hen night itinerary with dinner plans before and bars or clubs after. Now you’ve got that sorted, all that’s left is to decide what to wear.”

More information can be found on the website at http://www.chillisauce.co.uk/hen-nights/cocktail-making