Archive for the ‘Wedding Plans’ Category
Friday, June 5th, 2009
 When Jennifer Lopez graced the cinema screens as a wedding planner back in 2001, she raised awareness of the profession in the UK and ever since, its popularity has been growing. Wedding planners are no longer confined to celebrity and society in London and couples all over the country are now realising they can save time and stress and money. Most charge a fee but because of their contacts in the industry they can negotiate discounts and deals that can make a big difference. And their help on the day leaves the bride and groom to actually enjoy the occasion instead of wondering where Uncle Bob is when the speeches are about to start, or when hungry guests will get their canapés.
Generally, wedding planners can offer a variety of packages so you can pay for as much, or as little help as you need. Many offer on-the-day services as well as full coordination packages, giving you help right down to the grooms buttonhole and arranging transport to the airport. Good wedding planners possess creative flair as well as fantastic organisation skills so when it comes to styling a venue, you can really create something to make the guests say “wow”.
Many venues have in-house wedding planners that come with the hire price, but a lot of couples choose to hire an independent planner too, enabling them to create a more bespoke wedding.
When it comes to weddings, many brides like to think they know what they are doing but a planner’s job is to make sure all the small things are covered too. What happens if extra guests turn up unexpectedly? Or the car booked to take you to the church breaks down? Contingency plans, conflict resolution and ensuring the smooth flow of events is part of the coordinators job on the big day itself and many couples grow so close to their planner, they book them for anniversaries and birthday celebrations too.
Wedding planning may have been born in America, but its growing up well in the UK and as long as people keep getting married, the industry has a bright future.
My tips for choosing a wedding planner:
Ask them if the photos on their website are of their own work. In my time editing Wedding Professional I have spoken to many angry planners who have had their photos used by others, passing them off as their own.
Check out their previous work. Old clients may be listed as case studies on the website, so ask for their contact details and get their testimonials straight from the horses mouth. A good planner will be confident of getting a good reference, so will be happy to provide them.
There is no governing body for wedding planners but associations like The UK Alliance of Wedding Planners (UKAWP) can recommend professional outfits.
Make sure you get on well with your planner. He or she will be involved in the most important day of your life.
Wedding Professional is the only magazine dedicated to the wedding planning industry. www.weddingprofessional.co.uk
Author Mary Ferguson
Posted in Wedding Plans | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009
 The bride-to-be often worries about selecting the correct bridesmaid dresses for all of her chosen bridesmaids, as there is usually more than one person to please, which can be difficult when your bridesmaids are all different shapes and sizes and they all have very different tastes and styles. Here are some of my top tips for selecting bridesmaids dresses to ensure both you and your bridesmaids are happy on the day!
Find YOUR dress first.
If you are the bride, before you even start looking at bridesmaids dresses it helps to have chosen your own wedding gown first and have a clear idea of the theme or colour of your wedding so you can ensure your bridesmaids fit in with the overall style and look of the wedding and complement you and your groom in all the wedding photography. In ancient times the idea of having bridesmaids dressed in similar styles and colours to the bride, was to distract and confuse any evil spirits who attempted to disrupt the wedding – the bridesmaids made it impossible for the spirits to identify the bride! However these days the look of the bridesmaids are to enhance and complement the bride, being either in contrasting dresses (a very popular theme at the moment being bridesmaids in black) or complementing dresses, usually in a softer, lighter hue.
Know Your Bridesmaids
Are there lots of similarities between your bridesmaids or are they all completely different?
Important factors to consider are size, shape, age, style and colouring. Something that would look wonderful on one girl may look unattractive on another, even if the dress is beautiful! Talk to your bridesmaids and ask them if there is anything in particular they would not feel comfortable in and take this into consideration when shopping for dresses.
Ensure you have an idea of colour and length.
On your wedding day you want your bridesmaids to be happy, smiling and having a great time and what they are wearing can have a huge impact on this so you want to make sure they all feel great on the day, however be careful not to give your bridesmaids free rein or they might all want completely different styles!
The best thing to do is establish the colour of the dresses and the length first, and then find a few different styles you like and perhaps consult your bridesmaids as to which ones they prefer. It’s quite popular these days to have different styles for each bridesmaid in the same fabric which can be a win-win option!
Remember when choosing the colour of your dresses to bear in mind the colouring, size and shape of your bridesmaids! The wrong choice could make them look washed out or a size bigger than they actually are and that won’t look nice on your photos or make them feel very good about themselves!
A bridal stylist can help.
A bridal stylist can ensure you make the right decisions for you and all of your bridesmaids and find a style, colour, fabric and length that suits everyone and is well worth the investment.
Having a third party giving you honest, expert advice in a diplomatic and inspiring way can really help get all your bridesmaids on board with your decisions whether it’s a shy friend or a demanding sister!
An independent bridal stylist will ensure honest advice as they are employed by you to make you and your bridesmaids look your best for the big day, so you know you are being given an expert opinion and not just being “sold” to with regards to a particular dress.
Fabric is important!
Don’t forget to think about fabric when you choose your dresses! If you’re having a summer wedding you need a lighter fabric and the opposite for an autumn or winter wedding. Remember too that the choice of fabric teamed with the style and colour can shed or add pounds to your bridesmaids so choose carefully.
Don’t make accessories an after-thought!
Very often, the dresses are seen as the main item and the accessories including the shoes, bag and jewellery, are often an afterthought. As a stylist I know that accessories can make or break any outfit even on your wedding day so allow plenty of time to look for the right accessories.
Luckily the high-street offers so much choice these days that you can find amazing accessories to really add the right finishing touches to your bridesmaids oufits at a really low cost! A good bridal stylist can really help you in terms of time and stress. For instance, I spend so much time in shops, reading fashion magazines, brochures and catalogues and scouring the internet for the latest things in style, that I can source the perfect items for you really quickly.
Again, don’t forget to think about size, shape, colouring and style of your bridesmaids when choosing the accessories! For example the wrong length of necklace or style of shoe could ruin the whole look!
Fittings and Ordering.
Always get professionally measured for your bridesmaids dresses as different manufacturers will use different sizing so you need to ensure the dresses are a flattering fit.
The last fitting when the dresses are ready should be at least 3 – 4 weeks before the wedding to allow for any last minute alterations. Don’t just pick the dresses up a week before the wedding thinking this will allow enough time for changes!
It’s a good idea to order all your bridesmaids dresses together to ensure that they are all cut from the same fabric dye-lot otherwise you could end up with a slightly different colour for each which will really show up on the photos.
Please visit Nicola Cupples,
Image Consultant & Stylist at
www.nicolacupples.com
Tags: Add new tag, wedding
Posted in Wedding Fashion, Wedding Plans | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009
 The Mother of the Bride outfit can be a huge source of stress for many proud mothers and can overshadow their enjoyment of supporting their daughter throughout the planning stages of their wedding.
Hiring a personal stylist can help you to ensure you make the right decision for your daughter’s wedding and select an outfit that both you and your daughter are happy with, whilst also sourcing an outfit that complements your shape, size, style and budget.
Speak to Your Daughter First
The first thing to do is talk to your daughter about the style of wedding and get her thoughts on the special day. Does she want guests to be informal or formal? What is her colour scheme? Is there a theme to the wedding? What are the bridesmaids wearing? This will give you ideas of what to look at in terms of the style and colour of your outfit.
Talk to the Mother of the Groom.
Consult with the Mother of the groom as to any ideas that she may have and try to coordinate between you to ensure your outfits complement each other, and the bridal party. And obviously to make sure you both don’t turn up with the same outfit on!
High Street Options
If you’re shopping on the high street there are loads of options at really reasonable prices but bear in mind that other guests will be shopping for their outfits there too, so beware of anyone buying the same outfit!! The key to shopping on the high street is to find a basic yet classic piece in one store and then shop around to create your own look by utilising other stores to accessorise and customise the outfit.
Copying Looks.
If you have seen an outfit in a magazine that you love but there are no stockist details or it’s too expensive, take the picture to a good tailor and ask them to recreate that outfit. This can be a cost effective way of achieving a unique, tailored and designer look!
Accessorising.
Accessories can make or break an outfit so make sure they aren’t left to the last minute. Also if you shop on the high street, don’t buy all your accessories from one collection or store, as it is more likely that another guest will be wearing the same accessories or may recognise where they are from and many Mother of the Brides want to look unique on their daughter’s special day! Also accessories can shed or add pounds to your figure, especially on photographs which will last as a record of the day forever, so ensure you know how to select the right accessories for your body shape. A good personal stylist who works independently from any stores can help you with this by offering professional, expert styling advice. Their job is to make you look incredible without overshadowing your daughter so is a great investment. The last thing you want to do on the happiest day of your daughter’s life is to be worrying about your outfit.
Prints
Avoid busy prints or busy accessories as they can date very quickly and look ageing on photographs. Better to go for something classic. This is especially true if you have a petite figure as the print may end up drowning you. If you want to go for a print, spots and stripes are more classic prints that never really go out of fashion. If you do go for bold prints, keep your accessories very simple.
When to shop for your outfit.
Remember to think of season that the wedding will take place in. You don’t want to be too hot or too cold! Bear in mind that shopping for a summer wedding six months before when the shops are still stocking their winter collections could be fruitless. However leaving it until a couple of months before the wedding or shopping a whole twelve months in advance may be a source of stress.
The ideal time to shop is at the beginning of the season when there is the most choice available but if you have a wedding in February or September this could be problematic as the months before these weddings are usually major sale and reduction times when there is far less choice and is a risky strategy.
A personal stylist and shopper can advise you on the best time to shop and is always in the shops and researching what’s available, so can often find you the perfect outfit without you ever having to lift a finger! The whole objective of hiring a personal stylist to help you achieve the perfect mother of the bride look, isn’t just to make you look fabulous but also to ease the stress and time for you, so you can focus on supporting your daughter and son-in-law to be.
Finishing off the look.
If you opt for a dress, even if it’s for a summer wedding, ensure you finish off the look properly with a jacket or cover up or you are in danger of looking unfinished on the photographs.
Please visit Nicola Cupples ,
Image Consultant & Stylist at
www.nicolacupples.com
Tags: Add new tag, wedding
Posted in Wedding Fashion, Wedding Plans | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
Many people dream of having a perfect wedding abroad and it’s not uncommon for the necessary paperwork to be overlooked or left until the last minute amongst all the other preparations for the ‘big day’.
 Getting Married Abroad Increasingly, people travel abroad to marry in their unique location of choice; many people have found that there is an increased amount of legal paperwork that needs to be completed which can be confusing to many individuals. The complexities will largely depend on the requirements of the relevant authority in your chosen location but may include a requirement for Medical Certificates, Certificates of Law or Celibacy Certificates. Generally, a marriage that has taken place outside the UK will be recognised as valid upon presentation of the correct legal documentation that comply with the regulations of the country where it took place.
Graham Edwards at Edwardian Knowledge comments: “It often can be a challenge when marrying abroad especially if couples are of different or dual nationalities and it goes without saying that you need a good grasp of the law and foreign legislation to satisfy the regulations dictated by foreign countries and these can be at times tricky with added complications. We at Edwardian Knowledge are recognised for our expertise, can complete documents and help you to source them”.
Edwardian Knowledge is a leading and full-serviced international company that specialises in providing the correct legal documentation for individuals that are getting married or having a civil partnership abroad or in the UK. Providing an end-to end solution for individuals looking to marry; we can obtain documents from in-country local registries, courts and government entities, as well as, obtain documents from foreign authorities where a marriage has taken place or obtain documents that need to be completed to satisfy in-country legal requirements.
We aim to facilitate the administrative process to ensure that our clients have a trouble free wedding. We, therefore, can also translate any document or information into over 160 languages or arrange notarisation, apostillement, legalisation, and/or a legal opinion in respect of any document obtained. Many of our clients, whether individuals or businesses, are keen to receive a personalised service, added capacity at a moment’s notice, high quality work, complete confidentiality, accountability and on-time delivery – at Edwardian Knowledge we share these values and have the expertise that make this possible.
Please contact us today for a quote at info@edwardianknowledge.com, we will be happy to advise on urgent enquiries or last minute requests.
Posted in Wedding Plans, Weddings Abroad | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, March 25th, 2009
 Church Wedding The Bishop of Birmingham, Rt Revd David Urquhart, helped engaged couples slice a huge chunk off the cost of their wedding, at the National Wedding Show in Birmingham last weekend (NEC, March 13th-15th), when he introduced them to the ‘three V’s’ for choosing a church wedding: venue, vicar and vows.
With regard to venue, Bishop David explained that all you need for a legal church wedding – is one of the Church of England’s 16,000 places of worship – costs from as little as £350, and that couples can save even more by holding their reception at a church.
The other two V’s, vicar and vows, refer to how the Church is in a unique position to offer support up to and beyond the big day, and give couples the meaningful vows (“for richer for poorer…”) that are the ideal way to begin married life.
“The credit crunch has left us all reassessing our values and priorities, not just our financial situation,” says Rt Revd David Urquhart. “A church wedding reminds us that love is a priceless gift from God. That’s why I’m encouraging people to ‘think church’ when they are planning their wedding.”
Bishop David joined the team at the Church of England stand, on the afternoon of Sunday, March 15th, where the show’s visitors were able to plan their wedding online using the interactive website www.yourchurchwedding.org.
Around 1,000 couples a month are using the website, which contains 25 choices of popular hymns for weddings and 12 readings from the Bible; the planner merges the names of the bride and groom into the marriage service, which can be used as a discussion-starter when meeting the vicar to plan a church wedding.
Posted in Wedding News, Wedding Plans | 5 Comments »
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
 Yes it’s official, we may be in the midst of a global recession but when it comes to saying ‘I do’ it seems we cannot wait to dash up the aisle, head to the altar and join in Holy matrimony. Whilst the UK economy takes a downturn it seems we are all in the mood for love and who could blame us. Infact, the wedding industry is growing at quite a rate with ceremonies up 10% across the UK compared to the previous year. When the Beatles said ‘All you need is love’, they weren’t half right; I just wish I could say the same about the best things in life being free!
I always say to couples, treat your wedding like Sarah Beeny treats a new development on Channel 4’s property ladder. Set a budget, allow 10% either way and do your absolute best to stick to it. Remember, your dream day does not have to cost the earth, in fact, every wedding I have ever been to has always been about the people. Without doubt your family and friends make the day, not the additional floral garland that could potentially bankrupt you! Do not get utterly bogged down in tiny detail because this is when the wedding becomes a chore and not a pleasure.
Initially of course, you need to work out how much cash you can allocate to the wedding itself and what your priorities are in terms of spending. For me, the dress, venue, cake and flowers are the most important elements in the order as listed. The dress has to be number one because it is essential you feel spectacular on your wedding day wherever you may be.
The UK is very lucky to boast some pretty incredible talent when it comes to the wedding industry so make sure you find them. When you head to the local florist for example, make sure you have done some research on the type of look you want to achieve for your wedding. Take magazines, colour samples and even invite the florist to your house so they can see your style. If the expert is good they will want to know. Please, do not be afraid to ask questions and push the florist to use cheaper buds and hunt out alternatives if you want the displays to go further for your cash. When it comes to the cake again, think about the ingredients. If you go for a sponge based interior, this is usually a cheaper option than fruit and may allow you to opt for the 4 tier you have always dreamed of!
It’s important to be creative when planning a wedding. Sit down and think about any family member or friend that may have connections with various experts and tap into their contacts. I always advise to use the professionals but remember, sometimes family and friends may have a hidden talent you don’t know about! Whatever the options open to you, just make sure you barter in true British style. I have seen couples knock thousands off their big day budget by just asking the venue so make sure you do to. Just tell the venue how much you have to spend and see what they can do. Perhaps look at a mid week option? This is often a cheaper alternative and perfect for making a saving on the budget. Don’t be embarrassed to ask, the wedding planners at hotels across the UK are used to it!
So, let’s summarise. The wedding is all about you so make sure your personality is stamped all over it. Stretch that big day budget to the max and make sure you are happy with what the expert is suggesting. If not, tell them! Once everything is in place, sit back relax and enjoy! Oh, and finally, if you want my top tip on what’s going to be hot in 2009 its a DIY wedding! We are all heading back to the village hall like a scene from war torn Britain for a jolly good ole fashioned knees up! So, if you have this in mind and want some expert support to make it happen 21st century stylee, check out my friends at Heading up the aisle for an a-z of everything for your big day!
Best of luck and enjoy yourselves!
George x
Posted in Wedding Industry, Wedding News, Wedding Plans | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009
Amazing Grace is the number one hymn chosen by the 400 couples a month planning their wedding through the Church of England’s new online ceremony planner at www.yourchurchwedding.org.
More than 1300 couples have registered with the ‘listen and choose’ online innovation, which launched in October 2008 when a new law, initiated by the Church of England, made a church wedding more possible for more people.
The ceremony planner gives 25 choices for special hymns for weddings and 12 readings from the Bible. Choices are captured in a draft printout which merges the names of the bride and groom into the marriage service. Couples can then use this draft as a discussion starter when they first meet their vicar.
John Newton’s Amazing Grace is the most popular wedding hymn choice, closely followed by Make Me a Channel of Your Peace based on the prayer of St Francis of Assisi. Number three is the schooldays favourite All Things Bright and Beautiful.
The most wanted Bible reading is 1 Corinthians 13, famous for weddings, which ends at verse 13: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Readings from Song of Solomon take second and third place.
Helen White, who will marry Mike Ball at St Mary Magdalene Church in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire in April, came across the ceremony planner after it was featured on ethicalweddings.com.
Helen said:
“We thought the ceremony planner was really good and pretty easy to use. What we liked best about it was how it places your own names into the words of the service and that makes it so real. As a starting point for hymns we chose Amazing Grace and Great Is Thy Faithfulness and for our readings we chose Song of Solomon. We might add more when we come to speak to the vicar about it.”
Revd Peter Moger, the Church of England’s Worship Development adviser, is part of the creative team that built the planner, which offers new twists on well-known tunes, as well as time-honoured traditional favourites.
Peter said:
“The tradition of the church wedding is alive and well, and recent changes will make it possible for even more couples to marry in church. The Church of England Marriage Service is a powerful mixture of words, actions and music which speaks deeply and beautifully of God’s love and human commitment. The ceremony planner at www.yourchurchwedding.org is a wonderful resource which helps couples discover these riches and make choices as they plan a service which is personal to them.”
The selection of hymns was first trialled with a live choir at the Church of England stand at the National Wedding Show in Birmingham in 2007.
Top 10 wedding hymns
- Amazing Grace
- Make Me a Channel of Your Peace
- All Things Bright and Beautiful
- Give Me Joy in My Heart
- We Pledge to One Another
- Praise My Soul the King Of Heaven
- Lord of the Dance
- One More Step Along the World I Go
- Morning Has Broken
- Be Still for the Presence Of The Lord
Useful resources
Full list of hymns
Full list of readings
Churches to choose from
Posted in Wedding Plans | 3 Comments »
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