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

In these hard financial times, it can be difficult to have all of the things that couples would like for their wedding as they need to look at what their top priorities are and allocate the budget accordingly. There are ways to save money if they are prepared to get a little bit creative and do some research. The new crop of wedding planning apps for mobile phones enable easy comparisons of products and services and enable couples to keep all of their information in one place, this saves multiple trips to suppliers or hours of traipsing around. Brides might consider hiring their dress, veil and accessories rather than buying them, and the same applies to their bridesmaids outfits too. It is commonplace for the groom to hire rather than buy and no one thinks anything of it. Anyone creative in the families can be roped in for things like the invitations, table decorations or wedding favours, as there are so many places selling everything you need to put these elements together and they will really feel a part of things if they can make a contribution to the day. There are discounts and offers available as suppliers make deals in order to secure a booking and it does no harm to ask for a discount or ask if any extra little things can be included when booking a package. The internet is also valuable when it comes to researching the best deals and signing up for email alerts about new offers is quick and easy to do. Big Day Discounts send out up to twenty offers a week in their email newsletter and aim to help couples save time and money on all kinds of wedding related products and services.

Katy is getting excited about her wedding to James next May, and it seems as if there is always something to be making decisions about so they went off to one of our wedding exhibitions to get some inspiration…

“We had a great time at the Manchester Central Wedding Show; I took my dad, step mum, aunt and they loved it! We got lots of ideas from the photo album to venue dressing.http://www.theukweddingshows.co.uk/wedding-shows/manchester/central.html It was nice to look around and not have to work.

We booked the entertainment and something a little extra for the guest during the photographs in the park, which is a big surprise, not even best friend, head bridesmaid knows!  So you will have to come back after the wedding to find out.

The RSVPS have started coming back – we did a small tag with a bit of ribbon on the top and very small daisy on the side which are so cute, in-keeping with the invitations! So we will have to sit down soon and look at the table plan. 

Pre Wedding Course with vicar

We recently joined a Pre Wedding Course with our vicar and two other couples. We have never met this vicar as our church vicar has left and he is kindly stepping in for him. We were not sure at first what we would get out of the course, but we thought it would be nice to meet him and join the group to find out. Its only 1 hour over four Monday evenings, and the last one is next week. We have been chatting about what a marriage is and how things might change or not. Also what god thinks of marriage and how you should behave once you have made that commitment to each other, the vows you say on the day are for life and you should be 100% committed. We do little questions and surveys rating them 1-5 and then swapping with each other and see if you are on the same wave length, luckily we are ha! ha! We will be discussing vows and hymns for the church next week……. 

I have finally found my beautiful ring – 18ct white gold band with clustered diamonds which matches my engagement ring. Its now sitting in its box at home which is a sin, jewellery should be worn I can’t wait!”

If you are the mother of the bride and you are struggling to decide on what you will be wearing, then here is some food for thought. Before choosing your outfit, have a talk with your daughter first as she might have a dress code or is wearing a non-traditional colour, for example champagne and you would not want to wear the exact same colour as your daughter, even though the day is special for you as well. The most important thing is that the clothing you and your daughter wear, will complement each other, so you can start shopping for your outfit once your daughter has found her dress.

There are lots of options to choose from and this can sometimes be a bit stressful. First decide on the type of clothing you feel most comfortable in. If you prefer wearing suits rather than dresses, then make sure your suit is not too casual as it is still a celebration. If you can’t decide between wearing a dress or a suit, then perhaps combining both elements would be the right choice. 

When you purchase your outfit, make sure that it is not too tight. It is better to buy a size too big than too small because it will be a long (and special!) day, and you need to wear an elegant but comfortable outfit. The great thing about wedding outfits is that you can also wear them for other special occasions.  Happy Shopping!

Couples are always looking for fun features for their wedding day and this new take on an old idea is a great way to entertain the wedding guests and give them a personal reminder of the event. James from Funflip gives us all the details..

Welcome to Funflip – the book for every event. Pioneers in the next generation of flip books, we’ve taken a century-old concept and flipped it on its head to create the very latest in motion capture. The idea for this latest innovation in the events industry originated in The States in 2006 and over the last 5 years flipbooks have grown rapidly in popularity, becoming the must-have addition to any event.

A small studio area is set-up at each event, and guests are helped to make a 7-second video clip. 90 seconds later they’ll have their own unique Funflip book to take away with them. Flick through the pages and they transform into an amazing moving image. If you want something completely unique, we can personalise the cover with your name, logo, image or anything you want. 

Using the latest green screen technology, we can even superimpose amazing static or moving backdrops onto your flipbook, so you can fly to the moon or go swimming with The Hoff! Or if you’d prefer, we can project your own chosen backdrop.

From personalised wedding favours and brilliant party gifts, to unique marketing tools using cutting edge green screen technology – Funflip really is the book for every event 

Go to www.funflip.co.uk for info, or check out the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/funflip for all the latest events.

Contact: info@funflip.co.uk / 0113 245 2227

If you are looking for a sophisticated hen party then The Malvern has the solution – a luxurious relaxing spa break!

 Calm any pre wedding nerves by relaxing together in the Grand Salon amid the ancient olive trees with a glass of champagne, indulge in spa treatments or a professional make up application to ensure that you are all looking your best for the wedding day or spend the evening ‘taking the waters’ in the outdoor pool whilst you watch the sun setting over the Malvern Hills – an experience not to be missed! However you spend your time at The Malvern the Spa Hen Party Package will leave you all feeling relaxed, refreshed and camera ready!   

The package includes bed and breakfast, light lunch, three course dinner and two express treatments. The facilities at the spa are extensive and include a Hydrotherapy Pool, Crystal Steam Room, Thermal Suite and a state of the art Herb sauna to help relax you and rejuvenate your senses. For further details contact The Malvern on 01684 898290.

Couples seeking an alternative to the traditional hotel wedding celebration can now capture the fun and romance of the beach thanks to a Sussex boutique hotel.

The Gallivant at Camber in East Sussex combines California-style driftwood decor with beachside fun thanks to its position on the magnificent dunes of Camber Sands, one of the UK’s largest and most beautiful sandy beaches. Couples can make their marriage vows in one of the hotel’s stylish indoor spaces, in a beautiful local church or even a lighthouse before starting their celebrations with a unique reception in the sand dunes. A Londonbus is on hand to take guests to and from the church or town hall.

Unique to the Gallivant is their take on the pre wedding-breakfast reception. Each guest is handed a Gallivant beach bag which includes a three layer picnic tiffin of canapes and a flip top bottle of Seabreeze cocktail, and they are then escorted the short walk up and over the sand dunes. There they have set up wind breaks, deck chairs and rugs where guests are invited to an altogether different kind of drinks reception. The dunes opposite the hotel are protected and provide a lovely environment for a relaxed drinks reception and informal photos. The beach itself at Camber is large and gently sloping so it is ideal for family parties and for the happy couple to have an impromptu paddle.

There are fantastic facilities for receptions at the Gallivant with accommodation at the hotel and also at the adjoining White Sands development. The coastal theme is carried through the furniture and colour schemes, in the hotel and the beach marquee, and there are lovely touches like homemade shortbread, luxury toiletries and comfortable furnishings throughout.