Tag: how to

6 Things Brides Wish They’d Done Differently on Their Wedding Day

Post author By Claire Boon
Post date May 9, 2017
No Comments on 6 Things Brides Wish They’d Done Differently on Their Wedding Day

Planning your wedding can be a tough journey – to say the least. Brides often rely on the likes of Pinterest and Bridal magazines to gain inspiration on the current trends and themes, and Bridal Forums can be a planning saviour.

Your wedding day is quite possibly one of the most important and memorable days of your life. This comes with an immense amount of pressure for everything to be perfect.

But what would REAL Brides have done differently if they could plan their wedding again?

We asked a selection of past Brides this exact question and put their responses in a blog post for you to relish.

Had a photograph with their nearest and dearest

The day is often such an overwhelming blur that it’s easy to forget to be photographed with the people you love the most. Discuss your requirements with the photographer prior to the wedding and they’ll give you a little nudge on the day to prompt the important shots.

Having a photobooth or disposal cameras on tables make it easy for guests to grab shots together.

Had a wedding video

This is the number one biggest Bridal regret. Having decent photographs is one thing, but a wedding video truly captures the day.

Those that organised a professional to shoot the whole day on film were really glad they had spent the extra money.

Lived in the moment

A lot of Brides become so overwhelmed on their wedding day that they forget to take a step back, breathe and just look at what they’ve created.

It’s your day, so don’t end up annoyed that you didn’t enjoy every minute of it because you were running around making sure everyone is happy.

Hired a Wedding Planner

We couldn’t count the amount of times we’ve heard “I wish I’d had a Wedding Planner”.

Sooo many brides only realise how stressful planning their wedding would be after their big day, and they desperately wish they’d reached out for some help and guidance before it all got too much.

We can be on site for your entire day to ensure everything runs smoothly, as well as helping with your styling and decor.

Taken a spare pair of comfortable shoes

What ruins a night? Sore feet!

Don’t forget that you’ll be wearing your wedding shoes since mid morning. Your feet are bound to throb as the day progresses. Have your Maid of Honour look after some comfy flats for you.

Letting the stress take over

The day will go extremely quickly, so it’s important to make the most of it and truly enjoy every moment.

I think it’s better to accept that there will be minor hiccups on the day. Then you can at least prepare yourself for this.

Tags Blog, brides, day, differently, footwear, groom, how to, photography, plan, planner, planning, post, shoes, stress, things, videography, wedding, wish

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Adding the Finishing Touches to Your Wedding

Post author By Claire Boon
Post date January 9, 2017

Guest post by Wedding Fireworks.

adding-finishing-touches-wedding — Image from www.weddingfireworks.co.uk

As stressful as wedding planning can sometimes be, it’s a fantastic feeling to finally get everything confirmed and be in a position where you can start looking forward to the big day.

What would make this feeling even better?

Finding out that you have a spare £1,000 in your wedding budget because you’ve been able to make savings along the way would definitely have our vote, especially if you’ve planned and paid for your honeymoon within that.

So, your wedding is ready to go, but you have that spare £1,000 that you could use to add a finishing touch to your wedding. Here are some of our favourite ideas that you could perhaps spend the money on.

Photobooth Fun

Photobooths are becoming increasingly popular at weddings, and for guests who don’t make it into the ‘official’ wedding photos it’s a great way for them to take something away from the day that they’ll always remember.

Photobooth companies offer a variety of options, too, from you just paying to hire the booth while guests pay a few pounds to use it to you paying for as much use as you like. As well as photos you can create GIF’s, add effects like you would on Snapchat, and add various other quirks to your photos.

The Photobooth Guys are one of the best providers in London, while Picture Blast cover all of the UK.

Take Another Look at Your Wedding Entertainment

If you weren’t sure what you wanted when it came to your wedding entertainment and ended up booking your venue’s house DJ, having this £1,000 left over may be a chance to change things up a little.

Now, we’re not saying there’s anything wrong with a house DJ, no doubt they’ll provide you with a great party and play everything you ask them to, but this is your day, and an opportunity to do something differently.

You could consider booking a wedding band instead – just remember they’ll take up more space than a wedding DJ – or looking at other forms of entertainment such as a table magician or dancers.

Freak Music is a great website for finding a wedding band, while if you use a wedding planner such as ourselves we can put you in touch with other options across the UK, too.

Book a Fireworks Display

Despite the widespread popularity of fireworks, they’re still something of a rarity when it comes to seeing them at weddings.

One of the big advantages of fireworks is that you can have a lot of flexibility around the length and type of display you have, while if you only wanted to use a small amount of your remaining budget you could order a display but fire it yourself!

Wedding Fireworks by Firework Crazy provides a range of display options, and for self-firing packages provides you with a layout map and a remote ignition kit to make your display happen yourself, or alternatively they can come to you and wow you in person.

Invest in More Wedding Favours

Whether you have a wedding list, ask for gift vouchers, or request contributions to your honeymoon fund, your wedding guests contribute a lot to your day. If you aren’t having hundreds of people at your wedding then your £1,000 could go a long way to upgrading your wedding favours.

Brides Magazine has some great ideas for wedding favours, while of course you can come up with your own unique ideas, too.

Adding the Finishing Touches, What Will You Do?

What will you do to add the finishing touches to your wedding? If you need help in adding your finishing touches or with your wedding planning in general, you can contact us here.

Did you know you can access a range of free, useful documentation including spreadsheets, checklists and guides to help you plan your wedding, the RIGHT way?

Click here to gain access.

Happy planning!

Tags adding, day, engagement, finishing, fireworks, how to, love, plan, planner, planning, touches, wedding

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Top Hidden Wedding Costs Nobody Warns You About

Post author By Claire Boon
Post date December 9, 2016

Most Bride’s are unaware of hidden wedding costs. But you’re already very wise to search the net for any potential nasty surprises that will knock a hole in your budget.

With lots of hidden wedding costs sprinkled throughout the planning process, it can cause you to go way above your budget, around 30% in fact. Ouch.

So where are these hidden costs? And how can you avoid them? Listen up, my friend, cos’ I’m about to teach you a whole lot.

Grab a pen and paper to jot down some of my essential tips.

SET-UP & BREAKDOWN

Are you going to hire a florist? A venue dresser? A cake maker? Each of these will charge various fees to cover transport costs, and the time it takes to set-up and breakdown items.

This can be anything from 20% of a single suppliers total costs. And obviously, the more suppliers you use, the more you can expect to pay in these fees.

ALTERATIONS

Alterations can be costly for the Brides and Bridesmaids dresses. Before you buy, you must ask what the stores alteration policy is.

It’s extremely common for the Bride and Bridesmaids to fluctuate in size, and you don’t want to be forking out potentially double your original budget in alterations.

This can cost anything from £100 per dress.

POSTAGE

It seems most Brides are still opting for the more traditional method of posting the invitations to guests. Which personally I LOVE, however, you must remember that not only are you paying for the invitations to be delivered, but also for stamps and RSVPs.

To keep costs down, avoid bulky or large invitations and use RSVP postcards rather than letters.

VENUE

This is fo’ sure my biggest tip. If you take anything away with you today, let it be this.

Ask your venue what exactly is included in your chosen package.

Table linen? Chairs? Cake table? Lighting? These aspects can be the most costly for a wedding. And do you know why? Because it’s a WEDDING, so venues know they can be sneaky and charge up to triple what they usually would.

Be very careful that you’re not purely paying for hire of the venue.

These costs can add an additional £75 EXTRA per person. Say what?!

CORKAGE

Bringing in your own wine sounds like a good get out of extra fees, right? It can be, but be wary of the corkage charges.

If you bring your own alcohol to avoid the venue’s costs, you may still rack up a similarly priced bill. And you may even be charged glass rental fees.

Corkage fees range from venue to venue, so it’s always worth asking.

PERMITS

While having an outdoor wedding may initially seem cheaper, you may have to get permits to hold your event. Add on rentals (marquee, heater, generator, etc.) can begin to get costly.

Some indoor venues will also require a permit if you choose to use candles or other non-approved details. Inquire about these before signing the contract.

Additional add ons can cost from £500.

WEDDING BREAKFAST

Some venues charge extra for guests to select their own meal from a range of dishes. This can cost an additional £2 per person. However, this is not expected by guests so make life easier for yourselves and just choose some good all rounders.

If there’s no set price for a three course meal, be cheeky and save some buck by opting for the wedding cake as desert instead.

TAXES & SERVICE CHARGES

Did someone say taxes? Yawn. Listen up though, cos’ this is important.

Tax varies from country to country, however you can expect to fork out an extra 20% on food, drink and rental fees.

Make sure that the venue package is inclusive of VAT, or at least be aware of the extra costs you’ll possibly have to pay. Sometimes, you will even be taxed on the service charge, increasing costs more.

Taxes and tips will be around 1/3 of your budgeted amount.

I truly hope you learnt some useful tips. The bottom line is, always read the small print to avoid hidden fees.

TOTAL COSTS: £8,460+

Did you know you can access a range of free, useful documentation including spreadsheets, checklists and guides to help you plan your wedding, the RIGHT way?

Click here to gain access.

And I’m VERY excited to introduce a new planning program for Brides – launching soon! Click here and complete the form to be updated.

Happy planning!

Tags advice, alterations, avoid, Blog, budget, costs, couple, day, drink, engagement, food, hidden, how to, ideas, inspiration, lifestyle, money, organise, plan, planning, postable, service, services, tips, top, tricks, venue, wedding, weddings

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Wedding Flower SOS – How to find the perfect blooms + your free downloadable checklist!

Post author By Claire Boon
Post date September 5, 2016
No Comments on Wedding Flower SOS – How to find the perfect blooms + your free downloadable checklist!

Deciding which flowers you’d like at your wedding will help you to focus your discussions with your florist, and most importantly, stay within budget.

It always amazes me how much of a difference flowers make to the overall look of a wedding. They are an essential factor of the venue dressing, particularly now that most florists supply decorative fixtures and fittings too.

The first step to finding the perfect blooms is to sit down and put together a list of all the floral elements you could ever possibly need for your wedding day, including your favourite flowers. We’ve made things super easy for you by creating a pre-made checklist.

Not only that, but we’ve also attached a completely free downloadable version of the checklist for you to print off and take along to your florist appointment. So get your pencil out and start ticking off which flowers are the most essential for your wedding day.

Stuck for a professional, reliable florist? We’ve got an extensive list of trustworthy contacts that we’ve worked with all over the North West. Get in touch for some guidance.

Number of daytime guests:
Number of evening guests:
Colour scheme:
Wedding theme:
Type of preferred flowers:

Bride, Bridesmaids and Flower Girl:
Number of Bridesmaids:
Number of Flower Girls:
□ Bride’s bouquet
□ Bride’s hair flowers
□ Bridesmaids’ bouquets
□ Bridesmaids’ hair flowers
□ Tossing bouquet
□ Flower girl’s basket

Grooms, Groomsmen, Ushers and Ring Bearer:
Number of Groomsmen:
□ Groom’s boutonniere
□ Groomsmen’s boutonnieres
□ Usher’s boutonnieres
□ Ring bearer’s boutonniere

Family Members:
□ Mother of the bride’s corsage
□ Mother of the groom’s corsage
□ Father of the bride’s boutonniere
□ Father of the groom’s boutonniere
□ Grandmother’s corsages
□ Grandfather’s boutonnieres

Ceremony:
□ Entryway or welcome table arrangements
□ Altar/chuppah arrangements
□ Pew or chair arrangements
□ Candles
□ Aisle decorations
□ Confetti for guests

Reception Flowers:
Number of guest tables:
□ Entrance arrangements
□ Bar arrangements
□ Gift table arrangements
□ Table plan arrangement
□ Centerpieces
□ Top table arrangements
□ Bride’s and groom’s chair decorations
□ Guest chair decorations
□ Buffet-table/food-station arrangements
□ Lounge area arrangements
□ Flowers for wedding cake
□ Cake table arrangements
□ Bathroom decorations
□ Getaway car arrangements

Click here to download the checklist for free!

Did you know you can access a range of free, useful documentation including spreadsheets, checklists and guides to help you plan your wedding, the RIGHT way?

Click here to gain access.

Happy planning!

Tags Blog, budget, checklist, couple, day, essential, favourite, florist, flowers, how to, inspiration, love, money, organise, pinterest, plan, planning, season, uk, wedding, wedding-flowers, weddings

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13 Easy Ways to Personalise Your Wedding Day

Post author By Claire Boon
Post date April 11, 2016
No Comments on 13 Easy Ways to Personalise Your Wedding Day

Most couples want their Wedding day to be unique and personalised to them, but how can you do it? These are some simple ideas I’ve gathered together to make your guests “aww” and “ooh” their way throughout your big day.

Like any of the stationery items below? Get in touch and we can create them for you!

1. Have the ring bearer make an entrance

2. Provide the groomsmen with their own cufflinks

3. Have your new name and date of the wedding printed on your bridal shoes

4. Create personalised table place names

5. Include your names and the date on your table plan

6. Print past photographs of you and your other half during the same year

7. Include napkin tags on each place

8. Print photographs of you and your other half for the bathroom doors

9. Create a hashtag and make guests aware

10. Provide people with a CD of your favourite love songs as wedding favours

11. Have your very own cake topper

12. Sew a label into your wedding dress – also great for your something blue!

13. Create a fun order of service

Which are your favourites?

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Tags beauty, cheap, create, day, design, easy, featured, how to, ideas, inspiration, make, organise, personal, personalised, personalized, photo, pinterest, planning, service, services, simple, stationery, ways, wedding, weddings, write

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8 Wedding Favours Your Guests Will Actually Use

Post author By Claire Boon
Post date February 16, 2016
No Comments on 8 Wedding Favours Your Guests Will Actually Use

One thing you should consider when you buy wedding favours for your guests is if they’ll keep and use them. After all, it’s such a waste of money if your guests are binning the favours as soon as they get home. Here are some of the best wedding favours (I believe) that will make your guests think twice about throwing them away.

1. Personalised Sweetie Jar
Not On The High Street – £3.50 each

Choose from a range of classic sweets to put inside a small jar complete with lovely personalised tag. Something for your guests to enjoy and they can re-use the jar afterwards.

2. Hangover Relief Kit
Zazzle – £2.05 each

Your guests will really appreciate these small boxes of healing powers. Personalise them and have them available on tables or waiting for guests in their rooms.

3. Tea in Cork Bottle
Spice Kitchen – £2 each

A unique stunning wedding tea favour for your guests with a choice of tea carefully packed into a corked bottle. A number of variations are possible with this from the size of the bottle, the type of tea blend, the style of tag and the type of stamp you would like.

4. Macarons
Yumbles – £1.80 each

These handmade macarons make a yummy wedding favour. Beautifully wrapped in organza bags or small boxes containing 1 or 2 macarons each, you can even personalise your favours with your own personal message and choice of ribbon colour to match your events colour scheme.

5. Candles in Wedding Day Scent
Yankee Candle – £59.99 for 40

Perfect as Wedding favours, this attractive gift set contains 40 beautifully & individually boxed Votive Candles in the ever-popular ‘Wedding Day’ fragrance. Ideal for your guests as a reminder of your big day.

6. Lotto Tickets

Package the lotto tickets up nicely, perhaps in an elegant envelope or paired with a small snack. Giving them on their own may come off tacky because the tickets aren’t very visually appealing.

7. White Heart Soaps
Light in the Box – £2.43 each

Each heart shaped soap comes in it’s own individual box. Free matching “Thank You” tags are included with each favour.

8. Seeds
Not on the High Street – £1.75 each

Create a lasting memory with these beautifully illustrated seed packet favours. Choose your seeds and personalise with your own text. Perfect for a vintage country wedding!

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Tags Blog, budget, day, favors, favours, featured, guests, how to, idea, ideas, inspiration, lasting, memory, money, personalised, planner, planning, reuse, reuseable, romantic, unique, wedding, write