Archive for the ‘Planning Tricks’ Category
Monday, 4 January 2010
Hello lovely readers! We hope you had a really magical Christmas and a wonderful New Year. We had a fab time enjoying the snow, great friends and lots of delicious food and are now looking forward to seeing what 2010 has in store.
To kick the year off, today we’re featuring a back to basics planning guide. So for all you newly engaged couples this is the post for you.
Happy reading!
4 Back to Basics Planning Tips
1) Set a budget. This little piece of advice is as old as the hills but it’s so important and allows you to build a firm foundation for your wedding. Many couples struggle to set a budget because if you’ve never planned a wedding, it’s hard to know what is realistic and how far your money will go. However most people know how much they can realistically afford and how much they are comfortable spending on one event: it really is worth spending some time researching and getting your budget right at the beginning. Until you have a budget, you can’t begin approaching suppliers and all of your plans become a series of confusing ‘what ifs’. It’s much better to start things off properly with a good idea of what you can spend in each area.
2) Clarify your priorities. Unless you’re on a very large budget, you will have to compromise on some aspects of your day. Identify your top 5 priorities at the outset so that you can concentrate your budget and energy on doing a few things really well rather than spreading yourself too thinly and doing everything badly. We tend to find that for most couples that as they focus on a particular part of the celebrations that aspect becomes THE most important part of everything and that it becomes very tempting to overspend. Formally setting your priorities at the outset helps to guard against this and saves lots of heartache down the line.
3) Get the basics in place first. From the second that engagement ring is on, planning a wedding can be an overwhleming whirlwind of well meaning people asking questions and giving their opinion. Rather than allowing yourself to be swallowed up into the insanity of it all, take a couple of weeks to soak up your new status and to slowly chat your ideas through with your partner. Once you have a rough idea of what you want as a couple, you can begin (slowly and rationally) putting the basics into place. You’ll need to start with finding your venue and you’ll be able to narrow down the options by budget, availability and style. Once your venue is confirmed you will have a date and this will allow you to begin approaching the other suppliers. Here, our advice is to focus on those suppliers who can only do one wedding per day e.g. photographers, transport, entertainment, hair and make up artists. After booking these suppliers, you can relax and start thinking about the visual aspects of the day and finding items such as dresses and stationery. Don’t be tempted to do these things before you’ve confirmed your basic suppliers as you will only tie yourself up into stressful knots and end up making little if any progress.
4) Finally, view your wedding holistically. It’s easy to view your wedding as one long to do list but it’s vitally important that you don’t make decisions (especially regarding visual elements) without considering other aspects to ensure there is a thread of continuity running throughout your celebration. For example, it’s easy to rush out and buy a dress before you’ve really thought about items such as your venue or entertainment. However, the style of your dress should be heavily influenced by your venue and how formal your celebration will be. This in turn will effect the type of entertainment you choose, the style of your flowers and even the type of menu you serve. As bizarre as it sounds, it’s really important to consider all of these items together because if you don’t your wedding will lose its sense of flow and can end up feeling as though it has lost it’s soul.
By its very nature, being engaged doesn’t last forever so enjoy it while you can; take things slowly and don’t be tempted to wish it away. There are no second chances with weddings!
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Wednesday, 28 October 2009
When we’re viewing new venues one thing we’re always sure to do is scout out the toilets. Although this might sound a little bit odd we firmly believe that with weddings it’s all about the finishing touches and grotty loos are one of the last things you want on your wedding day.
On the day itself it’s easy to neglect the loos however, more often than not – and of course this is especially for The Ladies – the loos become a gathering place, so it’s nice to make sure they’re really comfortable. At our weddings we like to add scented candles, scattered petals and, if not provided by the venue, some luxury hand soap and lotion. If you want to go further, it’s also nice to add a few basic bits and pieces such as hair pins, blister plasters and deodorant to ensure guests are as comfortable as possible.
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Tuesday, 25 August 2009
We were thrilled to find a surprise copy of the new Cosmopolitan Bride in our postbox this morning and even more excited to see some of our tips for modern weddings on page 69! And OK I’m not just saying this, the current edition is F-A-B. Packed with gorgeous design details, some really great real weddings and some stunning fashion pages; I am in LOVE with the Alpine Romance feature and considering framing some of the pages they are so beautiful!
Be sure to head out and buy your copy now. The new edition is out on Thursday from all good newsagents.
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Monday, 6 April 2009
Happy Monday everyone. With spring well underway the wedding season feels just around the corner, so today’s post is 5 planning tricks for a stress-free wedding day. Enjoy!
Regardless of your plans; the style of your wedding, the size of your budget, your guests numbers etc, if you don’t ‘let go’ on the morning of your wedding, you won’t enjoy the day to the full. It’s too late to change things now and the details are no longer worth worrying about. Sit back, soak up the atmosphere and remember the real reason you’re getting married. The more relaxed you are, the more relaxed your guests will be and the better atmosphere your whole day will have.
Think carefully about who you would like to be present on the morning of your wedding. Are you the type of person who loves the excitement of a crowd or will too many people make you panic? You need enough people to create an atmosphere but not too many that it becomes overwhelming.
Carefully consider the space you’ll have for preparations. A bride, bridesmaids, a mother or two, a hair stylist, makeup artist, and a big white dress can make the largest of hotel suites feel cramped and lead to less than serene preparations.
Don’t underestimate how long it’ll take to get into your dress. Nervous fingers and complicated fastenings can mean this seemingly easy task takes much longer than planned. Aim to be ready 30 – 45 minutes before you absolutely need to be so there’s some buffer time just in case preparations overrun.
Just before walking down the aisle, take a second to make sure your dress, veil, lipstick etc are all perfectly in place. Then take a deep breath, straighten your posture, pull your stomach in and slowly walk down the aisle. Don’t be tempted to rush this part and walk too quickly; it’s your moment, enjoy it!
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Monday, 12 January 2009
Over the last few weeks as I’ve been reviewing 2008 and going over each of our weddings with a fine tooth comb, I’ve been considering the traditional timings of group and portrait photography at weddings. Most couples tend to plan time for these kind of photos during their drinks reception but there are a number of reasons why this doesn’t work perfectly and so I’ve been wondering whether scheduling photography for prior to the ceremony (frequently done in the US) is actually a better alternative.
Very often group and portrait photography is the first thing to overrun at weddings and although keeping to time might sound simple, invariably it is not. Following the ceremony, couples are excited to see their guests and reluctant to leave the party just as it’s getting started whilst guests begin to disperse themselves across the venue. Ensuring ushers get the right people in the right place at the right time can be a tricky exercise (especially when they don’t know who’s who) and asking a friend to bellow out the names of those needed for each shot is functional but can give your wedding a school-trip meets boot camp feel.
Scheduling photographs for before the ceremony not only means you bypass all of these problems but you also gain some significant benefits:
• You’re photographed looking your absolute best, sans smudged eyeliner and crumpled buttonholes.
• You get to spend the entire of your drinks reception chatting to your guests and soaking up the atmosphere rather than watching from afar as all the champagne gets guzzled.
• Your drinks reception will be more relaxed and enjoyable as you’ll be free from the worry that you need to get those all-important shots before dinner is served.
• You’ll get better photographs. Not only can you dedicate longer to getting some really creative images, without the pressure of time you’ll be more relaxed so look better and happier in the shots.
• Your drinks reception needn’t be hours long in order to accommodate a long photo session; you reduce the risk of bored guests and a flat atmosphere.
• You get the chance to start celebrations early, spending some quality time with your closest friends and family before the ceremony.
The major drawback to scheduling photography prior to the ceremony is that the first time you see each other won’t be as the bride walks down the aisle. However, this needn’t mean loosing the magic of seeing each other for the first time and does in fact have its own advantages. Seeing each other prior to the ceremony means you get the chance to talk to each other, calming your nerves and giving you the chance to really soak up the ‘we’re getting married feeling’ without being distracted by the wedding planning or ceremony proceedings.
Meeting each other before the ceremony needn’t be a negative thing either – you can make it into a really special moment, perhaps meet somewhere really special or get the chance for 5 minutes alone.
So there you have it, my thoughts on the matter. I’d love to hear yours so please drop me a comment!
Photo credit:
Martha Stewart Weddings
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Thursday, 27 November 2008
Whilst doing some Christmas shopping in Habitat on Saturday I stumbled across these. And oh my goodness, what absolute genius! In retrospect, I may have got a little over excited but these babies are worth it!
The humble tea light has a special place in my heart, it is such a simple, low cost way of transforming a space and it’s an emergency kit must-have for any self respecting wedding planner. However, why oh why do they package them in those ugly metal cases? Well no more my friends. Thanks to the clever people at Habitat you can now buy tea lights in transparent cases. Hooray I hear you cry! No more beautiful candle holders being spoilt by conspicuous candles. But wait…there’s more. These little beauties are also scented. And by scented I don’t mean cheap and over powering, I mean tasteful and delicate so your guests will get a treat for the eyes and nose when they enter your banqueting area. Perfect!
£10 for 50 candles at a Habitat near you.
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Monday, 20 October 2008
I’m slowly gathering myself together after Tom and Susie’s too-beautiful-for-words wedding on Saturday. True to form I didn’t get a second to snap any photographs but once again, it was fantastic to see so many ideas from the original design concept come to life. This wedding was filled with personalised, finishing touches (much to the delight of cooing guests) which meant the venue really felt like Susie and Tom’s for the day. These finishing touches included: chocolate bars on ceremony seats, leaves strewn down the aisle, framed photographs of the couple, their families and friends dotted around the venue, handmade jam favours, apple place cards, haybale seating for the evening, flip flops for comfortable late-night dancing, sky lanterns and sparklers. Phew! It really was a beautiful, autumnal wedding day.
The whole event went without a hitch despite a rocky start when we arrived to find a very distressed crow fluttering around the ceremony hall! After a few minutes of teeth gnashing and window opening the very clever and helpful venue owner suggested closing all the shutters and opening a single door which thankfully worked like a charm!
Another great thing about this wedding was the multiple use of floral arrangements. A large piece used for the ‘alter’ doubled up as a top table arrangement and then returned to the hall for the evening reception, ‘pew’ ends were reused as chair backs during dinner and then returned to the hall for the evening whilst the table centres were also moved and reused for the evening’s celebrations. Doing this not only meant a smaller flower bill but also that arrangements were really used, both great in terms of being environmentally friendly.
The wedding was the first time my name has made it into the speeches which was a huge, huge honour. Spectacularly I managed to miss the moment (I was scurrying around sorting out decorations for the evening) but I’m quite relieved as no doubt I’d have ended up having a quick blub. In any case, as the groom had learnt the speech by rote, he happily did a second version of it and I have the video to look forward to.
Finally, Thanks to my lovely assistant Helen who did a fantastic job and huge congratulations to Tom and Susie! Pictures to follow soon….
Photo credit:
Flickr
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Thursday, 28 August 2008
So sometimes I think the public perception of wedding planners isn’t great (if I had a pound for every time someone jokes about planners stealing grooms – thanks J Lo) and sometimes I think people are generally confused about what planners do. So today I decided to post a screengrab of a timeline that we recently produced for a client. A timeline is a great way of mapping out all the tasks to be completed before the big day but also making deadlines so that the weeks before the wedding don’t give you the wedding crazies.
Our Timelines are done in a Gantt Chart style with tasks listed down the left and the months listed across the top. We use different colours to indicate who is to complete each task, a series of different symbols and that pale green line down the center indicates that a wedding date has been confirmed; a linchpin decision that lots of other tasks depend on.
So I hope that gives you a little insight into the work of a planner.
Happy Thursday!
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Friday, 15 August 2008
I love this unusual ceremony exit featured over at the fantastic SMP. A great idea if your venue won’t allow confetti or maybe an idea for a fun way to leave your reception.
The photography for this beautiful wedding is by the very talented, California based Amy Squires whose fab website and eye-candy-filled blog you should definitely check out.
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Monday, 21 July 2008
I always think that without a little bit of care and attention weddings can perhaps become……a little bit, well…boring! As a wedding planner I know I probably shouldn’t say that but it’s those pesky line up photos that can do it you see. Plus the fact that some guests might only know the person they came with in addition to the bride and groom. And that would all be fine (it is the bride and groom’s day after all) except for the fact that in my experience, bored guests make for a somber party atmosphere. And lets face it if you’re spending all that cash you want to throw a great party!
With a little thought and attention, it’s so easy to create a great atmosphere & get your guests to share the love and mingle a bit. One of my favourites is the classic treasure hunt (customised to your wedding’s theme of course)! Chocolate egg hunts for Spring, flower fairy hunts for enchanted woodland weddings and butterfly hunts for the summer (no real butterflies please!).
In addition, all sorts of variations of the classic guest book are currently taking the wedding world by storm. From the polaroid guest book to makeshift ’studios’ made from a piece of draped fabric and even real photo booths, some of the results are hilarious and make fantastic keepsakes. I particularly loved the blackboard set up that these super-talented school-sweethearts had at their primary school themed wedding which was featured in Martha a few years ago. Guests wrote well-wishes onto a blackboard and then had their photos taken alongside their scribblings. Such a great idea!
Finally an idea of my own that I’d love to see would be kite flying. There’s a little boy who flies his kite out on the field near my house and I always think that it would be great fun to do in a big group at a wedding. As always, at the right wedding in the right location but I think this would be a great source of entertainment for kids and oldies alike!
Happy Monday!
Photo Credit: Flickr
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