National Wedding Show Blog

Introducing Erin Layla Garton, our brand new bridal blogger!

2012-02-07T06:19:00.000-08:00

James and I met working in a club in Manchester, he was at University and I was at Dance College, I was 17 and he was 20 and we fell in love. After 7 and half years together, in which we have both changed careers quite a few times, relocated down to Reading and bought a house, he finally proposed on Christmas Day 2010. It really was the best day ever and to this day people are always commenting on how unique and different the proposal was. You see James didn’t have it easy, everyone kept asking him when he was going to pop the question and I kept wrecking every chance by always putting my big mouth in it. For example, we went to see Michael Buble for our 7 year anniversary and I made the comment to him and to friends,” ooh wouldn’t it be romantic if James proposed , whilst Michael is singing our song!”, well suffice to say it didn’t happen. Instead he waited till Christmas Day and it was perfect.

There was no getting down on one knee, which he knew I did not want, instead he arranged for us to stay in the front room of his dad’s house, in the Cotswold’s. We had already had a perfect Christmas Eve with great food, company and presents and that night we went to sleep on a blow up mattress in front a roaring fire, a gorgeous Christmas tree filled with fairy lights and snow filling up the windows and French doors. I then awoke on Christmas Day at about 5am and noticed something very different; there was something on my finger. You see I am a very heavy sleeper and because of this James was able to slip the ring on my finger without me even stirring, he then spent a very unsettled night keeping the fire going, trying to get little bits of sleep, keeping his nerves in check and also making sure I didn’t hit myself in the face with my hand. The funny thing is that I noticed straight away that I had a ring on my finger but it took about 30 seconds for me to able to focus properly and see that I had the ring of my dreams; A vintage inspired ring with a centre diamond and 28 more diamonds adorning the shoulders and band. It was designed by the exquisite Cry for the Moon jewellers in Guildford, with the all-important diamond being picked by James.

The Wedding.

So we set the date of May 12th 2012 for our wedding, which also happens to be our 9 year anniversary, after 9 years together we really didn’t want to start counting from year 0 again, plus we loved the added romance of getting married on the day we first got together. From there it was onto organising the rest of the day and boy was it stressful at first. We had it in our head that we only wanted to spend a certain amount of money on the venue, but everything we saw that came within our budget was either not what we were looking for or was for venue hire only and with added catering costs it took us well over our budget. So in the end we thought we would go on an inspiration trip to The National Wedding Show in Birmingham, and we are so glad we did. Thanks to The National Wedding Show we found our venue, photographer and tailor for the groom’s suit.

The Venue; is the stunning Wroxall Abbey Estate (http://www.wroxall.com/), where we managed to get a great deal due to our wedding not counting as in their peak season. The venue is just what we wanted, it has beautiful grounds and the inside as an old regal feel to it. What is great is that the whole wedding is taking place there, they have an onsite cathedral which is where our ceremony will be held and then we have hired out the mansion on an all exclusive basis meaning we have all 48 bedroom for our guests plus no-one else apart from the wedding party is allowed in the building, perfect seclusion for everyone to enjoy the day.

The photographers; are the wonderful Anna and Michael from Two of US (http://www.twoofus.eu/). One piece of advice I would give to couples visiting an event with so many stalls, is try and talk to as many people as possible (it may be exhausting but it’s definitely worth it), and if you don’t get to speak to everyone at least pick up leaflets, half of them you may throw in the bin but you will have some gems in there. James and I spoke to at least half a dozen photographers on the day, we asked the same questions to all and got a lot of different answers and a lot of variances in prices, by the end of the day we were exhausted and still didn’t quite feel that we had found our photographer. So at the end of the day there we were sitting in the demonstration area resting our tiring feet, where we saw a photographer stand that we hadn’t visited, we had actually passed it quite a few times in the day but we thought the photos were too good to be real and also looked way out of our price league but decided to get one more leaflet to add to our already huge pile to go through. That last leaflet turned out to be the photographer we went for, they were exactly what we were looking for, quirky, well shot and personal pictures, at a great price and to top it all off Anna, who we arranged to meet 3 days after the show, was so friendly and genuinely did it for the love of photography, we warmed to her instantly. We got an amazing package with more on offer than all the other photographers we saw and at an amazing price, including 2 photographers for the whole day, Anna who will follow me and get the brides perspective and Michael who will follow James to get the grooms and also he will be snapping away getting all the quirky action shots, 2 photo albums, full copyright, full photo editing and an additional shoot for the bride and groom after the wedding. This additional photo shoot is something we had never heard of before but apparently it is very popular in Europe. Instead of the bride and groom going off on the wedding day for an hour or so and missing the chance to mingle with friends and family at the drinks reception to have pictures taken, they only take you away for 20 mins and then the next day you get all dressed up again and go on a photo shoot to different locations to get some amazing pictures together. We already can’t wait to see the pictures and they haven’t even been taken yet.

The suit has been designed and made by specialist tailors Clements and Church (http://www.clementsandchurch.co.uk/). We were served by the owner Aaron, who could not have been more helpful, and boy does he know his stuff, his expertise really put James at ease, even when he was told he wore the wrong sized shirts. After trying on a few suits, we picked a stunning 3 piece with a difference; it really has that vintage look we were going for and just happens to be the first one we saw when we walked in. We were originally going to get one tailor-made for James, but in the end there was no point, the cut was so excellent, that an off the peg suit worked perfectly, with a few minor adjustments it will look like he has had one tailored made without the paying that extra cost. James then picked a stunning tie that incorporates our colour scheme and the same fabric will also be used for the back of the waistcoat, I really cannot wait to see James in it on our wedding day.

So you can see for James and I, a trip to the National Wedding Show was invaluable.

Now a year has passed since we started planning and we still have a lot to do. One thing I have not mentioned so far is that I am a full on DIY bride and I don’t just mean invites and décor, I am intending on going as far as making not only MY wedding dress but also my 6 bridesmaid dresses. On my blog posts you will be able to follow my progress during the next 3 and half months till my big day and I will be including simple instructions for my DIY ideas and progress pictures on my dress.

Choosing the Gift List - From our real life bride Sandy

2012-01-13T08:40:00.000-08:00

Many of our friends have asked about what we would like as a present on our big day. All we really want is for the friends and family that we love to be there to celebrate our special day with us, but people are quite adamant that they want to get us something.

I guess in the past Brides and Grooms wouldn't have been living together before they were married which is why they'd ask for crockery, kitchen appliances and general homewares. However, Adam and I have lived together for 2 years and our house is pretty much set up with everything we need, and in most cases double as we both lived alone previously. We still have a box full of plates, pots, pans, glasses and utensils that hasn't been unpacked since Adam moved in!!!

We began looking at alternatives to the Traditional Gift Registry and both really liked the idea of guests contributing towards our Honeymoon. We are off to Florida just after the wedding and are planning on visiting the Themes Parks and hoping to swim with Dolphins too. All of this adds on to the cost of our honeymoon. I had a look on the internet at some websites where you can set up your own website for guests to contribute to the honeymoon. Now the idea of this I LOVE. I love the idea of writing down a list of things we want to do and places we want to visit whilst on honeymoon and guests donating to us having a fun time. The only down side of this is the charges that these websites incur. A lot of them charge a fee to set up the website, some are free, but then a percentage of the guests' donation is withheld and some charge a set up fee AND keep percentage of any donations. I am just not comfortable with our guests thinking they're contributing to our honeymoon but somebody else keeping some of the money.

Our Travel Agent, said guests could contribute directly through them, but the honeymoon had to be paid for before our invites had even been written! D'oh!

With all of this taken into consideration we have asked that if guests do want to give a gift to congratulate us and wish us luck, they donate money for our honeymoon. Neither of us are completely comfortable asking for money as we don't want guests to feel they're being judged on how much they give (even though we never would judge and their attendance is far more important than any gift), so we are going to have a postbox for any cards and guests can drop money in if they wish.
We've not mentioned this in the invitations we sent out as really don't want guests to feel obliged, but with people asking, we have mentioned it on the website we set up to give guests details such as accommodation and directions.

Angela Harkin chooses the all important wedding rings!

2011-12-20T01:36:00.000-08:00

Whilst searching for wedding rings recently, I discovered that (a) John is far fussier than me and that (b) I love a bit of bling!

John is keen to wear a wedding ring but trying to find him something he actually liked was the hard bit. After perusing countless websites and looking in numerous shops for ideas, I thought we’d never find anything he liked. However, his (extremely long) search for something a bit alternative led us to finally find a brushed steel ring that is very unique and something that he will be happy wearing forever.

My problem, however, wasn’t that I couldn’t find a ring but that I found loads of rings that I loved! I initially thought I wanted a simple plain band but I was quickly allured by the twinkle of diamonds and felt like a kid in a sweet shop. So much sparkle, too much choice! It was difficult to whittle it down to just one ring.

That’s not usually like me. I’m usually quite demure with my jewellery, often preferring costume jewellery to really expensive stuff however finding my dream diamond wedding ring has changed all that.

As John keeps reminding me, his ring cost a fraction of mine. But, as I’ve told him a thousand times, your wedding ring is a symbol of never-ending love. It shows your commitment to one another and is a symbol of eternal devotion. It’s therefore worth the price tag!

Once the wedding is over, the dress has been put away and the honeymoon is a distant memory, the ring is the one thing I’ll still be wearing every day of my life … besides I’ve already seen a beautiful eternity ring that would compliment it perfectly…. I think John had better saving for the first anniversary gift!

Blogging bride Katherine Charles' last post before her Big Day!

2011-12-13T06:44:00.000-08:00

Well, it is finally here – after 15 long months of planning, we are 1 week away from our big day! I am rather on cloud nine after having a fantastic last week at work being thoroughly spoilt with good wishes, presents and cards. I could certainly get used to this! But I mustn’t take my eye off the ball just yet – I have a to-do list as long as my arm.

Thre are lenty of last-minute things that still need doing, including the table plan, picking up the suits and dresses, as well as doing that DIY décor project I started about 6 months ago and didn’t want to leave until the last minute!

And now, after months of planning the venue, the food, the flowers and the music, it’s time to concentrate on us– so the next few days are filled with beautifying appointments and lovely shopping trips with my bridesmaids, as well as the obligatory groom’s haircut! There seem to be 2 pieces of advice that everyone is giving me as we get closer to the big day and that is to appreciate it all, as it all goes so fast but my cousins wife had the best bit of advice for me….enjoy the build-up as much as the day - and in 2 hours, when I leave work, I plan to do exactly that!

Angela Harkin discusses the Mother of the Bride outfit!

2011-11-29T04:25:00.000-08:00

All parents want to make their children proud on their big day and my mum is no exception. In her quest for the perfect Mother of the Bride outfit, she has managed to buy two outfits! I also won’t be surprised if a third outfit is purchased before the big day.

So it’s fair to say that my mum is very indecisive. Early on this year, she saw a beautiful raspberry-coloured dress and, on a whim, thought it would be a good idea to get it, along with all the pricey accessories. Then a few months ago, once John and I had worked out what colours we were having at the wedding, she decided to look for something completely different in the shade of midnight blue - her reason being that she needed to find an outfit that would tie in with the wedding party.

Mother of the Bride outfits can be expensive and I know other MOTBs who have shelled out a small fortune on their outfits, some even spending a few hundred pounds more than was spent on the bridal gown.

I don’t think you have to spend a fortune to look fabulous and in the words of my mum, ‘accessories complete the look’. This was her excuse anyway, when splashing out on a very expensive and gorgeous pair of designer shoes and matching handbag.

To top it all off, there is also the head gear to think of. Gone are the days where every Mother of the Bride has to wear a hat. There are many alternatives like hair pins, hair bands and fascinators. My mum has two fascinators and (unsurprisingly) has her eye on another one so she will definitely have a stunning piece of headwear for the day.

I asked her the other day what she would do with the first outfit she bought and she just replied that a woman can never have too many dresses. Maybe she’ll take a leaf out of all the big celebrities’ books and change outfits half-way through the wedding day.

Sandy Gaggini blogs about the all important groomswear!

2011-11-15T09:05:00.000-08:00

One of the most straightforward and simple decisions we've made so far in the wedding planning process has been deciding on the suits. It was important to me (as I think it should be) that Adam decided on his own suit. After all, it's his wedding too and I got to pick my dress so it's only fair really.

He'd started by looking at suit hire websites where you could completely customise the suit and had a good idea of what look he was after. I was really pleased that what Adam liked was exactly what I'd pictured him in.

When my Mum and I attended the National Wedding Show in September (Adam had wimped out ill) I thought this was a good chance to have a look at some suits. Unsurprisingly, the style of suit I liked in my head matched the style I liked on the manikins, I was just hoping that Adam would feel the same. I grabbed every suit brochure that was going and proudly presented them to a poorly Adam when I got home, along with some of the goodies I'd picked up!!

One company really appealed to us, with shops in Solihull, and further North (Adam's family are in Manchester). We visited the Solihull branch a couple of weekends ago. I was in two minds as to whether I was going to go. I wanted a surprise waiting for me at the end of the aisle, but Adam wanted my opinion. The lady who helped us was lovely and helpful, and not disimilar to the ladies who helped me when I was dress shopping. When Adam was dressed up I don't know which one of us had the biggest grin!

So the suit is now picked, we just need to get the groomsmen measured, one of which is yet to be asked to be an usher. The store also offer a self measurement service which may be useful as they don't have a branch as far south as Australia where the best man lives!

Katherine Charles tackles the table plan!

2011-11-08T04:13:00.000-08:00

The table plan.....every single person I have spoken to has given me horror stories of this part of the wedding planning so unsurprisingly, I approached it with some trepidation! On a whim, I downloaded an iPad application to help me and it was a life saver! All I had to do was enter the guest details in and assign each guest a little cartoon character.....you can select gender, hair and skin colour to match your guest profile! Once everyone was entered, I set-up the appropriate table sizes and numbers and then it was a simple ‘drag and drop’ exercise. I know that all sounds very easy and for the most part I was pleasantly surprised!

Given the initial dramas concerned with the roles of our family at our wedding, I had envisaged this being something of a nightmare but we made a decision very early-on that we would not have a top table. Instead, we are having a table with just the two of us, with each of our bridal party effectively ‘hosting’ a table around the room. We made this decision for three reasons – firstly, we didn’t want the pain of choosing who was on the top table; secondly, we thought it would be nice for people to look around the room at different speakers during the speech and finally, and most importantly, we wanted to ensure some time together during the day to take it all in.

After all the effort that has gone into everything and all of the advice everyone has given us about enjoying every moment, we thought this would be the ideal opportunity to take a step back. Now we have a plan that we are really happy with and we know that everyone is seated with people that they can enjoy the day with, rather than being stuck in a ‘formal’ seating arrangement where they have to be on their best behaviour next to people they barely know!

Angela Harkin looks at the D.I.Y. elements of her Big Day!

2011-11-01T02:29:00.000-07:00

I am a D.I.Y. Bride and not afraid to admit it!

Most brides are aware of the tight budget they have to stick to when planning their wedding so it is a good idea to try and do as much as you can by sourcing products and putting items together yourself.

I have already made some items myself and plan to do a few more things but at the back of my mind, I am very aware of making sure everything looks stylish. I don’t want the wedding to look cheap and tacky just because I’m saving a few pennies.

I am lucky to have a very artistic friend who has helped me with my ideas. I have gone to her several times explaining what I’d like to do and she always comes up with something even better than I envisaged. In fact, she helped make the table name tags which look amazing!

So what else are we doing ourselves? Well, we have made our own place settings as we wanted something different from the plain white ones the hotel is providing. We also plan to make our own orders of service as we can then tie them into our theme for the day. Our favours will be partly made by us - lottery tickets wrapped in a scroll with a poem for the adults and a goody bag for the children containing colouring book, crayons and a small toy. I have even gone as far as to make a personalised wedding activity book for the little ones. I’ve also made our very own personalised guestbook featuring caricatures of us which is a fun addition to the stationery.

It’s enjoyable creating things for the wedding and a great way to build up the excitement, not to mention a good excuse to get the wedding party together to help make items.

But the D.I.Y. list doesn’t stop there. We have thought about having a candy bar at the reception which will be easy to do - simply purchase different shaped jars and bowls then fill with various sweet treats.

I have also seen beautiful brooch bouquets online which are really expensive but I might have an attempt at making my own…with a little bit of help from my friends!

Sandy Gaggini adds the personal touch to her wedding favours

2011-10-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

With just under 5 months to go until our big day, I feel the major things venue, dress, cake etc. are all in hand so can now focus my attention to the smaller details one of which being the wedding favours. Now I know traditionally you'd present guests with 5 sugared almonds representing fertility, longevity, wealth, health and happiness with the bitter almond combined with the sugar coating symbolising the bitter sweetness of a marriage but this doesnt seem very personal. To me, the favour should be a personal momento of the day we shared.

My first idea for favours were plantable seed paper that our guests could take home and plant and when it bloomed would be a nice reminder of the day. Whilst I still really love this idea, would our guests like it' and would they plant them or would they end up going dusty on a shelf? My second idea came off the back of the first although it's totally different. With us being on a budget, do I want to spend money on items that may be left on the tables, or perhaps taken home and just forgotten about? It seems a waste. I dont think it's uncommon now for weddings not to provide favours, so thats one option but I would like to have something guests can take away from the day and it doesn't matter what they do with it.

This was what got me thinking about charity favours. Wanting to keep it personal, my first stop was the Cancer Research website. My Dad and Grandpa both died of Cancer and I'll really miss them on my Wedding Day. Cancer Research offer personalised favour cards and a Cancer Research UK pin badge for your guests. I also contacted the RSPCA as Adam and myself love animals (we have 2 dogs, one of which is 6 months old and deaf, 2 cats, 2 leopard geckos and a bearded dragon) and asked if they offer a similar service as I couldn't see anything on their website. They do, and have the cutest pin badges. Nothing has been decided for certain yet but if we do go down the charity route then at least I know the money won't have been wasted.

Katherine Charles looks at bringing together your Big Day look!

2011-10-17T02:12:00.000-07:00

Writing this blog post, I am fresh from my recent hair and make-up trial which just couldn’t have gone better. I feel like I have spent so many evenings trawling the internet for inspiration about hair and make-up ideas. I have been making a conscious effort to grow my hair but it just doesn’t seem to be growing quickly enough so all the styles that I liked, I was convinced wouldn’t work for my length. I copied a few pictures of styles and hoped my poor hairdresser would be able to understand what I wanted and create some magic! Luckily for me, with very little input from me, Gemma managed to transform my hair into something which was absolutely perfect. Finding a balance between a pretty romantic style, without it looking too simple was where I thought the challenge would be, but she really managed to create a striking look and even won me round to the benefits of hair extensions so I could create the perfect look I wanted!

Straight after my hair trial, I also had my make-up trial which was equally as successful....again, I had so few ideas to share that I was so glad that my talented make-up artist was able to create a look that is going to fit perfectly with our winter wedding.

Together, the look was just brilliant and I’d love to look like that every day! Even in my jeans and jumper, I felt like a princess so I can only imagine what it is going to feel like on the big day!

For the rest of my accessories, I have had some great buys, simply from keeping my eyes peeled while out shopping. I actually stumbled across my jewellery while in Marks & Spencers, just going to show that you don’t have to spend hundreds of pounds. I had seen similar jewellery in a wedding magazine and here was an exact replica for a fraction of the cost – result! Using this jewellery, I was also able to get a hair accessory made to match with some explanation of my jewellery and a questionable picture from me, Karen was able to match all the colours and create a unique hair decoration especially for me. I really hope that all these little experiences are going to result in my dream bridal look – I cannot wait to see it now! Only 63 days to go!

Blogging bride Angela Harkin finds the perfect bridesmaid dress!

2011-09-27T07:53:00.000-07:00

Finding a bridesmaid dress can be more problematic than you think, or at least it was for me. I had the colour scheme and style in mind but hadn’t stopped to think if either of those things would actually suit my sister. Only once we went shopping, did I realise that her dress was going to be quite different to what I had envisaged.

It got me thinking that it must be so difficult for a bride with several bridesmaids. I mean, how on earth can you find one dress that suits all? It must be daunting and almost impossible. What may suit one girl could look awful on another. It would be even more worrying finding one dress to flatter ladies of very different shapes, sizes and ages.

At a recent wedding I went to, there were seven (yes, seven!) bridesmaids and each one had their own style of dress, all in different colours. The effect reminded me of a rainbow and I felt like it didn’t really have a visually-pleasing effect. I do think bridesmaids can wear different dresses and still create a unifying look however that bride took it one step too far.

I am lucky that I don’t have a big group of girls all trying to look good in the same dress. I initially encouraged my sister to find a dress that she would wear again rather than something she would wear once then keep in a wardrobe forever. After trying on what seemed like every dress in every shop, we finally decided that no dress in the high street seemed right. We decided to go back to the shop where I got my wedding dress to see if they could offer some inspiration. After trying on a few dresses, we finally found a dress that she and I both love. My thoughts of a knee-length, floaty number turned into a long, strapless and sparkly dress. The colour is perfect and will compliment my dress and the men’s outfits perfectly.

My two flower girls are going to wear simple tulle dresses that compliment my dress. With added accessories of a wand and sparkly hairband, I’m sure they’ll look every bit the princesses they want to be.

Sandy Gaggini looks at the world of wedding entertainment!

2011-09-20T04:33:00.001-07:00

Choosing the entertainment for our big day is proving to be one of the most difficult decisions to make, which is probably the reason why we've been putting it off. With just over six months to go and our date coinciding with St Patrick's Day I think we need to pull our fingers out, sharpish.

As the wedding service itself is at a Church, the organist and choir are already providing musical entertainment there so that just leaves reception to sort out.

We definitley want a DJ, thats the one thing we're sure of, but the problem is choosing one. It feels you're reliant on either taking a total risk or relying on recommendations either from the venue or friends. It would just be nice to actually see the DJ in action before commiting. We are attending at least two weddings before our big day but geographically these aren't local to us and I'm sure there's plenty of brilliant DJs in the West Midlands, it's just going to be a case of finding one. If anyone has any recommendations... ;-)

Adam's sister is also getting married next year and pointed me in the direction of a website where you enter the details of your wedding and local DJs send you quotes. Adam's sister received a couple of quotes within a couple of hours of posting her details so it's worth a shot.

Since getting engaged we have only been to one wedding fayre (something I plan to rectify in the coming months!), and that was more coincidence than planning. It was when we were looking for a venue and looking at the hotel the fayre was being held in was more of a priority than the stands within the hotel. Wedding fayres should be a great way of finding local suppliers and entertainment for your wedding. When we went we did talk to a company that supplied DJs for venues and effectively had reserve DJs just incase the DJ you booked broke down or couldn't make it for whatever reason which I found quite reassuring as I am a little paranoid about things going wrong, suppliers failing to deliver etc.

Although we haven't booked the DJ yet, we have been thinking of songs we would like played at the reception and are wracking our brains for our first dance song. Adam and I have quite different tastes in music so it's not been easy. Our different musical tastes are one reason why we felt a Band wasn't really an option for us. We are also planning on asking guests for song requests when they RSVP so that we can put together our own wedding playlist and everyone will have at least one song they can get up and boogie to.

Obviously a DJ isn't the only type of entertainment you can chose from. We did talk to a magician at the wedding fayre but it wasn't for us.
As I've previously mentioned I still love the idea of a photobooth, which is as much entertainment as it is a photographic memory.

We just want everyone to have a fun yet relaxed time so we need to get attending more fayres and get our entertainment crossed off our To Do list!

Katherine Charles looks forward to her dream honeymoon!

2011-09-06T07:55:00.001-07:00

Well, with only 100 days to go now until the big day, I think I am as equally excited about our honeymoon as I am about our wedding! It took us quite a while to decide where to go, primarily because we were trying to balance what we wanted with what the budget would allow! I think it’s fair to say we were very shocked with some of the quotes we received!

Of course, like everyone, we wanted to make this a memorable holiday; our first as man and wife and, for that reason, we wanted to pick a destination that gave us the opportunity to relax on the beach as well as do a bit of exploring and sightseeing. At first, we thought of doing what now seems to be a very popular choice – Dubai and on to the Maldives. I have to say it was incredibly enjoyable looking through all of the brochures at the amazing hotels on offer, next to crystal blue waters and golden sands – bliss!! Although we wanted to really splash out on a lovely honeymoon, we also didn’t want to start married life in debt so this idea was quickly shelved!

Our second option was to tie our honeymoon in with a visit to my fiancés brother in Australia. We played around with options to visit somewhere on the flight there, such as Thailand......we also considered visiting somewhere on the East Coast of Australia but as I had been there before, we also ruled that out as we wanted to find somewhere that was a new adventure for both of us.

And so it caught us by surprise one evening while watching “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” that we struck upon the perfect honeymoon destination......Hawaii! And so, on Boxing Day, we will be jetting off to Honolulu and spending 3 days staying near Waikiki Beach where we are going to do some sight-seeing, followed by 7 days of bliss lying on a beach in Maui – we simply cannot wait!!!

Fill out Bride and Groom’s wedding dress survey and win £100!

2011-09-05T01:36:00.000-07:00

Fill out Bride and Groom’s wedding dress survey and win £100!

Off the peg, vintage, borrowed or bespoke? Bride and Groom want to know everything about the most exquisite dress you’ve ever owned – your wedding dress!

So to find out all your wedding dress essentials, they’ve put together a quick questionnaire and would love it if you could fill it out. It will only take a few minutes and your time would be very much appreciated.

And, as a thank you for your input, they’re giving away a £100 voucher of your choice to one lucky survey winner – now that’s a bonus!

Click here now to enter

Angela Harkin on planning the perfect hen do!

2011-08-31T04:58:00.000-07:00

I’m unsure of what I want to do for my hen do but I know what I definitely don’t want!

Luckily the responsibility for arranging everything falls on my sister’s shoulders. As my one and only bridesmaid, she will have the problem of deciding how her younger, fussier sister would like to celebrate her last days of single life.

I’ve been on my fair share of hen parties and after a near-death experience and far too many drunken nights, with the obligatory oiled-up stripper, I want something classy for my hen night.

I asked my friends about hen nights and if they had been to any unusual ones. Dance lessons seemed to be a popular choice, from belly-dance, can-can or even pole dance lessons but that is just not my thing. I prefer to sit and listen to music than dance to it.

Mini-breaks are still popular but I do feel this can be a big commitment for people from getting time off work to getting the kids looked after, not to mention the cost involved.

I’d also heard of someone who took all her hens tank driving! I experienced a hen weekend where we all went white-water rafting however after my raft crashed into a bridge and I was plunged into freezing water in the middle of January (and thought I was going to drown!), I vowed never to do anything like that again. Adrenalin junkie I am not.

Another favourite is a luxury pamper session with treatments and massages combined with a leisurely champagne lunch. Now that sounds more my thing although most places can be pricey and I don’t want it to cost a fortune for all the ladies.

I do love cocktails (one of the reasons we chose our honeymoon hotel is for their fabulous mojito lounge) so this has inspired me to look into having a cocktail masterclass. There seems to be more and more places doing these and they seem reasonably priced. I mean, what woman doesn’t enjoy a cocktail? We’ll have a great time whilst telling ourselves we are learning a new and essential skill!

I was actually surprised to find out that more and more girls are going for small get-togethers where they have a room in a bar or hotel and can all get a chance to chat and laugh in privacy. This means if the celebrations get loud and wild (or, in my case, if my sister starts shrieking her favourite songs at the top of her voice!), we won’t be annoying anyone else. The important thing is I have a fun hen night that doesn’t cost the earth. I want everyone to have fun and let their hair down for a night.

Now, I’d better make sure my sister reads this so that there are no unexpected surprises.

Sandy Gaggini enjoys every moment of choosing her wedding cake!

2011-08-19T04:50:00.000-07:00

I LOVE cake! So this was naturally one of the first things I started thinking about when myself and Adam got engaged. I was adamant I wanted a tower of cupcakes and to be honest I didn't think Adam would really mind what cake we had as long as it tasted good... I was wrong! Adam totally surprised me and was insistent that he wanted the traditional tiered cakes.

One thing you should know about me is that I can be quite stubborn, so although I'm not a Bridezilla (honestly I'm not) I do like things to happen the way I want them, I don't go crazy if they don't but I do sulk! I began looking on-line at gorgeous looking Wedding Cupcakes and showing them to Adam in the hopes that he'd change his mind. He agreed that they looked awesome but he wanted a cake that we could cut.

We had a look at and considered a giant cupcake as the top tier but decided it wasn't what either of us envisaged for our wedding cake. Eventually we came to a compromise, tiers of cupcakes with a traditional wedding cake for the top tier that we could cut. I don't know why we didn't think of this sooner!

One of the things I love about cupcakes is the fact that they are individual cakes, allowing for a bit of variety. You can have different colours, different flavours and different decorations. For example we go to our local Farmers Market every month and the lately there has been a stall there selling cupcakes, although if you're there at midday she only has a couple left! She has Chocolate Orange cupcakes, Oreo cupcakes, Earl Grey cupcakes, Lemon cupcakes and even ones that look 99s with the flake.

I think your Wedding Cake is as much about how it looks as it is how it tastes. I could make cakes that taste great but I'm not creative and they wouldn't look very impressive.

I started contacting a few cupcake bakeries. Most seem to have price bands depending on quantity and vary depending on flavours and how intricate the detail you want on each cupcake is. Something I hadn't considered was the cake stand and some (not all) charge for the use of the cupcake stand.

As I've said in a previous post, I'm learning that it definitely pays to know people in the Wedding Industry. My uncle is a postman and on his round he delivers to Juci Luci's Cupcake Factory! I like to imagine it's like Willy Wonkas Chocolate Factory but with cupcakes... AWESOME!!!

I checked out her website (www.juicycupcakefactory.co.uk) and her facebook page (social media and the wedding industry is fantastic) and fell in love with her cakes.

I contacted Luci and she's been really helpful. As we're getting married a few miles away she is happy to set up the cakes for us - one thing less for us to organise on our big day! She doesn't charge for the stand as she believes it's only right that the cakes are beautifully displayed. We haven't had a tasting session yet although I have it on very good authority that the cakes taste delicious, and Luci has offered to come to us or is happy for us to go to her for a tasting session and to discuss flavours, colour schemes and decoration.

Luci has also just started making Bride and Groom decorations and they look amazing!

I cant wait to see, cut and most importantly eat our wedding cake!

Our blogging bride Angela Harkin looks at the wonderful world of wedding stationery!

2011-08-12T07:29:00.000-07:00

Apparently every bride needs nine, yes nine, different types of stationery! Don’t believe me? Drum roll please… we need… (1) Save the Date cards, (2) Day Invitations, (3) Evening Invitations, (4) RSVPs, (5) Orders of Service, (6) Table Plans, (7) Place Cards, (8) Menus and, finally, (9) Thank You Cards! Now if you take the average-sized wedding of, say, 150 guests, the cost of envelopes alone will eat up a large chunk of your budget so it’s important to be savvy when it comes to stationery.

The most important piece of stationery is without a doubt, the invitations. When my H2B and I decided on our gig-inspired theme, we knew that our invitations had to reflect that. It’s the first thing our guests will see and we want people to get a sneak peek of what our wedding will be like. There are so many unique ideas for wedding invitations, from printed chocolate bars to ‘Wanted’ posters and even computer games emailed to guests. As much as I like the traditional embossed invitations covered in diamantes, I think it is much more fun to try and do something different and make sure no-one else will ever have the same as you. We initially thought about flyers, coasters and even CD’s with the wedding information on however as we scrawled the internet, we came upon Treefrog Graphics who had the perfect invitations for us – concert tickets! They are distinctive and have a perforated RSVP that people simply rip off and return – two cards in one!

So with our invitations and RSVPs out the way, we have now started looking at stationery for the big day. I heard recently of one wedding where the place cards were cookies with names iced on them which is a great idea and a tasty treat while people are listening to speeches. We, however, plan to have the image of cassettes printed onto card and we will write the names of guests across them – a little bit retro and fun. This same design will also be on the menus. As I mentioned in my previous blog, we are having a set-list instead of order of service and our table plan will be in the style of a festival poster. These are things we plan to make ourselves and although I’m not very creative, I have found it’s easy to design them on the computer.

As for Thank You Cards, well we haven’t got that far yet. We have been toying with the idea of CD’s of songs played at the wedding but we will decide that nearer the time.

We are aware that our theme is very much a vital part of our wedding and the stationery will be a key element but we also aren’t letting the costs spiral out of control – Microsoft Publisher is definitely a big help!

My tip for stationery would be to ask the wedding venue if they do any of them for you as this could save lots of time and money. Many hotels will provide and write place cards, menus and table plans at no extra cost, saving a small fortune.

And after booking our luxurious honeymoon the other day, maybe I should follow my own advice and call the hotel…

Katherine Charles shares how choosing your big day flowers can be easy and fun!

2011-08-03T06:29:00.000-07:00

It’s probably fair to say that there is only one task that I was dreading organising in the run up to our wedding.....flowers! I don’t know the first thing about flowers – What are they called? When are they in season? What is likely to last for the whole day? Seriously, I didn’t have a clue... Actually, thinking about it, I probably still don’t. But I am certainly a little wiser and much more relaxed about the flowers for our wedding all thanks to Lavenders of London, who we have chosen to provide the flowers and bits of decor for our big day.

They couldn’t have been more helpful – they asked me questions about the venue, about the general theme of the day and about any ideas that I had. In terms of my ideas, I did lots of Google research about what flowers would be suitable for a winter wedding – of course, most of the research I did suggested we might like to opt for traditional red roses, in keeping with a Christmas wedding. But I don’t want that....we are trying to move away from the “obvious” Christmas theme; however, finding pictures did help me try and explain what I was looking for.

When we visited the Lavenders of London warehouse, my poor Fiance thought we would be there for days...there was literally every flower, candle and ribbon you could ask for! I, on the other hand, was in heaven!! After chatting through all of my ideas with them and purchasing some decor in keeping with my theme, we have now organised all of our flowers in one visit alone. It was such a relief to have someone take a weight off your shoulders...in that single visit, I have been able to organise my bouquet, 4 bridesmaids bouquets, all of the buttonholes and corsages as well as some extra special touches for centrepieces and venue design, although I will keep those under wraps for now ;)

Sandy Gaggini shares her tips for choosing the perfect photographer.

2011-07-26T06:18:00.000-07:00

Along with the dress, the venue and of course the groom, one of the most important things to get right is the photographer.

Your wedding day is only going to happen once, there will only be one entrance at the ceremony, one first kiss as husband and wife, one first dance. There's no room for retakes so everything needs to be captured perfectly first time. With so many things going on on your big day you're going to miss things that happen that don't directly involve you, but hopefully your photographer will capture some of these moments. Your Wedding Album is going to be a massive reminder of your big day and something you can share with friends and family who were unable to attend and your children and grandchildren. That's how important these photos are!

I first started looking at photographers when I was looking at potential venues. I would google each potential venue and the phrase "wedding photography" to look at the different photo opportunities each venue could provide. We wanted a beautiful church and a gorgeous wedding reception venue that would look amazing in our photographs, and what better way to envisage the potential than looking at pictures from previous weddings. This also allowed me to scope out potential photographers, find styles that I liked, get an idea of how much they cost and just generally be nosey into complete strangers weddings!!!
I soon discovered that photgraphers are pretty pricey, and each photographer offers a different package so you should make sure you know exactly what is included for the price.

As somebody who doesn't really like posing for photographs the main pictures I was interested in were the natural ones where the people in the photos don't realise they're having their picture taken. I did stumble across one particular photographer who's posed photos I loved, Steven Gerrard, so creative and talented. Unfortunately his prices don't fit in with our budget.

As I am finding with a lot of this Wedding Planning malarkey it's as much who you know as what you know. An old school friend's sister has started her own Wedding Photography business. As soon as Adam and I announced our engagement my friend recommended we take a look at her sister's website and facebook page to consider her for our photographer.

When I looked at Katie Ingram's photos I thought she was was the perfect choice. Her pictures are stunning and really capture the moment. I love the unforced, natural photos that she takes, and for the posed ones, who better than someone I have known for several years to make me feel comfortable and relaxed. In Katie's own words "I like to show the joy and happiness in people from the day. It's a celebration and I embrace the happiness and capture it as well as I can."

Check out her work and I'm sure you'll be as impressed as I was. www.katieingram.co.uk

Other than the professional photos, I have quite a few friends who enjoy photography and am planning on getting copies of the photos they take on the day, and if our budget can stretch to it I would really like a photobooth to add a really fun element to the photography and allow guests to take a memento of the day home with them.

Angela Harkin reveals all about her wedding day theme!

2011-07-20T03:36:00.000-07:00

Superheroes, Zombies, Star Wars and even Shrek! These are just some of the bizarre themes people come up with for their wedding day. Ok, so those ones aren’t for everyone and you would need to be a very brave (and skinny!) woman to dress up in figure-hugging Wonder Woman hot pants on your wedding day. But why do we need a theme anyway?

As a teacher, I’ve always been involved in organising the school prom and, as the years have gone by, more and more pupils want a theme. This year, it was Las Vegas - seat covers were red and black, table decorations were poker chips, cards and dice and we had chocolate favours in the shape of hearts, clubs, spades and diamonds. For a wedding, this could be enhanced by adding cocktails, an Elvis impersonator and a casino at the reception. So themes are becoming very popular at all events but especially weddings.

People now regard the theme as a way of bringing their wedding together and showing off their personality. It’s about making the wedding one of a kind and memorable for everyone there. The simplest method is using colours and making everything from the invitations to the favours and bridesmaid dresses all the same shade. Some people prefer to use the season in which they get married for example, shells, pebbles and sand for summer weddings or winter effects such as ice carvings and snowflakes. Vintage and Eco weddings are growing in popularity with more emphasis put on saving money and DIY decorations. As the grooms-to-be become more involved in wedding preparations, football is also a growing theme - tables named after footballers, team colours everywhere and even having the ceremony at their beloved stadium.

So what about our theme? Well, we decided early on that we had to have a gig theme. Our love of music and seeing bands meant that it was only right it should form the basis of our wedding. We have recently chosen the perfect invitations in the design of concert tickets – not your typical wedding invitations however they are unique to us. Once our guests start to receive them, they will be intrigued as it gives a clue to what the wedding will be like. They will also be asked to request a song on their RSVP for our DJ to play at the reception. This is a nice touch as it means every guest will get their song on the reception playlist plus it will mean everyone will want to dance to at least one song! We will be naming our tables after our favourite bands and making LP sleeves to match. Our table plan will be done in the form of a festival poster (with the help of a very creative art teacher colleague!). We are going to replace the traditional order of service for a set-list of the songs that will be played at the ceremony. Many a time, I have gone to weddings and wondered what choice of song was playing so this will be a nice keepsake for guests.

For me, the theme is a key part of our wedding but it may not be for everyone. The occasion is so special and meaningful by itself, you may not feel the need for a theme. I would say it’s more about the little personal touches you add rather than the grand statements. So if you are choosing a theme, it should be personal to you, fun and easy to manage. My only warning is to think carefully about your decision as choosing a Wonder Woman outfit over a beautiful wedding dress may be something you look back on with regret.

Katherine Charles fills us in on finding her dream dress!

2011-07-12T02:43:00.000-07:00

So, the date has been chosen and the venue is booked....now it is time for the real fun to begin – dress shopping!

When I first started looking for my dress, I was pretty open to suggestions. I had taken some inspiration from other weddings that I had been to as well as being a regular at the local wedding fair circuit. I hadn’t intended to get my dress so far in advance, I was just keen to start the shopping; after all, a girl only gets to try these on once, right?!

The only ideas I had in my mind, was that I wanted an A-line shape (to cover what I consider to be a larger than average backside) and something in more of an ivory tone, rather than a plain white since I had a feeling this colour would wash me out. I was also quite clear that I wanted something simple and not too ‘bling’.

Sure enough, my first shopping trip entailed trying on several in this style, all equally beautiful dresses. I was starting to realise how hard it must be to find ‘the one’! It seemed that every dress I tried on, I fell in love with – and it is definitely true what they say, you do feel like a princess! And, let’s just say (without revealing too many details), you surprise yourself once you start trying on different dresses!

What surprised me most was how comfortable the majority of them seemed to be – sure, there was that awkward ‘breathe-in’ moment when you first get into the dress, but after a few minutes, it’s amazing how you can adapt to them! I was also shocked by the sheer variety of dresses and was easily coaxed into trying on lots of different styles of varying meringue sizes. On my first shopping trip, I fell in love with a beautiful Alfred Angelo dress and was 99% convinced that this would be the one, but could it be that easy to find it on my first trip? We had been to see 14 venues, how on earth could dress shopping be so easy? And, more importantly, I WANTED to do more dress shopping!

Unconvinced that shopping for your wedding dress could be that easy, I booked a few more appointments with some other local suppliers; each a different experience. I am glad that I did....!

I had seen my dress on display at a wedding fair and had instantly loved it and was fixated on trying it on – sure enough, my Mum, my mother-in-law to be and I ventured to Rena Zhang Couture in Farnham on a cold December morning last year to seek out said dress. The whole experience was amazing – as soon as we arrived, the staff made us feel so welcome. We sat on a beautiful chaise-longue and talked through the style of the wedding whilst sipping champagne in a warm and relaxed shop. I had a very good feeling at this point...and luckily I wasn’t disappointed! As soon as I tried it on, I knew it was the one – it sounds clichéd but I did get goose-bumps and, as if I needed any more proof, the tears of my maternal support group soon proved that this was indeed the one for me.

I won’t reveal too many details about the style, just in case my eagle-eyed fiancé is reading this, but sufficed to say that it puts a big smile on my face when I wear it and I hope it has the same effect on him too. Now I just can’t wait to wear it for the big day

Read all about our final bride to be Sandy Gaggini's wedding plans!

2011-06-21T07:25:00.000-07:00

Hi! I'm Sandy and will be regularly posting my blog on here!

I'd say I'm quite a relaxed and calm bride-to-be, definitely haven't turned into Bridezilla... Yet!!! I've been watching Don't Tell the Bride and if these guys can plan a wedding in a matter of weeks then I'm confident we'll do fine!

I never really thought of myself getting married so the wedding planning process is very new and I'm starting completely from scratch with no pre-existing thoughts or ideas.

My fiance, Adam and I got engaged Boxing Day. We live in Birmingham but Adam is originally from Manchester and so had spent Christmas day with his Family up north and I'd spent Christmas with my Mum in the Midlands. We'd exchanged presents but had decided to keep one present back to open together! I unwrapped what I thought was just a Christmas present in front of a glowing Halogen heater as the boiler had packed in with the cold weather. It was a total surprise, an engagement ring that Adam had chosen all by himself and he popped the question! All I'd bought him was the Toy Story trilogy box set! I love the ring! Its modern and untraditional looking. I couldn't have chosen better!

The wedding is booked for March 17th 2012, St Patrick's day, but not a St Patrick day theme and neither of us is Irish!!! We're getting married at a beautiful Roman Catholic Church and the Reception is at a Golf Club.

Invitations, Wedding Car and Photographer are sorted, and I am currently in the process of Wedding Dress shopping! Fun fun fun!

I hope you enjoy reading my blog!

Introducing Angela Harkin our second bride to be!

2011-06-14T02:28:00.000-07:00

Bridezilla? Me? No way! I think I’m in the unique position where my H2B is probably more demanding about our wedding than me!

My Groomzilla is my lovely John, who I met 3½ years ago. After whisking me off to Rome last October and getting down on one knee in front of the Trevi Fountain (and an audience of over a thousand tourists!), we returned to our hotel to be welcomed by a bottle of champagne on ice in the rooftop terrace. Little did we know that this trip would help us set the scene for our wedding plans and within a fortnight of returning home, we had our wedding booked at the Gailes Hotel, simply because it had a rooftop terrace! We’re a bit impulsive and believe fate has a hand in everything so our wedding is no different.

With just over a year to go until the big day (2nd July 2012), there is so much to think about….I mean, with so many choices out there nowadays, I really don’t know how we’re going to make decisions. We’ve recently been looking at cakes and that in itself has taken far too much of my time (and destroyed my waistline!).

Everyone seems to have a theme these days and we can’t be any different so our shared love of music and going to gigs will feature heavily in the wedding along with my love of stars (my one and only Bridezilla moment – let’s hope it doesn’t rear its head again!). We need to find something for my ten year old son, Ethan, to do at the wedding (apart from singing Tinie Tempah songs at the ceremony – as he requested last week!)

This will be my second wedding (but the most important!) and we don’t want it to be a small affair. We want it to be unique to us and hopefully, with all our ideas, it’ll be unforgettable for us and our guests. We want to enjoy the big day and I want John to enjoy being a Groomzilla!

Bring on the fun!

Meet Katherine Charles, our first blogging bride!

2011-06-07T06:02:00.000-07:00

I am definitely one of those girls who has dreamed about getting married since I was little. Interestingly, I never thought about the big white meringue dress or all the sparkly jewellery, I was just always excited about the thought of having all my friends and family celebrating together. So, you can imagine how thrilled I was to be surprised with a proposal from my (then) boyfriend David, back in September 2010.

We were on a road-trip down the west-coast of America and, up until that point, had had the most amazing holiday, seeing so many great things. Friends had joked to us before we went that we would come back engaged and, although I wasn’t expecting it, it had crossed my mind! I thought that if he was going to propose, he would do so while we were in Palm Springs at a very romantic hotel, however nothing happened. I wasn’t disappointed as we had only been together a short amount of time so I didn’t think any more of it. Little did I know, just 2 days later (on the 1 year anniversary of our first date), he would surprise me by getting down on one knee at the Grand Canyon. This was always set to be an amazing trip, as we had planned a sunset champagne picnic after flying over the Canyon in a helicopter – however, being proposed to made it absolutely unforgettable. I remember being so excited flying back to Las Vegas and couldn’t wait to phone home and tell my Mum! After that, we waited to tell everyone until we got back home a couple of days after...although I was allowed to buy a wedding magazine at the airport!

So, 9 months later, we are well underway with our wedding planning. We both love Christmas and decided to be a little different and opt for a winter wedding, so we are getting married on December 16^th at Rivervale Barn in Hampshire. We are planning to have about 90 people to the day for a civil-ceremony, drinks reception and sit-down meal, followed by an evening reception where we will have an additional 40-50 guests. I have found the most gorgeous dress which I absolutely love and we have also organised the men’s suits (we will be having 2 ushers and 2 best men) and the bridesmaids dresses (I am having 4 bridesmaids) simply because 3 of them have/are emigrating to Australia before December (luckily they are coming back for the big day!). There is still lots to do...sorting out the food and drink, hair and make-up, flowers/decor and the smaller details like fittings, favours and thank you gifts, amongst other things.

My parents are divorced so my biggest challenge has been keeping everyone happy! To save any arguments, I am doing a few things the ‘non-traditional’ way, so I am having my Mum give me away and both my Dad and my Step-Dad delivering speeches. As my husband-to-be couldn’t choose his best man, he is having 2 of his closest friends and his brother will be our MC. We really wanted to involve our close family as much as possible. I am so excited about creating a really rustic feel at our gorgeous venue with lots of candles, ivy and glitzy Christmas accessories! Only 192 days to go (but who’s counting?!)...

Over the moon – now the hard work starts!

2011-02-24T01:59:00.000-08:00

Wow what a weekend! The National Wedding Show really lived up to its hype; there was just so much inspiration all in one place. I am really glad we pushed the boat out and booked the VIP tickets as we were spoilt rotten! My mum and sister came with me and we started the day with a glass of bubbly in the VIP lounge before hitting the show.

Thankfully I wore my flat shoes as we spent nearly six hours perusing what was on offer! We started at the Catwalk, which was so glamorous – where we had VIP reserved seats. The best thing about the catwalk show was that it wasn’t just for the brides, Mum got loads of inspiration for her outfit and also my sister and I loved one of the bridesmaids dress styles. I even spotted a gorgeous suit for Dave and his groom’s party!

Dave asked me to gather ideas for our honeymoon – which was great fun. There was such a mix of exhibitors from stunning boutique hotels in the UK such as Kanika Hotels and Resorts in Cyprus to far afield adventures from Kuoni at Travel Designers and Luxuryholidaysdirect.com. We have both agreed to splash out on the honeymoon, making it into a maxi-moon. We have both arranged to have a month off work and make it a once in a lifetime experience. Top locations on the list are Dubai, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

I also chose some great favours from Chocolatelilly – cake pops! They are bright colours and so much fun; I think our guests will love them.

Jenny xx

If, like Jenny you want a bit of A-list treatment and glamour - why not treat yourself to a VIP ticket to the National Wedding Show, Birmingham NEC on 4th – 6th March, available to buy on the website www.nationalweddingshow.co.uk

The National Wedding Show features a number of top quality venues and planners for abroad weddings. For a full list see our exhibitor list online at www.nationalweddingshow.co.uk

Over the moon – now the hard work starts!

2011-02-01T06:45:00.000-08:00

I think it is finally beginning to sink in that we are ENGAGED! I still have a massive grin on my face when I look down and my sparkly finger adornment.

We held a party in our favourite restaurant (just what our friends needed as a January blues pick-me-up) and officially asked my bridesmaids – Dave’s sister and my two best friends. Dave also confirmed with his best man, Mark.

We have also set a provisional date of August 27th 2011 – so now the hunt for a location/venue is on. I suggested to Dave that we wait until after the National Wedding Show, so we will have a lot more ideas of where to book. It is now only three weeks away. I am so excited and can’t wait to be a VIP for the day!

I have to admit – I am a bit wedding obsessed and keep my eye out for inspiration everywhere I go. I even went into B&Q the other day to pick up some colour charts. As we are having a summer wedding, we want a vibrant colour scheme – honeysuckle seems to be a popular colour trend for this year and I think it would really suit my bridesmaids.

Jenny xx

If, like Jenny you want a bit of A-list treatment and glamour - why not treat yourself to a VIP ticket to the National Wedding Show available to buy on the website www.nationalweddingshow.co.uk or call the ticket hotline on 0844 581 1404

The National Wedding Show features a number of top quality venues and planners for abroad weddings – click here to see our full exhibitor list for the London and Birmingham show

Over the moon – now the hard work starts!

2011-01-18T04:30:00.000-08:00

When my lovely fiancé, Dave, popped the question on Christmas day – I could not have been more surprised OR happier. We had a lovely morning together in our new home and planned to visit my mum for a family lunch. Little did I know, as he opened the Champagne for a bucks fizz with breakfast, that small boxed shaped present wrapped up neatly beneath the tree was in fact the most gorgeous diamond ring!

Having the chance to celebrate with my family that day over lunch made it really special and I can’t thank Dave enough for being so thoughtful.

As soon as Boxing Day came, I dashed to the shop for a stack of wedding magazines – and found out just what I had in store for the next months of planning the perfect nuptials. Neither of us want a long engagement so it looks like there will be some hard work involved, but I am sure we will love every minute of it.

Of course, I instantly booked VIP tickets to the National Wedding Show in spring for me, mum and my sister Kirsty, I can’t think of a better place to start looking for inspiration. Especially for my dress as Dave will not be coming with us.

Of course second thing on our to-do list is to choose a location…we both love the sun and go on holiday whenever we can, so are brainstorming foreign locations where we can have a wedding and honeymoon all in one. It will also mean our guests get some sunshine and fun out of it too.

Jenny xx

If, like Jenny you want a bit of A-list treatment and glamour - why not treat yourself to a VIP ticket to the National Wedding Show available to buy on the websitewww.nationalweddingshow.co.uk

The National Wedding Show features a number of top quality venues and planners for abroad weddings, visit www.nationalweddingshow.co.uk to see the full exhibitor list

Our Bridal Coach Michele Paradise offers her top tips for ensuring you both look and feel fabulous on your big day

2011-01-04T07:08:00.000-08:00

-Always get your feet measured before buying your wedding shoes. Your feet have changed since the age of 6!

-Always buy new shoes in the afternoon or early evening when your feet are at their largest. Feet swell during the day.

-Cover new shoes with cut off tights, wear them everyday for 15/30 mins to break them in at least a month before the wedding.

-Before the photo shake out your hands, gently place them on your hip or bouquet so that they look beautiful, not like a claw!

-In photos, stand at an angle with one foot slightly in front of the other. If feet are together you will look flat and wide.

-Perfection doesn't exist so stop striving for the perfect wedding. Celebrate, have fun, eat, laugh and enjoy the ride!

-Wearing a veil makes you feel different and requires a bit of practice. So put one on and practice now. It will pay off!

-Clean, shaped eyebrows open the eyes and create a wider eye they look better in the photos and you look rested and relaxed.

-Choose a creamy white dress so that it doesn't create glare when photographed and it's kinder to the skin tone.

-Don't follow make up trends for your bridal make up. Stick to a classic look and your photos will be timeless.

-In photos don't keep both arms entirely straight, bend one or both to create space between the arm and body.

-In photos rest most of your weight on one foot or the other. This looks less posey and gives a slight slimming effect.

-Focus on what you want to happen on your wedding day, not what you don't want to happen. You get what you wish for.

-When walking up the aisle please, please, please look up at your guests and your fiancé. Smile and they will smile back at you.

You can attend Michele's Bridal Coaching sessions at the show to hear more top tips for looking and feeling great on your big day. For more info click here

How to achieve dream hair for your wedding day

2010-12-09T07:59:00.000-08:00

Our celebrity hair stylist Errol Douglas shares his top tips on how to achieve picture perfect hair for your wedding day

Start Early - it is vital that you have a good consultation which allows you to think about colour and growing short hair long

Watch the bleach on the beach - if you are having your hair bleached you need to consider the adverse effects strong sun may have on the look of your hair. If you are getting married in an exotic location or planning a beach honeymoon, make sure you consider which products you use very carefully.

Make sure that your veil is not too heavy, time after time I see brides who have amazing hair that is immediately flattened by a veil that is too heavy.

Practice makes perfect, make sure you have at least 2-3 trials including the use of any hairpieces well before your wedding day.

Never wash your hair on the big day; it will simply strip your hair of the natural oils which help the finished look stay looking great for longer.

Never style your hair with too much hair on your face as what looks great in real life can act as a mask in photographs. Your wedding album will be kept forever so you must consider how your hair is going to look when photographed.

Most importantly of all wearing your hair up is not for everyone if you feel it doesn’t suit you trust your instincts and wear your hair in a way that makes you look best.

www.erroldouglas.com

The Exhibitors Story – Part 3

2010-09-28T03:05:00.000-07:00

OMG. I know things are stressful when we are communicating in acronyms. With only two full days left in the office (one by the time you read this) before we have to pack everything up and take it down to Earls Court for The National Wedding Show, our favourite acronyms in indisputably ASAP.

Please can we have the leaflets ASAP? Please can you arrange special delivery for those shoes, ASAP? Artwork for posters? Ah yes...ASAP. AAMOF I would LOL if I wasn’t so PANIC stricken. And that’s not an acronym, in case you’re wondering, it is in BIG letters because it is BIG panic.

However, we are making progress now. The backdrop to the stand is now printed (cough..hum..nearly) and all the artwork for posters and leaflets is signed off. We have enquiry forms (you’d better do some serious enquiring, people) and a fantastic Alter Ego competition and exclusive show offer.

Our outfits for the show are planned, we know who is working on which days, and the hotel rooms are booked. I have an email to confirm that our exhibitors’ passes are ready, and we’ve even got down to the nitty-gritty ‘flowers’ and ‘sweets’ level of detail – which is reassuring.
I have to admit, the costs do grow as you get closer to the show. We started with a really detailed budget but still there are little add-ons which creep up. One of the biggest areas for this, for us, has been printed items. My advice to any potential exhibitors: really plan your printed material to make sure it is ‘multi-functional’ (for example, we have one form to handle enquiries and competition entries) and shop around to get the best prices. However, it still is, without doubt, one of the most cost-effective ways of talking (properly) to 20,000 people.

So, more importantly, about that competition I mentioned. We will be offering one bride a complete Alter Ego Vintage Hen Party for up to four people in our free prize draw. The lucky Hen will get to bring her three Chicks to the studio for a full day of pampering and vintage styling. In addition to the fab sets and props, inspirational photography, and wonderfully friendly team...we’ll also provide a light lunch and a few glasses of bubbly. Plus every guest will get a gorgeous, complementary framed print of the day. I can promise you with absolute confidence (and experience), it beats propping up the bar in some dodgy nightclub hands-down. It is classy, relaxed, indulgent and hugely good fun – and you will have the pictures to treasure for a lifetime.

We are all getting exceptionally excited about Friday. I simply cannot wait to see what the stand looks like in real-life, speak to the visitors at the show, and find out what they think about Alter Ego. And, as this is the first wedding show we have attended, I’m sure it will be a real eye-opener.

This will be my last post before the show (you haven’t seen my to-do list), but I can’t wait to meet you all over the weekend. If you’ve got this far...thank you for listening!
The last few weeks have, as they say, been emotional...
B4N!

Erica

Erica from Alter Ego Portraits:http://www.alteregoportraits.com/www.facebook.com/alteregoportraitsor call 01604 871187

The exhibitor’s story – Part 2

2010-09-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

One minute we were four weeks away, and then – we blinked – and now there are only two weeks left. How did that happen?

The National Wedding Show is looming large on our horizon at the moment. Have you ever had one of those dreams where you turned up at your wedding with no frock and a bad-hair day? (No? Maybe that was just me then....erm...anyhow...) Well, I have definitely had a dream that we were standing at the wedding show in an empty stand – or ‘shell scheme’ as the exhibitors’ pack calls us..

So, what have we done? Firstly we have moved up a gear today. Gone are the chocolate hobnobs, we’re on the serious stuff now. Oh yes. Krispy Kreme doughnuts are now powering our organisational skills.

We have spent the last two weeks designing, and redesigning, stand graphics. Taking a brand and converting it into a 2m x 2m stand, we have found, is a tricky business. As with all forms of marketing, people look at different media in different ways – what works in a gift voucher pack, isn’t necessarily going to work on an email – and all the team had different ideas about how Alter Ego should be presented.

We did all decide that it needs to be simple and striking, but we decided to get advice and ask the experts – so we picked up the phone and called (the wonderfully patient) Gabi, the Marketing Manager at The National Wedding Show. Her advice was to think about our objectives and to consider doing something interactive on the stand. For example, do we want to hand out three thousand leaflets, or do we want to be able to talk to people after the show?

In previous years, exhibitors have created interest by having stilt-walkers on the stand and women in wedding dresses – both of which made the stands and the companies memorable. Gabi also recommended continuing the themes from our website and gave the example of the lovely lady from a business called Shoot It Yourself who pulled this off perfectly and had great success at the last show.

In addition, she suggested overlaying the shell scheme with beautiful wall paper or a back-drop to create an environment which draws people in, and encourages them to investigate further.
So, we now have a background which we all love. It is simple, elegant and carries on our branding from all of the other work we are doing in the studio, in our literature, in the press and online. We had a fabulous vintage hen-party shoot last week, and the girls have kindly said we can use some of these fantastic shots for our literature. And, we also have a few tricks up our sleeves which will hopefully cause a bit of a stir during the show. We just need to find a way of getting all of the equipment down to London on the set-up day. Van anyone?
Erica from Alter Ego Portraits:

http://www.alteregoportraits.com/
www.facebook.com/alteregoportraits
or call 01604 871187

Tips for brides speeches on the big day!

2010-09-16T04:09:00.000-07:00

I gave a wink to our MC and took the microphone. No one knew I was going to make a speech and up until that point, I was not sure if I was going to do it either. There were some things that I wanted to say too, and anyone who knows me realises that I am not one to keep quiet!!! However standing up in front of the most important people in your life can be quite daunting. The best advice I can give when making your wedding speech is look at it like as if it is a skirt – long enough to cover the essentials, but short enough to be interesting! I was also told – don’t try to be funny – you wont be, but I am pleased to say I had them all laughing in their seats just from my general anecdotes and stories of situations that might arise in day-to-day life. The point of my speech was to toast to friendship – they give me a unique blend of affection, loyalty, love, respect, trust and best of all - loads of fun!!

If you would like to say a few words, but like me are not sure if you have the confidence in front of your guests, visit the Bridal Confidence coaching Clinic at the National Wedding Show. Michelle Paradise is on hand to give you tips to feel confident in yourself and keep your emotions in check. If you use her tips to help you through the ceremony and posing for your pictures - by the time you get to the point of standing up in front of 100 guests you will be feeling fabulous!

Just one last thing to remember – everyone who will be sharing your special day loves you and will be embracing the magic. Enjoy it!!!

An exhibitors story - Part 1

2010-09-06T02:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, life in the studio was cracking on as merrily as ever. Today, panic has set in and we are all sitting looking at the longest to-do list any of us has ever seen. What happened? What else – The National Wedding Show of course.

I’m not sure who’s idea it was, although I think we all talked each other into this (helped in no small amount by the lovely Kelly at The National Wedding Show team) but I have a feeling life is just about to get very, very busy.

It will be brilliant. We have no doubt. The National Wedding Show is the perfect place for us to showcase our services and, as this is the first time that Alter Ego Portraits has done anything like this – we figured we ought to do it properly!

So, where to start? The contract has gone back, and we know the stand number (K2, just in case you are wondering) which we have chosen because it is in the corner of the exhibition space near to the toilets. Unlike in a restaurant - this is a positive thing. Apparently, there is reliable research which demonstrates visitors at the show go to the toilet 2.4 times during their visit, so everyone is very likely to see us at least 2.4 times after they have powdered their noses! You have to admit, it makes sense.

The first step this morning was to consider the space we have. We have marked out the equivalent size space on the floor in our studio using masking tape. Then, we all stood in it and wondered how we would fit everything in. Then we sat down, had a coffee and some biscuits (think this could be a regular feature of the next few weeks) and looked at the masking tape for a bit longer. It didn’t make it any bigger. However, the coffee and the biscuits did the trick and we now have a plan in our minds for the furniture we need on the stand.

Practical stuff first. We have albums and pictures that we need to display, so we need something for them to be perched on. However, this display needs to draw visitors onto the stand, not block their access. We need storage space for leaflets and vouchers, and we need to make sure the stand feels open and welcoming. Do we build it ourselves (this could be a very interesting set-up day), or do we find existing pieces we can personalise? I feel a trip to some well know furniture shops coming on....

Erica from Alter Ego Portraits: http://www.alteregoportraits.com/ , www.facebook.com/alteregoportraits or call 01604 871187.

Win a Benjamin Roberts wedding dress at the show courtesy of hitched.co.uk

2010-09-06T02:06:00.000-07:00

No one said that planning a wedding was easy. From viewing and choosing the perfect wedding venue to booking the photographer, DJ and honeymoon a wedding planning couple work hard together as a team to create and organise a magical day.

One of the biggest parts of a wedding budget, and something that will guide the style of any day is the all important wedding dress. Typically this would be something that a bride purchases with the help of her bridesmaids or mother, however how would you like to involve your groom and give him the chance to win you your beautiful gown!

Hitched.co.uk know how important your wedding dress will be as you walk down that aisle, and therefore we are giving your groom the opportunity to play a major part in what will be one of the most important moments of your big day.

By simply playing and winning 3 straight games of pool in a row your groom, or yourself, will be entered into a draw to win a Blue by Enzoani designer wedding dress, plus a cocktail dress from the LOVE collection for the evening, or A £1200 contribution towards an Enzoani collection dress plus a cocktail dress from the LOVE collection for the evening.

If your groom has taken a back seat when it comes to helping you plan your big day then bring him down to the hitched.co.uk stand at the National Wedding Show for a game, or 3, of pool. The hitched team will be at both London and Birmingham in order to raise awareness to your grooms on how important your wedding dress is to you, the fabulous bride.

Visit http://www.hitched.co.uk/ for further information

A hen for the weekend

2010-08-26T02:04:00.000-07:00

Our blogging bride Grace celebrated her official send off to married life at the weekend surrounded by her hens

After 10 months of planning my much awaited hen weekend was finally upon us, and despite the torrential rain (well it is England) a fantastic time was had by all. 17 of my bessie mates, family and family-to-be descended on Bournemouth for a girly weekend from as far afield as South Africa.

On Friday night, a girly night was planned – my maid of honour Katherine, arranged for a pamper party service to come to the house (decked in Hen Party decorations!), so we had treatments such as massages, facials and pedicures in between sips of cocktails and girly banter. National Wedding Show exhibitor ‘Blush’ offer a great pamper party package; see the website for more details http://www.blush.uk.com/parties.php. My bridesmaid Louise also surprised us with some fun games which were a hoot after a few rounds of drinks.

On Saturday our beach picnic was rained off so we had afternoon tea which my maid of honour planned – as I have mentioned in a previous blog, I am a cake fanatic so it really was my heaven!
In the evening we all got glammed up and went to an amazing restaurant overlooking the sea – my mum had arranged for us to hire the private room, which was basically a glass box perched on a cliff, very dramatic and the food was amazing. No hen party is complete without dancing the night away, my bridesmaid Louise arranged for us to go to a club where my all time favourite DJ was playing; I was over the moon!

All in all it was a wonderful send off for me into the world of marriage-hood, spent with the people who mean more to me than anything. My bridesmaids’, friends and family went to so much effort to make sure it really was perfect!

A hen party should be something personal to you, for some more unusual ideas for hen parties, the National Wedding Show has it all – from haunted house experiences with Haunted Happenings http://www.hauntedhappenings.co.uk/ to bridal confidence coaching with an ex supermodel Michele Paradise https://mail.goodresults.co.uk/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.micheleparadise.com/bigday, dance workshops with Dance Experiences https://mail.goodresults.co.uk/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.dancexperiences.co.uk to bespoke millinery courses with luxury hat maker Janie Lawson www.janielawson.com/janielawsonmillc.html

Hitched.co.uk have teamed up with the NWS to give you the chance to win a designer wedding dress plus a cocktail dress for the evening

2010-08-24T05:41:00.000-07:00

Play and win 3 games of pool!

Simply play and win 3 consecutive games of pool against 3 different opponents to be entered into a draw to win.

You could even double your chances by bringing along your husband to be!

Win yourself a Blue by Enzoani designer wedding dress, plus a cocktail dress from the LOVE collection for the evening

or

A £1200 contribution towards an Enzoani collection dress plus a cocktail dress from the LOVE collection for the evening

Additionally, visit the hitched.co.uk stand and register with us to be entitled to a 10% voucher towards an Enzoani wedding dress to be redeemed at participating stockist's. Plus a 10% voucher towards the hitched.co.uk Wedding Shop.

Visit www.hitched.co.uk for further information

Terms and Conditions Apply

Food Glorious Food…

2010-08-09T04:38:00.001-07:00

Our blogging bride Grace continues on her quest to plan the perfect wedding

Steven and I are unashamed to confess that we are real foodies! One of the massive draws of our chosen venue Haberdashers’ Hall was the award winning caterers that accompany it, Chester Boyd. We knew deciding on a menu for our 80 guests was going to be tough, so we ‘roped’ in my Mum and Dad to help us decide so they came along for the day. I hasten to add they didn’t need much persuading!

We spent a wonderful afternoon at Haberdashers’ Hall, we pre chose options for each course to taste – two amuse- bouche, two starters, two main courses and two desserts – all washed down with champagne! Each dish was as delicious as the next and we are still trying to decide between lamb or duck for a main.

With our gorgeous Ivy Ellen http://ivyellenweddinginvitations.co.uk/bespoke invites now in the post, we are eagerly awaiting our guests to RSVP so we make all the final arrangements with the venue and start the all important and much daunting task of the table plan!

Next stop - Bananas about cake

2010-08-04T02:04:00.000-07:00

Next on the list of wedding ‘to-do’s’ was to choose our cake – as a passionate cake baker this has to be something really special! With so many options to choose from cupcakes, dessert cakes, cheesecakes, even Whoopie Pie cakes – my first stop was to ask some National Wedding Show exhibitors for advice – all of whom suggested that we go with what we really like rather than what is in fashion.

We decided pretty early on that we wanted a cake that looked very traditional (in keeping with our venue and theme) but should have a bit of a modern twist. With banana cake being my ultimate favourite and chocolate being Steven’s, we have chosen a layer of each to accompany the traditional fruit. We hope the four tier creation will impress our guests!

If you too are looking for a London based company to fulfil your cake dreams:
You will find stunning bespoke cakes at The Little Cakery http://www.thelittlecakery.co.uk/

For the ultimate cupcake tower The Humming Bird Bakery will impress http://hummingbirdbakery.com/

If traditional isn’t your bag, indulge in the ultimate dessert cake at The English Cheesecake Company http://www.englishcheesecake.com/

Wedding-tastic week! First stop – DRESS!

2010-07-30T03:42:00.000-07:00

Bride to be Grace Dewhurst has had a wedding-tatsic week - managing to fit months of planning into a few days - we salute you!

Wow what a week! We seemed to do more in five days than five months. I started with the first fitting of my wedding dress and got see my beautiful ‘Samantha’ in the ‘flesh’ so to speak. Sassi Holford had certainly worked wonders as the dress did not need any alterations at all, and felt light as a feather despite the multitude of tulle!

Now I just need some suitable accessories to accompany ‘Samantha’ – I have chosen to have a mid length veil with simple satin edging and no blush so a sparkly headpiece would look fabulous.
A National Wedding Show favourite of mine, Juliann Beads http://www.julieannbeads.co.uk/ offer some really gorgeous combs – which are a lovely modern twist on a traditional wedding favourite. You can also order brooches to match which will really suit the drop waist line of the dress. My favourite range is Moonlight, which is a vintage style bridal chic mix of pearl and crystal.

For our first engagement anniversary Steven surprised me with Diamond earrings to match my engagement ring – so I will wear those for the day as my ‘something old’. I am hoping Mum might lend me her diamond necklace as my ‘something borrowed’!

Next stop - sorting out the cake..

Grace xx

Is it a Fashion Show...a Premiere...no it's a Wedding!!

2010-06-10T02:06:00.001-07:00

I remember being at a wedding waiting for the guests to be seated and the bride to arrive and for a minute it felt like I was waiting for a fabulous couture fashion show to begin. There was this quiet chatting amongst the people waiting for the wedding to begin and the energy in the room was full of anticipation, excitement and optimism Although the ‘audience’ was calm, the music was soothing and atmosphere was electric, I knew that was going on ‘backstage’ was controlled chaos. There would have been months of preparation for the fashion show. A considerable amount of money is spent on music, the venue, the clothes, transportation, hair and makeup, shoes, fittings, photographers, videographers and the rest. You’re probably now confused as to which one I’m talking about, the fashion show or the wedding!

As the time nears for the music to start and the bride to walk down the aisle accompanied by her friends and family, the energy in the room intensifies...with the bride and bridal party as well as the audience members. And this is where the similarities end. The supermodels have been trained, have practiced and have done this many times before. They look calm, full of confidence and walk seamlessly down the catwalk as though they are walking down the street. They know where the cameras are even though they don’t acknowledge them. They look comfortable in their own skin and the new and extraordinary clothes they are wearing. Whereas the bride has probably never done this before and may have concerns about how they look, how to walk in the dress with high heels and a veil and not trip, what people think of her, will it be perfect, how will she look in the pictures, do they like her hair, her makeup, her shoes? How will she cope with being the centre of attention as she has never done that before? Questions, emotions, panic!

Relax...you can learn how to be the supermodel of your wedding. Models weren’t born knowing how to glide seamlessly down the catwalk even if they have the wrong size shoes on! You can too. I know this is a new concept but you spend so much time worrying about flowers, invitations, guests, cake, music, venue and many other things but how are you doing? You’ve probably never organised such a large event before and in addition to organising it you are the star of the show! That’s where I come in. I can teach you, quickly, how to feel confident on the inside and reflect that on the outside. How to buy the perfect wedding shoe and walk in it gracefully. How to work with the camera to get the best photos, find your best angle and not end up looking like a meringue, even if you have chosen reportage photos!

If you would like to feel more confident on the inside, look more confident on the outside, walk seamlessly and painlessly in your shoes, learn how to have great posture forever, find your best angles for the camera and thoroughly enjoy your big day, be sure to visit my Bridal Confidence Coaching sessions at the National Wedding Show – or, if you can't wait until then, visit http://www.thebridalcoach.co.uk/ for more information.

Invitation Inspiration!

2010-06-07T07:18:00.000-07:00

We had to apply for a special licence from the Arch Bishop of Canterbury in order to get married at St Bartholomew the Great and just received confirmation today! Yay - so relieved, so the hunt for THE PERFECT invitation is now on. We want something unusual but to tie in with the antique theme of the wedding and my girly side…I have found almost sheer perfection on the Ivy Ellen website http://ivyellenweddinginvitations.co.uk/ and the ‘DIY’ option offered is a great idea to help save some pounds.

When the samples arrived on our doorstep from Ivy Ellen, the decision was instantly made, ‘Butterfly Love’ was heaven itself and with a colour choice of 55 – we can match our theme perfectly. The design even matches my wedding shoes, with butterflies and Swarovski crystal sparkles! We wasted no time in ordering the ‘ready made’ option of Wedding and Evening invitations. Now we just need to finalise the guestlist, easier said then done!

Grace x

Princess for a day!

2010-06-04T02:14:00.000-07:00

Three months (of pretty much constant searching) later, I finally chose and ordered my beautiful Sassi Holford dress, I feel like such a princess in it. I wanted a dress that looked like a modern day version of Grace Kelly’s wedding dress and I found it! Although with its full tulle skirt, I do worry whether I will fit down the aisle. I spotted a fantastic shoe designer at the National Wedding Show last year in Luella’s Boudoir stand, www.luellasboudoir.co.uk her name is Aruna Seth. My shoes, gold leather with Swarovski crystal butterfly embellishments are very extravagant and exactly what I wanted for my big day (if I can resist the urge to wear them before then!).

At the last National Wedding Show, I spotted some stunning bridal designers with a penchant for all things vintage for example Ellie and Charlotte www.ellieandcharlotte.com and Vlasta Collu www.vlastacollu.com both make bespoke gowns with a classic twist, I particularly love the 1950’s style prom dresses in the latest collection - perfect for the bride looking for something a bit different from the norm.

If you want to add some accessories inspired by the bygone era to your special day, look no further than Rachel Simpson Shoes – the vintage styles are stunning http://rachelsimpsonshoes.co.uk/

Grace x

Venue fit for a queen!

2010-06-02T07:12:00.000-07:00

Grace Dewhurst has worked on the PR team for NWS for many seasons and has recently gotten engaged to the lovely Steven. It’s so exciting for one of our own team members to be getting married! Grace has begun her mission to prepare for the big day and is letting us share her journey with her through her blog.

With the UK’s largest consumer wedding show at my finger tips, The National Wedding Show, I thought planning my own wedding would be a doddle. However, with just nine months to plan the perfect ‘City Wedding’, we’ll see how easy it really is…

My fiancé, Steven and I chose our church and venue almost immediately. We both loved The Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great in Smithfield Market, London, for its rich history and spooky interior (so spooky in fact, Steven had nightmares after we visited the Rector!) Also, we are both massive film fans and the church has played a big part in many films including Sherlock Homes, Four Weddings and a Funeral , Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Elizabeth: The Golden Age and The Other Boleyn Girl to name just a few…followed by a reception at Haberdashers Hall, also in Smithfield Market.

We wanted a venue close by to the church and one that complemented the age of it (St Bartholomew the Great is more the 1,000 years old!). Of course, Haberdashers Hall was a perfect choice, modern in design but seeped in history, the hall is just a few second stroll. Although apparently on her last visit, the Queen took a chauffer from St Bartholomew’s to Haberdashers Hall!! Hopefully none of our guests will be feeling so regal.

With the venue sorted, it’s onto the next task on the list – tracking down the dream dress. Wish me luck!

Grace x

If you too are opting for a city chic wedding then why not check out the following National Wedding Show exhibitors:

The Grand Connaught Rooms www.grandconnaughtrooms.com
One Whitehall Place www.thistle.co.uk
Army and Navy Club www.armynavyclub.co.uk

Shoes glorious shoes!

2010-05-14T06:29:00.000-07:00

I’m obsessed with shoes and Chris is obsessed with Whiskey and so we have decided to name half of our tables after Scottish Single Malts and the other half after my favourite shoe designers. Our guests will either sit at Glenmorangie, Laphroaig, Talisker, Ardberg, Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, or Terry de Havilland tables.

Yesterday, I was at the UK Fashion Export Awards and to my delight so was Terry de Havilland. I was so excited to meet the man himself and introduced myself to him. I gushed about how much I loved his shoes and told him I was actually going to name one of my wedding tables after him. He and his wife Liz were so sweet and we chatted for hours. They make bespoke shoes and said they would be able to make me my wedding shoes. I can’t believe it, I’m going to have a one-off pair of shoes made for the most important day of my life by one of my favourite designers. It’s so exciting!! Because my wedding dress is so traditional I’m going to go for really amazing shoes in the colour of my bridesmaid dresses (think Cadbury dairy milk purple) as I think it will add a really interesting twist. They’ll be something I cherish forever and knowing that nobody else in the world has a pair like them will make them all the more special.

There are lots of shoe companies that can create bespoke shoes for your big day and a number of them exhibited at the National Wedding Show. It’s a great way of having something really personal and unlike your dress you’ll be able to wear them time and time again. They are definitely worth investing in.

Luce x

No going back now the dress has been chosen

2010-05-13T04:34:00.000-07:00

I’ve done it. I’ve made the decision. I’ve paid the deposit. I’ve started the diet… The dress has finally been chosen and there is now no going back. I’m still not sure if it’s The One as I just didn’t get that feeling that everyone talks about. Plus, because I work in fashion everyone expects me to go for something really “out there”. I’m actually going for something really traditional which goes against every initial thought I had but I’m lucky enough to have borrowed some amazing dresses for Awards ceremonies including Matthew Williamson, Escada and Vivienne Westwood in the past so I feel like I’ve done that and wanted to wear something that is totally different to anything I have worn before. The dress I’ve chosen is by Maggie Sottero who retails at the National Wedding show. I won’t tell you which one as I’m keeping it a secret from everyone but will promise to post a picture after the day. I’m actually getting married while the National Wedding Show is on in October. It’s such a great place to go for ideas. I went a few weeks after I got engaged and it really helped me to organise myself. If I wasn’t getting married while it is on I’d definitely go again!!

I have less than 5 months to go and have ordered the dress a size smaller than I am now so I definitely have some work to do. I’ve started going to Zumba which is a new exercise craze which is based on Latin/Street/African dancing. I’m not the most coordinated person so I’m hoping that this will help me squeeze into my dress and also help me with the dreaded first dance!!

Luce

xx

Planning a perfect day can seem easy compared to being the perfect bride!

2010-05-12T09:12:00.000-07:00

There is so much to think and worry about on the big W day let alone the idea of being the centre of attention, having hundreds of photos taken, saying your vows in front of all your family and often the dreaded first dance... I am sure many brides out there love the limelight but some wall flowers amongst you may well be dreading certain elements of the big day. Thats why we have introduced a new feature to the Autumn National Wedding Shows focusing on Bridal confidence both ''inside and out''

Former model turned life coach, Michele Paradise will be holding 3 different sessions a day focusing on different needs of the modern bride, she will be teaching you how to exude confidence and remain calm during your ceremony as well as offering practical advice on how to walk in your fabulous wedding shoes, how to achieve the perfect posture and how to work the camera, baby!

Michele’s advice will ensure you look and feel fabulous on your big day and we are very excited to have her on board.

Were always keen to know whats keeping you awake at night - so feel free to comment and let us know, you never know we may have the perfect solution

Location, Location, Location

2010-04-27T10:12:00.000-07:00

I’ve done it! It’s taken over 3 months, scores of venue visits and a few tears but I have finally set a date, secured a church, booked the venue and practically decided on my dress. I was so determined not to become bridezilla that I went the other way and became so laid back that I was complacent. Don’t make the same mistake!!! Thankfully the main elements of the day have been arranged so now I can just enjoy planning all the fun bits. Phew!

My venue* is the totally gorgeous Number One Marylebone, www.onemarylebone.com , voted no.2 in a list of the Top 20 venues in the UK by Event Magazine last year, and I’m thrilled to have managed to get the date I want. So on October 2nd 2010 I will leave the title of Miss Walsh behind and become Mrs Stott (except for work that is, well a girl has to keep some of her identity doesn’t she?).

My day will start at 2pm with a Roman Catholic service at the beautiful Farm Street Church in Mayfair. It’s right next door to Guy Richie’s pub the Punch Bowl so I can guarantee that my groom will be in there for a bit of Dutch courage before he steps foot in the church. I’m sure half of my guests will probably pile in there too on the off chance of seeing a celeb.

Now I have to find a florist who can really make everything come to life so if you have a suggestion for a London based florist I’d be thrilled to hear from you. I am looking into Zita Elze www.zitaelze.com and Mathew Dickenson www.mathewdickinsonflowers.com/ at the moment!

6 months to go and counting, I’m really rather excited!!

Speak soon,

Luce

*If you too are organising a chic city wedding, why not check out The Grand Connaught Rooms www.grandconnaughtrooms.com or even The White House www.whitehouselondon.com

The Personal Touch

2010-04-14T03:40:00.002-07:00

We went to a wedding the other week which was so personal to the couple it really reflected their personalities. They are incredibly funny and the whole day was side splitting including the bride walking down the aisle to Star Wars Death march (incase you don’t know what that sounds like click here) www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bzWSJG93P8 and the tables being named after dead pets!! OK, it’s not to everyone’s liking but what it did show is how important it is to make your wedding about you. It got me thinking about what personal touches Chris and I could do to make our wedding day memorable. Chris is a real whiskey fan and so we’re going to give all the male guests mini bottles of Laphroaig single malt whiskey as wedding favours. They are so cute and come in a little presentation case. For the ladies I’m going to give them little crystal perfume bottles from Lavenders of London which I found at the National Wedding Show www.lavendersoflondon.com/Wedding_Accessories/Favour_ideas/

I absolutely love hot food, the more chilli’s the better, so I’ve found miniature Tabasco bottles that you can have a personalised message on printed on. I’m going have our names and the date of our wedding added and tie them to each napkin with a red ribbon as something for people to remember the day by. I’ve also decided to have chilli’s placed amongst the flowers in my bouquet and in the flowers at the reception which I think will look really great and be totally personal to me.

It’s definitely the little quirky things that I remember from other peoples weddings and I hope that what we’re doing will make people smile.

Let me know if you’re doing anything that you haven’t seen before or if you’ve been to a wedding that had a really great point of difference.

Luce x

Maids with a difference

2010-04-14T03:40:00.001-07:00

I have managed to find some fab 1950’s style bridesmaid dresses for my bridesmaids. I am having 3 adult maids and want their dresses to look like different variations along a similar theme. I have decided to go for prom style dresses in a really rich red with huge petticoats of the same colour. My 3 maids will each have a different neckline meaning they can personalise their dress and wear the shape that suits them best. I’m now worried that they might look better than I do walking down the aisle so I really need to up my game and find the perfect wedding dress.

Luce xx

What would you like to see at the October shows?

2010-03-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

The National Wedding Show team are beavering away planning the October shows. Having taken on board all post-show research from the Spring shows we are looking at new and exciting ways to enhance your experience. The team have lots of meetings planned over the next coming weeks to confirm new features for the Autumn shows, we want to make sure the shows are offering you everything you need to plan your big day, so please let us know if you think were missing anything.

Let us know what you would like to see at the show by posting a comment and we will see what we can do...

Tickets for the October shows taking place from the 1-3rd October 2010 at London Earls Court and the 8-10th October at Birmingham NEC will be on sale shortly!

Kate was wowed by the exhibitor offering at the London show

2010-02-25T04:32:00.000-08:00

I think my feet have finally forgiven the high heels and recovered from a busy weekend at London's National Wedding Show.

It was a fabulous three days and made me even more excited about this exciting industry. Fourteen years ago when I first started out as a journalist, there were a few innovative companies in the UK bridal industry. But, I still found myself flicking through US magazines for inspiration when it came to wedding cakes and flowers. Today I'm constantly 'wowed' by the creative talents of people in this country, and so many of them were exhibiting at the National Wedding Show.

It was wonderful to spend some time with Eric Lanlard of Savoir Design whose cake designs I am in awe of. And, florists including Mathew Dickinson and Mary-Jane Vaughan created hugely impressive arrangements around the show.

Looking at the exhibitor list for next weekend's show at Birmingham's NEC, I know there are many more treats in store for all those lucky brides... and I can't wait. Do come and see our Inspiration Sessions where we'll be chatting about everything from cakes and flowers to planning and budgeting - I'm very much looking forward to meeting you!

Find your dream dress, perfect venue, inspirational flowers and more at The National Wedding Show

2010-02-24T06:22:00.000-08:00

The National Wedding Show last week at Olympia was amazing. I came away with loads of inspiration, a camera full of ideas, a fab goodie bag and professionally inserted false eyelashes!

There were so many suppliers there who were all really friendly and helpful, I think I must have spoken to each and every one of them including florists, wedding dress companies, stationers, and reception venues. The Show was really busy so if you're going to the Birmingham one I suggest getting in there early and definitely wear comfy shoes and it's a big show with lots to get around. I had a VIP pass which meant that I received a glass of bubbly in the VIP bar which set me off nicely and a goodie bag which I suggest you collect at the end so you don't need to carry it round all day (it's packed full of goodies so is quite heavy). I did a quick once round to get my bearings and then sat and watched a really fantastic fashion show. There were so many beautiful dresses in scores of different styles that there is without doubt something for everyone. I've totally decided that I want to have my three bridesmaids in fifties prom dresses, Candy Anthony http://www.candyanthony.com/ and Fur Coat No Knickers http://www.furcoatnoknickers.co.uk/ had the most sublime dresses. Look out for the gorgeous yellow bridesmaid dress on the catwalk which has a huge full yellow petticoat skirt. They're not cheap but they will look totally gorgeous as they proceed you down the aisle. After the catwalk was an inspirational session about flowers which was really useful. They said that you shouldn't have big displays that stop your guests from talking across the table as they will just end up on the floor. Good advice indeed! While I'm talking about flowers the displays on show were totally divine and the florists really created wow pieces. Ask if you can take pictures to give inspiration for your florist. They all said yes when I asked.
Brides magazine had the most exquisite tent which they shared with Shu uemura make-up, it was a little oasis of calm and I had gorgeous lash inserts and a delicious cupcake while flipping though their glossy mag. The editorial team are one hand to offer advice and calm brides down. There were a few who looked a bit panicked when they entered but after a quick chat and a visit to the lash bar they left looking wide eyed and calm. I'm going to book a make-up artist from Shu uemura for my wedding day as I know my hands will be shaking on the day and applying liquid eyeliner would be a disaster.

Wedding photography was one area where I was totally in the dark. There are numerous photography stands and many were offering a show discount which was up to as much as 30%. My favourite ones were the ones which created a story book of your day and followed you from when you were getting ready to the first dance. They really captured the mood of the day. Take time to look through some of their books and talk to them about how they go about capturing those fleeting moments. My favourite one was Andre Dugas http://www.adugasphoto.com/ who was the photographer for Leah Woods, well if it's good enough for the Rolling Stones it's good enough for me. They are offering a 30% discount and were soooo nice so definitely go and see him.

Lots of the stands have competitions and I entered every one going, well somebody has to win don't they. My fingers are crossed but I'm not holding my breath.

Finally, food...The best place for food is without doubt the Champagne Bar which serves huge plates of smoked salmon and salad. At £9.50 they might look expensive but they are so big you could definitely share one with a friend and still not be able to finish. And of course you should wash it down with a glass of bubbly, well you do have something to celebrate after all!

Chic London Pad or Rural Country Manor? Lucy shares her venue dilemmas

2010-02-11T09:19:00.000-08:00

I've been engaged for one month and 8 days. The total bliss I initially felt has been replaced with a mild sense of panic. Does anyone else feel like this?

This started when we began our search for a venue for our reception. It is soooo stressful. We have 140 guests (so far...) which means finding somewhere to seat that many people is difficult to say the least. We scoured venue websites like http://www.hitched.co.uk/ and http://www.weddingvenues.com/ which were really useful and found some that we thought looked good. However when we went to view them they were really awful. Why do venues put up pictures that don't look anything like they do in real life? It's like going on a date with somebody you met online only to find out they are 2ft shorter and 10 years older than you were led to believe. You're bound for disappointment!

I was starting to feel really despondent when we went to see the Criterion on Picadilly Circus http://www.criterionrestaurant.com/. WOW!!! It's totally gorgeous. It's a Grade II listed building and the architecture is stunning. Everything seems to sparkle thanks to glittering gold tiles on the walls and ceiling. Although I really loved it and thoroughly enjoyed a delicious cocktail there I don't think it's right for our wedding as it's so central it would be a nightmare for people to park but I would definitely recommend going for a cheeky cocktail. Why not go after you've been to the National Wedding Show?

It's so hard to know what kind of venue we want as we don't have any ties to anywhere other than London. Do we go to the country (if so where?) and hire a castle, a stately home, a marquee or a barn or stay closer to home and have a chic London celebration in a great restaurant? If anyone has any suggestions for good venues I'm all ears. The only thing I know for sure is that I don't want any kids at my wedding. This seems to really divide people. I've been to too many weddings where you can't hear the vows due to some noisy brat screaming while their parents coo over them. What is the polite way to announce this to friends and family?

I have a few more venue visits booked in and I am going to talk to more at the National Wedding Show this Friday, so I'll let you know how they go but if we're planning on getting hitched in September I need to get a wiggle on. I can feel that panic rising!!

Luce x

Get ready for some inspiration from Kate Smallwood at the UK's biggest wedding show

2010-02-10T08:13:00.000-08:00

This time next week I'll be packing my bags and getting ready to head to the big smoke for the spring National Wedding Show. We have an exciting fortnight ahead and, as always, I can't wait to meet some excited brides (and hopefully a few grooms) to chat about all things wedding. If you're in the midst of planning, come and see some of our Inspiration Sessions. I'll be on the main stage with some fabulous florists chatting about how to choose your bouquet and your reception flowers. I'll also be talking to celebrity cake designer Eric Lanlard, and spending a few minutes every day helping you with that all-important budget.

When we're not on stage, we'll be at the Inspiration Lounge - a great new feature at the London show giving me the opportunity to meet as many of you as possible and help with any wedding questions you might have. Once again, I'll be joined by some talented florists and cake designer May Clee-Cadman from Maisie Fantaisie. I can't wait - in fact I'm rather envious of all of you having a wedding to plan. It's one of the most exciting times of your life and I hope you enjoy every second!

Welcome to our new show blog!

2010-01-28T06:46:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the National Wedding Show Blog, we have introduced the blog for visitors like you to let us know how your wedding plans are going and to share your tips and advice on planning the biggest day of your life!

Real life bride-to-be Lucy Walsh, Commercial Director of Drapers Magazine, will be keeping us updated, as she plans the biggest day of her life! From choosing the all important dress, right through to the venue, flowers and honeymoon, Lucy will share her thoughts, experiences and indeed top tips she receives along the way. At the forefront of the fashion industry, Lucy is sure to create a wedding that is both on-trend and yet unique. Check out her blog for regular updates on how her planning is coming along! Feel free to post a comment and share your experiences too.

HOORAY I'M ENGAGED!!!

We got engaged on 2nd Jan. It was meant to be Christmas morning but Christophe, my fiancé (a term I'm still getting used to) was struck down with swine flu on Christmas Eve, 20 minutes after he bought my beautiful Tiffany ring. I don't know if it was the shock of spending a small fortune or the realisation that he was actually going to ask me after nearly 7 years but it meant that he spent the next week in bed pondering if he was making the right decision, luckily he thought he was.

I've found "The One" now I need to find the "Other One" by which I mean the most important part of any girls big day...the dress! I tried on my first wedding dress on Saturday, I thought it would be scary but it was actually really good fun. I went to the Bridal House http://www.the-bridal-house.co.uk/ near Aylesbury with my whole family in tow, mum, two sisters (Ainé and Tara) who will be my bridesmaids and my brother (Alan) who is giving me away. I had an hour appointment and was looked after by a lovely girl called Jenny who gave us all a glass of Bucks Fizz and asked what I had in mind. As I didn't have a clear picture of what I wanted Jenny helped me pull out about 15 dresses all of different styles and helped me try them on. What I thought I'd love (simple, understated, chic) I ended up finding boring and what I thought I wouldn't be seen dead in (strapless, bejewelled, meringue) were the ones that I gravitated towards. Apparently that is a common phenomenon, I feel like such a cliché. Putting the veil on was the weirdest thing, I suddenly looked like a bride and started to shake a bit. It was a bit of a shock as it suddenly felt so real. My two favourite dresses were both by Benjamin Roberts http://www.benjaminroberts.co.uk/ but I am not ready to commit to "The One" just yet. I feel like I'll know when I try it on, like it will somehow communicate with me that it is "The One" and that there wont be any doubt in my mind when it happens. So the search is still on, I'm going to go to the National Wedding Show at Olympia and already have my VIP tickets. I can't wait for the Catwalk and the Designer Area as I know I’ll get loads of ideas there.

I was given these top tips for trying on dresses and really recommend them all:
Do your hair and make-up. It's amazing how much difference it can make.
Bring a pair of high heels with you as they change your posture and how you look and feel.
Go with somebody whose opinion you trust but don't be swayed if they're too opinionated (like my sisters were)
Be aware of your budget and don't try on a dress if you can't afford to buy it because if you love it every other dress will fall short.
Try on styles that you wouldn’t normally go for as you may just end up in the total opposite of what you thought.

I am going to be blogging right up to the big day (not quite finalised yet) about all my wedding plans, joys, trials and tribulations so keep following me here.