Category: Weddings

Family · Weddings

What to Wear to a Summer Wedding in 2019

JayneLeave a comment

Traditionally speaking, there have always been ‘rules’ about what you can and can’t wear to a wedding. However, as things move on, people are becoming more and more relaxed about wedding guest attire and it sometimes feels as though the rules have changed completely. With that in mind, we thought we’d take a look at five rules which have changed over the years to help you plan your summer wedding outfit for 2019.

White is Okay…SOMETIMES!

In the last few years, I’ve noticed a massive change in attitude towards wedding guests wearing white. In the past, it would have been a MASSIVE no-no to turn up to a wedding dressed in white, but it’s becoming far more common. My one piece of advice if you’ve found a white dress you like is to run it past the bride first, to see if she minds and brace yourself for a no with a back-up plan outfit. Radley have handbags in a whole range of colours which would be an amazing accompaniment for any wedding outfit.

Men Don’t Always Need a Full Suit

If you’re going to only the evening portion of a summer wedding, it’s perfectly acceptable to wear a shirt and trousers but no jacket, and many male summer wedding guests will even forego the tie, in favour of an open neck. If you’re unsure, check the dress code with the bride and groom.

Think About Your Feet

If you’re a guest for the whole day, you’re going to be spending a LOT of time on your feet, so thinking about your shoes is essential. If you’re the sort of person who can wear skyscraper heels all day long, you’re good to go, however if you’re not massively comfortable in heels, look at different options such as wedges or kitten heels. Even flats are pretty acceptable these days!

Black is Back

As with white being a bit of a no-no, black was also considered taboo to wear to weddings, perhaps because of the funereal connection. However, these days, people wear black to weddings quite often. It’s still best not to wear ONLY black, but breaking it up with coloured pattern makes it perfectly suitable.

Not Too Much Flesh

One rule which hasn’t changed too much is that wedding outfits should be a little bit demure. Dresses which are very low cut or very short will probably make you stand out like a sore thumb – think about showing either legs OR cleavage, but definitely not both!

Have you got any great tips for choosing a wedding outfit? Please leave me a comment below.

Weddings

Ideas to make weddings more kid-friendly and fun

Jayne2 Comments

Kid-friendly weddingsMany couples prefer adult-only weddings and receptions, but many feel the need to include all the children in their lives and families. This is especially noticeable in the case of couples getting remarried. If you’re planning a black-tie function, then children probably won’t be invited, but if not, then most families have kids of all ages where weddings tend to become boring for the children present. Most couples getting married are very attached to their nieces, nephews, cousins, or even their own children. If this is the case with you and your partner, then it is usually a good idea to be prepared with a few kid-friendly provisions.

Katie from Orla James attended a wedding recently where almost all the invitations were sent out to couples with children. The wedding was planned around kid-friendly ideas that made it a fun event for the adults and children attending and many of the adults actively took part in playing with the children! This made the entire wedding a very loving, family-oriented event with the couple being blessed by adults and children alike.

Let us look at a few ideas to make weddings more kid-friendly.

Kids Meals:

There is nothing more important than ensuring there are kid-friendly meals available. Speak to your wedding caterer in advance and look at several finger food and dining options for kids. Avoid spicy foods and foods that can be messy to eat. With kids present, the idea is to have simple, yet tasty food. Have ample cheese platters, fruit platters, chicken fingers, and French fries. In drinks, opt for fresh juices, smoothies, chocolate shakes, and non-alcoholic drinks with funny names to make it more enjoyable. Avoid foods and drinks that might have an allergic reaction, and avoid keeping seafood on the kid’s menu.

 Have some activities planned:

Have an activity station or area cordoned off for kids so that they can remain occupied throughout the reception. If your event planner has some kid-friendly ideas for activities, incorporate those too. Keep an ample stock of non-toxic crayons, coloring books, story tales, and organized games like hopscotch and group games. You can also have a Lego station to keep kids occupied in a fun manner.

One couple also had a wedding themed coloring book made with outlines of their special dates for kids to color. You could also set up a ‘Kids Only’ tent with an attendant to ensure they are well taken care of. If possible, hire an entertainer and sitter to keep the kids busy throughout the ceremony and reception. This will help parents also enjoy the wedding without having to constantly look after the children.

 Give kids useful wedding favors:

Planning wedding favors for kids is always an impossible task. Most kids love getting gifts. Tie the wedding favors with little bows in colorful wrapping paper to make them look extra special. You can pot for little treats of marshmallows and gummy bears as wedding favors. If you want to avoid treats, opt for small board games, coloring books, non-toxic crayons, school bags, lunchboxes, craft kits, and so on.

 Set up special seating for kids:

Kids find it difficult to sit on chairs meant for adults. You could organize mini bean bags, small chairs, and tables. Speak to your wedding organizer about décor and seating arrangements for children. Many times, these services are also offered apart from regular table décor and decorations and seating arrangements. You could also include placemats with little puzzles to solve as table décor for children. Small word search puzzles, join-the-dots, and color by numbers, or mini quizzes are always great entertainment and fun for kids while being seated.

 Get the kids involved in your wedding:

Let kids know that they will be welcome on the dance floor during the reception and should let the DJ or band playing know what music they would also like to dance to. If you are aware of this in advance, you could include some kid-friendly songs in your music selection. You could also give them disposable cameras and tell them to take lots of pictures at the wedding so that you can add the best ones in the wedding album. Let the children also know that you will send them these photos later.

Whatever you decide for children’s entertainment at your wedding, make sure to budget for it in advance so that it does not seem like an additional cost. Making your wedding child-friendly is a wonderful way to include all your loved ones in your special day!

Weddings

Craft Wedding: Add A Personal Touch To Your Day

JayneLeave a comment

Instead of spending unnecessary amounts of money on decorations, guest books, and favours, get out the craft box and make them yourself. It will add several personal touches to your wedding, and you can make an afternoon of it by getting your wedding party to help you. Here are some ways you can save a few pennies and still keep your day special.

Paper bouquets

Fresh flowers won’t keep for long, but paper flowers seem so stiff and impersonal. The solution is to have something meaningful printed on the bouquet to make them special to you. If you don’t like the idea of ripping pages out of your favourite book, then type your favourite poems, paragraphs, or speeches and then print them out on coloured paper of your choice. Your bridesmaids can have their favourite passages printed on their bouquets, so they know which one belongs to them when the big day comes along.

Image Source

Wedding invitations

You’ve already had the great idea to create your own wedding invitations, but how exactly will you make them unique to you and your partner? You could print the lyrics to the song that will play on your first dance, or make it a short booklet detailing the story of your relationship. If your wedding has a specific theme, then continue it on your invitations. If your budget allows and you’re planning on delivering your invitations in person, then why not combine it with a box of chocolates?

Image Source

Photographs

You will want to remember your wedding for the rest of your life. Everyone has a camera on their phone these days, and they will all be posted on social media, so it seems like a bit of a waste to pay for a professional photographer. That said, you do want to have some official photographs of the day that you can print out and frame. You could hire a professional camera just for the day – or maybe a few days so you know how it works and so you have time to get the film developed after the wedding. All your guests can take turns posing for photos, maybe in a designated area or against a backdrop, and you will have wonderful memories of your friends and family having fun on your big day.

Decorations

No matter what your theme is, you can usually find a way to add a personal touch to your decorations. If you have a travel theme because you and your partner have gone abroad a lot, ask if people kept the postcards and souvenirs you sent them so they can be used as centerpieces. If your ceremony is taking place outdoors, use elements from the site to decorate the dining tables or the cake table. Ask any older relatives if they have any photographs from their weddings and use those to decorate your venue somehow. It will combine your family history with your partner’s and suggest how the two families are coming together.

Image Source

Weddings

Maid of Honor Duties: What You Should Do on the Morning of the Wedding

JayneLeave a comment

WeddingOn the morning of the wedding, the maid (or matron) of honor has certain duties to fulfill to help the bride’s preparations run smoothly and make sure things go off without a hitch. Here’s a rundown of some key things the bride’s right hand girl is responsible for before the wedding.

Keep everything running smoothly: Being chosen as a maid of honor is a true mark of trust and friendship. You’ve been helping the bride plan this day for the past twelve months. Now it’s her time to sit back and relax, while you keep everyone on track. You should have a copy of the timeline so you know exactly what’s scheduled and when, including hair and make-up appointments. It’s your job to keep things flowing so the bride is ready in time for the ceremony.

Deliver any reception items: Drop off any last minute things that need to go to the reception venue, such as champagne flutes, candles or the guest book. You should do this as early on in the morning as possible, so you can be back with the bride as quickly as you can.

Arrange breakfast for the bride: On the morning of her wedding, the bride is bound to be excited and nervous. Breakfast is probably the last thing on her mind, so it’s up to you to make sure she eats. The wedding day has to begin with a healthy meal, so the bride can sustain herself throughout the ceremony and the reception.

Help the bride get dressed: It’s no small undertaking to get a nervous bride into the most expensive dress she’ll probably ever wear. Make sure everything is laid out beforehand so you’re not rushing around trying to find a missing earring or a spare stocking. You should also be prepared to help the bride into and out of the bathroom in the period before the wedding.

Be the go-to girl: While your best friend is busy making herself gorgeous for the big event, she’ll need your help fetching and carrying things for her. You’ll probably have to answer her phone and be available at all times to sooth her nerves. While you’re juggling all this, you might want to check that the bridesmaids are getting into their used bridesmaid dresses on time.

Keep the groom’s ring safe: Whatever you do, do not let the groom’s wedding band out of your sight. Guard it with your life.

Make sure the bridal suite is perfect: You should have time to do this later in the day, once the bridesmaids have finished getting ready. Make sure they haven’t left any belongings in there and that everything is spick and span. The bride and groom should not have to return to a messy room when their reception is over.

As a maid of honor, it’s your job to make the wedding morning run as smoothly as possible, keep the bride calm and act as a gateway to people who are stressing her out. Most of all enjoy helping your BFF have an awesome wedding day.

Maisie Stephens shares her wedding knowledge online with her informative and very useful articles aimed at all members of the wedding party.

Weddings

Planning A Beautiful Wedding On A Budget: It Is Possible!

Jayne1 Comment

Money, or a lack of money, is one of the biggest hurdles you face when planning a wedding. The latest statistics suggest that the average UK wedding now costs more than £21,000. Now, most of us don’t have that kind of cash lying around. The good news is that you don’t have to cut corners or miss out if you want the day of your dreams. With these helpful hacks, you’ll get the day you deserve without breaking the bank.

Image courtesy of https://pixabay.com/en/photos/wedding%20rings/

Budgeting tips for engaged couples

When you get engaged, you’re probably incredibly excited about the entire wedding planning process. Before you know it, you’ve written a guest list, decide what colour theme you want, and chosen your first dance song. It’s easy to get carried away in the romance of the situation, but try and be methodical. It’s best to set a budget before you start booking anything.

When you’re budgeting, work out how much you have available to spend on the wedding in total. Put together any savings you want to allocate, plus other sources, such as help from your parents. Once you’ve got a total in mind, you can work out how much you want to spend on what. Do some research, so you’ve got a rough idea of the kinds of costs you can expect. When you’re ready, start ticking off your biggest costs, for example, the venue and catering.

As you book, pay deposits, or clear bills in full, update your planner or spreadsheet. Keep a record of invoices, so you know where you are financially, and how much more you’ve got to pay.

Image source: https://www.pexels.com/search/planner/

Making savings

There are so many ways you can make savings when you’re planning a wedding. On the surface, anything connected to a wedding day appears to be more expensive than normal. But if you shop around, you’re bound to find better deals. Take bridesmaid dresses, for example. If you go to a bridal boutique, you’re likely to pay in excess of £100 per dress. If you shop for formal dresses on the high street, you can pick up beautiful styles for a fraction of the price. You can also compare prices on suit hire, transport, and rings. You’ll often find that the prices of very similar rings vary hugely according to the jeweller you visit. If you’re looking for Russian wedding rings, for example, visit a few different stores, try some styles, and search online.  You can then compare styles based on the thickness of the band and the carat value.

You can also make huge savings by embracing DIY. Get crafty, and you won’t need to worry about forking out for favours, place cards or table plans. You can also make the most of your family’s talents to help out with tasks like baking cakes, arranging flowers and doing hair and makeup.

Image by https://pixabay.com/en/photos/invitation/

Are you hoping to plan a beautiful wedding without going bankrupt? Weddings aren’t cheap, but there are ways of making them more affordable. Set a budget, and keep a tight handle on spending. Look at ways you could save, such as making your own favours and doing your own decorations. It also pays to shop around and compare prices and styles before you buy. Good luck!