Brides and their Hen Night
Brides are sometimes a little confused as to what to do on their hen night and usually end’s in a group of women following their own agenda.
This does not need to happen, have the perfect hen night and do exactly what you want to do, whether that is having a spa weekend or a night on the tiles. The choice is yours.
The secrecy that does surround a hen night does usually mean that you the bride has very little input into the planning, but there is nothing wrong in you putting forward your ideas. Just say what you want! It is normal tradition that the maid of honour has full responsibility of organising the hen do. They do may be feeling the pressure of what to organise and would welcome any suggestions from you. It is important that you still make the maid of honour feel in control of all decisions and not to take over.
Maybe put a poll together, so all the guests can have a vote as to what they would like to do on your hen do. This would make it easier is seeing what the general consensus is. There are many sites online that will help you in putting a poll together.
If you would prefer put a list of questions together. Some examples are given below to give you an idea as to what kind of questions to include. Also include things that you would most definitely not want to see, such as a stripper as old as your dad.
Question suggestions for your poll:
- I prefer a night without alcohol. Yes/ No
- Public bars are out of these world choices. Yes/ No
- Beauty spa for a day? Now you are talking! Yes / No
- Loud music and lots of dancing please. Yes / No
- Fun outfits with a theme are just great. Yes / No
- Public transport means we can have a party without fear. Yes / No
- Gifts should be cash towards my honeymoon. Yes / No
- Invite the boys along? Yes / No
- My co workers are not my friends. Yes / No
- Tea and cake with loads of roses and style. Yes / No
The idea of a poll is that it is fun and is a useful way to discover what people like or do not like and most importantly what they are expecting from a hen do.
However there are a few things this list should not be used for:
- This is not a list to be taken too serious as it can take away the spontaneity of planning the hen do.
- Do not sound like you are being bossy – this should be kept light hearted and more importantly kept fun
- This should not be used to analyse every single questions and see how they differ from each other. Everyone is not expected to come up with the same answers. That is the whole reason for the poll.
Enjoy your hen night….
An Insider’s Guide to Hair and Beauty
You may not have done too brilliantly at Science when you were at school but that does not mean that Science is going to ruin your special wedding day.
Mr. Gravity is the biggest enemy when it comes to planning what to do with your hair on your wedding day as gravity is not something you can avoid as it affects every one of us. Always think about gravity when you start to think about your makeup and your hair for the big day.
Mr. Gravity will pull everything downwards and for some reason this guy has developed a thing for wanting to misplace the hair of brides when so much effort has been put into styling it. For many brides the hours spent in a hair salon building a bun and protected with lots of hairspray to find two to three minutes later you find yourself staring at a bottomless bun as you step into the cool air. Don’t let this happen to you. Let us help you.
There is a way in which you can fight back and challenge this guy. The answer will hopefully be common sense once you know the basics. The first thing and probably the most important is to know your hair type. Is it wavy? Straight? Permed?
Hair that is fine and straight will alert Mr. Gravity and his friends that you have tried to add some curls to your super straight hair and within an hour your hair could be as straight as it was as the curls start loosening and falling to the floor. It does not matter how much product you add, the process would still continue.
The best thing to do is stay with your natural look and add a colour and a few hair accessories to achieve the perfect look. At least then there is no need to worry about losing your curls.
On the other hand, if you have a friend with curly hair and they are trying to achieve super straight hair, spare a though for them because as soon as the hair gets a bit of water in it or a bit of dampness gone is the straight and say hello to the frizz. Once again no product can stop this from happening. Once again a cut and colour is the best way to try a different look.
Ok if you were to cake your hair in hair spray so that once strand cannot move, then the look most definitely won’t change. But as a groom would he really like trying to run his hands through your hair. The truth is no. It may look fantastic in the picture but try removing it the next day. Now that is a mission.
It can be quite easy to spot the bride returning from her honeymoon that has had her hair over styled because it is usually in a very bad condition and dried out.
So know what you hair type is and stay natural.
Advantage and Disadvantages of Getting Married Abroad
There are many reasons why couples choose to get married abroad, couples are seeing the benefits are jetting away to somewhere exotic as it is becoming more and more popular.
There are so many destinations, the most popular places include Amalfi Coast in Italy, Las Vegas, Cyprus and Southern areas of France.
It is important to evaluate both the advantages and disadvantages as it is not a decision to be made lightly as getting married abroad is not for everyone as it is a very personal decision to be made.
The advantages and disadvantages as detailed below come from real life couples and their experiences in planning a wedding over foreign skies:
Advantages of getting married abroad
- The choices available are endless, there are so many beautiful destinations to choose from
- Excellent photo opportunities with superb scenery
- A wedding abroad as surprising as it seems can be much cheaper than a wedding planned closer to home
- The planning involved is much easier as wedding planners do the majority of the planning
- Offers uniqueness
- Able to enjoy a holiday with the wedding party allowing them to be a bigger part of the wedding and enjoy the preparations leading up to the wedding as well as enjoying time spent afterwards. Instead of having a large number of people that the couple hardly knows only close friends and family usually travel abroad.
- Being with friends and family ensure the wedding is a relaxed affair and a enjoyable time not just for the wedding couple as everyone enjoys a holiday in the sun.
Disadvantages of getting married abroad
- It may mean that not everyone can attend the wedding for several reasons. One of the reasons being elderly relatives cannot travel the distance although they want to attend and may feel disheartened.
- It can cost the guests significant amounts to attend the wedding. Instead of just buying a wedding present they also need to pay for the cost to travel to the wedding including flights and accommodation
- It is very likely that a wedding planner will have to be used. This is because couples do not have access to local suppliers and often language is a barrier. It is not easy to arrange things for your wedding when you are not in the same country
- It can be difficult to move items such as wedding dress and wedding cakes on a plane. Extra costs may be incurred
- When using foreign suppliers you may not get exactly what you want. Bouquets are usually ordered by looking at pictures and can end up not getting exactly what you wanted on the wedding day which is too late to change your mind.
Getting married abroad has a mix of advantages and disadvantages and these need to be taken into consideration when thinking about getting married abroad and whether it works for the couple and the families involved. One thing is guaranteed gorgeous scenery and hopefully hot weather.
Leave the L Plates, where they should be, on the car!
A hen party in the 21st century have changed significant and not what they used to be. The purpose of a hen do used to be running around your local town draped in L Plates, fashing veils, sashes and not forgetting fancy dress. It was not a night to remember unless complete humiliation was mapped out. Time has certainly changed.
There modern bride is tiring of this scene and are looking for a classier affair.
Let’s not deny, what girl does not enjoy having a girly night with a few cocktails? Ladies are looking to remove themselves from the traditional cliché. Standards have rocketed, and a party less than fabulous is not good enough.
Forget knocking back the tequila. Brides-to-be and their friends expect chauffeurs, caviar pedicures and pink champagne.
If you have been given the daunting task of organising your best friend’s hen party, you may be feeling under immense pressure to organise a party she is going to enjoy. Entertaining a dozen or so ladies with different tastes can send waves of fear down your spine.
Add an inventitive twist to the hen party and do something completely different and enjoy this hen party craze, the perfume making box set. Stylish hen parties can still have fun.
Diamonds may well be a girl’s best friend, which we are not going to argue with but a close second is perfume. So if you are your (non-scented) best friends want an indulgent hen party, the perfume box is the answer.
Bringing a DIY twist to a wedding party is growing and vast becoming a trend that is set to stay for a long time. Create-your-own hen parties enables you to share sophistication with your friends while having a good giggle as you master different smells.
If it is good enough for celebrities, then why not have a go yourself. Perfume boxes offer a fantastic way to enable you to create your own perfume in your own surroundings. Together you can make a desirable small that you could even wear on the wedding day.
All brides-to-be want a slice of the glamour and this can turn a hen do into something really special. This offers something completely different than hitting the town on a Saturday night and waking up with a big hangover.
There are lots of providers of perfume parties, but they are typically priced at £30 per person. This is a fantastic price considering what you are receiving. At the end of the night present the perfume to the bride, if you are the host. Even your nan would be happy to attend this girlie night out.
So anyone that loves a bit of creativity and pampering, this is a favourite hen party option and not a L-Plate to be seen.
Valentines Wedding
In recent years, many couples have taken their vows on the most romantic day of the year, Valentines Day. The 14th February is such a special and loving day, filled with red hearts, roses and romantic gestures. Why would you not want to get married on this day?
The meaning of weddings include love, friendship, soul mates and unity which are the exact same words used to describe Valentines Day.
Valentine’s Day weddings are becoming more and more popular as more and more couples are seeing the advantages of getting married on this day that is filled with love.
A Valentines Day wedding offers a great theme; there are plenty of ideas available to accommodate your theme. Wedding favours, invitations and table decorations would be gorgeous in red. Remember to set a budget and make a list of all the items you are going to need.
Some ideas have been given below on how to get that perfect Valentines Day wedding:
Flowers
Imagine white, pink and you could not forget the colour red. Having white flowers is a representation of purity. Choosing pink flowers represents passion and having red flowers symbolises everlasting love. By putting all these colours together you have a recipe that gives a lovely message to your guests.
Flowers that could be considered to use as bouquets include roses, carnations and add a touch of class with white lilies.
Decorations
You want a themed wedding but you do not want to go over the top, with the theme looking over commercialised like a card shop. It is best to be subtle in order to capture the elegance and sophistication required. A great idea for a centrepiece would be large frosted bowls that are filled to the brim with water with floating candles and rose petals. Add a touch of colour to your tables with silk red cloth. Not all the tables need to be covered in red you could just choose to have the table holding the presents to add simple touches. Another idea is to have a large fish bowl with fish in. Although this may not sound romantic, fish are very relaxing.
Favors
Treat your guests to chocolate shaped hearts, sugar cookies or a small cd of love songs for them to remember sharing your special day with you. Many couples choose to use love heart sweets that are personalised with little messages on each one.
As seen a Valentines Wedding does not need to be tasteless and over the top. There are a lot of ideas available and small touches that can be done to achieve an elegant and sophisticated wedding theme.
Contact your local haberdasheries for fabric ideas; it can also be a lot of fun making different things for your wedding. That personal touch can go a long way. Even get your wedding party involved. Spend an evening with the bridesmaids making wedding favors. This will make them feel a part of your wedding planning and can make an enjoyable evening to have.
What Type Of Wedding Jewellery Should You Wear?
Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life and you want to make sure that everything is perfect. That includes your wedding jewellery. Wedding jewellery includes anything from your engagement ring to the tiara holding your veil. Everything is important. Bracelets, anklets, chokers, necklaces and earrings should all be considered carefully when you are choosing your wedding jewellery. Not only will it help you look your best, it will be captured in your wedding photos forever.
Your wedding band is the most important jewellery you will be wearing during your entire marriage. When you go to choose the rings you will be exchanging, you and your new partner should consider rings that suit your personality as well as your lifestyle. You may decide to get bands that match your engagement ring or go with three different rings all together based on your own tastes. You can also decide whether or not to have the inside of the bands engraved.
Once you have decided on the rings, you need to consider the rest of the jewellery you want to wear. If you are wearing white, you may want to look into using jewellery that includes diamonds, crystals, or other clear stones. They will catch the light around you and sparkle. It also works well with a tiara that has diamonds or crystals, giving it a nice uniform look.
Pearls are also another option when it comes to wearing white or even colours for your wedding. They are elegant and go with everything. You can easily match up a pair of pearl earrings to go with a single or multiple strings of pearls. If you have pearls decorating your wedding gown, you may wish to go with something different for your jewellery. You don’t want to overdo the pearls and take away from your dress or yourself.
Don’t rule out wearing jewellery that is coloured or even black, such as Marcasite. These pieces are just as elegant as diamonds and pearls. They are also a fun way to express your own personality. If you are following with the wedding tradition of ‘something old, something new’, you may wish to add some jewellery that is blue. Something borrowed could be a piece of jewellery that belonged to a member of your family, such as a pair of vintage earrings or a broach that can be worn at the waist or even as part of your bouquet.
Don’t forget to offer your bridesmaids and other attendants a gift of jewellery that may be worn during your special day. You can coordinate the jewellery with your own or choose pieces that really show their own personality as perceived by you. If your wedding has a theme to it, you can use the jewellery you and your attendants wear to tie everything together. Additionally, if you have elaborate dresses for you and your bridesmaids, consider simply giving them a gift of a simple gold chain with a small charm. It allows them to wear something that gives them an elegant look.
What does your wedding invitation have to say about you?
So you are ready to think about your invitations but remember as you may not believe it these are of great importance as they give the first impressions as to what your wedding is going to be about. Is it formal? casual? colour theme? Therefore the invitations need to get the correct message across to its guests.
What is the point in sending red wedding invitations if you are having a black and white themed wedding. The theme will come as a surprise to your wedding guests and can sometimes leave them clashing with the wedding colours in the clothing they choose to wear.
If your intentions are to create a modern wedding that is sophisticated you do not want to send out invitations with cartoon characters on or jokes as this sends out the wrong impression. Instead you should send a more traditional wedding invitation that is in the shape of a square and is minimalistic. Font used is very important also.
If you want to put across an element of femininity because you are quite girly and want the big dress and diamantes choose wedding invitations that use the colour pink or other pastel colours, as well as including bows.
For those brides that are animal lovers this can be shown quite easily in your invitations. Make your own invitations using thin papers with cut out flowers or leaves pressed into the invitation. Your interests can be expressed by adding a picture of a bird.
For a bride that is environmentally friendly they can use eco-friendly paper that is recycled to create their wedding invitations, as well as having a green themed wedding. The colour green is becoming more and more popular.
There are some brides that would prefer to have everything that is involved in their wedding to be customised, just for them only. This ensures uniqueness and creates one of a kind, including personalised wedding dresses and jewellery. If this is something you would prefer then it is best to have wedding invitations that are personalised and this can be done by creating them yourself or getting a specialist person to design the wedding invitations for you. There are lots of craft shops with lots of ideas to help you create these wedding invitations with ease.
The last type of bride to consider but is by no means least is the traditional bride. If this is you picking your wedding invitations will be very easy. The reason being is because many of the invitations that are in stock are traditional. They are either created with white or ivory paper with a gold border. A very simple but traditional card.
It can be seen once you have decided what kind of wedding you are looking to achieve, picking the wedding invitations is an easy progression. It is not best to work backwards and choose your invitations on what you like and then make everything up around these invitations. You could end up then with quite a messy and a not very clear wedding theme.
Choosing Your Wedding Reception Venue
Probably the second most important place you need to consider when planning your wedding is the venue for the reception. It is important that you choose a place that will not break your budget while still accommodating all of your guests. You need to also determine if you want to hold your wedding reception indoors, outdoors, at a formal hall and so on. Here we will give you some ideas to consider when deciding where to hold your wedding reception.
On Land
There are a wide range of venues on land that you can consider when looking for a place to hold your reception. Consider looking at gardens in the area you live in for a spring and summer wedding reception filled with colour. Additionally, many historical buildings offer banquets halls within that cater to weddings and other large gatherings. The combination of family and friends in an architecturally stunning building will make the day perfect.
On Water
If you live by a large body of water or a river then you may wish to consider having your wedding reception – and maybe even the wedding – on some type of river cruise. There are many party boats available that will cater a wedding and you can enjoy cruising up and down the waterways taking in the sites while having a good time. If you are planning a small, intimate wedding, consider talking to your guests about booking a weekend cruise on a larger ship.
Additionally, there are many restaurants and banquet halls that are built over the water. These venues offer you a unique view of the area, allowing you to enjoy the water without getting seasick. Don’t forget to check out these establishments as potential venue to hold your wedding reception. The pictures will be breathtaking and it will allow you to have unique memories of your special day.
At Home
If you have a beautiful garden at home a marquee tent may be the answer to your wedding reception. You can easily have it catered and many of the marquee companies will provide you with all of the supplies you need. Tables, chairs and even a dance floor are all at your disposal. Some companies will even decorate for you. This allows you to stay close to home and saves money on the wedding reception, money that could be used on other things, such as your honeymoon.
Sit down and consider your budget before deciding on what type of venue to use for your wedding reception. You should do research and compare a wide range of venues before making a final decision. It is also a good idea to have a backup plan in the event the venue that you want to use is booked on the day of your wedding. You may wish to have the reception in a venue by the water with a back-up venue being the marquee tent at home. Start looking at venues as soon as you get engaged so that you can be sure you get the venue you want.
An Emergency Kit for Your Wedding Day
Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life and as such, you want it to go without a problem. Rarely does that happen. For example, there was a father or the bride whose tux pants split and had to be quickly sewn before he could enter the reception. It’s these types of situation we all dread, but with a little forethought on your part, you can handle any wedding emergency.
It’s a good idea to put together an emergency kit for your wedding that can be left with someone attending the wedding in the event an emergency occurs. Here is what we suggest for your emergency kit.
- Tights – someone will put a run in their hose and may need to have a fresh pair. They are also handy in the event someone cuts themselves and needs a quick tourniquet made.
- Black men’s socks – unless you don’t mind your groomsmen wearing some bright socks, you should have a pair handy so that they can change before you walk down the aisle.
- Stain remover – stain sticks are handy to have no matter what and invariably there will be something spilled at the reception.
- Sanitary napkins and tampons – this one is self explanatory but sanitary napkins also make a great bandage in the event someone cuts themselves and are bleeding.
- Aspirin – headaches do occur…with or without alcohol.
- Mints – these help cover the odour of bad breath and just help you feel better.
- Band-aids – these handle the smaller cuts and abrasions.
- Clear nail polish – if you get a runner in your pantyhose that isn’t visible, clear nail polish can be used to stop it from getting worse. Also, clear nail polish is great if you crack a nail and need to quickly salvage it before it tears off.
- Safety pins – these are handy for a quick fix that doesn’t require needle and thread
- Needle and thread – as mentioned above, the needle and thread may be needed to sew split seams and ripped hems.
- Antacid – stress can upset anyone’s stomach. Antacid will help calm the stomach so that the day can be enjoyed.
- Shoe polish – matching shoe polish for the groomsmen will help cover any scuffs before the wedding photos. If you and your bridesmaid are wearing shoes that can use shoe polish, toss some in the kit that matches just in case.
- Snacks – crackers and power bars are a good, quick fix to help you get through the photo taking and reception line. There are always a few dances and a greeting before food is served at the reception so this will help the hunger.
- Hair spray – to fix the wedding hair in between the ceremony, the pictures and the reception.
If you think of any other things that may be needed in the emergency kit feel free to add them. Even if the item you add may seem strange to some people, you never know when you might need it.
Spring is in the air
It is not surprising why spring is such a lovely time of the year. The flowers are starting to come alive as the sun beams down and it’s not just flowers that are coming to life at this time of year many animals are born, such as spring lambs. Such a perfect time to choose to get married, new beginnings in more ways than one.
The months of spring include March, April and of course May. As well as having flowers in bloom it is also a time when the weather starts to get much milder as we say good bye to the winter gloom.
Although spring has milder warm as we get ready to enter summer, the weather can still be unpredictable and the chances of rain are still quite high. It can be sunny and glorious one minute and rain the next.
If you are looking for warmer day and not run the risk of rain on your wedding day then the best month to get married is May. Although April is warmer as we have seen in recent years, it is still known to get “April showers”. The days are also longer in May if you need another reason to choose May.
Most wedding venues will accomodate the risk of uncertainty in the weather and will provide indoor and outdoor choices such as marquees.
When choosing a venue ask for pictures of the venue through all seasons. You may choose to visit a venue in November and the plants and trees in the grounds look grey and dull and may put you off. However if you were to visit the same venue a few months later it would look a completely different picture. Those trees that were bare are now full of life.
The colour scheme for a spring wedding tends to be bright using spring colours which include pinks, yellows, whites and green. White and green is a very popular choice of colours to use in a bridal bouquet. There are lots of flowers to choose from in spring including white lillies which look very fresh and on trend. Another flower that looks gorgeous are freesias’.
When it comes to catering, using local products is very welcoming to bridal parties. Produce in season in spring include lamb, asparagus and leek. Lamb would be a really good idea to have as a main. And put cherries on the agenda as part of the desert.
I hope I have convinced you that Spring is a really good time to get married. In all honesty if you are worried about the weather, don’t be. As we live in the UK, the British weather is very unpredictable whatever time of year we are in. We are not surprised now to see snow in the Autumn or warm weather in winter. So there is not reason why a spring wedding would not be perfect and enjoyed by all that attend and share your special day with you both.
Dream Dresses 