18th May 2022
Tips for Hosting Children on Your Special Day
The topic of whether children should be invited to weddings is very contentious. Some people firmly believe they have no place and do not invite them, however for other couples it would not be the wedding of their dreams without their children or the children of people they love present. It is fair to say that kids can sometimes find weddings boring or become overstimulated, and either scenario can cause issues. So, this blog assumes you do want to include children on your special day and looks at ways you can ensure they have a fantastic time and there is no stress for the bride and groom and anyone else at the wedding party.
Set Your Expectations
Start by agreeing as a couple the expectations of children being part of the day. Some people have an open event, but others respectfully ask that children be excluded from the formal ceremony but welcomed at the meal and following celebrations. Once you have it in your head how they fit in, making plans for them becomes much easier.
Rehearsing Helps Kids
If some of the children at the wedding will form part of the ceremony, a flower girl, ring bearer, etc., then try and schedule a rehearsal. We have all seen videos of little ones crying or refusing to cooperate at the crucial moment. This is a big deal for them, so knowing what will happen makes it more accessible. Also, make sure what they are wearing is age-appropriate or let them change after the ceremony if you don’t want them crawling on the floor in a pretty dress, and make sure they are warm enough if the weather turns.
Kid-Friendly Eating
Feeding your guests is expensive, but most caterers can add a cheaper, less fussy kids meal that makes things run smoothly. It gives the parents peace of mind, too; trust us, no one wants to be the red-faced stressed parent trying to deal with a child who hates the food and won’t eat. Also, consider incorporating a goodie bag with the kid’s meals. Something to colour and some crayons, a small bag of sweets, a little pocket game, anything that helps them stay entertained. It can be a long time for a child to sit still and stay in one place! Sit your older teens together; they really won’t enjoy adult chat and will much prefer to be with people their age even if they don’t know each other before the day.
Activities
The other option is to look into activities. Some venues have a room set aside and can help organise a children’s entertainer to take over at a certain point, especially if there is going to be a lot of waiting around, or perhaps during the speeches. Other venues will be happy to arrange a big screen where you could leave kid-friendly movies running for any time they need to escape the main party. If you have entertained the children in the day, there is also nothing wrong with putting a curfew on the evening party and requesting that kids are taken home or collected by grandparents for the last few hours – by that point, the parents will probably thank you as they get some time to themselves!
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2nd March 2022
Unique Wedding Guest Book Ideas
Having a guest book for everyone to sign is a traditional part of your big day. It is a lovely way to create a book of memories that you can look back over at any time and remember the magic of the moment. Sadly though, what tends to happen is that this book is placed in a cupboard or drawer where it gathers dust and is rarely looked at. If you want to create something that can take pride of place in your home and serve as a daily reminder, bringing smiles and warm fuzzy feelings while offering a unique take on the guest book idea, here are some alternatives you may want to consider.
Instant Camera/Photo Booth
Photo booths have gained much traction in the wedding world. The equipment, which includes a polaroid camera booth and lots of funny hats, feather boas, wacky glasses and signs, is delivered to the venue, and guests can enjoy snapping creative pictures. One way to create a guest book is to make a coffee table scrapbook of these images or frame them all in a large clip frame. You can even get the guests to design the layout by having the scrapbook on hand and some simple instructions asking them to snap it, stick it and sign it!
Fingerprint Trees
Ahead of the big day, commission someone arty to paint a large, bare branch tree onto an A2 or A1 canvas. All you need then are some ink pads in various colours. Ask your guests to take a finger or thumbprint and place it on a branch as if it were a leaf, and once more, get them to sign it, so you know which print belongs to each guest. It is fun and unusual and makes a gorgeous piece of wall art for your home once the big day is over.
Jenga Blocks
This has to be one of our favourites. Jenga is a popular brick stacking game, and these small wooden blocks are perfect for getting the guests to sign. Each block can be signed by an individual, couple or even family group as it has four sides. It is a talking point and will help you immortalise your guests loving thoughts forever. Depending on your personal choices, there are plenty of ways to stack it for display, either as they are or fixed into place in a frame or abstract structure.
A Box of Blessings
Finally, you could choose to create a box of blessings. Small cards are left with a box for guests to leave their blessings and words of wisdom on your big day. There is much scope to make this unique, from the container you choose to the shape of the paper or cards. Some people opt for a traditional message in a bottle rolled scroll; others pick a heart-shaped card. There is no right or wrong here!
Any suggestions we have included can be customised to suit the two of you perfectly and give you a guest book that will bring you joy forever.
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9th February 2022
4 Reasons Why You Should Work with a Wedding Planner
Planning a wedding can be a significant commitment on your time, and let’s face it, your sanity can take a hit too. Not only are you trying to create the day of your dreams, but you have to bring it in on budget and not upset either set of parents or the bridesmaids and please everyone. It is a tough challenge and something we aim to do once in our lives which is where the problem can arise. When undertaking a new task, practice and prior knowledge make things substantially more manageable, but that isn’t possible when this is your first attempt at planning a wedding, so calling in the professionals is a great way to save yourself work hours and not have to reinvent the wheel. You will also find that your stress levels are significantly lower, so let’s look at why you should work with a wedding planner.
1. Insider Knowledge
As we already mentioned, a wedding planner knows a massive amount, not only about the logistics and timings of getting everything booked but importantly doing it within your local area. This means they will know of any pitfalls to venues, problems with caterers, where to find the best dresses and more. The best part is that this information is in their heads and saves hours of Google searching. It also gives you a third party buffer, someone who is not closely related to the event, to negotiate the best deal, handle issues and complaints and understand how to deal with these companies.
2. They Bring Ideas to the Table
Although most brides have been planning their wedding since the first time they hung a pillowcase off the back of their heads (wisdom imparted to us all by Monica Gellar in Friends, and oh so true), there is always room to expand and augment your plans. Your wedding planner will have seen so many weddings and been involved in their planning that using some of their ideas can complete your goals and help create the perfect day.
3. The Voice of Reason
Weddings can bring out the best and worst in people and come with a ton of etiquette that you haven’t got time to learn. Offending people is all too easy, and it can feel like walking on eggshells. Do you pay for your bridesmaid’s dresses? What happens when the bride’s mother and the future mother-in-law come to blows over the centrepieces? When do you send invitations, and do you need save-the-date cards? Your wedding planner is also a master of diplomacy and tact and understands all the nuances of planning the big day. They can solve problems, give advice and are happy to let you rant when things go wrong.
4. Your Right Hand Man (or Woman)
A wedding planner will have scheduled their diary to ensure they have the time to help you plan, and more importantly, be there on the day to make sure things go off without a hitch. Trust us; you will feel so much better knowing they are in the background making sure the bridesmaids are making good time through hair and makeup, and the best man hasn’t lost the rings!
Check our our wedding suppliers Northamptonshire directory to find suppliers that can help you with your big day!
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13th January 2022
Happy New Year and Huge Congratulations!
First of all, we wanted to wish you all a very happy new year. If Santa left a sparkly engagement ring and a proposal under your tree, then huge congratulations! There is nothing quite as exciting as planning a wedding, but we understand that it can also seem daunting. So, to ensure that everything goes smoothly, right up to your big day, we are here to help with years of experience and advice from many different wedding suppliers to make sure you get the big day you have always dreamed of. The first thing is to enjoy this moment as a newly engaged couple, seriously – tell the world, jump up and down with delight and shower each other with hugs and kisses…and in case you didn’t catch it the first time – congratulations from us. Now, let’s get down to business! Here are a few things to get thinking about in the early stages.
The Date
When are you planning to tie the knot? First of all, check that you are not stepping on toes – avoid birthdays of significant and close family members, and unless they are hoping you want to share their big day – parents anniversaries are also a no-no. It is much nicer to have a special day that becomes significant to you as a couple – why would you want to share that credit on your big day or every year to come anyway?
The Style
What sort of day is going to suit who you are? Some people have dreamed their whole lives of a massive church full of people and an even bigger crowd at the reception. If that reflects who you are, then perfect, but a small registry office wedding, an outdoor venue or even jetting off abroad to say ‘I do’ on a tropical beach are all great ideas as long as they work for you. There is no correct answer here, but knowing your style makes it easier to check off the milestones along the way, and you will start to see some natural progression in the thinking from here!
The Budget
Oh, if we could all have a wedding with unlimited finances, how amazing it would be! But sadly, for most of us, there is a limit to what we can spend. First of all, you need to establish if either set of parents will be able to contribute and what their budget is. For some, this isn’t happening, and the whole day will be self-funded – so be realistic and remember, some of the best days ever can cost less than you hope – starting married life with massive debts could mar the event, and we don’t want that – so be realistic as our suppliers are used to working with all sorts of budgets and will do their best to help.
And Rest!
That is quite enough for now! Of course, there are many more things to plan and sort, and we will discuss those in upcoming blogs, but for now, one last task – pop the kettle on, grab a coffee and have a search on the internet for ideas that match your style and budget to keep the ideas flowing. Don’t forget to write them down or save them to digital media!
Wedding Suppliers Northamptonshire / Wedding Suppliers Northampton
