A wedding experience

We were exhibiting at the Kelmarsh Hall Wedding Experience on Sunday and we are still buzzing with excitement. The weather was beautiful and the marquee was in full sunshine for most of the day. The daffodils and crocuses were sparkling in the sunshine.

We would like to thank all of the brides for visiting us at our stall. Everyone was so positive and that is just what you need when you are starting a new business venture. We met some lovely suppliers too. Tracey from Edward and Emma was so friendly and helpful. Her stand looked fantastic. She has even offered her help when I am creating my own table plan in the next few days!! David Hughes(David Hughes Photography) was on the stand next to us and we are now friends on Facebook. His photography really is fantastic. Several of the photographers said that they would be interested in buying some letters for props. There were some lovely flower displays too.

In the main house there was a roaring fire with a fantastic fireplace that our letters would look great on. One couple are going to measure up to check that their surname will fit along the mantelpiece and then are placing an order.

We were offering a ten per cent discount to anyone that placed an order as a result of the wedding fayre so we wait with bated breath to see if any orders come through as a result.

We are just hoping now that the interest turns in to orders.

Kelmarsh Hall is a stunning venue.

Wedding Fayre

Just a quick note to say that we will be exhibiting at the Kelmarsh Hall Wedding Experience on Sunday 20th March.  Please come along and say hello to us.  We will have a special offer on the day for any orders we take.

Plus size brides

In my opinion building up to your own wedding is a stressful time for any bride. We want to look our best and will stop at nothing to get there. Being a plus size bride myself I have the extra anxiety of wanting to be a size 10 model bride but knowing that this is not going to happen. I have decided to give some of the tips and ideas I have found in my search for ways to help me with my confidence on my wedding day.

First off all I have managed to shed a few pounds since our engagement. I haven't lost as much as I would have liked but I have gone down a couple of dress sizes so I'm feeling a lot happier about wearing my dress. I chose my dress months ago and bought it in a size 16. I haven't been able to get in to it yet so have decided to be realistic and sell it. I've bought it again in the next size up and this fits perfectly.





With the aid of some magic underwear such as Gok Wans sex kitten corset I will be feeling confident all day.

I would also advise that if you aren't that comfortable with your arms then invest in a shrug of some sort to wear if you feel the need. There are some lovely ones like this one from Dorothy Perkins

The main thing to remember is that everyone is there because they love you and want to share in your joy. Don't let yourself get too hung up trying to be the perfect model bride. Enjoy your day and when you look back on your photos you will look gorgeous!!!

Childs Play

Some ideas for those who are inviting children to their wedding day. Firstly remember that it is a long day and children don't enjoy the same things as adults. Make them feel special and maybe just maybe they will behave!!!

During the service perhaps put a little reading book on their chair so that they can entertain themselves quietly whilst the grown ups watch the ceremony. For after the ceremony make sure they are provided with some confetti as they will love throwing it everywhere (some might even land on the bride and groom!)

Get them involved in the photos by buying a disposable camera and asking them to take some pictures of the day. They will relish this task and you might get some really interesting children's eye view shots of your special day. For the formal photos make sure you get any involving the kids over with first of all. Then they can be sent off to run about the grounds while the other shots are taken.

For the wedding breakfast put them all together on a children's only table. Give them pass the parcel type favours and colouring books. Bubbles will go down a storm. Make sure that you have a good selection of non alcoholic drinks for them. They could even have their lemonade in a champagne flute so that they can toast the bride and groom.

After the ceremony why not set up a pinata packed with sweets for them to bash to pieces and enjoy the sweets. This will keep them entertained for the beginning of the evening reception and tire them out also. Have a children's medley of songs early doors and they will be up and dancing away. The birdy song is always a winner for adults and children alike!!!

Children can make a wedding extra special. They just need a bit of extra consideration.

An article published

Just thought I would let you see an article I recently wrote about ideas on how to make your wedding unique.Once the engagement celebrations are over it is time to start planning for the big day. So much time, effort and money is spent making the day as special as it can be.

I believe that every bride and groom wants their wedding to be talked about for years to come. Everyone wants their wedding to be original to have that extra sparkle. That to me means adding lots of little personal touches that your guests will remember forever.

The reception venue is where you can make the biggest impact on your guests. From personalised favours to letting them choose their favourite song for the disco the choices are endless.

If you would like an abundance of flowers at your reception without the expense then plan ahead with your florist so that the arrangements can be easily transferred from the ceremony to your reception venue. An alternative to flowers could be a bowl of citrus fruit in the summer or in the spring a pot of flowering bulbs such as Hyacinths or tulips. The best thing about potted bulbs is that you can give them away as little presents after the event.

On the tables it is always nice to have a bit of sparkle. Maybe some table gems that shimmer like diamonds in the candle light. You can get these in any colour now and they look fantastic. Candles –lots of them are needed to give the romantic ambience. Also everyone knows that candle light is the most flattering lighting!! How about some rose or hydrangea petals in your colour theme scattered around the table. White linen, sparkly gems and colourful rose petals look stunning!!

When it comes to the favours the choice is endless, Chocolates, seeds, old fashioned sweets or even a lottery ticket. A nice idea that takes a little time and effort but costs hardly anything is to make beaded initials for each one of your guests and use these to decorate the favours. The wire and beads are inexpensive and it is a simple enough task to carry out in the evenings whilst watching television.

A personal touch can be added to each table with freestanding letters spelling out your initials or table names. BRIDE & GROOM can adorn the top table and set it apart. CAKE or your initials makes your cake table distinct and fun.

Once you have decorated the tables it is time to turn your attention to the room. If there is a focal point in the room such as a fireplace or mirror, make this a feature. We are having chunky freestanding gold letters spelling out MR & MRS ROSE (my new surname) on the mantelpiece of our wedding breakfast room. On the fireplace have plenty of flickering candles. Candles look even better in front of a mirror as the light is multiplied by the reflective surface of the mirror itself. If there is no real focal point in the room you can create one by hiring a star curtain or having a pedestal of flowers. If there is a staircase make this a focal point with a ribbon trailing down the banister. Ask your florist to decorate it with seasonal flowers. Carrying on with the initial’s theme why not display your new surname on the fireplace or top table?

An inexpensive treat for your guests would be to provide a small selection of toiletries such as wet wipes, tissues and body spray in the toilets. Put them in a small basket by the sink with a little note.

A current trend is for a candy buffet. These can be expensive but can be created for a fraction of the cost. Collect different jars and bowls and fill with retro sweets that you can purchase a good selection of from various websites. Buy some scoops and maybe some stripy paper bags and voila you have a candy buffet for the fraction of the price.

Instead of a DJ why not hire a jukebox? They can play music all night long just like a DJ but offer you more freedom. Your guests can choose a selection of songs. This means they are more likely to dance as they have chosen the songs. This would be a real talking point not to mention a focal point in the room.

If you are planning to use the outside space then some storm lanterns will add a nice atmosphere for the evening. In the day if the weather is nice you could hire some party games – such as giant Jenga or giant Snakes and ladders. At the outside entrance place a pair of bay trees with some outside lights in for a special feel. Or in the winter how about two mini Christmas trees with coloured fairy lights?

All of these ideas will help to create a unique and special day for you and your guests. I hope this has offered you some inspirational ideas on how to make your wedding better and different to all of the rest.

Spring has sprung

We are having a spring wedding. My favourite flowers are Hyacinths, Freesias and Roses.

My fiancé’s favourites are Tulips. We've kept our flower budget to the minimum by practicing different arrangements at home. I have had the idea of planting some Hyacinths in bowls and when they burst in to bloom I can use them as table decorations at our wedding breakfast.

I can then give them away as presents to the mother of the bride and mother of the groom. If planted in the garden they will grow back every year and remind them of our special day in April! The total cost of this will be less that £40. I will tie some pretty lace around the bowls to make them look more special.

Meanwhile on the business front, we are currently working on a few different orders. One bride has ordered MR & MRS in peach and they look beautiful. My fiancé is just given them a bit of a polish up before sending them out. Another order is for cream shabby chic MR & MRS. Shabby chic is our favourite design. As we 'shabby chic' each letter individually every letter looks different. I'm imagining a marquee with cream roses and white table linen and our stunning letters line up along the top table.

Gorgeous!!!

An introduction to us

We (my fiance and I) have been in full blown wedding mode since getting engaged on Christmas Day 2009.  We don't have thousands of pounds to spend (I wish!)but we still want a special and unique day.  This has meant we have had to get our thinking caps on.

The biggest achievement to come out of our wedding planning is the start of our new fledgling business.

Our venue has a stunning fireplace and is a real focal point in the room. We wanted to decorate it but couldn't afford to increase our flower budget. Then we had the idea of displaying our married name along the mantlepiece. We sourced some unpainted wooden letters from a carpenter friend and painted them in antique gold.

They look fantastic. I took them with us to our last meeting with the venue and the wedding co-ordinator said that she had never seen anything like it before. That was music to our ears! An idea was born! Since then we have supplied many different words such as 'cake' and 'Amour'

and many many 'Mr & Mrs's to brides and grooms throughout the UK and even as far away as America.

In this blog I want to share our plans and ideas for our unique wedding on a budget and also keep a diary of how our little business is going as we venture into the wedding market.