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Socially distanced hen party ideas

Socially distanced hen party ideas

by | 8, September, 2020 | blog, guest post, tips

2020 continues to force us to think of alternative and creative ways to celebrate milestone occasions. Weddings can now take place with up to 30 people (within government guidelines). Many weddings have been postponed or paired down.

Here are some alternative ways you could hold a socially distanced hen party in 2020 so the build up and preparations don’t get overlooked:

Host a virtual hen party from the comfort of your own home

Get all the hens online with a drink in hand and enjoy all the usual hen party games at home. Party game classics include:

  • Mr and Mrs game
  • Drinking games
  • How Well Do You Know The Bride quiz
  • Who in the room? party game
  • Cards Against Humanity (who now have an online game)
  • Cheeky charades

Other online activities can be done together such as:

  • virtual cocktail classes
  • virtual scavenger hunt
  • virtual wine tasting
  • online escape rooms
  • video chat quizzes
  • watch a comedy gig or film at the same time as each other

Send party bags in advance

If you’re meeting virtually, you can send the party bags in advance for activities to be used together on the night. Or send masks for hens to personalise in advance of the party or provide hand sanitiser for everyone.

In lieu of a memory book, put together a digital book of photos and memories or video messages from all the hens to play on the night or as a gift for the bride to be to treasure.

Weekend away

Quarantine rules when travelling abroad are changing regularly so big weekends away may be off the cards at the moment for some hens. If you do choose to travel in the UK or further afield then consider booking individual hotel rooms rather than cottages or shared facilities at the moment.

Private rooms

Private dining experiences for small groups with minimal contact may be an option at some point, although at present there are restrictions around booking numbers in restaurants.

Outdoor activities

Whilst the weather is still good, you could gather a small number of hens together outside to take part in a socially distanced activity including a visit to an outdoor cinema, zoo or theme park. Or why not try geocaching, footgolf, a scavenger hunt or a social distanced picnic.

Host a hen party in your own garden

Picnic parties have become the hottest trend in 2020 and can take place in a home garden. A party picnic is a take on the usual checked blanket and straw hamper, but far more luxurious. Think low level trestle tables adorned with fresh flowers, candles, place settings, scatter cushions and blankets, teepees and belltents.

A picnic party also involves home comforts since it can be hosted in your own garden. This allows a more personal celebration where older or younger relatives can be included, without the worry of age restrictions or mobility issues. A great option to celebrate without breaking the bank with prices from as little as £12 per person and everything you need (minus the food). Event planners like The Party Picnic Co will work with you to make your vision a reality. Matching the party perfectly to the bride – no matter how quirky.


about The Party Picnic Co

Event planners like The Party Picnic Co will work with you to make your vision a reality. The best thing about using a supplier is that you can opt for as much or as little involvement on the day. The Party Picnic Co will take care of the complete setup, planning and styling so all you have to do is turn up on the day.

 instagram logo@thepartypicnicco

@PartyPicnicCo

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Weddings in the news

Weddings in the news

by | 16, August, 2020 | blog, news

I don’t think there’s been so many changes in the law around weddings in such a short amount of time. This year (and the unfortunate Covid-19 guest) has brought much anguish, speculation, comment and concern about weddings.

New guidelines

As restrictions have been eased or tightened, so have differing guidelines to ebb and flow in accordance with current conditions.

Photography by Cat Stephens Photography

Wedding receptions

The latest update is that from 15 August (a two week delay on the original plan) wedding receptions (such as a sit-down meal) will be permitted for up to 30 guests as long as they are in a COVID-19 secure venue.

Wedding receptions should not take place in a private home or gardens and should be undertaken in a safe, socially distanced way. Where possible guests should remain seated and have food or drinks brought to them at their tables, with outdoor table service preferable. Guests are encouraged to wear a face covering and utilise hand sanitiser and wash their hands frequently throughout the celebrations. Venues will be recording names and contact details of guests for the NHS Test and Trace.

Dancing isn’t permitted. Music cannot be played at a high volume that would mean guests would need to raise their voices. When the couple are cutting the cake, the guests should maintain social distancing. Throwing confetti and the bouquet should be avoided. Plus giving cards or gifts should be minimised at the reception.

It is recommended that speeches should be given outside or in well ventilated area. And to avoid the speakers having to raise their voices, it is suggested to use amplification. Windows and doors should be opened as much as possible.

Photography by Cat Stephens Photography

Cut of vat

At the beginning of last month, the government announced that it would introduce a temporary 5% reduced rate of VAT for certain supplies of hospitality, hotel and holiday accommodation.

This drop in VAT from 20% to 5% for six months came in to force from 15 July 2020 (until 12 January 2021) with the hope to boost consumer spending and that suppliers would pass on the reduction to customers.

There is nothing to force a business to cut its prices in line with any VAT cut so it remains to be seen if these will be passed on to the end user or help out the business.

The sector most relevant to the wedding industry will be the supplies of food and non-alcoholic drinks from restaurants, pubs, bars, cafés and similar premises across the UK.

Photography by Cat Stephens Photography

Review of wedding laws

Two big changes could be afoot concerning wedding laws in England.

1.Legal ceremonies

Last month, six couples took a case to the High Court in a bid to get legal recognition for humanist weddings in England and Wales.

Currently, humanist ceremonies are not recognised in law, so couples must also have a civil ceremony in addition, which this case says discriminates against them because of their beliefs. This differs to the law in Scotland and Northern Ireland where humanist ceremonies are legally recognised.

The outcome of the case saw High Court judge Mrs Justice Eady DBE decline to make a formal declaration that the Government is acting unlawfully at this time. But ruled that the Government is currently reviewing marriage law in this country.

This review could take in to consideration not just humanist but independent celebrants too. This would give couples the legal ceremony they want regardless of religion.

Photography by Cat Stephens Photography

2.Outdoor weddings

In addition, in 2019, the Law Commission began a two-year review into marriage law around outdoor weddings. In light of COVID-19 restrictions, this possible change in the law in 2021 could revolutionise the wedding season with outdoor celebrations.

Photography by Cat Stephens Photography

Royal wedding

Normally, I’d love covering the trends and insight from royal weddings. However the one this year, of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in Windsor in July, was much more of a private ceremony than first planned and initially postponed.

It was the first royal wedding behind closed doors for 235 years due to the pandemic (which also helped to avoid the scandal surrounding the bride’s father). The royal wedding was attended by the Queen, with just 15 family and friends present making it possibly the cheapest royal wedding ever.

The biggest take away from this royal wedding was the element of sharing and reusing such as the wedding dress and accessories from the Queen and shoes that she had worn many times before. A proper ‘something borrowed’. Renting dresses, buying second hand or upcycling is certainly a growing trend to watch out for.

Plus an intimate ceremony means that you can splash out on certain areas as you aren’t spending as much on other things. For example with flower statements such as the arch that the royal couple had at their wedding.

Photography by Cat Stephens Photography

 

I’d love to hear if you’re having a wedding in the next few months and to hear how you’ve creatively dealt with the restrictions.

Images on this page taken by Cat Stephens Photography from Hanami Dream’s festival styled shoot at Cogges Manor Farm. See all the fabulous suppliers that were involved in this styled shoot.

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Paused not cancelled

Paused not cancelled

by | 13, August, 2020 | blog, news

For me it feels like life is paused, especially in the wedding industry. I sometimes wonder if weddings have been forgotten.

postponed weddings

For so many couples, suppliers and venues the future still looks so uncertain. Plans have been adapted or postponed. Some making several revisions as restrictions ease and are then reintroduced.

wedding restrictions

There’s still so much to think about in the news and things can change quickly. Wedding receptions were due to be allowed from 1st August for up to 30 people (without live music, dancing, or buffets). But this wasn’t the case as the lockdown reductions were delayed by 2 weeks to 15th August at the earliest.
What will the governments review announce this weekend?

Since 8th August wedding guests have to wear face coverings in public indoor settings (such as places of worship) or any enclosed public space where there are people they do not normally meet.

change, adapt, evolve

Meanwhile, whilst on pause we need to evolve and change – personally as well as professionally. We need to do things differently when the play button is finally pressed.

At the moment it feels like it’s back to basics whilst we learn how to survive all over again. But in order to grow, improve and thrive, we need to firstly revise, rethink, reform and adjust.

According to Darwin’s Origin of Species, it is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself.

Let’s rewrite wedding traditions

Lots of buzz words to prepare for the new norm. But basically it boils down to having the chance to do things differently.

I’d love to hear if you’re having a wedding in the next few months and to hear how you’ve creatively dealt with the restrictions.

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Inspiration: wedding under new rules in Oxfordshire

Inspiration: wedding under new rules in Oxfordshire

by | 4, August, 2020 | blog, inspiration

Just one month ago, the wedding of Hannah and Richard was held at stunning Friars Court in Oxfordshire. A no frills or fuss, intimate ceremony on Saturday 4th July 2020 saw one of the first civil weddings in Oxfordshire under the new social distancing rules.

new rules

After a hiatus of nearly 4 months of paused and postponed weddings in England due to lockdown, the 4th July marked the date for weddings to take place again. Now with a number of restrictions that couples must follow in order for their wedding to go ahead safely.

By 1st August, we thought that things would be easing further around restrictions for wedding receptions. But these are still limited to only two households indoors in most parts of the UK, or up to 6 people from different households outdoor. Whilst social distanced ceremonies can currently be held for up to 30 people.

new plans

This happy couple decided to go ahead with their original date of 4th July to perform the legal part of the wedding. Their wedding had been booked since last August following their engagement in Italy on 5th July 2019.

Hannah and Richard chose Saturday 4th July as it was the closest date to the first anniversary of the proposal. They were one of the 2020 couples who held onto the hope they’d have the entirety of their wedding on their planned date for as long as possible.

As the date was significant to them, they decided to have the civil ceremony at the very least. So they were happy to go along with whatever was necessary to make that happen.

new dates

They’re still hoping they’ll have the planned reception this September. However they are mindful that this may not be possible in the current climate or it may need to be a significantly pared down version.

They have managed to move all their suppliers to 19th September 2020 in the hope that they will be able to celebrate with friends and family. They also plan to have a mock ceremony so Hannah can walk down the aisle in her dress and recreate the ceremony again. The venue and suppliers were great in accommodating the new date which instantly put the couples’ minds at rest.

Their reasoning behind going ahead with a ceremony on their original date of 4th July is so that they don’t need to delay starting a family. If the worst case scenario happens and the September date is not able to go ahead and they have to delay until 2021, they could start a family in the knowledge that they are already married.

new guest list

Originally, they had planned for 85 of their family and friends to attend with a number travelling in from France, Dubai and Canada.

To meet new rules, they needed to reduce the number of guests and households. However to avoid any upset when choosing witnesses from family and friends they opted to prune this to the bare minimum. They asked the two venue owners to be witnesses. And when the photographer had to drop out (due to insurance issues), the venue also stepped in as wedding photographer too (with a zoom lens to keep distant). So, along with two registrars there was a total of 6 people present (two registrars, two witnesses, plus the bride and groom).

new focus

No big grand traditional entrance for this wedding as the couple arrived together in their own car. But the venue still bestowed a grand setting and provided the couple use of it’s grounds for this special day.

Friars Court in Clanfield is a privately owned, mid-17th century house, in 600 acres of beautiful Oxfordshire countryside. Friars Court was granted a Civil Ceremony licence in 2003 and in that same year set up Silver Pear Weddings. Since then they have worked with over 350 couples celebrating their marriage at Friars Court.

This certainly was the smallest civil ceremony the venue has ever hosted in nearly 20 years and is the first time they’ve acted as witnesses, for what turned out to be the second civil ceremony across the county under the new rules.

Unfortunately the 2020 season will the final one for Silver Pear Weddings hosting wedding receptions at Friars Court as from 2021 onwards they will purely host ceremonies.

minimal decor

As this was just a ceremony the couple did not unleash their full plans and colour scheme, which they will hold for a later celebration.

So the venue set the room out based on plans and guidance that the registrars provided. Without decor, the room looked quite bare so the owners arranged a few flowers from the venue’s garden for the registrars’ table.

something old (not new)

Both bride and groom were dressed in smart casual clothes. Hannah wore a full-length lilac party dress, a bridesmaid style dress in keeping with her bridesmaid colour scheme. Richard wore a work suit. They are saving their wedding outfits for their celebration day.

new ceremony time

Hannah and Richard were offered the choice of either an 11am or 3pm wedding ceremony time. They chose 3pm to avoid rushing about in the morning. The first ceremony in the county was at 1pm. So if they’d gone with an 11am slot they’d have been the first civil ceremony in Oxfordshire but were still the second one.

The registrars had been in charge of writing the guidelines for ‘weddings during a pandemic’ so they’d specifically requested to come (rather than the usual registrars from Witney) to road test their amended version of a ceremony to see how well it worked.

new format

The presentation of the bride was omitted because there wasn’t anyone there to ‘give her away’ and under current guidelines, unless a bride lives in the same household, then walking in with anyone other than her future husband isn’t permitted.

With the ceremony being just the couple, it was also decided to eliminate playing any music. So as their interviews took place where they were going to stand for the ceremony, there was no point in any entrance. So the registrar went straight into the welcome and whipped through the abbreviated ceremony in no time.

The ceremony itself was a lot shorter than you might expect for the obvious reasons of there being no guests to tell stories about where the couple met, where the proposal took place and any other details for the registrar to share. The registrars were lovely and made the couple feel comfortable throughout. Richard said that:

‘There was an odd sort of feeling to proceedings as you are extremely aware that there are only 4 other people in the room, however with that said there was an intimate feeling and a truly personal experience had by doing it this way. It reminds you that this day is absolutely just for the two of you.’

Most of the ceremony was the same as usual; using the short option of “I am” (free to marry) and “I do” (take this man/woman). Keeping that part short is intended to reduce the length of the ceremony as the registrar did mention about the unfortunate necessity of keeping things ‘short and sweet’. The registrars weren’t exactly rushing the ceremony but they didn’t take their time either in order to reduce the risk of exposure by making the services as brief as possible.

new accessories

Hannah and Richard were asked beforehand whether they would like the registrars with or without masks. Whilst not a problem at this ceremony, the registrars voiced their concerns about the new rules and envisaged possible difficulties in ensuring guests staying exactly where they are put.

As the registrar leading the ceremony was on one side of the room and the couple on the other well side (more than 2 metres from either registrar) she removed her mask which meant she was far more audible. The registrar doing the writing kept her mask on for the duration.

The couple signed the register both having to wear a bright red rubber glove before handling the pen (the registrars had a box of them) and all commented on how odd that felt. The gloves were meant to come off for signing photos but instead the pair waved their gloved hands at the camera.

Certificates are posted to couples after their weddings at the moment so there was no presentation to wind the ceremony up. However, the registrars did make their congratulations and then left so the couple could go out for a few photos in the grounds before the rain started.

newly weds

Hannah and Richard wandered the grounds whilst the venue owner very kindly took some photos to remember the day. They then popped back inside with their own picnic hamper to have a little DIY afternoon tea for two in the middle of the empty Garden Room.

All the traditional milestone elements of a wedding reception (cake cutting, first dance, entertainment, favours etc) have all been saved for their celebration later in the year.

Afterwards they headed off for a couple of nights in Malmesbury.

Our fingers are crossed for 19th September or sometime in 2021 for their sequel wedding.

Venue | Friars Court | https://www.silverpearweddings.co.uk
Photographer | Silver Pear Weddings | https://www.silverpearweddings.co.uk
Dress | boohoo | https://www.boohoo.com/
Jacket | Moss Bros | https://www.moss.co.uk/
Trousers | Zara | https://www.zara.com/uk/
Afternoon tea | own hamper

I’d love to hear if you’ve had a wedding recently and to hear how you’ve creatively dealt with the restrictions.

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Alternatives to walking down the aisle with your father

Alternatives to walking down the aisle with your father

by | 4, July, 2020 | blog, tips

social distancing rules

Due to the current government restrictions for weddings during the corona virus pandemic, you may have to rethink some of your wedding plans. Unless you live in the same household as your father, you may need to omit the tradition of walking down the aisle arm in arm.

Photography by Squib Photography

walking down the aisle

In order to keep within social distancing rules, you may want to think more creatively with some novel ways to be given away:

  • walk yourself
  • walk with a pet
  • both have an entrance, one after the other
  • both walk down together
  • both enter from either side of altar
  • processional bridal party followed by guests
  • make the guests walk in with couple already waiting at the altar
  • walk around seats set in a circle or spiral
  • video montage played on a screen of those who can’t be at the ceremony
  • make a bouquet whilst collecting flowers from guests (one for when social distance restrictions are lifted)

Let’s rewrite wedding traditions. This is the chance to do things differently – your way.

I’d love to hear if you’re having a wedding in the next few months and to hear how you’ve creatively dealt with the restrictions.

Photography by Squib Photography

Images on this page taken by Squib Photography from Hanami Dream’s secret garden styled shoot at Cogges Manor Farm. See all the fabulous suppliers that were involved in this styled shoot.

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New rules for weddings during a pandemic

New rules for weddings during a pandemic

by | 3, July, 2020 | blog, tips

Fourth of July

We’ve now been in lockdown for over 100 days, due to the Corona virus (COVID-19), and things are beginning to slowly ease to allow the economy to kick start again (for now at least).

The fourth of July will be a monumental date for most of England as more things open up. But rather than a focus on independence, the day also marks the time that couples can start to tie the knot again.

Since 23rd March, weddings and civil partnerships have been banned in England due to lockdown. But from 4th July they can now take place again. However there will be a number of restrictions in order for these to be able to go ahead, providing they are safe and follow guidelines.

Photography by Squib Photography

The new guidance from the government on weddings and civil partnerships in England includes:

No more than 30 people in total at ceremony

This not only includes the couple, family and friends but also any suppliers, officiants and witnesses (but not including staff at the venue). Venues will keep a register of every visitor for at least 21 days for track and trace purposes. Some venues will be also be able to help with remote participation at home for those guests that can’t be there in person.

Photography by Squib Photography

No wedding receptions

At most, couples can hold a very small reception after the ceremony. Although this can be with only two households indoors, or up to 6 people from different households outdoors. Face to face seating is being discouraged. On the adverse, this could be a real money saving aspect as the reception is often the most expensive part of a wedding.

Photography by Squib Photography

No food and drink

Nothing is supposed to be consumed as part of the event. Meanwhile, there is some discussion at the moment about reducing vat on the hospitality industry sector (to only 5%) to encourage spending. All this will help the wedding budget and will help couples save up to possibly have a sequel wedding or separate reception next year or at another time.

Photography by Squib Photography

Not too long

The advice is to keep things to a minimum and mainly keep to the legal bits. The official bit is actually only about 10 minutes long. Any order of service should be one use and guests will be encouraged to take their sheets away with them.

Photography by Squib Photography

No walking down the aisle

Unless you live in the same household as your father, you may need to omit the tradition of walking down the aisle arm in arm. However, lockdown has certainly got people thinking more creatively, so I’m sure there will be some novel ways to be given away within social distancing rules. Look out for my alternative suggestions for this part of the ceremony coming soon.

Photography by Squib Photography

No singing

To avoid the spread of the virus via droplets, you can’t raise your voices to say your vows and one person is to speak at a time (or you may need Perpspex clear screens). Singing will not be allowed and instruments that are blown into aren’t permitted either. You are able to have organ music or you can use recordings instead. But you can not play loud music, as this would mean that people may need to shout to be heard or lean in to hear.

Photography by Squib Photography

Hand washing

On top of the usual advice, handwashing will be especially important before and after exchanging rings. And rings shouldn’t be handled by too many people either.

Photography by Squib Photography

Social distancing

Staying apart from people is still the key message and guests are advised to keep to the 2 metre rule (or 1 metre plus extra safety measures such as face masks or screens). Venues are being encouraged to improve their ventilation and to tape floors to help people keep their distance. Whilst you won’t have the stress of the seating plan at a reception, you may want to think about how and where people sit in the church or ceremony venue. Household/family groups could sit together closer than 2 metres, whilst others will need to be socially distanced from other households.

Photography by Squib Photography

No certainty

The biggest concern at the moment is the uncertainty of how long these types of measures will be in place. Lockdown could return (nationally or locally) at any time or restrictions could ease further. There is no knowing how long we will need to live with these rules. Some couples may be nervous and so may want more transparency and flexibility when booking. Couples need to have confidence to pay deposits and understand how contingency plans will be handled by venues and suppliers.

Photography by Squib Photography

Weddings during a pandemic

Weddings will look and feel very different for a little while and may not suit everyone. They will certainly be more intimate and personal. A limited guest list may ease some couples’ stresses whilst some of those with large families may be at a disadvantage.

Perhaps some will find weddings more clinical and less celebratory. A church service could feel more like a registry office style wedding, with just the legal bits and no singing.

Unless this is your only chance (due to ill health, work, forces or travel commitments) then what is a few months or a year to wait in the grand scheme of 40 or 50 years together? But if you are desperate to get married, then these are the types of restrictions that will have to be considered as the current norm.

Photography by Squib Photography

A break from tradition

However, perhaps these restrictions will focus couples on what a wedding really means to them. They will need to think about what is the most important part for them – whether that’s the ceremony, the start of a marriage, or a party and time to celebrate with friends and family.

This could be the time that wedding traditions change. This will challenge wedding traditions and force couples to think in new ways to hold their wedding. Suppliers and venues will need to adapt in order to survive.

So what does this mean for the future of weddings? At the moment, I keep coming back to the last scene of the third Back to the Future film. Doc Brown explains that the future hasn’t been written yet. ‘No one’s has. Your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one. Both of you.’

Photography by Squib Photography

This is the chance to do things differently – your way.

I’d love to hear if you’re having a wedding in the next few months and how you’re creatively dealing with the restrictions.

Photography by Squib Photography

Images on this page taken by Squib Photography from Hanami Dream’s secret garden styled shoot at Cogges Manor Farm. See all the fabulous suppliers that were involved in this styled shoot.

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5 reasons tiny weddings rock

5 reasons tiny weddings rock

by | 10, June, 2020 | blog, guest post, tips

Tiny wedding trend

Before coronovirus threw wedding plans up in the air, couples were already thinking about down sizing their weddings and decreasing wedding guest numbers. And now this could be a forced decision, so micro or tiny weddings are certainly a trend that will be at the forefront, especially when people’s planning can come off pause.

Micro weddings keep things small, personal and meaningful. Not always in the extreme of eloping but a step away from traditions and expectations. Making the day a wonderful experience for everyone, good value for money and would take possible social distancing guidelines into consideration.

Tiny weddings could range from having a dinner party in a private room, a picnic in a park, a weekend sleepover in a stately home or a destination wedding (when/if allowed) for your close friends and family.

Bigger doesn’t always have to be better. Here are 5 reasons why tiny weddings rock from Carly Straughan (from Epic Elopement) who, along with Claire Ady (Wed in Central Park), host Tiny Weddings – an exciting style of wedding fair for small, intimate weddings and elopements.

1. You get to spend the whole day with your favourite person.

When else do you and your future husband or wife get to spend a whole day just loving each other, celebrating your time together and thinking about your future? With fewer guests to entertain you will spend less time worrying about other people and more time with the person that matters the most. There are also some great studies that show the more intimate your wedding the more likely your marriage is to succeed (surely something to do with the stress of planning a big wedding!)

2. You will avoid the most common planning nightmares.

The hard parts of planning are almost always not related to making your marriage happen. The seating plan, the choice of dining options or what sort of music to play to please everyone during a 4 hour reception are avoided when you have a small group of close family and friends to entertain. Think of your celebrations as less of an operational ordeal and more of a larger dinner party and suddenly it all makes sense.

3. You can spend your money more wisely.

Having a small wedding or elopement may not even mean spending less than you would have spent on a big wedding. The difference is that you get to spend your money on the things that are important to you as a couple. Try making a list of things that you absolutely need to make your day work for you and then set your budget against that. If the dinner is a big part of your day then spend your budget on great food. Feeding 30 people caviar and champagne is much more affordable than serving 150 people a chicken dinner. If travel is your thing, a smaller wedding day can allow you to blow the budget on a mega honeymoon or even allow you to take your wedding overseas with a small party all expenses paid.

4. You won’t explain your quirks to anyone.

It’s much easier to share your plans with a smaller party and explain your choices to those who are invested in you as a couple. If you want the whole wedding party to wear a certain colour, travel to a remote location or do something seemingly random that brings you joy, it’s much easier to get buy in when you’re inviting only close family and friends. It’s going to be more difficult to explain your reasoning behind your choices if you have all your second cousins and great aunts chiming in. Spend your time and effort on the people and things that bring you joy, not arguing about chair covers with Sharon from work.

5. You’ll find suppliers who absolutely love their jobs.

If you’re looking to work with passionate individuals who will put as much effort into your wedding day as you do, then having an intimate wedding is more likely to help you find them. Larger suppliers need you to fulfil minimum orders, cover overheads for their venues and feed 100+ people to pay their bills. Small vendors usually have lower overheads, less staff costs and would be delighted to hear about a no stress wedding with under 50 guests.

About Tiny Weddings

Tiny Weddings is a joint venture between Carly Straughan (from Epic Elopement) and Claire Ady (Wed in Central Park). Having both had intimate weddings and working in the industry, exhibited and visited wedding fairs for years, Claire and Carly realised there was a space in the market for a fair dedicated to those who traditionally are ignored by the big wedding industry. Tiny Weddings Fair is the anti-dote to the mega fair that has grown up in recent years, bringing together vendors who specialise in intimate ceremonies and elopements around the world, whilst also hosting talks from experts in their field who can help couples find their own Tiny Wedding inspiration.

They held a very successful Tiny Weddings Fair on Sunday 30 September 2018, 10am-4pm at Wycombe Swan Theatre, High Wycombe HP11 2XE.

Look out for the next Tiny Weddings Fair coming soon (hopefully in the not too distant future, all being well).

About Tiny Weddings’s hosts

Claire is a wedding planner, specialising in elopements and small destination weddings in Central Park, New York, for couples from all over the world. She has been doing this for over six years and has planned almost two hundred and fifty weddings so far. All of her weddings have had under fifty guests and most have between five and fifteen guests. She knows the tiny wedding market well. She knows what drives a couple to choose a tiny wedding and what values and priorities are popular for the couples that take this route.

Carly has been blogging about elopements since her own elopement in 2015. Beginning her career in wedding journalism, Carly moved into wedding planning and events management but always knew it wasn’t her scene. Carly has planned and executed weddings, fairs and events for some of the UK’s most recognisable venues and attractions and continues to work with events venues day to day as a consultant. When her own marriage was imminent she quickly realised there wasn’t much choice for those who wanted a great wedding without a huge guest list, Carly began seeking out suppliers of tiny wedding and elopements around the world and the rest is history.

twitter-1@Tiny_Weddings

facebook logo@TinyWedsFair

First published 17 September 2018. Updated 10 June 2020.

Celebrate your original wedding date

Celebrate your original wedding date

by | 16, May, 2020 | blog, guest post, tips

Wedding plans on hold

What a strange few months we’ve been living through. A time when pretty much everything in our diaries has been wiped out. When plans have all been put on hold. It has all felt a little surreal, uncertain and apprehensive.

Obviously weddings have been greatly affected by current events with no sign yet on when they will be possible and in what format they will take when they are allowed again.

Celebrate your original wedding date

Meanwhile, wedding planner at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, Stacey Puffer has put together these lovely ideas for how you can still celebrate your original wedding date whilst plans are on hold (featuring some tantaslising shots of food prepared by Clerkenwell Green).

Your wedding day is one of the most exciting and memorable days of your life. Having to postpone your wedding day due to COVID-19 can be very upsetting. If you’ve had to postpone your wedding due to COVID-19, don’t despair there are still several ways you can still celebrate your original wedding date!

Exchange your vows

No doubt you’ve probably already written your vows, don’t let them go to waste, share them with each other on the date or your original wedding day.

Celebrate virtually

Whilst it’s not the same, why not get together your closest friends and family on zoom or house party app, pop a bottle of fizz and acknowledge that this was your original date!

Write a love letter

This will no doubt be a difficult time for you both, it’s something you’ve looked forward to for so long, so bring out some of those emotional feelings about your partner, the excitement of marrying them and what it means to you.

Order cake

Whether it’s a wedding cake or ordinary cake from your local cake/coffee shop (many are offering ‘order online’ services) order cake. Cake always solves everything – even if it’s for a few moments!

Date night

Share a romantic evening with your partner, whether it is a romantic meal cooked from scratch or your local take away, throw in a few rose petals on the table and a bottle of wine (maybe it’s one that you had saved for your original wedding date), or make your signature cocktail (if you were planning on having cocktails at your wedding). Whatever you decide to do, make it a special occasion and memorable to you both. This will help lift your spirits.

Put a ring on it

Why not celebrate your original wedding date with a symbolic ring (we all love a little bit of bling) or even your actual wedding rings, there is no reason why you couldn’t start to wear it should you wish.

Car parade

Whilst your nearest and dearest can’t be by your side right now, seeing family and friends (from afar) with beaming smiles, wedding bunting, maybe your first dance song blaring from the cars radio, supporting you in this current situation is a perfect way of helping you celebrate and marking this occasion.

Remember #loveisnotcancelled, you will get to say ‘I do’ and you will have your wedding day to remember!

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Get the bunting out!

Get the bunting out!

by | 4, March, 2020 | blog, guest post, tips

For centuries, ‘putting the flags out’ was the cue to celebrate something great that has happened and to really push the boat out.

And these decorative strings of paper or material triangles, often called ‘bunting’, have been used at many a street party commemorating a momentous occasion like D-Day, the Queen’s jubilees, royal weddings, and festivals.

The origins of bunting

The word bunting could have derived from the German word ‘bunt’ which means colourful.

Plus, bunting often refers to a collection of flags, particularly on the ships of the Royal Navy for communication purposes. A ship’s communications officer, who would’ve been responsible for raising the flags as signals, is still known as the “bunt”.

In addition, bunting was originally made from a coarse, loosely woven cotton fabric, with a very open weave, similar to cloth used to sift grain in the Middle Ages. The act of sifting was known as ‘bonten’.

Today bunting is used to describe strings of flags to decorate parties: inside or outside; made of cloth, cardboard, plastic or lace; in a variety of shapes and sizes; with or without patterns.

Take a look at these top tips from Doris and Tate to complete your venue with bunting.

Create a festival wedding

A hot wedding trend for 2020 is to recreate the magical feel of a weekend festival. Use colourful bunting fluttering across the tents and stages or from tree to tree. Serve hot food or ice cream from outside stalls or wagons, and light smoke flares to create wedding photos to remember. If your venue is inside but you’re still craving a festival vibe, try fanning long lengths of vibrant, colourful bunting from a central ceiling point out over the tables or dance floor. It’s an easy and quick way to create the ‘wow’ factor, and you can match the fabric to your wedding flowers for a Boho look.

More is more with bunting

The best thing about hanging bunting in your venue is that you can never have too much – in fact, more is more when it comes to hanging these cheery decorations. One the most impactful ways to hang bunting is lines of flags across the width of the room – this is particularly effective if you have a balcony or mezzanine so guests can look down on the bunting from above. If you’re using a venue with a high ceiling such a barn, using lengths of bunting strung across the room lowers the focal point of the ceiling and creates a more intimate space.

Make it personal

Make a length of your own bunting with fabric of sentimental value. Perhaps you have a special piece of fabric or an item of clothing (such as your mum’s old wedding dress) that you’d like to be part of your big day. Don’t try and take on the whole venue (you’ve got enough to do), but make shorter, more personal, lengths to hang on your top table, at the bar or over the entrance. Making a shorter length of bunting means you can use it in your home after the wedding, and you could even personalise it with letters to spell out your names.

Pick a colour scheme

If you have a smaller venue, choose bunting with a single colour theme for an ordered and coordinated feel. Forget twee union jacks, try darker colours for a more stylish look, jute tones for a natural feel or for the ultimate in timeless beauty, you can’t go wrong with pure white and ivory. Pick out coordinating colours from your bouquet and bridesmaids’ dresses to decorate the tables and the rest of the room.

Make it magical with fairy lights

We think bunting brings a venue alive and says ‘party’ all on its own. But for extra glamour and magic, think about draping strings of fairy lights over the top. This creates a twinkling layered look that provides a feast for the eyes, and ensures your bunting goes seamlessly from day to night.


about Doris and Tate

Doris and Tate is two cousins who are based in the village of Chalford, near Stroud, in the Cotswolds.

They make the ultimate in eco bunting – you hire it and it’s made from repurposed fabric – off cuts, fabric samples, clothes, chair covers –anything that is no longer wanted they transform into double sided, high quality, beautifully made eco bunting.

They love colourful, mismatched bunting but also adore a pure white swath of bunting draped from trees in the summer.

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Always the bridesmaid and never the bride

Always the bridesmaid and never the bride

by | 20, February, 2020 | blog, traditions

Bridal party support team

When you tie the knot you want to make sure that you have the best support team around you.
Like the advice from one of the real brides in wedding day advice from real brides and grooms, you should ‘choose your team well’. Just the same as if you were putting together a project team at work, the people you choose to have around you at your wedding are crucial. So pick the bridesmaid that will keep you calm when you are stressed, offer advice when needed, and won’t complain when you ask them to make favours the night before the wedding!


5 times the bridesmaid

At one point in my life, I honestly thought that the film 27 Dresses was written about me! I thought I was destined to only ever be a bridesmaid and not a bride. I even thought about being a professional bridesmaid at one point!

I have actually been bridesmaid 5 times at different parts of my life: flower girl at just turned one and only just walking in the late 1970s, cute bridesmaid with orange dress with puffball sleeves in the 80s, and embarrassed tweenie bridesmaid in an unusual red bridesmaid dress in the 90s.

Probably the most influential and meaningful weddings that I was honoured to be a part of (prior to my own of course) were those of my two closest friends in July 2007 and August 2008 when I was a grown up.

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride

Early Roman law required that there were 10 witnesses at a wedding (which has now evolved into having bridesmaids and groomsmen). Back then, the witnesses had to dress exactly like the bride and groom in order to fool any evil spirits in the room from coming after the happy couple.

The bridesmaid superstition about being ‘three times the bridesmaid, never the bride’ stems back to the 16th century. Back then people thought that if you’d been a bridesmaid 3 times and hadn’t caught the eye of a suitable partner then you were obviously destined to end up on your own.

Not to worry though, this curse could be lifted once you’d been a bridesmaid at 7 weddings. Or according to folklore, you can also reverse the curse by catching the bride’s bouquet.

The old saying could also be found in the title of the 1917 English Music Hall song ‘Why am I always the Bridesmaid?’ by Charles Collins and Fred W Leigh (who are famous for other songs such as ‘Any old iron’ and ‘Don’t dilly dally on the way’.)

Why am I always the bridesmaid
Never the blushing bride
Ding dong, wedding bells
Only ring for other girls
One fine day
Oh let it be soon
I shall wake up in the morning on my own honeymoon.

I was reminded of this song when I recently watched ‘Behind number 9’ series 1 episode 1 when they are all playing sardines and one of the characters sang it inside the wardrobe where they are hiding.

A more recent musical, ‘I love you, you’re perfect, now change’ from the late 1990s also featured a song around this superstition called ‘Always a bridesmaid’:

Well, I’ve walked down the aisle
As much as Liz Taylor
But I’ve always stood off to the side
Each bride has me dressed
In a gown I detest
Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.

Role of the bridesmaid

For me, it wasn’t a curse though – it was wonderful to be one of their bridesmaids It feels so wonderful to share someone’s special day and be part of the wedding party. And I was lucky enough to play a number of these different attendant roles at weddings.

Chief bridesmaid

A chief bridesmaid (or maid of honour) is the principle unmarried attendant who acts as advisor, messenger and personal assistant to the bride. She often organises the hen party, holds the bride’s bouquet during vows, arranges the bride’s veil or train during the day, and helps with planning if required.

The chief bridesmaid offers moral support, advice and emotional support more than anything else.

Traditionally when the couple returned home from their honeymoon, the chief bridesmaid would wait at their home and welcome them.

Matron of honour

The Matron of Honour is a married female attendant.

Bridesmaids

A bridesmaid can be a girl or woman (usually one of several) who accompanies the bride on her wedding day. Bridesmaids help choose their own outfits, attend fittings, form part of the bridal procession, welcome guests, and offer cake around to guests.

Other duties could include acting as a witness if necessary, joining the receiving line, looking after the wedding dress during the honeymoon, or doing a reading in the ceremony.

Flower girl

A flower girl has less responsibility and is mainly there to look cute. Sometimes they might be asked to scatter petals ahead of the bridal procession or even hold a long wedding dress train down the aisle.

Ring bearer

With extra responsibility is the chosen one to carry a pillow down the aisle with the rings tied to it.

Bridal party

Whether male or female, the attendants you choose are the support network for the bride and groom, helping them to plan (and enjoy) the big day, and come armed with the wedding day survival kit.

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