by Hanami Dream | 21, October, 2015 | testimonials
Farrow Photography & Hanami Dream
“Having worked with Nicola on a variety of projects as a photographer, on each occasion she has been an absolute pleasure to collaborate with and a lot of fun.
Her energy and enthusiasm for creating the perfect environment, is matched by her ability to be extremely well organised and flexible. Once she has an idea she will research it in detail, create mood boards for inspiration, and then meticulously plans how everything is to unfold.
Her careful attention to detail has meant that nothing was missed on our photography shoots. She always thought of everything. Her creative abilities shone through, from making tutus and fairy doors to decorating the location with props that we had bought, borrowed or made.
She is highly motivated and has a natural ability to organise others, develop, manage and evolve strong relationships. She is an indispensable asset to the organisation of any event.
I only wish that she had planned my wedding!”
Sandra, Farrow Photography – October 2015
by Hanami Dream | 20, October, 2015 | blog, guest post, tips
There was a time when I thought I’d always be the bridesmaid and never the bride. I thought the film 27 Dresses was written about me! But despite being a bridesmaid more than three times, I’ve luckily now been a bride too. Before being married, I was a flower girl as a toddler, a bridesmaid twice as a child and a chief bridesmaid two times as an adult. My roles at the weddings were to look cute, to play a part in a family wedding and to provide support and guidance to close friends (in that order). It was certainly an honour to be part of the wedding party and enjoy the celebrations and their special day.
Plus one lasting part of being a bridesmaid is being able to enjoy wearing the beautiful dress again at other occasions after the wedding (although the orange puff sleeve dress from when I was a bridesmaid in the 1980s sadly doesn’t still feature in my wardrobe!)
Traditionally bridesmaids would’ve worn exactly the same as the bride to confuse evil spirits and protect the bride from bad luck. Nowadays bridesmaids are chosen to support the bride and to honour the part that friends and family have played in the bride’s life.
According to Cool Daily Infographics, there are around 11 million bridesmaids a year, brides have an average of 5 bridesmaids each, with 64% of brides dressing their bridesmaids in identical outfits.
Here is some wonderful insight from the lovely and highly talented Mrs W Tutus on the growing trends in bridesmaids’ dresses and why you should choose a tutu for your bridesmaids.
I’ve seen a lot of bridesmaids dresses over the years – as the eldest daughter of a Vicar, when you are very small an exciting Saturday afternoon excursion is to go and watch the arrival at Church of the Bride and her Bridesmaids/Flower Girls and swoon over the pretty dresses in front of you!
The wide ranging choices for dressing the littlest members of your Bridal party (and the big members for that matter) can seem hugely overwhelming – do you opt for something traditional from a Bridal boutique, scour the High Street for the right choice or opt for handmade?
Unsurprisingly, I am a big advocate for all things handmade – the benefit of choosing to have something made specifically for your little ladies is you get to have EXACTLY what you have been picturing in your mind during the dreaming/planning process and can be sure that no-one else will have dresses like yours!
Whether your wedding is going to be an incredibly traditional religious ceremony or something a little more outlandish and out of the ordinary, chances are there is a Tutu or Tutu Dress out there (or somewhere within the depths of your imagination) that will fit perfectly with your chosen theme.
If Traditional or Classic is your style, then choosing to put your little maids in either of my Taffeta Princess or British Belle styles offers a wonderful balance of pretty fluffy tulle coupled with the elegance of a taffeta overdress, all the finer details of which can be chosen and customised by you, whilst the Crochet Princess has a lovely Vintage feel to it, thanks to the hand crocheted bodice and wonderful oversized bow at the back.
If quirky or over the top is more your cup of tea however, opting for the Pomander Fairy or a full length tutu teamed with a Princess Streamers Bustle may be the way to go – both of these styles offer incredible amounts of wondrously fluffy tulle and most definitely appeal to the inner Princess of any Bridesmaid or Flower Girl!
Tutus are a great choice if you are choosing a Rustic theme for your wedding – a knee length tutu skirt teamed with a simple leotard are an excellent alternative to a potentially more traditional dress…….add a matching Tulle Crown and Wand and you have a great way of expressing the individuality of both the Bride and the young lady wearing it!
Another option to consider is a custom Tulle Petticoat to go under a more traditional dress – a flash of rainbow colours adds both fun and volume to an outfit……and is guaranteed to make everyone smile, courtesy of all the twirling that will be going on!
Once the Wedding Day is over, all these things make lovely additions to any little Princess’s dressing up box and can continue to be worn for many years to come!
Absolutely everything from Mrs W Tutus is handmade by herself and as well as existing designs, she is always excited to create something totally unique based on your own ideas – she has 42 colours of tulle that you can choose from, be it a single or mix of colours and some of which come in both sparkle and glitter tulle, so you can be confident that it will be a perfect match for your chosen theme.
For more information, go to www.mrswtutus.co.uk or email kate@mrswtutus.co.uk
@MrsWTutus
Mrs-W-Tutus
Mrs W Tutus
by Hanami Dream | 19, October, 2015 | news
Really proud to have won the UK Academy of Wedding and Event Planning’s fiesta SS16 Pantone® mood board competition.
http://www.weddingacademylive.com/2015/10/19/and-the-winners-are/
Image Credits (clockwise from top left)
arzimasks.com
best-restaurants-in-marrakech.com
capitalator.com
cyclehousefamily.com
dowdingshop.com
esubstation.com
fitnessfoodonline.com
furnitureskart.com
indosiang.com
listingtrips.com
by Hanami Dream | 29, September, 2015 | blog, trends
At this time of year Spring seems a long way off – we’ve just entered the Autumn Equinox, the leaves are changing colour, nights are drawing in and the mornings are bitterly cold (thankfully we’ve had some lovely sunny days though!).
However those lovely folks at Pantone® have just announced their colour report for Spring 2016, released to coincide with New York Fashion Week. And this palette of ten fresh and vibrant colours gives us hope for the Spring time when everything will come back to life again.
The colours seem full of sunshine and are really vibrant rather than just subtle pastels. There seems a real cohesion and they blend together in harmony. There’s not a colour that jars amongst them and we can already imagine some nifty colour partnerships amongst them.
We love the combination of the navy Snorkel Blue, yellow Buttercup and aqua Limpet Shell which transports us right to a tropical beach in the summer time – representing the sky, sand and sea respectively. Which is just the desired outcome by the Pantone Color Institute™ who say that ‘Colors this season transport us to a happier, sunnier place where we feel free to express a wittier version of our real selves.’
These colours are intended to be calming, soothing, relaxing and have a sense of escapism. This is a chilled out vacation in Cuba with days spent relaxing by the sea and nights full of fiestas.
The top ten colours for Spring 2016 are:
- PANTONE 13-1520 Rose Quartz
- PANTONE 16-1548 Peach Echo
- PANTONE 15-3919 Serenity
- PANTONE 19-4049 Snorkel Blue
- PANTONE 12-0752 Buttercup
- PANTONE 13-4810 Limpet Shell
- PANTONE 16-3905 Lilac Gray
- PANTONE 17-1564 Fiesta
- PANTONE 15-1040 Iced Coffee
- PANTONE 15-0146 Green Flash
Pantone® is the world-renowned authority on colour and the Pantone® Color of the Year is always really influential in any popular colour themes in fashion, interior design and weddings.
We wait with baited breath for the release of the 2016 news. Could it be the turn of an orange colour to be the Color of the Year such as Peach Echo? Or perhaps a strong neutral like Iced Coffee that will blend with Spring as well as Fall colours? Or our particular favourite is Buttercup. Let’s wait for December to find out!
by Hanami Dream | 16, September, 2015 | testimonials
“I want to say a huge thank you for all your help and support in the run up to and on our wedding day. Your thorough research and advice was so reassuring to us when considering our options and made us feel confident in making decisions knowing we were armed with all the information we needed!
We are also extremely grateful for your inspiration! You are such a natural at quickly identifying the perfect solution and always kept our theme at the forefront of your ideas – our carrot seed favours were perfection and the fact that you came up with the idea just shows how interested you were in our relationship, by remembering that Dan proposed to me with the words ‘Will you marry me?’ spelled out with carrots!
Your planning documents played such an important part in the run up to our wedding, and I truly believe that your itinerary template was a huge factor in the success of our day! Everything ran so smoothly as everyone knew exactly what should be happening and when. Our best man was able to keep everything to time armed with this amazing document!
We thoroughly enjoyed planning our wedding and at no time felt stressed about any aspect of it. Our day was simply perfect and we were able to sit back and enjoy every moment knowing that everything was in hand.
Your passion for weddings and exceptional organisation makes you the perfect wedding planner, and I will be recommending you to anyone planning their wedding in future – they will be lucky to have you!”
Vikki & Dan, Cogges Manor Farm, Witney – August 2015
by Hanami Dream | 15, September, 2015 | blog, guest post, tips
My phone broke the other week and I lost all my photos. I was gutted I’d not backed it up recently. It made me realise how important pictures are to me – a lasting memory of a moment in time never to be replayed. Luckily technology nowadays allows us to have a back up, prepare for the worst and gives us options should accidents or the unexpected happen. Surely we should apply this same back up plan mentality when thinking about one of the biggest (and most expensive) days of our lives? Here are some things to think about, courtesy of those nice people at Silk Thistle Wedding Insurance.
When planning your wedding, insurance is probably the last thing on your mind. After all, there are so many important decisions to make: Finding the perfect venue, planning menus, colour schemes and flowers. Would you like your bouquet cascade or would a single flower make more of a statement? Should you have a traditional three-tier cake or one made of cheese or even a pork pie wedding cake? Would you prefer a vintage Rolls Royce to take you there or something a little different, like a double decker bus or a Hummer?
Even wedding photography has got more complicated; drones, videos and photo booths are all available, as well as some amazing wedding photographers, but who or what do you choose? There are wedding trends you had never even thought of: Boho, Gatsby, Rockabilly and Fairytale to name a few. Your wedding dress will reflect your style so it’s essential to get it right. And what about the shoes?
You plan everything down to the minutest detail. It’s like a military operation. What could possibly go wrong……?
Well unfortunately, things don’t always go to plan. What if the hotel you had booked your reception at went into receivership, along with your hefty deposit just two weeks before the wedding? Or the bridal shop burnt down, along with your dress? What if your Dad had to go into hospital suddenly? The seating plan would be the least of your worries as you would be more likely to postpone the wedding altogether. It’s all very well planning for a little rain, but what if the weather was so bad you and your guests couldn’t even get there? What would you do if the photographer’s equipment was stolen and all those memories lost or the wedding cake got damaged in transit?
Wedding Insurance can protect against such eventualities by covering you financially should things go wrong. At Silk Thistle Wedding Insurance, there are six levels of cover to suit every budget, as well as optional extras like marquee, ceremonial swords and public liability cover. They cover things like the rings, venue, dress, cake, suppliers and even photography (if only they covered losing photos on smart phones!)
With the average wedding in the UK costing over £20,000 they don’t come cheap. It is a large financial commitment, probably the biggest you’ll make after buying a house and a car. Wedding Insurance is probably one of the smallest expenses of your wedding budget. It could be the best money you’ll ever spend on your wedding!
For more information go to www.silkthistle.co.uk
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by Hanami Dream | 10, September, 2015 | blog, guest post, tips
Booking your band is often one of the more enjoyable tasks when it comes to planning your wedding, however to prevent any hiccups on your special day (apart from those caused by the Champagne) have a read of the 5 essential tips below expertly compiled from the lovely people at Matchbox Music.
1. Size, does it matter?
Some say size doesn’t matter, but if you get to your wedding night and you haven’t checked your measurements you could be in for a disappointing end to the day.
I am of course talking about the size of your band. Although it might sound obvious, you should always check that your band is actually going to fit in your venue. If you are unsure, just send your band leader the dimensions of their performance space. Any professional band will be able to give you a size estimate for their act prior to the wedding.
2. Money, money, money
When trying to work out how much to spend on a wedding band, a general rule of thumb is to take the number of musicians and multiply it by £250. This can be used as an estimate for the starting price of a band excluding travel expenses, so for a 3-piece band you can expect the cost to start from £750. Make sure you confirm with the band how long and how many sets are included for the price, you can expect on the above price an average two 1-hour sets or three 45 minute sets.
You might have found your dream band for a price that fits your budget, but if the band has to travel 500 miles to get to your wedding, you’re going to have to pay hefty travel expenses or even pay for accommodation. Instead if you find a band that is more local to your wedding venue, the money you save on travel expenses can instead be used to pay for longer sets of music, a larger band or even getting the band to play your first dance.
3. Technical difficulties
Checking that the technical requirements of the band can be met by the venue is hugely important. Imagine booking a band to play outdoors at your wedding, only to find out on the day that the venue has no way of providing power for the band, it would be a disaster that could easily of been avoided.
A simple way to avoid such situations is to check the rider. A rider is simply a list of technical and general requirements that the band need in order to perform which you as the client are responsible for providing. Typical items to be found on the rider will be the number of power sockets required, providing a changing room for the musicians, and providing the band with a meal. If all items on the rider are not met, the band are within their rights to not perform, so it is important to carefully read through it.
Once you have read the rider, check with an appropriate agent at your venue that all the requirements can be met. It is better to do this sooner rather than later so any problems can be rectified.
4. Using a booking agent
Using an agent makes the process of finding your wedding band a lot simpler and more enjoyable. A good agency will have an easy to use website, which will have bands for every budget and genre. You can seamlessly browse through the acts, comparing their promotional videos, set lists and testimonials until you find the band that is perfect for your special day.
Using an agent can sometimes cost a little extra, but that money is well invested in the knowledge that you have support should any issues arise during the lead up to your wedding. In the event of the unexpected, such as the band breaking the contract, you won’t find yourself in a situation where you have no band with only a week until the wedding!
5. Superstar DJs – here we go!
To keep your guests dancing the night away even after the band has finished you’re going to need some music, and for this you will need to book a DJ… or do you? A way to potentially save money is to choose a band that offers a DJ package. Each band will offer different DJ add-ons ranging from a simple iPod playlists to a full DJ with decks. Whatever the case, if the band offers a DJ service it is probably going to be more cost effective than outsourcing an independently booked DJ.
With these top tips you’ll be set to dance the night away. If you’d like to find out more about booking a wedding band visit www.matchboxmusic.co.uk or contact Matchbox Music at info@matchboxmusic.co.uk
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by Hanami Dream | 24, August, 2015 | blog, traditions
The summer is a really special time of the year for me. Not only is it the height of the wedding season but it is also when I celebrate my own wedding anniversary with my lovely husband. We had such a beautiful wedding day spent with all our friends and family and we love to look back on the day with great fondness.
Celebrating your wedding day (and more importantly the passing commitment of your marriage) is often celebrated with a specific gift based on the number of years you have been married. This tradition dates back to the Middle Ages and the gifts relate to bringing luck to the couple. The gifts increase in value to reflect the time that the couple have invested in their marriage and each other.
To mark our anniversary my 87 year old Nan (despite being self-titled Mad Nan) always gets it right with our anniversary gift. She still relies on her trusting diary and with the aid of the lists at the back can easily identify which gift corresponds to which anniversary. This year she bought us a beautiful pot plant, last year was leather bookmarks, before that was a sewing kit with cotton reels in it and she gave us books the first year.
I’m truly lucky to have seen both sets of my grandparents reach their diamond wedding anniversary (60th). A feat that will be harder for our generation to achieve so readily. Until their passing, it was a joy to see my grandparents walking down the promenade holding hands, or squeezing each other’s knees and still so much in love. On my wedding day, my grandfather (he’s now nearly 92) gave me away and his advice to a long and loving marriage was good communication. He said to keep talking about everything and never to go to bed on an argument.
I remember going to many silver and ruby family anniversaries as a child and thinking that it was such a long amount of time to have spent doing anything. They were always amazing occasions and sometimes the only time we saw some of our distant relatives. One set of my grandparents always had big wedding anniversary parties. I went to their 30th, 40th, 50th and 60th parties and it was so special to celebrate with them and see how much everyone had changed every 10 years. When my grandparents had their 50th anniversary we put together a big food hamper and had great fun collecting together any food and other products with gold in the title (Gold Blend, All Gold, Golden Syrup, Golden Wonder, St Ivel Gold, Golden Grahams etc. You’ll be looking now next time you’re in the supermarket!)
Lots of couples nowadays are choosing to renew their vows more often and have another wedding celebration, as well as having anniversary parties to mark milestone years.
Meanwhile, some other popular trends include buying your new spouse an 0th anniversary present which is a gift to celebrate your wedding day such as cuff links, jewellery or a photo album.
Another way to celebrate long marriages might be with an anniversary dance at a wedding instead of throwing the bouquet. This is when you ask couples to all enjoy a dance together on the dance floor. One by one, the couples are asked to sit down during the song based on the length of their time together. The last couple on the dance floor will be the longest-married couple and they receive the bouquet. What a wonderful way to celebrate their togetherness!
If you don’t have a paper diary with those handy reference pages then you might want to take a look below at our compiled list of both traditional and modern themes. Some of the gifts in the traditional column have options depending on which side of the pond you want to take inspiration from! There are also lists in my Mad Nan’s diary for which flowers to give as gifts depending on the wedding anniversary year, as well gemstone gifts per year. What a font of knowledge my Nan ends up being!
| Year |
Traditional |
Modern |
| 1st |
Paper |
Clock |
| 2nd |
Cotton |
China |
| 3rd |
Leather |
Crystal / Glass |
| 4th |
Fruit / Flowers OR
Linen / Silk |
Appliances |
| 5th |
Wood |
Silverware |
| 6th |
Iron / Sweets |
Wood |
| 7th |
Copper / Wool |
Desk Set |
| 8th |
Salt / Bronze |
Linen/Lace |
| 9th |
Willow / Pottery |
Leather |
| 10th |
Aluminium / Tin |
Diamond |
| 11th |
Steel |
Jewellery |
| 12th |
Silk / Linen |
Pearls |
| 13th |
Lace |
Textiles/Fur |
| 14th |
Ivory |
Gold Jewellery |
| 15th |
Crystal |
Watches |
| 20th |
China |
Platinum |
| 25th |
Silver |
Silver |
| 30th |
Pearl |
Diamond |
| 35th |
Coral |
Jade |
| 40th |
Ruby |
Ruby |
| 45th |
Sapphire |
Sapphire |
| 50th |
Gold |
Gold |
| 55th |
Emerald |
Emerald |
| 60th |
Diamond |
Diamond |
| 65th |
Blue Sapphire |
Blue Sapphire |
| 70th |
Platinum |
Platinum |
| 80th |
Oak |
Oak |
Whether you’re celebrating your 0th anniversary, 25th, 30th, 40th or planning to make a new anniversary then we wish you a very happy one.
by Hanami Dream | 31, July, 2015 | blog, tips
If you’re thinking about changing your name when you get married there’s a few important documents that you’ll need to update (including your passport if you’re travelling in your married name on honeymoon!)
Here’s our list of documents and organisations that you might need to tell about your name change.
HOME:
- Mortgage company or management agency
- Council tax
- Electric board
- Gas board
- Telephone company
- Cable / satellite company
- Mobile company
- TV licence
- Water board
- Contents insurance
- Buildings insurance
- Storage
- Home Emergency
MONEY:
- Banks
- Building societies
- Credit cards
- ISA
- National savings
- Premium bonds
- Child benefit
- Card protection
PROFESSIONAL:
- Pension companies
- Life Assurance
- Inland revenue
- Solicitor
- Accountant
- Professional bodies
- Work
CAR:
- Driving licence / DVLA
- DVLC / V5
- Car tax
- Motoring associations
- Vehicle insurance
HEALTH:
- Health insurance
- Travel insurance
- Optician
- Doctor
- Dentist
- Dental insurance
OTHER:
- Passport
- Sports clubs
- Library
- Catalogues
- Magazines
- Electoral roll
- Flying clubs
- Store / reward / loyalty cards
- Charities
by Hanami Dream | 31, July, 2015 | blog, traditions
Friday 31st July, 2015 saw the rare occurrence of a blue moon. So named due to the frequency of the event rather than the colour of the moon. It happens every few years when there are two full moons in the same calendar month. The next one won’t be until 2018, so it really only happens ‘once in a blue moon’.
It’s interesting how the word ‘moon’ features in many common sayings and phrases. For example,’ once in a blue moon’ refers to something extremely rare.
Other ‘moon’ based idioms can mean striving for the best, longing for something, pining for something, extravagant promises, being extremely happy or can relate to the length of a lunar cycle (around a calendar month).
One common term based on a lunar month is ‘honeymoon’ (a word used a lot in conjunction with our favourite topic of weddings!) This word is said to come from the 5th century when a man would have captured his bride. The couple would hide for a full cycle of the moon after the wedding. During this month the newlywed couple drank mead (or honey wine) which is believed to have aphrodisiac properties.
Nowadays, a honeymoon is the holiday that newlyweds choose to take after the wedding to celebrate their marriage and spend time alone together (and recover from the wedding!) Traditionally the honeymoon was organised and paid for by the groom.
Honeymoon destinations vary wildly from exotic or far flung places to romantic or sentimental locations. The world really is your oyster! If you’re going abroad, don’t forget to consider whether you’ll be travelling in your maiden name or married name (if you choose to change it). Whichever you decide, make sure your passport and tickets have the same name on them. See our checklist of other documents and organisations to tell about your change of name too.
So whether you’re planning your honeymoon now or you went ‘many moons ago’, we’re sure you’ll be ‘over the moon’ as your partner ‘promised you the moon’. Don’t ‘moon over’ the places you haven’t visited yet, instead make sure you ‘shoot for the moon’ and ensure your holidays away together are not just ‘once in a blue moon’.
And then there suddenly appeared before me
The only one my arms will ever hold
I heard somebody whisper please adore me
And when I looked the moon had turned to gold
Blue moon
Now I’m no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart 1934
