by Hanami Dream | 13, January, 2020 | blog, trends
[As featured on pages 65-67 of the October/November 2019 edition of Your Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wedding]
Couples are currently looking at ways to personalise their nuptials and break from tradition. Wedding styling is seeing an abundance of original alternatives that blend together cultures, creativity and lots of personal touches.
Mixing and matching seem a great way to compromise, as couples decide that they don’t have to settle on one particular style. This gives a great fusion of modern and vintage, along with contrasting textures, colours and mixed metals.
It’s why there’s an abundance of beautiful wedding styling trends to look out for at the moment. Here’s my top pick for 2020:
contemporary classic
Subtle updates to some traditional wedding styles include an injection of more vibrant colours. The use of colour is being used more subtly though and is often paired alongside neutral colours. And it certainly isn’t the case of everything having to match anymore.
Coloured linens are giving white napkins a run for their money, whilst cutlery is coming in different colours too. The best use of colour is with mix and match bridesmaids, where the styles and hues of dresses compliment each other or are in varying shades of the same colour.
Nods to Art Deco are appearing again in wedding themes, paying homage to the golden jazz age and The Great Gatsby era, with lace also seeing a revival. Scents are becoming important at weddings to appeal to ALL the senses, so more personalised scented candles are being used around the venue to enhance the atmosphere.
Couples are choosing to sit intimately on their own sweetheart table, whilst an array of cakes are being displayed on dessert tables. And whilst there is a move towards having less décor, some couples are supersizing their décor elements to make an impact.
country garden
The greenery trend is still going strong with couples wanting connections with nature. Weddings are bringing the outdoors in with an abundance of foliage, trees, enchanted indoor forest walks and floral arches. Banquet tables are being decorated with low florals (so guests can see one another across them) or hanging centrepieces above the tables.
And couples continue to use alternatives to real flowers such as pot plants, succulents and air plants that can be reused again after the wedding. But the biggest trend right now is the use of grasses, pods and dried flowers, with pampas grass seeing a huge surge in popularity. This is being used across all elements of décor from the big statement pieces (like ceremony backdrops, aisle runners and chandeliers), to fillers in bouquets (or big statement bouquets), table centrepieces and accents on the cake or table plan.
One plume or a huge arrangement, dried or fresh, pampas grass is proving to be versatile across seasons and marries well as a neutral with many colours.
modern minimalism
Thanks to the Marie Kondo effect, minimal weddings are still popular and continue to exude sophistication especially when couples stick to one colour, such as white, to make an amazing statement.
To achieve maximum impact the minimal way, couples are keeping decor, florals and styling to a few key pieces.
The use of metallic decor, silverware and mirrors bounce natural light around the space, along with clear tables and chairs with no fussy table cloths or chair covers.
Use of geometric shapes such as hoops and prisms in different scales add to the modern styling. With free-flowing modern calligraphy on stationery items.
urban cool
Industrial venues often offer a complete blank canvas and statement backdrops to the traditional wedding elements. Couples can design the layout of the room, complete with make shift aisles and chill out lounge seating areas.
Old warehouses, city pubs, or disused factories with deteriorating brickwork, wooden beams and big windows, all provide a great contrast with a relaxed wedding vibe. These are the perfect venues for some New York loft styling and to mix modern and vintage elements together.
Décor is focused on concrete, stone and cement details such as marbled concrete pots, concrete coasters, concrete letters, and concrete table numbers.
And it’s all about unique lighting with vintage lampshades, statement chandeliers and 80s inspired neon.
quirky and personal
Personalisation is still the most prevalent theme in weddings right now. Couples are making their nuptials as individual as they are and are breaking from tradition. There is an abundance of original alternatives that blend together cultures, creativity and lots of personal touches.
Couples are going beyond paper stationery with different material types such as Perspex, denim, wood or agate slices. And printing invites on things their guests can use again. Likewise, guest books are things couples will use or see every day such as recipe books, furniture and artwork.
Alternatives to real flower bouquets include flowers made of fabric, felt, paper, sheet music or comic book pages. Carrying flowers in different arrangements such as pomanders, hoops and wreaths. Holding objects instead of flowers, using sparkly things to make a bouquet or using other natural alternatives to flowers. Plus, paper flowers are being used for décor and in ceremony arches.
Couples are considering new ways to wear flowers such as bow ties, corsages, floral rings, anklets and chockers.
Llamas seem to be the animal of choice to be a guest at weddings. Plus, the evolution from Chinese lanterns and sparklers has now moved on to super dramatic smoke bombs.
bohemian and vintage
It’s a sad fact that, by their nature, weddings can be quite wasteful. However, more couples nowadays are choosing eco-friendly and sustainable options to reduce the impact that their wedding day has on the environment.
Where possible couples are thinking about foraging, borrowing or hiring items, upcycling vintage décor, making their own items and considering how to pass on items afterwards. Food is more seasonal, local and vegan. With couples looking at how to make their wedding a plastic free event.
The other trend to look out for is Kintsugi. This is upcycling Japanese style – the art of repairing or recycling broken items in beautiful and artistic ways.
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by Hanami Dream | 30, December, 2018 | blog, trends
[As featured on page 65 of the December/January edition of Your Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wedding]
Couples are currently looking at ways to personalise their nuptials and break from tradition. Wedding styling is seeing an abundance of original alternatives that blend together cultures, creativity and lots of personal touches.
Mixing and matching seem a great way to compromise, as couples decide that they don’t have to settle on one particular style. This gives a great fusion of modern and vintage, along with contrasting textures, colours and mixed metals.
Here are my top wedding styling trends to look out for at the moment:
Bringing the outside inside
The greenery trend has meant less flowers and more plants and foliage are prevalent, with top tables awash with garlands running down the whole of the table and spilling off the ends to the floor, with gentle inclusions of white flowers. Think of the foliage arch that was around the door of St George’s Chapel for Harry & Megan’s wedding.
Couples are also thinking more seasonally with their choices and including foraged items such as moss, fruit, vegetables, feathers, cones and other seasonal items from the environment around them.
Alternatives to paper stationery
Couples are thinking beyond paper and using different material types such as Perspex, denim, wood or agate slices for their suite of wedding stationery. For the transparent acrylic trend, the use of Perspex chairs, tables, menus and signage means that stationery doesn’t detract but blend in with the surroundings. Clear ‘stationery’ will continue to grow in popularity for a modern style and this is evolving further to iridescent details.
Minimal look and feel
On average, wedding guest numbers are decreasing and micro weddings are on the rise; with couples wishing to keep things small, personal and more meaningful. This vibe is also transcending to the look of the day, with plain, simple and minimal styling. This can be enhanced by using one colour for maximum impact such as white for an amazing statement with a relaxed and tranquil atmosphere.
Festival vibes
Outdoor or tipi weddings with macramé ceremony backdrops are seeing a massive upturn at the moment. Think hanging greenery, trees, dream catcher favours, festoon lighting, ribbon drapes, food vans, chill out areas and fire bowls.
Alternatives to real flowers are better for the environment and the pocket – make paper flowers or borrow house plants for a great diy wedding.
Statement backdrops
Move over flower walls and arches – the ceremony wreaths are here! Archways are being superseded by moongates, circular arches and other impactful ceremony backdrops. Couples are using them to walk through on their way down the aisle, a spectacular ceremony or photo backdrop, behind top tables, bars or dessert tables. The wreaths can be decorated with flowers and/or foliage, all over or partially covered.
Air plants
Another alternative to flowers is air plants, which are a brilliant evolution on the succulent trend. Their delicate tendrils give a wonderful contrast against the soft tulle of wedding dresses.
Use them in bouquets, table displays or in glass suspended baubles.
Gem stones rock
Shiny rocks will continue to see a place in wedding venue styling with agate (or hollow geodes) still at the forefront of designs in cakes and name settings, as well as the revival of marble details.
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by Hanami Dream | 13, December, 2017 | blog, trends
Weddings are a wonderful celebration of love and marriage. They can blend together families, traditions, cultures, creativity and lots of personal touches. Whether a religious, civil or humanist ceremony, a traditional or themed reception, these special days are about what is important to each individual couple.
Despite some couples’ originality, there are always trends that appear and popular themes that epitomise a particular era (think puff ball sleeves from the eighties). Sometimes fashion, films, television programmes, interior design, celebrity weddings and even current affairs influence these trends. Of course, there are some timeless and classic themes that never seem to go out of favour like a ‘romantic’ theme and personalisation is still key at the moment.
So what does 2018 hold for the world of weddings? Here is a curation of some of the top trends to look out for next year.
Choices
Making your special day all about you is the name of the game. With Pinterest at our finger tips, there are lots of ways to personalise your nuptials and break from tradition. In particular, I think that alternatives for the following aspects of wedding days will continue to be more and more original:
- Alternative stationery – go beyond paper with different material types such as perpex, denim, wood or agate slices
- Alternative guest books – think about things you’ll use or see every day such as recipe books, furniture and artwork (see more ideas at alternative wedding guest book ideas)
- Alternative florals – the greenery trend has meant less flowers and more plants and foliage. Along with paper florals and other lasting alternatives to bouquets, consider new ways to wear flowers such as corsages, floral rings, anklets and chockers. My personal floral alternative favourite is succulents and air plants, as well as foraged items such as moss, fruit, vegetables, feathers, cones and other seasonal items from the environment around us. Plus the archway will be superseded by the ceremony wreath. And urns, vases, bell jars and different ways to show flowers will be big next year.
- Alternative rings – mixed metal trends will start to be seen in wedding rings as well as décor, plus more finger tattoos are emerging as another option to wearing a ring at all.
Culling
Uncertain times, call for purse strings to be a bit tighter. So I believe that budgets may be slightly dwindling in 2018. This could result in trends for:
- More couples to diy and create, source or design elements themselves
- Using industrial, blank spaces or open spaces as a blank canvas
- Minimalist styling with one accent or monochrome colour schemes
- Smaller guest lists
- Later weddings held at a different time of day so couples don’t have to feed people twice!
Clothing
Bridal wear is continuing to see a shift in trends to provide new, innovative and unusual styles to make sure the bride makes a statement and is different to any other on her big day. Fashion trends that are appearing on the catwalks (that will surely influence weddings next year) include:
- Covering up the arms with arms warmers, long sleeves or capes
- Adornments on dresses such as cascading shoulder bows, butt bows, feathers, shirt collars and 3D flowers
- Skirts will have plenty of drama with high/low hem lines or slits
- Whilst the backs of dresses will continue to wow with the 18th century style Watteau backs (a section at the back of a dress that is gathered or pleated at the neck and falls unbelted to the floor)
- Fabrics will be structured and sheer
- With metallic detail and even black accents
- Soft colour dresses will continue to grow in popularity
- Accessorise with big earrings and embellished shoes
Colour and styling
So much influences our daily lives which in turn spills over to the world of weddings, including decorative elements from different arenas such as interior design, architecture, graphic design, lighting, furniture and textiles. One part that overarches these elements is the importance of colour.
- The Pantone® Colour of the Year always plays a big part in influencing popular colours and I don’t think next year will be any exception. In 2018, the colour of the year is a striking blue-toned purple called Ultra Violet . Pantone are citing it as ‘optimistic and empowering color” for “originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking” [take a look at my report about the colour of the year – https://www.hanamidream.co.uk/pantone-announce-the-color-of-the-year-2018/] and I’m pretty pleased as purple is my favourite colour! I think it will work particularly well teamed with the greenery colour of 2017. Here’s my take on the other colours to look out for in spring/summer 2018 – https://www.hanamidream.co.uk/top-spring-2018-colours-from-pantone/.
- Textures – crushed velvet will become more prevalent for more luxurious styles
- Transparent – Perspex chairs, tables, menus and signage will continue to grow in popularity for a modern style and this is evolving further to iridescent details
- Metallic – the metallic trend isn’t showing any signs of tiring just yet. Next year will be the turn of copper to take to centre stage
- Gem stones – agate (or hollow geodes) are still going to be at the forefront of designs, as well as marble. Plus pearl details are set to come back into the limelight in 2018.
- Mix and match – you don’t have to settle on one style for a great fusion of modern/vintage, different cultures and mixed colours. I’m hopeful for vibrant folk art style weddings to be a great evolution of the boho festival trend.
- Foraged items – my personal tip is for peacock feathers and all the bright associated colours of this beautiful bird
Catering
Family style serving is still a great way to share the wedding reception which works so well on long, large banquet tables lining the room. Plus couples want their food to look amazing so that it is Instagram worthy.
Other food and drink highlights to support emerging tends include:
- Local produce – organic, farm to table that supports local suppliers
- Cakes – marbling icing, amazing geode crystal detailing and metallic cakes
- Unusual catering vans, dessert tables and interactive stations at the reception – think gin bars, hot chocolate stations and make your own pudding
- Dietary requirements – upsurge is requests for vegan desserts so that it caters for all guests
- Personalised cocktails – have your own cocktails created and served as the ‘house’ aperitif instead of Pimms or Buck’s Fizz when guests arrive. Or how about two different personal cocktails to represent the different tastes of the couple.
Culture
The world of films and tv always influences trends and 2018 looks set to be a year of blockbusters to choose from such as:
- Comic book films like: Incredibles 2, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Avengers: Infinity War, and Fantastic Beasts 2
- Children’s classics including: Jungle Book, Arctic Justice, and Mary Poppins Returns
- Sci-Fi movies such as: Solo: a Star Wars Story, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Black Panther, and Aquaman – wouldn’t an Atlantis underwater wedding be amazing!
- Action movies including: M:I 6 – Mission Impossible, and Ocean’s 8 – a brilliant female reboot set in New York
- Love stories like: Fifty Shades Freed, and Love, Simon
Plus big tv shows such as Peaky Blinders, Dr Who (complete with a new female doctor after Christmas) and a new adaptation of Vanity Fair (set in the 19th century around the Napoleonic Wars) will help some wedding themes.
Film and video will continue to be more prevalent at weddings with couples choosing 360 videos, virtual reality experiences and drones to capture their big day. Along with social media being a part of the day and a way to capture everyone’s pictures of the day (it’s just the modern version of the disposable cameras on the table!) with personalised snap chat geofilters and your own hashtags for the day.
Celebrities
As well as the wonders of Pinterest, couples are inspired by seeing others doing something first. So it’s no surprise that details from celebrity weddings will influence wedding trends. Here are some famous engaged couples that could make it up the aisle in 2018 and their special days will be ones to watch:
- Prince Harry & Meghan – need I say any more! This will be THE wedding of the year and will surely spur some British street party style themes
- Candice Brown & Liam Macaulay – she is a former Great British Bake Off winner so I’m sure there’ll be some wedding cakes goals emerging from this day!
- Kate Mara & Jamie Bell – perhaps some Fantastic 4 or Billy Elliot themes
- Matthew Lewis & Angela Jones – he played Neville Longbottom so will we see some more Harry Potter themes?
- Rosie Huntington-Whiteley & Jason Statham – surely an action packed wedding expected there
- Stephen Webb & Daniel Lustig – these guys are stars of Gogglebox and sure to have some original details to aspire to
- Robert Pattinson & FKA twigs – Twilight themed weddings are still popular and great outdoor weddings
Current affairs
You may be living and breathing your wedding and everything else in the world is taking a back seat. However, things are still going on around you and some national, local and annual events may have an impact on your guests involvement, availability and enjoyment. Here’s some events around the world that could influence your choice of dates and could also influence wedding trends:
- Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea 9-25 February 2018
- Commonwealth Games in Australia, 4-15 April 2018
- World Cup in Russia 14 June – 15 July 2018
These are a few of my predictions for wedding trends in 2018. I’d love to hear what you think are going to be popular wedding trends next year. Email me with your predictions and take a look at more of my curation and inspiration on Pinterest.
May I take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.
Are you getting married in 2018? Is your wedding going to be following one of these trends? Let me know if you’d like to share the detail shots of your day on my blog to inspire other couples who are wedding planning. If you (and your photographer) are happy, then take a look how to submit your wedding.
by Hanami Dream | 21, December, 2016 | blog, trends
Weddings are a wonderful celebration of love and marriage. They can blend together families, traditions, cultures, creativity and lots of personal touches. Whether a religious, civil or humanist ceremony, a traditional or themed reception, these special days are about what is important to each individual couple.
Despite some couples’ originality, there are always trends that appear and popular themes that epitomise a particular era (think puff ball sleeves from the eighties). Sometimes fashion, films, television programmes, interior design, celebrity weddings and even current affairs influence these trends. Of course, there are some timeless and classic themes that never seem to go out of favour like a ‘romantic’ theme and personalisation is still key at the moment.
So what does 2017 hold for us?
Clothing
Bridal wear is really seeing a big shift in trends to provide new, innovative and unusual styles to make sure the bride makes a statement and is different to any other on her big day. Fashion trends that are appearing on the catwalks (that will surely influence weddings next year) include:
- Tailored separates including trousers or culottes, as well as shirts
- Athletic looking clothing but in evening wear material
- Alternative necklines to strapless such as halters, plunging and embellished necklines
- Varying lengths, cuts and material to provide short, sheer or cutouts
- Covering up the shoulders with long sleeves, boleros, lace or capes
- Plain veils
- Unusual accessories like ribbon hair bands, feather handbags and flat shoes
- Adornments on dresses such as bows, peplums, ruffles and 3D flowers
- Coloured & floral patterned dresses including various pastel shades and even black
Culture
The world of films and tv always influences trends and 2017 looks set to be a year of blockbusters to choose from such as:
- Comic book inspiration courtesy of Logan, Transformers, Lego Batman, Kong: Skull Island, Spider-Man and Wonder Woman
- Romantic fairy tales with Beauty & the Beast
- Futurist and space trends with releases of Blade runner 2049 and Star Wars 8
- Medieval individuality along with King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
- Beach and nautical themes thanks to Baywatch (plus Pamela Anderson’s 50th birthday) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
- Car racing, petrol head and Route 66 inspiration with Fast 8 and Cars 3
- 1920s Kazbar glamour with Murder on the Orient Express
- Fun themes spinning off from the Emoji Movie
And film and video will become more prevalent at weddings with more couples choosing 360 videos, virtual reality experiences and drones to capture their big day.
Celebrities
As well as the wonders of Pinterest, couples are inspired by seeing others doing something first. The affect of the royal wedding in 2011 is still apparent now as couples are choosing to have trees inside at their weddings. So it’s no surprise that details from celebrity weddings will influence wedding trends. Here are some famous engaged couples that could make it up the aisle in 2017 and their special days will be ones to watch:
- Pippa Middleton & James Matthews – I can’t wait to see how she tops her infamous bridesmaid dress and will Kate repay the favour?
- Tom Daly & Dustin Lance Black – will it be a swimwear only wedding like Tom has joked?
- Liv Tyler & Dave Gardner for a sports, fashion or rock and roll theme
- Emma Bunton & Jade Jones – though Baby Spice may need some help to start organising it as they’ve been engaged since 2010!
- Prince Harry & Meghan Markle – okay they’re not actually engaged yet but I can’t wait to see this that wedding day!
- Not exactly a celebrity (but to me she is a real star!) and that’s my mad Nan (self titled!) It’s so wonderful to see her so happy again and courting a lovely young man. Whilst we obviously miss Grampy, it would be lovely to see my Nan get hitched again. (Plus my little ones would make such cute attendants too!) There’s definitely a trend to seeing grandmothers as bridesmaids but I’d like to see mine as a bride next year.
Colour and styling
So much influences our daily lives which in turn spills over to the world of weddings including decorative elements from different arenas such as interior design, architecture, graphic design, lighting, furniture and textiles.
One part that overarches these elements is the importance of colour.
- The Pantone® Colour of the Year always plays a big part in influencing popular colours and I don’t think next year will be any exception. In 2017, the colour of the year is a yellowy green called Greenery. Pantone are citing it as ‘nature’s neutral’ [take a look at my report about the colour of the year] and I’m already a little bit in love with this colour! It will work well teamed with vibrant colours or partnered with pure white for a classic look. Here’s my take on the other colours to look out for in spring/summer 2017.
- Foliage – the colour of the year will also sit nicely alongside trends for more foliage and ‘bringing the garden inside’.
- Flowers – if you do go for flowers then they will need to make a statement and ‘go big or go home’ with paper florals emerging as an ecological and lasting alternative, new ways to wear flowers such as corsages, floral rings, anklets and chockers, as well as larger and looser bouquets
- Textures – be prepared for macramé in boho Coachella inspired themes, plus crushed velvet and total-coverage sequins for more luxurious styles
- Metallic – I’m so pleased that the metallic trend seems to be still going strong and isn’t showing any signs of tiring just yet. Rose, bronze, copper and gold – on their own, mixed together or used alongside white.
- Gem stones – this is a stunning and really striking trend using rocks lined with crystals (agate or hollow geodes) for a contemporary feel. As well as seeing marble coming back into the limelight.
- Transparent – strip it back by pairing nude and neutral colours alongside Perspex chairs, tables, menus and signage for a modern style
- Mix and match – pretty much anything goes and don’t be afraid to mix up all elements of the decor such as the colours, textures, metals and furniture. Not sure which colour to pick – well put them all together.
Catering
Family style serving is still a great way to share the wedding reception which works so well on long, large banquet tables lining the room.
Other food and drink highlights to support emerging tends include:
- Cakes – marbling icing, amazing geode cut out and crystal detailing and even wedding cakes with image projections on them
- Unusual catering vans, dessert tables and interactive stations st the reception – think oyster shuck trucks, gin bars and make your own pudding
- Food for favours – give you guests something they can take away and enjoy at home and remember the day like coffee beans, loose leaf tea or alcohol miniatures for favours
- Food walls – hang donuts (for example) to make edible decor which could even double as escort cards too! Delicious!
- Personalised cocktails – have your own cocktails created and served as the ‘house’ aperitif instead of Pimms or Buck’s Fizz when guests arrive. Or how about two different personal cocktails to represent the different tastes of the couple.
Current affairs
You may be living and breathing your wedding and everything else in the world is taking a back seat. However, things are still going on around you and some national, local and annual events may have an impact on your guests involvement, availability and enjoyment. Here’s some events that could influence your choice of dates.
In addition, around the world, some momentous celebrations could also influence wedding trends.
- Europe – We will mark 15 years since the launch of the Euro in January. Could thoughts of Brexit mean we embrace all things European whilst we are still part of Europe? Potential costs of some products could go up if/when we do exit Europe such as flowers that are imported so couples may be looking for cheaper alternatives.
- Then in April, it will be the 40th anniversary since the fall of Saigon. I love the tea ceremonies from this region as part of their weddings celebrations along with the opulent red and gold colours.
- In August, it will be 40 years since Elvis died. Will this give us another 1970s revival? – think rhinestone jumpsuits!
- Later in the year, it is the 100th anniversary of the Russian revolution in November. Perhaps this will herald Russian traditions becoming more popular such as week long weddings, a tour of the city to have photographs taken at historical places and wearing wedding crowns in the ceremony. As well as the Russian tradition of seeing which of the newlyweds can grab the biggest handful of bread at the wedding breakfast to see who will be the head of the household.
These are a few of my predictions for wedding trends in 2017. I’d love to hear what you think are going to be popular wedding trends next year. Email me at info@www.hanamidream.co.uk with your predictions. See more of my curation and inspiration on Pinterest.
May I take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.
Are you getting married in 2017? Is your wedding going to be following one of these trends? Let me know if you’d like to share the detail shots of your day on my blog to inspire other couples who are wedding planning. If you (and your photographer) are happy, then take a look how to submit your wedding.
by Hanami Dream | 16, November, 2016 | #UKWedLunch
#UKWedLunch – Wednesday 16th November 2016
As well as general wedding planning chat, there’s some #toptips as well. This week’s theme is ‘wedding vows’ #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 1: Vows are promises rather than laws nowadays #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 2: You can choose to use traditional vows including ‘obey’ and ‘worship’ #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 3: Consider alternatives of ‘to love and to honour’ or ‘love and cherish’ #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 4: In humanist or non-religious ceremonies you can personalise & write your own vows #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 5: Make sure the vows you say are values & commitments you are willing to stand by #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 6: Capture the twinkle in your eye as well as the sincerity in your heart #UKWedLunch
This week’s top tips taken from Hanami Dream blog ‘To love and to cherish’ with thanks to Humanist Ceremonies #UKWedLunch
JOIN US EVERY WEDNESDAY! on Twitter between 1-2pm GMT
Next week’s theme is ‘dietary requirements’ #UKWedLunch
by Hanami Dream | 14, September, 2016 | #UKWedLunch
#UKWedLunch – Wednesday 14th September 2016
As well as general wedding planning chat, there’s some #toptips as well. This week’s theme is ‘How to keep your wedding guests happy’ #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 1: Keep your guests fed, watered and entertained – get them involved & interacting #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 2: Make it really clear in your invites who exactly is invited and to which part #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 3: Say the same things to everyone. Don’t have different rules for different people. Or if you do, be clear why. #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 4: Offer evening guests a flavour of the day too so they get to experience some ‘wedding’ elements in their experience. #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 5: Make it affordable & worth their while – give them a great wedding to remember #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 6: Let them know how much you appreciate their support and presence either with words or present #UKWedLunch
This week’s top tips taken from Hanami Dream blog ‘How to keep your wedding guests happy‘ #UKWedLunch
JOIN US EVERY WEDNESDAY! on Twitter between 1-2pm GMT
Next week’s theme is ‘Tipi Weddings’ #UKWedLunch
by Hanami Dream | 25, April, 2016 | blog, tips
Weddings are a wonderful celebration of love and marriage. And how wonderful to have all the people you care about in the same place at the same time. Along with the wedding party, the other beautifully attired guests in the room will have invested their time and money to be there on the day with you too.
At one point in my life I was a serial wedding guest and also could often be seen wearing a fancy dress stood at the front (although only as a bridesmaid all too often). Luckily I’ve now found my Prince Charming and I vowed to learn from all the weddings I’d attended to ensure that our wedding guests had an amazing time.
Here are my top ten tips to keeping your wedding guests happy and ensure your wedding is remembered as a great day by all:
1. Keep your guests fed, watered and entertained then you pretty much can’t go wrong. Fail at one of these and they’ll get twitchy, tetchy or bored. Remember everyone loves free things! If you can’t afford to pay for the bar all night then perhaps welcome drinks and some with the meal will be a nice gesture. Plus as someone with dietary requirements, I’m always impressed (& relieved) when different diets are considered at a wedding (which means I’ve got something to eat to soak up all that free drink!)
2. Keep them busy. No one likes to sit around for too long. Getting them involved and interacting will keep them engaged. Perhaps a video diary room for them to leave you a message or a photo booth for some fun. Don’t forget the children too with activities to keep their minds busy (and parents happy!)
3. Set expectations early. People are generally happier if they know what is happening and when. Give them a schedule with their invites (or in the order of service) so they at least know when the food will be served. Make it really clear in your invites who exactly is invited and to which parts. I was invited to a wedding a few years ago and the invite didn’t have any names on it. We didn’t know if our children were included let alone if we were both invited! Worse still, make it clear if they’re only being invited to the evening part rather than all day. Nothing worse than having to embarrassingly turn away guests.
4. Give clear and consistent communications. Make sure you say the same things to everyone. Don’t have different rules for different people. Or if you do, be clear why this is the case. For example, if you’ve said that it’s a kid free wedding but then you let one of your out of town guests bring their little ones with them. Or I once went to a wedding and wondered why so many of the guests were dressed in black and white. It turns out that one side of the family had been told that the couple had requested a colour scheme. However this message hadn’t been translated to all the guests including me (in my green and brown dress) and my husband (in his blue suit) plus the rest of our side of the family!
5. Choose your guests carefully. They say that the enjoyment of most gatherings can be made or broken depending on who is there. People do really make the party! So the all important seating plan can dictate what kind of a day your guests might have. Often I’ve been a guest at the evening part of a wedding and not really known anyone except for the happy couple. It’s been really hard to integrate with the day guests when you don’t know them and when you’re coming to the show late. So make sure that you can offer the evening guests a flavour of the day too. Perhaps save cutting your cake and first dance so they get to experience some ‘wedding’ elements in their experience too.
6. Inject some humour in to the day. Honestly the best weddings I’ve been to have been when I’ve been belly laughing at the speeches. Not the ones where I’ve been cringing at the inappropriateness, or yawning at the length of the speech or felt like an outsider as I didn’t understand any of the in jokes. Laughter is great and it’s really important to make the day fun for everyone but not just for a select few.
7. Show your love and gratitude. Guests may have come a long way, taken time off work or paid to stay over. So let them know how much you appreciate their support and presence either with words or presents. Isn’t it great to see a happy couple so in love and making this commitment. As a guest, I’ve definitely enjoyed weddings where the couple really look in love (it’s never good if you’re doubting whether it will work!) Just like the royal kiss on the balcony, we’re all waiting for the ‘you may now kiss the bride’ moment after your vows.
8. Pick the perfect place to say I do. Your guests don’t want to be freezing in a marquee in the winter or glomping across a muddy field in stilettos. If you’re going with something a little out of the norm then give your guests warning on different attire to wear or provide blankets, flip flops, sunglasses etc to cover the different eventualities. A wonderful trend at the moment is the weekend wedding when you pick a venue where your guests can stay over too. This is great to prolong the festivities and give you more opportunities to relax and mingle with all your guests.
9. Personalise the day. Where you can, try to make the experience individual for your guests so they feel special and an important part of your day. I once went to a wedding and the favours were all bars of chocolate. The wrapper was printed with a photograph of me as a child with the groom (who I’d know since I was very small). Every favour was personal to each guest and how they knew the couple. It still makes me smile thinking about it today.
10. Make it affordable. Think about your guests’ wallets when you’re planning the day. How much does a pint of beer cost at the bar? How much is a room to stay? How far away is the venue from where they live? It may put some guests off or leave a bad taste if things are too expensive or not good value for money. You may look at your guests with dollar signs over the head when you’re writing the guest list but they’re weighing up the expensive of coming too. Make it worth their while and give them a great wedding to remember.
by Hanami Dream | 11, November, 2015 | blog, guest post, tips
We don’t have a television at the moment. After some building work before the summer we moved it and have never reinstated it. We haven’t missed it at all and what it has meant is that we only watch something that we really want to watch now (rather than flicking through channels if we are tired) or do other things instead.
I’ve taken to watching iPlayer whilst I cook and found some great period dramas over the summer to watch such as The Duchess of Devonshire, The Scandalous Lady W and Lady Chatterley’s Lover. I soon discovered that there’s a common thread through these and realised that all of these films made me feel really lucky to be a wife of this century. Plus along with the recent film release of Suffragette, I’m very grateful that I have choices and rights that my ancestors wouldn’t have had.
The vows I chose to make when I got married were promises rather than laws. I didn’t become the property of my husband and I chose not to ‘obey’ him in my vows. However a few centuries ago people didn’t have this same luxury. We live in a time when marriage is about partnership, lifelong companionship and equal rights.
The wording of the Church of England traditional wedding vows includes the bride promising to ‘obey’ and the groom vowing to ‘worship’ his wife. However some couples choose to leave out these words nowadays and alternatively choose ‘to love and to honour’ or ‘love and cherish’.
Traditional vows
‘I, (name), take you, (name)
to be my wife/husband,
to have and to hold
from this day forward;
for better, for worse,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love and to cherish,
till death us do part’
Traditional promises
Will you love her, comfort her, honour and protect her,
and, forsaking all others,
be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?
Whilst traditional vows still hold a lot of meaning, relevance and importance, we are also able to choose to make those vows more personal depending on the type of ceremony. Especially in humanist or non-religious ceremonies where you can personalise and express yourself completely when writing your own vows. Whilst sometimes the amount of choices we have in life can be overwhelming, I remain grateful that we have choices.
Over the past four years, Zena Birch has worked very closely with couples to help them create their own personal vows to go alongside or precede more traditional ring vows. Here are some of her top tips for writing your own vows.
In a humanist ceremony instead of holding themselves accountable to a god or a deity, couples are actually asking those gathered to hold them accountable as they witness their public declarations. Therefore the words they say as they make their vows and their promises to each other are more important than ever.
In today’s age it is possible to live very happily together without getting married, so when a couple decide to take this extra step it is a deeply personal commitment. Your vows are to be celebrated every year you manage to uphold them, but they should also be the words that hold you fast when times get difficult and as such it is important that the vows you say to each other are made up of the values and commitments you are willing to stand by.
My couples and I work together to discover just what those words/promises might be. It can be very daunting – faced with a blank page and some of the most important words you are ever going to say, so the advice I tend to give is to make sure they:
- sound like you, they should have your tone of voice, they should be authentic – if you tease each other, there is no harm in an element of this being reflected within your vows, this is just as important as a sense of solemnity. Capturing the twinkle in your eye as well as the sincerity in your heart is key.
- reflect what you have both agreed to commit to one another. Although many couples decide to say their vows as a surprise to each other on the day, it is important that the process involved in creating them is shared so that they are in agreement with their core values.
- Enjoy creating them!
We are lucky to live in an era where our own words hold validity. Writing your own wedding vows is a very enriching experience and one which can really help lay the foundations needed for a long and joy filled marriage.
For more information on a humanist ceremony go to www.zenabirch.com or contact zenabirchweddings@gmail.com
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