The gin renaissance is still going strong and continues to be the on trend drink of the moment with flavoured gins being on the rise.
Here are some ways to include the nation’s favourite drink in to your wedding day courtesy of Liz Beswick, Co Founder of Collagin. She married on World Gin Day in June 2017 and had her business partner Cam Brown running the Collagin bar on the day. This, paired with insider tips and feedback from other brides she has helped, means Liz knows a lot about making a wedding a gin filled event!
Whether you are looking for ‘ginspired’ wedding décor, table pieces, wedding favours or a stand out bar, Liz shares her top tips from her personal and business experience below.
Make it personal
Everyone loves the personal touch at weddings and this is often what people remember about the big day. Put gins on the tables or behind the bar or even as wedding favours that you know your guests love. For example, place a mini bottle of Salcombe gin for Jack on table 9 to remind him of his childhood holidays but put a Cotswolds Gin for Julie on table 4 to remind her of THAT drunken hen do. The guests will be so touched by your gesture and the effort gone into knowing and thinking about your guests.
If you don’t have budget for personalised wedding favours, place gin bottles behind the bar with note tags on them explaining why you chose the gin. Or even better, create cocktail lists based on names of your guests or on your favourite places or memories as the bride and groom.
Use gins that compliment your colour scheme
Do you have an obvious colour scheme? If so, let the gin add to it! Bridesmaids in pink? Then only include pink gins at your wedding. Pretty pinks include Pinkster Gin, Collagin Rose or Malfy Rosa. Violet flowers? Make the centre pieces even more spectacular by including violet gins in the display. Good ones include Whitley Neill Parma Violet or Violetta. Continue your colour scheme through to the smallest touches and it will make a huge impact.
Make it unique
Everyone has seen all the major gin brands at weddings, so to get people talking, and to make your wedding décor or bar look different and to stand out, feature gins that people don’t see every day. This will grab attention and intrigue. Plus it will be very funny to get photos of Auntie Carol doing shots of Collagin with bridesmaid Beth after discovering the new tipple at your wedding. It might then become her favourite gin and will always remind her of your special day.
Make it different
Make the gin theme different – I am not talking about just the gin brands you use, but also how you display the gin bottles. Put fairy lights in empty bottles or use them as reed diffusers – get creative! Also, choose different tonic water brands to create a distinctive gin bar. We love Lixir tonic water as they are made by two lovely British lads. Again, the tonic water doesn’t need to be your everyday tonics so choose something unique or with a story.
Make it worth an Instagram post
Stack them into pyramids, decorate them with glitter, relabel them with your initials or wedding logo. Whatever you do to your gin, make them Instagrammable! If you are getting your invites designed, the same designer could create labels to stick on to gin bottles featuring your wedding design and initials or your wedding date and use them as table numbers.
Email the gin or tonic water brands about your big day
Collagin LOVE getting emails from brides. If they know you are using Collagin for décor or behind the bar at your big day, they will offer trade prices or save up their empty bottles and send them to you. Tonic waters might do the same (the smaller the brand the more likely they are to help or be less rigid with prices!) Just explain you are a bride to be and see if they can offer reduced prices for a larger order or in exchange for lots of pictures from your wedding album. There is no harm in trying! This also works for hen do orders.
Most importantly, make sure YOU the bride and groom get a drink. It is amazing how everyone assumes you are catered for but are often the last to get their food and drink at their own wedding. So, if you are looking to drink on the big day, ask your Maid of Honour to make sure you are saved a glass of your favourite G&T.
About Collagin
Young In Spirit is the world’s first alcoholic drinks company to combine spirits with collagen, with the first drink being Collagin – gin with added collagen. The people behind the idea are gin and beauty lovers and Oxford based ‘Gintrepreneurs’ Camilla Brown and Liz Beswick who recently snared two Dragons’ in the Den.
I’m always excited to see the next Pantone® announcement for their predictions of colours that will dominate the scene for forthcoming seasons. So with the fashion weeks kicking off (this month is New York, London, Milan and then Paris) we start to think about this year’s autumnal months.
This week saw Pantone® showing their hand for the Fall/Winter colours to look out for later in 2019. And it’ll be great to see which colours will appear in autumn weddings this year.
There’s an array of rich vibrant earthy colours. Out of the 12 main colours, 8 of them are from the red palette. There are 3 orange colours and 5 reddy/browns, with some of the peach colours paying a slight nod to Living Coral, the colour of the year. What is great is that a juicy green has made it alongside the neutral and core basic colours too.
Seventies festival vibe
Perhaps to match the festival and eco friendly vibe on trend at the moment, there is a plethora of reds, oranges and browns that dominate the Fall 2019 colours.
There’s a real sense of being grounded and at one with the world. With the feeling of the warmth coming from Chili Pepper, Biking Red, Peach Pink, Rocky Road, Fruit Dove, Sugar Almond, Dark Cheddar and Orange Tiger.
For me, it’s like someone has opened a door on the décor of my childhood house with memories of all the orange and brown on wallpaper.
Mouth watering food
There are lots of culinary references in the colour names that make my mouth water just thinking about them. Perhaps this in light of the importance that we are being made more aware of nowadays to cook fresh and sustainable food.
There are strong flavours in these colours that pack a punch both to taste and also visually. This plays on the trend to appeal to all 5 senses at a wedding or any event. Such as Chili Pepper, Crème de Pêche, Peach Pink, Rocky Road, Fruit Dove, Sugar Almond, Dark Cheddar (plus Vanilla Custard and Guacamole from the neutrals).
This evokes amazing memories of seeing guacamole being prepared by the side of our table in Mexico – the fresh, spicy and warming flavours produced by one small dish of food.
Succulent foliage
Alongside these earthy colours are greens conjuring up an amazing garden image with the forest green of Eden. Plus the bluey green of Bluestone makes me think of amazing succulent plants accenting and dotted about on the dry earthy ground.
The blues will certainly make good transition colours to next spring too.
Fall 2019 colours
The top colours for Fall 2019 are:
PANTONE 19-1557 Chili Pepper
PANTONE 19-1650 Biking Red
PANTONE 12-1110 Crème de Pêche
PANTONE 15-1530 Peach Pink
PANTONE 19-1234 Rocky Road
PANTONE 17-1926 Fruit Dove
PANTONE 18-1155 Sugar Almond
PANTONE 15-1150 Dark Cheddar
PANTONE 19-4055 Galaxy Blue
PANTONE 18-4217 Bluestone
PANTONE 16-1358 Orange Tiger
PANTONE 19-6050 Eden
Fall 2019 extra colours from LFW
Plus a couple of additional colours (instead of the peach and orange colours) from London Fashion Week round off the colours for Fall 2019:
PANTONE 16-0840 Antique Moss
PANTONE 18-3211 Grapeade
Neutral basics
Pantone® have also created a Fall 2019 Classic Colour Palette. These are a group of neutrals that are core basics in the form of cream, navy, grey and the addition of a green.
The bonus classic neutral colours for Fall 2019 are:
PANTONE 12-0815 Vanilla Custard
PANTONE 19-3815 Evening Blue
PANTONE 16-0000 Paloma
PANTONE 17-0530 Guacamole
Colour themes
It’ll be great to see how couples incorporate these colours in to their weddings later this year.
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.
Happy New Year! And huge congratulations if you’ve got engaged over the festive period.
Telling people your big news and flashing your new piece of jewellery is such an exciting time and it won’t be long until you’ll be asked (again and again) when is your big day.
So here’s a little help with picking a date for your special day (and take a look at this useful guide to setting the date too).
Before you rush to send out your save the date cards, here are some things to bear in mind when setting your wedding date:
Date
Superstition often forces couples to avoid the 13th of the month (especially if it falls on a Friday and there’s two in 2019), your birthday, the day of a full moon, April Fool’s Day and it used to be forbidden to get married in Lent and Advent by the church. Some people think that 7 is supposed to be a lucky number whilst 4 is deemed unlucky in Japanese and Chinese traditions, so dates with these numbers may be sought after or avoided by couples. Instead perhaps you want to pick a meaningful date to you such as the anniversary of the date you first met, a memorable date that you’ll remember like 12/12/12 or a nod to your heritage such as your grandparents’ wedding anniversary date.
Year
Which year are you thinking? This may seem like a basic question but if you want to do something soon then suppliers and venues may already be booked up. So, think about how long you have /want to plan the wedding. The more notice you give then the more likely you are able to have your first choice of date.
Time of year / season
This could affect what the weather is likely to be like which could influence your themes, colours, venue, attire, transportation, food choice etc. Also, different seasons can have an impact on the price and availability of food and flowers. Venues may have different prices depending on the time of the year and will your key guests or wedding party be available in school holidays?
Month
Old superstitions state your fate as a couple depending on the month you choose to wed. Some say it was unlucky for a couple to get married in May. Whilst June and other summer months are very popular and even December is gaining in popularity, presumably so that people can use holiday time around the big day. It is worth considering different months as popular ones are in demand so prices may increase and availability will decrease.
Day of the week
Ironically in another old poem, it states that getting married on a Saturday is unlucky which nowadays is the most common day for people to tie the knot. However, it is also one of the most expensive days too. More people are now considering other weekdays as options and Sundays too (although this used to be deemed as a mark of disrespect).
Day or night
A wedding after dark used to be considered unlucky but you could split your guests up to have some come for the whole day and others just join you for the evening part of the day so you don’t have to pay for all of them to have a sit-down meal.
Rest of the world
Make sure you think about what else is going on in the world such as national, local and annual events including:
Public holidays
Sporting events
Other people’s occasions (like birthdays, wedding anniversaries and religious festivals)
Here’s a list of some events (in England) in 2019 that could influence your choice of dates:
New Year’s Day 1 January
Epiphany 6 January
Orthodox Christmas Day 7 January
Orthodox New Year 14 January
Burns Night 25 January
Chinese New Year 5 February – year of the pig
Valentine’s Day 14 February
St David’s Day 1 March
Mardi Gras 5 March
Shrove Tuesday 5 March
Mother’s Day 31 March
St Patrick’s Day 17 March
First Day of Spring 20 March
Clocks go forward 31 March
April Fool’s Day 1 April
Grand National 6 April
Boat Race 7 April
Good Friday 19 April
Passover 19 – 27 April
Easter Monday 22 April
Earth Day 22 April
St George’s Day 23 April
London marathon 28 April
Cinco de Mayo 5 May
Ramadan begins 5 May – 4 June
May Day Bank Holiday 6 May
Eurovision Song Contest 14-18 May
FA Cup Final 18 May
Chelsea Flower Show 21 – 29 May
Monaco Grand Prix 23 – 26 May
Spring Bank Holiday 27 May
Cricket World Cup (England) 30 May – 9 June
Women’s World Cup (France) 7 June – 7 July
Trooping the Colour 8 June
Father’s Day 16 June
First Day of Summer 21 June
Royal Ascot 22-23 June
Glastonbury 26-30 June
Wimbledon 1 – 14 July
Henley Regatta 3 – 7 July
Independence Day 4 July
British Grand Prix 12-14 July
Eid 11-15 August
Summer Bank Holiday 26 August
Friday 13th September 2019
Rugby World Cup (Japan) 20 September – November
First Day of Autumn 23 September
Diwali 27 October
Clocks go back 27 October
Halloween 31 October
Guy Fawkes 5 November
Remembrance Day 11 November
Thanksgiving 28 November
St Andrew’s Day 30 November
Friday 13th December 2019
Hanukkah 22-30 December
First Day of Winter 22 December
Christmas Day 25 December
Boxing Day 26 December
New Year’s Eve 31 December
Plus other upcoming ‘unlucky’ dates of :
Saturday 29th February 2020
Friday 13th March 2020
Friday 13th November 2020
And not forgetting the Olympic Games in 2020 in Tokyo 24 July – 9 August.
Enjoy celebrating in 2019 and I wish you a very Happy New Year.
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Whether a religious, civil or humanist ceremony, a traditional or themed reception, these special days are about what is important to each individual couple.
Sometimes fashion, films, television programmes, interior design, celebrity weddings and even current affairs influence these trends.
So what does 2019 hold for the world of weddings? Here is a curation of some of the top trends to look out for next year:
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:
Simple classic sheath dresses – this is the minimal look epitomised by Meghan Markle
Exaggerated volume and structured bows – to add a statement feature
A further move away from white wedding dresses – next year will see more blue dresses
Different neck lines – 2019 will see more halter neck
Chaps
Not to be out done by the ladies, groomsmen will have some stylish updates to their wedding attire with:
Three piece suits becoming more popular again
Colours will be rich in burgundy, purple or blues
Cut will be slimmer
Tweed suits will continue to be on trend
Complementary
Accessories will continue to shimmer and shine courtesy of metallic or pearl elements. Plus there’s a real turn towards silver and chrome away from rose gold. Other trends will include:
Alternatives to diamonds in engagement rings
Stars and 3D floral tiaras and crowns
Covering up with trench coats or sheer capelets
Floral accessories for brides like wrist flowers and floral hats for a festival vibe
And grooms will see an increase in florals such as floral cane toppers, floral bow ties and even bouquet beards
Chosen few
Bridal parties are veering away from the traditional with:
Joint hen and stag dos
Bridesmen and groomsgirls – proving that friends can support you whatever their gender
Colour and styling
Different arenas (such as interior design, architecture, graphic design, lighting, furniture and textiles) influence our daily lives which in turn spills over to the world of weddings. 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 the colour of the year in 2019 is a warm and energising orange called ‘Living Coral’. Take a look at my report about the colour of the year 2019 and here’s my take on the other colours to look out for in spring/summer 2019. And why not use ALL the SS19 colours in your confetti for a real festival vibe.
Patterns will appear in some decorative elements including polka dots and tartan
Llamas see to be the animal of choice to be a guest at weddings in 2019
Geometric shapes such as hoops and prisms in different scales will be used
Eco conscious weddings are rising in popularity which will encourage plastic free events and foraging for decor
Scents will be important as weddings are now appealing to ALL the senses
Illustrated invitations showing the wedding venue are becoming popular
Floral and foliage provide an instant connection with nature and the greenery trend is still going strong with elements such as:
Bringing the outdoors in with trees or an enchanted indoors forest walk
Banquet tables with low florals so you guests can see one another
Grasses and dried flowers for an ethereal boho look
Terracotta pots with house plants
Teepees and silver birch arches
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:
Opulent and regal cakes
Grazing tables piled high for a proper foodie fest
Culture
The world of films and tv always influences trends and 2019 looks set to be a year of blockbusters to choose from such as:
Comic book films like: Captain Marvel, Joker and 2 new X Men films (Dark Phoenix & the New Mutants)
Children’s classics including: Dumbo (for amazing vintage circus themes), The Lion King, Toy Story 4, Frozen 2 and Lego Movie 2
Sci-Fi movies such as: Star Wars 9
Action movies including: Charlie’s Angels, Glass (perfect for the transparent themes)
Fantasy movies: Cats, Rocket Man
Love stories like: Last Christmas (need we say more for a Christmas theme wedding!)
Period dramas including: Downtown Abbey, Colette (filmed at a local wedding venue and perfect for some French inspired themes), Mary Queen of Scots (to marry well with the tartan trends coming)
Plus big tv shows such as Les Miserables will also lend itself to the chic vintage French trends
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 2019 and their special days will be ones to watch:
Kate Wright & Rio Ferdinand (maybe some football inspired themes)
Lady Gaga & Christian Carino
Ellie Goulding & Caspar Jopling
Idris Elba & Sabrina Dhowre
Ed Sheeran & Cherry Seaborn (wonder what their first dance music would be?)
Gwyneth Paltrow & Brad Falchuk
Alexandra Burke & Joshua Ginnelly
Paris Hilton & Chris Zykla
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:
Cricket World Cup (England) 30 May – 9 June
Women’s World Cup (France) 7 June – 7 July
Glastonbury 26-30 June
Woodstock 50th anniversary 16-18 August (can’t wait for all the festival themed weddings as a result of this anniversary!)
Rugby World Cup (Japan) 20 September – November
These are a few of my predictions for wedding trends in 2019. I’d love to hear what you think are going to be popular wedding trends next year.
May I take this opportunity to wish you all the best for 2019. Please take a look at more of my curation and inspiration on Pinterest.
Are you getting married this year? 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.
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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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For many, picking a wedding dress may be the most exciting purchase that you make and, some may say, one of the best (and hardest) decisions in the wedding planning process.
wedding dress trends
Finding the perfect wedding dress is no mean feat and wedding dresses over the years are an example of fashion trends of their day (material, styles, length & colours). Pick a dress that you love rather than one that happens to be on trend now. Take a look at wedding dresses wedding through the years.
style of wedding dress
Think about the venue, theme and mood of your wedding and fit your dress not only to you but the style of your big day too. Also think about when you’re getting married – both the time of day and time of year will affect your wedding dress buying decision. Make sure you feel not only glamourous and gorgeous in your wedding dress but comfortable too (did someone say dress pockets?!)
Here are some top tips from Heart Accomplice on picking the perfect wedding dress:
THE wedding dress
Many dream their whole life of this one special day with the man or woman they love. This one moment when you walk down the aisle, your heart is beating and all eyes are on you. You just want to look perfect for the love of your life.
To find the perfect bridal dress, you not only need time but also to understand what kind of bridal dress you want. Do you opt for a new or a preloved one? A long or a short dress? White, ivory or a colourful dress? Do you want to look around in a classic bridal dress store or do you want to order online?
budget
Before you start to search for your dream bridal dress give yourself a price range and stick to it. If you don’t or can’t spend too much money, have a look at second hand bridal dresses. You can find a beautiful bridal dress, a designer trend or the newest collection for a fraction of the price.
research
Do some research and collect pictures from bridal magazines of the styles and colours you like. Visit wedding fairs to get inspired where you can see and feel dresses. Look online for styles that suit your silhouette.
shopping
Make an appointment with a bridal dress shop as soon as possible because sometimes it takes 4 to 6 months to produce a dress, plus once it arrives you might need some time for alterations. If you don´t have much time, you can order online and a few days later your bridal dress will arrive.
support
Make wedding dress shopping an interactive and inclusive part of the wedding planning process and involve your mother, maid of honour, bridesmaids or friends with you to enjoy this important day and get their valued opinions, in a shop or at home.
alterations
When you have found THE bridal dress, a bridal dress store can order your dress in the right size and you may need some small alterations (don´t forget to plan the costs in your budget).
If you decide to buy a preloved bridal dress I recommend to buy it in 1 or 2 sizes bigger and allow for alterations to fit it perfectly to you. Too big is better than too small.
final fitting
On your last fitting wear the lingerie and take the shoes that you will be wearing on your big day. Then you can make sure that the length and fit of the bridal dress is just right.
accessories
Often less is more. Too much detail and too many wedding accessories can detract from the wedding dress. Make sure that you match your accessories to your bridal dress in colour and material and don’t forget your ‘Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue’ nor the silver sixpence in your shoe.
About Heart Accomplice
Heart Accomplice is a second hand online bridal dress shop offering new and good as new preloved bridal dresses, ready to make a bride happy for her big day. They stock a range of different sizes, brands and styles, so there should be something gorgeous for everyone.
It is also possible to sell your bridal dress (on a commission basis) to Heart Accomplice when you have finished with your bridal dress (in good condition).
The wedding guest list is often cited as being one of the top stresses for couples during wedding planning (whether you plan to invite children or not to your big day).
Who to invite is personal to each couple, as every family has different circumstances and it depends who is ‘hosting’ the wedding (and often who is paying for it). There may be some tough decisions to make with your guest list. Perhaps the reality of your budget means you have to rein in a few of your plans, or other people’s involvement means compromising on who you want to invite, including whether to have children at all/some/none of your wedding.
There’s no right or wrong answer on who to invite to your wedding. Nor is there sadly a magical formula that will work it out for you. Ultimately, you should invite guests that you want to share your special day with.
who to invite
It is said 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 guest list can dictate what kind of a day you (and your guests) might have.
To avoid confusion from the outset, it is often better to be really specific about who you are inviting, to which parts of the day they are invited to, and whether you are inviting their children (or not) so that they are not left in any doubt.
Meanwhile, here is a checklist to consider if you are inviting children to your wedding:
clear communication – set expectations early on about who is invited and give guests with children an idea of the running order for the day so they can plan naps, meals and their schedule accordingly around your day
consistency – make sure you say the same thing to everyone and be clear why there may be exceptions
contribution – get children involved with little tasks like confetti throwing, part of the speeches, ring bearer etc
crèche – consider childcare or a chaperone in a side room for lots of children
changing facilities – make sure there’s somewhere for little ones to ‘freshen up’
crafts, cinema, competitions, cartoons, colouring or just somewhere to run around outside – anything to help keep them entertained (how about a silent disco for them during the meal?)
catering – have food specifically with children in mind
chairs – make sure they’re comfortable, suitable for their age and close to their parents
entertaining children at weddings
One of the key things to keeping your wedding guests happy (whatever their age) is to keep them fed, watered and entertained! When it comes to children at weddings they may need a little more entertainment.
With the right planning, involving children in the celebrations can be fantastic fun without compromising on a stylish and stress-free day. Here are some top tips for entertaining children at your wedding, courtesy of Hedgerow Circus, to ensure a stress free day for all generations to enjoy.
1. Think about the flow of the day
Providing toys and games for your youngest guests can make a huge difference to the flow of the reception, as having the children happily entertained has the added bonus that the parents are free to fully enjoy the celebrations too.
2. Keep a space free in your venue for children guests
Every venue is different, but almost all have an area which is suitable to dedicate to some toys and games. This may be anything from an entire room which can become a fully stocked playroom if you have lots of children attending, to a quiet corner of a marquee where a simple white tipi with toys inside could be set up. Allocating a dedicated play area, however large or small, will prevent toys from taking over.
3. Involve children guests in parts of the wedding day
Consider any times that you can involve children in the proceedings, not only as flower girls or page boys but with responsibilities such as handing out programmes, confetti or gifts. If you have any older or more confident children attending, perhaps reading a short poem or announce cutting of the cake. It’s always a good idea to provide some quiet entertainment for the times you don’t want the children to be involved, such as during speeches. A speeches survival kit of puzzles, colouring or Lego usually goes down a treat (for parents too – who can relax and listen to the speeches).
4. Bring the generations together
Enjoy the chance to bring all the generations of your friends and family together in one place, to celebrate this new chapter in your lives together. You will be giving special memories to everyone to look back on.
About Hedgerow Circus
There is no need to compromise on style when including toys and games at your wedding venue; take a look at Hedgerow Circus, a local company based in the Cotswolds who provide a great range of attractive play areas to cater for groups of all sizes, delivered and set up at your wedding or event venue.
The current back to school vibe always makes me feel a little sad and melancholy. It’s the end of the summer and the seasons are beginning to change. It is back to work and back to reality, after a summer of fun. The lyrics of ‘Zorbing’ by Stornoway sum up what this time of year makes me think about
Conkers shining on the ground, The air is cooler. And I feel like I just started Uni.
But the exciting news from Pantone® ahead of New York Fashion Week about the Spring 2019 colours has certainly lifted my mood.
We’ll be seeing red next spring if the latest trend predictions from Pantone® this week are anything to go by.
The colours for next Spring certainly make a huge bold statement. They are rich, vibrant and indulgent yet not over powering. They are like a ray of golden light on a colourful kaleidoscope.
Autumnal evolution
You’d be forgiven in thinking that this is the fall report and not the spring one. There seems to be quite a lot of crossover with the current Fall/Winter 2018/19 colour palette with some rich earthy tones, though by Spring 2019 we will have lost the purples (and the Colour of the Year), neons and silver grey.
It is great to see such earthy colours featuring in Spring 2019 and hardly a pastel shade in there! These are all great transitional colours to take us in and out of seasons.
Confident red
The abundance of red related colours is over whelming and runs in to the oranges, yellows and pinks too. This set of colours are empowering, confident, bold, uplifting, fun, playful, cheerful and joyful. Plus I can’t fail to see the energy, passion and excitement that these colours evoke.
My best friend always advises to wear red to an interview or an important date (even if it’s just your underwear!) so that you feel strong and confident. There will be lots around next Spring to feel like you can rule the world.
Foliage and succulents
That warm feeling is translated in the addition of the deep greens that conjure up a terrarium full of succulents and foliage. Continuing that sense of bringing nature inside.
Spring 2019 colours
The top twelve colours for Spring 2019 are:
Fiesta PANTONE 17-1564
Jester Red PANTONE 19-1862
Turmeric PANTONE 15-1264
Living Coral PANTONE 16-1546
Pink Peacock PANTONE 18-2045
Pepper Stem PANTONE 17-0542
Aspen Gold PANTONE 13-0850
Princess Blue PANTONE 19-4150
Toffee PANTONE 18-1031
Mango Mojito PANTONE 15-0960
Terrarium Moss PANTONE 18-0416
Sweet Lilac PANTONE 14-2808
Spring 2019 extra colours from LFW
Plus a couple of paler substitutes of yellow (instead of Aspen Gold) and pink (instead of Sweet Lilac) from London Fashion Week round off the colours for Spring 2019:
Lemon Verbena PANTONE 12-0742
Pressed Rose PANTONE 15-1619
Neutral basics
Pantone® have also updated the Classic Colour Palette. These are a group of neutrals that are core basics in the form of a taupe, navy blue, cream and brown.
The bonus classic neutral colours for Spring 2019 are:
Soybean PANTONE 13-0919
Eclipse PANTONE 19-3810
Sweet Corn PANTONE 11-0106
Brown Granite PANTONE 19-0805
Colour themes
It’ll be great to see how couples incorporate these colours in to their weddings later this year. I can see how the classic neutrals will play a big part in coupling up with some of the more vibrant choices.
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.
What a day for celebration the fourth of July is: Independence Day, Alice Day and today is the 4th birthday of Hanami Dream weddings and special occasions!
four years since my first styled shoot
Yes, today marks four years since I published my first styled photo shoot under the umbrella of Hanami Dream. After that Alice in Wonderland shoot in 2014, came the Wizard of Oz, followed by a Wind in the Willows wedding in 2016. Last year saw the addition of 3 more styled bridal shoots: a modern Edwardian Secret Garden themed wedding, a real break from tradition with a Festival style wedding and also a lovely winter Journey to the Centre of the Earth themed wedding. I’m enjoying working with some amazing local suppliers!
Photography by Squib Photography
four years since my first tweet
From my first tweet in 2014, to a steadily increasing readership (and social media following) with around 1,100 unique page views a month on average. Plus a combined social media network of over 5,400 followers and ongoing promotion and networking means this is ever growing.
four years since my first blog post
It’s crazy to think how much has evolved over the past four years; now 310 blog posts later and this year I won the Event and Wedding category at the UK Blog Awards after being a finalist for the previous two years running, I’m now a Certified Wedding and Event Planner, and have recently had one of my shoots featured in Your Glos & Wilts Wedding magazine.
four years of further accolades
I’m really pleased to continue to add to my honoured collection of accolades, which include #QueenOf Wedding Inspiration by The Royal Connection, the #SmartSocial award from Marketme, #BrightPig’s Business of the Week, WOW Winner picked by Jacqueline Gold CBE. As well as winning Theo Paphitis’s #SBS (Small Business Sunday).
I am an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a Certified Wedding and Event Planner with the UKAWEP.
Plus I launched #UKWedLunch nearly 2 years ago, as well as being a guest host on #BrideHour.
four years more experience
My focus has been on developing the blog commercially, as well as providing inspiration to brides and grooms in the Cotswolds. Plus I’ve continued to combine my previous 13 years of marketing experience, with my local knowledge, in the scope of the wedding industry. It has been great to provide marketing consultation to some local, independent wedding businesses in and around Witney, Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds. I’ve been affectionately titled the Wedding Inspector – a bit like the Alex Polizzi of the local wedding industry!
work with Hanami Dream
I look forward to working with more local wedding professionals, services and venues #keepitlocal. And I can’t wait to produce more styled photo shoots and have more opportunities to collaborate with local suppliers.
Please get in touch if you’d like to advertise on the blog, submit your own wedding details, would like to collaborate on a shoot, write a guest post or need some marketing advice and guidance. Together we can build the local wedding industry and inspire brides and grooms for their special day.
Happy birthday to Hanami Dream – definitely time for cake now!
As well as general wedding planning chat, today will be about wedding insurance with top tips from Wedding Insurance Group #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 1: insure your wedding just like your other life assets, car and property #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 2: protect your wedding ceremony and reception in case of cancellation due to illness, fire, flood or adverse weather conditions #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 3: check for policies that cover bankruptcy or liquidation of suppliers plus cover for wedding cars and transport for breakdowns or accidents #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 4: think about additional cover for wedding gifts, rings, flowers, wedding cake and attendants gifts #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 5: check with your venue if you need additional public liability to cover accidental injury or loss of all guests #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 6: consider bespoke cover for ceremonial sword, marquee, mobile WC, overseas etc #UKWedLunch
Festival vibes
wedding guest list
