by Hanami Dream | 31, January, 2016 | blog, holy trinity of wedding planning, tips
Here’s a list of some events (in England) still to come in 2016 that could influence your choice of dates:
- Chinese New Year 8 February
- Shrove Tuesday 9 February
- Valentine’s Day 14 February
- Mother’s Day 6 March
- St Patrick’s Day 17 March
- Good Friday 25 March
- Easter Day 27 March
- Easter Monday 28 March
- Boat Race 27 March
- April Fool’s Day 1 April
- Passover 22-30 April
- May Day Bank Holiday 2 May
- FA Cup Final 21 May
- Spring Bank Holiday 30 May
- Queen’s 90th celebrations 12 June
- Ramadan 6 June – 5 July
- Father’s Day 19 June
- Wimbledon 27 June – 10 July
- Independence Day 4 July
- Eid 7 July
- Euros 2016 final 10 July
- Rio Olympics 5 – 21 August
- Summer Bank Holiday 29 August
- Guy Fawkes 5 November
- Remembrance Day 11 November
- Diwali 30 November
- Thanksgiving 24 November
- Hanukkah 24 December – 1 January
- Christmas Day 25 December
- Boxing Day 26 December
- Christmas Bank Holiday 27 December
by Hanami Dream | 15, January, 2016 | blog, guest post, tips
According to the infamous shampoo advert, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Whilst you have been living and breathing all things to do with your wedding, the first time your guests have any idea about your big day is when your wedding invitation or save the date card lands on their doormat.
This important piece of mail will set the tone, theme and your guests’ expectations of your special occasion. What you say, when you send it, to whom you address it and what it looks like all provide the first experience your guests have of your wedding. So it’s really important that you pick your stationery wisely to make the best first impression.
Look out for a forthcoming post on the wording of your stationery. Meanwhile, focusing on what it looks like and to help you wade through the sea of stationery, the hugely talented Suzanne from Paper Tree Design has put together this guide to help you find the right stationery for your budget.
You have set a date and secured your venue so your mind turns to stationery, where to start? The options are endless and mind boggling, and when you are surfing stationery sites from the sofa sometimes it is difficult to understand why pricing can be so different between suppliers. When you are choosing your venue there are things to help you with this, star ratings, facilities and services, but when it comes to stationery the differences in service, technique and embellishments are what makes your stationery either basic or premium.
The Service
There are 4 levels of service in stationery that will effect the pricing, Off the shelf, semi-customised, customised, and bespoke, in short, the more time the stationer spends on making your stationery, the more it will cost:
1. Off the shelf –This is the cheapest option and is exactly as it sounds! You purchase a pack of pre-printed generic wedding cards for you to fill in the date, location and guest name. These are the cheapest because the supplier gets thousands printed at a time and there is no extra art working for the supplier to do.
2. Semi customised – This is where you choose an existing design from a supplier and they place your copy in to the invitation (venue, time and date etc.)
3. Customised – A customised design is where you have the option to personalise an existing design to fit in with your theme. This can include changing colours, having your initials added in to the design, and having a choice of card types or trims etc.
4. Bespoke – If you have a specific idea in mind for your stationery and you cannot find an existing design to reflect this, then bespoke is for you. You will work closely with the designer who will design something around your theme ideas. This is at the premium end of the stationery market because you are paying for a designer’s time to create something for you. If you are considering this option then it is wise to allow at least a month for a design to be fully approved and ready for production.
The Product Quality
There are all sorts of card available for use in stationery in different weights (thickness), textures, and finishes, the thicker the card the more it costs, as it will any with specialist finishes and textures. The weight of card used can be the difference between an invitation looking ordinary or luxury so when you are comparing prices have a good look at what is being used, if it is not stated on the website then ask.
When you start reading the information on a stationer’s website you will come across all sorts of terms, litho pint, digital print, letterpress, embossing, hot foiling, laser cut, paper cut, duplexed, spot varnish. What do they all mean?
Printing – Printing on a invitation is more likely to be digitally printed these days as digital is suited to smaller quantities. Litho requires the making of a printing plate which makes small quantities much more expensive. A printed card on a standard board with no extra finishes or embellishments will always be the cheapest option. It is worth remembering that digital printing may not be suitable for some of the specialist papers.
Letterpress Printing – Letterpress is a traditional printing technique which involves inking a plate (printers tray filled with raised blocks) and pressing in on to the card stock, which leaves a deep impression. These days there are more hi-tech ways of making the printing plate but the process is the same. For small quantities it can be expensive but if you have a large number of guests it is more affordable.
Finishes
There are all sorts of lovely finishes that can turn a standard invitation in to something a bit more special, but bear in mind that for every finish you add cost. Below is a list of a few terms and what they mean:
1. Hot foiling – This adds metallic areas to the design.
2. Spot varnish – This adds a shiny or mat surface to areas of the design.
3. Embossing/ debossing – This adds texture to the card, either raised (embossed) or pressed in to the card (debossed).
4. Duplexing – If a card is duplexed, it means it is made up of two different boards sandwiched together of different colour or texture.
Laser cut, die cut, paper cut
The process of cutting out shapes or patterns from card (or other materials), the main difference being if it is laser cut then the gaps in the design are burnt out with the laser, if it is described as die/machine/ paper cut then it is cut out using a tiny blade. Cut invitations are usually made up of 2 or 3 layers (the cut, an inlay card & printed insert) which makes for a more luxury product.
Trims
The use of ribbon, baker twine, crystals and other trims to finish off your stationery can really help to make it look special, but beware when you are looking at and comparing prices between stationers. You may see a beautiful photo of your chosen stationery suite tied together with twine and finished with a gift tag or other embellishments, and the costs look in budget, however some stationers charge separately for these extra finishings and you can find yourself paying £1.00 or £2.00 more per invitation than you had budgeted for, for the invitation in the picture. Anything that has any element of hand finishing adds time and therefore cost to the stationery, so check the small print!
Top tips
1. Help yourself – If you are really struggling for budget enquire about what could be provided in kit form in order to save on price.
2. Buy in bulk – Think about all your stationery in one go from the outset (invites, order of service, name cards, table numbers, menus, table plans etc) rather than separate pieces at different times. You can save if you buy ‘before the day’ and ‘on the day’ stationery all from the same supplier.
3. Compare the quality – Read the descriptions carefully and make a list of the differences in a notebook together with the prices, so you don’t forget when you start comparing price.
4. Beware the hidden extras – Double check the price list and ask if it is not clear.
5. It never harms to ask – If you have your heart set on something but you are worried it is out of your budget, then just ask if it can be modified to help with the price.
For more information go to www.papertreedesign.co.uk or contact suzanne@papertreedesign.co.uk
@PaperTreeOxon
@PaperTreeOxon
Paper Tree Design
@PaperTreeOxon
by Hanami Dream | 12, January, 2016 | blog, tips
Your wedding day is one of the happiest days of your life. When you look around the room you’ll see all the people that you love, however you may also notice all the people that are missing from the celebrations too.
Not to put a dampener on proceedings but inevitably there may be some people who won’t be able to join you on your big day perhaps due to distance, illness or because they have passed away. Telegrams are often traditionally read by those who couldn’t make it and sometimes a toast is raised to absent friends.
My own wedding day was tinged with some sadness as my father suddenly passed away 9 weeks before we got married. It was a huge shock and at one point we considered whether we should postpone the wedding. I guess this is why we bought wedding insurance but I didn’t want to be sat around on our chosen date commenting that we would’ve been getting married today. We decided to go ahead and it gave our family something positive to focus on.
I certainly didn’t anticipate having to organise a funeral in the midst of wedding preparations but it did give me some clarity for the day. My father wasn’t around much when I was growing up and he wasn’t always that reliable. He had been unwell for some time prior to his death and so we didn’t know if he’d be well enough to be a part of the day at all, let alone even turn up. Or if he had turned up whether he’d been ill at the reception. Although it was unpleasant circumstances, at least I knew whether he would actually be there or not!
We had already asked my mum to do the ‘mother of the bride’ speech and my Grandad proudly walked me down the aisle (which was fitting as he was such an influential part of my life), and my husband toasted our absent friends in his speech. We didn’t want the day to be dominated by the recent sad events, so we chose not to do anything more public – everything was still too raw to cope with anything else.
I knew the day was going to be emotional but we also had this immense warm feeling of love from all our friends and family who were there and all knew about the ‘elephant in the room’. They were so caring, supportive and encouraging. 
There was torrential rain the day before we got married (it was August – thanks British weather!) and again the day after. Yet on the day of our wedding it was glorious sunshine and the grass was a lush green and the flowers were all blooming after being refreshed from the rain. In the car on the way to the church, my Grandad told me that he thought the sunshine was his late wife (my Nanny) shining down on us.
I know that my other Nan still watches our wedding DVD back frequently so that she can see her now late husband enjoying the day. The photos too are a snapshot of the people that were in our lives at that time and who we were fortunate to share our special day with. There were poignant moments but the sadness didn’t dictate the day. It was certainly a day of huge celebration. We didn’t forget those that has passed but we didn’t dwell on their passing.
Here are some suggestions of ways to privately or publicly remember lost loved ones at weddings:
- Photographs – framed photos set up on a table or part of a family tree, hanging in photo charms on your bouquet, hanging from shoes or placed in a locket
- Jewellery – wear heirlooms or gifts from the loved one, wear their wedding bands tied round an ankle or wrist, wear or melt down their wedding band to make your own
- Embroidery – material from a piece of their clothing stitched in your wedding dress, use their handkerchiefs or ties, have monograms of their initials stitched in your dress
- Candles – a lit candle in church or on a table in the reception
- Flowers – use their favourite flower, have a single flower in a vase, put your bouquet on their grave afterwards
- Ceremony – dedicate a reading to them, include a tribute in the order of service, get the celebrant to mention them
- Chairs – have a reserved seat for them at the ceremony (although this may be a little emotional to see an empty chair there)
- Reception – name tables after them, toast them in your speech, place a drink for them at the bar, use a special piece of music
- Favours – donate to a relevant charity or place a charity pin as a favour
- Releases – let balloons, Chinese lanterns or butterflies float off in to the sky
‘If there ever comes a day when we can’t be together, keep me in your heart, I’ll stay there forever.’
A. A. Milne
If you like reading our blog then we’d really appreciate your support. So please vote for Hanami Dream in the wedding category of the UK Blog Awards #UKBA16 http://www.blogawardsuk.co.uk/ukba2016/my-entry/hanami-dream.
Voting is open until Monday 25th January 2016 at 9pm. You can vote once a day, so please keep voting for us.
by Hanami Dream | 6, January, 2016 | blog, tips
We are nearly a week in to this brand new year already and I’m sad to be taking the Christmas decorations down with the arrival of Twelfth Night. I used to really enjoy Epiphany celebrations when I lived in France – eating the delicious galette des rois and finding the little charm so you could wear the king’s crown!
It is a bit of a relief to have the season of endless lists safely tucked away for another 11 months though (what with Christmas card lists, present lists and food shopping lists to name a few). Don’t get me wrong, I really like Christmas and I LOVE lists (hey, I’m a wedding planner, lists are what floats my boat!) but things seem to get a little crazy in December.
Then at the end of the year there always seems to be lots of compilations celebrating and commemorating the best bits of the year. Goodness, even Hanami Dream got in on the action this year with our top 10 most popular wedding blog posts in 2015 and our top 5 most popular blog posts overall in 2015. Some of our favourite compilations of the year included:
But I do love this time of year. It’s a time of new beginnings: a new year, new year’s resolutions (*see some of mine at the end of the article), new goals, new plans for the future and the days are finally getting longer again! It’s when our metaphorical diary is full of blank pages yet unwritten. It also seems to be a time when there are an abundance of engagement stories after Christmas or New Year proposals. And with Valentine’s Day just over a month away and it being a leap in 2016, we’re sure there’ll be a few more stories to add to the pot shortly.
So the start of the year often spurs on people to kickstart (or reignite) their wedding planning too. I adore weddings – which is a good thing really! Weddings are such a wonderful celebration of love and marriage. There’s not many times in your life that you have all the people that you care about in the same room at the same time and they’re all there just because two people fell in love with each other. When else would you bring all your circles together in one place? (even Google+ keeps your circles separate!)
For me, I always wanted to get married and admired both sets of my grandparents who celebrated their diamond wedding anniversaries (and beyond). I was determined to aspire to have the same thing for myself despite experiencing the sad adverse reality of my own parents’ marriage. On top of this, my romantic notion was peppered with weddings in films and television programmes that influenced my youth such as:
- Scott & Charlene in Neighbours (I still can’t believe that programme has been going over 30 years!)
- Charles & Diana (who can forget the puff ball sleeves and the huge long train!)
- Monica & Chandler in Friends (how beautifully romantic to fall in love with your best friend)
- The One with All the Wedding Dresses episode in Friends (even though my husband thinks it’s a crazy idea I still want a wedding dress party with my friends for my significant birthday in a few years’ time! I’ve no idea if I’ll be able to fit in my wedding dress by then – so maybe that’s another goal to add to the list!)
- Pride & Prejudice (who didn’t fall in love with Colin Firth as Mr Darcy)
- Four Weddings and a Funeral (the stammering Hugh Grant, the whole ‘will they, won’t they’ story line had me hooked)
- Saved by the Bell (yes, Zack and Kelly did get married eventually after being childhood sweethearts. It was a cheesy episode set in Las Vegas but proved that your first love can be your last love too)
- Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (how did Lois not spot that Superman and Clark Kent were one and the same gorgeous man?!)
- Prince William & Kate (they got married the same year that we did so this event heightened the build up to our big day)
Probably the most influential and meaningful weddings that I was honoured to be a part of (prior to my own of course) were those of my two closest friends in July 2007 and August 2008. It was wonderful to be one their bridesmaids (although at the time I thought I was destined to only ever be a bridesmaid and not a bride. I even thought about being a professional bridesmaid at one point!) It feels so wonderful to share someone’s special day and be part of the wedding party.
I waited a long time for my own Prince Charming (honestly I thought the film 27 Dresses was written about me!) but was over the moon to have my own fairy tale day eventually. It was whilst planning my own wedding in 2011 that my real passion for wedding planning took over. I realised how precious it was to have all the people I cared about in one room at the same time. In the space of 18 months I encountered birth, death and marriage (not in that order!) which had a life changing effect on me. So my new beginning was to make Hanami Dream a reality. I decided I wanted to help others to celebrate their own personal milestones. I find that organising these types of occasions is much more rewarding than my old corporate life.
This year has already started with great excitement as I am thrilled to be entered in the UK Blog Awards.**
If you like reading my blog then I’d really appreciate your support. So please vote for Hanami Dream in the wedding category of the UK Blog Awards #UKBA16 http://www.blogawardsuk.co.uk/ukba2016/my-entry/hanami-dream
Voting is open until Monday 25th January 2016 at 9pm. You can vote once a day, every day for 3 whole weeks! So please keep voting.
Thank you and Happy New Year!
*Some of my resolutions for this year include learning to hula hoop (I always think it’s something that I should be able to do but confirm the opposite when I pick one up! And I hope this skill is easier to pick up than the year I attempted to learn the running man!), eating more veggie meals (I’m currently in love with Lorraine Pascale’s Eat Well Made Easy recipe book) and moisturising more often (hmm, with two small children and a husband to look after, time to myself is often in short supply so we’ll see how this one goes!) Hopefully I’ll be able to manage at least one of these by the end of the year!
**More than just a wedding blog, Hanami Dream Wedding and Special Occasion Organisers provide inspiration and help you to celebrate the personal milestones of your life. The blog looks at wedding tips, trends and traditions with real life stories and examples from my own family history. Looking at examples from the past and future trends to provide inspiration to couples who are wedding planning and celebrating milestone occasions.
by Hanami Dream | 5, January, 2016 | blog, news
1. Pantone® announce colour report for Fall 2015
2. Trend predictions for children party themes in 2015
3. How we organised our Alice in Wonderland tea party
4. How we went somewhere over the rainbow with our Wizard of Oz party
5. Celebrating milestone occasions in 2015
by Hanami Dream | 31, December, 2015 | news
1. Real life proposal stories
2. Wedding time capsule
3. Thank you gifts at weddings
4. Trend predictions for weddings in 2015
5. Why are we called Hanami Dream?
6. Pantone® announce colour report for Spring 2016
7. What if? Do you really need wedding insurance?
8. 5 essential tips for booking your wedding band
9. 1910s wedding versus 2010s wedding
10. Happy wedding anniversary
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
