Category Archives: Bride

What to do for your engagement

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Your engagement is a promise to marriage as well as the period of time between the proposal and your marriage. During your engagement you are said to be affianced, betrothed, engaged to be married, or simply engaged. Future brides and bridegrooms are often referred to as fiancées or fiancés respectively (from the French word fiancé).

Long engagements were once common in formal arranged marriages and it was not uncommon for parents betrothing children to arrange such many years before the engaged couple were old enough to marry. 

Engagement parties.

Some engagements are announced at an engagement party, traditionally hosted by the bride’s parents. These parties are given in the family’s usual style of entertainment. Traditionally, engagement parties were normal parties at which a surprise announcement of the engagement was made by the father of the bride to his guests. Therefore, it is not a traditional gift-giving occasion, as none of the guests were supposed to be aware of the engagement until after their arrival. 

In modern times, engagement parties often celebrate a previously publicized engagement.

Because it’s often the case that many guests don’t know each other very well, it’s important to ensure you have plenty of ‘ice breakers’. When two families are coming together for the first time it can be a nerve racking experience and so the more you can put guests at ease the better. 

Think about a magician or a caricaturist or maybe even a pianist to play light background music whilst guests arrive & chat. 

If you have space, then try a jazz band who could play up tempo lively music to keep spirits high and feet tapping whilst you great guests and show off your engagement ring! 

Ensure the drinks are flowing throughout the party and in no time the two families will be getting to know each other and soaking up the party atmosphere. 

Party themes…  

If you got engaged in an interesting location, you might like to theme your engagement party to suit. Hawaiian or beach themes are relatively easy to put together, as are New York, Las Vegas, Mexican, Australian themes etc.  

No party is complete without live music so if your budget can stretch to a party function band it will be a sound investment towards ensuring the success of your big night.  

It’s important to consider the age range of the guests who will be attending your party as grandparents, although actually some of the ‘most-likely-to-dance’ members of the party might not be quite so keen on hard rock or gangster rap.

Don’t deny it

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Has he just proposed? Have you just said yes? Well then, these thoughts and feelings might sound familiar to you guys and all other newly engaged couples – don’t deny it!

Facebook status

Once you’re officially engaged, then comes the time to update the Facebook status. But wait – before you go from ‘In a relationship’ to ‘Engaged’, you need to ring the important people first! We doubt your mum will be very impressed to discover that she’s found out after your second cousin twice removed that you’re getting married. Big no! But updating it is always a good, and easy way to help make sure you’ve not forgotten to tell anyone.

YES, we’ve got so many likes

Here’s where all the likes come in, and both of you have got to admit – you’re feeling pretty popular right now. Your relationship status got tons of likes, and don’t even get us started on your Relfie (relationship/ring selfie) on Instagram…

Perfecting the proposal story

Especially when you’re newly engaged, you’re going to have to tell your proposal story again and again and again and again, and again. Like, so many times. You’ll start to get a bit of a pro at story telling in fact – you’ll learn how to impress the crowd, and maybe even embellish it here and there. Who will ever know that it wasn’t the real Elvis that serenaded you after your new h2b proposed? And no one will blink an eyelid at the mention of that unicorn…

Do we get presents?

Any excuse to compile a huge list of presents you want, and then to be, only slightly, disappointed when your post-box is filling up with vouchers for house and homeware shops and you suddenly become the owners of four toasters. But then you realise that his request of a new Xbox and yours of a pair of Jimmy Choo’s may not be that practical for a soon-to-be married couple.

Third wheeling

All this lovey-dovey stuff might mean that you’re too loved up to realise that your friends might be missing you a little bit. And the way you deal with that? Invite them over… to third wheel! Don’t deny it, you know you’re guilty! Whilst it’s not okay to make your besties third wheel all the time, it’s fair enough to say that when you’re newly engaged, it’s a prime time in your romantic relationship so it’s allowed. But beware!

Hen/stag party excitement!

Is it bad that one of the first things you want to do is to plan the hen and stag nights, and not the actual wedding? Don’t worry, it’s quite common. Especially when the first thing that every single one of the groom-to-be’s friends say is “what are we doing for the stag weekend?”. They fuel the excitement! It’s all part of the process after all. Other engagements?

An Introduction to Wedding Fitness

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It’s no surprise that brides often feel a crazy amount of pressure to look good on their wedding day. Not only is there the worry of fitting into your dream wedding dress, but an endless amount of pictures will also be snapped over the course of the day.

Unsurprisingly, over 90% of brides hope to shed extra pounds before getting married. However, perhaps more shockingly, as many as one in three will resort to crash dieting in an extreme bid to get their ideal bridal body.

The good news is that crash dieting is completely unnecessary – which is great seeing as it has no benefit to your overall health and is unlikely to give you the results you want anyway.

When Should I Start My Fitness Regime?

There’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach to when you should start your wedding fitness regime. It really does depend on your starting point and how much weight you want to lose. The sooner you start the better. Don’t wait until the last minute to try and lose weight and then expect miracles.

You should be thinking about your diet and exercise plan as soon as you start your wedding planning, so that you don’t end up resorting to a crash diet in a bid to lose pounds at the last minute. Ideally you should aim to reach your weight loss goal within 4 weeks of your wedding, in time for the final dress fittings. That way you’ll be able to focus more on the finishing touches of the wedding planning rather than worrying about fitting into your dream dress.

Set Yourself Short Term Goals

Make sure you take regular exercise over the first four to six weeks for general fitness, then start to target specific areas such as your stomach, thighs and bottom. Keeping a fitness diary will also monitor your progress and help you to feel good about your achievements.

What if I’m Short on Time?

Finding the right kind of exercise regime to suit your needs and schedule can vary from a brisk walk to a full workout in the gym or an exercise video that you found online.

If you have a demanding work and life schedule that rarely allows you to fit exercise in, then try to make lifestyle swaps wherever you can. For example, ditch the car and walk to work or the shops and try to take the stairs instead of the lift – even just taking up small exercises like this will help you keep trim.

High intensity interval training (known as HIIT for short) is great for a busy bride. This consists of short bursts of intense exercise mixed in with small rests, which could benefit you more than a long session in the gym.

You need to start sweating and exercising alongside a healthy diet to make great changes to your body but this doesn’t mean that you need to spend hours on a treadmill.

Above all, have fun and don’t beat yourself up if it takes a while to get the results you want. Getting fit and losing weight healthily takes time, but stick with it and you’ll feel fabulous inside and out when you finally get into that wedding dress. 

Are you planning a beach wedding?

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Once you find the perfect wedding dress and booked an amazing seaside wedding venue, you need to start thinking about your look. 

What constitutes beachy wedding hair for you? Braids, texture with waves. A fresh unstructured playful look.

What should a bride do if she’s marrying on a beach in a humid climate and is prone to frizzy hair?

The best thing to do would be to have braids or twists in the hair, or have the hair pulled back fairly tightly. Always embrace the texture and using salt spray to add to it, perhaps have some braids around your face for some pretty detail and then it doesn’t matter so much if the rest of the hair gets a little frizzy as it adds to the look. You can also use a strong hairspray to seal the hair but it can look quite fixed so although it seals away moisture it may not fit for a relaxed look as much.

What styles work for a breezy beach in the UK and why?

It depends on how warm it is, but if it’s really breezy, a loose chignon of some sort to keep the hair away from the face. A look with loose tendrils and texture would be ideal, nothing too fixed and neat. Then if it isn’t too structured the odd hair being blown about will add to the look and it will not look as though anything is out of place.

How can a bride master boho, beachy waves?

The conical wand is best to create natural looking waves in the hair, and salt spray for adding texture is brilliant. Adding a few fishtail braids woven through or around the face can look very boho; a fine floral crown looks amazing with this style or a few small flowers dotted through the hair also will look beautiful.

What type of wedding hair accessories would you recommend for a beach wedding?

Definitely a flower head crown– Or a few faux flowers dotted through the hair.

Make sure your dancefloor is never empty

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Book a live band

A great wedding band will be experienced and know exactly which music to play to get your guests on the dancefloor, and how to keep them there! There are lots of different styles and sizes of bands to suit all tastes and budgets, making this decision especially difficult. Booking through a reputable wedding directory will help to guarantee great quality, and with our easy booking process, pretty much all eventualities are covered.

Dim the lights

This is extremely important, because you want your guests to feel comfortable and relaxed on the dancefloor. Having bright lights will make them too self-aware so bring the lighting right down. Ideally roving or flashing lighting will create an illusion of a busy dancefloor, which will encourage more guests to join in.

Get your timings right

The biggest mistake many brides and grooms make is for their evening reception is to start the entertainment too early. Your day guests will have just eaten dinner and your evening guests won’t be relaxed (or drunk) enough yet. Don’t be afraid to let everyone ease into the evening rather than rushing through and trying to force a good time – 9pm is usually the ideal time to start your band or disco.

Check your space

You need a dedicated dancefloor space but it can’t be too big or too small for the number of guests you have. A huge dancefloor will intimidate your guests while a tiny dancefloor will give the impression you are not expecting anyone to dance. Another point to remember here is that having the bar in a separate room will take your guests away from the dancefloor, leaving it looking a bit empty and sad.

Be present

As the bride and groom you are the stars of the show and your guests will generally want to be where you are – on the dancefloor having the time of your lives! You can also prepare or recruit some close friends who you know are more confident to be the first ones up and dancing, to help get the party started!

Stress free wedding hair

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Although we all hope to be thoroughly organised for the big day, it’s always a good idea to have a back-up plan and do as much in advance as possible, especially when it comes to children’s hair!

Before the big day

The dreaded visit to the wedding hairdressers – it can sometimes be a battle to get children onside when it’s time for a haircut but you’ll likely to want their locks looking fresh for the wedding day.

Try chatting to your children about their impending haircut in the days leading up to the event – treating a haircut as a grown-up treat can help to get children excited about the experience. It can be worthwhile to spend a few minutes in the salon with your child before their appointment. Allowing them some time to watch other children in the salon chair can help them to feel more comfortable. 

A little snack often works wonders for keeping little ones still in the salon chair, and small rewards such as a lollipop or a play in the park on the way home can help to make their experience a positive one. 

If your child finds the salon environment particularly stressful, it might be worthwhile looking into a mobile wedding hairdresser, since your child is much more likely to feel at ease in familiar surroundings.

The night before

Washing hair, the night before can help relieve pressure on the wedding day, and gives you at least one less thing to worry about!

Brush through any tangles before bed, and wash and dry their hair before they go to bed. Using a 2 in 1 shampoo can help to reduce the stressful process too by keeping hair washing time to a minimum whilst also easing any tangles. 

To help reduce tangle – try to squeeze as much water from their hair as possible after washing, and try not to rub it with the towel as this can encourage tangles.

A little conditioning spray can help so try to do this when combing through wet and through dry hair using a wide-tooth comb, always starting at the ends. If your child has longer hair it can be beneficial to plait it back or tie it into a loose ponytail as they sleep.

On the wedding day

There are lots of simple styles that even dads can help with! If your daughter has static hair, before diving right in with a bucket of product, he can lightly spray a hairbrush with some low strength hairspray and brush through to tame any fly-aways. 

Plaits can be a little tricky so unless he sees himself as a secret hair wizard, try gathering two pieces of hair at the front, twisting them individually to the back of your child’s head. Secure the twists with a couple of bobby pins – if you put them wobbly side down, they’ll grip better. Spraying a clean toothbrush to deal with any tricky flyways can also help. 

If you are feeling adventurous, you can create some additional twists using the remainder of the hair, and remember – cute accessories can cover all manner of sins so don’t be afraid to keep things simple and let a couple of nice clips or matching ribbons do the talking!

Bridal beauty dos

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You’re going to want to look your most beautiful on your wedding day and you’ll want your groom to gasp as he sees you arrive. To help you achieve this we’ve asked some top beauty experts and wedding make-up artists for their advice. Because you don’t want to be making any mistakes with your big day look.

Natural beauty

Try all your make-up on before your wedding day and view it in natural daylight, make-up can look very different indoors and outdoors. Wear waterproof eye make-up where possible, especially mascara for the emotional I Dos!

A good foundation

Have your foundation colour matched to your skin tone and bear that in mind if you’re having a spray tan for the big day. Moisturise your face 30 minutes before applying your make-up, to allow time for your moisturiser to sink in and do its magic.

Always wear a primer before applying foundation to give a smoother appearance and keep your make-up on for longer. Also always wear an eye make-up primer to hold your eyeshadow in place and prevent creasing. Keep a small powder compact to hand to touch up any shiny areas towards the evening.

Set in place

Use a setting spray when your make-up is finished to give it lasting power. If applying your own make-up on the day, try to have a professional go through it with you before the big day, to show you how to do the best application.

Look after your skin

Begin a good skincare routine. If you have any issues book a series of facials to get your skin in tip top condition. Get a skin consultation with a professional so they can advise you on which products will suit your skin type.

Use an SPF daily to protect your skin from the sun and keep shoulders covered if you’re wearing a strapless dress on your wedding day as strap marks are difficult to hide.

Get in shape

Have your eyebrows shaped two days before the wedding as shaped eyebrows make all the difference to the make-up.

Hands up!

Do have manicures because everyone will want to see your ring. Soft silky hands and manicured nails will look amazing in your photos.

Beauty don’ts for brides

Don’t risk a break out

Don’t have a facial too close to your wedding day, You’re risking your skin breaking out just before the big day. Also don’t try new products on your skin in the month up to your wedding. It takes a good 30 days to see results on skin. Don’t over exfoliate your skin, some products can be too harsh and aren’t made for daily use. Don’t have a fake tan if you’ve never tried it before – it’s always best to have a trial run first so you can see how long it lasts and always ask if it will rub off on your dress.

Bad hair day

Colour treatments or cuts should be avoided in the week approaching the wedding. The last thing any woman wishes to worry about is unnecessary hair troubles on such a gorgeous, picturesque occasion.

Make-up don’ts

Don’t wear foundation with SPF included as this can sometimes reflect light off your face in professional pictures.

Don’t over powder your make-up, or layer on too much as this can give a ‘cakey’ appearance and don’t try any new make-up looks on the day. Also avoid using heavy eye make-up with a strong lipstick, always choose to emphasise eyes or lips. And lastly, don’t forget to wash your hands before putting on your dress!

Unhelpful helpfulness

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1. Keep people occupied

Delegate jobs to your most enthusiastic wedding guests and they won’t even notice what else you’re working on. Choose research tasks that they can really get their teeth into – whether it’s asking your mum to make a Pinterest board for cakes, or your dad look up wedding bands, give them a brief and leave them to it. They’ll be so flattered you trust their taste that they won’t even ask about the other stuff.

2. Manage expectations

The earlier people know what you’re planning, the less likely they are to kick up a fuss if things don’t go how they imagined. If you’re eloping to France with couple of close friends, let everyone know early on so that your aunties don’t go out and buy their hats. If you’re open about what you want, there can’t be any disappointments.

3. Keep their good intentions in mind

An overly zealous family member is a huge compliment – after all, they just want to make you happy by making your day as perfect as possible. So don’t get angry if you feel harassed, but see it from their point of view. If they won’t let something go, ask yourself why they feel so strongly about it. Maybe they didn’t have a good time at a similar wedding, or regretted that detail about their own day? Once you know their motives, it’s easier to reassure them that your way will work out.

4. Make some things a secret

A confetti bomb for the first dance, fake snow at a winter wedding, or a magician working the crowd: it’s the fun finishing touches that make a wedding stand out. However, once the ‘tacky’ word raises its head it might curb your enthusiasm, so surprise people on the day and they’ll have such a good time and think everything is wonderful.

5. Pay for some of it yourself

One of the biggest reasons why couples bend to their parents’ requests is because, as they’re the ones paying, it seems fair to give them a say. But wait a minute, if they’re treating you to a wedding dress, would you let them have a say in that? Accepting cash is no reason to sacrifice your wedding dreams, but it can definitely take away some of your ammunition in a debate.

6. Meet up with them regularly

If someone’s constantly bombarding you with wedding emails, it could be a sign that that they feel out of the loop and are trying to muscle back into your wedding bubble. They’ll back off if you get some drinks dates in the diary, as it’s chance for everyone to share the buzz and excitement in one place.

7. Use a referee

Do you have an ultra-diplomatic member of the family who can charm people to putty? Tell the most persistent meddlers that you’re really busy, so you’ve asked that person to play wedding planner for a while. Then you can get the low-down through them and choose which advice you take, without having to tip-toe around anyone’s feelings.

8. Please yourself

The only person you need to please is yourself and your groom. Do you want to look back at your day and think it represented you as a couple, or your Mum? Your wedding is the most personal event you’ll ever plan, so you’ll regret it if you feel like a guest on your own special day. You’re never going to please everyone, so you may as well please yourselves.

9. Stay firm if you feel strongly

Ok, there are some things you might want to let go. Is it really so bad if the disco DJ is your dad’s friend from his bridge club? But when it comes to the things that really matter to you, leave your compromising self at the door. Big decisions such as the venue or food menu are worth disappointing people over because as soon as they see how happy they are about it; we guarantee they’ll share your excitement.

Last Night of Freedom

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Alternative hen party ideas that you’ll love

Hiring a ‘cheeky butler’

Having Butlers in the Buff at your hen party isn’t just about service with a cheeky smile. There is so much more that they can offer! Getting your butlers to join in with the hen party games is a fantastic way to get your hen party started. Here are five of our favourites – choose one to play on your last night of freedom!

The Wedding Dress Game

All you need is to split the group into two and have some white bin bags, tin foil, sellotape and some creative flair to create fabulous wedding dresses. The bride and the butler make great models. You could even ask your butler to judge the contest!

The Mr & Mrs Quiz

This game requires a little preparation. Ask the groom-to-be to answer a series of questions about the bride and then she has to guess the answers. The butler can read out the questions and dish out the forfeits if the bride gets them wrong. 

Butler Olympics

Why not organise an old-fashioned sports day for the group, taking everyone back to their school days? Your butler could either take part or be referee and distribute equipment. Choose from your favourite sports day event or use our suggestions! Or why not challenge your butlers to a push-up contest?

Balloon Challenge

This popular activity keeps the party going! You will need one pack of party balloons (or condoms if you’re feeling risqué); small pieces of paper; a pen; and of course a Butler in the Buff to present the balloon and a pin for popping! Ask the group to write down a number of questions or forfeits on small pieces of paper that can be rolled up and placed inside a balloon before it’s blown up. At certain points during the festivities the Hen has to burst a balloon and answer the questions or follow the instructions. These could be wedding related questions, or choose from our list of hen night challenges.

Never Have I Ever…

This drinking game is for everyone so there’s nowhere to hide! All you need is a good selection of drinks for your butler to refill glasses with. Then ask your butler to read the questions out. For example, … “Never have I ever lied about my age” and then those people who have lied about their age take a drink.

Why not try one of these fun hen party games at your last night of freedom?

The perfect shape for your figure

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The right wedding dress can do wonders for your figure. It can cinch you in at the waist, create the illusion of a flat tummy, hide big hips and much more – if you choose the right style for your body shape. Not sure what shape you are? Let us help you find your perfect style…

Apple – weight mainly around the middle

An ‘apple’ shaped bride has a body shape which tends to store the majority of the weight around the midriff – think Kate Winslet. Many people who are blessed with this sexy body shape aren’t too sure which is the best way to flaunt their assets but we can recommend the following designs;

A heavily pleated bodice which will help to hide and add additional shape to the torso and help to create a more defined waist. An A-line skirt which helps to keep the figure balanced and draw attention away from the waist.

Pear – weight mainly around the hips and thighs

Brides with a pear-shaped figure tend to have ‘more junk in the trunk’ and so carry more weight around their hips, bum and thighs. When balanced correctly a pear shape can look like a screen siren, take J-Lo for instance, a woman famous for her junk! For this shape we recommend;

A full skirt can hide and balance the figure by flaring out from the middle and highlighting a tiny waist. The sweetheart neckline helps to draw the eye to a defined décolletage and toned shoulders, typical of those lucky pear-shaped ladies. The beaded belt adds an element of bling for that J-Lo factor.

A fitted bodice helps to draw the eye upwards to the torso and the banded waist helps to define and exaggerate an enviable waist. The floral detailing across the bodice helps to add a feminine feel.

Hourglass – Fuller bust and hips, small waist

The hourglass figure can suit many styles of dress. The key to an hourglass figure is to accentuate the waist as this is your main asset. Many people believe the hourglass shape to be the perfect figure and this is embodied by Kelly Brook who is famous for her womanly curves. The following styles would be perfect for this heavenly body shape…

For example, a classic fishtail skirt and form fitting bodice. Hourglass stars such as Dita von Teese often favour this dress shape as it helps to show off a tiny waist but also highlight desirable assets, which an hourglass will possess. The sweetheart neckline will also help to define the bust whilst drawing the eye to a woman’s most treasured assets.

Another show stopping design for an hourglass would be a figure-hugging, pleated bodice with statement tulle, fishtail skirt. This exaggerated shape helps to balance out your faultless curves and the fitted bodice will help to highlight that defined waist.

Reverse Pear – Larger bust with smaller hips and legs

The key thing for a ‘reverse pear’ figure is to balance out the silhouette. Dresses with a fitted bodice and fuller skirt tend to work better as they help to even out the figure and create more of an hourglass shape. Celebrities such as Eva Mendes really rock this shape by following these simple rules.

A fitted bodice helps to define the waist and the lace shoulder straps help to keep the bust secure and the bride comfortable. The full skirt adds volume to smaller hips and balances out a heavy top. 

Athletic – Slim all over

With an athletic build you need to create the illusion of curves as this body type is toned and sculpted to perfection. This build tends to look best in form-hugging dresses as they do not have the worry of looking top or bottom heavy. Celebrities such as Cameron Diaz can look amazing in practically any dress due to her enviable athletic shape…

A belted definition at the waist to help create the illusion of womanly curves. A cowl bust helps to emphasise a smaller chest and the beaded straps help to secure the dress and show off toned shoulders. A column skirt helps to keep the silhouette even and elegant.