Category Archives: Love

Same Sex Weddings

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Wedding planning is stressful enough. It gets even more confusing when most of the advice out there revolves around a bride and groom—and you’re both one of the above. 

1. Don’t worry about what you “should” do

Instead of worrying about how to make your ceremony line up with (straight) tradition, view it as a chance to throw an event exactly your way, without any of the old-school “must-haves” that don’t mean anything to you personally. “Because many same-sex couples don’t have gendered roles in their relationship, they really have the freedom to reinvent the wedding. 

2. Get creative with your wedding party

Who says a woman has to have maids of honour and only guys get to nominate best men? Choose the guests you want up at the altar with you—whatever sex they are—and name them accordingly. You could have bride’s men, groom’s maids, a man of honour or a best woman, for instance, or give the whole gang a fun name like the “I Do Crew” or “Bridal Brigade.” Or skip the guests altogether and keep all eyes on you and your partner. 

3. Social media is your friend

Can’t visualize what your invitations, vows or any other part of your wedding should look like? That’s what Pinterest is for. 

4. Put your own stamp on the ceremony

Many traditional wedding ceremonies feature a groom waiting at the altar for his bride to walk toward him down the aisle. So what happens if you’ve got two grooms or two brides? It totally depends on what you and your partner feel comfortable with. Some ideas: 

  • Walk down the aisle one right after the other.
  • Walk each other down the aisle, perhaps arm in arm or holding hands.
  • Walk in unison down separate aisles leading to the altar.
  • Flip a coin before the ceremony to decide who proceeds down the aisle first.

5. You can still have your own pre-parties

There’s no reason you have to forego a party with your best mates just because you’re both stags or hens. So go ahead and plan your own celebration, whether it’s a weekend in Amsterdam or a trip to the seaside. One thing that’s really common is two partners having separate parties on the same night and then meeting up at the end.

6. A planner may be worth the money

Though a wedding planner isn’t in everyone’s budget, a coordinator can help you save time by steering you toward venues and officiants that he knows to be inclusive of same-sex weddings.

7. Vet your honeymoon destination before you book

Once you’ve come up with a list of dream destinations—particularly international ones—do a little research first and cross off any that don’t afford the same legal protections and cultural acceptance that same-sex couples have here. That way, your honeymoon can be just as blissful as the wedding itself.

Make sure your wedding is Iconic

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It has been stated that a wedding is one if not the most memorable day in a woman’s life.  As either the bride or the groom, you want to ensure that your wedding is iconic. Where a great many weddings focus on the flowers, seating, gowns, and such essential elements, many times one of the most critical aspects of a wedding is overlooked until the very last minute. This is a practice which very much needs to be avoided. Music is a critical part of a wedding. It sets the mood for all the events which occur.

Considerations need to focus on three main key times in the wedding event. These three areas are the arrival of the guest, the arrival of the bride, and the post ceremony music.

THE ARRIVAL OF THE GUESTS

Before the Ceremony starts, the mood for the entire day is being set. Like a fragrance which permeates the air, the welcoming music will set the overall mood for arriving guests. What music will welcome arriving guests? Will you choose to use the enticing music of harpist or choose something more engaging such as a gospel choir?

When choosing music for the arrival of your guest, it is always best practice to have a live musician which can accommodate the needs of those attending. This does not mean that the musician is taking request, but that the musical entertainment can focus on the overall mood of the room. For example: If the musician sees that the room is getting restless, they may choose to play something that is a bit more upbeat or vice versa.

THE ARRIVAL OF THE BRIDE

The bride is the focus of the whole event and therefore the music for the procession must reflect that. The processional music is played upon the bridal party entering the events entrance. If you are going for the more “traditional” feel, the procession will enter to a classical tune either played by a string quartet, harpist a song sung by a gospel choir. However, if you choose to go with a more modern feel you would have your entertainer play a dedicated track for the processional party. This song does not need to be played at any other time during the ceremony. For those that are wanting to have something truly unique may want to consider hiring a Scottish Piper?

MUSIC

Bridal music should be slow and soft. You want to capture the beauty of the bride.  Slower music makes the viewer look at the bride and time the beats (subconsciously) with the movements of her steps. Upon arriving at the place where vows will be taken, the music should fade out nicely. Do not abruptly end the song.

At the reception, your music should be upbeat and festive. This does not mean that you have to abandon sophistication. Your live musicians should be able to play musical selections from most genres and with variations which meet the overall theme of your wedding entertainment needs.

Break the mould

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They say your wedding day is the most important day of your life. For many brides this is most definitely the case, but the reasons for this may go beyond professing their love for their partner and agreeing to spend the rest of their lives with them.

Brides are a competitive group of people. Many Brides have been wedding planning since they were a little girl, long before they find their “Mr Right”. Each bride hopes their day will be better than any other wedding they have been to. They hope it is unique and memorable, and will dream for years in advance about it.

And yet, despite all of this, most wedding days follow the same pattern and structure:

For your wedding guests the time gaps between the Ceremony and Meal, and the Meal and Evening Entertainment involves a lot of waiting around. Most Brides who plan wedding entertainment, will not go far beyond the traditional Wedding Band or DJ. This generic wedding structure rarely changes much from wedding to wedding, and guests who have attended many previous weddings can now do it in their sleep!

But if you are to have a truly unique, memorable and wonderful wedding day (That stands out from the rest of your friends), you must look beyond this traditional robotic sequence of events. How about spicing things up a little and taking your experienced guests out of their comfort zones? Need to fill the long, boring gaps in the day? There are lots of wedding entertainment ideas which you probably haven’t considered. The quick guide below gives you some ideas of how to avoid the long gaps and gain the competitive edge!

Cocktail Artist – how about hiring a cocktail artist to make your drinks reception unique? A cocktail artist will be able to create exciting drinks for you and your guests to enjoy and will provide an added touch of glamour to your big day. The artist will be able to interact with your guests and put on a show while mixing the cocktails themed with your wedding

Magician- what about having a magician at your wedding to wow and entertain your guests? The magician could mingle with your guests and keep the kids entertained. They may even be a good idea for an ice-breaker for your speeches.

Balloon artist – maybe thank about having a balloon artist? You may not have considered this as an option but balloon artists can be very creative and entertaining. The artist could be particularly useful for keeping the kids amused.

Caricature artist- have you considered a caricature artist? They could create an image in under five minutes which will provide a comical souvenir for your guests. You and your new husband could even have an image done for a more light-hearted representation of you on your big day.

Comedian- I know what you’re thinking, a comedian for my wedding, are you serious? But it may not be as crazy as you think. As long as you get the right one and explain that their act must be tasteful, then a comedian could be a great asset to your wedding reception. They could be used to keep guests entertained before their meal or even as an ice-breaker prior to the speeches.

Starlight LED Dance floor – how about going beyond the simple, traditional dance floor? A starlight dance floor will make your first dance even more special as well as providing your guests with a great place to enjoy the music.

Photo booth – should you use a photo booth to capture some memories of your guests at your wedding? Whilst you are having your professional photographs taken your guests will be kept entertained by posing for their own photos. These however, will be much more light-hearted and will provide you with some fun memories.

Bouncy Castle – how about a bouncy castle to keep the kids entertained? It can be very difficult to keep the kids entertained at a wedding but a bouncy castle may be a good way to do this. Some bigger kids may even want to join in the fun!

We hope we have got you thinking? So, to make your Wedding extra special why not go all out!!

A personal poem from the heart

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Anything written by you are touching in their own way. A groom may want to write a poem for his bride about all the things he loved about her – right down to her not being the best singer in the world, but loved to hear her sing as it meant she was happy.  You may have been through tough times, but against all the odds, you made it to the altar and are looking forward to the future together.

Sometimes words are not enough and writing something for a bride who had been told she that only had a short time to live, she may want to write a poem for her groom thanking him for sticking by her, and loving her through tough times. Or writing something to be read at the reception, thanking all their friends and family who helped her to put the wedding together so quickly. This of course can be a very precious keepsake.

Little details make the difference, so in each case try to weave your personal memories and feelings into something that you are proud to deliver, either written down, or read aloud.

How is a poem useful when used in a best man speech?

Poems are incredibly useful when used as best man speeches. Often the best man doesn’t have a lot of public speaking experience and it can be daunting, and so it can be nice to have the rhythm of a poem as something to focus on while they are trying to deliver their speech. Also, for a best man, what they really want to do is be there for their friend in the run up to the wedding, so having a poem to be used as their best man speech frees up their time to really be there for them. Then all they need to do is practice their poem, present on the big day and then sit back and take all the praise for their clever delivery! Perfect!

Best Man poems can contain all the regular things you would put into a best man speech, so humorous tales from the groom’s younger days, and how he met his bride and what his friends think of her, messages from friends who can’t be there and thanks you’s and so on. They can choose to have their full wedding speech as poem, or just a small part, perhaps to be used as the crowning glory and rounding off their speech.

Poems can be presented as gifts in a number of ways, as the main gift where the sentiment is in the words, or as thank you poems for the bridesmaids to go alongside any other little gifts that you may give them. They may want to simply write it into a card, frame it with a photo, record themselves reading it and then share it on YouTube, or have it transcribed into calligraphy.

Capture your first kiss

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Your first kiss as husband and wife at the altar should be romantic and full of love, so here are some things to remember.

As well as closing your eyes (an essential ingredient to a good first kiss) and not bumping foreheads as you approach each other too quickly, you should also keep the following things in mind.

Cringeworthy kisses

Don’t make your first kiss too cringeworthy or you will make your wedding guests feel uncomfortable. This is especially true if you are kissing in a church.

Intention

The best part of any kiss is its intention, so do it from a place of love and tenderness and this will come shining through and be reflected in your wedding photographs.

Avoid a quick peck

A quick peck on the lips can be seen as a bit cold and empty, especially when it’s your first kiss as a married couple, so linger a little longer to make sure your wedding photographer can capture that special moment.

Enjoy

Don’t be embarrassed, remember, it’s your special moment, so don’t feel awkward and if you remember the first 3 tips above your love will come shining through in the photos which will be a photo that you will cherish forever.

An original proposal

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There are many ways that you can make a grand proposal to your loved one.  You may have the perfect one lined up but if you need a little help.  We have made some suggestions:

1. Love Letters

If your wife to be is a country girl at heart, the prospect of getting up and going outside on possibly a very cold day will certainly not faze her. The idea of going up in a helicopter and viewing the beautiful British countryside that she loves will definitely excite her though. Then, imagine her face when she views the words ‘Will you marry me?’ written across the hill…breath-taking! 

2. Enter Loversville

As its’ name alone suggests that the village of Lover (pronounced like Dover) is one of the UK’s most romantic destinations. Located just south of Salisbury on the edge of the New Forest this tiny village is an ideal place for couples to visit, if only to pose by the village sign for an amusing photo opportunity!

Also in Wiltshire, is the interesting heart shaped wood on Huish Hill near Pewsey. Created by Lady Keswick in 1999 as a memorial to her brothers the wood has developed nicely so that when in season it appears to look like a giant red heart. This phenomenon is due to the woods being planted with two varieties of Hawthorn which produce pink flowers. Totalling an acre in size, the wood is visible from the top of Huish Hill and is really spectacular!

3. Stopping traffic.

Why not show the world, or rather a high percentage of commuters, how much you love the woman in your life by proposing on London Bridge, during rush-hour?

OK, so it may not make you the most popular guy in London, but it will certainly win you an infinite amount of brownie points for the most imaginative and heart felt proposal.

4. Get a Cheer

Picture the scene, you’re having an amazing time at Glastonbury, it’s warm, the sun is setting and you’re watching your favourite band perform on the stage. And then you get engaged; now that’s quite perfect.

Imagine getting a cheer from 20,000 people after you have just got engaged, I think that would make it pretty memorable. 

So there you have it, some wedding ideas for the most romantic and memorable proposals. Take them as they are or with a pinch of salt, but whatever your proposal idea is, make it personal to you and no-one could say no.

There are countless ideas that you can feed from and hire something a little unusual to give your wife to be the proposal she so deserves…

Getting it right

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If you are experiencing these feelings, then you know you are marrying the right person…

You love waking up to them in the morning

Despite spending the entire night nudging him to make him stop snoring, you still love to wake up to their face in the morning. And that’s a good thing. If you can both look past the bed hair and the morning breath, you’re bossing those relationship goals.

You’re always excited to see them

Whether you’ve got fun plans to go away for the weekend, or just planning a cosy night in after work, you’re excited to see them. Number one: because you miss them, and number two: because you have fun together, even if you’re doing absolutely nothing at all.

You can’t imagine yourself with anyone else

Thinking of your past dates, you wonder how you did it. You just cannot picture yourself sitting across a candlelit table to anyone else but him or her. The fact you ever went on blind dates absolutely baffles you – you don’t even remember how to flirt anymore.

You miss them when they’re gone

Even if you have to go your separate ways for just a couple of hours or to go to work, you’ll miss them. Before they’ve gone, you’re begging them to stay and wondering why you both can’t just stay in bed forever; when you realise they (and you) actually need to go, an unnecessary number of goodbyes are said; as soon as they are gone, you’re not shy to send an ‘I miss you’ text the moment they’ve walked out the door, and several more times throughout the day.

It’s the little things

When two people know each other when, they know exactly how to tick each other’s boxes and make each other smile. It’s the little things like bringing your favourite chocolate home when he knows you’ve had a bad day, or you making sure you’ve got his favourite series on record (because you know that he’ll forget), that make a relationship that extra bit special.

You’re always on the same page

Spending the rest of your life with someone is a big commitment and it means you’ve got to be on the same page as each other. You talk about everything and know exactly what each other’s life plans are – so much so that you’ve either got the same life plans or that you’ve had to make compromises so they fit with each other. That’s love.

You’re each other’s best friends

You treat each other like you treat each of your best friends. They’re the first person you ring when something interesting happens or you’ve got some gossip to tell, and you can rely on them to respond in exactly the way you want.

So if you feel any of these things, you are indeed on to a good thing… 

Looking for hotels that ooze romance?

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Ahead of the most romantic time of the year, Macdonald Hotel Ltd, one of the UK’s largest independent hotel groups, is encouraging love birds to indulge in some ‘we time’. With almost 50 luxurious hotels to choose from, each with its own unique charm, couples can cosy up in some of the UK’s most romantic spots. From Shakespeare’s birthplace, to the town which inspired a royal love story, Macdonald Hotels are the perfect place to spend time together this Valentine’s Day. Here are seven of their most romantic hotels where love will definitely be in the air this February;

Macdonald Rusacks Hotel, St Andrews

In the town which kindled the flame of romance between Kate and Wills, Macdonald Rusacks Hotel is perfect for a luxurious and indulgent break this Valentine’s. St Andrews is a must-visit destination with its world renowned university, quaint Scottish terraces and famous West Sands beach immortalized in the Oscar-winning movie Chariots of Fire. Ideal for those couples who share a passion for golf, Macdonald Rusacks Hotel is one of the greatest golfing hotels in the world, within a sand wedge of the 18th hole of the famous Old Course and with a dedicated Golf Concierge.

Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel, Bath

For couples seeking 5-star luxury, Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel offers a romantic get-away in the heart of historic Bath. With landscaped gardens, four poster beds, and a ‘bath butler’ this town which was home to Jane Austin, can create a weekend that even one of the world’s best known romantic fiction writers would be proud of.

Macdonald Marine Hotel & Spa, North Berwick

Just half an hour from Edinburgh by train is the beautiful seaside town of North Berwick; renowned for its dramatic coastline as well as independent boutiques and ice cream vendors. Macdonald Marine Hotel & Spa is housed within a glorious 19th Century building; reflecting a time when Romanticism swept through the British art world. Guests can take a windswept walk along the beach or stay cosily indoors and watch the coastline from behind the windows of one of the hotels’ 83 individually styled, luxury rooms. For couples looking to be pampered, the award winning thermal spa boasts a heated indoor pool as well as an outdoor hydro pool.

Macdonald Old England Hotel & Spa, Lake District

Macdonald Old England Hotel & Spa on the shores of Lake Windermere has unrivalled views over mature lawns to private jetties and moorings on the lake. The luxury four-star hotel proves a popular choice for romantic getaways and weekend breaks. This Valentine’s Day the hotel is offering a proposal package for guests looking to pop the question. Couples will be able to stay in a suite where they will be greeted with a chilled bottle of Prosecco and chocolates in the room on arrival. The Macdonald team will also be on hand to surprise loved ones with an engagement ring hidden inside Champagne glasses, and beds will be strewn with rose petals as an extra romantic touch.

Wedding Movie Themes

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Can’t decide on a wedding theme? Check out these amazing movie-themed proposals, and let them inspire your big day…

The Disney Dog Proposal

If you love cute dogs and Disney, this is the perfect proposal for you! A parade of cute puppies dressed up as Disney characters from the bride’s favourite films deliver little love notes from the groom-to-be. What could be better?

The Love Actually Proposal

If Love Actually is one of your favourite films, why not let its romantic moments inspire your day, like they inspired this unbelievable proposal. The amazing surprises just keep coming for this lucky bride-to-be. No expense was spared and this proposal included speedboats, helicopters and, of course, the 20-piece Love Actually style choir at the end – enjoy! See if you can spot our friends The Secret Singers, too!

The Bollywood Proposal

If you love all things bright and beautiful – and OTT dance routines – why not work a Bollywood theme into your big day? This brave groom spent hours learning a Bollywood dance routine to impress his bride-to-be. Enter the Flash Mob with some very cool moves! Would your man do something like this?

Is your spouse to be in teaching?

Obviously for this one you’d need to get permission for the Headmaster before carrying out this proposal. Or if you have a great Headmaster he/she may help you plan your perfect proposal. Let your spouse to be class to hold up some letters which form ‘Will You Marry Me?’ – it may take a bit of practice as some of the letters will be upside down (no doubt) but it would be a great surprise and which would get all the kids involved and make it a truly unforgettable moment.

Reasons to have a photo booth at your wedding

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Your guests will love it. The wedding photo booth will be the highlight of the night and everybody will be really pleased with the photographs.

Suitable for all ages

It will be great to have something the children and grandparents could join in with. 

Nostalgia

Back in the good old days we never had cameras on our phones! To grab an instant picture of you and all your friends you had to walk into town and squeeze into a wedding photo booth. Now the booths may look more stylish but the concept is the same. And, of course, there are some fun props to make it even more memorable.

Talking point

Want your wedding to have something a little bit different? Well a photo booth will have your guests raving for weeks afterwards. 

Fabulous favours

Why give a traditional box of almonds when you could have a fun photo from the day that guests can look back on for years to come? One nice idea is to give them an empty key ring with a note to go to the photo booth later! 

Theme it!

Are you having a theme on your big day? Whether you want a winter wonderland, day at the beach or even just a colour we can bring the props to match your theme. They can even customise your prints to match and – if the budget stretches – they can even customise the booth itself!

Share the love

Not only will your guests receive a copy of the fun wedding photographs on the night, they will also upload all your ‘clean’ pictures to your very own Facebook album! This helps carry on the fun for weeks after the big day as friends and family tag, comment and copy their pictures.