Category Archives: Style

Winter wedding for your groom

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Consider a tweed wedding suit

Known for its rough texture and beige or grey colour, tweed was once considered an informal cloth. Today, people see tweed in a different light. In contrast to the rural and informal associations of yesteryear, tweed is often seen as chic, whimsical and authentically British. Not only have we seen an increase in tweed business suits, we’ve also tailored some fantastic, tweed, wedding suits, too.

Rustic weddings

If you’re having a rustic wedding this autumn or winter, in a barn or a country church, a tweed suit will look fantastic. Tweed was designed for the green but often rainy, Great British outdoors. Nothing looks better against a misty backdrop of hills and fields than a man in a tweed suit.

Add a waistcoat

Still not sure about a tweed wedding suit? Consider adding a waistcoat, making it a three piece suit instead. The waistcoat will balance the perceived informality of the cloth, making it special enough for the occasion.

Warm up with wool

A wool/cashmere blend – whether as a lounge suit or as a morning suit – is a good choice for an autumn or winter groom’s suit. It’s luxurious, comfortable and keeps you warm all day. The fact that this is your wedding suit means durability might not be your number one priority.  This is good because cashmere trousers wear through quickly and tailors will often recommend buying two pairs with your suit.

Look fab in flannel

A flannel wedding suit will keep out the cold and add an autumnal flavour to your attire. Flannel was once the go-to fabric for men’s suiting. This was before wool ousted it as the most popular type of cloth. One very good reason to get married in flannel is that you’ll have the suit for many autumns and winters to come as is it very durable. Its softness, versatility and medium weight means you’ll probably get more use out of it than a tweed alternative.

Eye on the time

If you’re wearing a three piece suit, a classic pocket watch on a chain is a great way to mark the specialness of the day. There look particularly dashing when wore as part of a wider vintage theme.

Bring on the braces

Braces are an attractive addition to a groom’s wedding suit, especially if you’re going for a more casual look – for instance, if you’re wearing them with trousers, a shirt and canvas trainers. Not many modern men get to wear braces.  Like the pocket watch, they have a novelty factor that can look unique in your wedding photographs.

Sless and still look fabulous

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Mix and match

Hair accessories can be a big outlay for something that you will only wear once. Instead of one expensive tiara, why not opt for a lower cost small bridal comb and a few pins or clusters of grips? These can be arranged in groups to create a high-impact look for less. Mix and match the styles to create an elaborate big day finish.

Make an investment

Why not spend your wedding accessories budget on a few key pieces of bridal jewellery that you will wear again and again long after your wedding day? Even a statement and more expensive piece of bridal jewellery will effectively cost less if you wear it lots of times!

Perfect presents

It is wonderful to include family members and friends in your wedding planning so why not ask them if they would treat you to your bridal jewellery for your next birthday or Christmas present? People are often stuck for gift ideas and love to be part of your wedding preparations.

Double up!

Make your bridesmaids’ accessories their thank you gifts. Simply tell them you have their jewellery sorted and give them a wonderful surprise on the big day. It also ensures that your girls will be wearing wedding accessories which fit in with your wedding theme.

Borrow

If you loved your Auntie’s or best friend’s wedding dress, then why not ask if you wouldn’t mind borrowing it? 

Wedding dresses can always look different if the veils are changed and the wedding bouquet is a different colour. We are sure that the person you borrowed it from would feel very happy that the dress has been put to good use and will bring back some good memories of their special day.

We are sure you can think of many more money saving ideas for your big day – just remember less is more…

10 tips to help you serve great wedding food ideas on a budget!

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Too many cooks?

Although you are catering for the whole wedding party, when choosing your menu, don’t offer too many options. Offering a multitude of choices for the wedding breakfast doesn’t enhance your guests’ experience, or make anything taste better. More choice only means more expense.

Cooking on gas

Some of the most beautiful wedding venues are outdoors – be it a marquee or a hog roast festival – but these celebrations do not have on-site kitchens or furniture. You will be required to pay extra to supply these facilities, so make sure you include this in your budget.

Smooth operator

The key to a successful wedding reception is timing and service. Making people wait for food and drinks is not a great idea. Pay for extra serving staff to ensure a smoothly-run reception and you will notice the investment – and your guests will love you for it!

Trade your toasting tipple

Champagne is everyone’s top tipple for wedding parties, but it can be a little on the expensive side. However, there are some great sparkling wines available, which are just as good but cost less. To impress your guests on half the budget, add a little elderflower cordial and a hibiscus flower to Cava, to create the perfect festive fizzy cocktail. Not only does this add a light, sweet, floral taste to the drink, it makes the Cava go that little bit further – good news all round!

Bacon buffet

If you plan to party in the early hours of the morning, don’t serve an evening buffet – you are essentially paying for two full meals that many people won’t even touch. Why not serve bacon sandwiches or posh kebabs a la Lily Allen? This will give the illusion of an evening meal and your guests will be thankful for the traditionally British fuel injection before the trip home.

A cheesy ending?

Cheese cakes are a great alternative to traditional tiers. You can ask your caterers to cut and serve the savoury slices with fruit and biscuits as the dessert after your meal. Alternatively, cupcakes are a cheaper option than a tiered cake and work well as both a dessert and a favour.

Raise the bar

The drinks reception tab can easily set couples back a few thousand pounds, so limiting what is served can be a great way to reduce costs. Ask your bar to carry beer and wine, or alternatively, have a cash-only bar that your guests will have to pay for. If you have provided them with a lovely meal accompanied with great entertainment, guests won’t mind forking out for a few drinks towards the end of the evening.

How to choose your guests for your Wedding

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When it comes to wedding parties, there are many different schools of thought. There are those couples who want every single important person in their lives to stand up at their wedding. There are those who feel obligated to invite anyone for whom they’ve stood up in their wedding party. And then there are those who think wedding parties are just plain ridiculous.

Most people, though, fall somewhere in the midst of these opinions. The average bridal party size is eight (four on each side), but that doesn’t mean you have to fit the “norm.” Here are some tips on how to choose your wedding party:

1. Think about your overall event size. If you’re having a 25-person or less wedding, having a large wedding party would just be awkward. Scale down your party in accordance with your event size.
2. Are you having a formal or casual wedding? For the most part, casual weddings are more suited to smaller wedding parties, where formal weddings can support a larger one.
3. Try to keep it balanced. While it’s perfectly fine to have more women than men (or vice versa) in your wedding party, do your best to keep it close to balanced so it doesn’t look odd in photos. If you find yourself with a large difference, consider narrowing down your wedding party to just one or two on each side to keep it under control.
4. Start with siblings. Especially if you’re having a small wedding party, invite siblings before you invite friends. Your family has always and will always be a part of your lives, so they should come first.
5. Consider their circumstances. Being in a wedding party requires a significant investment of time and money. Make sure that your invitation to serve as a wedding attendant won’t be a hardship on anyone.
6. Remember there are other ways to honour people. If you have a lot of people you want to stand up for you at your wedding but there isn’t room in the wedding party, consider inviting people to serve as ushers, guest book attendants, gift collectors, speakers, singers, or other important roles on your special day instead.
7. Pick people you can rely on. Your wedding day party is meant to include people who do more than just stand beside you and smile for pictures. You’ll need to rely on them for any number of things before and during the wedding. Choose your party accordingly.
8. Consider how long you’ve known them. Once you’ve asked your family, it’s time to consider which friends you’d like to ask to stand up for you. I recommend beginning with the friends you’ve known the longest, the ones who have been there with you through thick or thin. Those are the friends who are most likely to help you out when you need it, and who will remain a part of your life after the wedding.

These are our quick tips on choosing your wedding party, but the fact is, there aren’t any hard and fast rules. Do what works best for you and your wedding.

Top tips for a relaxing Wedding day

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You’ve spent tireless hours planning, crafting, revelling, and swooning over your wedding and the fact that you get to marry the person of your dreams. But guess what? When your wedding day finally arrives, all of your plans are going to be set in motion, and it is time for you to sit back and enjoy! Sadly, not everyone gets to do this for one reason or another… but if you adhere to the following things, you WILL get to fully enjoy the entire experience of your wedding day:

1. Hire A Planner.

At the very least you should enlist the help of a Wedding planner. This way, you can let your planner finalize and secure all loose ends in the weeks leading up to your big day so you can relax and enjoy the fun stuff – like your Hen party, and the final dress fitting! All you have to do is communicate with your planner, and she/he will take care of everything! Finalizing numbers, arrival times, and even making any changes- your wedding planner will take care of it all. This will also eliminate the confusion that can happen in the days leading up to your wedding. It’s so important that you and your planner, are all on the same page- and a planner will ensure this.

2. Limit your activities on the morning of your wedding.

Want to get a morning session of yoga in? Get in your workout? Great. But don’t plan an activity that doesn’t fall within your normal routine. You don’t want to end up sore from a 7-mile bike ride that you wouldn’t normally do on any other day. Or you don’t want be late for the rest of your day because you decided to go get pedicures on your wedding day. Getting ready on your wedding day will take time, so enjoy it. There is also no need to add any stress of completing tasks before the wedding, so make sure you have all your projects done! Be smart and be reasonable with yourself and make sure you’re not over doing anything.

3. Eat and stay hydrated.

Seems like a no brainer but not eating and drinking water can ruin your wedding day. Staying hydrated will help your skin glow in your pictures. And in case you need US to mention the obvious… staying hydrated will also hopefully prevent you from over-drinking and getting sloppy from too much Champagne in the morning!

4. Turn off your phone.

Or at least only answer your planner’s calls. Live in the moment. Your wedding day will pass by so fast- you don’t want to regret spending it on your phone. Plus, if you’ve hired someone to help manage your day, there is no reason you need to be directing people or making calls on what needs to get done. Direct everyone to your planner, but also friends and family- so you can enjoy your wedding day!

5. Trust your vendors.

You spend tireless time researching, vetting, studying, interviewing, and choosing your vendors. So you should definitely feel confident in them by now. You have been working with them side-by-side to plan this big day, so why stop trusting that they will do the best job for you on your wedding day? Give them space and have confidence they’ll handle everything for you. Especially your wedding day planner. She is there to represent you and will do just that, but you have to trust she’s got it covered! Intervening and not allowing her to do her job creates confusion, chaos, and wastes precious time! You hired your planner (and all your other vendors) for a reason – remember that. Also, if there is a vendor who you feel like isn’t on par, discuss it with your planner and she can handle it for you. The whole goal is to not have to worry about anything, right?

So with all of this said… RELAX! Your wedding day will go smoothly with your team of highly experienced professionals. No need to worry about the table cloth colour or whether it will rain. Remember that some things are out of your control and there is nothing you can do to change that. For the things that are changeable and manageable, you’ve assembled your A List vendor team to take care of it. This day should be a celebration and an exciting time filled with love and happiness! Take in every moment and be happy- it will indeed pass by faster than you could’ve imagined! Now go forth and enjoy your wedding day!

Winter Wedding Hair

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It’s a given that every single bride wants to look beautiful on her wedding day, and while some may argue that winter hairstyles are no different from looks at any other time of year, there are some things you really ought to consider for winter weddings.

Get the right tools

Looking radiant in the winter will take some extra work and care – however, armed with the right products, preparation and mind-set you can ensure you look perfect on your wedding day. Winter weather plays havoc with our hair and causes it to dry out and become frizzy – especially in cold, less humid climates. Moisture is sucked away from your locks, causing hair to become static, so it’s best to use a natural bristle brush or a wide tooth wooden comb.

Embrace the updo

Winter brides also need to think about their natural hair texture and type more than summer brides. I strongly recommend that you let your hair be itself and work with it instead of fighting against it. You can try to a degree to force your hair into unnatural shapes, but what with cold winds outside and central heating inside, fine straight hair will be more prone to drop curls, while naturally thick hair may frizz.

Updos are your best bet if you’re trying to tame unruly hair, as they’re more likely to withstand changes in the climate. Choosing an updo will mean that your hair will be neatly tucked into a beautiful style that won’t budge throughout the day.

Choose the right products

Ensure that your wedding hair stylist uses premium products to really help you avoid hair disasters on your special day. Hair products will vary depending on the style you choose, but for curls we recommend a good volumiser also a good helping of a high-quality hairspray to stop it losing its shape.

Consider your outfit

A lot of winter brides will wear a beautiful faux fur stole or shrug to keep warm while walking down the aisle and having their pictures taken outside. If you are considering a shawl, you must take this into consideration when choosing your hairstyle.

If you decide to wear a low bun at the side or back, the bottom of the bun may rub against your stole – this will not only make your hair look windswept, but will also weaken the hairstyle and cause it to fall out. You can still wear a bun, but just make sure that your hairdresser is aware that you’ll be wearing something to cover your shoulders so that they can make your hair high enough.

Many brides go for heavy luxurious fabrics when choosing their winter wedding dress and these may have many buttons at the back which you could get your hair tangled on. I would recommend having your hair up if you are going for this option so that you can avoid this nightmare scenario and also fully show off the intricate detailing on your wedding dress.

Brides choosing a high-necked dress should also try and wear their hair up as high as possible to create height – this will elongate your neckline and make you feel tall and slender. You could opt for hair to be swept to the side if you feel uncomfortable with all your hair up, and have a few loose strands to frame your face.

Add some sparkle

Winter brides can indulge not only in rich colours and fabrics but plenty of sparkle too. As the winter light fades and the crisp cold night starts to fall, a winter bride will look stunning with a glitzy hair accessory. Flowers may be a little more limited at this time of the year, but brides can experiment with feathers, diamantes and beautifully coloured jewels.

These days’ brides have a wide range of hair accessories from headbands, combs, tiaras, fascinators, skull caps or hair pins to choose from – there’s something for everyone, regardless of whether you want an extravagant statement piece or a simpler accessory. Enjoy finding the right thing for you and don’t forget to show your hairdresser what you want to use so they can factor this into your wedding hairstyle on your special day.

You don’t have to be conventional on colour schemes

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Every bride seems to have a colour scheme or wedding theme in mind but are they really important? And, if so, how do you choose one that’s right for you?

As soon as you think of planning your wedding, for some reason the need to get a colour scheme sorted presents itself. Do you pick red because of the season? Why do we feel the need to focus on one or two colours, though?

A lot of people often have a colour in mind, which nine times out of ten develops into something else as time passes and they get more inspired. It would be much more lovely to keep colours eclectic and use your venue as a lead for your colour scheme.

Having a summer wedding? Go with a pretty floral look with your stationery then you can pick and choose accents from it to match your theme as a whole. Doing things this way will save you hours of time and money searching for that ‘one’ colour of bridesmaid’s dress or exact shade of flower.

Close your eyes and think of a feeling rather than searching with your eyes, conjure up hazy summer days, beautiful autumnal sunsets or a spring time landscape and dream up your colour scheme that way!

My most important piece of advice would be to always be yourself – if you have a perfect colour that is ‘you’ and that’s all you need – go for it! If you don’t, there is no rule for you to stick with one or two colours.

Remember… your wedding, your way! Enjoy every minute of planning your perfect day.

Don’t forget the lighting

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Many people forget about lighting when they are planning their wedding reception –

“Wedding Lighting is a key area that people find difficult to get right, yet it is so important in creating a stunning atmosphere and making sure that you and your guests feel comfortable, relaxed and have a good time.”

Night and Day

If you are planning an evening reception, look at the room that you are going to use for the reception after dark, as well as in daytime. You can then see how the fixed lighting in the room works and think about what lighting you need for your reception to add the right atmosphere. Uplighters might be the perfect solution to bring the room to life at night.

Dancefloor divas

If your reception is a venue where the dancefloor, tables and chairs are set up in different parts of the same room, use different coloured lighting to separate the two areas and build up the atmosphere. Make sure your dad’s moves are in the limelight while he’s busting his moves! (…or keep him and those moves in the dark.)

Mood setting

Coloured venue lighting really adds atmosphere to a room. Use different colours to really set the mood for each part of the evening – from the welcomes drinks right through to the meal and dancing. This can be pre-programmed and done at the touch of a button if you use an intelligent lighting system.

Light the way

If you expect your guests to use outdoor space in the evening, ensure that steps and uneven services are well lit to avoid accidents. Create a magical atmosphere by hanging lanterns in your venue’s outside space, or if you are on a budget, why not try tea lights in old glass jam jars and use them to light up the paths or shrubbery?

Great lighting can be set up around any size of budget – think about what you want to do first, talk to your venue and then take advice from an event planner or lighting designer. Even the simplest of lighting schemes can impress your guests if they are done right.

Life after the Big Day

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As your wedding day approaches, it’s only logical to start thinking about all the things you have to do to prepare for the day. But it’s a good idea to squeeze in some time to work on the details of your life after the wedding, and organizing your finances with your partner should be on that list. (We know it doesn’t sound fun, but hear us out!) One of the most popular options newlyweds choose is to open a joint bank account together; you’re already sharing everything else, so merging your finances together almost seems like a no-brainer. But is it really the best choice for you and your partner?

Money is a touchy topic for a lot of people, so discussing the nitty-gritty details of your financial status with your soon-to-be spouse might not exactly be painless. That said, despite how difficult it may be, it’s a good idea to make the money talk a priority before the wedding, if you’re considering opening an account together, start by reviewing salaries, bonuses and the like. Then move on to sharing your credit ratings, assets, student loans and other parts of your financial portfolios. If you’ve already done a check of each other’s financial baggage (and you’re both comfortable with what you’ve found), that’s great! But double-check that you haven’t glossed over anything—it can sometimes take multiple conversations for all the little details to be covered.

You already feel like you’re on the same team. But before you open a joint bank account together, make sure you’re both taking a joint approach to your finances as well. It often doesn’t work when newlyweds add money to their personal bank accounts first, then put the remaining cash in the joint account.

Instead, pool all of your and your soon-to-be spouse’s income into the joint account first, and give out an “allowance” from that lump sum to spend each week. That being said, there’s nothing wrong with keeping your own account on the side. But ideally, your joint account should be more of a communal money pot in which you both initially deposit your entire salary—then get to dividing it up for food, phone bills, mortgage payments and savings. “There’s no more ‘your income’ and ‘their income’ once you’re married. It’s ours’

If you and your soon-to-be spouse are working toward post wedding financial goals, like a deposit on a house or retirement, opening an account together might actually help you reach them. For starters, it’s easy to keep track of how much you’re saving when your money is in one account. And because you both have shared participation in the account, you both have equal responsibility for making it successful. Most importantly, though, having a joint account will make it easier for you to talk about money with your partner. When you’re both able to see how much you’re each contributing every week, you’re more likely to talk about your finances in a healthy, constructive way.

Winter Wedding Cake Flavours

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or your winter wedding, pick a cake that tastes like winter. What does winter taste like, exactly? Think rich flavours — and don’t be afraid to stray from the traditional white cake. Consider a caramel spice cake filled with caramel and a buttercream, or an orange chocolate cake with dark chocolate filling and decorated with flecks of orange. For a lighter cake with a taste that still reflects the season, go for a white cake with cranberry buttercream frosting and filling.

Wedding Cake Colour

Colour counts for every wedding cake, and nothing says “winter” better than a palette of whites, icy blues, and deep reds or rustic greens mixed with brown. Add a hint of winter colour with a simple chocolate ganache-covered cake trimmed in light blue, or an ivory buttercream cake trimmed in red. Or let the winter colours pop with an ivory cake covered in red sugarberries and green sugar holly leaves.

Wedding Cake Shapes and decorations

When it comes to a winter wedding cake, snowflakes, pinecones, and other winter elements made out of chocolate, sugar, or rice paper are an obvious choice. But you don’t have to go overboard with these decorations to get a wintery look. Instead, you can order a white cake with subtle white sugar snowflakes. The tone-on-tone look will up the elegant factor and still give you the same seasonal effect.

Wedding Cake Sides

Whether you’re already set on a wedding cake design or you’ve decided to take your wedding cake in a not-so-seasonal direction, consider serving a winter-inspired side with your wedding cake. Serve cake with black walnut ice cream; add a handful of mints to each plate; or indulge comfort-food lovers with warm chocolate pudding.