Category Archives: The Big Day

The history of the Bridesmaid

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It is the maid of honor’s responsibility to attend to the bride in the days leading up to the wedding. The usual duties of grooming, making sure the bride looks her best and helping with this process. (as we all know the phenomenon that is females always doing things in pairs).

But joking aside, other duties or responsibilities of the bridesmaids might be to assist with decorating, and making sure the wedding is carried out in accordance with the brides wishes.

But it wasn’t always the case. They were always dressed in similar attire to the bride too, but this had a more sinister legend behind it. It was believed that evil spirits might try to curse the marriage. And so it was the bridesmaids role to confuse these evil spirits by looking and acting as the bride did on the wedding day.

This tradition continued through the dark ages, and became particularly cunning around the time of Edward Longshanks reign, where a lord taking the bride into his bedroom on the first night of her marriage was also good reason to confuse the lords with bridesmaids.

In modern times, the roles are equally important. Support, love and caring are all the qualities required of good Groomsmen and Bridesmaids. Support for those in which you love and care about enough to assist them on their day of marriage.

 

Wedding themes

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By giving your wedding a theme, you will make your wedding day personal and unique to you. To help you plan your own big-day theme, we’ve created a handy tips that should help you along the way.

Don’t just follow a fashion. If you both love music then why not choose that as your wedding theme inspiration? You can have invitations that reflect the type of music you love, you can have a live band playing at your reception and you could even take a turn at the microphone yourselves.

Or if you’re both city people and are planning a metropolitan big day then use that as part of your theme. Maybe have a city landscape on your invitations and hold your reception in a funky loft-style venue. You just need to really think about what expresses the two of you as a couple and take it from there.

If you’re having a music-themed wedding then you could burn a CD of your favourite music and put a copy at every place setting. Try not to give favours that are completely random and have nothing to do with your wedding theme, think about what will fit in. They don’t need to cost much money, but they should be relevant.

If you’re having a country garden wedding theme, then maybe have your wedding in a marquee or a barn. A function room in a hotel won’t have quite the effect you’re looking for, so shop around for something that fits.

Try not to do these things: Brides often fall into the trap of thinking they need a theme AND a colour scheme. One or the other will be fine, but both can make the reception a bit of a shambles, with lots of extra work for you.

If you’re having a vintage theme, then don’t insist that everybody dresses in vintage-style clothes. The fact that they have made the effort and have almost certainly spent money to attend your wedding should be enough to ask of your guests. If they want to dress up and follow the theme then that’s fine – but don’t insist upon it.

Finally, you don’t have to have a theme if you don’t want to, it’s all up to you! It’s your day and you should do it your way.

 

How to annoy the bride

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Being impossible to contact

Bridesmaids being difficult or impossible to contact is a huge problem. We’re not saying it’s compulsory for your bridesmaids’ phones to be in their hands at all times, and kept on loud on their pillow whilst they sleep, but the role comes with certain responsibilities and one of them is being contactable at certain times.

Being fussy about dresses

Choosing a dress style that suits lots of different body shapes is a hard enough task by itself without adding a fussy bridesmaid into the equation. Don’t put your bridesmaids in dresses that don’t suit them or they don’t feel comfortable in, but don’t succumb to a moody best friend just because you didn’t get the dress she wanted most.

Not getting on with other bridesmaids

You want the whole of the bridal party to get on! Through the planning process, through to the wedding day, you’re all going to be spending a lot of time with each other. Maybe one of your maids hasn’t taken a liking to one of your other maids? This causes tension within the bridal party, whether it’s kept quiet or seen through out-right arguments. Resolution? At the end of the day, it’s your wedding and you’ve chosen your best girls to be right next to you the whole way through it, so let her know and realise her mistakes! Arranging ‘get-to-know-each-other’ activities is a great idea to get the bonding started.

Making a mess

Girls are well known for being a bit messy when it comes to getting ready. Clothes scattered across the floor, make-up all over the place and so on. Whilst this is ok in their own bedrooms no one wants a messy bridesmaid in the bridal suite! Each girl should bring a little bag with everything they need for the big day and get ready as soon as possible, leaving a calm and tidy room where the bride can relax before her big entrance.

Not listening

Having your bridesmaids ask you the same details over and over again is not ideal when you’ve got so much to do. You don’t want to be bombarded by questions because your bridesmaids didn’t listen to you in the first place! We’re sure that you’ll have a to-do list for your wedding planning and for your big day – hand one over to each of your bridesmaids, or assign them specific tasks, and make sure they

Uploading photos on social media

Everyone loves a good bride and bridesmaids photograph – but wait! Your bride may not want unofficial shots plastered all over instagram even before she’s cut her cake! Make sure you let your maids know about how you feel about your wedding photos on Facebook. Have an acceptable social media plan in mind, and tell your chief bridesmaid who can spread the word.

We hope you don’t have any of these problems!

 

Remembering your nearest and dearest

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When planning a wedding, of course it’ll be the happiest day of your life, with the person you’re going to spend the rest of your life with, surrounded by the people you love the most. But during this special day you’re allowed to feel a little bit sad, as you remember your nearest and dearest who can’t share the celebrations with you.

there are lots of more subtle but equally poignant ways to remember loved ones who have passed away…

Dedicate a reading

Why not have a close family member dedicate a special reading to lost loved ones? Personally, we like this poem by an unknown author…

If Roses Grow in Heaven

If Roses grow in Heaven,

Lord please pick a bunch for me,

Place them in my Mother’s arms

And tell her they’re from me.

Tell her I love her and miss her,

And when she turns to smile,

Place a kiss upon her cheek

And hold her for awhile.

Because remembering her is easy,

I do it every day,

But there’s an ache within my heart

Because I am missing her today

This poem is good for anyone else who you want to remember on your big day…

Someone is missing

Let this candle be a loving reminder

that someone is missing today,

Someone our hearts still hold on to,

As we travel along life’s way.

Someone who made life so special,

for all those who gather here,

Someone who won’t be forgotten,

But cherished from year to year.

And now as we pause to remember,

Let us all fondly recall,

how dearly each of us loved him,

and oh… how he loved us all!

Hopefully this has given you some ideas and inspiration. Hugs to you if you’re missing someone close today.

The perfect wedding soundtrack

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While booking daytime wedding musicians might feel a little indulgent when planning your wedding music, ceremony songs are an essential element of every ceremony. Think about those all-important quieter moments… They occur as you walk down the aisle, sign the wedding register, and during your recessional as a happily married couple.

Even as the guests are being seated, playing some wedding music will create the atmosphere and anticipation you want. Red Masque an entertainment directory specialising in a huge selection of entertainment for any event, including weddings – we are here to help you choose the perfect live wedding music for your special day.

String quartets

If you would like to keep things traditional, why not hire a string quartet for your wedding music? Have them perform during your wedding ceremony for a truly magical start to your wedding day.

Comprising of two violins, a cello and a viola played together, string quartets create a whimsical and unique sound. If you are hosting your wedding in a church, your string quartet can perform stunning classical wedding songs from the likes of Pachelbel or Vivaldi – ever the favourites with brides and grooms

If you are a more modern bride who wants something a little different, many string quartets will also offer the choice of contemporary wedding songs, played in an instrumental manner. Whether you want Adele, Ed Sheeran or even a bit of Bob Marley, check your chosen string quartet will be able to perform them, then get booking!

Cellists

For a warm and rich sound, look to a cellist to provide the wedding music. There is a huge choice when it comes to choosing an instrumentalist for your wedding ceremony. Hiring one musician is perfect if your wedding budget won’t quite stretch to a whole string quartet. They are often cheaper to book (depending on their experience, of course).

Harpists

The harp is the instrument of choice for a lot of wedding music. In fact, you’ve probably attended weddings of family and friends yourself that have been graced by a harp’s soft notes. Harpists will need a little more space than some other instrumentalists, but they are still perfect even for more intimate wedding venues thanks to their gentle music.

Long hailed as one of the most romantic of sounds, the harp is bound to win the hearts of both you and your guests.

 

Wedding Fireworks

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When planning a wedding remember that in the winter months, night falls far earlier in the evening than in the height of summer. This means that you could hold your wedding fireworks display at an earlier hour with a winter wedding – ideal if you’ve got children attending who will enjoy the display.

Tie the knot in the summer and you’ll have to wait until around 10pm for darkness. By this point the dancing and Champagne will have been flowing for hours – will you really be able to get your guests organised outside to enjoy the show? A master of ceremonies will come in handy here – leave the ushering and organising to them!

On the other hand, in the autumn and winter months you’re more likely to encounter rain. Many fireworks displays are weather dependent, so don’t pin all your hopes on it going to plan.

Check with your wedding venue

Outside space will be essential for any wedding fireworks display to be possible. Beyond that, you’ll need to speak to your venue about what they do and do not allow. Some are happy for you to hold a pyrotechnic extravaganza, while others prefer you to stick to sparklers.

There’s no point planning an enormous display, and investing money in it, only to discover that your venue does not permit it. Plus, your venue can probably recommend companies they’ve worked with before to make organising your wedding fireworks display a breeze. And if a sparkling show is a deal breaker for you, best to have that conversation before you book – either the fireworks or the venue!

Brief your photographer

Once you’ve got the go ahead from your wedding venue and found the company to make it happen, it’s time to share the exciting news! Undoubtedly you’ll be desperate to tell your guests, but don’t forget to discuss it with your wedding photographer, too.

Not all photographers stay beyond the first dance, so check what is included in your package. If you want the fireworks to be captured, why not negotiate extending their coverage until after the display?

A full-scale wedding fireworks display offers the perfect opportunity to capture incredible group photos against the illuminated backdrop. You can also snap dreamy couple portraits as you watch. If sparklers are the order of the day, grab your bridesmaids and groomsmen for enchanting pictures together. Have them surround you, draw letters for long-exposure photography or simply act naturally for reportage shots.

 

Get your family involved in your big day

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Make your own photo bunting

DIY bunting is always popular with brides wanting to personalise their wedding – it’s super easy to make and can transform plain spaces like marquees. Why not take it one step further and create bunting out of family photos? It will go down a storm with your guests, who will love reminiscing over the photographs during the reception.

Ask them to do a reading

One of the most meaningful ways to include family members in the ceremony is to ask them to do a reading. This is an especially lovely way to involve family members who may be be a little further removed from the immediate family, such as aunts or uncles.

Have personalised place cards

This is another sweet photo idea – use pictures of your friends and family in their place names! It’ll get everyone talking on their tables, and literally putting faces to names means that you’re less likely to get awkward introductions. We also love it when couples use photos on their table plans for the same reason.

Set up a hashtag

In the age of social media, it’s becoming much faster and simpler to share your wedding photographs and videos of the big day with lots of people at once. If you’re embracing social media on your big day, why not consider setting up a hashtag and letting your guests know for easier photo sharing? You may have to explain it a little to the grandparents, but once they realise that they’ll be able to see everyone’s photos all at once, they’re sure to be on board!

Have a family wedding wall

This is a great way to observe family wedding traditions on your big day while still keeping it your own. Get as many family members as you can to send you their wedding photos before the day, and then create a big canvas out of all of them. If nothing else, this is a great way to see how wedding trends change! We also love it when couples recreate one of their parents’ wedding pictures for a nostalgic photo opportunity.

Don’t forget granny!

It might seem obvious now, but your wedding photographs will be over quicker than you think – so if you know your grandparents would love to be involved in the formal photos, make sure your photographer knows this before the day. The pictures will make great keepsakes to send your family after the big day, and they’ll always treasure them.

 

Who should do what

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Planning a wedding is a pretty daunting task for any bride and groom, which is why traditionally the bridal party have a number of jobs to help with the process, and to ensure smooth wedding planning at all times…

Bride and groom

The bride and groom’s biggest responsibility is obviously to seal the deal and get married, but they have some crucial planning decisions to make first. It’s important that the bride and groom work on these decisions together and share the workload fairly, and that both are happy with each decision made.

  • Set the budget
  • Compile a guest list (this will be influenced by the budget)
  • Choose a theme, date and venue – make the necessary reservations and deposits
  • Organise invites, flowers, a photographer and wedding entertainment
  • Choose the wedding rings
  • Write the wedding vows
  • Thank-you notes for the guests
  • Greet everyone at the reception
  • Dance the first dance at the reception – some couples have lessons beforehand

In addition to the bride and groom’s joint responsibilities, each traditionally have tasks to handle on their own. The bride needs to choose her bridesmaids and maid of honour and their dresses, and choose a gift for her hubby-to-be. The groom needs to choose his groomsmen and best man and their attire, and also choose a gift for his wife-to-be.

Bride’s parents

In past traditions the bride’s parents have always paid for the majority of the wedding, but today the cost is usually distributed between mainly the couple, the bride’s parents and the groom’s parents. However there are still certain responsibilities for the bride’s parents to take care of.

  • Help the bride and groom with the guest list
  • Offer assistance and moral support with the wedding details
  • Attend any wedding rehearsals
  • The bride’s father escorts her to the ceremony and usually walks her down the aisle

Groom’s parents

The groom’s parents have very similar responsibilities to the groom’s parents:

  • Help the bride and groom with the guest list
  • Offer assistance and moral support with the wedding details
  • Attend any wedding rehearsals

Maid of honour

The maid of honour is traditionally a sister or best friend, and is the member of the bridal party that the bride relies most on. The maid of honour’s responsibilities include:

  • Organising any bridesmaid-related activities
  • Coordinating the hen do
  • Most importantly, organising the wedding dress shopping and any fittings
  • Helping the bride and groom with any ad–hoc tasks or errands  (keeping record of RSVPs, etc)
  • Attend any wedding rehearsals
  • Help the bride dress and get ready on the morning of the wedding
  • Arrange her veil and train during the processional and recessional
  • Holds the bride’s bouquet at the altar
  • Sign the marriage license as the bride’s witness
  • Helps the bride during the reception with the dress

Bridesmaids

There is no minimum or maximum number when it comes to bridesmaids and you can have as many as you want for your wedding. Bridesmaids can be single, married and any age.

  • Assist the maid of honour with the wedding planning duties and help the bride when needed
  • Help organise the hen do
  • Attend any wedding rehearsals
  • Walk in the processional and recessional

Best man

The best man is the groom’s go–to man during the wedding planning and his biggest support. The best man is traditionally the groom’s brother or best friend, and can be single, married and any age again.

  • Organise the stag do
  • Help to organise the groomsmen’s suit fitting and pick this up before the wedding say
  • Write a speech for the wedding reception
  • Attend any wedding rehearsals
  • Make sure the groom gets to the ceremony on time
  • Brings the rings to the ceremony
  • Signs the marriage license as the groom’s witness

Groomsmen

Apart from assisting the best man, the groomsmen don’t actually have many responsibilities before the wedding.

  • Help the best man with any wedding planning duties
  • Attend the stag do
  • Attend any wedding rehearsals
  • Arrive early at the ceremony on the wedding day and help to greet and seat guests

Valentine’s Weddings

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Are you planning a wedding for Valentine’s Day? 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 for your February wedding;

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 getaway in the heart of historic Bath. With landscaped gardens, four poster beds, and a ‘bath butler’ this town which was home to Jane Austen, 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. Wedding 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.

 

Controversial Wedding Music

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When planning your wedding, the choices that you can make for each part of the day are immeasurable. There are simply so many options that it’s not even possible for every wedding planner to run through them all. One area that doesn’t seem to be quite so unique is the wedding ceremony music; many opt for a traditional theme that they have heard before like Mendelssohn’s Wedding March or Pachelbel’s Canon in D. That being said, some of the pieces are a tad controversial. Here’s why!

Wagner’s Bridal Chorus

Richard Wagner’s Bridal Chorus is perhaps the most well-known music chosen by couples on their wedding day. Known by many as ‘Here Comes the Bride’, we are pretty certain that you’ll have heard the piece before, even if not at a wedding. Why is it controversial? The music was composed as part of Wagner’s opera, Lohengrin and lovers of the operatic music scene may very well be aware of where the piece featured. Although it was used during a wedding scene, the marriage itself was short-lived. Not the omen you’d like on your wedding day! Richard Wagner was also notoriously anti-Semitic, which is another reason you may wish to avoid picking the Bridal Chorus for your wedding ceremony.

Mendelssohn’s Wedding March

Although hugely popular, Mendelssohn’s most famous work has proved to be controversial to its literary origins. Mendelssohn was commissioned by Prussian monarch Friedrich Wilhelm IV to compose a number of pieces to accompany various pieces of literature in order to revive a lagging genre in society at the time. In 1843, Mendelssohn was tasked with writing music for Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and this is where the Wedding March comes from. Why controversial? That particular play features a lot of pagan mythology including magic, fairies and fantasy, of which many in Roman Catholicism are uncomfortable. Is it therefore inappropriate for a Christian wedding ceremony? We don’t have the answer but it’s always best to check.

Schubert’s Ave Maria

Another tune that is popular during the wedding ceremony or as a prelude to the bride’s arrival, Ave Maria is a beautiful piece of music that was originally composed by Schubert for Sir Walter Scott’s Lady of the Lake in 1810. The plot of the story focuses on King James V banishing the Douglas clan to a castle on Loch Katrine and one of the group’s number is Ellen, a daughter who has to live with her exiled father. The initial lyrics have changed over the years to convey a more matrimonial tone, but some fear the lyrics don’t quite go far enough. Some hear them and feel the song is a beautiful hymn to a loving mother while others believe the words to convey the desperate cries of an exiled bride.

No matter which wedding music you opt for on your big day, we advise a couple to choose whatever makes them most happy. Still, it’s interesting to know the provenance of the tunes you might hear!