Category Archives: Wedding

Historical Weddings

Posted on by

Have your every wanted a Royal Wedding, but actually you haven’t got Royal blood?  Well, fear not, we have some Wedding venue ideas which will make you feel very royal indeed….

Kensington Palace

Located in the heart of Kensington Gardens, Kensington Palace is still home to British royalty and offers a timeless elegance and charm that delights all who visit. With beautiful gardens of its own, the venue offers an opportunity to get married in a building that has been home to British history for more than 300 years. Kensington Palace’s Orangery is a sight to behold and is licensed for ceremonies as well as being suitable for dinner and dancing. With exceptionally easy access, we also don’t mind saying that the venue is perfect for ensuring that your entertainment all gets in safely as well! Although you might be taken in by the Orangery, we also recommend considering a floral backdrop, with the Sunken Garden being a particularly beautiful and secluded choice for your family and friends to enjoy.

Hampton Court Palace

King Henry VIII’s residence is certainly one of the most popular stately homes in the country, not least because it has a maze! Who wouldn’t love to have a maze in their back garden? It didn’t exist back in King Henry VIII’s time, but has still been there for over 300 years! But this is your wedding we are talking about so unless you have children attending, you might not be too interested in all that! Hiring Hampton Court Palace offers you a top wedding venue in which to exchange vows, be it in the gardens or in the palace itself. Splendid formal gardens and elegant cobble courtyards are the order of the day around this Tudor marvel and the famous red brick makes for a stunning backdrop for your wedding photos. As for dinner and your reception? Well, you can choose from the Great Hall, the Undercroft and also the Orangery and Privy Garden or maybe even ‘Little Banqueting House’. All of these spaces have to be seen to be believed but we promise you that you will not be disappointed. Gorgeous!

Banqueting House

From Little Banqueting House to Big Banqueting House! Hiring Banqueting House for your wedding is certainly a compelling idea when you consider the awe-inspiring architecture by Inigo Jones and the incredible decoration of the interior; where else can you get married underneath an original Rubens ceiling painting? Specially created for entertaining back in 1622, Banqueting House is one of the most dazzling wedding venues in London, both the Main Hall and Undercroft are fully licensed for weddings and there are some fantastic lighting options available to really make use of the space. With glittering chandeliers and vast windows that face onto Whitehall, you’ll be truly in for a day to never forget.

 

Share your wedding

Posted on by

Wedding ceremonies are all about sharing. While the big day ultimately belongs to you, it’s also a special and significant moment for the people who know and love you best. So, how can you involve your guests to make your wedding day into a truly shared experience for everyone?

Photo opportunities

Posing for wedding photographs is the perfect opportunity to get everyone involved while creating some stunning shots! You could set up an aerial shot and get everyone to stand in formation to make a heart shape or a word. Or if you have suitable space, why not lead everyone in a procession around the grounds of your wedding venue? It’ll be a special, shared experience to cherish, and you’ll be able to treasure some ‘action shots’ of all your guests together.

Like and share

Yes, today’s wedding ceremonies can now be digital events! Why not create a real-time Twitter Wall at your reception, where you can project your guests’ tweets by giving them a dedicated #weddinghashtag?

Ceremonial rituals

For centuries, people have used rituals to help cement their unions. One relatively new wedding ritual is the lighting of the unity candle, where close family members of the betrothed couple light a separate candle each before the ceremony. The newlyweds then take their respective candles and bring them together to light one single flame.

In a twist to include everyone in your new union, you could hold a version of this ceremony in reverse, letting each guest light a candle of their own from your united flame.

Confetti throwing

Showering confetti over the happy couple is another time-honoured wedding ritual. Make sure everyone is prepared for the big moment by handing out confetti dispensers like wands or cannons to all your guests. (This is a job that you can delegate to a trustworthy member of the wedding party)! Alternatively, why not set up a ‘confetti bar’ beforehand, so that everyone can mix and match their own unique concoction?

Wedding entertainment

Once you’re on the dancefloor, you’ll want everyone to come and join the party. Why not make everyone feel included by playing one song for each guest?. The DJ can announce any special dedications or significant songs with comments from the nominator. The mixtape approach will make your reception into a truly communal experience that everyone will appreciate… and they’ll have no excuse not to get up on their feet and boogie!

It’s also good to give your guests somewhere they can all share their respective photos of the day. Wedding apps like WedPics allow your guests to upload all their snaps to one central place, making sure you don’t miss a thing! Alternatively, set up a Facebook event for your wedding day. This will ensure that everyone can communicate and stay in touch after the big day, if they so wish.

 

Packing for your Honeymoon

Posted on by

After you’ve said “I do,” you can finally stop stressing out about place settings, wardrobe mishaps, wedding invitations, and everything else related to wedding planning, and you can focus on relaxing a bit. We’re talking, of course, about your honeymoon!

1) First and Last Day Outfits, Plus More

Chances are you’ll take the most photos on the first and last full days of your honeymoon, so plan to bring outfits special for the occasions. Whether it’s a fancy dinner, a night of dancing, or a highly anticipated show that you’re doing, plan to wear something that you absolutely love and that looks great on you. Past that, you’ll want to make sure you bring a variety of outfits to choose from depending on your plans. Make sure you have swimsuits or warm jackets (depending on your destination!), something for upscale locales, and perhaps most importantly, comfortable shoes that you can walk in for hours to sightsee.

2) Cameras, Chargers, Memory Cards, and Batteries

You’re going to want to take no fewer than a million photos, so make sure you bring everything you need to make sure you can. Along with your camera (or phone camera), you’ll want to make sure you have all of the components and accessories that it requires, like charging cables, memory cards, batteries, and the case so that it stays safe when you’re not using it.

3) Backup Plans for Itinerary Interruptions

Even if you’re the type of couple who prefers spontaneity on vacation, you’ve probably got some things you definitely want to do during your trip. Unfortunately, we all know that even the best-laid plans can fall through, so it might not be a bad idea to come up with a few backup plans just in case. For instance, if the special restaurant you really wanted to see doesn’t have a reservation or is unexpectedly closed, or the weather is bad on the day you wanted to take surfing lessons, you’ll want to make sure you have something else to fall back on lest you have to scramble to come up with a last-minute activity.

4) Luggage with Enough Room for Souvenirs

No matter where you vacation, you’ll probably end up picking up some mementos to bring back home either to remember your trip or to give as gifts to loved ones. When it comes time to fly home, it can be a real let-down to realize that all of your things won’t fit in the bags you brought, and you’ll have to decide whether to leave things behind or find an emergency second bag, which you’ll probably have to check at the airport (which can be costly, depending on the airline). Make sure that you either pack light enough that there’s some room left over or that your bag is big enough to accommodate all the things you want to bring and then some.

5) To Enjoy the Moment and Be Present

This one’s intangible, but when you’re on your honeymoon, it’s important to remember to really relax and enjoy yourselves. That means letting your work emails go unanswered (even if you have to force yourself not to check or take it off of your phone for the duration of the trip), unplugging from social media (it’s okay to post a picture here and there, but make sure you’re not spending your whole trip trying to snap the most Instagram-able shots. Take the opportunity to really connect with your new spouse and enjoy your time alone together!

 

Relax at your Wedding

Posted on by

When planning a wedding you’ve spent hours, crafting and revelling, 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. 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!

  1. 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 overdoing anything.

  1. 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!

  1. Trust your vendors.

When organising a Wedding 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.

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 tablecloth colour or whether it will rain.

 

Think about your guests enjoyment

Posted on by

You’ve found the love of your life, you’re getting married, you want your night to be a party to remember, so you hired a band for the wedding entertainment… what next?

Your aim is to make sure you and your wedding party have an absolute whale of a time – to end the night having that much fun you haven’t noticed you’re only wearing one shoe and your Nan has found herself a table to dance on. If you’ve booked the right band, there’s a high chance that these things could happen… here’s a few party tricks that will help make this mission a success.

Timing is Key – Start the band as late as you can. Ideally the first set would start at around 8.30pm/9pm to make sure everyone is limbered up and ready to start throwing some incredible looking shapes. This kind of timing also gives the evening guests time to arrive, catch up with the newly weds and get a few drinks down them… There’s nothing wrong with a bit of dutch courage to prepare you for the dance floor.Dancing in the Dark – Think about your Auntie Sue… She loves a good boogie but like a lot of us, she’s a little shy and may need a nudge to make sure she’s feeling confident enough to get up and dance. Now imagine if you put a spotlight on her, poor Sue would be back to her chair and tapping her feet under the table. The point to the ‘Sue story’ is that bright lights can be a bit scary, so to create the perfect party atmosphere, dim down the lights and hey presto! Your dance floor will be full of shape throwers.Trust Your Band – Your band is playing ‘Mr Brightside’, everyone is singing their socks off and the dance floor is chocca… next up is your favourite Ed Sheeran song, the band plays it and everyone leaves. Now we all love a bit of Ed but it might just not be the right time. Being particular about what the band plays means they won’t want to upset you by going against your wishes but they also want you to have the best possible time.

Your band have played at tonnes of weddings, to hundreds of cousins, friends, auntie’s, uncle’s and grandma’s… To everyone you can possibly think of. Putting together a set list that keeps such an eclectic bunch of people is an art form and this will be one of the main reasons why you will have such an awesome party. You will always be able to choose the odd song or two but being as flexible as possible with what they play will mean they can read that Grandad Joe has been praying for ‘Baby One More Time’ and that wish of his just might come true.Less is More – You’re wondering how you can get the most of your band but you’re not sure how? Most bands will offer 2 x 60 or 3 x 40 minute sets during the evening, so what do you go with? Sometimes this can be completely down to what you have planned for the night but we would usually recommend 2 sets works much better.

Having 3 sets of music can mean a lot of stopping and starting, the last thing you want to do is stop the music when your wedding party has just formed a dancing conga. If you’re still stuck, let the band worry about it, they will do what’s right Look After Your Band – We’ve all heard the horror stories of bands requesting 3 course meals and bottles of champagne for all 12 of them… now in most cases, these stories aren’t true, so don’t worry. Luckily there isn’t too many divas out there but it’s always good to have a hot meal/buffet food and drink set out for the band. They all understand how much weddings can add up but something to keep them going will mean they keep their juices flowing and energy levels up. The best thing about booking a band… Being able to leave your night in their capable hands whilst you have the time of your life. So go on, give it a go.

 

A stress free affair

Posted on by

As far as big life events go, marriage is often touted as one of the most stressful.  When planning a wedding it take alot of time and patience. It’s a once in a lifetime thing so it’s only natural to feel some weight on your shoulders during this time.

Whether it’s during the arduous planning stages or the task of keeping up appearances on the day, there’s a lot to think about.

When it comes to initially booking your wedding entertainment or live band it can seem a little overwhelming with so much choice and information to take in.

In a stressful time you need helpful and stress free people – which is exactly what the entertainment experts at Red Masque can recommend. With all the other stresses that go hand in hand when planning a wedding, why worry about your entertainment when someone else can take the pressure off you?

Hire a wedding organiser.

Wedding planning is an easy process is. Not only that, you’ll feel safe in the knowledge that you have booked a professional and an experienced act that you can trust. This is huge in controlling your stress levels on your wedding day! An act or band of this calibre are well versed in performing at weddings just like yours and are prepared for any eventuality.

Guest Babysitting

Consider the general mood and atmosphere on your day and how you can manipulate this at key times. Bored guests get fidgety and frustrated easily. This happens most often during the drinks reception which is a common lull. Why not get your entertainment to ‘babysit’ your guests whilst you’re away taking photos? Doing this means you don’t have to worry about your guests well-being in your absence. Acts like magicians and caricaturists are perfect for this and are sociable enough to be able to keep everyone happy!

When Things Don’t Go To Plan…

Anyone who has been involved in the planning of any wedding will know that for a wedding to go 100% to plan is unheard of. Entertainment is perfect for covering up any cracks or mishaps throughout the day that you might not expect. Minor hiccups that could have initially been a big deal are all of a sudden completely brushed off and forgotten about once everyone is smiling and having fun.

Toastmasters

Now if we’re talking about displacing stress on your wedding day, it’s about time that we mentioned the hero that we all need and deserve. Toastmasters. They will ensure a smooth and efficient running of your day, co-ordinating all elements of the day. This way you can relax entirely, knowing that your big day is in the safest of hands.

So it seems after all that it is possible to have a stress-free wedding. We wish you all the best of luck and remember to relax and take some time to enjoy your big day.

 

Wedding fair tips

Posted on by

Wedding Entertainment Shouldn’t Make you Nervous!

Do not fear the word ‘entertainment’. There are always a few couples who see the word and aren’t entirely sure what it means; they have the music planned but… What else should there be? In short, nothing! You don’t have to have anything at your wedding. The most important part of your wedding is the vows; anything else is secondary. Wedding Entertainment refers to anything that will entertain on your big day from the band to the DJ to harp and so on and so forth.

Take your time..

This is thee number 1 rule! Take your time visiting each and every stall. Don’t just rush in and think that chatting to a wedding supplier means you have an obligation to buy! Every supplier in attendance knows that weddings are expensive and is simply on hand to make the process easier for you. We might hear from you later and we might not, that’s absolutely fine! The reasons suppliers attend these events is not just to meet potential clients, but also to help educate prospective brides and grooms and help them understand their small part of the wedding planning process. So take your time and enjoy the occasion.

We hope you’ve enjoyed these few tips for those attending their first wedding fair. We also highly recommend taking a business card and brochure from every supplier you meet so that you can refresh your mind after the fair from the comforts of your own home. There’s a lot to take in and remember, there’s nothing preventing you from attending another down the line.

 

Preserving your Wedding Bouquet

Posted on by

The wedding bouquet is an essential part of the traditional wedding. Many brides, and even bridesmaids, have a special attachment to their wedding bouquet, for often they’ve had them specially made. Of course they want to preserve them as a keepsake! These days, many brides choose to have a bouquet made of artificial flowers so that they can keep it without as much hassle, but for those brides using fresh flowers, here’s how to dry your wedding bouquet;

A dried bouquet makes for a beautiful memento of your wedding day. It can become a beautiful work of art for your home—hung or mounted on display, placed in a vase, etc.—and if you buy your bouquet with the intention of keeping it, make sure you ask your florist for advice on which flowers are best for drying and preserving.

Your bouquet can be dried professionally, or you can do it yourself. Generally, small flowers dry better than larger flowers, but most foliage doesn’t dry very well; you may need to peel away some of the leaves. Also, flowers shrink as they dry, so your finished bouquet will be smaller than the original. It’s recommended that you use a sealant designed for dry flowers to get the best results. Before drying you have to ensure that your flowers are completely free of moisture, like dew.

Hang To Dry

Step 1: Wedding Bouquets look best when they’re dried upside down, for this allows them to preserve their shape. To do this, you need a warm and dry space where your bouquet can hang undisturbed for anywhere from a few days up to two weeks.

Step 2: Remove any fresh foliage/leaves before you hang your bouquet. If you want to dry a few leaves, set them aside.

Step 3: Remove all of the ribbon and wire from the bottom of your bouquet, and then put it back together again with a large, strong elastic. Wrap the elastic first around a third of the stems, then twist and wrap around half of the remaining stems, and then again around the rest of the stems. This will keep your bouquet together as the stems shrink.

Step 4: Hang your bouquet in the warm, dry space, and check its progress in a few days. Keep it away from direct sunlight to preserve its colour.

Step 5: To dry the leaves, you need to place them flat on an airy surface (like a screen, or even a tennis racket!) and cover them with a newspaper. This will weigh them down and prevent them from curling up as they dry.

Step 6: Your bouquet is dry when the flowers feel stiff, and the stems snap easily.

Once your bouquet and the leaves are dry, tidy it up in case it’s lost its shape, and reattach the leaves. It’s safe at this point to use wire again to hold it together, and some florists even recommend using a hot glue gun to permanently attach the leaves and the stems to each other.

Your newly dried bouquet is fragile, so the final step is to spray it with protective coating to preserve it further. Just make sure you always read the guidelines on the product you choose. Most commonly prescribed sprays are;

Dried flower spray – this is a spray that’s specially formulated for dry flowers. Some of these sprays are meant to be used periodically, and some just once. You may purchase this spray online or at florists and gardening centres.

Craft Spray – there’s a variety of clear sprays available for craft projects, and some of them are suitable for dried flowers. Most of the sprays will leave a glossy coating on the flowers, and may also alter the natural scent of the flowers, just as hairspray would.

Hairspray – add a light, even coating to your flowers when they’re completely dry. Please note that this may take away the soft natural scent of your dry flowers.

 

Bridal shower planning

Posted on by

The big day is almost here and things can get a little stressful and hectic. Planning a wedding can take up months of a bride’s life and can leave her feeling more relief to get the day over with than excitement for the day to come. Because of this, it is important for the bride to take a day off. A day to relax, eat cake, spend time with friends and family, play games and receive some gifts. Throwing a great bridal shower will be just what the bride needs to regain some of her sanity after months of wedding planning.

Plan Ahead

Usually the maid of honour, bridesmaid, mother or sister will be responsible for throwing the bride her bridal shower. It does not all have to fall on one person though. It is actually a good idea to have two or three people assist in the planning and covering costs. You should allow yourself about 6-8 weeks to plan the shower. Some of the first things you need to work out: What kind of party will this be? Formal or casual? Where will it be hosted? Your home, someone else’s home, a restaurant, a park, etc.? Will there be a theme? Sometimes it can be fun to have a wedding gift theme; such as, lingerie, travel items or kitchen ware. Once you have these basics nailed down, send out the invitations as quickly as possible. Purchase generic ones and fill them out or have specialty invitations printed that match the theme or colours you have chosen. This is a special day to be shared with people that are special to the bride, so have her help with the guest list.

Primarily, bridal showers are about both relaxing and getting gifts that are both fun and useful for the bride and groom. However, it is also important that everyone, both the bride and the guests, have a lot of fun. The most popular form of wedding entertainment for a bridal shower are games.

There are lots of resources online with lists and lists of different games to play. It’s important to choose games that match your bride’s personality. If she’s a shy person by nature, don’t pick the games that will embarrass her and make her uncomfortable. If the bride does not want games at all and wants the shower to be more of a party, then book entertainment. For a larger party, you might want to hire a jazz band classical ensemble or strolling violinist to provide background music as your guests mingle. It would also be interesting to hire an impersonator of one of the bride’s favourite celebrities for a meet and greet and to take photos with the guests. If the location for the shower is appropriate for it, perhaps you could hire a comedian or hypnotist to put on a short show for the guests.

 

Should you invite the work colleagues?

Posted on by

When planning a wedding, the age old question of what to do about inviting work colleagues to your wedding is one that troubles many engaged couples time and time again. So when it comes to your wedding, is there a particular party you agree with or are you still a little confused on the right way to do things? The first thing you need to think about is that there are no rules, just common sense in relation to the work situation you personally have. Only you will really know what is acceptable in your workplace but here are a few things to consider…

Consider whether your office is formal and traditional

Traditionally in larger and more corporate companies it is generally expected that you will invite your boss or bosses, especially if you are inviting your co-workers. If you know your office is a lot more relaxed, then again assess the situation and think about how close work in relation to your boss on a day to day basis.

Ask around to see what others did

Hopefully for you, there will be people who have got married before you in the office who you can quiz on what they did. If there is a recurring theme of whether they invited everyone or just a very selective few, then consider following suit.

They’ll probably need a plus one

If your work colleague is married, engaged or in a long term relationship, then it’s likely they’ll need to have a plus one. Again this is entirely up to you but if you are offering plus ones to the rest of your guests, it makes sense that they should have one too.

If you choose to be selective, don’t shout about it

It is totally okay to choose just a few colleagues and many people do, so you shouldn’t feel guilty about it. But if you’re going to do so – don’t make your wedding a common topic of conversation in the office, especially if there’s just one or two people you’re not inviting. You want to be as subtle as possible to avoid getting people’s feelings hurt.

Think about the size of your office

Do you work for a large corporate or a smaller regional office, shop or start up? Have a think about the dynamics in your workplace and how closely you work alongside your colleagues. If the whole company works in real proximity to one another, it makes sense to not just exclude one or two people from proceedings but if you work solely in a team that is one of many, then perhaps consider just inviting your team and your boss. As we say, it’s common sense so just assess the situation appropriately.

Remember, they don’t need to come for the whole wedding

If you’re worried from a budget and space point of view, then there is absolutely no harm in just inviting them to the wedding entertainment evening do. Again, if there are some colleagues you are closer to than others, then invite them to the ceremony and reception and then make it a more open invite to the others for the evening after dinner and speeches.