Tag Archives: ceremony

Classical entertainment on your big day

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Try to imagine when and how you’d like music to be part of your day. Many couples opt for music to be performed during the ceremony and to entertain guests during the wedding breakfast.

When you’re thinking about booking musicians, consider the volume of their instruments – for example, a brass quintet could be a little overpowering for an intimate occasion, but a harpist or string duo would be ideal. Similarly, if you have 150 guests chatting and enjoying themselves, it might be hard to hear a solo musician, but a string quartet will be easily heard above the sound of conversation.

Create an elegant and calm atmosphere by having some live classical music performed at your wedding. Vaughn Jones from Manor House Music talks about how to make the most of hiring professional musicians for your celebration.

Music students, amateur groups and recent graduates may charge less, but as the saying goes ‘you get what you pay for’.

It’s often worth budgeting a bit more to hire a professional group. This will give you peace of mind that they will turn up as agreed (as professional groups usually have back-up musicians available in case of emergencies) and you’ll know that your wedding music will be ‘just right’.

Although it might seem economical to only book a group for an hour, surprisingly this can be the most expensive way of doing things. Once musicians have taken on a wedding, it usually means they will be unavailable for any other work during that day, so many groups have a minimum booking time of three hours, especially on peak days over the summer. Try to think of other times in the day that might require music and make the most of what you’ve got.

By booking directly through a wedding directory you will almost certainly save money and you’ll be dealing directly with the musicians themselves. Any professional group will exchange a simple contract that protects both parties, outlining timings, costs, insurance and so on, plus pro players will know plenty of colleagues who they can call on to replace themselves in case of illness.

These days, many classical groups specialise in a wide range contemporary pieces, so it’s often possible to request your favourite song to be played at the wedding.

In many cases, popular musicians will have a wide repertoire to choose from, so you don’t need to just have classical music on your big day. Having a string quartet perform surprise rock and pop numbers during a drinks reception can delight and entertain guests of all ages!

Ceremony music tips

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There are literally millions of pieces of modern wedding music that don’t have any religious association. When wedding planning, most people choose classical music for your ceremony and have lighter pop music during your drinks reception.

Consider choosing two contrasting pieces of music that are moderate length. The first should be contemplative while the guests enter and the second could hint at the celebrations to follow the ceremony.

You are not permitted to have any music during a Civil Ceremony that is overtly religious. Though rules are somewhat more relaxed than in the past, your Registrar will advise and vet your choices.

Choose something celebratory, when your guests leave, that can be heard alongside the happy throng.

If you have the budget, then live wedding music will feel much more personal and special. Harps, string quartets and pianists are the most popular choices. They can also stay at your reception afterwards during your wedding photographs, drinks and canapés.

If you find a title you like on a modern wedding music CD or a website, then make sure you check the title and composer with another couple of similar sources to make sure it is correct.

Modern wedding music for your ceremony

  • Bridal March from ‘Lohengrin’ (Here comes the Bride) – Wagner

  • Canon in D – Pachelbel

  • Trumpet Voluntary – Jeremiah Clarke

  • Arrival of the Queen of Sheba – G F Handel

  • Ave Maria – J S Bach/C Gounod

  • Adagio – Albinoni arr. Giazotto

  • Panis Angelicus – C Franck

  • Wedding March – ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ – Mendelssohn

  • Toccata from Organ Symphony no 5- C M Widor

  • Alla Danza / Hornpipe from ‘Water Music’ – G F Handel

Planning an outdoor wedding

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Outdoor weddings give you so many more options when it comes to location and usually provides beautiful scenery. On the other hand, there are so many more potential problems and obstacles that can arise by having an outdoor wedding. This is mainly due to the fact that you never know for sure what on earth the weather is going to do. So here are some tips for planning a wedding outside.

Location

First you need to decide which location you want to have the wedding at. Have you had your heart set on a beachfront wedding at sunset ever since you were a little girl dreaming about your wedding? Or maybe you prefer a more rustic, woodsy setting. The options are endless: at the park where you shared your first kiss, in your back garden, or at the cinema, the list goes on and on!

Once you choose your location, go through the proper procedures. Be sure no one has booked the area for another wedding or event. If the site is public property, get a permit to hold your wedding. Most parks and public beaches require a permit. Also, check with the council on what the rules and regulations are on rubbish removal, and if you can have candles, etc.

Prepare for the Weather

Once you have chosen a location, you will need to set a date. While setting the date, keep in mind of what the weather is like there during that time of year. The UK is a little unpredictable we know, but although it may be raining in the summer it’s usually a nice temperature.

Prepare accordingly for the potential weather and have a backup location in case the rain tries to spoil your day. One item that can really save the day is a marquee. A marquee can save you from light rain and can help shade your guests on a hot, sunny day. A marquee isn’t the cure all for all rain though; if it is a downpour, the ground under the marquee will get soggy and muddy. You’ll still want to have a backup, indoor location just in case. Another weather factor you need to take into consideration is the wind. When choosing hair and makeup styles, relate to your hairdresser that you’re going to have an outdoor wedding. The stylist will be sure to give you a fantastic look that won’t be blowing away in the wind.

Accommodating Your Guests

Be sure to take care of your guests. If it’s going to be a hot day, have fans and bottled water available to your guests. Be mindful of your guests when you’re setting up the seating, etc. Make sure they’re not blinded by the sun the entire ceremony. It’s also nice to give them some notice in the invitation what to expect. For example, suggest they wear comfortable shoes for sand or soft ground or to bring sunscreen or a sun hat for a bright day.

Keep your guests in mind on a few other notes as well. With an outdoor ceremony, you’ll discover a lot of extra noise all around, whether it be the waves coming ashore or the wind blowing through the trees. Work with your band or DJ to get a wireless microphone or some

Don’t Forget!

Here are some things you may or may not think about while you’re planning, but are important to help your day go as smoothly as possible. Have ample seating for your guests both at the ceremony and reception. There are a lot of table and chair rental companies out there, and most of them also offer linens, chair covers and marquees. Linens and chair decor are great ways to boost the overall look. If you’re holding the reception outdoors as well, you’ll more than likely need to rent a dance floor.

An outdoor wedding is a beautiful way to have your special day. Keep in mind these suggestions when planning your wedding day. Also, take tips and advice from any of your vendors (photographer, musicians, etc.) who have worked outdoor events. They have the experience and know about situations that can arise.

Food on a tight budget

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Thinking about ideas on what wedding food to serve when you’ve on a tight budget is sometimes difficult. We’ve got 10 top tips to help you serve great wedding food ideas on a budget!

Too many cooks?

Although you are catering for the 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 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.

Caffeine fix

Coffee and mints are an essential part of any party and the perfect way to round off your meal. Why not add flavoured syrups and amaretto biscuits to freshly ground coffee, to give your guests a delicious caffeine fix? They’ll be guaranteed to keep dancing late into the evening after one of these!

Spend to save

Cutting corners doesn’t always mean cutting costs. If you cut out canapés, you will end up with hungry guests at the beginning of the day. Why not spend more on canapés but less on the evening buffet? Many people over spend on the evening food when most guests are still full from the wedding breakfast, which is a waste of both money and food! Lighter evening snacks will go down just as well with your guests, and save you money, too.

Planning a wedding when pregnant

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Life has an excellent little habit of throwing lots of stuff at you at once and getting hitched when you’re pregnant to some women may be totally daunting. Often you don’t plan a wedding around a pregnancy and vice versa, however, it is possible to plan and have the best wedding ever when you’re a pregnant bride. Here’s how!

The dress

Some advice to all brides, pregnant or not, is to choose a gown that makes you feel fabulous and is comfortable. Comfort is often treated as the second cousin, when it comes to wedding attire, which is a shame because a big factor in looking good is feeling good. If you can’t breathe, sit down or dance without wincing, if you have to wear three spanks to suck it all in, then maybe that’s not the dress for you. If you’re looking for maternity dress inspiration, then there is a plethora of celebrity pregnant brides to check out, very few of which, hid the bump. Whatever dress you choose make sure you have a good chat to your seamstress about how alterable the outfit is as it can be hard to predict how your body is going to be changing.

Shoes

We go back to the comfort factor. If you want a pair of sassy heels, buy an additional pair of flats (there are so many stunning options out there) to wear when your legs and feet say no!

The ring

This is one that’s often forgotten but pregnancy can cause swelling in lots of different places, one in particular…your fingers! Be mindful of your wedding and engagement ring size. If you have a wedding ring fitted while you are pregnant, it may need resizing later on. Another option is to use a substitute ring on the day, get something cheaper (no one will ever know) and save the real ring for later when you finger return to ‘normal’.

The party

Girl, pace yourself. It’s a big day… emotions are heightened, endorphins are flowing, make sure you look after yourself and listen to your body. If you need a rest. Have a rest. If you want to dance your behind off, then by all means, shake that booty!

Planning

Be strategic in your wedding planning. Work in ways to sit when you can, schedule in little down time moments and use other people to help you. YES, you are superwoman…we all are but you will be surrounded by many helper bees that want to assist you on the day and in the lead up to your wedding. Accept this help. Trust me on this. Drink lots of water, have snacks at the ready and make sure you have easy bathroom access!

What to wear as a guest

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Check your invitation

Has the bride specified a strict dress code for what to wear to the wedding? Will it be a black tie affair? Are there hats involved? Firstly, check your invitation. This will give you a good indication of where to start.

Don’t wear white

Female wedding guests should avoid wearing anything white or ivory – these shades are strictly reserved for the bride. Men should avoid wearing a morning suit, you don’t want to turn up looking like a member of the wedding party when you’re actually not.

Mum’s the word!

Try to find out what colour the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom are wearing and, as a guest, try to avoid these colours. It’s a big day for the mums as well and they want to stand out in the photos as much as the bride.

Don’t over or under – dress

One thing is for sure, wearing jeans, T-shirt and trainers is a massive no for anyone attending wedding. We know it’s going to be a long day and you can start to feel uncomfortable but it’s not all about you! This is the bride’s special day and this is a formal occasion, so you need to dress appropriately. Let the bride and groom know that you’ve made a special effort for their day. Don’t over dress with huge, eye-catching details that will take the emphasis of the bride. Equally, don’t under dress and give the vicar an eye full! For the guys, a well-fitting suit, shirt and shiny shoes is all you need. During the day, make sure you wear a tie – this can be discarded in the evening once the party becomes more casual.

Jobs for the Father of the Bride

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When planning the perfect wedding, the father of the bride duties can sometimes be a neglected part of the big day and it’s easy to put their priorities on the back-burner and concentrate on different priorities. However, he’s a big part of your wedding day and should be made to feel like it. Here are some top tips to get him involved in your big day!

Father of the bride duties

  • Traditionally the father of the bride pays for the majority of the wedding, although the groom’s family are likely to contribute.
  • Ensuring that wedding cars arrive on time.
  • Getting the bride to the ceremony on time. The father’s main job on the day is to ensure that his daughter arrives at the ceremony in good time.
  • At church ceremonies the father of the bride escorts his daughter down the aisle before handing her over to her groom. This is a tradition that many fathers and brides choose to keep at civil marriages.
  • The father of the bride should thank guests for coming, offer some humorous and touching stories about his daughter’s life, and finally welcome his son-in-law in to the family. Then he offers a toast to the bride and groom.
  • The bride’s parents are the hosts of the wedding breakfast and reception. In a receiving line your mum and dad are traditionally the first two people to greet guests. Afterwards, your dad should mingle, and make sure that everyone has a full glass.
  • Traditionally last to leave, the father of the bride ensures that everyone leaves the venue safely, all suppliers are paid and happy, and makes sure that any wedding gifts and valuables are removed and stored safely.

Mid-Week Celebrations

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About 99% of happy couples want to get married on Fridays or Saturdays. However, despite there being many valid reasons for this, a future bride and groom should always take into consideration a mid-week wedding as it can have many advantages.

Here are her five reasons to choose a mid-week wedding over a weekend…

Cost

There’s one thing couples always ask, how much? Couples fall head over heels for wedding venues and are then put down by the price. However, mid-week weddings are often far more negotiable when it comes to price. It is believed that a mid-week wedding can work out about a third cheaper.

Availability

There is nothing more frustrating for a Wedding Co-ordinator than showing a couple around their beautiful wedding venue and then not being able to find availability for them. Popular wedding venues get booked up in advance so by opting for a weekday wedding, the availability is often a lot better and there will be more flexibility with dates.

Intimacy

Mid-week weddings suit a smaller and more intimate affair. Close family members and friends may be more than happy to take a couple of days off work to celebrate with you. For example, if you choose a day later in the week such as a Thursday, this means that the working week is nearly over and your guests are much more likely to let their hair down.

Quality

Wedding suppliers, from photographers to florists tend to prefer mid-week weddings as not only does it mean they can spend longer at the venue (as Saturday’s tend to be far more hectic), they also have more availability too. Setting up and arranging supplies during the week can also save significant amounts of money too, due to each supplier’s weekend demand.

Timing

It can seem like you spend your whole life waiting for the weekend. And this shouldn’t have to be the case for finding a free weekend at your chosen wedding venue. By having your wedding during the week, you will simply be able to get married sooner! This means there is no big countdown and you don’t have to wait over a year for the big day.

Small wedding ideas

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Small is beautiful and we’ve got 10 top tips to help you plan your perfect wedding abroad. 

 

  • Firstly, you need to choose a destination for your small wedding abroad. Consider the climate, legal requirements such as length of residency, and any restrictions before booking any suppliers in another country.
  • Do your research before you book the hotel? Use websites like trip advisor and our planning section for venue reviews, and make sure that your requirements can be met.
  • Documentation you need to marry will differ from country to country. Your passport will need to have at least six months left on it, so make sure this is up to date.
  • When booking, you should be offered a wedding planner– it will be worth taking this up as they will ensure all bases are covered, paperwork is correct, and everything you need at your destination is in place.
  • If you are planning the whole event on your own, make sure that you fully understand all the contracts you’re signing. You may need to hire a translator to make sure.
  • Check out all the offers available to you when booking, as some companies will offer group discounts. You should also look carefully at what the actual wedding day will consist of – flowers, cakes, cars, photographers and so on.
  • When choosing your dress, think about the journey it will make. Most locations should offer a pressing service, but you don’t want your dream dress to arrive looking less than perfect. Think about boxes to store your gown while you’re in transit. Choose a lightweight fabric like silk or chiffon that will keep you cool throughout the ceremony.
  • If you’re planning a wedding in a cold country, think about alternative routes to the ceremony. You could get caught up in snow or ice on impassable roads!
  • If you’re having hair and makeup done by a stylist at the resort, make sure you take lots of pictures of the looks you like. Makeup should be mattifying to minimize shine.
  • If guests are joining you from the UK, make sure you give them something to keep them cool during the ceremony. Fans are a great idea!

How to do Wedding Planning on a Budget?

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First things first – set a limit

If you want to plan a wedding for £10,000 then you may want to plan your budget like this:

  • £3,000 for venue
  • £2,500 for catering
  • £1,500 for drinks
  • £1,500 for dress and suits
  • £500 for transport
  • £300 for a cake
  • £700 for a photographer

Separating the budget accordingly means that you know where the money is allocated and it gives you a little bit of leeway to adjust your price on each aspect. One thing we would always say is never hire a budget photographer – everything else may just be for the day, but those wedding photos will last forever!

Pick the Cheapest Time to Get Married

When you decide to get married can make an even bigger impact than where you decide to get married. Choosing to get married in the middle of the week or on a Sunday, compared to a Saturday wedding could save you a small fortune. Similarly, picking a date in Spring, Autumn or Winter will also see big savings coming in when compared to a summer wedding.

Choose Your Venue Carefully

You can have some amazing budget weddings if you pick the right location – often, somewhere you wouldn’t typically consider. There are lots of venues around the country that are licensed to hold marriage ceremonies, why not pick something a little bit different?

This holds two benefits really – 1 your special day is truly special in a unique location and 2 these venues tend to be a lot more affordable than places which are booked up years in advance! Some of the best budget wedding venues in the UK are still yet to be discovered… you could just be one of the first people married there.

Personalisation

Budget doesn’t mean ‘stock’, in fact it is very different to that. Taking the reins and deciding to add or remove certain parts of the wedding package is a great way to save money. For example, making your own table decorations could end up saving you around £500 plus you have the added bonus of spending time together making them yourself!

Scrap the DJ

Honestly, cheap wedding DJs are the worst! Instead of forking out your hard earned cash on someone who will just play a generic wedding music playlist, why not create your own playlist with all your favourite songs? You probably already have one – plug this into some speakers and you’re good to go!