Tag Archives: wedding

Mother of the bride

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Even though it’s all out of the goodness of their hearts, the Mother of the bride and the mother of the groom can get a little too involved in the Wedding. Here are a few things that they definitely shouldn’t be doing – where you know they’ve crossed a line…

Obviously, with their child getting married, both sets of mothers are bound to get excited. Your diaries will be filling up with lunch dates with you and your mother, or you and your groom’s mum where every single thing you could possibly talk about when it comes to weddings, will be mentioned.

It’s good to see brides accepting help from others so they get a bit of stress relief, but don’t let that mean that no part or no detail of your wedding is planned by you. It’s not uncommon to see that motherly tendency of ‘taking over’ – whether subtle or slightly more aggressive – so be warned. If you want something done in that way, don’t let your mother’s words sway you. Your day, your way – and that’s that.

As we said, by no means refuse ALL the help the offer, because at the end of the day, it’s saving you a job and it’s saving you time. But when delegating wedding duties around your friends and family members, make sure that both you and the recipient are realistic in the amount they are taking on.

No matter how eager and keen your mother-in-law may sound about taking on 12/20 jobs you’ve got on that to-do list, remember that she still is human, and her eager excitement for the wedding plans may wear out before she’s even finished her second task of writing out all the place cards. At that point, you won’t even DARE to mention the handmade favours she agreed to do…

It’s a common stereotype of mother-in-laws – both of the bride and the groom – that they can be quite… disapproving… of everything. Of course, we don’t believe in that stereotype, but there might be times where you can understand where that common image of mother-in-laws have come from.

Taking her along to your wedding dress fitting can quickly turn from a lovely and thoughtful idea, to maybe changing the aim of the shopping trip to buying an axe, and a shovel. And her constant comments about your hubby-to-be not making enough effort? Just no. If this is happening to you, calmly let her know what she is saying is upsetting you, and most importantly, don’t let it affect you!

Wear White

Oh come on! This is number one of the wedding rule book, isn’t it? If wedding guests aren’t allowed to wear white, neither should your mum. This is the point when the question will be raised, by you, by your groom, and by everyone else: “Is she pretending it’s her wedding?”.

We’re almost sure your mum would think this one through, but do ask her what she’s wearing before the wedding day actually comes.

Match with the bridesmaids

On a similar note, unless you’ve actually specified for her to do so, if your mum or mum-in-law is deliberately matching her outfits to your bridesmaids – essentially, assigning herself as an extra bridesmaids– that’s another line crossed!

If she wants to make some kind of link to the bridal party, suggest the idea of a corsage in the same colour as the bridesmaid dresses. It would be a really nice touch for the photographs, and make your mum a little bit happier. But remember, make sure that both sets of mothers go with this idea so that one isn’t left out.

From offering the bride advice and knowing exactly how to calm you down, to readjusting that strand of hair that’s a little out of place after you’ve finished getting ready, your mum should be there for you on your wedding morning! She shouldn’t show up late and think you won’t notice.

That goes for the rest of the wedding planning process, too – all the arranged appointments, lunch-time meet ups to talk about table plans, and so on. You should never underestimate the usefulness of a mum around your wedding time, and neither should she!

Wearing white on the day is one thing, but taking complete control of everything that’s going on, pointing out every little detail she helped with, and not letting the bride or groom get a word on their wedding day is on another level! Either the excitement of the wedding has got a little too much for her or her glass is getting topped up a little too often, either way, there comes a point when it’s acceptable to just say ‘STOP’. I mean, she didn’t even help with that bunting!

To be honest, we’re sure that you won’t have to deal with any of these extremes, but you might witness a few hints of this kind of ‘Mumzilla’ mode. Just always be careful how you approach it and what you say. Want more advice on that?

To toss or not?

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What if your friends want you to toss your wedding bouquet, but you want to preserve it as a keepsake?

Ask your florist to create a smaller “tossing bouquet ” that resembles your bridal bouquet. The tossing bouquet should be placed on the cake table to enable you to find it easily. Many florists automatically include a tossing bouquet in the budget, but never assume.

Although the bridesmaids and groomsmen don’t need to have flowers that replicate yours, they should complement your bridal bouquet style (bold and contemporary, French country, and so on) and color scheme (pastels, jewel tones, etc.). One lovely look is to create tightly packed nosegays of roses with a slightly different shade for each bridesmaid.

Nosegays in the same color but using a different flower for each are also pretty. Consider adding a touch that reflects the ambiance of the location, such as shells at the beach or berries, acorns, and oak leaves for a fall wedding.

Hollywood Honeymoons

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If you and your other half are film buffs, or just love the idea of including some Hollywood glamour into your honeymoon, incorporate a stay at a world famous hotel that’s been used as a film location. Here are some ideas to inspire you:

Italy

The Please Garden (Alfred Hitchcock’s first film): Villa D’Este

Alfred Hitchcock spent nearly every summer at the Villa d’Este and was completely enamoured with the beautiful surroundings. He filmed his first movie The Pleasure Garden on the hotel grounds in 1925. The hotel has over 150 rooms, all completely unique from one another with their own style and size. Hitchcock isn’t the only artist to fall in love with Villa d’Este; distinguished fashionistas have all fallen in love with the place including Calvin Klein, Oscar de la Renta, Donna Karan and Paul Smith.

A Room with a View: Degli Orafi, Florence

The famous 1980’s film A Room with a View charts the romance between Miss Lucy Honeychurch; a young Edwardian woman, with a free-spirited young man she meets in Italy. The couple first meet at a hotel in Florence, and modern-day visitors to the Degli Orafi hotel can stay in the exact room they meet, room 414 on the 4th floor. The view in question is from the room’s spectacular terrace which overlooks the Arno and Ponte Vecchio.

The United States of America

Ocean’s 11: The Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas

The Bellagio is features a few times in Ocean’s 11. Firstly, the Las Vegas Boulevard entrance is seen when Saul arrives at the casino to place some big bets to get Terry Benedict’s attention. Saul walks right through the main entrance underneath the hotel’s distinctive glass flower chandelier. Also, whilst the movie makes it seem as though Basher Tarr is in a remote location when he pulls the trigger to turn out the Vegas Strip lights, the scene is actually filmed from on top of Bellagio’s self-park garage!

The Bodyguard: Fontainebleu Miami Beach

In The Bodyguard the Fontainebleu makes an appearance as the host of the charity benefit where Whitney Houston’s character Rachel sings ‘I Have Nothing’. However, the luxury grounds of the hotel have appeared in more than one Hollywood blockbuster. In the third James Bond film, Goldfinger, the Fontainebleu is where Sean Connery’s 007 checks in before thwarting the movie’s villain during a game of poolside Gin Rummy, and in Al Pacino’s Scarface, the beach hotel is where Montana and Manny Ray relax and eye up ladies.

Pretty Woman: The Beverly Wilshire, California

In the 1990 blockbuster Pretty Woman, the Beverly Wilshire Hotel is where Edward Lewis (played by Richard Gere) puts up his escort Vivian Ward (played by Julia Roberts). Vivian endears herself to the staff of the hotel, resulting in the hotel manager teaching her about place settings, and the hotel is conveniently located next to the designer’s shops in Rodeo Drive. The hotel celebrated the 25th anniversary of the film by offering Pretty Women packages that ranged from $15,000 to $100,000 and included homages to the film including a night in the presidential suite, a personal shopper on Rodeo Drive with $3,000 shopping money, couple’s massages, a diamond pedicure and a romantic dinner on the Veranda Suite Terrace.

Maid in Manhattan: Roosevelt Hotel, New York

Jennifer Lopez plays a hardworking maid at the fictional Beresford Hotel in the 2002 romantic comedy Maid in Manhattan. The exterior of the Beresford was actually the Waldorf-Astoria but the majority of the filming took place within the Roosevelt Hotel. The Roosevelt has also been featured in a number of other Hollywood films including The Taking of Pelham 123, The French Connection and Men in Black 3.

Garden party ideas

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One of the biggest wedding theme trends last year was ‘garden party’, but this year’s brides are set to combine this elegant theme with rustic country details. With these top tips, you can make this ever-evolving theme personal to you.

Outdoor wedding venue

To hold an authentic country garden wedding theme you usually need one of three types of venue – a country barn with fairy lights wrapped around the beams, a marquee reception with hay bales for seating, or a quintessentially English manor house with beautiful gardens filled with blooms where you could set up garden games for your guests to enjoy.

This year’s brides will also be giving their country garden theme a festival edge with large tipis and marquees, camping areas for their guests and live music.

Pastel perfection

From the details through to the bridesmaid dresses floral prints and pastel shades are best suited to a country garden theme.

The best floral prints for this theme are pansies, daisies and roses. Think pink, lavender, turquoise and lemon for perfectly pretty girls. Keep shoes nude and hair accessories minimal – flower headbands, perhaps?

The little details

It’s the little details your guests will notice, so consider some of these country inspired ideas… Handpicked flowers for the bouquets and centrepieces, raffia-tied jam jar favours filled with mini eggs and handmade bunting with Cath Kidston-style material spread all around the venue.

Searching for cheap and cheerful favour ideas? How about attaching a place card to a shiny green apple, or laying a sprig of lavender on your napkins?

Boho bride

For a country look, consider a short or tea-length wedding dress, and for a bit of fun, add a coloured underskirt with matching shoes! Put real flowers in your hair and accessorise with pearls – the chunkier the pearls, the more modern the look.

Make sure you have some wedding wellies on hand for your outdoor reception, as well as some white umbrellas should you need to shelter guests at any point.

Country stationery

Textured stationary with a DIY feel will work really well with this theme. Raffia, cotton or button embellishments are great.

Tea and cake

What’s a country garden party without high tea? Instead of a traditional dessert, put a tiered cake stand on each table filled with scones, muffins and cupcake so guests can help themselves, with a pot of tea and coffee on hand to wash it down. Why not stir up a little competitive spirit among your guests and have a Great Wedding Bake-Off?

Set up a table in the marquee and ask guests to bring their homemade goodies. The bride and groom can then present first, second and third prize before cutting their own wedding cake.

Arrive in style

Instead of a traditional vintage car, consider something a little more authentic, like a tractor! Just make sure you give it a good clean beforehand or you could end up with a muddy dress!

Country garden brides may want to take advantage of the (hopefully) good summer weather and walk to their ceremony – the ultimate eco-friendly way to arrive at your ceremony or reception.

Country entertainment

The obvious answer here is country music, maybe a live folk band for the evening? This type of fun upbeat entertainment will appeal to all ages and will certainly get everyone on their feet.

Are we getting a bit braver with superstitions?

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It looks like Brits are getting a little bit braver, with only a third of them worried about wedding day superstitions…

Betting shops looked into superstitions still held by people in the modern day, uncovering the fact that only 32% of people still believe it is bad luck to see the bride’s wedding dress before the big day.

This superstition cropped up again and again throughout the research, indicated towards an interesting divide between genders!

Maybe predictably, women were more superstitious – 40%, compared to 19% of men, considered it to be bad luck. This follows the general trend of women being the more superstitious sex in general, with 59% compared to 48% across the board.

Check out the regional breakdown;

South West England (46%)

Northern England (35%)

Scotland (32%)

Wales (31%)

Central England (31%)

South East England (30%)

Republic of Ireland (25%)

Northern Ireland (14%)

These figures show that we’re still a superstitious bunch in the UK and Ireland, and our beliefs are definitely changing with the times.

As we leave old methods behind, we’re finding new ways to improve our luck and even though these wedding suspicions aren’t as prevalent as they used to be, there are still many people out there who won’t let it completely fade.

Are you superstitious? There are some strange wedding traditions and beliefs out there? What about women proposing?

Writing Unforgettable Vows

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Writing your own vows can be a bit daunting. You’re making promises to the one you love on your wedding day as all your favourite people watch on. You want the perfect words and you’re feeling the pressure. So, where do you start?

First up, there is some legal wording you must say:

“I call upon the persons here present to witness that I (Bride or Groom’s full name) take you (Bride or Groom’s full name) to be my lawfully wedded wife (or husband).”

We can change these words slightly. For example, you can start with “I ask everyone here today to witness…” but legally, you must say your names and you can’t replace the words “husband” or “wife”.

Beyond the legally required words, you can be as creative as you like. Or not. Don’t feel you must write your own vows. You may prefer traditional vows, along the lines of “for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part”. But if you have decided to put pen to paper, here’s some advice to help you on your way:

Make time: Set aside plenty of time – don’t leave it until the night before or even a few days before because you don’t want to rush it.

Mean what you say, say what you mean: The most important thing is that you really mean what you’re saying. You’re not writing a Hallmark card so avoid clichés and anything that doesn’t ‘feel’ right. We don’t want soppy if soppy is not your style, but if it is, go for it! Don’t use words or phrases that you wouldn’t normally use. You’re not writing for an audience, you’re writing words to live by, dedicated to the most important person in your life. Keep it simple but meaningful.

Think of it as a love letter: But not necessarily a long love letter. Ask yourselves, what is it you love about each other? What do you love about your relationship? Why have you chosen to spend the rest of your lives together? What promises do you want to make? What has your future husband/wife brought into your life?

Have a ‘vow date night’: If you’re writing your vows together, make a night of it. Cook your favourite meal or grab some takeaway, crack open a bottle of wine, reminisce, brainstorm and get writing!

Do It Yourself Stationery

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Making your own wedding stationery is a creative approach that lets you design something to suit your day perfectly. Receiving an invitation that has been handmade by the bride and groom also feels extremely special. It’s a wonderful gesture, and the card can become a keepsake of the day. Do have a good think about it first, though ‐‐ it’s a time‐consuming process, so can either become an enjoyable part of your wedding preparation, or a major regret.

Is DIY stationery right for you?

If you’re thinking about making your own stationery, the first thing to do is to be realistic about how much you’d like to make, and how much time you have. If you’re having a relatively small wedding and have plenty of time, creating your own could be an excellent idea. If, however, you’re inviting hundreds of guests and only have two months before your big day, you’ll be better off sticking with a personalised range. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make other items of stationery. Don’t forget that as well as invitations, you might need place name cards, order of service sheets, menus, seating plans and thank‐you cards. Table names and menus are a simple way of having some artistic input without too much work, as you’ll probably only need to make 10 to 15 in total. Place cards can also be a simple way of being creative.

The benefits of creating your own stationery;

Perfect if you want to use your creativity and artistic skills to create completely unique designs

Getting creative is fun. Evenings spent with bridesmaids making cards can be a highlight of wedding planning

You’ll have the chance to create an unusual design or wording format that you might not find in a personalised stationery range

DIY stationery tends to be less expensive

Get creative

Have a practice run and see how long it takes you to make something. The key thing to remember is that you don’t need to make each and every item of stationery ‐ just one type is fine. It’s also important to assess your creativity. If you’re an artistic person, you might decide to try something relatively challenging. If the last piece of artwork you created was at primary school, now’s not the time to try your hand at the most complicated design you can think of. Simplicity is the key. Once you’ve decided what you’re going to create, start practicing and creating as soon as you can. The more time you give yourself, the more you’ll enjoy it. And remember, you can always rope in your bridesmaids for a fun night in making stationery with the girls.

Top tips for DIY stationery

Give yourself plenty of time ‐‐ the more time you have, the more you’ll enjoy being creative without feeling too pressured.

Have a look at wedding stationery offered online and on the high street to give you some ideas and inspiration.

Choose your colours and plan your design, taking into account the style of your wedding. If, for example, your dress is decorated with beading, you might use a bead style trim on your stationery. If your cake is adorned with feathers, you could incorporate feathers into the design.

When you have an idea for the design, make up a few different samples. This ‘testing’ session is crucial ‐‐ you can see exactly how the finished products will look and whether you enjoy making them before you buy enough for your entire wedding party. You’ll also know exactly what you need to put on your shopping list.

Before you even think about going shopping, make a detailed list of what you need. You don’t want to waste money by buying too much, but you also want to make sure you have enough (allowing for a few mistakes along the way). Paper, glue, glue dots, trims, ribbon, envelopes, pens, place cards, ribbon and card might all be on your list.

Create an area at home and get organised. You need to give yourself plenty of room and have a working system. If possible, choose an area where you can leave your stationery out and don’t have to pack everything away every time you finish.

Try and find some willing helpers (such as the groom, bridesmaids, family and friends) and don’t be precious about doing everything yourself.

Make sure your guests know the time and effort you’ve put into making the stationery ‐‐ a handmade invitation or place card by the bride herself is something they’ll treasure, so write ‘made by …’ on the back.

Consider making a special design for the members of your wedding party.

Be sure to make an extra set to keep for yourself to put in your wedding photo album or scrapbook.

How to Dry Your Bouquet

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The bouquet is an essential part of the traditional wedding. Many brides, and even bridesmaids, have a special attachment to their 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 wedding 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.

Method 1 – Hang To Dry

Step 1: 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.

Method 2 – Silica Gel

Contrary to its name, silica gel isn’t really a gel but a sandy crystal substance that aids in the drying process. It preserves flowers in a much truer original form, and works by drawing any moisture out of the flowers while also preserving their colour and shape. The gel changes colour as it absorbs moisture, so you’ll know right away when the flowers are ready—this usually takes just a few days, but up to ten days for bulky flowers like roses. However, silica gel can be expensive. It involves several steps, which must be followed carefully to be successful.

Step 1: Take apart your wedding bouquet, removing all wires, ribbons, etc. (Make sure you take a picture of your bouquet to help you reassemble it later). Next, remove all parts of the bouquet that have gone soft or mushy (stems, leaves, buds etc.) as they are no longer suitable for drying.

Step 2: Cut off all stems, leaving only an inch below the flower head—the stems will be dried separately and then reattached, OR you can purchase green wire stems from a craft shop and attach those to the flowers instead of the real stems (or in case the real stems don’t dry properly). Hang real stems to dry (see above for “Method1 – Hang to Dry”).

Step 3: Take a large, deep container, and pour a one-inch layer of silica on the bottom.

Step 4: Arrange the flower heads on the silica gel, ensuring they don’t touch each other or the walls of the container.

Step 5: Cover the flower heads with silica gel completely, gently sprinkling it to avoid flattening the flower heads under the weight of the crystals.

Step 6: Cover the container and put it aside in a warm, dry place that’s away from direct sunlight.

Step 7: Check it in about four days. You’ll know it’s ready because the silica gel will have changed colour and the flowers should be stiff and dry to the touch. If they have any softness, cover them again and leave them for a few more days.

Step 8: When finished, empty the silica gel into another container and carefully brush any remaining crystals off the flowers.

Step 9: Once the flowers and the stems are dry, you can reattach them with hot glue using a glue gun, or by carefully pushing a length of wire inside the stem, and then into the flower head to join them together.

Silica gel can be used again and again for a variety of purposes, like keeping food or clothing dry, so don’t throw it out when you’re done, but preserve it in a sealed container for future use.

Why brides wear a garter

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Are garters a thing of the past? A recent poll had a mixed reaction. It seems some of you love them, while others think they should be consigned to the dustbins of history.

So how do you wear them and what should they look like? Garters are often ivory and blue silk, satin or lace – ivory to match your dress and the pale blue to be your ‘something blue.’ They come in old fashioned lacy Edwardian or racy contemporary styles in all colours and widths, with ribbons or crystals or, if you’re superstitious, a lucky 6pence in a matching bag stitched to the garter. You can even get edible candy garters for the naughty child in you! Garters should be worn mid-thigh and were originally designed to hold up silk stockings by tying a length of silk or cotton around the top, before the invention of elastic, or nylon, or tights for that matter!

Garters for every size of thigh

For slim or sexy thighs they provide an ideal photo opportunity for the wedding album. And for sexy plus-size brides there are plus-size garters out there to fit every thigh. About a Bride offers plus-size bridal garters in dress sizes from 18-54. Yes 54! So there’s no excuse if you want to wear one!

Embroidered keepsake garters

Sweet Nothings Lingerie and Silk Garters both offer a bespoke service where you can have a garter made in your chosen style, colour and fabrics. A biker bride could have a leather garter made, another bride may prefer to have a personalized garter embroidered with her new married name and the date of her wedding to have as a keepsake long after the wedding.

Tossing the garter

These days many brides have two garters, one to treasure as a keepsake of the wedding, the other for her new husband to (ahem) ‘toss’ to the male guests at the reception. Traditional folklore has it that the groom removes the bride’s garter and throws it to his single friends after the wedding in much the same way that his new wife throws the wedding bouquet, but this strikes a startling image of a hapless male struggling to get the darn thing off. No, once slipped onto a sexy thigh, we think it’s better left there for your new husband to peel off later, much, much later.

Child Friendly Wedding

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Often the cause of much debate but to invite (or not invite!) children to attend your wedding day does not have to be a daunting prospect; with careful consideration everyone can have a fantastic day…
There you both are saying your vows carefully chosen and delivered with heartfelt emotion and a little voice in the background says, “Mummy I need a wee”! But with a little thought and preparation it could be easier than you think to include children in your big day.

Some couples may well not have the budget to cater for children at the reception, or the chosen wedding venue may not be suitable, or have enough space – so the decision is already made for you! Sometimes a way of keeping costs down or overcoming this is to stipulate an ‘adult’s only day’. This point can easily be put across without offending anyone by way of a small carefully worded inclusion on the bottom of your invitations. This could be followed up with a list of adult activities available at your chosen venue to reinforce your message. Anyway, most couples like the thought of a child free weekend now and then with time on their own, so will probably jump at the chance of a day (and night) away from their little ones!

It is also worth considering the number of small attendants you want to include in your wedding party; your guests may be offended if you then have ten small flower girls and pages when the day is supposed to be child free.

There are so many great reasons to invite children to your big day, children can be brilliant “ice breakers” and bring some comical and magical moments to your day. With a little bit of thought you can keep everyone happy and have a great time.

1. Ask ushers to seat families towards the back of the ceremony room or church so if any awkward moments arise parents can slip out with their little ones unnoticed.

2. If you have the budget and a small room is available a children’s entertainer may be the answer to keep little ones happy throughout the ceremony.

3. Just providing a colouring book and crayons for each child during the service is a cost effective alternative

4. Ask a family member to provide small bags of freshly chopped fruit or boxes of raisins to keep hungry moments at bay.

5. It is always an idea to think of photography in advance. If you can sort the pictures with the bridesmaids and children first they are then free to roam for a while!

6. To prevent boredom setting in during the drinks reception hire a bouncy castle, or a giant board game such as ‘Twister’ or ‘Snakes and Ladders’. The adults will get as much fun out of it too!

7. During the reception think about where to seat families with children. Your child free guests may not be happy sitting next to a fidgeting two year old!

8. Safety also has to be an issue, think about table decorations. What will be child friendly, not towering candelabras or too many twinkling tea lights. A puzzle book or a small story book placed in each child’s place, perhaps with a bead set for girls and a small box of Lego for boys, will keep them entertained throughout the speeches.
Guests should always assume that children are not invited, unless they are named on the invitation (i.e. Mr and Mrs Johnson, Samantha and Rebecca).

If you are not inviting ANY children, it is sensible to include a note with the invitations saying “unfortunately we are unable to accommodate children” – don’t feel that you need to justify your reasons.

If you are only inviting children of close friends and family, it is tactful to telephone others with children before sending out the invitations to let them know or they may feel that their children have been singled out.

If you do have to invite children to your wedding, here are some tips and handy hints to try and keep “little ones” amused and allow the adults to have fun.

Hire babysitters or a crèche service.
Hire a children’s entertainer, clowns or puppet show.
Seat children together at a special “kids table”. Cover the tables with paper and put crayons or felt-tip pens in the middle.
Give each child an activity pack including games and puzzles, bubbles, crayons, colouring books.
Serve a kids meal consisting of chicken nuggets, pizzas, cheesy potatoes, pasta, fish fingers etc.
Give children jobs at the wedding reception i.e. asking guests to write messages in the Guest Book, passing around favours, handing out disposable cameras.
Have a special cinema corner set up for young ones, with comfy pillows, popcorn and juice showing tiny-tot favourites like Finding Nemo, Shrek, The Lion King etc.

It may seem like a lot of additional effort, but this day is one to remember for the rest of your life, and if having children at the wedding means you can ensure your closest friends and family can also be there, it’s well worth it!