Tag Archives: wedding

Tips to get your first kiss picture perfect

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Your first kiss as husband and wife is a momentous occasion and one that your wedding photographer is sure to capture! But what’s the best way to do it? A small peck with lips closed or a full-on smooch?

Your first kiss as husband and wife at the altar should be romantic and full of love, so here are some things to remember.

As well as closing your eyes (an essential ingredient to a good first kiss) and not bumping foreheads as you approach each other too quickly, you should also keep the following things in mind.

Sloppiness

Don’t make your first kiss too sloppy or you will make your wedding guests feel uncomfortable. This is especially true if you are kissing in a church.

Intention

The best part of any kiss is its intention, so do it from a place of love and tenderness and this will come shining through and be reflected in your wedding photographs.

Avoid a quick peck

A quick peck on the lips can be seen as a bit cold and empty, especially when it’s your first kiss as a married couple, so linger a little longer to make sure your wedding photographer can capture that special moment.

Enjoy

Don’t be embarrassed, remember, it’s your special moment, so don’t feel awkward and if you remember the first 3 tips above your love will come shining through in the photos which will be a photo that you will cherish forever.

Top tips for a relaxing Wedding day

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

1. Hire A Planner.

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

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

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

3. Eat and stay hydrated.

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

4. Turn off your phone.

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

5. Trust your vendors.

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

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

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?

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.

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.

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.

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?

Life after the Big Day

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

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

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

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

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

Wedding Colours for Winter

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Reds and greens certainly reflect the season, but overdo this colour combo, and your wedding may seem more holiday-oriented than you intended.

Consider a less-is-more approach to your colour: Silver and white with crystal accents can add some serious glamour to your winter wedding. For your ceremony, try a white velvet aisle runner trimmed with white satin ribbon, or decorate the altar with a crystal curtain backdrop adorned with hanging strands of elegant white orchids. If you’re exchanging vows outdoors, get your guests in on creating the ambience by giving out clear umbrellas to friends and family members as they arrive.

The Wedding Flowers

Red roses, lilies, and amaryllis are decidedly winter wedding flowers, but if you step outside the flower box, and you’ll find a variety of options for winter blooms.

Consider fuller wedding flowers, such as white hydrangeas. White boutonnieres can be perfect when they’re accented with greenery, but they also look great with a simple white ribbon. Add sparkle to your bouquet by wrapping the stems in ribbon embellished with crystals.

Centrepieces

Go beyond glowing candles to add both warmth and romance to your reception site.

If you want to heighten the drama, bring in the icy outdoors with ice-carved vases on your reception tables. Have your florist fill the vases with tall winter-white branches and hanging crystals to reflect the light from the tables. Surround the centrepieces with candles, and top your tables with white table linens and frosted glass china.

Place Cards

Miniature sleighs and holly motifs stamped onto your place cards would spell out the season pretty clearly, but they might not dazzle your guests.

Leave everyone amazed as they retrieve their place cards by making the entire table sparkle. Have the cards hand-calligraphed in silver ink and attach them to individual crystals with a ribbon. Hang each from an oversized crystal candelabra centrepiece for a new take on the popular place card tree.

The Music

A classical pianist playing during dinner is a sure way to create an elegant ambience, but consider a more unexpected accompaniment.

For a twist on the tunes, consider hiring a Capella quartet to sing background music at your reception. Have the group sing your favourite jazz and pop songs to set a welcoming and festive tone for the evening. If you’re into a more classical sound, hire a cellist and ask that Vivaldi’s “Winter” be included in the repertoire.

Cocktails

A winter cocktail calls for warm, comforting drinks. You really can’t go wrong with hot chocolate and warm cider, but it’s your wedding — why not take every opportunity (drinks included) to add an element of surprise?

Serve up white hot chocolate in small espresso cups and advocar in small punch glasses for your guests as they arrive. At the bar, offer saketinis (Japanese rice wine and sweet-flavoured vodka) in glasses rimmed with sugar crystals.

The Cake

A wedding cake trimmed in red or green ribbon or topped with roses looks pretty, but bakers who are willing to push the fondant envelope can reflect the winter in totally creative ways.

Play up the season with a white, vintage-style cake, dusted with edible silver powder. For accents, have your baker add a white sugar ribbon and crystal drops cascading down one side of the cake.

Honeymoons

While many couples flee the blustery weather for warmer (and sandier) destinations for their honeymoon, a winter wedding can segue perfectly into a snowy escape.

Embrace the season and rent a cosy log cabin, or join the jet-setters at a luxurious hotel in Aspen for some serious skiing, wining, dining, and snuggling.

You don’t have to be conventional

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1. Walk Down Memory Lane
Make the guest feel like integral parts of the day by incorporating them into the décor — in a gallery of meaningful photos. Why not hang pictures of the bride and groom with friends and family along the walk from the ceremony to the reception. It’s a fun cocktail party conversation starter.” As guests take a leisurely stroll and find pictures of themselves with you, they can reminisce and socialize.

2. Break the Ice Creatively
When you enter your reception for the first time as husband and wife, don’t just take a conventional arm-in-arm stroll. “Run. Skip. Dance. Swoop in on a rope swing! Brainstorm with your groom about the most creative, appropriate way to make a big impression. This is a great way to break the ice and set up for a fun vibe for the rest of the event.
3. Play Party Games
How about the menus being puzzles, so each person got one piece of the puzzle at their place setting, then everyone had to put the pieces together to get the full menu description. Crossword puzzles are fun for the back of a program or if you have guests going on a long bus ride to get to the reception venue.

4. Be Entertaining
Guests always love the energy of a live band but tend to want to hear the original artist sing their favourite tunes. As a compromise, a bride may hire a dance band but also play DJ music during the breaks, or she’ll arrange to have live music during some parts of the event and recorded music during others.

5. Surprise them!
Love poems from a book makes a wonderful, lasting guest favour that’s much more meaningful that a bag of sugared almonds! If you buy in bulk, you might get a discount — contact your bookseller directly. And don’t forget to add a personalized bookmark thanking your friends and family for sharing your big day with you.”