Tag Archives: wedding

Honeymoon trends for 2020

Posted on by

Love and pasta

Rolling hills, winding streets, fine wine and food like your own mama does not make. Puglia is the perfect place to relax, unwind and put an end to the pre-wedding diet. If you really want to escape head back 300 years to Lama di Luna, a fortified estate set in 190 hectares of organic olive groves, overlooking the coast. Deliberately cut off from the modern world, this once-working farm feels more like a monastery than a hotel and provides a heavenly escape for food lovers looking for peace – and the world’s best pizza! Eat at the Michelin starred Antichi Sapori just down the road, bring books, borrow bikes and relax with the one you love.

 

Paradise lost

Looking for a heavenly escape after the hustle and bustle of planning your wedding? This is it. White sands, turquoise seas and nothing, nothing, nothing to do but lose yourselves in the paradise that is Bora Bora. Its remote position in the middle of the Pacific Ocean does mean it’ll take you a day to get there but once you arrive you’ll discover pure peace, ridiculous relaxation and unlimited luxury. Your only chore will be to choose whether to sleep on land – in a bungalow with private beach and pool – or on water – in a hut on stilts overlooking the crystal clear sea.

 

When nature calls

Whether your wildlife enthusiasts, animal lovers or adrenaline junkies, Costa Rica has it all. A Jurassic landscape, eco accommodation and jungle activities mean you can get as close to nature as you dare! For unrivalled romance stay at The Pacuare Jungle Lodge where you can sleep in a secluded bungalow nestled in the rainforest canopy, watch the wildlife from the comfort of your candle-lit terrace, soak in your private plunge pool and cosy up in a hammock made for two.

 

Family fun

Want to combine romance and relaxation with some quality time with the kids? Family friendly, boutique hotel Caserio del Mirador is the answer. This picturesque farmhouse, set amongst almond and olive groves in the Spanish mountains, offers you and your children a chance to get in touch with nature in a safe and serene setting. Half an hour from the beach, with gorgeous gardens, a child-friendly pool and ponies, goats and a pet pig to play with, there’s plenty to entertain the children during the day. Then once they’ve gone to bed, you can sit back, relax and enjoy being served a delicious dinner every night, knowing your kids are safe, happy and loving the familymoon as much as you.

 

Cosy up in these amazing Hotels

Posted on by

Couples can cosy up in some of the UK’s most romantic spots. From Shakespeare’s birthplace, to the town which inspired a royal love story, Macdonald Hotels are the perfect place to spend time together for your wedding venue or just after the wedding for the perfect break.

Macdonald Old England Hotel & Spa, Lake District

On the shores of Lake Windermere has unrivalled views over mature lawns to private jetties and moorings on the lake. The luxury four-star hotel proves a popular choice for romantic getaways and weekend breaks. The hotel is offering a proposal package for guests looking to pop the question. Couples will be able to stay in a suite where they will be greeted with a chilled bottle of Prosecco and chocolates in the room on arrival. The Macdonald team will also be on hand to surprise loved ones with an engagement ring hidden inside Champagne glasses, and beds will be strewn with rose petals as an extra romantic touch.

Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel, Bath

For couples seeking 5-star luxury, this Hotel offers a romantic getaway in the heart of historic Bath. With landscaped gardens, four poster beds, and a ‘bath butler’ this town which was home to Jane Austen, can create a weekend that even one of the world’s best known romantic fiction writers would be proud of.

Macdonald Marine Hotel & Spa, North Berwick

Just half an hour from Edinburgh by train is the beautiful seaside town of North Berwick; renowned for its dramatic coastline as well as independent boutiques and ice cream vendors. This hotel is housed within a glorious 19th Century building; reflecting a time when Romanticism swept through the British art world. Guests can take a windswept walk along the beach or stay cosy indoors and watch the coastline from behind the windows of one of the hotels’ 83 individually styled, luxury rooms. For couples looking to be pampered, the award winning thermal spa boasts a heated indoor pool as well as an outdoor hydro pool.

 

Romantic honeymoon ideas

Posted on by

There are many wonderful places to go on honeymoon why not make it as romantic as you can:

Make the most of your honeymoon and explore your beautiful holiday island taking you to wonderful places of interest where there are sunset bars or take a catamaran cruise, or a classic gondola. You can both experience the most beautiful sunsets in the world, together.

A romantic meal for two;

Don’t scrimp on this, enjoy fine dining and experience tastes that you have never tasted before, from a selection of both elegantly casual and formal restaurants, where service is attentive yet unimposing, where creativity and presentation of gourmet cuisine is proudly supervised with passion by the world’s most celebrated chefs.

If you don’t fancy dressing up and want to give the fine dining a miss, go bohemian and have a barefoot chic evening! From a Beach Grill, throughout the night you can have casual dining and be being served delicious local specialities and the catch of the day.

The ultimate in romance is the intimate, private dining experiences on the beach, with just tiki torches and stars twinkling down on you whilst being served by your personal attentive waiter. Combine that with your favourite cocktail, wine, or a glass of champagne while you listen to the Caribbean gently welcoming another stunning sunrise, and you’ll know you’re in paradise!

Spa treat;

And don’t forget to book a pampering day for the two of you.  There are many holiday packages that have this included; massages, hot tubs, facials, this would be such a wonderful intimate thing to have together.  Just maybe, this could be the last relaxing holiday you have for a while before the patter of little feet will take up much of your time!

So, when planning a wedding don’t forget to plan a honeymoon to remember..

 

Have a break from Wedding Planning

Posted on by

When planning a wedding, wedding breaks are fast becoming a must for newlyweds. They’re not a minimoon for a few days or a honeymoon or a week abroad. Wedding breaks are a post-wedding, pre-honeymoon getaway for a night or two, somewhere nice, near home.

Here are some of our favourite places to take wedding breaks;

The Scarlet

Perched on a cliff top overlooking the stunning beach at Mawgan Porth, The Scarlet is a luxurious

hotel perfectly positioned on the Cornish coast. Cornwall is filled with pretty villages to visit and views to swoon over, but if you fancy something more active, it’s the perfect place to learn to surf. The hotel can arrange private lessons or why not join the surf school?

Not to be missed during your stay is The Scarlet Spa, where total indulgence awaits. The Spa focuses on wellbeing as well as beauty, offering a fab range of eco-friendly treatments. Prices start from £180 B&B in low season – worth every penny!

Peak Edge Hotel

The Peak Edge Hotel is the gateway to the Peak District in Derbyshire. Aside from the panoramas of rolling dales from every window, there is great local food cooked to perfection in the adjoining 17th-century inn, beautifully designed décor and an extensive activities package to keep you busy here. There are 27 brand new boutique bedrooms with picturesque views and sumptuous finishes. Bathrooms boast double-ended baths, rain showers and underfloor heating. You’ll also find LED flat screen TVs, decadent bedding and Wi-Fi internet to enjoy inside.

Blakes Hotel

Blakes in London is the sort of hotel that makes you want to stay in your room, sipping Champagne, indulging in room service! Locally you’ll find shops galore on Kensington Church Street, and Harrods is a short taxi ride away, as are the V&A and Natural History Museums. Each of the 47 rooms is designed by internationally acclaimed designer Anouska Hempel, and each is daringly different.

The Royal Scots Club

The Royal Scots Club is a members’ club situated in one of Edinburgh’s finest Georgian streets. It’s about a two-minute walk from the main shopping areas of Edinburgh, and it takes about 25 minutes to get to the hotel from the airport by car.

It’s quite a formal place to stay, oozing sophistication and class. It’s perfect for couples looking for privacy. There is no place for jeans and t-shirts here, especially at dinner time. The restaurant serves indulgent dishes, which are an absolute must try. The decadent decor, beautiful furnishings and the luxurious rooms create a cosy country manor house feel, despite their size. Accommodation prices start from £140 per room for bed and breakfast based on two sharing.

 

African Wedding

Posted on by

There is something special about African weddings with celebrations from jumping the broom to tasting four elements. To make it memorable and happy, here are some traditions that you can include in your wedding to personalize it so that it pleases everyone with unique experiences.

Jumping the Broom

This tradition reaches all the way back to slavery times. Today, this game consists of the bride and the groom jumping over a beautifully decorated handmade broom to publicly signify their commitment to one another. The newlyweds can hang the broom in their home as a reminder of their wedding day and commitment to one another.

Libation Ceremony

As a way to honour the elders in your families and to honour your ancestors, this ceremony has lots of meaning. To perform the Libation ceremony, use holy water or alcohol to pour on the ground in east, west, north and south respectively. Someone should be designated to learn and recite the prayers to say during the ceremony.

Kola Nuts

The Kola nut is given to the couple during an African wedding. With the nut symbolizing the happy couple and extended family, it means the couple is willing to help heal together as one. The Kola nut should be shared between the newlyweds and their parents.

Tying the Knot

With this ceremony, the bride and groom are tied around the wrists with a cloth or grass that has been braided for the ceremony. The braided grass symbolizes the unity of marriage. The ceremony is conducted while the wrists are tied.

Crossing Sticks

Use two tall wood sticks that represent life force among the trees and the couple will cross the sticks to represent the unity of their love and start their marriage on the right foot.

Knocking the Door

In this ceremony, the groom will knock on the door of his future in-laws and bring them gifts and requests permission to marry. This ceremony brings the families closer together.

Purple and Gold

Choosing these colours for your wedding colours not only adds fabulous and modern feeling, but it is also an African American wedding tradition because they represent royalty in many African cultures.

Feeding the Family

After the four elements tasting, it’s time to sit down and share a meal with the family. Joining the families is important in the African wedding ceremonies.

Ditching the Diamond

Because many diamonds have been mined in Africa, some brides choose to use a different stone as a symbol of their marriage instead. Ditching the diamond is becoming more popular today.

Kente Cloth

All brides want to have the Kente cloth as part of their wedding. This bright fabric is gold, green, and red in color and is made in Ghana. The groom’s vest can be made from this material or you may see it in the bridesmaid dresses.

 

The best surprise of all

Posted on by

When it comes to weddings, there are many opportunities to surprise the bride and groom. Be it with gifts, a fun interactive game for the newlyweds to engage in during the wedding reception or the Best Man’s speech, each surprise is sure to delight and entertain those in attendance. But what about surprising the bride and groom with entertainment? Here are three brilliant options.

Stand up Opera

One for the couple who love a bit of musical theatre, Stand Up Opera is a comedy and music performance unlikely anything you’ve ever seen! The concept begins during the drinks reception, where two charismatic performs will mingle with other wedding guests. Later in the day, the duo take centre stage to commemorate the new Mr. & Mrs. but their witty chatter quickly turns into an impressive and unexpected performance with operatic and classical crossover duets. The perfect blend of laughter and spine-tingling music for your big day!

Breakdancing Waiters

For those who are familiar with flash mobs, Breakdancing Waiters shouldn’t be too hard to explain. For the uninitiated, a flashmob is when a group of people who appeared not to be linked suddenly break out in song and dance! If you book Breakdancing Waiters for your wedding, you’ll receive a troupe of performers who immerse themselves among the wait staff and then break out into a stunning dance routine that will shock everybody in the room. A tremendous alternative to Singing Waiters but just as enjoyable!

Singing Waiters

Perhaps the most famous of the surprise acts, since their arrival on the events scene over the past decade, Singing Waiters have been a hugely popular booking for wedding entertainment each and every year. Working as part of the catering staff throughout the wedding breakfast, Singing Waiters surprise every person in the room by breaking out into song at a pre-arranged time. Perhaps the bride and groom have a special song that would be perfect for the Singing Waiters treatment? Hugely fun, this is sure to stun the room.

 

How best to choose your entertainment

Posted on by

When it comes to choosing wedding entertainment, many have absolutely no idea where to begin. Very few newlyweds have ever been married before so to expect the bride and groom to know how to choose wedding entertainment is ludicrous. Thankfully, we are here to help!

What’s most important to you?

The bride and groom are often exceptionally busy on the wedding day itself so tend to ‘miss out’ on a lot of what’s going on by virtue of having other things to do. While your guests are sipping at champagne, the happy couple will often venture off to have their wedding photos taken. As everybody is enjoying their wedding breakfast, the couple often have to walk between tables as each guest wishes to congratulate them on their day. So what matters most to you? If you’d prefer to have attendees chatting to one another, a magician can help break the ice. If you’d like a fun photo album of your day, booking a photo booth is a must. Have a think and we are certain you’ll be able to prioritise accordingly!

Inside/Outside

Booking wedding entertainment definitely varies depending on whether your wedding is inside or outside. In the summer, you might want to book a strolling acoustic act, but always have a backup idea in place if it starts to rain! If your event is taking place mainly indoors, there will naturally be a few types of wedding entertainment that won’t necessarily work.

Consider your budget

The final consideration to make when it comes choosing wedding entertainment is your budget. Newlyweds don’t want to start married life with a mountain of debt but it does happen so please only book what you can afford. At the end of the day, a wedding is a marvellous celebration of a couple’s love for one another and nothing should get in the way of that. If you can’t afford a function band, then perhaps look at booking a DJ. There are a multitude of options available for any budget so there really is something for everyone.

Restrictions

It’s best to start by looking at the wedding venue you have chosen and working backwards from there. Are there any restrictions in place that might immediately cut down your list into  a more manageable size? Many wedding venues are very old or are situated close to public areas. In this case, they may have a sound limiter which means you probably won’t be able to book that Metallica tribute band you had your eye on. Others might prevent wedding parties from having jugglers or acrobats indoors due to the highly expensive art on the walls. So ask your wedding venue whether they have any restrictions in place before booking wedding entertainment.

Taste

The important thing to remember about your wedding day entertainment is that it is all about you! The bride and groom! There’s no point booking a harpist if you can’t stand the harp (though in all honesty, we not sure any harp haters actually exist) and if you absolutely love card tricks, feel free to book a magician if it’s what you want. Your wedding day is exactly that: your wedding day. Make sure it’s everything you first envisaged after getting engaged!

 

Artificial Flower Guide

Posted on by

Even the least green-fingered of brides can discover a penchant for florals as they work with their florist to create their bouquets and centrepieces.

While it’s pretty tough to beat the fragrance of fresh flowers, choosing faux flowers does bring many benefits. From budget to dates to décor, here’s seven reasons why you should to choose artificial flowers for your wedding…

If you’ve been dreaming of a blush bouquet of barely open peonies but set the date for September, your first thought will be disappointment. Do you really have to give up one dream in favour of another?

Choose from high quality suppliers for realistic replicas for all of your favourites – whether that’s ranunculus, delphiniums or prized peonies – and you can carry bouquets, wear buttonholes or choose table centres with any blooms at any time of year, allowing you to have your day as you dreamed it while also taking advantage of off-peak dates if you wish.

When you’ve got a venue to set up and decorate as well as getting ready on your wedding morning, we’d forgive you for feeling just a little over busy. Give yourself the relaxing morning you deserve by planning and setting up in advance.

That’s the beauty of working with artificial flowers – you needn’t worry. Not about them wilting in the warmth of your marquee or the flowers fading and crumpling or even how you’ll find the time to arrange them.

They can all be arranged into vases weeks in advance, making the final few days before the big one much more blissful.

If you choose a fresh flower wedding bouquet and want to keep it after the wedding, you’ll encounter the challenge of preserving the petals and flower heads perfectly. This challenge is only compounded by the fact that you’ll probably be jetting off on honeymoon soon, so there’s very little time to get these kinds of tasks done.

With an artificial wedding flowers bouquet, though, you can simply wrap them in protective paper and stow them in a box, forming a lasting memento of your perfect day without half of the fuss.

You might have heard of couples gifting their floral centrepieces to family, friends or perhaps members of the bridal party as thank you gifts. It’s a lovely touch, but with faux flowers to gift the present will last so much longer.

In general, purchasing artificial flowers usually works out cheaper than buying them fresh from a florist. This means that for some couples, going faux can facilitate far more in the way of flower walls, garlands and canopies, and standout table centres, making all the difference to their overall reception décor.

 

Lighting up the Barn

Posted on by

Having a barn wedding might be on of the most popular styles of rustic weddings right now but often times you have to take the barn wedding venue and transform it into a beautiful wedding location. One of the best ways to add some wedding glam to your barn wedding location is by adding some dramatic lighting to space.

The proper lighting can help to make a rustic barn feel more intimate, more wedding day ready and of course more fairy tail like. It is not always easy to light a space like a barn so many times it helps to bring in a wedding lighting professional who can help you achieve the look you are going for an help you actually hang the lights.

If you plan on going more the DIY lighting route than you might want to take some advice below and start to create your perfect barn wedding lighting.

It is pretty clear that one of the best and easiest ways to add lighting to a barn wedding space is by adding string lights.

If you have a special place in your heart for the rustic industrial style wedding then large industrial hanging lights create more of a warehouse look all the while adding fun between the modern look with the barn wedding location.

Magical is the best way to sum up a vintage style farm & barn wedding and so is the lighting. With just one chandelier hanging over the ceremony spot and the hundreds of tiny white lights with the addition of the white drapes makes for maybe the perfect barn wedding decor.

Another way to make your lighting amazing is to use large white paper lanterns, cheap and cheerful with dramatic look.

 

Planning tips for the savvy

Posted on by

Whatever the reason, one thing is for sure. Planning a wedding at the last minute can put you into a bit of a whirlwind of activity, in a good way though. Follow our savvy planning tips and you’ll avoid confusion and stress and enjoy each stage to the max!

Don’t lose sight of your budget

Don’t panic if you’re on a short timescale and overspend, hoping that it will create solutions. If you’re on a tight budget and have very little time, then consider hiring a wedding planner who is likely to pay for themselves anyway. State exactly how much you can afford for a fee and stick to your budget. A wedding planner will be able to negotiate discounts and special rates for you anyway and is more likely to be able to come up with some amazing last-minute solutions for you.

Do it yourself

If you’re having trouble finding a florist who can do your flowers at short notice, then visit a wholesale florist locally to choose your own blooms. Don’t attempt any sort of formal flower arrangement. Instead go for a shabby-chic, rustic sort of look by arranging your flowers and greenery in mismatched vases and bottles.

Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork

If you’ve decided to rush off and tie the knot abroad then make doubly sure you have all the legal documents you need in place to make this happen. Your passport needs to be valid, with at least six months left before it expires and you’ll need your birth certificate too. In New York we’ve heard of weddings being organised in under a week but in Italy they take about three months!

Finishing touches

These absolutely don’t have to be elaborate, sometimes the simplest thing is best and there’s less to go wrong that way, too. If you’re having a spring or summer wedding you could just sprinkle blossoms or rose petals on the tables to add the wow factor. In winter, put tealights on a mirror in the centre of every table to add a sparkle.

Bridesmaid dresses

Gone are the days when you had to dress each of your bridesmaids in an identical frock, regardless of whether or not it suited them. Now it’s very popular to let your bridesmaids wear different styles of dresses in different shades of the same colour. Let your maids choose their own style of gown that reflects their best features and they’ll be your friends forever and look much more smiley and happy in your photographs.

Getting married last minute is possible – but just keep the above in mind, especially our words on documentation. A lot will depend on the destination in which you’re getting married, so check local requirements and make sure you’ll qualify in time.

That said, getting married last minute is very romantic and very duable. Plus, you’re going to be Mr & Mrs just that little bit sooner!