Archive for December, 2009
Happy Wedding Planning 2010 & Merry Christmas
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
Wow! what a year its been, our launch was a great success and we had the opportunity to work with the most lovely couples. The Wedding Genie want to extend their best wishes and congratulations to everyone who got married this year, especially those who we were priveleged to help plan and coordinate their special day. We hope you have a fabulous first married Christmas and our very best wishes for the new year.
Throughout the year we also had the opportunity to work with some very professional people who have helped and supported us throughout the summer. A big thank you to our trusted suppliers, we very much look forward to working with you in 2010.
Next year we are looking forward to sharing with you more of the suppliers we have added to our little black book, and offering you the very best tips and advice on wedding planning. Subscribe to the blog and Newsletter to be sure not to miss our pearls of wisdom.
Make sure you put your wedding plans on hold now and enjoy the festive period with your closest friends and family. For our couples who have booked our services for next year you can wake up on January 1st knowing you are organised and have the support and advice on hand from us.
Congtatulations to anyone who is getting engaged over the Christmas period, we will be ready to help you get started with your planning for 2010! Our special offer of 20% discount on all our services runs until the end of January 2010, so give us a call after Christmas for a chat on how we might help you.
All thats left for me to say is have the very best christmas ever and happy new year! xx
Tags: News & Media
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Winter Weddings! – BBC WM Radio Interview
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
Wow! last week The Wedding Genie were invited onto Jo Malins Morning show at BBC Radio West Midlands, to chat about December weddings. It was such a great couple of hours. Jo was so lovely, and such a pleasure to chat to her and her listeners.
Winter weddings are becoming more and more popular and Jo was asking people why they want to get married at this time of year. For me December weddings are magical because its a family time when everyone gets together and I love the festive cheer. You know the weather is going to be cold so you can plan ahead. Whilst summer weddings are divine, you are always reliant on the good old British weather. As I think Billy Connolly said, “There is no such thing as bad weather – just the wrong clothes. The interview was too long to post here so I thought I would give you a few tips and snippets we talked about and explain why Winter weddings can be so beautiful and in some cases more cost effective.
Cost Effective!
If you are regular reader of our blog you know that The Wedding Genie is always looking for ways to have the perfect wedding day without breaking the bank. Winter weddings are becoming very popular. According to an article in the Telegraph in February this year winter weddings have boomed by more than 200 percent in the recession. Couples can expect to save on average £5,000 by getting married in the colder months between October and February. If the average cost of a wedding is £20,00o thats a whopping saving of £4,000. The main reason for this is the venue, they offer such good deals to try and even out their business throughout the year. As the venue is usually the biggest expense its the greatest saving. This may also mean that the venue you had your heart set on that you could not afford in summer, may be affordable in the winter. Other key suppliers such as photographers and caterers often offer special deals at this time of year, i even have a special winter offer myself. Beware getting married in the week before Christmas as this may become pricey again.
The Weather!
We know its going to be cold so of course we can plan ahead for it. Brides can wear the most gorgeous fur wraps, or jackets. In the evening once you remove the wrap you can take on a whole different look.In fact take a look at these gorgeous boots that are super stylish too. Welcome your guests into the warm with log fires, mulled wine and hot chocolate with marshmallows for the children.
These boots are by Henry Kaye and very affordable.
Romantic and Intimate Atmosphere with Rich Colours or take a sophisticated approach.
What better time than at christmas to get together with your family, indulge in the festive cheer, drink mulled wine, and enjoy warming and rich foods. Decorate the venue with candles and lots of fairy lights to give everywhere a heavenly glow. Look ahead at the new year and reflect on the years events. Use flowers that are in season to cut down on cost, hang mistletoe everywhere, you never know your special day may help create one for someone else! Accent your bouquet with red berries, use poinsettia, pine and spruce. Alternatively choose silver, white and pale blue colours to create a sophisticated scene. Silver twigs in tall vases for centre pieces strung with fairy lights or mini decorations will really create a contemporary feel if you are not into the reds, greens and and the festive colours you see at Christmas.
Looking Ahead!
If you are getting engaged at Christmas, congratulations and our best wishes. But hey you can plan ahead and if a winter wedding inspires you check out all the January sales for decorations to use a favours, fairy lights and candles for decorating the venue. Book your venue in advance. For instance if you are dreaming of a venue with medieval charm, beautiful stained glass windows, roaring log fires but is modern and luxurious check out New Hall Hotel & Spa. They have great offers on for early 2010, and the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011.
I hope I have given you food for thought on winter weddings and how cost effective they can be. If you are recently engaged and want to get ahead for your wedding planning why not call me and take advantage of our winter offer. 20% discount on all our services until the end of January 2010. Give us a call to check our availability.
Until next time, happy planning.
Tags: Planning, Tips & Advice
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Personal Touches – Practical & Easy
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
I am always on the look out for ways to capture the essence of your personality on your wedding day. What better way than to display your favourite photographs of you and your family, for your guests to browse. Not only does it create a lovely personal atmosphere but its a real talking point.
Another idea which works especially well if you are having a marquee wedding is to hang a ribbon like a washing line and then peg the pictures to the ribbon. You can create an area where guests can have some quiet time, chat and enjoy a drink admiring your family history. You can even just use pictures of you and your fiance. Places you have been together, where you met, maybe of your engagement.
I love this idea too
Rock My Wedding, Parisian Chic.
This idea is simple,really thoughtful, affordable and does not take much time to do beforehand. Its something your guests will remember and its another personal touch that will make your wedding day special and memorable. It just goes to show that to make your wedding stand out there are lots of things you can do that don’t cost a fortune, but just need a little thought and planning.
Until next time, happy planning.
Tags: Personal Touches, Tips & Advice
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Wedding Poems and Quotes – Words to Inspire
Friday, December 4th, 2009
Our gorgeous words this month are simple, yet illustrate that you don’t have to have the biggest wedding in the world to show each other how much you want to be together or love each other.
I dedicate this poem to my best friends, Sarah & Lee. Last friday they got married quietly with their closest friends and family.
Pam Brown
A wedding does not depend on flowers or bells or candles, choirs or lace.
It does not need a great congregation or a vast marquee.
Only two people taking the courage to leave one life and find another,
trusting each other for true patience and love,
to face any hardship that the years my bring.
If you have any poems or readings that mean a lot to you, please share them with me, and I will post them on our blog. You can add them as a comment or email me.
Until next time, happy planning.
Tags: Inspiration, Poems, Readings
Posted in Inspiration, Readings/Poems | 1 Comment »
Capture the Moment – Photography Supplier & Advice
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009
A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure to meet the lovely Claire Evans, a great photographer based in Lichfield. I spent the afternoon browsing through her portfolio and chatting with her about how she started in photography and what types of service Claire offers. As you know we only recommend the best suppliers at The Wedding Genie, ones who share the same philosophy to customer service as us. Claire definitely comes into that category. Many of her weddings are featured in Perfect Weddings and she has been nominated for the “Perfect Wedding” awards.
I asked Claire to tell us about herself and her Company.
I believed that I was destined to be a photographer right from an early age. For as far back as I can remember I always wanted to be the one taking photographs rather than the one posing for them. I studied photography at college and university and became a wedding photographer by sheer chance. I had thought that my career path would take me more along the fashion photography route but being asked to photograph a friend’s wedding changed all that! Being a Wedding Photographer is quite a challenging job but I wouldn’t want it any other way – I love it! I have a studio in Swinfen near Lichfield at the present but from early next year I will be moving to my gorgeous studio in the beautiful Staffordshire village of Abbots Bromley.
What is your Style?
I love to keep my photography quite natural and aim to capture the day and its events as they happen! Most couples will want me to take a few more formal group shots but I do try to advise to keep these to a minimum so as to leave time to capture all those very special moments. The couples who choose me to be their wedding photographer do so as it is always my intention to capture the emotion and tell the story of what will probably be one of the biggest days in their lives.
I never fail to be excited by a wedding! I love everything about wedding days – the dress, the flowers, the venues, the ceremonies and of course the people! Every wedding is different and every couple is different so it is essential that I really get to know my couples over a period between their booking and and their actual wedding day. I love to hear all the plans and after quite a few years of being a wedding photographer I have picked up a wealth of tips and advice that I can offer if needed.
What advice would you give to couples looking for a Wedding Photographer?
When looking for your wedding photographer the main factor must be that you love their work, that goes without saying. You will never be able to capture the events of your big day again so it is essential that you have a photographer whose work you will treasure. It is important to also remember that whoever you choose will be someone who will be spending an awful lot of time with you, so it should be someone you get along with. Most couples will only have a certain budget to work with and photographers fees can vary greatly, but on the whole it is probably best to remember that you generally get what you pay for.
How might it help working with a Wedding Planner?
The last thing you will want on your wedding day is to be worrying about the details! Planning a wedding is a big thing and although it is very exciting, it can also be quite overwhelming. Just knowing what you have to do and in which order can be a daunting task itself. When speaking to most of my brides they often tell me that they never realised just how hard it would be sourcing suppliers and venues etc. To have a Wedding Planner who takes over the responsibility is an absolute dream. From a photographer’s point of view to have a Professional Wedding Planner overseeing the running of the day is just great. If there is anything at all that I need to know or to arrange, I have someone there who can get the job done without me having to bother any of the bridal party.
What is your favourite wedding?
I often get asked that. It is so difficult to say as every wedding is special for different reasons. One of my favourites has to be Karen and Daniel’s wedding that I photographed last year in London. Daniel is a Captain in the army and his barracks are actually at The Tower of London. They got special permission to be married in the Chapel Royal of Saint Peter ad Vincula within the grounds of the Tower – it was stunning. The reception was held at the fabulous Trinity House where we were treated to a dramatically lit, absolutely mesmerising display of regimental drumming. It is certainly one of the weddings I shall never forget and makes my job as a Wedding Photographer so special.
Thank you very much to Claire for sharing her advice and thoughts on Wedding Photography. Its been a busy couple of weeks and we have many more suppliers to share with you over the next few months so keep reading.
If you want to be organised for the new year then give us a call or email to check our availability for Our Genie for An Evening session, or have complete peace of mind with our On the Day Coordination service. If you book before the end of January 2010 we are helping our couples out with a 20% discount. Alternatively if you have a question you want answered just give us a call, we are always happy to help.
Until next time, happy planning.
Tags: Photographer, Supplier
Posted in Photographers, Tips & Advice, Wedding Planning | No Comments »
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