Hi, today I thought I would share with you one of our weddings from back in May. Wedding Genie

Ardington House has beautiful grounds and a lovely lake, the couple crosses over a delightful little bridge to get to the Island Temple where your civil ceremony is held if the weather permits. Clare and Alastair are very sporty out door people and more than anything they wanted to be married outdoors. They were going to leave the decision to me and the hotel staff as to whether the ceremony took place indoors or out. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when the sun came out and all the guests were able to meander over the gorgeous grounds to the ceremony area.

As I accompanied Clare and her bridesmaids over to the island a string quartet played in the background, it was idyllic. and so peaceful. Everyone was involved even the family dog, who was super well behaved and loved the whole celebration.

Following the civil ceremony everyone walked over to the local church and a blessing took place, with readings from Clare’s friends and family. Later the guests were served Pimms and Cider with Cassis( very popular now), which they sipped on the lawn in the sunshine. Chris and Louise from Simplicity Photography shot the entire day and were just brilliant. They blended into the background as group shots were not to be taken, well just one of the whole throng of guests. Check out Clare’s gorgeous bodice on her dress, tiara and shoes.

Alastair’s heritage is Scottish so the cape that Clare wore was made specially to reflect that, along with the favours which were scottish tablets. The menus’s, table plan and place cards were all made by Clare and matched the scheme beautifully.  In the evening the guests strolled across the lawns to the Marquee for the night time celebrations. The marquee was dressed with green sashes and table runners matching the colour scheme. Vases of lilies were placed on the tables and candles in votives arranged around them to make the whole evening sparkle.

Claire made the place names herself and everyone took them home as extra favours.

A disco was not really in keeping with this style of wedding so a Ceilidh band played all night and the guests filled the dance floor. Lovely food delights such as a chocolate fountain, a hog roast and for desert, cup cakes were served to the guests.

Clare and Alastair took dance lessons and to everyones surprise took the dance floor to commence the evenings entertainment.

Clare had all her flowers hand made to keep as souvenirs. They were stunning and accessorised the unusual wedding dress to a tee.

I will leave you with a gorgeous picture of the grounds of this venue. The staff were lovely and I have to say a huge thank you to Gareth, Linda and their staff for looking after us the whole day long. The food was delicious and nothing was too much trouble.

All that’s left is to wish Clare and Alastair a happy and blessed marriage with huge amounts of joy, laughter and happiness. If you want any help on your special day I would love to speak to you.

Until next time, happy planning.

The videographer, Jeff Wood was such a lovely guy I cannot recommend him highly enough. He seemed to melt into the background but managed to capture these lovely moments of Vicky and Jeff’s day. This is a little taster and I make an appearance which is lovely for me to keep for a keepsake. I hope it makes you smile.

Enjoy!

Vicky and Jeff Wedding June 2010 – May take a few seconds to load but its worth it!

If you want me to help you find great suppliers or coordinate your day please give me a call, I would love to hear from you.

Until next time, happy planning.

This real wedding blog has to be one of my all time favourites. Today I have the absolute pleasure in sharing our latest wedding we had the privilege to coordinate. Weddings are made fabulous by the people, this wedding was designed with all of Vicky’s friends and family in mind. There was something for everyone and it was an outstanding day.

Vicky and Jeff got married at The Great John Street Hotel in Manchester just over a couple of weeks ago. Its a scrumptious boutique hotel that is ultra cool,think new york loft with vintage chic. Plenty of velvets and textures, flashes of red and purple, gorgeous areas to sit and ponder and a roof top terrace that overlooks the coronation street location! Of course its a city wedding venue so oh so chic and sophisticated.

Vicky and Jeff have great personalities and wow did it come out in their wedding. From walking down the aisle to a montage of funny anecdotes and music put together by a musician friend to entertaining their guests with mohito cocktails, garden games for the children, not to mention, candy floss, popcorn, and giving beautifully freshly made macaroons packed gently by me!

To capture the essence of their day the very talented photographer Jeff Ascough seamlessly shot the most amazing pictures. If you want true documentary style photo’s this is the guy, he is outstanding! Also can’t wait to see the video from another Jeff from, Jeff Wood Visuals, and guess what Vicky’s husband is called Jeff and would you believe all three spelt their name this way. The children at this wedding were delightful and a table was set up for them to eat and play around. Jeff Ascough told me that children make for the best wedding photographs, check out these.

Jeff and Vicky’s little boy Joe

Vicky’s theme was old school vintage glamour. She made so many of her details including the gorgeous table plan. Vicky used a gold vintage frame then tied ribbons to the top. Attached to each of the ribbons was a label noting everyones seats. she then gave them sparkle by adding hanging crystals. We also used those for the bride and grooms chair decorations. A trend that is becoming very popular is to have bridal bouquets made of silk flowers with embellishments. Vicky had these made for her and her bridesmaids. Its a lovely keepsake, they were absolutely beautiful, made by Red Floral Architecture.

Another of Vicky’s details. Wish Bracelets for the ladies.

Great John Street Hotel

The reception looked fabulous with tall vases filled with orchids, palm leaves and gold wires. Candles were placed everywhere which made the rooms feel romantic and cosy.The flowers were by the brilliant Blossom.

Following the wedding breakfast all the guests moved around the corner to the Edwardian Radisson Hotel. Another 150 guests joined us to party the night away. Vicky hired a photo booth from Say Fromage. Its like a passport booth, pictures are instant and then stuck in a lovely guest book where everyone wrote their wishes and comments. A projector displayed the photographs as they were taken. It was extremely entertaining especially as Vicky had a props basket filled with wigs, moustaches, funny glasses etc for people to dress up. It went down a storm.

The Halle Suite at The Edwardian Radisson

A live band, the Reeldeal rocked the evening and ladies in vintage dresses went round handing out ice cream in between the band sets to cool everyone down. Check out the unusual wedding cake too!  Yes it is cheese!!

Provided by Gastronomy Deli in Altrincham.

This photograph of Vicky and her Mum Babs, is one of my favourites. Vicky’s family made me so welcome on the day it was a pleasure to work for them. I have to mention the bridesmaids too who looked just gorgeous.

I could go on about this wedding until next week but I hope I gave you a flavour of their day. There are more pictures on my home page in the portfolio. Please read what Vicky and Jeff said about The Wedding Genie. I really wish them a lifetime of happiness, health, wealth and a long and joyous marriage.

If you want me to help coordinate your wedding day and help inspire you with great ideas, give me a call or email, I still have some dates left for this year and if you want to have peace of mind on your big day why not see my availability for next year.

Until next time, happy planning.

Today I have the great pleasure to share with you one of our lovely weddings from May. Kelly & PJ were a joy to work with. From the moment we met last year I knew it would be a fun wedding.  Kelly had her theme and style figured out but needed a little help to pull it all together and advice on how to keep an eye on the budget. First things first,

Wroxall Abbey was the venue of choice and the ceremony took place in the beautiful Wren’s Chapel. The minister, Tony Carr made the service so funny but at the same time very moving and meaningful. I was present all day to make sure everything went perfectly. From changing the music in the church, timing it for their big entrance, to making sure their reception looked beautiful and the 101 things in between.

Kelly’s and PJ’s theme was black and white. Both her and PJ have a great sense of humour and had a caricature drawn of themselves that would form part of the style and theme. From the invites, provided by Lilylou and You to the orders of service, it ran throughout the day. Their brief was that everyone should have the day of their lives from the time they turned up to the last minute when they went home. That was definitely the case. Guests were greeted after the ceremony to a lovely drinks reception on the lawn, beautiful guitar music provided a lovely atmosphere, played by Stuart Toogood, whilst a caricaturist went round drawing all the guests. Everyone went home with a memento and it was incredibly entertaining whilst Joe and his colleague from Prestige Weddings captured the essence of the day with these beautiful photographs.

The bride looked stunning in her vintage style tea dress along with the lovely bridesmaids. Pj had three best men and a whole host of ushers who all looked incredibly dapper. The weather had been awful but today the sun shone all day.

Flowers were by Rosies Florist

The wedding reception was held in the mansion, the room looked stunning with gorgeous large crystal candelabras, supplied by Bridget and Sensational Centrepieces set on mirrored tiles surrounded by votives and scattered petals. The candlelight made the atmosphere romantic and cosy.

The evening reception was held in the marquee in the grounds of Wroxall Abbey. The party atmosphere was whipped into a frenzy by one of Hearts fab DJ’s Dave Clarke who was brilliant. Dominic from the X factor opened the evenings entertainment. I can honestly say his voice was captivating, during the sound check I could not drag myself away, and he is a throughly nice guy too.

When the night drew in the evening went off with bang and everyone went outside to look at the fireworks.

The other really unusual thing for the day was the fantastic video that Ian shot from Sounds Fishy . Its a must see if you want to have something a little unusual and involve your friends and family too . Check it out!!! Kelly & PJ worked hard to include everyone in their special day and it really showed.

All thats left for me o say is I wish Kelly & PJ health, happiness, wealth and a long  joyous marriage, also a big thank you to Kelly’s family for really including me in their big day. Read what they said about Wedding Genie if you are thinking we might be able to help you.

Until next time, happy planning.

Courtesy of Save The Date Magazine

If you are getting married this summer have a great day. My blog over the next few weeks will have tips and advice on getting fit, honed and toned for the big day as well as advice on speech etiquette, emergency kits and who walks down the aisle with who!!  And our recent weddings!  Busy Busy so keep reading!!!

Until next time, happy planning.

This type of music video is becoming very popular. It gives your guests the opportunity to be part of your day in a way that you and them won’t ever forget. I also think its really entertaining, your guests will have fun watching the filming and taking part whilst you are having your photographs taken. Ian who filmed the day was excellent I can thoroughly recommend him. Check out his blog for his advice on the preparation for this type of video. All thats left to do now is to relax and press play!

Look out for photographs of this gorgeous wedding on our gallery. What made it even more special was the present I received this morning from Kelly and PJ. Its lovely when our couples are really happy with our service. In Kelly’s words:-

“Thank you SO!! much for helping us out with our special day! You have been a legend and we feel privileged that you have been there for us. Thank you! Lots of Love Kelly & PJ xxxx”

If you want help on your special day please give us a call or email. We still have some availability for this summer. Its not too late to wake up on your wedding day knowing that someone is going to make sure everything goes exactly as you planned, leaving you to enjoy every single moment of your wedding day.

Happy planning, until next time,

This week we have our second update on the real life wedding of Kelly & PJ . The wedding is racing closer to us! May 9th!  The Wedding Genie can’t wait to

Perhaps you would like to catch up on the first post. click here

If you are thinking of using a wedding planner to coordinate your special day please call or email to check our availability. Perhaps you would like to know what’s involved and if it would be right for you. We are always happy to chat and we do love to hear from our readers.

Until next time, happy planning,

This is taken directly from Save The Date Magazine:

When planning your big day we know that its a real comfort to hear other peoples stories who are in the same boat, finding out how they’re coping with the highs and lows, stresses and excitements on the lead up to their wedding day. So, with this in mind Save The Date began to hunt to find an engaged couple who were doing just that. We then came across the fantastic Julie Dawson of the Wedding Genie who spoke about a fabulous wedding she was helping to plan and organise for a lovely couple named Kelly and PJ.

So, at the Hotel du Vin in Birmingham Save the Date met with fabulous couple, to follow their journey right up the day itself… So, without further ado, your first dose of the loved up duo is to go right back to that first date and, of course, find out all about the amazing proposal.

It was Easter 2007 when Kelly checked her my space account to find a message from a guy called PJ (for those of you wondering, his full name is Peter James Ellis and yes, he is the wonderfully charming bloke who appeared in Big Brother, 2003 and still has that cheeky grin). A rather cheesy one liner message, Kelly did her research before accepting his proposal of a date…. and was impressed with her findings so decided to go for it.

On 20th April 2007, Kelly and PJ met for for their first date at Bank restaurant in Birmingham, several champagne cocktails later, the date was a great success and the rest, as they say is history.

Both hard workers, PJ a lawyer and Kelly a producer on Heart FM they spent as much time together as their busy schedules allowed; the holiday they had planned for August 2009 in Turkey was therefore just what the doctor ordered. Both being very close to their families, they were holidaying with PJ’s parents and decided to have a get together at Kelly’s parents the night before they jetted off. Whilst enjoying a few pre-holiday drinks, Kelly’s dad asked everyone if they would like to see Kelly’s recent 30th birthday party video whilst Kelly was quite reluctant. “I am not bothered dad can’t we watch it another time?”

A unanimous vote against her and the 30th birthday video began to play. With the family sitting comfortably, the party video keeping them all entertained, there seems to be a problem when the tape cuts off. With the whole family looking at each other rather bedazzled (apart fom Kelly’s parents of course, who PJ had met with a couple of weeks prior to ask their permission to marry their daughter and according to Kelly’s mum, although PJ was very nervous, he was “the perfect gentleman”), PJ suddenly appears on screen. He begins to speak and all Kelly can do is sit and watch whilst PJ himself delivers a beautifully romantic, funny and overall, amazingly thoughtful proposal. With kind words, an Adam Sandler rendition from the Wedding Singer and Kelly’s dad’s handy filming work, PJ asks Kelly to marry him. Whilst her immediate family look on with PJ waiting for her reply. Kelly herself choking back the tears manages a “YES”

Totally loved up, they jetted off to Turkey the following day for their holiday, and with help from an abundance of bridal magazines, got planning. And boy did they plan. On their return, they’d decided on a date, 9th May 2010 Kelly’s 31st birthday), a theme, bridesmaids and PJ’s best men, not man (he’s having three!).

So, on the the next steps – venue, photographer, dress, suits, flowers, entertainment, invitations, hymns… aaaahhhhh. Where’s a Wedding Genie when you need one? And then she arrived.

In the next edition of Save The Date we find out all about Kelly and PJ’s progress, including the incredible invitations, the fairytale venue and entertainment by a very talented X factor favourite…..

Phew!! a bit longer than my normal blog but so worth it. Can’t wait to see what happens next. As soon as I know you will too!! If you know any funny, romantic or great proposals why not let us know and we can share them. Call or contact us we will be delighted to hear from you. By the way we are still running our January offer so give us a call to see what we can do for you.

Until next time, happy planning.

Not only are we helping out with articles on planning but we are pleased as punch to be coordinating Lydia’s own wedding in May. It promises to be a fantastic day. I had a chat with Lydia and Abbi to give you a bit of background about them and what their magazine is all about.

What made you start Save the Date?

Well, Abbi and I were both working for a local events company (me doing the creative writing for proposals and Abbi undertaking the logistics of the events) and having been at the company for over five years, we both felt ready for a refreshing change. I had just got engaged and was discussing with Abbi the fact that there were no local magazines or material which provided inspiration and ideas for weddings and events and we both felt there was a niche in the market for a classic, stylish wedding and events magazine.

Tell us a bit about the style of your new Magazine

Classic contemporary with an innovative twist. We are not a lifestyle magazine and aim to ensure that our readers know straight away that they are picking up a stylish bridal publication. We like to think that we focus on weddings and events in the East Midlands with a pinch of glamour and a large dose of style.

Well I can tell you they do just that. We also have more to tell you about, read on about a special feature that will be covered by the magazine in each edition.

Real Wedding – Planning Journey

Abbi and Lydia will be telling the story of a a real life bride and groom, Kelly and PJ, throughout  their planning journey. I am delighted to say The Wedding Genie have the pleasure of coordinating their special day too!! Its going to be in May at Wroxall Abbey and it promises to be very inspiring. We are so excited to tell you that we can follow them in the magazine and on our blog! The first installment starts Friday, the magazine is out this week too so look out for it. Kelly works for Heart FM as their breakfast producer and she has a weekly blog you can read. Alternatively you  can subscribe to the magazine so you wont miss out and check out Save The Date blog too.

Wedding Planning Articles

In this edition of Save The Date, there is also one of our articles on New year New Plan! Its designed to help you kick start your wedding planning if you are recently engaged or your wedding is this year. We will be posting this on next week.

Meeting Lydia and Abbi

If you want to meet Lydia and Abbi they will be hosting a Bridal Fair at Shottle Hall in Derbyshire on Sunday February 7th. I will also be there talking to brides about how to plan and the basics of wedding planning. Please come along and meet us we will be delighted to see you and answer any questions you have on anything Wedding.

Until tomorrow, happy planning.

The Wedding Genie were privileged to provide On the Day Coordination together with ideas and advice to help along the way. The wedding theme was midnight blue and Ivory, with pearls to add a touch of elegance. Nichola and her sister Juliet, made all the invites, favours, and the order of service. One of their lovely friends baked them a beautiful cake. Proof that you can have the most wonderful day being a little creative and putting in time and effort without the wedding costing a small fortune. It really was a magical day.

You can see from the photographs that everyone had a wonderful time.

The Beautiful bridesmaids

The Proud Father and Gorgeous Bride

Thats it sign on the dotted line!

The gorgeous bouquet

The best mans speech went down a storm!

The Cake tasted so good, lemon in one layer and fruit in the other.

You can read what Nichola & Lee said about our service on our success story pages. If you would like the Wedding Genie to help you on your special day call us to check our availability. Need a little advice or a question answering? contact us we will be delighted to help.

Oh! and if you need a little inspiration, why not subscribe to our blog. Its filled with practical tips and advice that just might inspire you.

Until next time happy planning.