Archive for the ‘Wedding Trends’ Category

Budget Friendly Midweek Weddings

August 13th, 2011 No Comments
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The recession has certainly hit some of us quite badly and I guess many of us think twice now about what we spend and how we spend our very hard earned cash. Wedding budgeting is no exception and you would think that the amount of weddings has dropped. Well I bet you would be surprised to hear that the register offices reported a rise in marriages and civil partnerships since the troubles with our economy. Experts say the trend could be a result of people looking for greater stability at a time of uncertainty. These facts were reported in the Telegraph in January 2009.

This might be responsible for the increasing trend in mid week weddings. For the budget conscious they are a great saver indeed. Arabella Dupont, executive retail editor at Brides magazine says this is a definite trend. “The main reason is cost, getting married mid week can be a third cheaper”. I certainly am seeing that with my brides and the venues they are choosing. In Augusts edition of Brides magazine it shows the average spend on a wedding is £24,669. You certainly want to look for great deals and savings when you are spending that amount of money.

Other reasons why couples are looking at mid-week weddings are:

Greater Choice and Availability.

There are only so many weekends in a year and venues that are in high demand are booked up at least a year sometimes two in advance. If you want to marry in a stately home or beautiful mansion with grounds then you have much more chance if you book a mid week wedding. You can save as much as 40% in the peak wedding season. On a Saturday this may have been completely outside of your budget or dates you had available.

Also if you are recently engaged and you don’t want a long engagement spent saving up, this is a great way to get the wedding you want and reduce the amount of time you have to wait for it.

 

Supplier Deals

Photographers often advertise special packages for mid-week weddings. As well as venues they like to enjoy the prospect of more work than on a Saturday or Sunday. This goes for many other wedding suppliers too. You may also argue that suppliers are more relaxed in the week and have more time to spend with you.

Of course there are disadvantages to mid-week weddings so they do have to be thought that out well in advance.

Top Tips if You are Planning a Mid-Week Wedding

  • Ensure you let your guests know the date well in advance. Send out save the date cards to be sure to give everyone time to book holiday and arrange child care if necessary.
  • Think about the week day you choose. A Thursday is a good day as there is not too much of the working week left to work or book holiday for. The day before Bank Holidays are good, for instance the thursday before Good Friday. A friday is of course a great one as it makes for a lovely long weekend. You may not enjoy the same savings but you should be able to negotiate a better price.
  • Think about how long your guests have to travel. If you marry early in the day it may mean they have to book an extra day before the wedding just to get there. On the other hand if you hold the wedding later in the day, perhaps around 4pm it gives everyone more chance to arrive and have time to change etc.
  • Mid-week weddings do seem to be smaller more intimate gatherings. The money you save on the venue costs can then be used to spoil your guests or to book that really cool photographer you want.
  • If you have a job in the public services sector then weekends are not really that much of an issue because they are generally worked, so a mid-week wedding for couples who work in the police force or nursing for instance are much more comfortable with the timing. Of course then many of their friends also do the same jobs.

Here are some statistics on what day is the most popular – sourced from the Office of National Statistics 2008

 

Monday 3.9%

Tuesday 2.8%

Wednesday 3.5%

Thursday 5%

Friday 18.9%

Saturday 60.4% and Sunday 5.5%

There is an argument that some of your friends just won’t come to a mid-week wedding or enjoy themselves as much as they are thinking about work the next day if holiday is limited. I have to say I researched this post and the feedback from most guests who had attended mid-week weddings was that because they had been able to plan well in advance they had just as much fun as a weekend event.

Here is a list of venues that are offering mid-week deals.

 

Hargate Hall - This lovely venue in Derbyshire offer a package that they have put together with other wedding suppliers which costs £4,000. It includes invites, a wedding breakfast for 40 and evening buffet for 80 as well as DJ and exclusive use and more.

Rowton Hall – Another package for £3,3375 which is an inclusive package for 60 day guests and 80 evening guests. A huge saving on a weekend booking. This venue is in Chester.

Ringwood Hall – Midweek packages here are£2,995 which includes a meal for 40 and buffet for 75 with drinks on arrival and a few more extras. This is nearly a 50% saving. This is a beautiful venue near to Chesterfield.

These are just a few examples to get you started. If you want to have the wedding you really want but a weekend cost is just out of the question you certainly have an alternative in this growing trent.

Until next time, happy planning.

 

 

Fabulous Wedding Hair Styling

March 26th, 2010 No Comments
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I can’t think of a single more important thing to most brides, other than their dress, that comes before looking fabulous. Your hair is certainly your crowning glory and the way it looks on your wedding day will absolutely make you feel confident and gorgeous, which is your job as a bride by the way! This week I have the pleasure of introducing you to James White Hair. I am so excited because very soon I get to work with James at a gorgeous wedding in May. (More of that fab wedding on the blog in the coming months).

As you know, when we feature our fabulous suppliers at The Wedding Genie we always ask them for their pearls of wisdom, we are nothing if not practical. James has given us fantastic advice and you can see from his lovely images that he is really does create the most gorgeous wedding day hair styles. I asked James to tell us a bit about himself and to give us his top tips and advice.

I honed my skills in the hot house of the session world, working on photo shoots and fashion shows; fertile environments which inspire ideas and where all innovation is made. This is where I get my inspiration and ideas for hair styling and my product range.

I spend my time between the salon, bridal work and session styling with photographers and working on seminars for product companies. My passion and fresh approach to hair dressing has lead to my work being featured in the national press.

Reward for doing what I love feels like cheating. I believe hair styles should be refined and allowed to evolve. I enjoy a non compromising attention to detail to make quality. My aim is the highest standard, customer service is included and I deliver!

“Jame’s wedding hair dressing is for a sophisticated and discerning client; one who appreciates style, wants the very best there is and wants to look stunning! James is known for his artistic eye, vision and creating signature hair styles”

There is something special with having the privilege to be there on the most important day of someone’s life let alone being a part of it. I do Bridal Hair quite simply because it provides me with so much fulfilment that I can do what I love for someone else and make them feel incredible.

Bridal hair has always had an old fashion feel around it for many years and I can understand why. I hope I can change people’s perception and fears with wedding hair. While a major part of a bride’s dream wedding is a spectacular gown, a beautifully romantic hairstyle is an essential ingredient of the bridal fantasy. I believe my style is unique, I like simple, simply done. Nothing to fancy, just a timeless style that compliments you.

Advice and Key 2010 Bridal Trends

  • Today is your greatest red carpet moment. As soon as you select a date, you should begin selecting a hair-style. As you look through bridal magazines for dresses, pay attention to hairstyles and save the pages of those you like. This will help you communicate with your stylist, even if in one photo it is the style you like and in another it may the texture or veil placement. Choose a stylist that you feel comfortable with and has a style you desire. Visit them just for a blow dry to get a feeling of how they work.
  • When choosing your style you should take many things into consideration, such as weather, climate or locations, as well as the style of your dress. For example if you have naturally curly hair that tends to frizz and you’re having a summer wedding outside, choose a style that works with the humidity. If your dress has an old Hollywood flair you may want to experiment with high glamour!
  • Remember that you will look back at these memories for the rest of your life. Your wedding hair should be timeless and modern but not trendy. You should also be very comfortable with your style…..remember confidence equals beauty.
  • Now that you feel great about your hairstyle, what about those bridesmaids? A wedding is like a mini fashion show. One thing that helps fashion shows look so spectacular is that there is a common theme to all the models’ hair. For example Jessica Simpson’s wedding hair was romantic, so they chose a “wavy, romantic texture” for all of her bridesmaids, but styles them all differently to express their special uniqueness. Having this common element helps keep the look of the wedding chic and elegant.

A Romantic Look

If you’re marrying in a garden setting, a Victorian-style-gown, or you just want to capture an ultra-romantic effect, try a more unstructured hairdo.

Up-and-down

Can’t decide if you want your hair up or down? Try a little of both! Pin up the front half of the head in a simple sweep or more elaborate loops, and let the rest hang down the back.

Chic Vintage

Rocking with the vintage feel will require a beautiful and simple style. Try a highly polished chignon in the lower nape of your head or a classic bun.

French Twist

Love the Audrey Hepburn look? Try a classic French twist. Because this style works with hair in tip-top condition, start deep conditioning treatments well before the big day.

Red Carpet glam

A basic style can look very sophisticated. Simply work with a soft curl/wave through the hair. For a more glamourous look, create body with back-combing at the roots.

If you wonder how much James charges here is a peak at his prices:

Uk Fee - James a one hour complimentary trial/consultation in the salon. Further trials are charged at £30.00 per hour.
Bride From £75.00, Mother of the Bride from £35.00, Adult Bridesmaid from £40,00, Child Bridesmaid under 12yrs From £25,00.

Travel Fee – £40.00 per Hour from Nottingham. James will work in Europe too, please contact him for more information.

Makes me want to get married all over again. If you want help planning your wedding and are feeling a little overwhelmed give me a call. Our Genie for An Evening service could be just what you need.

Until next time, happy planning.

Wedding Trends for 2010

February 12th, 2010 No Comments
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This year will see more Eco Friendly weddings. Quite right too, we really should aim to be as green as possible. You can incorporate this into your wedding day in the form of recycled stationery, reusable centre pieces, perhaps potted plants or herbs. This is a lovely idea and your guests can take them home at the end of the evening. Organic foods is another way and sourcing food locally is a great idea. A web site you can try which specialises in this area is Eco Weddings.

Intimate and Homely

We will see smaller more intimate weddings. At the moment the financial climate  is focusing many couples attention on their budget. One of the best ways to cut your costs is to reduce the number of people you invite to the wedding. Its not just the food, an extra 10 people means, more invites, more centre pieces, favours etc. the cost goes up considerably. Couples will be more discerning who they invite, of course this means that your very best friends and close relatives will be present to share you special day and will prove for a very special and intimate atmosphere. We may very well see more weddings being held at home, perhaps having a Marquee in the garden. As we said yesterday DIY weddings are on the up and this is the perfect example.

Wedding Colours

According to my research the very popular chocolate colour we have seen over the last few years is out and bold vibrant colours are a hot trend for 2010, orange, purple, pink, gold and turquoise are hot to trot. The theme is monochromatic with various shades of the same colour.

Well now you know whats hot for 2010. But a word of caution we still advocate that you think about what you really want and whilst you want to be on trend don’t let the pressures of the wedding industry push you into spending more than you want to. As we always say Prioritise! Prioritise! Prioritise! If you want some help to keep you on track why not give us a call. We guarantee to give you the best advice and inspiration!! to help plan the wedding you want and not what trend dictates.

Until next time, happy planning.

Wedding Trends for 2010

February 11th, 2010 No Comments
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This year will see brides indulging in DIY decor for their venue. Everyone wants their wedding to be unique and to reflect their style and personality. Not only can it be a lot less expensive than hiring someone esle to do it, but you can certainly put your stamp all over your big day. We are certainly fans of that at The Wedding Genie.

I love this idea of making paper pom poms of various sizes to add a touch of uniqueness to your wedding reception. In fact one of our lovely brides is going to  use beautiful paper garlands to make her wedding venue come to life.

Check out the pictures below to see how gorgeous this can look. For instructions on how to make the pom poms click here.

How pretty is this?

This is so fresh and striking. Very suitable for barn venues as well as marquee weddings.

The Lovely Martha Stewart

Until tomorrow, happy planning.


Wedding Trends for 2010

February 10th, 2010 No Comments
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Our blog over the next few days is all about what is hot in the world of weddings for 2010. Part of my role is to keep up to date on wedding trends so I can offer the most current advice and inspiration.

It would appear that despite the credit crunch many couples are still determined to carry on with their wedding plans. We may be adapting for the financial climate but it seems we are doing it with style and panache.

Here are some of our favourite trends this year

Lets Go Bridal

Short wedding dresses are very on trend at the moment especially ones with 1950′s inspired looks. It seems brides are opting for dresses with sleeves and straps. Although strapless dresses will never go out of fashion, of course, there may be more demand for the latter in 2010. Birdcage veils are the accessory of choice adorned with jewelled clips or feathered headpieces. For todays modern brides they are less fussy and easy to wear. They also bring that touch of glamour to the event.

This is from Etsy -


Bridesmaids

More and more brides are allowing their bridesmaids to choose their own dresses instead of dictating style and fabric. Multi colour dresses and different styles will be popular this year. High street shops such as Monsoon and Coast are great places for bridesmaid shopping. I also love the dresses from Dessy, they are fabulous and their colour range is incredible. As we strive to be practical and stylish at The Wedding Genie we love the idea that these dresses can be worn again and not pushed to the back of the wardrobe once the wedding is over.


Check back tomorrow to see what else will be on trend in 2010.

Until next time, happy planning.