Posts Tagged ‘Tips & Advice’

Perfect Bridesmaid Dresses

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

Choosing bridesmaid dresses can be really tricky and sometimes quite stressful. How do you find a design that looks great on everyone? What do you do if you want the same colour but everyone looks good in different neck lines and styles which don’t stock the colour you want? How many shops must you trek round to try and find the right dress? How sad to spend all that money on a dress that is worn once and then gets hung in the back of the wardrobe.

Well I think I have found the perfect answer. Arian Goldman of Two Birds has designed the perfect solution. It’s one dress that can be wrapped around the body, using the shoulder ties, to flatter all body types. It comes in two sizes 4-18 and 18-22. A bridesmaid dress that is incredibly versatile, affordable, available in eighteen different colours and can be worn in fifteen different ways with various lengths.They will even colour match for you for a little extra on the price. Another added advantage is that there are no alterations! How hard is it get your bridesmaids in one place for fittings.

The Two Birds name came about because the dress is perfect for formal and evening wear. There are three different styles to choose from.

The material is of a very high quality and does not cling to the body. I certainly wish I had found these when I was getting married. Yesterday I met a lovely bride who was having five bridesmaids. The logistics are getting them all together on the same day is hard enough, but trekking around many shops to try and find the right styles for everyone can be very time consuming. You really have to do your research thoroughly to ensure you find what you want in one day. I speak from experience of being a bridesmaid early this year. It was quite a task and in the end we had to have dresses made for each of us.

You can also buy wraps to match in case its a little chilly on the day.

I understand it may be tricky wrapping these dresses correctly, but there are plenty of videos on line which show you exactly how to do them. Its a perfect opportunity to get a night in with your bridesmaids for a practice session. Happy bridesmaids makes for a happy wedding day. No one wants to wear a dress they feel uncomfortable in. The growing trend nowadays is for the bridesmaids to pay for their own dresses, this way you can be sure of a dress that can be worn many times after the wedding and one that can be adapted depending on the occasion. Check this out, to learn all you need to know.

If anyone has bought and worn these dresses please let me know the experience you had with them. The prices are from £200 – £300 and there is a store in London in Notting Hill which you can visit by appointment. If you like this advice why not book a place on our Bridal Workshops? You will learn all my insider tips and advice so that you can create and plan your perfect wedding. Call me for a chat if you want to know more.

Until next time, happy planning.

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Wedding Planning for Men – Father of the Bride Tips

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

It’s been a few weeks since we heard from our favourite wedding blog for men. Andrew never disappoints and this week its advice for the Bride’s father. Enjoy!

5 Essential Tips for The Father of The Bride

There seems to be a general feeling that the Father of the Bride is often the forgotten man of the wedding planning process. The feeling is that you’re probably experienced enough to cope with the nerves and tough enough to cope with the emotions. But that’s why we often end up feeling sorry for the FOTB (you’ve even got the worst wedding acronym for crying out loud) and decided to round-up some essential advice for all the dads out there prior to the big day.

Deal With The Nerves Before They Ruin It

It’s perfectly natural and acceptable for you to feel nervous. Nerves about the ceremony and speeches are in the top three subjects that fill the Staggered inbox. Fortunately, both can be cured with some simple preparation. Write and practice your speech at least a month in advance of the big day and do everything you can to make it to the church rehearsal as this will give you an idea of where to stand when.

Speeches Are Easy When You Prepare

You can find way more information on Staggered about wedding speeches but this is it in a nutshell. Between 5 and 8 minutes, less is more, stand straight, don’t mumble and speak from the heart. Always write your speech in full (never “wing it”), because even if you don’t use it you’ve always got it in case you need it. Give a copy to your daughter for the wedding memory box. The Father of the Bride welcomes the guests, sets the tempo, welcomes his new family members and talks about his daughter without embarrassing her!

It Will Be Emotional – Get Ready

Blokes and emotions are never a good mix, for the simple reason that we’re often a bit slower at dealing with them and how they affect us. Take some time before the wedding to talk to your daughter about the wedding and what she means to you. Too many men think they’ll come out with the perfect speech in the car on the way to the church and end up feeling that they never quite explained how they feel – or worse: end up at the church a sobbing mess!

How To Deal With The Money

The good news is that this generation are getting married later, the bad news being that they’re living with their parents longer. As a result more of them are paying for their own wedding. If you’re still footing the bill and you find that the wedding is placing too much of a burden on your finances then make it clear that costs need to be cut. Everyone wants a perfect wedding, but no one wants that to come at the expense of a stressed dad. Also there are thousands of resources out there on how to get a champagne wedding on beer prices, use them!

Plan Your Advice

As with the emotions, this is another topic that should be tackled in advance of the big day. It’s tradition that you pass on some advice – whether that’s in your speech or just in passing. This is a big thing both for the bride and the groom and many people remember for their whole lives what was said to them at this point. So make it wise, make it original and make it something personal. Think about your marriage: what have you learned? What can you say that will improve these young people’s chance of happiness? But remember, no pressure…

www.iamstaggered.com is the UK’s leading men’s wedding website.

Until next time, happy planning


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Wedding Genie Supplier Advice

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

Choosing suppliers is one thing but what to ask them once you have booked them is another. How are you sure what their service really is if you don’t ask the right questions? Lately I have heard some very disturbing stories about suppliers. One’s who have not delivered what they said they would on the day and one who did not even turn up for the wedding! Yes the most dreaded scenario on your wedding day. Imagine no wedding cake to cut, photograph or display, even more disastrous if you planned on it being served as desert!

I have to say most suppliers are excellent but sometimes assume that the couple who have booked them understand what they are offering. You must ask questions so that you are clear what you are paying for and to help coordinate the rest of the suppliers that will be turning up on the day.

For instance, if you book a band, have you any idea when they will arrive and how long it will take them to set up? If your venue has to to turn your room around following the wedding breakfast for your evening celebration and you allowed half an hour because that’s how long the venue need, but your band arrives and takes over an hour and a half to set up and do sound checks. What impact does this have on your guests and the rest of the timing for the evening? Also did you find out if the venue has an entrance that the band can use so your guests don’t see them trailing their equipment past them. Many venues do not have the space beforehand so that the set up can be done earlier.

If they do various sessions throughout the night how long do they perform for and how much break do they require? What is the latest they will stay before they charge you for an overnight stay? Your day can very easily run over, making them start later. This means they may not have enough time left to play before they have to leave or charge you extra.

It’s very common to use an IPOD playlist in between sessions. Check that the band will be able to keep an eye on this because if you have downloaded lots of songs but not sorted them in any order what is it going to sound like?  Who is going to make sure the right songs are playing if the band is taking a well earned break. I don’t mean to pick on bands or entertainers, it’s just various things that have come up over the last few weeks whilst I have been coordinating our upcoming weddings.

You must be very clear what each supplier is contracted to do, when they are turning up and leaving. What do they need when they do arrive in terms of space, power, equipment, tables etc. For example if your cake arrives but there is no cake table set to leave the cake on and your supplier has to go and deliver to another wedding, will the venue team take responsibility for setting up your cake?

If you have five bridesmaids all having hair and makeup done what time will the makeup artist arrive, so that the hairdresser can work out the timings to get everyone’s hair done in time for the photographer who is coming early to take your pre- shots.

Sometimes you won’t even know what to ask because you think that the supplier will sort it all out for you, they may very well do but don’t assume anything.

I really wanted to illustrate in this blog that you must clarify all the little details with each supplier, so that when it comes to the month before your wedding you are not going back and forth trying to work out who is going to do what and when. You also won’t be taken by surprise when you thought that something was included but isn’t. The last month should be spent pampering yourself and spending time with your fiance before the big day. If you thoroughly prepare by asking as many questions and clarifying everything in the beginning you will save much frustration when it comes near to the wedding day. You will also save money because at this point you don’t want to be paying for hidden extra’s.

The Wedding Genie Bridal Workshops are all about helping brides understand how to plan and manage their perfect day. Why not check out our new service and see if it’s something you think you can benefit from? You can also enter our competition to win a free pair of ticket’s to our course in October. If you feel that you need help on your special day so you can relax, we specialise in On the Day Coordination to make sure your wedding goes exactly as you planned. Please call us if you would like to know more.

Until next time, happy planning.


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Wedding Genie News – Entertainment Feature

Friday, August 20th, 2010

We are very excited here at The Wedding Genie, we have been featured in the West Midlands Your Wedding magazine again for the second month running!

Danielle the features editor, asked me to help with an article all about entertainment. Click on the link below for the full article.

West Midlands Your Wedding Entertainment Feature

If you would like to learn how to entertain your guests at your wedding why not book one of our Bridal Workshops. They are brand new, designed to teach you everything you need to know about creating your own perfect day. Call or email for a chat if you would like to know more.

Until next time, happy planning.

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Wedding Poems and Quotes – Words To Inspire

Friday, August 13th, 2010

My words to inspire this month have been kindly sent to me by Claire from English Wedding Blog. Claire is also a calligrapher and when she was asked to write out this poem she thought of The Wedding Genie and sent it to me. You can read the lovely words and click on the links to look at tips on calligraphy too.

Us Two – Taken from Winnie The Pooh

Wherever I am, there’s always Pooh,

There’s always Pooh and Me.

Whatever I do, he wants to do,

“Where are you going today?” says Pooh:
“Well, that’s very odd ‘cos I was too.
Let’s go together,” says Pooh, says he.

“Let’s go together,” says Pooh.

“Let’s look for dragons,” I said to Pooh.
“Yes, let’s,” said Pooh to Me.
We crossed the river and found a few-
“Yes, those are dragons all right,” said Pooh.

“As soon as I saw their beaks I knew.
That’s what they are,” said Pooh, said he.

“That’s what they are,” said Pooh.

“Let’s frighten the dragons,” I said to Pooh.
“That’s right,” said Pooh to Me.

“I’m not afraid,” I said to Pooh,
And I held his paw and I shouted “Shoo!
Silly old dragons!”- and off they flew.

“I wasn’t afraid,” said Pooh, said he,

“I’m never afraid with you.”

So wherever I am, there’s always Pooh,
There’s always Pooh and Me.
“What would I do?” I said to Pooh,
“If it wasn’t for you,” and Pooh said:”True,

It isn’t much fun for One, but Two,

Can stick together, says Pooh, says he. “That’s how it is,” says Pooh

 

Until next time, happy planning.


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Wedding Planning for Men – Picking Your Best Man

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

A few pearls of wisdom from a mans perspective, I would have loved to have seen Andrew’s Alsation best men!!! and his brides reaction to his choice of best man.

Picking Your Best Man

One of the few wedding jobs going that is emphatically the groom’s responsibility is choosing the best man. Now that doesn’t mean that certain people *cough* the bride-to-be *cough* might not offer an opinion or two on who it should be, but they ultimately know that the best man is as serious as male friendships get and therefore they should back the heck off. We’re not going to join the roster of people queuing up to tell you who to pick, but we do have some advice.

Pick with your heart, not your head.

What the bride wants is for you to pick someone who won’t take you to a strip club on your stag do. She wants you to pick someone who will say disarmingly charming things during his speech. She wants someone who looks good in a suit and won’t spend the reception at the bar chanting: “CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!” with their pants on their head. In essence, the bride wants you to pick your grandmother. The guy you’re thinking of choosing might fit the above description, or they may be a rogue of the first water. Just remember that you’re picking your best man on the qualities of deep friendship, of shared experiences and, damn it all – on love. Go with your heart.

Don’t pick a woman

You’re angry aren’t you? You’re thinking – “How dare they, women can be just as much a best friend to a man as a man can.” Well, that’s a debate for another time (as is the old When Harry Met Sally men can’t be friends with women because sex gets in the way discussion – However, the reason you can’t pick a woman is simple: the bride. No matter how ugly your female friend is and how Platonic the friendship, there will always be a part of the bride burning with jealousy that another woman is a closer friend to you than she can be. And you’re going to make her feel like that on her wedding day. Bite the bullet and ditch the gal pal.

Don’t pick two best men

The two best men scenario is just wrong. The speeches go on forever, the stag dos are a planning nightmare and the photos look weird. All of this just because you can’t admit to your best friends that you like one more than the other. You are not six-years-old. If you cannot tell your adult male friends that you want one to be a best man and one to be the usher without the dissolution of your holy friendship trinity then there’s something wrong. Grow a backbone and choose.

Don’t pick a dog

That’s even worse than picking two best men. If your best friend is a dog then you need therapy.

You can’t say no

It’s weird but we get *a lot* of best men emailing us who are struggling with their speech because they know practically nothing about the groom. We should probably be explaining that you can sensitively say no to a bloke if he asks you to be his best man, but you can’t really, can you? If someone asks you to be a best man, you pretty much have to take the role. You’d just have to do it and be the best man you possibly could be.

So who are you going to pick?

Staggered is the UK’s leading men’s wedding website. At his wedding the editor had four female Alsatian dogs as his best men. None of them wanted to take the role but they all felt it was better to do it and not say anything.

Until next time, happy planning.


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Wedding Flowers Inspiration Part 2

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

Artificial bouquets are becoming very popular. The last two weddings that Wedding Genie worked on, both had the most beautifully made ones I have seen. They do not wilt, you can save them and they look fantastic as you can see from this picture.

This beauty was made by Red Floral Architecture. It looked stunning and they were provided for all the bridesmaids and the bride. Fresh flowers still made up the table and venue decor as well as button holes but these bouquets will serve as fabulous memento’s of the day.


How about this one too?

Photo by Simplicity Photography

Flowers like Lily of The Valley are so gorgeous but very costly to import out of season so why not have artificial ones made then use room fragrance to substitute the smell. A tip from the top from January Flower Magazine.

Another top supplier for unusual bouquets of this type is Button Moon based in Birmingham.

If you want to investigate further why not try buying a lovely book called Forever Flowers by Margaret Ashbourne.  Gone are the days of awful plastic imitations, it would seem your imagination is the limit. You can even personalise them with vintage brooches, even more meaningful if you have one from a relative or special friend who could not been with you on your special day.

Until next, time happy planning





You may also be interested in Part 1 of this Flower Blog

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Wedding Flowers Inspiration

Friday, August 6th, 2010

Summer is here and all the flowers in my garden are in bloom, the colours are so gorgeous and inviting I was inspired to write this blog about the many ways you can use flowers to make your wedding day that bit more special.

First of all try and choose flowers that are in season, they will be more cost effective. Here are a few ways that you can use flowers throughout your wedding day.

Red Rabbit Photography Cake By M&S Photography by Mark Scott

Tip!! - Choose flowers with large heads such as hydrangeas. It will cost less as you need fewer stems but still look amazing.

How about bringing flowers into your day using your invitations. Check out Lilylou and You

Lilylou and You

Choose a floral wedding perfume, go to Jo Malone and choose from their  gorgeous fragrances such as Orange Blossom, Honeysuckle and Jasmine.

Use your flowers as thank you gifts for you guests. Potted plants last longer than bouquets. Try Marks and Spencers


Marks and Spencers

How about wearing flowers on your shoes, Emmy Scarterfield makes bespoke beautiful shoes and is about to launch her new Secret Garden Range. Until then here is an image from her current range.

Real Wedding Picture Courtesy of Flower Magazine

I hope this has given you a little flower inspiration for your wedding day. Next time we will take a look at the trend of using artificial flowers for bridal bouquets. Having seen them first hand at our last two weddings I have to say I am becoming a fan.

Until next time, happy planning.


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Wedding Planning for Men – Acronyms

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

I love this, I learnt a few new ones myself!

Wedding Acronyms

Who has time to actually say things in full these days? For instance I could have shaved off at least ten seconds of work time by starting this post WHTTASTIFTD? And who’s to say that would have been wrong?

Weddings are a breeding ground for shorthand and acronyms but unfortunately, the normal ones don’t go anything like far enough, so the Staggered crack writing team have added a few to the pot in the hope they will be adopted by wedding forums across the globe, thus saving you and your W2B (Wife To Be – you see how this works?) precious microseconds: time, it’s our gift to you.

ACTUAL WEDDING ACRONYMS

STAGGERED’S GENERAL ALL-PURPOSE NEW WEDDING ACRONYMS


Staggered isn’t just about wedding acronyms you know. There’s loads of proposal ideas www.iamstaggered.com/getting-engaged, stag do ideas and mens wedding suits too. Stop by and say hi if you’re passing.

Until next time, happy planning


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Wedding Entertainment Tips and Advice

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

I promised to add a little more to advice to last weeks blog on entertainment. Today we have our tips for entertaining your guests with just a little imagination and style.

How about having a props box full of fun things to dress up in. This is still very popular and inexpensive. Your guests can have great fun with wigs, fun sunglasses, glow stix, false moustaches, feather boas, and home made wedding signs. You can either use disposable cameras that you can leave on the tables or put them in a lovely decorated basket near to the props. Hang a lovely backdrop, perhaps a gorgeous piece of fabric which matches your theme for the photographs to be taken against. Alternatively use a large antique mirror frame as a backdrop. You can always spray it to match your theme.

If you were to provide a digital polaroid camera then your guests can pop the photographs into your guest book along with their wishes and comments. You can also leave CD’s on the tables for each guest so that they can take their own pictures and send you them after the wedding. Alternatively your photographer can take these pictures as part of his package.

If you have a friend who is a really good singer why not ask them to sing at your wedding. We had a fabulous time singing at our wedding with my husbands cousin who is a fantastic vocalist.

For free entertainment check out university notice boards, there are often budding entertainers who need the practice and are very good. You can go and listen to them and they will even bring their equipment.

Another inexpensive way for guests to be entertained is to provide garden games for everyone to play, giant genga, or connect 4, boules, and croquet. They are very cheap to hire and if you are having a quintessentially english traditional wedding will fit in with the whole ambiance.

Write questions about you and your partner on luggage labels and put them on your tables so that your guests can see how well they know you. Its fun to ask the questions of each other and a great ice breaker. Give out a present to the table with the most answers. Table trivia is another idea but you can make up the questions yourselves, perhaps about weddings? films? whatever suits your style and personality.

At our wedding we bought a whole load of small rubix cubes for the men. The first one to match the colours won a bottle of champagne.

If you can’t afford a DJ then ask your guests in their invites to give you their most favourite dance song and a favourite smooch song. That way you can make up a play list on an IPOD composed of everyones favourites which is sure to keep everyone dancing all night long.

I thought I would make a list of entertainment just to help you think a little out of the box

If money is no object lets have some fun. How about a magical dare defying colourful act from fire performers. Try www.spinoffevents.com they really have the wow factor, or Pyromania, a fantastic fire spinning juggling show choreographed to the beat of african drums. Singing waiters and waitresses. These are a delight during your wedding breakfast. You guests have no idea who they are until they start to perform. How about Poles apart, stilt performing magicians? Yes these things are a little OTT but just for a minute my imagination got the better of me.

On a serious note don’t over the do the entertainment, your guests don’t want to be completely overwhelmed with activity. Choose carefully and enhance the parts of the day when your guests are left to their own devices. A wedding that is full on constantly can be a tiny bit wearing and then the entertainment is not fully appreciated.

Until next time, happy planning.


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