Dear Bride and Groom,

I want to help you take care of the detail. It’s the little things that we do in life which seem to get the most attention and it’s much the same during a wedding. It’s always the little touches you add that make the day extra special – and people always comment on afterwards.

The ‘detail’ itself doesn’t have to be small. I’m thinking more about a detail as in a personal touch or thought which you add to the day and completes the picture. I like to work with a couple’s personality and find out what things are important to them to suggest some extra little details to make their day special.

The ‘Green’ Couple
The first thing I would suggest to this couple is that biodegradable confetti is a must! It is completely soluble in water and contains no chemicals or pollutants that could harm the environment. Venues love it as well because it’s a quick and easy clean up with a little water. It comes in all colours – so you can match with your theme – and are also available with real petals, lavender buds and other dried flowers to give a beautiful fragrance when thrown.

You can have the confetti ready wrapped in colourful or textured recycled paper for your guests to pick up.

The ‘Child Friendly’ Couple
For those people who would love to have children at their wedding I would always recommend a special children’s corner in your venue. It’s a place just for them where they have little fun packs with activities like drawing, puzzles and craft to keep them occupied. A little disposable camera will also give them plenty of fun and the parents will love their first photographs!

The ‘Thankful’ Couple
I work with a lot of couples who don’t get to see that many of the people they invite to their wedding too often. This may be because they are very busy but mostly because our friends and family are split over the globe. A beautiful touch to tell your guests how pleased you are that they could come is a simple note on their dinner place. A little postcard size or smaller which recalls a personal moment of you together and how pleased you are that they are with you to share this moment too. If you have a big wedding then make sure you have plenty of time!!

The ‘Fun and Games’ Couple
Your guests are not going to have a chance to get bored, but if you want to bring in that extra feeling of fun and relaxation then why not introduce a few games. If you have a nice outdoor area then you can rent some great garden games like giant Jenga and Connect 4. Inside you can conduct a little table quiz! Each table acts as a team and whoever gets the most questions right (you can theme it around the happy couple) can win a prize! It could be a little novelty gift or something the whole table can enjoy together.

Its great to inject some of your personality! Be bold and creative and make your day special.

Kind regards,

Kim Rix

Article by Kim Rix
London Wedding Planner & Events Coordinator
To start planning your wedding, contact Kim Rix on 0208 989 4886 or visit
www.yourlondonweddingplanner.co.uk/
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Dear Bride and Groom,

I hear a lot of couples (and their parents) talking about the wedding being only one day. That in 24 hours it has been and gone and then you just seamlessly roll on into married life.

I would like to dispel this myth! I have rarely (actually, probably never) been to or planned a wedding where there hasn’t been some social occasion directly related to it before or after the ‘ big day’ itself. It is an important time and it isn’t very often that you get to celebrate with friends and family in such a way so I would always encourage you to make the most of it. Here are a few of my suggestions.

Engagement Party
Starting right at the very beginning! It is becoming customary to have a party to officially announce your engagement. Naturally people want to celebrate the good news with you so why not make it easier. You could have an intimate dinner in the private dining room of your favourite restaurant, or a simple champagne and canapé reception in a nearby hotel or classy bar. If you want to keep things very low key you can have drinks and nibbles at your house (or your parent’s house for the more traditional couples).

Stag and Hen Parties
Wherever you are in the world it seems traditional to have a final separate ‘send off’ for the bride and groom. Organised predominantly by the Best Man and Maid/Matron of Honour the Stag or Hen celebration is a great warm up to your big day. All of your friends get to meet together – some for the first time – and throw caution to the wind.

If your idea of a good time is not dressing up in matching printed t-shirts and horns then that is absolutely ok! For the gents why not think about a day of paintballing or racetrack driving followed by a great hearty meal and drinks. Perhaps the ladies might like a pampering and photography session or a cocktail and chocolate making class followed by drinks and dancing.

You can always make a weekend out of it – I would always recommend a city break to your favourite European capital. You are almost certainly guaranteed good food and wine!

Mehndi Parties
Traditionally, Indian brides would get together with all of her female friends and family the night before the wedding and have a Mehndi Party. During this evening the bride would have beautifully, intricate henna tattoos painted on her hands and feet to be especially beautiful for her wedding.

Many UK brides are becoming more interested in Mehndi parties for their traditional wedding celebrations – sometimes playing a part in their hen party. Remember if you don’t want to have the tattoo on the day of your wedding then you should plan the party at least 6 weeks in advance to make sure it has worn off in time.

Rehearsal Dinner
I think that a rehearsal dinner is a very important part of your wedding planning and celebrations. It gives your bridal party an opportunity to settle into their roles and your family and friends an opportunity to get to know each other a little before the celebrations. Ideally it should be the evening before the wedding and not go on too late so you can be refreshed in the morning.

It should definitely have a relaxed atmosphere and a little of the couple’s personality shining through! Again, your favourite restaurant (or even your parent’s back garden) is a great way to get everyone together and talking.

And if you can’t manage the day before, why not consider a brunch the day after your wedding to thank your guests again for coming and let them look fondly on the previous days events.

Kind regards

Kim Rix

Article by Kim Rix
London Wedding Planner & Events Coordinator
To start planning your wedding, contact Kim Rix on 0208 989 4886 or visit
www.yourlondonweddingplanner.co.uk/
Get the latest on my blog: RSS feed
www.yourlondonweddingplanner.co.uk/blog/index.php/feed/

Dear Bride and Groom,

You will find that most of your time will be taken up thinking about your reception. Although the ceremony is obviously the most important part of your day, the reception takes up the longest and most sociable part of your day (and night!).

Your reception can be simple and elegant, extravagant, exciting or intimate and calm. It really depends on what you want from it. The reception is likely to reflect a lot of your personality as a couple and this is what your guests will buy into and enjoy. The main thing is that your guests are well entertained and have a great time with you.

The Setting
The first thing you want to think about is where you want to be for your reception. If you would like grand elegance then you might want to have a look at some of the National Trust properties that interest you. A good number have large banqueting halls, equipped with the most magnificent art, fittings and decorations. Some may even provide staff and scene settings in keeping of the period of the venue. There are plenty of privately owned stately homes and gardens that cater for weddings.

If you are looking for something a little different then you could look into hiring a yacht, getting exclusive use of your favourite restaurant, bar or even nightclub.

If you have a particular interest eg. Art, music or theatre then you can look into getting exclusive use of a favourite gallery, theatre or venue. You would be surprised at how many would be interested and accommodating.

The Entertainment
This might be dictated by your venue a little. For example, if you choose a theatre venue, then you could have a small interesting performance followed by live music. In a stately home you might want a string quartet or traditional music for the meal and then a 5 or 6 piece band for some late night dancing.

But what can you offer apart from music? How about a wandering magician? One or two can be available to demonstrate and wow your guests with impressive table magic – don’t worry no clowning or balloon creatures!!
Give your guests something to take home by asking a caricaturist to draw guests on each table at their request. It’s a great conversation starter!

If you have any gardens available then you could look at hiring a croquet set, jenga set or chess set for your guests to play with – you will be surprised at how keen your guests will be to get involved, and again its great for getting people talking!

Kind regards,

Kim Rix



Article by Kim Rix
London Wedding & Events Coordinator/Planner
To start planning your wedding, contact Kim Rix on 0208 989 4886 or visit
www.yourlondonweddingplanner.co.uk/

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Marriage is so much more than just a piece of paper. Of course that ‘piece of paper’ also has a lot of weight and meaning but I wanted to spend a little time writing about the reasons I think marriage is so special, and on occasions, worth pushing the boat out for.

I’m not going to look into any of the cultural or religious reasons that couples may have for marrying each other – I think that if it is important to you then this is already clear. I suppose I am looking at the increasingly apparent model of the modern couple. Many of these aren’t religious, have been together (lived together) for many years, may have children and might even come from broken homes. There are couples I know personally who don’t see the point of getting married because, “we live like we’re married anyway.” But I think they are missing out on something special.

The first thing to acknowledge is that marriage gives a couple completely different legal rights than if they were just co-habiting, have a child or believe they have a ‘common law marriage’. Married couples also have completely different access, rights and obligations to do with tax, pensions, inheritance and parental responsibility. It may also affect the purchase of a home, your access to medical care or even choices to do with immigration. It should be noted that the laws in Scotland differ slightly and you should seek advice if you are not sure about your rights, roles and responsibilities.

When a couple first comes to me I can see how excited they are! And why not? They have agreed to make the most important commitment to one another that you can make. To be there for each other, to love each other forever. There is nothing like being with two people who know they want to commit their lives to being together. The happiness is positively infectious! There is no larger declaration of love than marriage.

Marriage is also the beginning of a whole set of new firsts! The first kiss, the first dance, the first anniversary, and Christmas, and holiday. You get a whole new start as a married couple. There may be only small changes for you, there may be some big ones, but you will notice the difference in how you approach things because you are a unified team sharing these experiences together.

Marriage also brings a great feeling of stability to the relationship. It has been shown that couples experiencing problems are more likely to work harder to get through them if they are married than if they are not. It has a tremendous psychological connection to your feelings of security and is often the first step towards thinking of yourselves as a family.

To start planning your wedding, contact Kim Rix on 0208 989 4886 or visit www.yourlondonweddingplanner.co.uk

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Dear Bride & Groom,

Wedding Favours or No Wedding Favours? That is the Question. When planning a wedding, couples often stall when deciding on whether or not to give wedding favours (also known as bonbonnieres) to their guests. This centuries-old tradition stands as a mark of gratitude for the blessing given to the bride and groom by the guests in attendance at the ceremony. Wedding favours can be as stylish or minimal as you like. We thought it would be useful to provide a few ideas for extra distinctive wedding favours in order to make your wedding planning a little less hectic!


1. Personalised Bottles of Wine or Champagne
Wine is absolutely fine, but not only is champagne universal; it screams luxury and will go down an absolute treat with guests. There are many websites and companies that offer a bespoke and personal service – however, if you find a decent designer – you could have your own labels printed to put onto some fine bottles of champagne. Taking this idea one step further, you could firstly ask a caricature artist to copy a photo of yourselves together (as the happy couple) and then forward the art-work to a designer to format the labels who will then forward to the printer. An extra touch of class for an extra special day!

2. Gourmet Chocolates
Chocolatiers offer some unique and special favours for your guests. Avoid the high street chocolate chains – an independently owned chocolate shop will help you taste, choose and wrap special handmade chocolate favours to your desire. This way – your guests get to experience the luxury of some of the finest handmade chocolates; making them feel all the more special in being a part of your big day! If you’re a serious gourmet, try Hotel Chocolate at http://www.hotelchocolat.co.uk/

3. Swarovski Crystal
Feeling flush? Why not treat your guests to a little piece of Swarovski crystal as a favour to remind them of your wonderful day! If you’re feeling ambitious, why not get the date engraved along with your initials! I appreciate that this option is a little pricier, so you might like to reserve it for your extra special wedding party gifts, instead.

Swarovski comes in many shapes and sizes so make sure that you seek this one out well in advance in order to find the right piece for your wedding. I’ve seen Swarovski pens, key-chains, jewellery and beautiful photo-frames. Complete with a gift box and some fine tissue paper – this favour/gift idea is one that will be remembered for a long time. A stunning and stylish gesture of thanks for your guests or wedding party.

Again, it’s all about planning and getting organised early.


Kind Regards,

Kim Rix
Wedding & Events Planner

To start planning your wedding, contact Kim Rix on 0208 989 4886 or visit www.yourlondonweddingplanner.co.uk

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Dear Bride & Groom,

A wedding is something you’ll never forget; the experience lives with you for years – although it’s always best to have beautiful wedding photographs to look back upon.

Wedding photos are something you’ll cherish forever; so you want to be sure that you’re going to be happy with your photographer’s work.

When looking for a photographer – your first port of call will more than likely be your friends. A lot of photographers get work based on recommendations and referrals from other parties. Just be sure to see their work as soon as possible. You don’t want to run into conflict with your photographer before the wedding! Ensure that you have seen a portfolio of their work before you put any money down.

With so many photographers hosting portfolios of their work on their websites, looking online is probably becoming the easiest and most common way of finding a the right photographer. You’ll be able to tell the personality of the photographer from both their website and the portfolio itself; whether they have a good eye for detail, whether they have great samples on their website, whether they’ve used editing software well. It’s important to be sure of these things in order to gauge whether they’ll going to be right for you.

Look at their other content to establish their reputability – if their other models and portfolio pieces aren’t wedding orientated – then more than likely, they’re not going to have the necessary experience required for your job. We’ve seen some terribly photography done by studio photographers who thought they could simply transfer their skills to wedding photography, with painful results!

Last but by no means least – don’t be afraid to ask and instruct. You’re the boss and your photographer will be your employee at the end of the day. Your wedding only happens once, so be sure to stamp your authority and make them know exactly what you want. This way – you’ll be able to look back with great fondness on your special day. If you have a wedding planner, they’ll offer advice on getting the right photographer, arranging portfolio viewings and letting them know if you’re not interested, so you won’t feel embarrassed. It’s a very special day, don’t leave any detail to chance!


Kind Regards

Article by Kim Rix
Wedding & Events Planner

To start planning your wedding, contact Kim Rix on 0208 989 4886 or visit www.yourlondonweddingplanner.co.uk

Get the latest on my blog: RSS feed http://www.yourlondonweddingplanner.co.uk/blog/index.php/feed/

Dear Bride & Groom,

When planning your wedding – you’re going to want to make sure that it’s as classy and stylish as they come! It’s no secret that this takes time, effort and a lot of patience – but one particularly enjoyable aspect of your wedding planning, can be searching for your reception entertainment.

Local Bands
Don’t go with a boring old DJ – there are so many talented and brilliant bands out there! Make a point of going to see some local talent – you’ll find that despite your apprehensions – some of these guys really can put on a fantastic show! Although, do be careful - the worst possible mistake you could make with regards to reception entertainment, is booking a bad cover band.

Cover bands are fun and they’ll no doubt churn out a few classics – but they often have a tendency to be quite bad. You want everyone to be excited and celebrating for the entire evening. Search around – attend a few local gigs and find the best band for your reception.

String Quartets
If you’d rather keep it elegant and stylish – there’s always the option of the string quartet. Now, this is something that a lot of couples getting married have to delegate carefully. You have to remember that at a wedding – everyone loves to boogie. Unfortunately, you can’t really jive to Pachelbel’s Canon and Fugue; so perhaps if you are looking to hire a string quartet – you may want to make it a hybrid gig and perhaps use a band later when people want to cut loose and dance the night away.

Comedians
Very recently, there’s been a boom in the number of Wedding Receptions hosted by comedians. This is something that may not apply to your tastes, and again – you may want to go hybrid with this one. But a comedian would certainly be a very unique choice for entertainment. Just be sure to veto him first – making sure that he’s right for your big day! With a few hefty chuckles, your guests will be warmed up and in high spirits for the evening ahead so this could be just the thing you’re looking for!

Whatever you choose – make sure that you don’t forget to enjoy yourself! Planning doesn’t have to be stressful. A well-negotiated plan will ensure that your have fun throughout the organisation process!



Kind Regards

Kim Rix
Wedding & Events Planner

To start planning your wedding, contact Kim Rix on 0208 989 4886 or visit www.yourlondonweddingplanner.co.uk

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Dear Groom,

Only 2 weeks to go? Have you been practicing your speech? It’s a huge cliché, but practice really does make perfect. If you think, prepare and practice the speech in due time – then you won’t even need cue cards on the day; after all, there’s nothing more tedius than someone fiddling with a piece of paper whilst giving a speech.

Lawrence writes wedding speeches for a living. When I mentioned to him that I was going to be writing an article about speech delivery, he offered to share his own tips with us.

Here are Lawrence's tips:

Do
Talk slowly. If it takes 12 minutes, not nine, it doesn’t matter at all.

Pause for effect. Your audience need time to digest the story before they get the punchline. So give them time to get it.

Emphasise key words. Imagine you’re telling a story without a script. You’ll say some words louder than most. And change your inflection on others.

Practise. However well written the speech, you don’t want to be ‘reading’ it. Know it well enough that it just becomes a safety net.

Gesticulate. Body language is vital. If you’re addressing someone, look at them. Use your arms to emphasise a point.

Don’t
Be put off by a heckle. You can pre-prepare a couple of responses to a noisy member of the crowd.

Give in to the shakes. Paste your speech onto card. Or rest it somewhere you can see it. Find out if there’s a lectern. Holding a shaky piece of paper will put you off before you get going.

Get drunk beforehand. It may feel like the easy way to get through it, but it won’t seem so sensible afterwards.

Just read it out. Great material is irrelevant if it’s delivered badly. You’ll be much more natural when you’re not reading straight from the page.

****

I hope that helps. Before you know it, you’ll be standing in front of your bride and guests toasting your friends/family and giving a magnificent speech indeed.

Kind Regards

Article by Kim Rix
Wedding & Events Planner

Tips provided by Lawrence http://www.greatspeechwriting.co.uk/

To start planning your wedding, contact Kim Rix on 0208 989 4886 or visit www.yourlondonweddingplanner.co.uk

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Dear Bride & Groom,

Being one of the most important dates in a lady’s life, a wedding is something that has to be approached with great care. Every little detail matters. One very important element of the planning stages is budgeting; if you’re not too careful, you may run into difficulties later if you run out of money!

This is one reason why couples choose to work with a wedding planner to ensure that their day goes according to plan. But doesn’t getting a wedding planner cut out all the fun and personal elements? No, it increases it, by cutting the stress and giving you greater options and opportunities. Not least of all, by having someone else keep an eye on the budget.

First of all, figure out your budget! Whether you’re paying for everything yourselves, or sharing the costs with parents – get a number. When you have the number, you need to list every single aspect of the wedding and get your phone voice ready – because you’re going to have to get quotes from all of your services for the day.

Once you’ve got your quotes and figured out your budget – it’s time to start planning where and when you’re going to need to spend that budget. Firstly, and most importantly – be sure to set some money aside for the cost of your guests and the reception itself. These are things that you might not necessarily want to pay for right away – but it’s very important to have that money ready to be dealt out.

Once you’ve left all of the necessary money aside – you should create a timeline for which to follow in terms of your spending. Remember, a lot of services such as florists and car hire firms will want a deposit beforehand. Make sure that you’re taking note of what’s being paid out! It’s very easy to get carried away with spending – organization is the key. Keep a logbook of all that you’re spending. That way you’ll always be on top of things.

Thoroughly research such things as photographers and videographers beforehand. If you realise last minute that you’re not happy with their portfolio – you’ll more than likely lose your deposit. This is why planning is key – the more honed in and focused you are – the better your budget will be managed.

Often, we don’t think very much of spending money here and there – but when planning for something of such a large scale, it’s extremely important to keep a tight grip on things. Follow our advice, invest in a logbook, plan in advance, get on the phones and do your research! That way – you can’t go wrong!

Once you’ve got a budget, if you need to overspend in one area, you can compensate in another. If you have a wedding planner, they’ll help you stick to budget or adjust the budget according to your situation.


Kind Regards,

Kim Rix
Your London Wedding Planner