Wedding gifts you really want!

The tradition of giving wedding gifts for the home is not always appropriate for today’s couples. It comes from times gone by, when more often than not, brides and grooms-to-be still lived with their parents and would set up home together as newly-weds for the first time. Gifts like teapots and cutlery would have been more than welcome, I am sure. Today’s couples tend to live together before getting married and have pretty much everything they need in the way of household accessories.

To get the gift you really want, why not ask guests to donate money towards your honeymoon.  That way you get special memories and shared experiences - and which wedding guest could deny you that! If you set up your list with a specialist honeymoon gift company, your guests will have the chance to specify what they can buy. For instance, they can treat you to a bedroom on stilts, a luxurious spa treatment, surf lessons or a decadent champagne breakfast.

Now, you will always get the odd guest who doesn’t agree with the whole concept and would prefer to offer a wrapped present instead, so you could set up a mini gift list too. That way everyone wins!

Photo credits:  http://www.thebottomdrawer.co.uk/

Turning heads

Now I don't know about you, but if I come across a stray button, or a piece of ribbon or the like, I pop it in my 'button box' (a small plastic airtight food container) which is where it lives untouched...well ...forever. 

But some people have a way with bits and bobs and can create the most inspired pieces from the most unlikely materials.  Which is why I just had to introduce you to Chloe Haywood from Hatastic http://www.hatastic.folksy.com/

Chloe started making hats and fascinators when she couldn't find a hat to go with a vintage cream crepe dress for a very special wedding. She wanted a fascinator, but all she could find were bright and brash designs that were really expensive and looked like everything else on the high street.

I met Chloe a few years back when I worked on her equally creative sister's wedding. She can lovingly craft the most amazing head pieces including bridal veils, hats and fascinators.

Each item is handmade from secondhand, vintage or recycled items.  Her headpieces are unique, so you know that your design is a true one off.  No mass produced stuff here.  Perfect for the bride or wedding guest with an individual style.

Hatastic! has been nominated to be Accessory Designer of the Year at the Finest Fashion Awards in July 2011.  One to watch!

Photo credits: http://www.julietlemon.com/,  http://www.jerileebrownphotography.co.uk/

Invite Betty to your wedding

If you want to bring a bit of retro style to your wedding, why not invite Betty? 

Betty, owned by Hayley of Vintage Scoops http://www.vintagescoops.co.uk/ is a 1973 Bedford cf who has been lovingly restored and decorated in beautiful shades of pale blue and cream. To complete the authentic 50's feel she is decked out in Cath Kidston oilcloth and festooned with bunting.

We bumped into Betty while we were Easter egg hunting at Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire, and thought what a perfect addition to your wedding she would be.

The ice cream comes locally from Beachdean Dairies and is free from artificial flavourings, colourings and additives.  The flavours are to die for.  There are all the usual ones you'd expect like rum and raisin, double chocolate, sticky toffee fudge.  But they also have a selection perfect for weddings such as Champagne Sorbet, Bailey's or Pimms and Lemonade. They also have a range of lollies. I expect any kiddies at the wedding might enjoy the bubble gum flavour. And the men-folk? Well, what better than the lager and lime, or cider varieties?

Wedding Traditions - Receiving Lines

I am often being asked by brides whether or not they should have a receiving line at their wedding.  It's one of those wedding traditions that you'll either love or hate, and I have to say that only about 25% of the weddings that I have worked on have had one. 

If you are having a large number of guests and your wedding is quite formal, it can be a good idea.  Its original purpose was to allow the hostess (usually the mother of the bride) to welcome guests into the reception. 

Three interesting facts about receiving lines:

1) Traditionally, no men stand in the receiving line, except for the groom. The father of the bride usually stands nearby and introduces guests to one another and generally makes people feel at ease.

2) The receiving line is traditionally never held at the church, but always at the reception venue.

3) The most traditional and formal receiving lines comprise the mother of the bride, the mother of the groom, the bride, the groom, the maid of honour, the bridesmaids.

If you do decide to have one, try to allow about half an hour for all your guests to go through it.  This will obviously depend on the number of guests and how much they chatter, but this is a general rule of thumb.

If your wedding is small and informal, you may not feel the need for a formal line.  If you decide against it, you could still welcome your guests by going round each table at some point during the wedding breakfast to say hello.

Photo credits:  http://www.mikaelamorgan.co.uk/

Are you a guest at a Winter wedding?

OMG - it's just 2 degrees outside at the moment - a comparatively warm mini-break from the really, really cold snap of the past few weeks.  The weather forecasters are telling us to prepare for another an arctic blast this week. That’s fine if your winter weekends are pretty free and you can embrace the snow and go sledging, but what do you do if you are invited to a wedding and want to look stylish?

To help you with your winter wedding style woes, I have done what I always do when I need style advice, and called the very lovely and incredibly stylish Isobel Kershaw from the NHJ Style Consultancy. She has these words to stop the onset of style panic...

Isobel says...
“The great thing about a winter wedding is that you don’t rely on the weather and can therefore dress to accommodate it, knowing that it will be cold!

And so with this in mind, here are a few inspiring looks to help you on your way to choosing a stylish outfit as a guest of a winter wedding.

A Church Wedding

Church weddings will be cold and you know that you will be travelling from the church to a reception venue, so how do you dress up warm, but still look like you are at a wedding as opposed to on a skiing holiday?

Fur!

It’s big this season, and fake fur has never looked better.

This faux fur from FCUK will ensure you will stand out in the crowd and it will certainly keep you warm!

Or go for drama with this vibrant red faux fur jacket from M&S.

If you are not into the all over fur look, there are some great coats on the High Street which have fur trims to give that glamorous edge to any outerwear.

The other alternative for a bang on trend winter coat which is dressy enough to go to any event – is the cape! There are lots on the High Street including this one from Reiss with the military shoulder detail.

So with the outerwear sorted, what goes underneath? Here are a few dresses for different body shapes to inspire you.

For the Rhubarb shape, we have a stunning print dress from Karen Millen with long sleeves to keep you warm whilst looking very stylish.

Accessorise with statement earrings colourful opaque tights (red) and platform heels.

For the hourglass, we have a curvy and very sexy dress from LK Bennett.

This is a very versatile dress that can be used after and with the right accessories can be glammed up for a winter wedding. Add a skinny patent belt and sparkly cuff to ensure that you will turn heads! And to add to the appeal, it has been reduced from £195 to £115.

So for all you lovely pears out there, here is the dress for you.

A fabulous navy lace (again so on trend) dress from Whistles. Another feminine dress with sleeves which is so important in the winter. To style it up, I would change the belt for one of a contrast colour in red or cream or even a metallic to make it look more party.

Also accessorise it with colourful tights in orange or a more subdued purple.

And now for the Apples, let me entice you will a dress that will flatter and make you feel gorgeous.



This pretty print dress from Phase Eight will certainly brighten your day with its colourful flower print and is a very flattering with an empire line shape. This dress also doesn’t need too much accessorising as it makes a statement with its print and colour.

And so to finish off with a few more accessory ideas to ensure you individualise your look.

The hat – Many of you may think about wearing the classic style hat for a wedding whether it is winter or summer, but think outside the box and again think fur!

The Cossack hat from Debenhams at £18 will bring a bit of edge to your outfit, but sometimes you need to be brave to carry off such a hat!

Gloves will be needed and if you are wearing the cape, you will need long ones!

These long red gloves from Hobbs will really make a statement and are certainly a nice change from black!

At £69 though, you had better make sure you don’t lose them!

So if you have a winter wedding to prepare for, you may now be a little more inspired by what you are going to choose to wear and with lots of reductions already happening in the shops, you can splash out on a few extra accessories.”

No ordinary wedding stationery!

At Clare Beckwith Weddings, we love fresh creative ideas, so you can imagine our delight when these bold stationery designs appeared in our in-box! 

They are by Ruth Springer Design who has a passion for everything 3-D.  We adore the clean, modern style.  They are sure to create an impact with your guests!  Take a look at some of these designs, or you can work with Ruth to create one of your very own...

Credits:  http://www.ruthspringer.com/

The perfect wedding outfit

It’s one of life’s lovely moments when you are invited to a friend’s wedding, but what if like some people, you go into a spin about what you should wear. So many people use a wedding as the perfect excuse to buy something new (no, honestly darling, I’ve had it for a while!). It can be an expensive time too, so don’t waste your hard earned cash, have a look at these fantastic tips by Isobel Kershaw from the NHJ Style Consultancy and just know that you’ll look gorgeous!...

There is nothing worse than arriving at a wedding to find that two other guests are wearing the same outfit as you. The problem is usually last minute panic buying and seemingly little choice for wedding outfits; this means we can be prone to looking at the same brands.
However, help can be at hand with your very own stylist – www.nhjstyle.com – who will create a unique ensemble which can then be reinvented for many other occasions. If you haven’t got a stylist on speed dial (tut, tut!) then what are the tips for a perfect outfit?

Tip 1 - It’s all about mixing the brands to ensure you are wearing something unique. The temptation is to hit a department store and buy everything from the same place. Write a list of what you need and then go looking. Check out options first before you buy. Shop assistants will tell you that you look great in everything but they are keen to make a sale. Use your eye and trust your judgement. Pretend you are looking at you – what do you think?

Tip 2 - Ensure that the outfit is flexible for other occasions – Try to avoid the obvious wedding looks of the matching dress with jacket, hat, handbag and shoes. Put together individual pieces which you can separate afterwards and incorporate in your wardrobe. Avoid over fussy prints and resist the temptation to be too flamboyant – leave that to the bride.

COAST GOLD SEQUIN TOP

TED BAKER WHITE TUX JACKET

REISS YELLOW FRILL SKIRT

Tip 3 - Boutiques are a great place to start to find something a little less high street. Again, have a clear idea of what you want and perhaps select a couple of items rather than get everything from the boutique. There will be more individual brands you don’t see on the High street, but only buy something you truly love and feel ‘wow’ in.

Tip 4 - Spend more on the outfit, then accessorise at a lower budget. A gorgeous pair of shoes and a great dress will be worth the expenditure if you select something to wear again and again. Then buy your bag and costume jewellery from a choice of places like Accessorise, Oasis, John Lewis, and Top Shop. Again remember which stores are likely to be the most popular and make sure you mix the brands up.

KAREN MILLEN BRONZE SHOES

Tip 5 - Well chosen accessories will ensure that your outfit looks individual and stylish. Choose a bold statement necklace for a bold colour dress in a different colour. A sequin clutch bag or a glitzy pair of shoes will add sparkle to a simple suit or dress.

ACCESSORISE SNAKE PRINT BAG

TOP SHOP HEART EARRINGS

Tip 6 - Above all – a good manicure and blow dry will finish the look.

Credits: NHJ Style Consultancy, Coast, Karen Millen, Ted Baker, Reiss, Accessorise, Top Shop

Find us in the April / May issue of Your Herts and Beds Wedding

Your Herts and Beds Wedding magazine contacted us to ask about our ideas for 'thoughtful' favours to give to wedding guests at a budget of £3 per guest.  See page 70 for some of our suggestions!