Music at a marquee wedding

Marquee weddings are wonderful. You can pretty much start from scratch and personalise your design right down to the last detail. But don't get caught out when it comes to your music. If you don't plan everything carefully you could really upset your neighbours. We asked Susan Heaton-Wright from Viva Live Music how to avoid the pitfalls of live music in a marquee. Here is what she said...

“Last week I attended an event in a beautiful marquee. The venue and the catering was wonderful. There was also an excellent duo of musicians, but guests struggled to speak to each other despite the music being ‘background’. It was a shame because the musicians were great and it was a fabulous event. 

Marquees are particularly challenging for sound. The ‘walls’ don’t allow sound to bounce off them, and most marquees are quite large, so in order for guests to hear and enjoy the music, amplification and sound levels need to be higher. 

In addition to this, the sound does not remain in the marquee and neighbours can be disturbed by any entertainment: whether it be a DJ, band or just the sound of guests talking. Therefore noise levels need to be managed carefully, to ensure guests’ enjoyment and neighbours expectation is met. 

We heard that Paul McCartney’s wedding caused angry neighbours to contact Environmental Health in the early hours, and for them to visit the venue to have the music stopped. We don’t want this to happen at another wedding! 

Initially, I would seek advice from Environmental Health at your local authority. They have the power, ultimately, to have music stopped if an event is disturbing neighbours and no one wants this to happen at a wedding. They would be able to advise you on what time the music should be stopped (whether it be a live band or a disco) and also the sound volume (decibels). Local authorities vary with their systems, but it could be that you could register the event and agree on timings and sound levels (and remember to have a decibel meter), so if there are any complaints from neighbours, you will be able to prove you have permission. 

There are other tips regarding sound levels; 

1. Make sure the musicians set up and sound check in plenty of time. Give them a deadline when they can do this BEFORE the event – don’t tell them on the day.
2. Delegate someone in your party: a best man, father of the bride etc. who will monitor the sound levels.
3. Choose musicians or a DJ that will respond to requests for sound levels to be managed. We always have a clause saying that musicians respond to requests for music volume to be altered by clients – I would recommend this is put in any contract.
4. Be clear about whether you want the musicians or music to be ‘background’ or a ‘feature’ – eg After dinner cabaret or a band.
5. As I mentioned earlier, marquees are particularly difficult to supply sound to; so often musicians only have two speaks at the front, and will put the volume of those high, so it is too loud in front of them, but the other side of the marquee can’t hear the music. A better solution is to have four speakers, one in each corner. The volume can be kept lower and more guests can hear it.
6. It is worthwhile using the services of a sound engineer who will mix the sound levels correctly. A common mistake for DJs and musicians is to put the treble too loud, which in a marquee is particularly difficult for guests to hear each other speak as the sound cuts through the atmosphere.

In the end, it is about being informed; for the musicians or DJ working with the client to ensure the event goes well; listening to the client and also the client being prepared with timings for the supplier to ensure the event is a great success.”

Weddings inspired by Autumn

Once again we are delighted to feature in the October/ November issue of Your Herts and Beds Wedding magazine.  Here's the question and what we have to say about it!

Q. I'm in the early stages of planning my wedding, which is set to take place next autumn. I've chosen a lovely venue but apart from that I'm a bit clueless. I've heard that selecting a colour scheme is the next step as it's a good base to work around. What colour combinations work well at this time of year?

A. Clare Beckwith says: Look at the trees at this time of year and you will see them change from green to yellow and red and then to brown. Rosy red apples are ripening on the trees, orange pumpkins are fit to burst and golden corn is being harvested from the fields, I can't think of a better time of year to take your inspiration from nature.

It's such a vibrant season that you might want to choose a combination of complementary colours, or even contrasting ones. Pick one or two main hues, and then use a couple of accents to add interest, perhaps for the ribbons on your bouquet. Popular autumnal colours include red, burgundy, orange, peach, rust, gold, mustard yellow, dark green, and brown. Create a mood board by cutting out pictures from magazines and using colour swatches to see what colour combinations work best for you.

That said, if you really are a fuchsia pink kind of girl and want to add turquoise accents, don't let the season stop you. It's your wedding and you should have it just the way you want.

Choosing the perfect...... wedding venue

The other day, a friend asked me which wedding venue I’d recommend in their local area.

As a wedding planner, I am familiar with quite a few venues and it’s really easy to just list all the beautiful ones that look good and have capacity for the number of guests you are inviting. But for me, the perfect wedding venue has to have so much more.

You might have an idea in your mind that you want to get married in a particular style of venue. You might like the idea of a barn reception, or saying ‘I do’ in a Highland castle for example. Maybe you’ve got your eye on an English country manor house. But take it from me, there’s more to choosing the right venue than just looking at the bricks and mortar.

The Bingham Hotel, Richmond, Surrey

http://www.helenjonesphotography.co.uk/

For me, it’s mostly about the people.

Everyone you come into contact with at the venue will be critical to your enjoyment of the day, so it’s really important to choose one with exceptional customer service.

Depending on the size of venue, you will often come across several of the venue’s staff. Larger venues have sales staff that show you round, talk you through the benefits of a wedding at their venue and eventually take your booking. Different staff from the operational team will then manage your wedding day. Smaller venues are likely to have one or two people who cover off both these areas.

My advice would be to spend some time at the venue beforehand to get a real feel for the people. If you are thinking about having a civil ceremony and reception at a hotel for instance, book a meal or an overnight stay well in advance so that you can sample the customer service for yourself.

Is the receptionist courteous? If you’ve been for a visit once or twice, do they recognise you and welcome you personally? How is the service at dinner? Was the food inspirational and well prepared? Do the staff smile and look happy? All these things will impact on your day.

Bisham Abbey in Buckinghamshire

http://www.lordandleverett.com/

I’ve been married for nearly a decade now. My husband and I return to our wedding venue every year. Why? Well, the staff at the hotel were true professionals in the run up to our big day and were nothing but outstanding on the day itself. We remember their amazing hospitality and I can hand-on-heart say that they have been consistently outstanding every year since.

If ‘customer service’ features highly on your list too, you might be interested to know that in the coming months I will be revealing some of my favourite wedding venues that tick this all important box.

Wedding Transport ideas

If you are getting married in a church and your reception venue is miles away, it can be a headache to ask guests to make the long drive.  Will it break up the flow of the day?  What if they get lost? Will there be enough parking?  But worry not, there are loads of things you can do to ensure the journey is as fun, and easy for guests as possible.

One idea to ensure that your guests arrive relaxed and happy at the reception venue is to hire transport to take them all from the church to the reception venue. That way, they can all travel together knowing that everything is taken care of and that they don’t need to worry about parking or finding the venue by themselves. You can also ensure that they all arrive at the same time. You could consider a vintage bus, or a perhaps a luxury modern coach.

If your church and reception venue are beside water, you could consider a hiring a boat as a really fun treat for your guests.

To make a 40 minute journey seem like just 5, you could consider having some kind of activity or entertainment on board. You might like to devise a quiz about the bride and groom that your guests can take part in. Or maybe you could set them a challenge of spotting key landmarks on the way. When they arrive at their destination, you might consider some organised entertainment to greet guests as they disembark and are waiting for other guests to get off the bus. A singer, a mix and mingle magician or a caricaturist would be the perfect welcome to your venue.

Your retro themed wedding

Retro themes are so popular nowadays, and you can have loads of fun planning every detail to ensure it's in keeping with the era you choose. If you have a lot of children attending your retro-themed wedding and want to ensure they have something fun to remember the day by, what better than to choose a wedding favour that keeps them entertained, and complements your theme.

There’s nothing more retro and iconic than a Rubics cube and this will keep them entertained for ages, as well as being a memorable game to take home. Try http://www.thingsretro.co.uk/ The kids might also enjoy other retro mini games like Twister, Connect 4, Operation and Etch a Sketch. You can find all these pocket-sized classics at http://www.prezzybox.com/

Continuing the games theme, why not treat each child to a 70s style space hopper. The younger ones might enjoy a mini wind-up version http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/ whilst I am sure the older ones will appreciate a full sized one. http://www.a1gifts.co.uk/

If it’s a musical treat you are after, vinyl style recordable CDs would be perfect for the teens. They have the look of old vinyl records, and come in cases styled like 7" record sleeves. Despite their retro looks, each CD can store up to 700Mb of data, songs or pictures http://www.shinyshack.com/

For the younger ones, why not consider a retro harmonica from Heals. It’s great for beginners, as well as experts! http://www.heals.co.uk/

The little girls among your guests will treasure adorable Milly Molly Mandy books http://www.amazon.co.uk/
Why not present them in retro ‘cut out doll’ party bags from http://www.lovethelittlethings.co.uk/

For the boys, and also available from Love the Little Things, is a pin ball game with a cool retro picture on the back of the tin. Again present in a retro bag adored with cars especially for the boys.

Pretty much all kids love sugary treats, so retro sweets are bound to impress. Try a mini gum ball machine or a mini gum ball slot machine http://www.beau-coup.com/ This is an American website, but I have found they reliably deliver to the UK. Other ideas are classics like Love Hearts, black jacks, sherbet dib dabs and cola cubes http://www.keepitsweet.co.uk/ For a retro funfair feel, you could go for candy floss, personalised rock, toffee apples or popcorn.

Paige and Harish's vintage wedding at The Bingham, Richmond

It was a complete treat to be invited to work with Paige and Harish on their wedding at the fabulous Bingham Hotel in Richmond.  Wonderful riverside location, wonderful ideas, completely wonderful couple. 

Paige, originally from New Jersey, USA and Harish met at St Andrews university just over 6 years ago, when Paige popped a valentines card under Harish's door. Brave move, and it clearly bowled him over! 

Their guests flew in from all over the globe and were treated to the amazing Bingham hospitality.  They could not have had a more perfect day for their celebrations as temperatures soared to an unseasonal 26 degrees on Easter Sunday.

I've been excited to see their photos - mainly because they incorporated so many really interesting details - a wedding planner's dream.  Take a look.

Wedding planner - Clare Beckwith Weddings http://www.clarebeckwithweddings.co.uk/
Photographer - Helen Jones photography http://www.helenjonesphotography.co.uk/
Brides's dress - J Crew (USA)
Bride's sash - Marisa (USA - handmade in New Jersey, where bride is from)
Bridesmaids dresses - David's Bridal (USA)
Bride's shoes - New Look
Groom's suit and groomsmen's waistcoats/cravats - Moss Bros
Flowers - Conservatory Florist, Richmond, Surrey
Wedding cake (birdcage) - The Cake Parlour, Wimbledon
Groom's cake and cupcakes with St Andrews crest - The Cake Parlour, Wimbledon
Favour bags - Handmade by groom's mother with fabric bought in USA
'Something borrowed and something old' - Vintage birdcage charm from Ireland (a gift from Paige's bridesmaid Grace - pinned to bouquet)
'Something blue' - Ribbon monogrammed with bride's initials and date of wedding - J Crew (pinned to bouquet)
'Something new' - Bride's necklace - Baccarat
Invitations and placecards - Vera Wang
Orders of Ceremony, table numers and seating plan - Ruth Springer Design
Frame for seating plan - Not on the High Street
Tall Birdcages - Wedding Day Hire
Double sided picture frames - John Lewis
Oversize Balloons - Signature balloons

Ivory lace for balloons - John Lewis

Ivory satin ribbon - The Ribbon Company

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/

Sweetie heaven

It’s no secret that we are huge fans of Zoe Clark and the Cake Parlour. Their wedding cakes are simply divine.

Now things have got even better as they have just introduced an inspired new service, ‘The Sweet Table’. It’s a completely bespoke and they design and create a look to co-ordinate with your particular celebration.

I can’t think of anything more delicious to treat your wedding guests to.  You can create an impact with pretty macaroon towers, bon bon jars, meringues, cake pops, petit fours, mini cupcakes, fondant fancies and lollipops.

Your guests will be completely wowed by it.  And with so many flavours to choose from, you’ll just have amazing fun planning it.
Photo credits:  http://www.thecakeparlour.com/

A lakeside wedding venue with character

We were recently approached by the owners of Bellows Mill to take on the role of Wedding Co-ordinator at their beautiful wedding venue which is perfectly situated for Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire brides.

Bellows Mill is an idyllic old watermill nestling beneath the Chiltern hills and is a really stunning location for an English country wedding.  It has an attractively converted barn which can accommodate up to 60 people for a civil ceremony, and for larger weddings of up to 120 people, there's a marquee which sits beside a pretty lake.  The beautiful and extensive grounds provide the most perfect photographic opportunities.

We love this venue because with no staff, no fixed menus and no set ideas, you can build your wedding from scratch and shape the day you really want - with my expert guidance of course.  What could be more perfect than that?

If you would like to see it for yourself, or to check on availability, please give me a call on 01296 663 726 and together we can start to make your wedding dreams a reality.

A White Wedding...Dreamy backdrop or a planning nightmare?

It’s been snowing quite heavily here at Clare Beckwith Weddings HQ for a quite few days, but last Saturday we did venture out to a wedding at the 5 * Hanbury Manor where we have been invited to help out as Wedding Concierge.

With the forecasters predicting snow, we packed the car full of sensible essentials (spade, food, water, high vis. jacket etc) plus lots of warm clothing, and set out early.

It started to snow heavily after we arrived and the snowy backdrop of the Garden Court was picture perfect. It was everything you could ever dream of for a white wedding.

But white weddings can cause havoc with your plans too, as we were about to witness when the live 5 piece band call in to say they couldn’t make it, and the photographer turned up red faced and hassled, half way through the ceremony.

It wasn’t a wedding that we had designed and organised ourselves, so all we could do was watch and learn.

As a wedding planning business, we always think ahead and put contingency plans in place, and if you are organising your wedding yourself you should too. It’s essential, even on a normal weather day!

We’ve spoken to a few of our wonderful suppliers to help compile these 10 top tips to help you think of everything if you are facing a snowy, crisp weather wedding.

1) In the planning process, make sure you get good wedding insurance and have a written contract with all your suppliers containing a cancellation clause.

2) A few days before your big day, watch the weather. Yes, boring we know and much like watching paint dry, but very necessary if you want to avoid nasty surprises. Try http://www.accuweather.com/

3) As soon as you hear of weather warnings, contact your suppliers to alert them, and to see what their travel/contingency plans are.

4) If snow is forecasted, encourage suppliers to drive up the day before and stay in a B&B.

5) Make sure all suppliers know where they are going and what time they need to be there for. Provide maps and rough estimates of drive times between venues. It might seem like spoon feeding, but some people aren’t as sensible as you!

6) If you are planning a winter wedding, try to hold it all in one place, or within a very short distance from ceremony to reception venues. Make sure staff are prepared for the winter conditions and that guests are kept happy and not standing around in the cold.

7) If you are booking a live band, try to do so through a reputable agent. Try http://www.vivalivemusic.co.uk/
They only have musicians and bands that have been interviewed and auditioned. The musicians are trustworthy and won’t let down clients. In the unlikely event that someone is ill in the band, they will organise other musicians – giving you additional peace of mind.

8) If you are let down by any of your suppliers, check with your venue. They should have a list of local suppliers that could be contacted in an emergency. Alternatively, they might have other musicians on-site for residencies or other events that might be able to provide some entertainment – even if it wasn’t what was originally planned.

9) Contact suppliers via local business websites that might be able to assist. Even if they can’t, they might know someone that can. You would be surprised how everyone helps in a crisis!

10) If you find yourselves without a photographer, ask one of your guests with a decent camera to stand in for a bit until they arrive. You might even discover a hidden talent!

And to keep everyone comfortable and warm...

1) Make guests aware of the conditions so that they can dress appropriately, wearing suitable footwear, coats etc. Read my last blog post by Isobel Kershaw for some stylish ideas!

2) Prime your ushers to help push cars in the snow and also make them aware they may have to remove snow in places for guests to get to the church. Give them spades to do the job!

3) Serve warm mulled cider in the church to keep guests warm and happy!

4) If you are having a church ceremony, give out hand and foot warmers to guests with their order of service. Churches often have no heating and are cold at the best of times.

5) At the reception venue, ask your photographer to set up lights in an allocated room to do all the formal family shots which will keep guests in the warm.

6) Lay out a red carpet laid for the bride to walk on in places where it is particularly snowy or icy.

Winter weddings are wonderful. Don’t let the snow put you off. Just be prepared!

Our sincere thanks go to the amazing Lord and Leverett http://www.lordandleverett.com/ and to Viva Live music http://www.vivalivemusic.co.uk/ for their contributions to this blog post.
Photo credit:  http://www.marriott.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.”

A passion for all things vintage

There's something about vintage weddings we adore.  Pretty vintage dresses (be they the genuine article, or simply vintage inspired), beautiful flowers like peonies and roses, music from yesteryear...the list of beautiful and desirable things goes on.

You can really have fun with the styling of the reception too and with the current popularity of vintage weddings, there are no shortage of suppliers to help you create the look you are after.  One particular one that caught our eye in the week was http://www.rosesallover.co.uk/

When Rosie Watson and Katie Coakes first met at work back in 2006 little did they know that their shared fascination for the old fashioned would eventually mean they would end up starting their own business together four years later.  Scouring flea markets during their teabreaks really paid off when they launched their professional china hire and styling service.

We loved their vintage collection (and their passion) so much that we contacted them to find out more.  Rosie told us

"Our ethos is to reclaim, revive, recycle and breathe new life into forgotten treasures. We offer the ultimate ‘green’ style solution, and choosing vintage means that brides on a budget can make their funds go further. Why buy new when you can re-use something original for a fraction of the cost?"

We totally agree Rosie, and wish you and Katie all the best as you approach your first anniversary!