Valentine's Day Moodboard

With Valentine's day being tomorrow I thought I'd take a bit of inspiration from the day of love.  As there is a trend for bright bold colours in weddings this year why not combine red and pink together to get a really striking theme for you wedding? You can combine lighter shades with darker colours or even use bright clashing colours.  If you really want to make a statement why not go for a red wedding dress or if you want to be a bit more subtle a pair of red shoes?

Image credits
Macaroon cake - cutoutandkeep.net
Bride with pink shoes - onewed.com
Pink bridesmaid dress - fine fettle guide
The kissing booth - theknottybride.com
Balloons - notonthehighstreet.com
Pink Roses - taylored-images.co.uk
Sweet Stall - candy soirees
Pink champagne - taylored-images.co.uk
Pink shoes - onewed.com
Bouquet - serendipity floral design
Invitations - hand held designs

If you want even more ideas for a pink and red wedding why not visit my valentine's day board on pinterest or if you need some help pulling together a theme that is tailored to you get in touch.

Tips for ensuring your wedding day runs smoothly - Tip 4

It's always surprising how fast a wedding comes around. The last few weeks before it happens are often very hectic with lots to do. So what do you need to do in this final run up to ensure the big day itself is exactly as you planned it? Hopefully you've already been following our hints and tips to ensuring your day goes like clockwork, if not take a look at our tips on writing a timing plan for the day, managing suppliers in the final weeks and planning your wedding venue set up. This final part looks at the wedding day kit you need to take with you.

Tip 3 - your wedding day survival kit

Whenever I'm helping a bride on the day of her wedding I take a box with me that's full of items that, over the years, I've found have come in handy. I'm not sure if sharing this is like a magician explaining his tricks but here goes!!

1. All the paperwork to make your day go with a bang - copies of your readings, your timing plan, your list of suppliers, wedding party members & their contact numbers, your venue set up plan, your seating plan, your speech list, your music list
2. Any money needed for on the day - granted, as the bride you are unlikely to have to pay for anything yourself, but do make sure someone has the money to settle any bills such as the church or any musicians
3. Mending kit - make sure you have a small sewing kit with needle, white, black and your bridesmaids' colour thread, buttons, safety pins (the easiest way of fastening anything back together!!). I'd also recommend you take white chalk with you - it may sound strange but it is really good at hiding any marks you get on your dress (try it on a very small patch first though), soda water can also help get any stains out
4. Reception kit - blue tack, sellotape, string, large scissors, good spare pen, spare favours & place cards - less of an issue if you are not dressing the venue yourself but can come in handy
5. Bad weather - I always take a number of large golf umbrellas with me to try and ward off the rain. If it's a winter wedding you may also want to take a wrap with you to keep you warm between photos and in the car
6. Keeping you looking good - in case of tears take tissues, cotton buds, spare mascara, and eye liner. Generally also take lipstick, hair brush, spare hair pins, hairspray, spare tights / stockings (for any of the wedding party), fashion tape (to ensure no one flashes!!), nail file, clear nail varnish, deodorant and perfume. For me if it's a humid day I'd also take hairstraighteners - but not everyone needs them!!
7. For the evening - you might want to take some flat shoes or party feet with you if you are planning to dance the night away. I'd also suggest taking some nappy pins - another odd one I know, but so often in the evening the bride's train will get stood on and the ties break, nappy pins are incredibly strong and are good for fastening it back up
8. Medical kit - take plasters, headache tablets, antihistamines etc with you - just in case.

Finally, if you are staying away that night don't forget to ensure that you have a bag with everything you will need for that night and the following day with you - at our wedding my husband forgot to take a top for the next morning so had to borrow one from his bestman!!

If you'd like to have a truly stress free day then you might want a wedding planner there to help you -if you're having a Yorkshire wedding why not get in touch?

Best of British - jubilee inspiration

The Queen's jubilee this weekend has inspired me to pull together a Best of British mood board.  There are lots of ways you can use this as a wedding theme.  

Taking it literally, as I have below, you can use red, white and blue as a colour scheme for you wedding.  Navy blue is a very popular colour at the moment and is great as a colour for bridesmaid dresses or your groomsmen's suits or ties.  Red also makes a fabulous accent colour - why not use it for your wedding shoes if you'd like to make a statement or as a really striking bouquet.

If you want to be a bit more subtle with your theme you can simply use Best of British as inspiration.  Maybe use only British suppliers or look for things which are quintessentially British - such as a red double decker bus for your wedding transport, have a street party theme for your reception or go for strawberries and sparkling English wine for your food and drink. I'm sure there's lots of different options - but here's some examples to get you thinking.

 

Image credits:

Gerbera bouquet - Taylored Images

Union Jack invitation - Dottie Creations

Red bouquet - Silesia Group

Place holder - Not on the high street

Bus - The Beautiful Image 

Bunting - Not on the high street

Red shoes - One wed

Navy bridesmaid dress - Nordstrom

Cake - Cakes by Elizabeth Finch

There's even more inspiration on my Best of British pinterest board. 

Tips for ensuring your wedding day runs smoothly - Tip 3

So you've spent lots of time and energy getting yourself ready for your big wedding day and now it's just around the corner.  So how do you make sure that your big day is as fabulous as you've dreamt it will be? Follow our hints and tips over the next few months to get some great advice to make sure your wedding day is all you imagined it should be.

Tip 3 - Plan your wedding venue set up

Every bride has an image in their heads of  how their wedding venue is going to look on their big day, however, don't just assume that it will look that way and that everybody else understands your vision!!  If you don't want to spend the morning of your wedding very stressed, directing where things should be placed, follow these tips for ensuring your wedding is set up exactly as you want it to be:

1. Write a list of everything that needs to be taken to the venue, detailing who is taking it and when it will be there.  A typical list will include things like - flower arrangements, table plan (ensure you know what it is to be displayed on), cake, cake stand, cake knife, guest book, pen, name cards, favours, menus, table numbers / names & holders, children's presents, table confetti, presents for parents & wedding party, candles, table cameras, confetti, orders of service
2. Ensure everyone (including suppliers) who is responsible for delivering items to the venue is clear on what they are doing, who they should hand them to and when they need to arrive by
3. Make a plan of each room that is being used at the venue indicating where you would like everything to be (including flower arrangements, furniture moves, bands, drinks tables, sweetie stations,cake table etc)
4. Draw a detailed plan of how you want your tables to be set up - in particular how each setting should look
5. Outline how your venue should be set out for your evening reception - highlighting anything that needs to change
6. Go through all these plans in details with your venue so they know exactly how each room should be set out.  If your venue is not setting up the rooms for you it can often make sense to have a wedding co-ordinator to do this for you
7. Delegate someone you trust to check the rooms are set up as you would like them to be.

If  you're having a Yorkshire wedding and would like some help ensuring your wedding day runs smoothly you could also consider using us to help you - at Hel'sbells we can help in lots of different ways and you don't need to have a massive budget to use us, why not get in touch to find out more?

Tips for ensuring your wedding day runs smoothly - Tip 2

You've spent months planning your big day and now it's nearly here.  If you want to make sure that your big day is as fabulous as you've dreamt it will be, follow our hints and tips over the next few months to get some great advice to make sure your wedding day is all you imagined it should be.

Tip 2 - Managing your wedding suppliers in the last week

Every wedding has a vast array of different suppliers to make it happen and with all the excitement in the run up to the wedding it can be easy to neglect them in the last week - here's some tips on how to get the best out of them:

1. Call each one of your suppliers and ensure you are both clear on what your expectations are of them on the wedding day (when they should arrive, who they should ask for, what they will be doing, how long they will be staying etc)
2. Choose someone who can act as a contact point for any suppliers should anything happen on the day (e.g. transport problems, illness).  Ensure that person knows to leave their mobile phone on in case they are called
3. Ensure all bills have been settled for suppliers who need to be paid in advance and that you give the money to a reliable friend or family member for any payments that need to be made on the day (there's nothing worse than a supplier who doesn't turn up or who won't provide services because they haven't been paid!)
4. Pull together a list of all your suppliers, what they are responsible for and contact names and numbers.  Copies should then be given to key members of the wedding party and your venue in case anyone needs to contact them
5. Send an email to each of your suppliers confirming what your expectations are, include a copy of the timing plan you've done (see tip 1) and provide them with the appropriate contact details in case of emergencies for on the wedding day
6. Make a special friend of whoever will be managing your wedding on the day at the venue and ensure they understand what is really important to you.

If you'd like some help ensuring your day runs smoothly you could also consider using a wedding planning - at Hel'sbells we can help in lots of different ways and you don't need to have a massive budget to use us, why not get in touch to find out more?

Tips for ensuring your wedding day runs smoothly - Tip 1

So you've done all the planning and everything's ready.  Now how do you make sure your wedding day runs like clockwork whilst managing to enjoy it at the same time? In the run up to wedding season I thought it would be useful to share some hints and tips to making sure your wedding day is all you imagined it should be.

Tip 1 - Write a timing plan

The first step to making sure your day runs smoothly is to write out a timing plan.  This should be really detailed and should cover the following types of things:

1. What time any suppliers are arriving and where they should be
2. What time all the key parts of your day should start and finish
3. Timings for all key members of the wedding parties e.g. when the groom should be at the venue, when his groomsmen are expected to meet him, what time your bridesmaids should arrive for getting ready
4. Time allocated for any travelling to / between venues
5. Detailed timings for the reception including how long for drinks reception, photos, speeches, time for wedding breakfast, expected timing of cutting cake and the time the venue need to turn around any rooms and when evening guests will be arriving
6. Timings for photographer - when they are expected to be where and how long they will need for photos
7. Timings for yourself - for hair, makeup, getting ready, photos etc

As you can tell, you should literally put down everything you can think of - it will help put your mind at rest that  you have remembered everything whilst allowing you to check you have allocated enough time for all the important part of the day.

Once it is written you should ensure that you give a copy to all your key suppliers - including the venue and ask them to confirm they are happy with it.  You should also give copies to key family and friend members who you trust to ensure the day runs as you want it to.  You need to pick friends who will stick to your plan but not run it with military precision - as at the end of the day it won't matter if timings change slightly!!  Then your ready to just sit back and be the bride for the day - knowing it will run just as you want it to.

If you'd like some help ensuring your day runs smoothly you could also consider using a wedding planning - at Hel'sbells we can help in lots of different ways and you don't need to have a massive budget to use us, why not get in touch to find out more?

Tips for visiting wedding venues

There are so many great wedding venues in Yorkshire and it is very easy to get carried away with the excitement of it all when you are visiting them.  I like to think of it as similar to buying a house - you do need to fall in love with it, but you also need to look at it objectively.  So here are some tips on things to ask and look at when you are visiting wedding venues:

1. Try and visit venues when they are actually set up or at least in the process of being set up for a wedding as this makes it much easier to visualise what it will look like.  If this is not possible ask to see photos of what it will look like
2. Check very carefully what is and isn't included in the price - for example chair covers, dance floor, MC, coffee after the meal, are there any extras thrown in (such as a DJ).  Also check if there are minimum numbers for a day, if applicable is there any supplement / minimum spend for getting married in season / Saturdays and, if the venue is a hotel, must you guarantee a certain number of rooms
3. If you really want to have candles, fireworks, a live band, Chinese lanterns or anything else a little unusual make sure to ask it this is OK
4. If the venue is open to the public, check which areas will exclusively be yours
5. Ensure you walk through your day and see all areas you will use - for example where will the civil service be, your drinks reception, where are photos usually take, the wedding breakfast, your evening reception and any other areas you can use (for example a separate bar)
6. Ask what contingency there is if the weather is bad - where can you have your drinks reception, is it big enough?  This is particularly important if you have a civil ceremony and wedding breakfast happening in the same room
7. Is their a separate area away from the the dance floor for people to sit and talk - this is particularly important if you have older guests who may want to come to your evening reception but not be in the same room as the music
8. Look at the toilets!!  This is something my mother taught me - you can often tell a lot about the place by state of the toilets.  Just think, you're probably going to have to go in there in your beautiful dress, will you want to do that if they are unclean and unloved?!
9. If you will be staying at your venue ask to see the hotel rooms - both ones you could use and ones your guests will use 
10. Ask whether there are any major building works going to be done between now and when you are getting married.  If there are, this can be either a positive or a negative.  If they are going to be completed in plenty of time for your wedding then you might be getting a better venue than you were expecting.  However, if there's a risk you might be getting married on a building site or that changes you want won't be ready you'll really want to give it some careful thought.
11. On a similar note you might also want to ask if any decor will be changed - this is particularly important if you've fallen in love with the particular colour scheme of a room
12. Check if there will be any other weddings happening on the same day.  This doesn't have to be a problem but if there is more than one wedding it is worth asking how the venue try and keep the weddings separate (do they have to be at different times, are they quite far apart, will areas of the venues not be accessible for you)
13. If you can, take some photos so you have something to remember your visit by - this will help you compare venues later
14. If possible it is quite a good idea to visit your venue outside of an arranged visit - for example go for a meal, stay over or just go for drink - this way you see how it really works!!

It really is is the most important decision you will take so if you want some help finding a venue and an objective set of eyes when you visit - a wedding planner could really help and it doesn't have to cost the earth.

Finding a good wedding photographer

http://www.taylored-images.co.uk/

There really are an unbelievable number of wedding photographers out there vying for your business and as your photos will help give you a lasting memory of the day you really do want to make sure you make the right choice.  The quality of service and product can vary massively (trust me, having helped lots of brides On the Day I've come across the good, the bad and the ugly!!) so here are some tips for finding a good photographer:

• Make sure you see lots of examples of a photographers work - don't just rely on examples on a website as these will naturally be their best shots. Ask to see a whole wedding so you can get a feel for the full range of photographs you will get. Also ask to see some albums if the package you are looking at has an album included.
• Ensure that the style of the photography is right for you and fits the style of wedding you want.  If you are looking for lots of relaxed informal shots of you and your guests throughout the day then a reportage style photographer will be best for you.  However, if you would like lots of formal groups shots then look for a more traditional photographer.  Also think about the overall style of your day - if you are looking for a romantic feel then a photographer with a more edgy urban feel won't be right for you. 
• You can't beat recommendation from friends and family - particularly if you've been to the wedding and seen how the photographer works. However, if you don't have that option you can always ask potential photographers if you can talk to any previous customers to find out how they found the service and the photos.
• Ensures you get on well with the photographer.  It's really important that not only do you like their photography but that they make you feel relaxed and you have a rapport with them.  You will be spending a lot of time with them on the day and they won't get the best shots out of you if you are feeling irritated, bullied or patronised!!
• Ensure you know who is shooting your big day.  If you are working with a larger photographer they may employ several photographers so ensure that you have met and get on with whoever is shooting your day and you have seen specific photography that they have done.
• It is important that you get a contract and you are comfortable with exactly what is covered in the costs and are clear on when you need to make payments.  In particular it's important to know how much ongoing costs are going to be for things such as reprints for you and your family, extra pages in your album, parent albums, and canvases  - you don't want any nasty surprises after your wedding.

This is a really important decision and should be one of the first you make after you've booked your venue.  Good photographers can be booked up well over a year in advance so you don't want to leave it to the last minute.  With the cost of photography ranging from about £500 to over £2000 it can be a difficult decision to make - especially if you are on a tight wedding budget. If you really don't know where to start or are worried about finding the right photographer then why not consider getting some professional help?  My Supplier Search service starts from just £50 so it doesn't have to cost a fortune to get some help making such an important decision.

It's raining again!!

There really are no guarantees of good weather in this country.  This year's seen yet another mixed summer so what is the best way of dealing with the question of poor weather? Planning, and if you really want an outdoor wedding be prepared to embrace it!!!  Here are some hints and tips for how to get round the great British weather.

If you want to avoid the rain make sure you look for a venue that works well inside and out.  Speak to your photographer about where you could take great shots in the rain - look for feature staircases, big windowsills you can sit on and fireplaces.  Even door frames can look great - your photographer might get wet but you don't need to.

If your reception venue doesn't really cut it for features, then if you are marrying in a church this can give you lots of indoor opportunities for fabulous group and inidivdual shots with alters, stained glass windows and great big stone door frames.  If you plan in advance you can always bring hot flasks of coffee to keep your guests occupied whilst all the photos are done - or why not even bring some mulled wine?

An outside drinks reception is fabulous in the sun but a real headache in the rain so again it is worth thinking about how this will work if the weather is poor.  Is there enough inside space for all your guests - particularly if your reception venue only has one room?  Is there a bar or another room that can be used?

However, if you truly want an outside wedding then you need to embrace the rain!  Consider looking on the brighter side of life and incorporating the rain into your theme.  Think colourful quirky wellies and funky brollies.  Make sure you have lots of each on hands so guests can still enjoy your wedding outside - or at least be able to get to the toilets if they are seperate from your marquee!! Think about doing fun shots of you and your guests in the rain.  You really can get wellies and brollies in each and every shade these days so why not match them to your theme - or even consider bright multi colours to brighten up a dark dreary day. 

Not convinced?  Well, hopefully these images from weddingindustrypros.com will help change your mind!

Tiffany Blue

I've always loved Tiffany Blue as a colour for a wedding - it conjures up images of glamour, sophistication and Audrey Hepburn.  It's a classic sophisticated colour scheme which can be teamed with ivories, silvers and even brown tones.  It also works well with vintage themes using diamonds, brooches and sumptuous fabrics.  I've pulled together a mood board which gives you some ideas on how to pull this theme together:

Image credits:

Wedding Cake: elegantcakery.com

Tie: jaanj.com

Flowers: brides.com

Cup cakes & chocolate favours: kaboodle.com

Bridesmaid dress: watters.com

Invitation: vanillapoddesign.com

Trinket box & bracelet padlock: tiffany.com

Shoes: arunaseth.com

Every little helps!!

There's so many decisions to make when planning a wedding that it's often easy to forget the little personal touches which may not cost much but can really help make your day special.  Here's a few ideas that I've come across whilst helping at weddings over the years:

• Put photo frames with pictures of previous family weddings on your cake table or with your guest book
• Place a basket of flip flops near the dance floor to encourage your friends to party all night!
• Instead of the standard group shot of all your friends and family why not hand out pots of bubbles, or sparklers if it's dark enough, to make it a fun memorable photo
• Instead of taking a vintage car on your own why not travel to your reception in a vintage bus with all your guests so you to get to spend more time with them
• Instead of a guest book why not ask guests to email or text you photos of themselves at your wedding along with a message - you can then put it all together in a digital photobook.  Alternatively use the digital wedding guestbook website to co-ordinate everything for you and create a personal DVD record from your guests messages, pictures and clips
• If you have friends or family who are staying a few days why not prepare a pack with details of places to visit, things to keep them occupied and nice restaurants to go to that are appropriate to them
• Make sure there are nice soaps, hand creams and perfume in the ladies toilets - it will always go down well!!
• Quite often favours are forgotten or not even taken away, despite costing quite a lot of money.  Why not have favours that mean something special, so they are more likely to be remembered:

• Make them yourself, for example pots of jam, biscuits, sweets, decorated tea light holders
• Have something that relates to where you come from or where you are getting married, for example Yorkshire Lavender, Kendal Mint Cake, Whisky
• Give money to a charity that means something to you instead and put cards on the table explaining your decision
• Have something seasonal - baubles at Christmas, chocolate eggs at Easter 

What's important with the details is not how much you spend but the thought that goes into it - the more personal and relevant it is to you, the more memorable it is likely to be.