Month: June 2017

Creative Wedding Reception Drinks Ideas

There’s plenty about weddings that are steeped in tradition and the idea of the champagne drinks reception on arrival is certainly one of them. But there’s no reason why you have to stick with the rulebook here. While it’s lovely to have drinks to welcome your guests, you don’t have to serve bubbles. Instead think of this as the perfect opportunity to set the tone for your wedding day to come, so why not have some fun and serve something more unique.

Think about having bespoke cocktails, retro lemonade stations, ice cold beer served in old fashioned tins and troughs or for the younger guest’s milk and cookies? The only limit is you imagination.

If you’d like to chat about this or any other aspect of your wedding day décor or planning, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly.

 

Colourful cocktails

Be it a cotton candy champagne cocktail, to the classic cosmo, or something bespoke served in mason style jars, think colour and fun when it comes to these drinks.  Use different glasses, glitter and colour to make things really stand out. And why not offer a special his and hers option with a bespoke cocktail from the bride and a special creation from the groom too!

 

Retro Lemonade

A great idea for summer weddings, why not offer your guests some refreshing lemonade flavours served from large, retro Kilner style containers? Think about traditional lemonade flavours, but also consider different options in keeping with the season, such as fresh berries, elderflower or even fresh cucumber? Offer boozy and non-boozy varieties to keep everyone happy.

 

 

Old Fashioned Refreshments Troughs

From troughs, to canoes, to wheelbarrows, to old tins and even baths, ice cold beers displayed in any of these retro inspired ways is a fantastically fun take on your drinks reception.  Of course you don’t have to just serve beer this way, you can offer a variety of drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic alike.

 

 

Hot Drinks

If you’re tying the knot in the winter months then think about something warming and welcoming like hot chocolate laced with bourbon. What about hot apple cider or fruit punch? Think about Irish coffees, lattes and lots of luscious toppings too and let guests help themselves.

 

 

For the kids

If you’ve got younger guests at your wedding reception, then don’t leave them out. Having something special just for them will really make them feel part of the day. Milk and cookie style drinks and canapes are ideal for children and they’ll just love the idea that they have special drinks just for them. Why not consider flavoured milks too and all sorts of different cookies.

 

 

 

Summer Wedding Pew Ends

When it comes to wedding planning, often the seemingly smallest details end up making the biggest impact in terms of décor.

Pew ends are a case in point. In the grand scheme of things, they aren’t the biggest item to consider or indeed would not be high on your agenda of priorities, however, it’s amazing how these little additions can completely transform the look of your church or ceremony venue.

And don’t be put off by the word pew. If you’re not getting married in a church or even indoors, that doesn’t mean you can’t have pew ends. Think of mason jars or pompoms hanging from chairs. Or why not go for petals, lanterns or other touches on the ground next to the chairs closest to the aisle?

There is no limit to how creative you can get with your pew ends, so don’t be afraid to have a little fun with them. And while traditional flowers can be a little pricey, some of these more modern alternatives are very budget friendly.

Here’s some fresh suggestions for some summer style pew ends that would look great for an indoor or outdoor ‘I do’ and if you’d like help planning that ‘I do’ or want to chat about your wedding décor then please get in touch with me today.

 

Fans/Pompoms

These are a very popular trend and are a nice departure from the more traditional route of florals and can be ideal if you’re watching your budget. Think about mixing pastels with bursts of vivid colour for a really show stopping look. Have several mini fans or pompoms hanging together or go for one giant one on each aisle either.

 

Quotes or Photos

Photos are a nice twist on the traditional pew end and can be great way to pay tribute to your families, especially if there are those who are no longer with you. Quotes are a super idea too and again both of these ideas are budget friendly.

 

Mason Jars

Ah the mason jar, where would we be without you? These are the absolute jack of all trades when it comes to wedding décor. You can use them practically anywhere, but they do work so well for pew ends. Fill them of course with florals, but you can also fill them with tea lights, marbles, sand, shells, petals, the list is endless.

 

On the Ground

Who says your pew ends have to be hanging off the pews? Why not try having some décor on the ground by each pew or row of seats? Lanterns are always a good one, but what about birdcages, garlands, petals and rustic style wooden flower boxes?

 

 

Something a Little Different

Pew ends are a great opportunity to have a little fun with your décor, so don’t be afraid to think outside the norm. Things like wellies filled with flowers, milk churns, sticks with hearts or pompoms on the top can all look super. If your venue allows it, then how about cones of confetti at the end of each pew?

 

 

How to Tackle the Wedding Plus One?

Weddings can often throw up a lot of potential landmines with regards to issues such as seating arrangements and who to invite. Often it can be focused on whether or not to invite small children and whether or not to extend your invitation to a plus one.

We all read the hot debate of the latter topic when Pippa Middleton tied the knot last month and allegedly had a ‘no ring no bring’ invite policy with regards to her guests. It’s something that you really do need to think about as you go through your guest list. Do you do ultimately do a ‘Pippa’ or do you welcome guest’s partners or dates no matter how long they’ve been together?

It can be a thorny issue and is dependent on so many factors. Here’s some things to consider when thinking about how you’ll approach the topic for your wedding day.

If you’d like to chat about this or any other aspect of your wedding day décor or planning, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

 

Budget & Venue

These two factors are key when it comes to how many guests and plus ones you can afford to have at your wedding day. You may be working with a strict budget, which means plus ones won’t be a given. Also you may have a small and intimate venue, which again will mean that you’ll have to scrutinise your plus ones.

 

No Ring No Invite?

This is a tricky issue, but it’s one you should decide on from the start. Do you automatically invite guest’s partners if they are in a long term relationship but not engaged or married? Or do you allow the guest to bring their boyfriend/girlfriend who they’ve only been seeing a short time. Or do you simply allow them to bring a date for the wedding? Decide on which works best for you and stick to it.

 

 

How Many Singletons?

If you’re likely to have a lot of singletons at the wedding, then extending plus ones may not be an issue as you can seat many of them together. However, if you only have a couple of single people attending, then you’ve got to take into account how much they will be able to enjoy your day if they are there effectively on their own.

 

 

Be Clear From the Start

If you don’t want to extend a plus one to a guest, then make this very clear by only putting their name on the invitation. Generally speaking people will immediately understand the situation when the see it’s only their name listed. If you do want to allow your guest to bring someone, then name them or put ‘plus guest’ but ensure you get their name for your seating plan.

 

 

Consider After the Meal

If you do feel under pressure to allow guests to bring more causal plus ones, then perhaps compromise and invite them to the ‘afters.’ This is when all of the formalities will be out of the way and all the guests will have their hair down so the fact that there will be a few partners whom you don’t know very well will be less of an issue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Village Hall Wedding Theme

There’s something so beautiful about that dreamy, vintage, village hall wedding scene. It conjures up images of a by-gone era and evokes a truly laid back feel and a balmy summers evening’s festivities.

It’s a wonderful theme to have for your wedding day and one that is super popular thanks to its visual appeal and the fact that many of the pieces needed are quite economical and easy to source – it’s also a DIY or craft-lovers dream.

Whether or not you’re actually able to source a village hall for your wedding reception doesn’t matter, as with a little imagination you can still transform your venue into a village hall style destination for your big day.  Try and find somewhere with high ceilings and lots of wooden features. Think bunting, string lights, long tables, buffet style dining, draping, wildflowers and a truly casual feel.

If you’d like to chat about this or any other aspect of your wedding day décor, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly.

 

Tables

Tables are an essential part of the village hall theme. Standard round tables are fine, but for the genuine article go for long tables. Think casual communal dining with long tables, covered with wildflower runners, vintage jugs or lanterns and the classic bistro style wooden chairs and cushions.

 

Bunting & String Lights

If there’s one thing a village hall wedding must have, it’s bunting. You can’t really go over the top when it comes to bunting, so don’t be afraid to have a little fun. If you want to deviate from the traditional style of bunting, think of using streamers and draping. Also string lights are another essential ingredient and work so well interspersed with the bunting.

 

 

Signage

From signs welcoming guests, to charting your love story, to your favourite romantic quotes, to signs showing guests where to go and even the menu, think chalkboards and rustic wooden signage even made out of palettes.

 

Relaxed Food and Drinks

Everything about a village hall theme screams laid back and casual so make sure to extend this to your food. Think buffet style dining with everything from BBQ stations, to pizza or slider making stations, antipasti boards and dessert stations. The emphasis is on communal dining and letting everything dive in. Also consider naked cakes covered in wildflowers and boozy/non-alcoholic lemonade served in large Kilner jars or hire in some retro food trucks.