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Today we are very excited as we were asked to be part of the Pin it Forward campaign run by Pinterest to join pinning communities together and get people sharing more.
We love Pinterest as you can discover all sorts of inspiration in one place and then organise all your pins quickly and easily into mood boards and categories to suit you.
We use it all the time to create wedding style boards and pin all our favourite ideas from around wedding world including stuff like decorating a marquee and table names to celebrity wedding styles.
Best of all there’s an option for secret boards so you can share with a select few keeping your pins undercover if needs be until well after your wedding day.
Whether you’re pinning for your wedding, your business or just for fun Pinterest is fast becoming the must go to website for inspiration and all things creative.
As part of the launch I’m sharing with you our English Country Wedding board. The board is full of gorgeous inspiration if you’re planning a wedding in Kent, or actually any countryside location! Here’s just a little taster.
And it’s not just for Brides, your Groom can get right involved in this pinning lark with the team over at IamStaggered. A brilliant blog for all things manly when it comes to weddings who have their own Pinterest boards for inspiration and of course, repinning. Go over and say hello!
A massive thanks to the team at Pinterest for asking us to be involved and we hope the campaign is a huge success. Make sure you share your pinboards with us below as we’d love to follow you too!
Happy Pinning
If you’re planning an outdoor wedding chances are you’ll be needing a marquee or tent and you’re in luck as our very lovely neighbours (well two little roads away) at LPM Bohemia can help you with all of them!
From Vintage and Traditional Canvas Pole Tents, Indian Marquees, to more contemporary Party Marquees, as well as Yurts and the eye-popping Grand Pavilion, they’ve got it covered for you.
Alongside hiring your tent the really friendly team will also help with furniture, dance floors, lighting and decor. There’s simply a huge range to choose from and lots of the tents can be joined together so you can get the perfect look alongside the functionality you need. Plus you could opt for letting your guests stay over for a bit of late night partying in Bell Tents and Yurts.
For some of you though decorating a tent or marquee can feel like a daunting prospect. It’s a huge blank canvas to work with, but with some of the new interior linings available it will make it that little bit easier and you’ll have a stunning and unique place for your wedding day.
Are you planning an outdoor wedding? What type of tent will you be hiring?
Happy Planning!
Images all from LPM Bohemia
Last week I went down to sample the workshops at Bake & Crafthouse with the lovely owner and fabulous crafter, Kate Alsanjak. After years working in fashion and design Kate has set up a crafters paradise in the village of Cranbrook, with a beautiful workshop kitted out with everything you’d need to make … well just about anything!
Ideal for hen parties, all age groups are welcome and Kate will arrange a bespoke craft experience for you. This group of happy hens made cupcakes in the morning advancing onto a bit of sewing in the afternoon making some very stylish knickers. All very easy and great fun!
Perfect for all Brides with a creative streak to hone their skills, Kate is a master in guiding you through, whether it’s making your own table place names to bespoke invitations, or favours and much more.
Watch out for Kate on the blog over the coming weeks as she’ll be posting some DIY masterclasses for you all to try at home and introducing new ideas for Brides who are itching to plan a handmade wedding.
Happy Planning!
Today on the blog our fantastic find is an entertainment company with over 15 years experience in the industry. We got to see Discologic in action at a wedding a few weeks ago and watch the packed dance floor enjoying the tunes played on the latest computer controlled sound and lighting equipment.
If you fancy adding something a bit extra on top of brilliant music they can also provide special effects such as Smoke, Dry Ice and Computer Controlled Moving Head & Laser systems, as well as colour theming your venue with unique lighting. There’s also an LED light up dance floor to help create the ultimate “wow” factor!
We spoke to Richard who says “our DJ’s are more than happy to play all your requests which we can take at the time of booking but also love requests on the night to make sure you and your guests get the music you want”.
Discologic have got a brand new website which showcases all their services so take a look now for more info and be ready to get your wedding party started in style!
Happy Planning!
55CSBPSAEEKR
Hurrah it’s my birthday tomorrow! I’ll be celebrating with a glass (or two) of my favourite tipple, Hendricks with a splash of tonic and a slice of cucumber. But no G&T is complete without plenty of ice so big it up for Especially Cool who take their love of ice to the next level!
Especially Cool offers all things Ice for any occasion, from table pieces and sculptures to full ice bars and even live sculpting shows. We love their sculptured vodka luge that would really give your wedding guests a night to remember!
Based in Maidstone the team work all over the Kent and provide a tailor made, professional ice experience. They’ll be showing you exactly what they can do at Bleak House in Broadstairs this Sunday (14th April) so if you fancy making your wedding Especially Cool (sorry couldn’t resist) go see them.
Cheers!
Let’s face it weddings aren’t cheap. If you’re the Bride & Groom you’re expected to fork out to make your day perfect but now even attending a wedding can be an major exercise in budget control. From the present, to the new outfit, a possible overnight hotel stay and then attending the stag or hen do and you’re looking at a whopping £500 plus just to turn up. So as your guests have really gone to a lot of effort before they arrive try to avoid these five things that will strike fear into their little happy wedding hearts:
1. “I’m Hungry”
Think about the timing of your wedding and when food and drink will be available. Starting a wedding between 12noon and 2pm will mean guests have probably been rushing to make it there and not had much time to think about lunch. If you can provide a little snack or at the very least a drink on arrival or directly after the ceremony then do it. It doesn’t have to be alcohol or canapes! Use your imagination and check out our previous post for hints and tips.
2. “I can’t afford an Xbox”
Expensive wedding gifts always grind with guests. No-one likes a greedy pants and putting personal gifts like the latest games consule or GHD’s on a wedding list can look a bit off, as does a gift list with a minimum present price of over £100. Make sure you mix the list up a bit with gifts of varying prices or use a Honeymoon payment scheme so guests can donate what they want and help you to have fun as you start your married life.
3. “I think I’ve missed the last train”
If your wedding is out in the sticks or a long way from public transport then you will need to think about making sure your guests can have a good time and get home safely. Hiring a bus (red or otherwise) to take guests on mass back to a town centre or local hotel would be fantastic but if your budget doesn’t stretch that far at the very least make sure you book some cabs in advance. That way guests aren’t left without a ride home as sleeping in the Church generally isn’t an option.
@Michael Cockerham
4. “Urgh how do you spell C-o-n-g-r-a-t-s”
It never fails to raise a quiet chuckle when you pass around the “Guest Book” and see the looks you get. It ranges from a ‘kill me now I have literally nothing to say’ to ‘yes I’m taking it from you but I’m going to pass it on quickly when I think no-one is looking”. There’s nothing worse than having to write something heart felt and witty into a book once you’ve drunk half your body weight in wine. There’s loads more options out there now from Polaroid Camera Pictures hanging on a washing line, to finger print trees and Quiz books about the Bride and Groom to help your guests along a bit. Much more original and much more fun.
5. “I’ve think my feet have frozen off”
This is a pet hate, maybe because I should only really ever live in the Caribbean, but I hate being cold. To be MADE to get cold is even worse. If you’re having a Winter wedding make sure your venue won’t shove your guests outside in the driving rain or snow whilst rooms are being changed around. If you’re having your ceremony in a Church check with Father George that it’s alright to have the heating on so your guests feet don’t get frozen to the floor. English Summer weddings will also have the chilly evenings to contend with so how about having some wraps or blankets on hand. That way your guests can get nice and toasty and still feel the warm glow of your wedding long into the night.
Remember if you look after your guests first, everything else will fall into place and your suppliers will also be more than happy to bend over backwards to make sure your guests get the best service possible.
Happy Planning!
Featured Image: Frank Amodo
Your wedding should be your own little love story beautifully told. And these invitations tick all the right boxes to get your story started. Not only do they look really unique but they tell your guests your journey so far. As Wedding Planners we always tell our couples to keep the wedding as personal as you can, as thats what makes it unique to you. There’s no better time to start this than when sending out your invitations.
These cute and fun invitations are made by RSVP Candy and are the story of you, who you are, where you’ve been and how you decided to get married. Quirky, sweet and utterly brilliant for stamping your personality on your wedding. Once you have the words for your story you can then add retro inspired illustrations and the back has all your wedding day details. You can even personalise each invitation with your guests names in vintage font.
Prices start from £299 for 100 invitations and theres the option to add other wedding stationery too.
Go on start your wedding story today!
Today’s style steal are these really cute little pots of honey and olive oil as favours for your guests. You can make your own honey or flavoured oil olive for some DIY bonus points but be warned the glass jars can be expensive unless you are buying in super bulk!
However the good news is you can buy pots of honey already done from BeeARTisan. Add place name tags to the jars and you’ll have the perfect table settings for a Kent wedding feast.
Image: Elephantine
If you’re struggling to find a venue that suits all your needs or you have some space but no roof over your head then marquees are a really flexible option for your wedding reception. With yurts and teepees added to the mix the humble marquee has come on in leaps and bounds giving you more to think about when booking.
1. ‘Traditional’ Verses ‘Frame’
The traditional marquee has the canvas as part of the structure and needs guy ropes to hold it up giving it a more vintage feel and is great for tea party or village fete themes. The frame marquee is more structured and relies on the frame to hold it up giving it a structured sleek effect. It has the added advantage that you don’t need to account for space for the guy ropes. The frame marquee offers the option of window sections and wooden doors to make it feel more like an ‘event room’ and let in natural light. Another option is the Clear span marquee which are made of aluminium box sections but are only really used when the marquee is over a certain size and is likely to be there for a while.
Cavendish Marquees
2. Yurts and Teepees
Yurts, circus tents and Teepees have been growing in popularity over the last few years and are great for a festival theme. Many can be joined together to form large spaces or ‘lounge’ areas for a bit of peace and quiet away from the main wedding party. Fabulous as well if you want wedding guests to be able to camp overnight as many companies hire out small versions for big sleepovers.
YurtsUp, Tonbridge
Cavendish Marquees
3. The Up’s and Down’s of Access
When deciding on what marquee to go for you’ll need to know how long it takes to put up and dismantle and work this in with any ground hire fees (unless it’s your own land of course!) plus a schedule of timings for all suppliers. Caterers will need to provide information about plug sockets and any electrical requirements they have so the marquee company can provide the correct generator and right amount of plug sockets. You’ll need to be clear on your layout plan so the sockets go in the right place and you don’t have a mass of leads trailing all over the marquee. If you’re having a DJ or band you’ll need to factor in electrical requirements for them as well.
4. Check how the land lies
Ideally your marquee should go on the flattest surface possible. Check for bumpy surfaces and don’t put your bar or cake table on uneven ground otherwise you might lose your top tier halfway through the ceremony! Remember to account for access – is the site easily reached for workmen and vehicles? Also consider what flooring and furniture you will need. Carpet and wooden dance floors are the favourite option but make sure your supplier leaves you a hoover. Once all the set up has been done it’ll need a little spring clean to make it wedding ready.
5. Get comfortable
Consider if you need heaters – there’s nothing worse than freezing wedding guests and if the weather turns a bit chilly you’ll be surprised at how cold marquees can feel even when packed full of guests. If the marquee is in your garden you might not have enough toilet facilities in the house to accommodate all your guests. Portable toilets are a great option but you’ll need to consider access, plus who is going to make sure they are kept clean during the day and top up those toilet rolls!
6. I can see the stars from here!
Popular across the pond “clear -roof” marquees are now making an appearance in the UK. They look similar to a large elegant greenhouse and are fabulous for summer weddings where you can enjoy the light evenings safe in the knowledge that you’ll stay warm and dry inside if the heavens open. These are slightly more complicated though in that they will get hot if the sun shines so you’ll need to make sure guests don’t eat directly under the clear section and that any dance floor is covered over until the sun has started to set.
Academy Marquees
Marquee companies will be more than glad to sit down with you to work out what options are suitable for you. You’ll need to be extra organised if you do want to manage your own marquee hire as you are essentially recreating a venue in a field! Just be clear about what you need from the outset and have a good budgeted plan.
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