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Back in September we helped Rebecca and James with our Dolly On the Day Co-ordination service. I love this picture as it was the first time I’d seen Rebecca on the day. I had been busy setting up at the church and so couldn’t wait to see the Bride arrive. She looks so happy and beautiful and her Dad was full of pride with a lovely beaming smile.
The Church was gorgeous and very close to the family’s heart which made it all the more special. The classic Bridesmaids dresses with stunning lace detail and the top hat and tails were totally in keeping with the traditional family wedding that Rebecca and James chose for their big day. After the Church ceremony they held their reception at Hever Castle to round off this beautifully classic wedding.
At the beginning of the year we organised a photo shoot with an amazing team of suppliers because we wanted to show that weddings don’t always have to be held in typical wedding venues. There are some beautiful restaurants in Kent that can provide the perfect background to your big day. We took four very different brides, with four different styles and set about proving that getting married in a stunning restaurant doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style, in fact you can make your wedding day totally special and unique to you.
The Swan in West Malling was our chosen venue but it quickly became our inspiration for the shoot theme. We had so many ideas and so did the suppliers which meant on the day of the shoot we had so much fun creating different shots.
This one was the last shot of the day and seeing our Brides together gave us all a great sense of satisfaction. For the full shoot take a look here.
Whenever we work at a wedding we always take our trusty Wedding Planner Pack with us. The pack has all manner of handy little things that we delve into with alarming regularity. So if you’ve not booking us to work on your wedding day *shame on you face* then you’ll need these 8 things waiting in the wings;
1. Snip It
No emergency pack is complete without scissors.You’ll need this to cut anything from your bunting that’s been tied up too tight, to the hair stuck in your Bridesmaids zip to the plastic tag that’s still hanging off your clutch bag.
2. Tissues
Crying always happens. But happily for all the right reasons. When Bridesmaids, your parents, assorted friends and Nanna George let the floodgates go they’ll all be needing tissues so your wedding photos don’t look like a scene from Carrie.

www.helenmaybanks.com
3. Wonder Wipe
Whoever invented baby wipes are quite frankly genius with a capital G. Set aside the obvious use on babies bottoms and you have a multi-purpose little gem that’ll get rid of just about anything from small stains on your dress to make-up and deodorant marks.
4. Get Drinking
Now before you go in search of the corkscrew and start knocking back the Prosecco we actually mean water. Mmm not as exciting as you thought but with a nervous top lip stuck to your teeth and wedding vowels to say out loud you’ll be needing some hydration. Task your Ushers to have a bottle of water handy for when you need it.

5. Give it Some Gloss
Remember to tuck your lip gloss in your bag so you can keep reapplying. A handy little pot of Vaseline is always good to for a quick swipe of lip shine without needing a mirror to do a perfect job.
6. Plaster Over the Cracks
Blisters are no fun on your wedding day. Take plenty of plasters so you can dance the night about without hobbling around on your honeymoon.
7. Rescue Remedy
Joanne swears by this stuff to stop those nerves. Get it from your local chemist and take just before the nerves kick in. Personally I’ll go back to number 4 and add a whiskey to the water…..
8. Sew it Up
Pop in your bag a needle and some thread (black and white). Ushers zips always seem to break (what do they do to them….) and usually they’re wearing bright blue pants underneath. Get Auntie Sue to sew them back up in a jiffy with your handy little sewing kit.
Happy Planning!
Emma x
Main Feature Image: Shooting Hip
On the blog today we’re sharing with you a fantastic competition brought to you by our wedding friends, super blog Creative Brides and Rebecca Douglas Photography. Head over to Creative Brides for all the details but here is a little snippet to tempt you all……
Good luck!
Emma x
Finding your venue is one of the most important jobs on your wedding to do list. It’s what you need to book first to make everything else fall into place. Now with so many venues to choose from you’ll be needing some help and we’ve got just the thing.
A very wonderful website, Find Your Perfect Venue, has been created by Rachel Titman, to get your wedding venue research off to a flying start. The site makes exploring venues as easy as possible with a simple search facility, full venue details, gorgeous images and a wide choice of destinations.
Rachel says “We are committed to supporting couples create their dream wedding and we’re developing our website based on real feedback and customer needs.”
Here are just some of the fantastic venues featured on the site:
Blackdown Events @ The Haymeadow, Somerset
Beach Weddings Bournemouth
Broyle Place, East Sussex
Clifton Nurseries, London
Dartington Hall, Devon
Duncton Mill Fishery, West Sussex
Great Fosters, Surrey
Felix Hotel, Cambridge
Iscoyd Park, Shropshire
St Clere Estate, Kent
Ooh did you know that The Wedding Dolls are preferred planners here!
So let you fingertips do the talking and whizz over to FindYourPerfectVenue.com now!
Happy Planning!
Emma x
Whoohoo today on the blog we have a brilliant giveaway all thanks to fabulous local hamper company, Spicers of Hythe. You can get your chops round a chocolate feast hamper worth £25 simply by popping over to our Facebook page and sharing this post.
There’s something really quite British about a hamper and we love their vintage charm with oodles of lovely delights inside that make them a perfect wedding thank you gift. From booze to biscuits and velvety chocolate treats – there’s a hamper to suit the whole bridal party from the in-laws to the Ushers and good old Mum and Dad.
Local firm Spicers of Hythe have over 85 years in the fine food industry, starting back in 1926 when Great grandfather Percy opened the first Spicers store. Today they still handpick the best produce sourced from local and international suppliers and wrap it all up in beautiful baskets. Check out their website to see the full range.
Good luck and if the winner needs someone to share all that chocolate with, The Wedding Dolls office is always open…….
Emma x
Chocolate Hamper
The Small Print: The competition is open to individual Facebook entrants only and not business pages. Winners will be notified through Facebook and a UK delivery address for the prize will be required from the winner. The winner will be picked at random on 14th October 2013 and notified on Facebook. No correspondence will be entered into, prizes are as stated, are not transferable and there is no cash alternative. Prizes may be substituted for equal or greater value if the stated prize becomes unavailable. If you are a winner, you must claim your prize within 28 days of being notified otherwise the prize will be forfeited and another winner chosen. The prize will be sent directly from Spicers of Hythe to the winner. Please allow 28 days for delivery of your prize from the date you contact us to claim your prize.
Incase you’ve missed our million and one plugs for the last month we’ll be at the Wedding Fair, Bluewater this coming weekend. At our stand (U16 incase you’re interested….) we’ll be running free sessions to help banish some of those wedding worries. So if you have something that’s bugging you or just can’t find the answer you need, come along and let us help.
Here on the blog we’ll be counting down to the fair with a special roundup of some of the most common worries we’ve covered in our posts. We’ll also be linking to other blogs and wedding websites as well to give you further help and advice. Researching online is an obvious and easy way to find suppliers but nothing beats a Wedding Fair to get tailor-made answers to any questions or queries you have. The chance to really get a “feel” for your suppliers is so important too and you simply don’t get that online. So take the time out and visit a few fairs during your wedding planning (pssst start with the Wedding Fair at Bluewater this weekend).
So watch out this week on the blog for some of the big stuff like choosing your wedding photographer, how to pick your venue, styling your wedding and avoiding a carbon copy day. Hopefully we’ll help you banish those wedding worries!
Emma x
PS Ooh did I mention you can save on the ticket price for the Wedding Fair at Bluewater tickets with our special code?
Today on the blog we have another fantastic find to share with you, Kent wedding photographer, Helen Schryver of Schryver Photography. Here Helen tells us a little more about her work…..
“My wedding photography is largely documentary-style, with unobtrusive coverage typically lasting from bridal preparations to well into the evening. I believe the best photos come from capturing people unaware as very few people actually enjoy posing for photographs! I make it my mission to seek out all the hundreds of special moments that take place on a wedding day and love taking creative shots of all the little details. I want to make sure I have really captured the whole feel of the day.”
Helen is offering all Wedding Dolls readers a 10% discount on her Classic and Premium wedding photography packages if you book before the end of October 2013.
For more information about pricing and to view the gallery visit www.schryverphoto.com
Happy Planning!
Emma x
Images by www.schryverphoto.com
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