Our Engagement Story

Just Us

Our engagement story isn’t as romantic as some, but it is very us. In fact, it’s probably perfect.

Every year, on our anniversary, we treat ourselves to a little trip away. On our 6th anniversary, we had a short city break in Nottingham.

Nottingham was h2b’s idea. He was inspired by the Robin Hood theme, and had ideas about going to Sherwood Forest. He booked a city centre hotel, very convenient, but what h2b didn’t realise is that Sherwood Forest is 21 miles outside of Nottingham.

He knew I’d love to be proposed to in the middle of an Autumn forest.

My Venue, Madeley Court Hotel

Madeley Court Hotel

view Madeley Court Hotel website

We’d almost booked Rowton Castle, we almost booked Somerford Hall so that when we looked at Madeley Court I wasn’t expecting much. I absolutely fell in love!

It does have that winding drive way, albeit along side a leisure centre, but a row of trees would hide that fence. It is an old country manor house; it was a catholic stronghold, owned by an abbey but it passed into private ownership at the dissolution of the monasteries. It has been lovingly restored by Madeley’s previous owners and has recently passed into the ownership of Mercure Hotels.

We first saw Madeley Court Jan 2010, I went with my mum to have a look. I was sceptical. The gate house did make me gasp as we came around the corner as it looks like an old castle gatehouse. Just stunning. We had a meeting with Peter, the wedding coordinator, who was so professional and friendly and took the time to show us all around the hotel and the Mill, where our reception will be held. 

The Mill has recently been restored and looks amazing, with a medieval style.There are two minstrel's galleries at either end, medieval paintings across the walls, a gorgeous carpet which can be removed to reveal a dance floor, and plenty of space! The Mill is on two floors, the ground floor is a spacious but dark bar and the top floor is a vast room big enough for a wedding breakfast.

What we wanted was a room big enough for a wedding breakfast and then big enough for a right old knees up in the evening. The Mill at Madeley Court is the first wedding venue that I saw which achieved this. I knew this was something h2b was concerned about, having enough space, so as soon as I saw that this was one of the biggest rooms I’d seen, then I was hooked! It also has the second room for those of your guests who want to retreat from the loud music, the bar downstairs. I also wanted to set up space for some mahjong tables, as I will be having some Chinese guests, and the Mill has plenty of space for this.

And Peter is absolutely fantastic. He’s serious and dedicated and he has a brilliant sense of humour. Just talking things through with him the other day really put a lot of our thoughts at ease. He is full of funny wedding stories, I could listen to him talking about past weddings! My friend’s little sister is getting married at Madeley Court in June, and as soon as I mentioned her name he reeled off her wedding date and knew exactly who I was talking about, even though he must be working with hundreds of couples each year. And yesterday, I was asked at a wedding fayre where my venue is and as soon as I mentioned Madeley Court the chap said Peter was fantastic and we are in safe hands. I really do feel that I’m in safe hands and I believe that Peter will do his best to give us the most wonderful day!

Why We Booked
I have a check list of things I wanted from my venue and Madeley ticked most of the boxes! 

1. Old manor house with lots of character and original features
2. Long, romantic, winding drive down to the manor house
3. Large room for the wedding breakfast and the evening reception
4. Second room for guests to go to if they don’t like the music but still being a part of the wedding
5. Catering and bar services all sorted for us
6. On site accommodation for us and our guests
7. An amazing wedding coordinator who also works as master of ceremonies
8. Ample parking
9. In the countryside

The only element that I don’t like is that Madeley Court is in Madeley and is surrounded by the leisure centre and houses. Luckily it is difficult to see any of these from the grounds and you’re so surrounded by history and beautiful buildings that one tends not to look outside the grounds.

You can see from my photos that the houses and leisure centre are nowhere to be seen. I feel like Madeley Court is a wow venue, and with so many of our guests attending our wedding coming to the UK for the first time, we really wanted something that was going to wow them.

My Recommendations
As Madeley Court is my venue of course I’m going to recommend it. I think that Madeley Court is ideal for a bride who has a moderate sized budget, who loves history and beautiful architecture, and who wants a large-ish space for a wonderful party. It’s ideal for a bride who wants to be taken care of by a wonderful wedding coordinator and yet has her own ideas for how she wants things to be.

It’s difficult to think why I wouldn’t recommend Madeley Court, I think everyone should get married here! Everyone who wants a historical venue. If you want an ultra modern wedding venue then Madeley Court is not for you.

Venues – The Moat House

The Moat House

View the Moat House website

This is the venue at which my best friend held her wedding reception and we had a fantastic time! It’s also where I brought my mother for her 65th birthday! I’m a fussy eater but on both occasions, the food was absolutely delicious! And without us asking, or letting them know we’d booked for a birthday, they served my mum a special birthday selection of chocolates which I thought was very kind!

My friend’s wedding here was wonderful. The day went very smoothly with delicious food and a beautiful back drop for your wedding photos. There is more than ample parking across the stream from the hotel.

We were greeted at the door with reception drinks and my friend had chosen mini doughnuts to be served as a welcome snack between the photos and the wedding breakfast. They were absolutely delicious.

The main room was wonderfully decorated with flowers supplied by the venue and we were seated and served our dinner. I had soup, vegetables in pastry and a chocolate brownie for pudding. All completely delicious and well presented. The service was brilliant and staff were very helpful.

At night time, there are tiny sparkly lights in the trees casting a beautiful light over their small lake. If your photographer is sticking around into your evening do, he/she could take some spectacular photos with that as a backdrop.

Why We Didn’t Book
I didn’t want to have the same wedding venue as my friend. She says she doesn’t mind but we have the same taste in colours, I didn’t want to have the same venue as well! Also, there’s no long winding drive. This winding drive is important to me, I would like my venue off set from the road quite a way. Also, I think the room was a tiny bit small for the number of guests we’d like to attend our wedding.

My Recommendations
After attending a fantastic wedding at The Mill I cannot recommend them enough! I know that my friend had an amazing day and we were well looked after. The breakfasts in the morning were amazing as well. I would recommend The Mill to a bride who is looking for a stylish, beautiful and accessible wedding. It’s easy to get to and stunning to boot!

To Film or Not to Film, That is the Question

To Film or Not to Film, That is the Question

Hiring a videographer is becoming more and more popular, however, does your budget stretch that far? With some videographers charging upwards of £300 is it financially viable? A hefty chunk out of any budget… at my wedding £300 equates to 6 meals, or a wedding car and a half, or 30 pairs of wedding shoes! (I had them made to order in China, soooo comfortable!)

And think about it, really, as much as your friends and family love you, how many of them will sit for 2 hours and watch your lovely but long wedding video? I love weddings (could you guess) and I could sit to watch wedding videos but with the best will in the world, I couldn’t last 2 hours! And if it does cost £300 I would want it to last 2 hours at least!

An alternative is to ask a guest to video your wedding. At my bessie mate’s wedding, her sister who was a bridesmaid videoed a lot of the wedding. A cousin later used the footage to mix in with still pictures when creating a wedding video. That video was a very manageable 30 minutes, just perfect! The video clips added a very personal touch to the still photos and brought the video to life. I do think there is a lot of merit in videoing a wedding.

Most cameras these days have a video option. My camera does, as does my phone!   (I wouldn’t suggest using a phone camera as the image quality isn’t suitable for TV standard.)  With this option on most cameras, any of your guests could be a potential videographers, and so many easy to use video editors available such as Windows Video Maker which is free with windows, or iMovie which is free on Apple Macs (and better than Windows Video Maker, if only it worked on PC’s) then anyone can make a wedding video.

I recently made a video for my niece and nephew’s christening, and I also made a video for my friend’s wedding before that. Even people who aren’t that good with a computer could put together a very effective and meaningful wedding video using these simple to use editing programs.

For top tips on videoing your friend’s wedding, see Jake McMillian’s blog.

However, if you do decide to hire a wedding videographer, there are some very professional videos out there. Some photographers offer videography as part of their service. That would mean that your photographer and videographer would be working in sync and produce a much better product. Alternatively, your photographer might be able to recommend a videographer they have worked with before, or your venue may be able to recommend someone who has impressed them in the past. Often, if a service has been recommended through another person, you may receive a discount on their services.

To answer the question of ‘to film or not to film’… I think you should film, but not hours and hours of footage. Think of your audience, who will watch the video? Film key moments in the wedding, touching moments that you will want to remember for the rest of your marriage: walking up the aisle, exchanging the rings, walking down the aisle, some moments outside the church, the speeches, cutting the cake and the first dance.

If you do know any good videographers to recommend, please post them as a comment in my blog. Alternatively, if you know any good tips for videoing a wedding, post those in the comment box too!

Photo Albums

I have already posted that I believe photos are one of the most important aspects of a wedding. This is why my h2b and I chose Clive Blair to be our photographer. I may have mentioned that h2b and I were absolutely inspired by all his pictures. I honestly cannot recommend Clive enough but this post is about wedding albums.

Since we booked Clive he’s introduced Queensbury albums. They look spectacular! They appear similar to photo books but with the quality of a traditional album. My sister-in-law and my brother have this tome, I call it, a huge wedding album in a traditional style. I wanted a tome, but I like the style of the photo books. It appears that Queensbury albums combine the quality of a traditional album with the modern chic of a photo book. This is what I want for my wedding album, something that we could keep for the rest of our lives as a reflection of the most wonderful day we spent together, and the start of our married life.

However, that’s just the one album for you and your hubby to keep, what about the rest of your family who want an album. Clive does offer parent albums, but perhaps your sister would like a picture because your niece was a bridesmaid.  Many photographers out there offer a CD only service, where they take a lot of photos and put them on a disk for you to order your own wedding album. This is a cheaper and quicker way of seeing your wedding photos but which photo album should you choose?

There are so many websites out there that offer photo books by uploading your own photos and making a book, printed with a hard cover. As I’m a bit obsessed with photos, I do make quite a few photo books. My h2b takes some brilliant photos and I make them up into books so I have used a few of the photo book websites.

Photobox
User friendly, easy to use, fantastic templates and plenty of choice, Photobox was the first photo book making company that I started to use. This picture here is of me holding the first photo book that I made for my fiancé and I to celebrate seven years together.

There are a variety of covers available in a variety of colours. I chose a black cover because I thought that would be more manly for my h2b. I would have liked a pink cover!

Photobox offers a variety of different products. My friends bought their thank you cards from Photobox, they looked fantastic and they’re a memento from the day. I will be doing the same. Other products include calendars and diaries, wall decor, photo mugs, prints and home gifts. The photo book I received was very high quality. One of the pictures I used was from the camera I had in 2003 which was barely 3 mega pixels, when I put that photo into the album they told me that the photo wasn’t print quality. That kind of help is invaluable! (I used it anyway, it was an important picture!)

The photo books come in different sizes and shapes. It depends on which photo album you’d like. It’s completely online, there’s nothing to download and it’s all easy to use. You can even preview your creation online before you print. My dad so loved the album I had from Photobox that we made a funeral album for my Granddad’s funeral. It was filled with photos from my Granddad’s life and everyone at the funeral said it was lovely and deeply touching. See, photos are for any occasion.

Blurb
Blurb is a website I’ve only just started using and I like the look of it. They have a variety of methods for creating a photo book.  You can use a pdf book, if you’ve taken the time to make one, download their book making program, or make a book online. I have tried both in the interest of giving you a full review – and wow!

I first tried making a book using the BookSmart program that is downloadable from the Blurb website. There is a fairly clear user guide, some interesting templates and the option to edit layout. To me, an amateur, I think this is amazing! I get the feeling that some of the elements of BookSmart are aimed at marketing or advertising companies, as they are very customisable. You can add photo boxes, text boxes, resize these boxes and move them around the page in any layout that you’d like. Imagine working on your wedding pictures, creating an album for a friend and you can design the layout into any format you like.
I am fairly computer savvy but I did find this program very easy and simple to use. I was just bashing about pressing buttons to see what happens but I achieved a fairly nice effect using this program.

I’ve added a photo here to show what the photos looked like when I added them to the template. Pretty nifty if I do say so myself. I just quickly added some photos from my computer (there’s also the option to add from online albums) and messed about slotting the pictures into the spaces.

It really depends how much time you would like to put into your photo album. If this was the only option I had for my wedding album I might spend a bit more time making it. As it stands, this is the kind of thing I would enjoy spending my time making as I’m that sort of person, so I would really use this type of program.

The Bookify option doesn’t seem to have as many templates. I chose a small square album as I would if were making an album for my parents to have and there was a set format that I couldn’t change, although I could alter colours of backgrounds and so forth. This could give the less computer savvy person the option of using a simpler book builder. The BookSmart option does give you a lot more control over what your final book will look like.

Boots
Just to demonstrate how good Photobox is, Boot’s online photo book maker is in partnership with Photobox! I was about to type that I thought the Boots books were very similar to the Photobox ones, and then when I click on the website I see that they are made by the very same company! It goes to show that not only do Photobox provide an excellent professional service, but they are also used by a nation wide chain of shops – a brand that we all visit and use from time to time.

Jessops
Jessops use CEWE to make their photo books. There doesn’t appear to be an online photo book making function, but the program is easy to download and install. However, I didn’t find the program as easy to use as the Photobox and Blurb programs.

I’m not sure if I clicked on anything wrong but the pictures I’d selected (randomly from my pictures folder) filled into the album without me indicating where I wanted them to go. Once you get the hang of it, it is possible to customise the backgrounds, photo layout, and add additional photos to the page. It takes a bit of fiddling and experimentation, but there is a fairly decent customisable element to the program.

Kodak
Kodak’s photo book maker is online, where you can upload your photos to their website and  then edit them into your photo album book. I like the function that you can add yourself as a guest, you don’t necessarily have to sign in or register to use their website. Always a bonus if you’re in a rush.

Depending on the size of your photos and on your internet speed, the uploader is fairly speedy. I uploaded a few pictures from my computer to use with the album and it was fairly speedy.

There is the option to change the layout of the photos if chosen from a set layout, but it seems like the background colours aren’t customisable. It is quick and easy to use, just a drag and drop system, but for me I’d rather use a much more personalised layout than simply using the set layouts.

My Conclusion

Which ever website you decide to use, remember you could always ask your photographer for his or her recommendation. I think it’s important to weigh up cost with the product you receive in the end, and to think about how you want the photos from one of the most important days of your life to be presented. Think about how much time you have, and how much computer know how. Each of the websites have their own positives and negatives, I’ve tried to give you a fair appraisal of all the main ones that I use so that you can decide from a bride’s opinion.

Who to Invite?!

When choosing who to invite to your wedding, you may struggle to keep the numbers down. Many people may care about you and want to see you get married, however each person will cost you that little bit more money. It's finding that balance between having everyone you want to attend your wedding and making it affordable. 


I found this flowchart online, and there is an almost identical one in an issue of Wedding Ideas. I'm not sure where the flowchart originally came from but it was on a website with a translation into Malay. 

For example, lets try Aunty Hilda. Are either of you related to her? Yes. Will it create a family drama if you leave her off the list? No. Have you seen or spoken to her in the last year? No. Where you invited to her wedding? No, but then she was married in the 60's, so not sure that counts. Would her presence at the wedding make it more fun? Well... no, not really. She's not invited. 


It's a bit harsh and a simplistic view of how to choose your guests to your wedding but if you're really struggling then this could help. It would certainly help my h2b who wants to invite everyone he's ever met in his entire life! 

Photographers!

Photography is a topic close to my heart. I love taking photos, I always have ever since I was a little girl. My friends can barely meet up with me without a flash going off in their faces. And it's one of the few things I have in common with my fiancé! We both love taking photos but he's the only one with the fancy DSLR camera. (I'm saving up for mine but this pesky wedding got in the way! lol) 


We are amateur photographers and as such have a keen eye as to what counts as good photography, and what counts as fairly average photography. Not that we're experts, just very fussy! 


Because of our hobby, it was very difficult to find a photographer we liked. We looked at the photographers our venue recommended and well, they didn't inspire us. They were good but I do think your photographer should be able to take better photos than you can. We amateur photographed my best friend's wedding and some of our photos turned out absolutely amazing and I'm personally really pleased with them. 


That is why we chose Clive Blair to be our photographer. His photos are breath taking, taken from interesting angles, utilising mirrors and wonderful moments. When we were looking through his sample albums, it was like looking at what our wedding could be like.

When I was showing my mother the prospective photographers, she complained about every single photographer. She said that he'd cut off the bride's head, or he'd got the photo at the wrong angle, taking photos of the back of someone's head. Whinge, whinge, whinge... Until she saw Clive's photos. Mum was very quiet, just soaking in how amazing his photos were. I just can't praise him or recommend him enough. And he is a nice guy too! 


After your wedding, when you've spent all that time planning, spent all that money on dresses and venues and invites and favours and flowers and so many things, the photos are what you have left, as well as a wonderful marriage. They are a lasting memento of your wonderful wedding day. I think the photos for your wedding are worth spending a chunk of your budget on. 


As for talking to your photographer, here are some tips and questions to ask:

• Websites!
  Before meeting up with your photographer, have a look at his website. This will give you some idea of his better photos and will give you some ideas for questions to ask him/her/them.
  
• Can we see a sample album?
  It sounds simple but this will give you the best idea of what your photos are going to be like. Look at the composition of the photos, are they want you want you photos to look like? Could you take photos like that? Do they give you a feel of what your wedding could be like?
   
• Will you be our photographer?
  If you're going through one of the bigger photography companies, this might be a pertinent question. The person you're taking to may be booked on that date, make sure you're getting the photographer you want.
  
• Do you work on your own or are you a team?
  Team photographers are the best, in my opinion. One will follow you in the morning, beautifying yourself for your big moment, while the other follows your fiancé and his nervous preparations. I'd love to catch a glimpse of my fiancé looking a bit worried. I know he'd have a good sense of humour about it! But I also think, that if a single photographer produces such amazing photos then it's important to choose him or her.
  
• How long will it be before we see our wedding photos?
  Some photographers have a 2 week turn around, others spend more time and the photos arrive later. One of my friends received their wedding photos 9 months after their wedding, that's a bit extreme I think. It depends on your album but expect a reasonable turn around.
  
• What would you do if it rains?
  Or if it snows, which it has done recently? Or if the groom breaks a leg? Or if aliens abduct the best man? A good photographer will know what to do in all these occasions because he'll be experienced and have contingency plans.
  
• Do you do an engagement shoot?
  An engagement shoot gives you the chance to not only have some lovely pictures of you and your fiancé, but also it gives you the opportunity to learn your best angle, to relax in front of the camera so that when it's your Big Day you will be able to take the best photographs you can. 

I think you should really go with your gut on this one. You will know what you think are the best photos, you will know how much of your budget you will want to dedicate to photos. 

Beyond Excited

My wedding is 14 months away, but it's predominant in my  mind. I was trying to work out why. Of course, it's going to be an amazing day and there's a lot to organise, but why is it so exciting? My fiancé and I have been together for almost 8 years, engaged for 18 months, and although I'm very excited to become Mrs Wong (and as I'm a teacher the kids will be calling me Mrs Wong quite a bit) it really is just one day, and what will change really? 


Here are the reasons I came up with as to why I'm so excited, and why you should be too! 

• You get to be the main attraction, the centre of attention:
  I'm not a huge fan of being the centre of attention, not all the time, but when it's something special like your birthday or a promotion, it's nice to be the centre of attention, and weddings count too! All that planning and time and stress you've put in are finally worth it!
  
• Taking his Surname
  That's if you are taking his surname, but I'm looking forward to taking his name so much! His surname is a lot more interesting than mine and it'll be lots of fun! It's not very feminist of me to look forward to changing my name, but it's a little special thing that I think is really nice.
  
• Breaking the Dress Diet!
  Although you'll be very proud of all the weight you've lost, how you've avoided carbs and fat for the last year and spent every waking moment at the gym, finally.... Finally! You can eat a big main meal and have a pudding and then eat cake after it!
  
• Seeing your man all dressed up!
  If your hubby-to-be is like mine, he doesn't get dressed up very often. The chance to see him all dressed up in a proper wedding suit looking suave with his hair done is just wonderful! I'm looking forward to that!
  
• Match Making
  Arranging your seating plan meant that you could seat your gorgeous single friends together, and who knows what might happen? Looking forward to the reception and all the fun it may bring is another fun part of planning your big day, and something else to look forward to!
  
• The Dress
  Many women want to be a princess for a day, and most of us don't get many opportunities to dress up nicely. In my job, there's not much point dressing up nice unless I want paint, playdough, sick and other unmentionables all over my clothes so this one day is a chance for me to dress up and look completely beautiful (I hope). And the dress: my one chance to wear a princess dress and have a princess day.
  
• The First Dance
  After all the practising and rehearsing and changing the song this way and that way, it's finally time to show all your guests your first dance. I'm especially looking forward to my wedding dance because we're starting dance lessons in October so we will have worked really hard on it. I have two left feet and don't want to let my dance guru fiancé down, and I am excited to see everyone's reactions!
  
• The Reception
  A big party with all your friends and family! What could be more fun! All the music you personally enjoy, everyone being merry and a bit tipsy and celebrating your marriage to the man of your dreams! I can't think of a more enjoyable party! I'm really looking forward to that!
  
• The Honeymoon
  I've told fiancé I don't want to know anything about the honeymoon, I want it to be a complete surprise, all I want him to tell me is what kind of clothes I need to pack!  You may think I'm utterly insane but I'm taking over the wedding planning, it'll be good for him to have something that's his and he can decide about. I'm so looking forward to it because I know nothing about it. It'll be amazing! 

All in all, my excitement is fairly understandable. There is so much to look forward to! If your bride harks on a bit too much about the wedding, talking about dresses and invites and cars and orders of service, then give her some leeway, because now you know why she's so excited! 

Wedding Magazines

There are a sea of wedding magazines out there. I have bought at least one copy of all of them, but I prefer to buy three of them regularly, because I like the ones that fit in your handbag. Most of the smaller magazines also have larger options, but I prefer to buy the smaller ones. 


Below is a quick guide to the magazines as far as I see them. They are fairly similar really but I'm sure everyone will have their favourites.


For buying magazines about wedding flowers, buy the magazine in the same season your wedding will be. My wedding is in spring so I will be buying Wedding Flowers magazine in spring. It will be filled with spring flowers and give me a chance to have a look before talking to my florist. 


General Magazines

Wedding Ideas This is my favourite magazine. It doesn't have many articles but I like it because of the way it shows the real life weddings, all the products and ideas it displays and because of the bright colours and friendly layout. I think it's the most accessible of all the wedding magazines and it comes in a handy, handbag size.
Perfect Weddings Very similar to Wedding Ideas, this magazine is again packed full of fantastic wedding ideas with articles to give you tips on anything from booking your photographer to dealing with difficult bridesmaids. The photos are clear and easy to look at. They also have articles about real weddings, but where Wedding Ideas titles the real weddings with the couple’s name, Perfect Weddings titles them with a phrase relating to that wedding.
You&Your Wedding I see this wedding magazine for a more sophisticated bride. The articles aren’t as bright and colourful and the way they present the real weddings are a bit less accessible than in Wedding Ideas. It’s a very good magazine with a lot of good information and helpful tips.
Wedding Magazine Not handbag sized, but still packed full of fab ideas for your weddings. It’s good to have a look at all the different styles of wedding dresses that they have. Wedding is dissimilar to the other magazines, coming from a different angle.
Cosmo Bride From the popular magazine, Cosmopolitan, comes Cosmopolitan Bride. With the same tone and mood of Cosmo, Cosmo Bride covers similar issues as featured in the other magazines but it’s a full size magazine and packed full of useful information.
Brides Another magazine filled with ideas that a new bride-to-be could cut out and start building ideas from. Some articles with tips for dealing with suppliers and looking for venues, Brides is another good place to get some good ideas.

A lot of the magazines are the same but they all have different material in them and are all worth a look. Some are released weekly, some come out monthly. Either way, you will have a lot of opportunities to get lots of ideas.

Confetti the Shop

Much has been in the news about shops going bust since we entered the recession. One of those shops was Confetti, a wedding supplier. I think they are fab and I was really disappointed when their shop closed down in Birmingham. Now that I have some wedding savings saved up, I was going to spend a lot of it on favours at Confetti. I was delighted when I found the website was still going. 

Hobby Craft

You can order online!


I was looking for wedding favours. I'd been to Hobby Craft, willing to make the favours myself. There's some beautiful ideas from Hobby Craft but not everyone has the time to sit and make wedding favours for 100 guests!


I was on the Confetti website, looking at comparing prices, and I found the favour boxes I wanted in the colours I wanted them for half their regular price! Confetti often do sales or discounts so it's worth keeping your eyes open for a good bargain. I ordered the boxes right there on the spot. I wanted to do a mix of boxes and bags, so that not everyone gets the same wedding favour. I bought the bags from Hobby Craft but I bought the boxes from Confetti. When they arrived, they were absolutely fantastic! 

The favours for my wedding.

The boxes I ordered were already assembled with the ribbons on them and they cost less than it would have to buy the boxes unassembled and the ribbon separately. Like I say, they were reduced so I got quite a bargain! 


One of the features I like on the Confetti website is that you can search by colour scheme. My colour is lilac, as you can see from the ribbons on the boxes I ordered and I was able to look up other items that were along the same colours. 


If you're into photography as much as I am, Confetti has a good deal on disposable cameras for the tables. (Actually, the way I'm going for my wedding, I'm thinking of putting so many things on the tables there won't be any room for the food!) Often disposable cameras don't turn up a lot of good photos, but for me I wouldn't want to miss out on a spontaneous photo that really captures the mood of the day.

Bubbles!

I also like the idea of bubbles on the tables. Not sure how many adults are into bubbles, but if you have a few children at your wedding they will be entertained by a bottle of bubbles. I was at a christening recently and the children were all captivated by bubbles. it's a fantastic way to keep kids entertained during a long day. 


A increasingly popular trend in recent weddings are tea lights on the tables. When the lights go down, while the venue are preparing the evening tables, the little candles are lit and set a really wonderful atmosphere for the evening. I've included a photo from my best friend's wedding that my fiancé took to demonstrate how effective tea lights can be. 

My best friend's wedding

I'm also including a link to Confetti's special offers. I found the boxes I'm using just by chance in the special offers section of the website so I think it's worth a look to see if something you really want for your wedding is available there. 


I'm not on commission for Confetti, but I see a good idea and I think that, bride to bride, we could really benefit from using a service that provides so much at a reasonable price. Weddings cost so much, if you can get a bargain anywhere I think it's best to pass on those tips. 


If you have any money saving tips, please leave a comment and I will blog about it.

The Dress - Some Tips

If there was only one thing that would be the focus of your wedding, one thing that stands out above all others, it will be your dress. People will gush and coo over it, talk about how it suits you and how well it fits you, it will be the centre of attention as much as you are.
More importantly, it's how the dress makes you feel. Do you feel comfortable and a princess in your dress? Here are some tips that I've put together to help choose a dress: 

Dress by Benjamin Roberts

• Start looking early, but not too early. If you start looking a year to nine months before your wedding you will have lots of time to enjoy the fun of trying on dresses, relaxing and having your pick of dresses. If you're having a bespoke wedding dress made, try not to leave wedding dress hunting any later than six month

• Collect pictures from magazines and the internet of the dresses however it's important to be aware that dresses look one way posed on a model in a magazine but very different in the real world. I tried on a dress that I loved and I later saw in a magazine - I wouldn't have chosen that dress from looking in the picture in the magazine but it looked fabulous on. 

• Make sure the gown you're going for suits the ceremony you're having. More 

  

  Dress by VEROMIA 

  importantly, have the dress you want, but also be mindful of your venue. Church or religious weddings tend to have the bigger dresses with a train, civil ceremonies tend to have the more slinky dresses. But saying that, my sister-in-law had a gorgeous slinky dress for her church wedding to my brother and she looked amazing so I think it's more important to have the dress you want. 

• Work out a rough budget for your dress. There's no point falling in love with a £2000+ dress if you only have £500 in your budget. If you're like me, once you've fallen for a dress, no other will compare. And if it cost £20 or £2000, you will work hard to have it. 

• Make an appointment. Some dress shops will let you walk off the street but it's best 

  

  Dress by Tia by Benjamin Roberts

  to make an appointment so that you can be sure you'll have all their attention and you won't be sharing the mirror with another bride. Some shops such as Princess Brides, Staffordshire dedicate a whole floor of the shop to you and give you a glass of bubbly! 

• When choosing someone to take to your first try on, take someone who will give you an honest and frank appraisal of how you look. We don't want brutal honesty, but a clear, decisive opinion will help you get an idea of what suits you. I'm taking my mum. She has a keen eye on clothes that suit me, but she also has her own very definite ideas of what my dress should look like. While I value mum's opinions, I will be firm over what I want.

• If you're aiming to lose weight for your wedding, remember to let the lady in the shop know. Maybe a lace up back would be the way to go? That would cut down on the need for adjustments.

• It might be a good idea to go with a strapless or a flesh coloured bra and underwear when trying on your dress, just to give you a more accurate idea of what you'll look like on the day.

• Things to ask the shop include payment plans, can you pay in instalments? Will you need to pay a deposit? Are alterations extra? Will they keep the dress at the shop for you or will you need to take it home? How long will the dress take to come in? 

• Don't keep looking after you've chosen your dress. Once you've picked it and put down the deposit or paid for it, don't look at or try on another dress. You will only torture yourself.

Choosing a dress is one of the most enjoyable parts of planning your special day. Make the most of it. 

My Venues - Key Questions

I've started to build some ideas for looking at venues. I was convinced there were almost no nice wedding venues in the West Midlands but after lots of searching (and some help from my mum!), I've found quite a few!

There are lots of different types of venues: country grandeur, city chic and quirky unique. I'm going to blog about all these different types of venue, linking in to venues all around the UK which fit into these ideas, but personally I'm looking for a venue with country grandeur. I want the long drive, the rolling hills, the grand country house with all the history and beautiful, romantic architecture.

Before I go to these venues, I've got my Bride Ideas notebook on me and a space to jot down some questions ready to ask the wedding coordinators. Here are some of my ideas for questions to ask:

• Maximum capacity
  This is an important question because it also says how many people you can invite. If you're having a 300 guest wedding extravaganza, a venue that only holds 60 guests isn't going to work for you.
  Also ask how those guests are seated. A venue that recommends 60 guests but can hold 100 may use long tables instead of circle tables. If you have your heart set on circle tables, this type of venue wouldn't be for you.
  
• Exclusive use
  Are you happy to share your venue with another bride? Some venues are exclusive because they don't have room for another wedding, other venues charge for exclusivity.
  
• Car parking
  This might sound like a boring question, but you will have a lot of people attending your special day. Making sure they have sufficient space to park their cars is just one small step into making the day enjoyable for everyone.
  
• Confetti
  Does the venue allow confetti to be thrown? Is it certain types of confetti? Are you allowed to sprinkle confetti on the tables? Some venues are listed and don't allow confetti to be thrown.
  
• Staying over
  After a long day, you may want to collapse into a hotel bed with the prospect of a hotel breakfast the next day. Can you stay over at your venue? It would mean putting off the tidying up, moving things about and final payments until the next day.
  
• Bride and Groom Room
  Is there a room the bride and groom could have a private five minutes? It's a busy day, you might want five minutes to just take a break. If you can stay over, this might be your hotel room, or if not staying over there might be a spare room for a sit down and a drink.
  
• Quiet spaces
  At the end of the night, when the music is loud, is there a place your older guests can go to be quiet? When looking for venues, I have discounted venues that didn't have a separate room or space for my older guests. Not everyone likes loud music, and to have a good atmosphere at your wedding it's important to make sure everyone has a good time. At my friend's wedding in the summer, guests were standing outside or sitting on the garden furniture outside, would that be possible for your guests?
  
• Menus and Prices per Head
  Ask for some sample menus to get some good ideas of the type of food you will get for your budget. Look at the prices per head and what that includes. Per head, your price could include red carpets, drinks, canapés, and a room for the night. Compare that to other prices where drinks are separate or extra.
  
• Carriages
  Some venues have carriages at 12:30, others will go to 1:00am. Some venues, such as hotels, will have carriages at 12:30 but allow you to continue the party in the hotel bar until you feel like going to bed.
  
• Cancellation policy
  Of course we are not going to cancel but if we do, how much of the deposit will we lose? Things happen, make sure if anything does happen that you know what costs you will need to pay. Read all your terms and conditions!
  
• Payment Dates
  There will probably be dates when you need to make certain amounts of payments with a final payment the morning after your wedding, if you sleep over.
  
• Marriage licence
  Do you want to get married at your reception venue? You will need to make sure that the venue has a marriage licence so that this is popular.
  
• The less common things:
  If you'd like fireworks at your wedding, Chinese lanterns or an arrival by helicopter, remember to ask your venue if they allow these.

I'm taking these questions and ideas with me as I go to visit venues and I'll write a review of the ones I'm going to see. I'm only looking for myself in the West Midlands, but I'll try to recommend venues all over the country. 

Wedding Books

There is a sea of wedding books out there. Some are helpful, some are not. It depends what kind of help you need. 

My Recommendations:

• The Wedding Companion
  A ring binder folder filled with information and spaces for you to write your own information. I'm using mine to keep all my suppliers contracts, wedding insurance and printed out emails. Tanya's information is interesting too and provides a few hints and help.
  Buy it on Amazon
• Bride Ideas
  An invaluable organiser, ready for keeping notes no matter how many ideas you have. It's a coil notebook with pre-set places for bridal notes. I find it really useful for comparing venues, suppliers, looking at different quotes and deciding on the best one to go with.
  But it on Amazon
• Wedding Babylon
  A frank and honest look behind the scenes of the wedding industry through the words of a wedding planner.
  Buy it on Amazon

These are the books I actually own and use myself, but there are other books you could buy or borrow from a library: I've reviewed the books below, I think they're pretty good and fairly useful. 

Useful for keeping all your notes together:

• Wedding Planner - On Amazon
  
• Wedding Notes Theme Mini Notebook - On Amazon
  
• Wedding Planner: Journal for Notes - On Amazon

Guides to Planning You Wedding

• Beautiful Weddings: Hundreds of Stylish Ideas for Your Big Day - on Amazon
  
• The Ultimate Wedding Ideas Book - on Amazon
  
• Creative Wedding Ides (Everything (Weddings)) - on Amazon
  

The sea of wedding books out there, it's difficult to decide which ones to buy. If you want the most up to date information, the magazines are the best to buy. The books are nice to keep, to put with all your wedding things after it's all over. 

Check List

We've set a date! We have chosen a date for our wedding. This all makes it seem that little bit more real. Fiancé didn't think we needed to set a date just yet but I pointed out that things need to get done and he relented. He says he can see how much it means to me! Next Easter I will be Mrs Wong!! Eeeeek!


Right, so we need to get things sorted! I've thought of a check list just to get my ideas in my head. There are lots of check lits out there, you can google search for some ( google search ) or there are loads in the wedding magazines, but I've prepared one here. A users guide to preparing for a wedding.


To start with:

• Talk with my fiancé about the type of day we're going to have: is it a big do/a small do? Is it here or abroad?
• What type of ceremony are we going to have? A church or a civil ceremony?
• Decide on the budget
• Start looking at venues - when you know venue capacity, you will know how many people you can invite!
• Start attending wedding fayres! Even if you don't book anyone from a fayre you can see different suppliers and see different styles. Some suppliers take cakes, bouquets and samples to fayres so you can get a really good idea

Then (about a year before):

• Ask your friends to be bridesmaids, but have a real think about it. Make sure you know who you want, girls who will be there for you no matter what!!
• Book your ceremony!
• Look at photographers and choose one
• Begin looking for the dream dress!
• Start thinking about your guest list - make some notes, group people by must haves, and maybes... this will be harder than you think!

Next (at about 9 months before):

• Start visiting venues and trust your gut! If you love the first venue, then book it straight away. If you have to look at 10 venues until you find the dream venue then so be it. 
• Try to order your dress about now, but some girls may find it harder to find the perfect dress, so don't worry too much
• Choose and book your florist
• After tasting some lovely cake samples, book your cake
• Order or buy your stationary
• Speak to your bridesmaids about their dresses, are you going to dictate to them what they're wearing or do they have a choice?

After that (at about 6 months):

• Order the bridesmaid dresses you discussed
• Book a honeymoon - yay!
• Book your transport, if you're using any
• Select a hair-dresser or makeup artist
• If you're having a church do, select some readings and who will read them
• Look into hotels for your guests
• If you're getting wedding rings made, start getting them made now

Then (at about 3 months):

• If you're not getting them made, look into buying them now
• Send out your invites!! - I like that bit!
• Think about what kind of wedding favours you want, and order them
• Make sure you have your wedding night accommodation
• Have some trials at your hair dresser and make-up artist

Next (at about 2 months):

• Confirm your menu with your venue or caterer
• If you have your RSVP's, you can start your seating plan
• Choose your DJ and think about what music you want, how about your first dance music?

Then (at about 1 month to go):

• Give all your suppliers' contact details to your venue so they can help if there's a problem
• You will have your finally dress fitting!
• Make sure your grooms men and ushers know what you want them to do
• Make sure all your stationary such as menus and place cards

2 Weeks to Go!

• Sort out your honeymoon clothes! Yay!
• Make sure your photographer has all your 'must have' photos
• Make sure you have everyone's thank you gifts all ready 

The Week Before

• Check everything is organised for your honeymoon
• Make sure everyone knows where they have to be, confirm times and details with key people
• Have your wedding rehearsal

The Day Before Your Big Day

• Sort out your nails, manicure at the very least! 
• Make sure luggage and everything like that is where you want it
• Sometimes you might need to take decorations to your venue
• Finally, make sure you relax! 

That's a lot to think about! I think it helps to have these things broken down into chunks. It's important to remember this timeline isn't set in stone. You don't have to do all of the things in the list but it is a guide to help organise things.