Wedding Cake Toppers!

No wedding blog would be complete without mentioning the obligatory wedding cake topper which comes, nowadays, in many different shapes and styles to suit couples' varying tastes and interests.

Traditional or modern, safe or plain wacky? We opted for the wacky, commissioning the wonderful cake company Spin Spin Sugar to create our rather unusual cake topper: vintage-style Scrabble letters displaying the initials of our first names.

Alli, brilliantly talented cake maker and designer at Spin Spin Sugar, understood our brief precisely and set about making the letters from sugar paste with a wood-effect wash. Alli suggested we place the topper on the middle tier instead of the more usual top, as she felt this would set off the quirkiness of our cake.

Whether you love or hate our cake topper, I hope it's given you some inspiration as to what you might like to adorn your wedding cake. The point is, you don't have to have the usual bride-and-groom figurines. Feel free to be adventurous!

Wedding Videos are Bang On Trend!

Sorry I've been quiet of late. Hubby and I upped sticks a few months back, and it's taken me a wee while to get back to blogging. But I'm all plugged in now so lots of wedding tales and tips will follow suit. Indeed, there's no time like the present...

As our paper anniversary draws ever closer (still can't believe I've been married for nearly a year) I was reflecting on how glad I am that we commissioned a video of our wedding. Yes, that's correct – a wedding video... yes, really... don't be alarmed! The new and improved wed-vid is back to stay, and it's worth investing in a proper videographer to film it.

On my wedding day, there were so many little details I just didn't notice, mainly due to euphoria mixed with sheer exhaustion. It's hard work trying to take everything in on the day, so it's a real relief to discover so many special moments are captured in your wedding video.

Gone are the days when wedding videos were valiant but less successful attempts by Uncle Bob, usually amounting to shaky shots of decapitated guests. The humble wedding video has now been elevated to something with true artistic merit: highly stylised and well edited with an accompanying DVD soundtrack to boot. It's more of a mini Hollywood movie than a traditional wed-vid and, of course, you and yours truly get to play the starring roles.

Videographers' fees can vary wildly but if you do a little research you'll find plenty of competent people out there who'll offer reasonable packages. My advice is make sure you see plenty of samples of their work and if it warms your cockles and suits your budget, go for it!

Our own videographers from Ignite were absolutely fantastic. They understood precisely our wedding theme, and made sure our ideas were reflected in the end product. They were unobtrusive when filming on the day, and the final footage was very natural and extremely heart-warming. You could tell the Ignite team put heart and soul into the editing process, producing a high-quality film full of unforgettable moments that we'd enjoy watching over and over again. So before I well up, here's a link to our highlights video courtesy of Ignite. You never know, it might just help you decide whether wed-vids are your cup of tea!

Wedding Photography

How do you choose your wedding photographer? Nowadays there are so many photographers and packages to choose from that it can seem like an impossible task. But don't fret, here are a few key questions you can use to help you to establish potential candidates:

• How did you get into photography?
• Can we see some samples of your work?
• Describe your photographic style?
• How do you deal with bad weather/bad light?
• Will you personally be shooting the photos on the wedding day?
• Will you bring an assistant photographer with you on the day?
• Do you carry spare equipment in case of failure?
• What happens if you're ill/late for the wedding?
• Will you provide a written contract?
• Do you have insurance? If so, what does it cover?
• What does the photography package include, e.g. engagement shoot, wedding albums, DVDs, editing and touch-ups, and is VAT included?
• How much input we will have in terms of image editing, and choosing photos for our wedding album?

Using these questions as guidance will help you to quickly weed out the bad eggs from the good but, ultimately, you should just trust your instincts. You need to comfortable with the person who'll shoot what are likely to be your most precious and personal photographs. If you find you have a good rapport with the person in front of you, and their quote fits your budget, then they could be for you!

I'd also highly recommend the website Wonderland Avenue, which showcases a hand-picked selection of wedding photographers who offer all different styles and packages. Happy hunting!

Wedding Flowers on the Cheap!

I'm sharing something very useful today – how to do wedding flowers on the cheap! I spent about £200 on flowers – good going when you think some brides spend the same amount on their bridal bouquet alone! Everyone has different priorities I guess, and I decided to keep my floristry budget to a minimum. Here's what I did (with lots of pretty pictures).

Firstly, I decided whether I actually liked the idea of flowers at my wedding, and when that turned out to be a yes, I considered the types of flower that would make my heart sing. After a long time spent reading mags and cutting out pictures, I came up with the concept of a mixed bag of dainty wild flowers with that just-picked look.

After that, I employed the best florist on the planet: Becky from Peony Flowers. Becky helped me to design a delicate bridal bouquet, consisting of a variety of seasonal wild flowers. I didn't want anything too large or heavy to hold so I opted for a small-sized bouquet (which also kept costs down).

In addition, Becky incorporated my home-made paper flowers into her arrangements for my bouquet, the bridesmaids' corsages and the groom's buttonhole. The other buttonholes comprised small flowers, similar to those in my bouquet, with stems wrapped in old book pages. Not only did the paper flowers tie in with my vintage theme, but they were also an inexpensive substitute for real flowers. (I'll tell you how to make my paper flowers in another blog.)

I didn't adorn the church venue with flowers, as this was not a priority of mine. For me, the focus was on the ceremony, not the decoration. In any case, the church had already been dressed beautifully with flowers, by the church wardens. Why pay to replace perfectly good stuff, I say?

At the reception venue I used a combination of flowers from a supermarket and my mum's and her neighbour's garden. I displayed the flowers in old jam jars that I'd been collecting for yonks, to add to the home-made feel. The piles of old books added to the vintage theme.

Although I gladly left the production of my bouquet, buttonholes and corsages to the professionals (thank you Becky), I managed to save so much money by creating my own paper flowers and centrepiece arrangements, with the help of Auntie Glinda, my mum and Janine. If you have the time, give it a go! It's not as scary as you might think.

Calling Out from Newly-Wed Area 51!

A weird thing happened about two weeks after we got married...people started to ignore us, even our closest family and friends, and it's still the case now, even though it's four months on!

I'm pretty sure they all enjoyed sharing in our special day – they seemed to laugh, cry, eat, drink and dance at the right times, but I've come to realise it was only on this precise day that they wanted to partake. After that, we were on our own!

It's as if they've decided being newly-wed means hubby and I no longer want visitors, phone calls or texts. It's like they think we'd think they were intruding, trying to burst our beautiful wedded bubble. They've moved swiftly on to the next husband-and-wife-to-be combo, posting hubby and I to some strange sort of Area 51 for newly-weds.

I've observed that this awkward Billy-No-Mates period happens to lots of new married couples. It seems to be the natural order, and we just have to accept our weddings are never going to be as interesting to our guests, once the literal honeymoon is over.

But the frustration is newly-weds do want to see people, and it's a real shame our wedding memories have to be curtailed in order to avoid glazing over of eyes. Hubby and I are still really buzzing from our wedding day; we've probably viewed our video highlights at least 20 times already!

So I was wondering, what's wrong with reminiscing about the biggest day of your life from time to time? It's something we need to do, in a way, to get used to the idea of being married.

Therefore, I'll continue to share my wedding stories, ideas and tips with the only people who'll now care to listen: you my fellow newly-weds and would-be brides and grooms. And I'd love to hear your wedding news too – you don't have to be alone!

Table Plan with a Twist?

This week I thought I'd share with you our bespoke wedding table plan, designed by yours truly. (If you can't see the images clearly, then double click to see them at full size.)

I wanted our table plan to be different – a point of interest with which our guests could engage, instead of rushing straight past in search of much-needed refreshments. I wanted the table plan to tell our love story – the tale of how hubby and I came to be, despite the enormous odds.

I was inspired by funky infographic stationery I'd spied on my favourite wedding website. (If you're looking for alternative wedding ideas this website is definitely for you!) I fell in love with the modern diagrammatic approach to stationery design, and began to think about how it could be applied to our table plan, while still fitting in with our vintage theme. Matthew (yep, here's a link if you're wondering what my husband looks like) is an author and playwright, and I used to teach primary English, so I came up with a concept that suited us both: a table plan, structured like a diagram, that explains how to write a love story.

I positioned the story plot diagram at the bottom of the table plan, with an introduction (our first date); a build-up (our blossoming love affair); a dilemma (our tricky long-distance spell); a resolution (our eventual reunion) and, finally, a happy ending (our wedding day). At the top of the plan, I organised our guests into book chapters (tables) representing the fact that they'd all played a part in our love story. And finally, on the right, I added character profiles for the personality-clashing protagonists (Mat and I), just for humorous effect!

I designed the whole table plan in Word and added clip-art illustrations to jazz things up a bit. Once I was happy with the design, I got it printed professionally on cream A1-sized foam-backed card, which cost around £40. I was very pleased with the end result, and our guests seemed to like it too! I think it offered them the chance to gain a few amusing insights into our relationship, as well as giving them something interesting to do during the drinks reception.

Designing and making your own table plan is so much cheaper than getting someone to do it for you and, if you have the time, it's a lovely way of expressing yourself at your wedding. Make sure you don't print your DIY masterpiece too far in advance of your wedding though, as there's likely to be one or two guests who'll make their excuses at the very last minute.

Are You Sure the Kids Are Invited?

We all know screaming kids are not welcome news at weddings, particularly during the vows or the groom’s heartfelt speech. But with a little thought and careful planning, both you and your little guests can enjoy the big day without shedding unwanted tears. Here are my golden rules for organising a successful kid-friendly wedding:

1: Be realistic

If you decide to invite children to your wedding, you’ll need to accept there'll inevitably be a few noisy interruptions and some little people running around during the proceedings. If this will cause you to smile not frown on your special day then read on.

2: Plan ahead

It’s crucial to write a list of all the children you’re inviting, and to find out the number of kids and their ages. This will help you to plan age-appropriate activities, food and any other necessary resources such as high chairs. If you’re unsure about anything, talk to the kids’ parents. They’ll happily tell you all you need to know.

3: Consider venues 

Assess whether your potential venues are suitable for young guests. Ask staff about  access to toilets, baby-changing or crèche facilities. Will the children have space to let off steam during the reception? Are there safe outdoor play areas? As a very rough guide a child can sit attentively for three minutes plus their age so, at some point, they'll need to get up and move. Although it's a lovely idea, a quirky cave venue may not seem as great when you've got 20 or so under eights running around in the dark, over jagged rocks. Our reception venue had oodles of space, indoors and out, so it was perfect for the 25 youngsters we'd invited.

Especially at the start of the wedding ceremony, make sure your ushers tell parents about the location of toilets etc so they can have quick and easy access. (Note: some families may choose to sit at the back of the venue with their kids, to avoid disturbances. Let them as they probably know best!)

4: Remember the three Fs

Most importantly, remember that most children love the three Fs: food, fun and fascination. Stick to this mantra as much as you can, and you won’t go wrong! 

In future blogs, I'll give you some tried and tested practical ideas for the three Fs which won't break the bank!