Thursday 17 February 2011

LEGALS...

If you wish to marry in England or Wales you have a few options.

If you would like a religious ceremony this must take place in a place of worship that has been registered. You can't hold a religious ceremony on a premises authorised for civil ceremonies. Or, if you wish to have a civil ceremony, you can do this at any register office or approved premises that has been granted a licence and vice versa you cannot have religious ceremonies at these premises.

Unfortunately you can't get married outside in this country, unless it’s under a permanent structure. Although this can be a gazebo. If this totally ruins your idea of getting married in a forest, beach or middle of a field, you can have the legals done in a reg. office and then do a humanist ceremony performed by a celebrant.


A beautiful outside gazebo to marry under, that is as near to nature as you can get, is at Gants Mill

Once you’ve chosen a venue, see if they have the date you want available, then ask if they can provisionally hold it while you visit the reg. office. Most venues should be happy to hold a date for a week or so, if you show you are serious.

You must then visit the reg. office and 'give notice'. This is a legal statement you must give in the district you live and they charge a fee for doing so. Visit your local reg. office to find out fees as they vary. You must then wait 16 days before the marriage can take place.

Documents they require are a valid passport and something to show proof of address, such as a utility bill. Divorce papers if applicable or if you have been widowed a death certificate.

Let the venue know the time you have agreed with the reg. office to perform the ceremony and on the day you have the choice of seeing the registrar together or separately.

Make sure you’re sober too. One too many glasses of Champagne and they may refuse to marry you!!...

Saturday 12 February 2011

WHAT TIME OF YEAR?
Are you a winter person? or a Summer person? Do you love fall? Or could think of nothing nicer than primroses and daff's? After you have an idea of how much you can spend, next is to think when do I want to spend it?

Perhaps your love of easter eggs may influence your wedding?


Pricture taken from threeapplesevents.com

Or Summertime ice cream?


Picture taken from Greenweddingshoes

Lodges in Scotland and guests sipping whiskey around a large roaring fire during fall....


Picture taken from rocknrollbride

Or love the chill of winter...



Season can also determine costs. If looking at a restaurant venue, August rather than December is going to be cheaper. A barn is of course most popular during summer months. Hotels are busy over Christmas and prices can rise high. October/February is normally quiet for all venues and deals can normally be made.
If looking abroad, make sure the first thing you do is check climate as you don't want monsoon rain or fainting at the alter due to heat!....

Friday 11 February 2011

MY WEDDINGS WORKSHOP will be attending its first wedding fayre at Future inn's, Cabot circus, Bristol on February 27th 2011.

Admission is free and so will my advise on planning your big day.

You will be able to purchase places for MY WEDDING WORKSHOP....
For further info. please visit - Love actually weddings

I look forward to seeing you there =)

Sunday 6 February 2011

BUDGET


Your first question when planning your wedding should always be 'What's my budget?'



I always start by putting everything you may want into the budget, then once you get the shock of the total, that's when you go back in and narrow your selection to high street shoes for the bridesmaids instead of bespoke handmade Italian ones...

I think it's always the smaller items that get over looked at first that can add to the budget last minute. Tea and coffee is often missed or children's favours etc. 

You must be very realistic about how much things cost too. I spoke with a bride recently that has a wedding in a large cathedral, sit down meal for 100 and after party for 150 and her flower budget is £70. There are certainly ways of cutting your flower costs down but this is extreme. 

Look at useful cost guidelines and advise on sites such as these - 

The Wedding Community

The Budget Savvy Bride

Pocketful of dreams

Please be aware that wedding website's do have their on ideas on how much things cost and they don't match with reality. Always get three quotes from suppliers but remember the cheapest is not always best but sometimes can be. Read testimonials and go with your gut feeling.

Budget sheets are great but doing on paper can mean alot of rubbing out, so I suggest an online budget planner. Microsoft excel is great as it works out the total as you go along and you can make it work out price per head. 

The Wedding community is a great website with loads of useful info. and wedding budget tools to help you with your finance.
 
If you have skills in your family then do use them. This normally includes Aunties that can make cakes, cousin's in design to do your stationary or a brother that's a DJ. If your not sure though, get in an expert =)

 



Please visit Rosie Parsons blog to check out a stylish and classic wedding I organised at riverstation for Angie and James late last summer...

Hi, My first blog!!!...
I guess I should tell you a little about what I do. I'm a mum of two, Phoenix 21/2 years and Star who is 7 months and I also plan people's weddings!!..

I'm going to be posting weekly blogs on different elements of planning your wedding, to help you with your big day. I also do wedding workshops based at riverstation in Bristol. Please contact me for dates and availablity, Here's some more info on this -

Starting in January 2011, riverstations wedding planner (Michele Jetzer) will be running workshops to give brides-to-be (or grooms-to-be) a little help with the sometimes daunting task of planning the big day. The workshops are open to all - you don't have to be getting married at riverstation and bridesmaids, matrons-of-honour and friends of the bride/groom are all welcome.

These workshops will help with both the creative and practical side of planning a wedding and are a really great place to start. All aspects of wedding planning will be discussed, from organising the budget to top design tips. Each workshop will introduce a different guest speaker from some of Bristol's best wedding suppliers to talk in detail about their specialist subject (from wedding flowers, to dresses, cakes or catering), so that you can choose which workshop will be most beneficial to you. There will also be exclusive discounts available.

Tickets are just £55 and in addition to the workshop include morning coffee and a 2-course lunch with wine.