We all have those pieces at the back of the wardrobe, bought for yet another wedding/party/job interview but then not worn more than a couple of times. Girl Meets Dress.com reconciles such fashion conundrums perfectly.

The Concept

Girl Meets Dress allows you to hire from over 150 of the best international designers for as little as 90% off their retail price. Hiring a dress allows women to very easily wear more trend led, time-sensitive fashions, while continuing to invest only in those classic pieces which will stand the test of time.

The History

Launched in 2009 by Co-Founders Anna Bance and Xavier de Lecaros-Aquise. Anna had the idea for Girl Meets Dress after leaving Hermes where she was UK PR Manager for 3 years, inspired by the constant lending and borrowing which goes on within the fashion industry. After graduating from the London College of Fashion, she worked in the fashion editorial teams for InStyle, Wallpaper, The Telegraph, Harpers Bazaar etc before joining Hermes PR.

Why I adore it

Whether a bridesmaid, mother of the bride or wedding guest I think there are some fabulous dresses to choose from at a fraction of the cost. I spent far too long browsing the website, especially at the ‘meeting’ category, this could be very useful when attending UKAWP events as I invariably get photographed so its always embarrassing if I wear the same dress twice!

Some of my favourites

 

BRIDESMAID

HALSTON HERITAGE – Red Gathered Dress

HIRE : £59 – RRP: £585

 

MARCHESA NOTTE – Silk Frill Detail Gown

HIRE : £189 – RRP: £1,169

 

WEDDING GUEST

MARCHESA NOTTE – Floral Applique Dress

HIRE : £69 – RRP: £759

 

VELVET – Turquoise Ruched Dress

HIRE : £39 – RRP: £145

MOTHER OF THE BRIDE

YVES SAINT LAURENT – Red Shimmering Silk Dress

HIRE : £129 – RRP: £835

 

ROBERTO CAVALLI – Jewel Floral Dress

HIRE : £129 – RRP: £640

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations you’re engaged! You’re on glad nine, your fiancé has declared his love and asked you to become his wife, you excitedly talk about the future and your wedding day. You dream about the dress, partying with your friends and of course becoming husband and wife.

But, then the panic sets in. Just how do you plan a wedding, where should you begin? Originally published in 2009 my planning guide has been updated to set you on the right path.

What Wedding do you want? (part 3)

I have noticed a difference in budget allocation over the last 2 years due to the economic uncertainty we have all faced, bride and grooms included. Couples are being more realistic about what they can afford and reluctant to get into debt for their wedding (quite rightly so). So if you are newly engaged how can you ensure you spend the money in the right areas?

Parts of my advice below were published on English Wedding blog in 2011

What’s in the wedding ‘pot’?

Think about when you want to get married, is it this year or in 18 months time. Do you have savings set aside for the wedding, if not then work out your expenditure vs your income, what is a realistic amount to save? Add this figure to any contribution from family to give you your realistic budget. Without producing a budget from the outset it is very easy to get carried away and spend money unnecessarily. For example 45% of your budget will normally go on the reception, this only leaves you with 55% for all suppliers, outfits and the ceremony. Are there some family members that will be providing a service or skill as their wedding gift to you? Always have a contingency of about £500-1,000 for those items you never knew you ‘needed’! In order to cut costs think carefully about every aspect of the wedding and what your priorities are, what areas can you save on?

Talented helpers

Ask friends and family or even the local community to actively help you with the wedding. Perhaps someone has a hidden talent like cake making, hair & beauty or does someone have a luxury car that can be used as the wedding transportation. Maybe your in laws are enthusiastic gardeners, they could make up pots of flowers for you to use as centre pieces or line the aisle with.

Homemade with love

Where possible consider getting creative and make the design items for the wedding. Not only will it give your wedding a design edge it will be totally original and memorable.

Get wise

If you need to cut costs then think about what is really important and where money can be saved. Does it matter that all stationery coordinates? Instead of flowers why not have candle holders instead? Candelabras inexpensive to hire and very elegant.

Enthusiasm vs Experience

Contact your local colleges and universities; those studying music could play at your drink reception or maybe there is a university band that would love to entertain you for free? The catering students might want to make canapés or your cake for you. And let’s not forget those studying floristry, I’m sure they would provide their services for free as long as you buy the flowers (wholesale) for them. At the same time though work out what is important to you, if photos are especially high up your list ensure you pay for a professional photographer – this isn’t the time to ruin future memories for the sake of a few hundred pounds.

 

Photo Credit: Kerry Morgan

Earlier in the week I showed you the photoshoot for Bruisyard Hall, part of the shoot concentrated on images to highlight the venues use for the weekend of the wedding, thus the couple relaxing the “morning after”. I couldn’t fit all the images in the previous post so I hope you enjoy them below instead!

 

With Thanks.

Photography – Kerry Morgan

Padded Jackets – Lavenham Jackets

In November I was contacted by the marketing company for Bruisyard Hall, a new wedding venue in Suffolk. They asked whether I would consider helping to organise a shoot which highlighted the feel of a wedding day at Bruisyard (which includes both the hall and barn). To learn more about this beautiful venue please see my venue focus report

There are many planners that organise photoshoots that concentrate on design concepts and hot new trends whose images are then published on wedding blogs or magazines. However that’s not really my style, my strengths lay in the organisation of weddings utilising my 10 years knowledge. After spending that many years viewing venue websites and brochures, I know what sort of shots a bride would expect and what images are important in order to help sell the venue to future clients.

When discussing the relevant style it was agreed understated elegance were our key terms. Although the barn had been totally renovated and was now ready for weddings, the hall was pre renovation (the interior designers are in the hall now!) so we needed to show the beauty and history of the hall, but not concentrate on any of the interior touches.

It was important we showed how a wedding would flow at Bruisyard from using the hall to get ready to the different rooms in the barn for the ceremony and wedding breakfast + the expanse acres of land available to wander through the morning after. It was vital that all those involved in the shoot didn’t over do the design, future brides needed to see the space available and visualise their own wedding theme rather then adopting a design already in place. The beauty of barns in particular is you have a blank canvas to work with thus pretty much any design will work.  We decided to create 2 very simple designs on the day to reflect the elegance and rural setting of the barn.

 

 

 

With Thanks.

When I was asked to organise the shoot I knew it was vital to bring in some of my trusted suppliers to help create the look, they all worked so hard on the day so I cannot thank them enough.

Photography – Kerry Morgan

Flowers – Jades Flowers

Chair Covers – Extravorganza

Table Settings – Chimneys

Bridal Dress & Accessories – Terry Fox

Padded Jackets – Lavenham Jackets

 

 

I’ve been a planner for 10 years and in that time a few clients have wanted their dogs involved in the day. The most memorable was 2 pug dogs who wore fairy wings and were trained to walk down the aisle with the ring in a special sparkly collar. So it was with interest that I came across this article in Modern Dog Magazine celebrity planner David Tutera in case you were wondering why I was reading a U.S dog magazine!

A civil partnership I’m planning this summer will also have their 3 dogs as part of the ceremony & pictures but won’t be staying for the party. If you are intending on having dogs at your wedding here are my 7 top tips.

 

1. Remember not everyone is ‘dog friendly’ so keep the dog on a lead at all times and delegate someone to be in charge. If this is not a family member think about hiring a professional dog walker to be present at the wedding ceremony.
2. Ensure that you keep to your dog’s regular diet and don’t introduce anything new to them. Ahem need I say more then ‘upset tummies’
3. Remember you can’t reason with a dog so if they decide on the day they’d rather sleep under a tree, well let them and resort to your backup pan – you do have a backup plan right?
4. Ensure the ‘dog walker’ takes them for regular walks especially just before the ceremony if they are to play a part.
5. Bring the dogs familiar items like dog bowl and bedding so they have an area they feel comfortable in
6. Ensure the venue are happy with dogs before booking, many rural venues are more then happy for you to bring your dogs
7. If the dogs are to act as ring bearers spend some weeks training them with treats first. If possible take them to the ceremony venue and practice the walk with the music you will have as you entrance playing – loudly. If you can get the dog to walk on command with the background noise there is a much higher chance of success on the day.

Dog lovers out there might like this blog post featuring a dog poem! Falling in love is like owning a dog

Photo Credit: Kerry Morgan

Congratulations you’re engaged! You’re on cloud nine, your fiancée has declared his love and asked you to become his wife, you excitedly talk about the future and your wedding day. You dream about the dress, partying with your friends and of course becoming husband and wife.But, then the panic sets in. Just how do you plan a wedding, where should you begin? Originally published in 2009, my planning guide has been updated to set you on the right path!

What Wedding do you want? (part 2)

Reception Venue

You might already know where you want your wedding reception. Perhaps you hold romantic visions of a castle or if a country girl at heart then I’m sure the barns will draw you in. There are many factors to consider when choosing a venue. Use the tips below as your guide when selecting venues. Also check our venue series http://www.dream-occasions.co.uk/category/weddings/venues to see if we have typed a report on it before.

 

1. Will the wedding take place where you currently live or where you were bought up?  Think about whether you want a city location or would prefer to be surrounded by the countryside. If guests are travelling far then good access would be appreciated. Is it necessary for you to have exclusivity or would the general public wandering around add to the ambience.
2. If you are unaware of venues in the area you wish to marry then you need to start the sometimes tedious and time consuming task of researching. To be successful use a range of methods when trying to find the best venue.
• Speak to family and friends in the area for personal recommendations
• Go onto Google and type in ‘wedding barn Suffolk’ or whatever your preference and location is
• Buy the local wedding magazine like those from County Wedding
• Buy wedding venues & services magazine
• If you wish to have a civil ceremony then does the venue have a license and if so which room? What is the maximum number of guests they can accommodate in a ceremony? Most venues charge an additional fee for a ceremony on top of the registrar’s fee.
3. The cost of the reception can encounter for about 75% of your budget so think about the venue charges. As well as welcome drinks and table wine and of course the wedding breakfast itself.
4. If no Saturday’s are free then are there reductions for mid week weddings?
5. Ask about on site accommodation for you and your guests, much easier being able to stumble back to your room after a hard days partying. Ideally there should be a variety of accommodation near by within a range of budgets. Think about arranging a shuttle service at night to get guests back safely.
6. Can the venue accommodate the number of anticipated guests comfortably? You want to have enough room around the tables for staff to serve proficiently.
7. Will your venue co-ordinator work on your wedding day? Do you have a good rapport with them and can they answer all your questions about how the day will run? If worried consider hiring a planner even if just for the day, I have a range of services that might be suitable you need someone on the day to implement all your ideas and plans. Ask whether they take on all table decorating on the day or whether you need to delegate to someone else.
8. When viewing your venue have a look round the grounds and ask what will be exclusively available for you and your guests on the day. If you anticipate a lot of children then be aware of nearby roads or ponds.
9. When viewing venues look carefully at the décor and general maintenance. A well maintained means the owners care about their venue and as such you their client.

 Photo Credit:Mark Bothwell

 

Back in November I was asked to organise a photo shoot for a new fabulous venue in Suffolk called Bruisyard Hall . Although the Hall has been used as a country retreat for many years the barn had been newly renovated and makes a stunning choice for weddings in Suffolk. I must thank Kerry Morgan for being our photographer on the day whose images are shown below. Next week I will talk about the shoot in more detail but first I want to introduce you to the venue…

 

The History

 

The Hall has been owned for an impressive 400 years by the same local family – the Rous family – whose heritage in the local area dates back to 14th century. Once serving as a Abbey, many original features from the Hall’s construction remain today, including oak staircases, oak-beamed attics and even a ‘Sweet-toned Bell’. Following the dissolution of the monasteries in the 1500s the Hall was rebuilt – this time to include a ‘Priest’s Hole’ – a feature that remains to this day. 

 

17th Century Barn

New for 2012 is the beautifully renovated 17th century barn, although ‘barn’ doesn’t do this venue justice. The barn can accommodate events up to 400 people within its three rooms with under floor heating throughout (fuelled by a wood chip burner using the estate’s wood). Licensed and soundproofed, offering a Banqueting Hall, Medieval Hall and Minstrels Gallery on the mezzanine floor, parking for over 100 cars and a floor to ceiling window with views out to the gardens.

Accommodation

The barn has two en suite bedrooms and the Hall offers a further ten bedrooms, accommodating up to 24 guests in total and allowing you to have the run of Bruisyard Hall’s historic Estate exclusively for your stay.

The Location

Bruisyard Hall is located in Bruisyard, Suffolk. The closest main towns are Framlingham and Saxmundham.

The Ceremony

You have a choice of a small ceremony in the drawing room inside the hall or on the minstrels gallery in the barn. Or for larger weddings the ceremonies can take place in the medieval hall or banqueting hall.

What I love

There are so many aspects I love about this venue but here is a taster:
o Under floor heating in the barn using fuel by a wood chip burner using the estate’s wood – now that’s what I call recycling!
o The dual venue possibility of having the barn & the hall from Friday – Monday
o The fact dogs are welcome – so many of my clients have more then 1 dog so I know they will love this little ‘added bonus’
o The managers dedication to choosing top quality suppliers to work with them
o The setting, sigh, this is 700 acres of Suffolk countryside at its best.

Prices

• 2012 = £6,500
• 2013 = £7000

 

Price includes Hall and Barn, furniture, corkage, exclusive use of 700 acre estate from Fri to Mon. For more information call Paul Daws on 01728 639 000 or complete the contact form here

 

Check back next week for a summary of the shoot organisation and list of fabulous suppliers that assisted us.

 

Photo Credit: The gorgeous Kerry Morgan
 

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations you’re engaged! You’re on cloud nine, your fiancée has declared his love and asked you to become his wife, you excitedly talk about the future and your wedding day. You dream about the dress, partying with your friends and of course becoming husband and wife.But, then the panic sets in. Just how do you plan a wedding, where should you begin? Originally published in 2009, my planning guide should set you on the right path!

Step 1 – What Wedding do you want?

One of the first things I do with clients is to conduct a consultation; this is to determine what style of wedding they want and which suppliers will suit them best. So, although you will not need a consultation with yourself, do compile a questionnaire and go out somewhere relaxing to discuss it. By the end of your evening you should be clear on what you both want from a wedding and most importantly, what you can afford.

1. Talk about when to get married

2. Discuss what you both want from a wedding

3. Compile a rough guest list to get an idea of numbers (you will need this for when you start searching for venues)

4. Discuss type of ceremony i.e religious or civil

5. Talk about the type of venue you would prefer, i.e hotel, manor house, barn, marquee etc

6. Choose wedding attendants

7. Talk about who is paying for the wedding, is it solely you or are parents contributing to part or all of the wedding?

Be organised from the start

You will need somewhere to keep all the wedding documentation. There are many specialist books made especially for this purpose otherwise buy a simple display book or filing folder from your local stationery store. You should keep invoices, supplier letters and pictures you like here, easily assessable when needed. Of course for the technical brides out there, consider having a wedding website where pictures can be stored and guest lists compiled and tracked.

Rough Guest List

It stands to reason that ideally you’d have all your family, friends and work colleagues at your wedding. Remember though that every guest has a price to their head and not just the wedding breakfast, but drink, table flowers, favours and stationery. Create an A & B list, that way if anyone from the A list declines you can invite someone from the b list.

Ceremony type

There are many forms of ceremonies, too many to list here so I have just concentrated on the most popular ones in the UK.One of your first major decisions will be what type of ceremony to have. Will you want a religious or civil ceremony? If you wish to marry in your local church then arrange a meeting with your vicar, most require you to attend church on a regular basis but some are flexible so do check. The banns will be read out in church on 3 consecutive Sundays after which you must marry within 3 months. Try http://www.cofe.anglican.org/lifeevents/weddings for further guidelines.If you wish to have a civil ceremony then contact the registrar in the town you wish to marry. They will then send you a list of licensed venues in that area along with details of local register offices. The earliest you can confirm a date with a registrar is 12 months before, so even if you book a venue 18 months in advance, there is no guarantee on the ceremony time or even availability of a registrar until 12 months.If you are planning a civil partnership then again by contacting your local registrars you will be given a list of licensed venues in the UK.

Alternatively if you want to plan something different then why not have a legal civil ceremony followed by a humanist celebration? These can take place anywhere and are as individual as the couple themselves. You may have any reading, poem, song that you wish and the ceremony can be conducted anywhere, i.e. beaches, cliff tops, gardens, boats etc. go to humanism for further details.

Ceremony Time

Early ceremonies are good if you have lots of entertainment planned and evening guests. A later ceremony is perfect for the same guests all day creating a more relaxed atmosphere. A late ceremony means a late wedding breakfast and reduces the need for evening food. A cheese table with bread and fruit is more then sufficient.

 

 

Photo Credit: Kerry Morgan & Nick Kontou

At the end of December I attended a wedding of a dear close friend, I remember her saying although it was a civil ceremony she desperately wanted guests to sing. We talked about different options but the final choice was a surprise on the day and I’m so glad it was. The song she choose, not the EASIEST to sing that’s for sure, but is one I listen to on my IPOD and many clients have had this as their first dance – what was it? Al Green ‘Let’s stay together’. I simply adore and love this song and frequently sing it (badly) when at home so I was ecstatically pleased this was what she choose.

What made it memorable was the fact the notes are hard to reach so at those points people would be quiet and giggling then when the chorus came everyone would shout it out as if to say ‘Listen to me’! Mind you, maybe that’s the Essex personas coming out, we’re not the quiet and reserved types!

So I’m on a mission to encourage more bride & grooms to have a song for their civil ceremonies. What do you think? Love or loath? For a listen to the man itself go to here  . And for those interested in the words for Al Green here it is!

I’m, I’m so in love with you
Whatever you want to do
Is alright with me
‘Cause you make me feel, so brand new
And I want to spend my life with you

Me sayin’ since, baby, since we’ve been together
Ooo, loving you forever
Is what I need
Let me, be the one you come running to
I’ll never be untrue
Ooo baby

Let’s, let’s stay together
Loving you whether, whether
Times are good or bad, happy or sad

Oooo oooo ooo ooo, yeah
Whether times are good or bad, happy or sad

Why somebody, why people break up
Oh, and turn around and make up
I just can’t seeeeeeeee
You’d never do that to me
(Would you baby)
‘Cause being around you is all I see
It’s why I want us to

Let’s, let’s stay together
Loving you whether, whether
Times are good or bad, happy or sad

Let’s, let’s stay together
Loving you whether, whether

If you are getting married in 2012 have you set yourself some New Year resolutions to ensure the wedding is planned and executed beautifully? If not here are my suggestions:

1. Create a realistic budget and stick to it, more advice on creating your budget can be found via an article I wrote for English Wedding

2. Don’t try and do everything yourself, delegate some tasks to family members or friends who would love to be involved leaving you the fun tasks, you can then act as ‘project manager’ for all delegated menial tasks!

3. Involve your fiancé, it’s their wedding too! Talk about the areas of the wedding which are important to each of you and split up the duties.

4. Make a pledge to spend one evening per week NOT talking about the wedding, you don’t want to get to the wedding night with a deathly silence as you no longer know how to communicate to each other.

5. Remember less is more, do you really need favours, cameras, napkin decorations, wine charmsand trivia cards on the table?!

6. Keep your sanity, do you really have to match the favour ribbon to the bridesmaid dresses? Stop trying to match everything, sometimes using similar tones is more effective.

7. Forward plan, check with your suppliers when they need confirmed information from you, i.e. when is the latest date for the table plan to be printed, when do caterers need dietary choices – use this to then work out when invites need to be posted, allow enough time to print labels and get stamps (don’t forget to check with the post office if it is a regular or large stamp).

8. Remember you are not superheroes, if you become frantic at work or family health issues are making it difficult to organise the wedding, get a professional wedding planner in. Most will offer partial planning services so you are still in control. I cover the East Anglia region, please review my website for further details or for planners in different areas try the UKAWP.

9. Don’t be bullied, you may find family, suppliers and venues will try to enforce their opinions on you. Listen to what they are saying but remember it is YOUR wedding, do what you think is right for your wedding.

10. And finally have fun it’s not often you get the chance to plan a fabulous event with all your friends and family present so don’t get too stressed. If you have a budget and sensible timeline of when tasks need completing you can enjoy planning your wedding.