In April this year my Mum reached a milestone birthday, not sure she’ll want me to broadcast the age so I better keep that a secret! We have a large family, at the last count I have 7 aunts/uncles + 8 cousins (just on my Mums side) and I won’t even start on the cousins children! We are all over the country and don’t always get the chance to see each other.

My Mum wanted everyone together for a lunch so after some venue searching we confirmed the gorgeous Downhall Hotel in Hertfordshire. I asked the delightful Emma at A Bespoke Design to design an invitation for us which my Mum loved.

With 25 adults + 15 children accepting the invitation we were thrilled that Rebecca reserved the Ibbetsons room which had an adjacent room ideal for the children to ‘hang out’ in! We bought some of our smaller games from Dream Occasions Hire and the children played perfectly until my ex sergeant cousin started teaching the children to use them as missles – honestly some people never grow up!

I asked Ilknur from Mediterranean Occasions to cover the conference chairs and add her lace tie backs.

I knew we didn’t have space for many flowers and with 15 children candles were a NO but I did manage to place some arrangements on the tables, I wanted to keep it elegant but informal as it was family after all.

My Mum goes away a LOT so I had to have a cake that reflected her love of holiday! Sarah from Sugarsponge Cakes did a fab job creating a suitcase cake for us. Calling for ‘cutting’ of the cake was much easier then when I have 200 guests at a wedding!

Good food and service was important to my family and the staff at Downhall outdid themselves, the attention to detail was not unnoticed by any of us. The food was delicious, the staff friendly and professional and the ambience perfect. Staff even helped us arrange a photoshoot outside Downhall entrance which was beyond the call of duty. I can’t even begin to reiterate my thanks to them.

We had such a great time, why? Because it gave us a chance to catch up with family within a relaxed atmosphere. Perfect!

So does anyone else have familiy events to organise this year?

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

So I thought I would share a proposal video with you instead, it’s a long one I pre-warn you and simple it is not! This was orchestrated by ‘Mobbed’ a Fox TV series in the US which puts a hidden-camera spin on the “flash mob” concept. Host Mandel and hundreds of strangers help special guests plan extraordinary surprises for friends, family members, loved ones or co-workers.

In this episode they plan an elaborate proposal, enjoy!

I was contacted recently by Rollasole about their pumps that roll up for your handbag but in particular the range of ‘wedding boxes’ for guests who simply can’t dance in their heels a moment longer! anyone that knows me will appreciate I am not a lover of heels, I really wish I could wear them for hours but the honest truth is, I travel to meetings in my boots then change into my heels! Not very trendy is it but hey that’s me! So, when I found out about this company I thought how clever.

Who are Rollasole?

Rollasole was founded in 2008 when Matt Horan decided there had to be an alternative to the obligatory “piggy back” home after a night out with his lady. From that point Matt developed and patented the unique roll-up shoe.

The Wedding Box

The wedding boxes contain 6 small, 12 medium and 6 large Rollasoles all in a classic pewter colour to match any dress and are perfect as either a wedding favour or even just to add another special touch to make the day even more memorable. Each Rollasole comes individually rolled up with their own high-heel carry bag and tied with a white ribbon.

The Cost

A box of 24 pairs of Rollasole shoes for 24 guests is £144.95 (about £6 per rollasole)

A special discount

Rollasole have been incredibly generous and are offering a 20% discount to my readers, to quality go t their website and enter the following code at checkout RLLAWED

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

Garden games currently available include:

• Giant Connect 4
• Giant Jenga
• Snakes & Ladders
• Wooden & foam dominoes
• Limbo
• Rounders
• Wooden Croquet
• Pick up sticks
• Bouls
• Quoids

Prices and further information can be seen via our hire website

When I spoke to Suzy about what makes her stand out she said “My background is in fine art, so I’m able to combine beautiful lettering with stunning visual imagery whilst using traditional sign writing techniques”

Heart chalkboard (30x30cm): £10 + £2.50 p&p.

Scrolls: “Just Married” or “True Love”: £25.

Personalised with couples’ names and wedding date: £30 + £2.50 p&p.

Big heart and scroll sign (90×90 cm): £65 + p&p £5.00

Chalkboard “pointy” (either sign written with “Wedding” or left blank for your own words 30 x 45cm) : £12.00, or 6 for £60.

Elaborate, Victorian- style wedding sign: (70 x 20 cm)£45.00 + p&p £3.00