Bridal jewellery: a detail not to be overlooked

Hello!

Aside from your gown and hair, another very important part of your bridal look are the embellishments you decide to wear i.e, jewelry. They’ll basically depend on a number of aspects such as:

-What time of the day is your wedding? Heavy jewellery should be avoided in morning and early afternoon ceremonies;

-What type of wedding are you having? Is it more formal or casual? That should be taken into consideration as well;

-How’s your dress like? If it’s already embellished with something like pearls, maybe you should keep the unity;

-Are you wearing a veil, a tiara or hair accessories? Again, unity is very important. You don’t want to have your accessories battling each other;

Maybe those will give you some inspiration:

Obviously, Tiffany & Co. has got gorgeous choices of jewellery and we did some research to help you out. If you’re going for golden, have a look at these Fringe Tassel Earrings, the lovely Elsa Peretti Teardrop Earrings, and the glamorous Elsa Peretti Sevillana Drop Earrings. If your jewellery of choice goes more towards a classical pearly  look, the Jean Schlumberger Acorn Earrings might be perfect for you. And as diamonds are indeed a girl’s best friend, have a look at the Tiffany Solitaire Diamond Earrings. Just impeccable.

Other ideas:

From Crystabelle, the Audrey Hepburn Style Pearl Necklace

And from Dulcie Angel Bridal Accessories, this beautiful tiara will make you feel like a princess

Which style suits you most?

Till next time.

Hiring professionals for your ceremony

Recently, I’ve been reading some stories of couples that hired a professional to organise their wedding or a service and got scammed. Basically, people just run away with their money or make up the lamest excuses to justify why you don’t have drinks to serve your guests or why your family suddenly had to go into the kitchen to prep the food and why your bridesmaids are waiting on tables.

We cannot stress enough the importance of research before hiring a wedding planner as well as any other service:

-Get references – call people that were served by them. Testimonials on the website can be  easily forged;

-The web is your biggest ally, google them for complaints and problems;

-If they’re registered companies, check for lawsuits against them;

Don’t rush through things, when possible make the contract yourself! If you can’t, read the one they provide you with very carefully. Essential items:

-A description of everything they are in charge of, specifying quantities, brand of the drinks and the quality of the products to be served during the party.  Whatever they’re supposed to be responsible for HAS GOT to be there;

-Also, mention times for deliveries and for serving;

-If they’re also bringing staff such as waiters, bartenders and cleaners, mention how many people, the activity they’ll perform, how long they’ll stay and how they must present themselves, in terms of uniforms, etc

Don’t forget that also goes for performing artists you hire, such as a band or a DJ, decorations and flowers and whatever else.

Any of those can be easily overlooked when your head’s up in the air with your upcoming wedding, but the memories can be bittersweet afterwards, so keep in mind that this is a service you’re hiring and the contract is a very important part of it. Keep yourself on the safe side so that one of the most special days of your life can be exactly that.

Cheers!

Second wedding style pointers

Obviously, when getting married we all expect it to last forever. But we all also know that sometimes it doesn’t.

There used to be lots of “do’s and don’ts” on the topic, such as “don’t wear white”, “don’t wear long” and  ”do keep it simple”. And even though some people will still give you advice on what’s recommended, truth is that you should follow your heart and instincts for your next ceremony. Did you have a fairy-tale wedding the first time round and wants something simpler for the second one? Or maybe simple was the only thing you could afford back then and now you want to take it to the next level? Go for it. Same as your first wedding, take your cue from the size of your ceremony, season, time of the day and the style you and the groom want to give it.

Fiona Clare has got some really beautiful designs, and if you want to get away from the “first-time bride” look, don’t forget to check the Evening and the Formal Wear sections.

Here we have some gown options that go for the low-key-yet-elegant style:

In terms of hair accessories, veils are not forbidden, though you should opt for a simple one that won’t cover your face. Have a look at our choice of headbands, flowers and hats, you might get inspired!

Hope you liked them! Till next time.

Wedding trends for this year

After hitting all of the major wedding shows this year, this is what we manage to gather as big wedding trends for 2010, straight from the catwalk:

-Lots of lace;

-Strapless corsets with drapes around the waist –  that’s totally in and gorgeous!

-Ruffles;

-Satin and fluidity

Check out some highlights from the Designer Wedding Show:

And a video of the UK Wedding Show in Manchester:

What not to do

Hello again!

Most wedding blogs and websites will give loads of advice and tips on how to organise your big day. Well, that’s not what the Wedinator is about, no Sir.  As they say themselves in their logo, trashing your special day is their prime directive.  And they manage that just fine. But then, people seem to just hand them their work on a silver platter! Seriously, why would you want to wear that on your big day???

Food for thought…

Have a look, you’ll certainly have a few laughs! And also, it’s give you a nice idea of what to avoid if you don’t want to end up there…

Wrapping up six months with music

Music is a big part of life and it was probably connected to your relationship before the wedding. So, it’s very important to decide the kind of music you’re going to dance your first dance as a married couple. More than almost anything else on the ceremony, this is something you should decide together.

Traditional options are musicians, such a string duo/trio/quartet; a full band or a DJ. Mostly, it depends on your taste in music and the musical selection you wish to have playing on your party. Many people opt for a live band and a DJ, so they can alternate ballads with something more upbeat. Which doesn’t mean you can’t have a band play the best of what’s on nightclubs these days.

The good thing about the band is that if they’re experienced enough, there isn’t anything you can ask that they won’t know how to play. The best about the DJ is that the songs will still sound the same no matter what. But most of all, it’s extremely important to discuss the playlist thoroughly with the people you hire. And if it’s the case of live music, do go see them playing somewhere before you close the deal.

If you like female vocals, The BB Collective may be what you’re looking for. They play disco, funk, soul, Motown and ballads. On the other hand, if you’re looking for something a bit more romantic, Gavin Adam Wood, from Live Music Acoustic Love is a songwriter and plays acoustic and covers.

Hope you find the perfect tunes for your wedding!

Memories worth saving

Hi there!

Your wedding day might just be the most perfect day in your life, but then it might not. We know things go wrong sometimes and it’s very likely you’ll be stressed and tense before everything happens. The thing is, months or years ahead you probably won’t remember every little detail from your ceremony, but you’ll remember how you felt. And what better way to help you remember everything else? Yes, exactly, photos and videos. Come on, it’s ok to laugh at it now!

For a while now, photographers have been coming up with all sorts of different ways of showing how your big day went, including photo journals, starting early and following the bride and groom all day, etc.

For the Birmingham and throughout the West Midlands Chris Barber Media has a couple doing beautiful pics.

Shoot it yourself, as the name says, has a different concept for wedding footage, it’s the ultimate DIY, except it’s SIY. Apparently, they train you and your most qualified guests to take photos and film the ceremony. Afterwards, they edit the videos and hand it back to the happy couple to enjoy a completely personal and original film. I don’t know how much I would trust my friends to film my wedding, but it could turn out to be really fun (mostly, if I happen to have video-maker friends… ).

Until next time.

This just in…

Vera Wang Bridal is having a sample sale at Selfridges London this weekend!

Prices start from £750 and dresses are up to 75% off. For more details, click here.

Happy hunting! Hope you find the one!

Moving on with the six-months planner

The second thing on our list of topics to go back to is to finish talking about what you should be doing six months before the big day. After that, we can move on to the wedding show season and all the new amazing trends we’ve been seeing at the shows.

Last time we talked about invitations, and previously decorations and flowers, but that’s not all of it. There’s still catering, photo and video, and music to be decided. Let’s break the items down so they’re not mixed together. In this post we’ll talk about food and you can find more details on the other topics over the next posts, ok?

Considering a wedding menu, the first thing you should think about is the time of the day and whether you’re having a formal meal served or just a cocktail.

If you’re having a morning or early afternoon ceremony, you can have a wedding brunch for your guests, a formal lunch or canapés served over juice and light alcoholic drinks like spritzers and champagne.

In case the wedding is taking place latter in the evening, a formal dinner or a cocktail are the ways to go.

Always:

-Check if the menus are set or if they can be personalised or have ingredients changed;

-Ask for a sample menu! The dishes may look beautiful on pictures, but when the issue is food, you have to try it before.

If you’re out for something different, Ideas Box might just be what you’re looking for: they offer different choices such as ice dreams and sorbet on traditional waffle cones; chocolate fountains; candy floss and popcorn, all in stylish tricycles in designs from the 1930s until the 70s.

Hudson’s Dream Weddings 2010 is out now!

Hi all!

Starting from where we left off yesterday, I should go back to talking about the Designer Wedding Show that just ended today at Battersea Park. But actually, these past couple of weeks have been so crazy, it feels there’s more that I should go back to, like the UK Wedding Show that took place last week at the ExCel Centre, and our wedding planner and all those special tips we try to give you.

But first of all, we’d like to announce that the 2010′s edition of the Hudson’s Dream Weddings book is already out and looking simply marvelous!  The book brings the finest selection of venues in the UK and even Italy, as well as suggestions of bridal wear designers, insider tips from professionals in the wedding business, and great advice for you to have the perfect wedding. Not to mention the stunning images of the venues and a list of characteristics to help you decide what is best suited to your ceremony.

The Hudson’s Dream Weddings 2010 is on a special offer of £7.99 and you can purchase a copy through the Hudson’s Dream Weddings website, clicking here, or going to your local WHSmith. It’s the best and most stylish source for the most beautiful venues out there: a definite must-have!