Charger plates are used to dress a table for a wedding or special event. These gold rimmed charger plates are a perfect complement to the wooden table set in a banquet style for the guests. Created by Wedding Designer Fabulous Functions UK

Charger Plates – When and How to Use Them

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What are charger plates?

“What is a charger plate?”  That’s a good question. And, unless you’re in the wedding or events world, or do a lot of entertaining, it’s possible you’ll have no idea what they are.

A charger plate is a simply a very large plate used for decorative purposes.  They’re sometimes referred to as service plates or under plates.

Why would you use a charger plate?
Luxury venue styling ideas from Fabulous Functions UK
Banquet style setting with an ombre themed tablescape featuring glass charger plates

We use charger plates to dress a table for special events such as a wedding, vow renewal or special birthday. They dress a table place setting and help to define your theme and style. Charger plates come in a wide range of styles, shapes and materials from glass to china to wood or metal. Or even melamine or plastic. They can be plain or decorated.

When you’re designing the style for your table, consider the look you want to achieve. Is the feel going to be a modern and contemporary one? Or are you aiming for a particular vintage era or something edgy and minimalist. Or maximalist on the other hand? Whatever look and feel you’re aiming to achieve, there’s a charge plate to complement your style and decor aesthetics.

The charger plates form part of the guest place settings. You can have the plates for your various courses set on top in readiness for your guests sitting at their tables. Or you can place the napkins and place cards on the charger plates. Your plated entrée and main courses are then placed on top of the charger during the meal.

White charger plates with a diamante rim available from venue stylist and accessory hire Fabulous Functions UK
White charger plates with a diamante rim – A beautiful complement to a silver and grey themed wedding decor.
Gold rimmed charger plate- Wedding table setting
Gold charger plate layered with plates and dishes for the various courses. Perfect for an Autumn or winter festive event.
Vintage style charger plate with a scroll design on the edges. Styling by Wedding designer Fabulous Functions UK
Contact Fabulous Functions UK to see our range of charger plates for hire
Yellow fluted edge charger plate - Wedding table setting - Fabulous Functions UK

Chargers are always removed from the table after all guests are finished eating the main course. They’re taken away with the dinner plate still on top, as this clears the table and leaves it ready for the serving of dessert.

Charger plate hire

You can hire your charger plates from various event organisers or catering companies if you’re organising a large event. If you plan to use charger plates a lot, it may serve you to buy them. Though this may restrict the range of chargers you have at your disposal for each of your events.
Each event deserves its own style of charger plates depending on the theme, style and colour palette of your event.

Fabulous Functions UK has a range of beautiful charger plates at your disposal. Do contact us to discuss the range and style of chargers that we offer to find one that will best complement your wedding or event.

And don’t forget our promise: if we don’t have them in stock – we’ll source them for you.

Silver floral edge charger plate - Fabulous Functions UK

 As you can tell, I love using chargers in the design of the tables. They lift the table design and, on a practical note, they protect the table from spills.

I trust this blog has inspired you to want to incorporate chargers in your table-scape designs.

We’d love to have you in our social media family. Why not follow us on social media to keep up to date with our happenings and to see even more of our decor? We have lots of inspirational photographs across all our social media. We have a presence on all three of the platforms you see below so you should find us somewhere that you are.

Follow these links to our Instagram , Facebook and Pinterest accounts.

Charger Plates- What they are and how to use them. Blog Post - Fabulous Functions UK
An outdoor setting - Planning a 15-Person Wedding -An intimate Wedding in Covid Times -Fabulous Functions UK -An outdoor setting - Planning a 15-Person Wedding

Planning a 15-Person Wedding

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Planning a 15-Person Wedding

We have shifting sands beneath our feet and no mistake. It feels as if there are changes to wedding guidelines every week thanks to Covid – and all guaranteed to affect your plans. At the time of writing you’re allowed 15 guests at your wedding.

So, we thought we’d use this blog to have a look at planning a 15-person wedding. But first:

Take heart! 

No matter the changes brought in and the number of guests in attendance, or where you can hold your celebrations – what matters most is the love surrounding you both. Never forget that the important thing is the marriage not the wedding.  But before we do anything else here’s an at-a-glance reminder of the current advice:

In the first instance, choose a Covid-secure venue for your wedding breakfast or celebrations. Not your back garden or a marquee in a neighbour’s field. That sorted:

  • You can have 15 guests at your wedding. This does not include the officiant, venue staff or suppliers.
  • You can now have a first dance to celebrate your marriage.
  • Your wedding breakfast must be a sit-down meal, held in a Covid-secure venue.
  • Your venue will need to close between 10pm and 5am.
  • Guests and staff must wear face masks when moving around the venue.

On the subject of face masks, there are companies that can create masks to match your outfit. It’s quite clever to be honest. You provide a pic of your fabric and they create a mask in the pattern and colour of your outfit. I did this for a recent wedding I attended. 

No matter what!
You WILL have a beautiful day!
And this become part of your fabulous story!

An outdoor setting - Planning a 15-Person Wedding -An intimate Wedding in Covid Times -Fabulous Functions UK
Table setting for a 15 person wedding breakfast designed by Fabulous Functions UK

Planning a 15-Person Wedding

In this Hitched.Co.UK article about such an occasion as the 15-person wedding, they observe that it’s not everyone that wants the whole big, white wedding thing. Which is true. And no doubt it’s just as well because, at the moment, no-one can. 

While the definition of a ‘small’ wedding is a matter of personal viewpoint, a general figure is between thirty and sixty guests. A micro-wedding though is the term for one with 20 guests or fewer.

Choose your setting for your 15 person wedding- Go with your heart and make the most of your wedding day. Blog by Fabulous Functions UK
Image courtesy of photography by SallyAnne

If you’re struggling to get your head around having a small wedding rather than the big splash you’d dreamed it’s worth remind yourself why small is beautiful:

  • You could well save a lot of cash. And that in turn will let you …
  • … spend more money on the bits that matter the most to you
  • With a small wedding you can create an intimate and more personal day. One that allows you to …
  • … spend more individual time with loved ones
  • And of course, fewer guests means less stress and a relaxed atmosphere.

And of course, a small guest list doesn’t mean all aspects have to be small to match! So – if you want to – go big on the dress

Wedding dress with bow feature on the back. As seen on the instagram of bridal boutique @willoughbyandwolf
Wedding dress with bow feature on the back. As seen on the instagram of bridal boutique Willoughby and Wolf

the flowers, the cake, the invitations, the venue, the shoes.

wedding shoes by @loefflerrandall as seen on the instagram of @willoughbyandwolf
Wedding shoes by @loefflerrandall as seen on the instagram of Willoughby and Wolf

Small Wedding Planning: Top Tips

The aforementioned article on Hitched gives 7 top tips for planning a small wedding. In summary the main points suggested are:

  • There are lots of venues that host micro weddings. The venue should be exclusive use to you while you are there.
  • With a 15-person guest list you have to be super-selective. Thus every single person you invite should be someone close to you and that you can’t imagine marrying with them not present.
  • Hire a planner/venue decorator to make sure the day flows and you don’t have to worry about food, drink or decorations.
  • Think about a weekday wedding – although do consider people’s professions. This won’t work if your very closest-couldn’t-possibly-get-married-without-her-there friend is a teacher!
  • Make the most of the experience you CAN have. Whatever your wedding looks like it’s going to be – don’t rail against it. Instead go with it and push from your mind what was going to be. Focus on the good stuff and make the most of: food, music etc.

Whether you’re planning a 15-Person Wedding or fewer guests than that, Fabulous Functions UK can and will create for a you an atmospheric and amazing day. We guarantee it will linger in the memory in the best possible way. Read this account by a guest at a minimony wedding close to our hearts at Fabulous Functions UK and you’ll see what I mean!

Call us on 0044 7511 842 451 or drop a note to hello@fabulousfunctionsuk.com and let’s talk!

Tips for planning a 15 person wedding - Blog by wedding designer Fabulous Functions UK

More like this.
If you liked this blog then you may like the blog about attending a 15person wedding written from the best mans point of view. Visit An Intimate Minimony Wedding to find out how beautiful they can be.

Happy reading!

An Intimate Minimony Wedding

An Intimate Minimony Wedding

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On August 22nd 2020, it happened at last. My best friend Allen and his lovely partner Rakhee finally got married in an intimate minimony wedding.

I’m Julian and I was Allen’s best man. And here I’m sharing my experience of a wedding in coronavirus times.

A fabulous minimony wedding in covid times. The couple chose to marry despite the restrictions in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic gripping the world. Florals created by Fabulous Functions UK


The wedding day was a long time coming. Allen and Rakhee had scheduled their nuptials for April 2020. They’d been many months of planning and preparations, right down to the smallest detail.

A Weekend of Celebrations …

At least the couple had intended the event to be that. They’d booked a grand and beautiful venue for a weekend of celebrations. The event would bring together two large families and many friends from across the world – 200 in total. An intimate minimony wedding wasn’t on anyone’s radar.

But then the dreaded C-word came into our lives turning everything upside down. First of all, the wedding was rescheduled by a few months. Then it was a year’s postponement. And then, with a few weeks’ notice, the wedding was back on for the end of August 2020. But in a much different form. This time an intimate minimony wedding. A minimony ceremony usually involves an officiant, a small group of loved ones and a select number of suppliers, ie. your photographer.

The UK guidelines at that time, restricted attendance at weddings to thirty people at the most. In total there were sixteen of us plus the photographer and the two registrars.

Honoured

I felt so honoured when Allen asked me to be his best man together with Ashley, his brother. So it meant a lot to me to attend this wedding, especially after all the ups and downs of the last month. Yet, being the only guest arriving from outside the UK, I needed to ensure my attendance at Allen’s wedding was both legal and safe.

I was living in Berlin at the time, which had a very low number of cases during the summer. After a lot of thought, I decided that I would do my best to make it to England, but minimising the risks. Easier said than done.  

Initially preferring not to fly, I booked three successive modes of transport: Eurostars through France or Belgium was the first plan, but that had to be cancelled a week before the wedding; then a ferry from the Hook of Holland was cancelled a day before my departure. Finally, I settled on flying directly from Berlin to London a few days before the day.

Arriving in the UK, I knew the wedding would be very different from the original conception. From a grand celebration in a sumptuous location, it would now be a much smaller, intimate affair. And in truth, I didn’t quite know what to expect.

The-Groom-and-his-Best-Men-florals-created-by-Fabulous-Functions UK

Worries soon dispelled

But, on the day itself, any worries I had about this wedding in the present Corona virus times were soon dispelled. The first thing that became clear is this: big or small, the focus of the day remains the same. Celebrating the union of two loving partners.

The legal ceremony at the town hall in Frome was very sweet and tasteful. Despite the hygiene rules in place (1.5 metre distance between the attendants, masks worn indoors and no cheering) it never felt sterile or emotionless. Extended family and friends attended via Zoom to witness the beautiful exchange of vows and rings.

When the newly-married couple looked in each other’s eyes and everyone in attendance started clapping and stomping their feet, I completely forgot that we were only fifteen people in the room. Nor did it matter one bit. We were all here to celebrate and share this special moment.

An Intimate Minimony Wedding

A Covid-compliant wedding reception

After the official ceremony, the celebrations moved to the decorated marquee in the groom’s parent’s garden. Sandra, the groom’s mother (and Fabulous Functions UK MD) had pulled out all the stops and made it look amazing.

Entering that marquee with a canapé in one hand and a glass of Champagne in the other transported me from suburban England into a different world. That of an Intimate minimony wedding.

An intimate Wedding in Covid Times -Fabulous Functions UK



From the flower arrangements to the delicious four-course meal, such an intimate minimony wedding at no point felt like it was a Plan B or a last-minute affair. In fact, the setting, with all the guests sitting on one long table, allowed conversations and sharing the moment with the happy couple, in a way not possible at a much larger celebration.

It was the small things that made this day so special. Instead of catering staff taking care of everything, family members shared those tasks. Parents, brother and sisters carried in plates and poured wine.

This was a joyous, celebratory gathering, and every single person played their part in making this intimate minimony such a special occasion.

Now, in an ideal world, the rest of the family and close friends would have been present. Fingers crossed they’ll also have the chance to celebrate with the new married couple sometime in the future in the manner of a sequel wedding. Yet, at no moment, did I feel that this wedding was ‘too small’.

Very different from the original plan yes, but beautiful in its own right.

The focus of the whole day was on the couple and it was truly a shared experience. Even more so than if 200 people had been in attendance.

I know that Rakhee and Allen will cherish this day forever.

And it’s one intimate minimony wedding that I’ll never forget!

Thank you so much Julian, for writing your account of your best friends wedding in these Covid times. This was certainly a wonderful wedding and the memories will be cherished by the couple and the guests a like. It was full love and joy.

An account of a Minimony wedding in Covid times from the best mans point of view. Read the blog on Fabulous Functions UK
The story of a marriage not a wedding- Vic and Spencer canvelled their big wedding and opted for a small intimate wedding in Italy. Read all about it on the Fabulous Functions UK blog

An Intimate Italian Wedding Day

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Covid-19 might well have surpassed the British weather as our number one topic of conversation. For sure we’ve written about Covid’s effect on wedding planning on this blog several times now. So in this blog we tell you about an intimate Italian wedding day – albeit with a little twist. That twist being that this wedding happened well before Coronavirus came and changed everything.

A marriage not a wedding

An Intimate Italian Wedding Day - Victoria and her fiance in Italy
An Intimate Italian Wedding Day

Back in March, as the UK went into lockdown and people’s best-laid plans tumbled like the walls of Jericho, we wrote a blog called Your Marriage or Your Wedding? The central message of that blog being, that the MOST important thing is you and your partner joining together in marriage. The rest of it is a party – and that can happen whenever. And this idea of the marriage being the part that matters, lay behind the decision taken by Victoria Wolf of Marlborough’s Willoughby and Wolf bridal shop, and her fiancé, to upend their original plans.

The Italian Job

Says Victoria: ‘three years ago, I married my best friend in a small and intimate ceremony for eleven people and us two. The whole thing was a complete and utter fairy tale with three amazing days of partying, dancing, drinking, eating – all with so much fun and laughter.’

But this wasn’t what we ‘d planned at all.

To begin with we did what every couple planning to wed does. We sat down and drew up a list of potential venues and possible guests and began to go through the motions of planning a wedding. We had the ups and downs. Then the politics started – as family politics do. And soon the whole thing began to feel less about us and the love we felt for each other and more about entertaining people and sacrificing the things we most wanted.

This was the second time round for both of us. I wanted masses of fresh flowers – he wanted masses of food – we both wanted live music. ⁠But our needs were getting subsumed – and it happens all too often.

So, you know what we did? We pulled the plug on it. We cancelled the venue viewings and decided instead to get married in Italy with only our immediate family and one friend and their partners present. And you know what else? We had absolutely the best time ever. We didn’t miss anything that we’d planned to have. ⁠It was such a joy.

What’s more, we grew as a family and our friends still tell us it was the best wedding they’ve ever been to. They even remember our anniversary and that’s a rare thing!

The moral of Victoria’s story?

Again, here’s Victoria’s own words:

‘If your plans need to change and you’re limited to smaller numbers, work with your venue, your florist and your caterer. Small weddings are beautiful and the intimacy of a small wedding means that you don’t have to compromise on anything. They can be liberating and they’re fun!’

An Intimate Italian Wedding Day - flowers down centre of a table setting with glassware, cutlery and candles.

Whatever the size of wedding you’re hoping to have, whether it be an intimate wedding setting, or a minimony and sequel wedding – we’re here to help.

There’s several ways of getting in touch with us to chat about what you have in mind.

You can drop a note to us on: hello@fabulousfunctionsuk.com Or fill out our web form on our contact page here. And, if you prefer, you can call on: 07511 842 45.

Social Side of Life


To get a feel for how we work and what we can do, check out our Facebook and Instagram feeds.

A bride and groom chose to have an intimate destination wedding in Italy instead of a big wedding at home. Visit our blot to get the low down.
Sequel weddings what it is and how to do it -Fabulous Functions UK

The Sequel Wedding: What it is and how to do it

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August 2020

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic continues to exercise us all – in and out of the wedding industry. We’ve already tackled aspects of the situation a couple of times on our blog in our article about changing wedding plans and a feature about creating a Covid-friendly intimate wedding set-up.  But the buzzword now, to work around the restrictions we have, is the sequel wedding. So, in this post we’ll have a look at the sequel wedding – what it is and how to do it.

Covid-Compliant Weddings

So, we have to embrace the reality of weddings with fewer than thirty guests in a Covid-compliant venue. The reality is that for the moment, no wedding can have as many as thirty guests.

Let’s examine why:

Say the capacity of the Covid compliant ceremony room is going to be around 25 people. Remove the registrars from the equation and you’re down to 23. Then there’s the photographer – now you’re at 22 people. And that number has to include the entire wedding party – bride, groom, witnesses, bridesmaids and guests. 

But there is a way to get around this problem – and that’s the sequel wedding.

What is a sequel wedding?

The sequel wedding simply refers to a couple hosting several sequential ceremonies/celebrations.

This isn’t a new concept however. Many other cultures and religions have had such a system since … well since for ever. But now, with our pandemic restrictions, British couples are embracing the idea. Indeed, we’re doing this very thing in our own family. My son had his marriage ceremony late August and his wedding celebrations will be at the start of September in 2021.

An intimate wedding- close family attended the marriage ceremony and wedding breakfast. The sequel to be held in 2021
Image courtesy of photography by Sally Anne

And that’s an important distinction to make in any event, as we wrote in this blog, Your Marriage or Your Wedding, earlier this year.

The sequel wedding concept shows every sign of being the new norm for 2020 and into 2021 too. Following so many months of being unable to see friends and relatives in person, few are now willing to limit the joy of a wedding celebration to one event.

Thus, we’re going to see more and more of what Hitched.Co.UK describe as ‘minimonies, micro weddings and elopements joining big reception celebrations for a sequel wedding.’

It’s typical then for the marriage ceremony to have only the closest of family and friends present, with a larger guest list invited to a second ceremony. And following up those two is a large reception.

Irrespective of Covid, some couples have elected to follow a pattern something like that anyway. A small church or registry office marriage followed a small gathering to mark the occasion. Then a larger party, on a different day, at a chosen venue.

And now, in the midst of Coronavirus, there’s a rising trend of couples opting to host, as described above, a minimony or micro-wedding on their original wedding date – or later this year on a re-arranged date. And then they’re planning for a bigger, sparkling, sequel wedding celebration in 2021.

The new wedding jargon

Now for definitions of these new wedding words – so you’re clear on what we’re talking about.

Minimony

This is a cut-down version of your postponed wedding. It’s your legal ceremony or commitment ceremony held by a celebrant your vicar, priest or registrar. You’ll have your minimony in the presence of a few loved ones – either in person or virtually. 

Everything will be as you planned it for your original date. You’ll make your vows, have your first dance, have a photographer for a few hours and even a put a knife in to a cut-down version of your wedding cake.

With a minimony your guest list has enforced and severe limitations on it. So the guests you had to cull get an invitation to a follow-up wedding when large groups can meet once more.  At the follow-up event you’ll have another ceremony, where you’ll walk down the aisle and exchange your vows, this ceremony can be conducted by a celebrant, followed by a reception.

The sequel wedding - couple at table signing register
Photograph courtesy of Twirly Girl Photography

Micro-wedding

I’ll forgive you for wondering what the difference is between this and a minimony.  Yet bear with me – there is one. 

Whereas a minimony is a Covid-compromise, a micro-wedding is a wedding with fewer than 20 guests by deliberate design.

A common feature of a micro-wedding is the absence of a reception at a later date. The couple concerned are simply choosing to have intimate wedding day in the presence of their very nearest and dearest. 

Though of course, many couples are feeling the desire to host a big party in celebration of being able to reunite. Often, they don’t have another ceremony but they do have a ‘sequel reception’ with the emphasis on ‘party’ rather than a second wedding day.

Get in touch

Are you planning a minimony or a micro-wedding? In either event, we at Fabulous Functions UK are here to help. Why not get in touch and arrange a no-obligation consultation?

And if you want to get an idea of how we work and what we do checkout our Instragram and Facebook feeds for inspirational images.

Featured photograph curtesy of Steffen Milsom Photography

The sequel wedding, what is is and how to plan one - Fabulous Functions UK
Creating a fabulous setting for an intimate wedding setting. Cross back chairs and a gorgeous floral arch makes the setting perfect for an intimate outdoor ceremony - Fabulous Functions UK created this gorgeous setting.

An Intimate Wedding Setting

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June 2020: An Intimate Wedding Setting

In my capacity as a Wiltshire-based venue stylist and as the mother of a groom with Covid-crashed wedding plans, I’ve got both second and first-hand experience of what so many couples are going through right now. 

As it happens, myself and two people with whom I work closely, at Wrag Barn golf club Nr Highworth, are supporting offspring whose wedding plans, Covid-19 sent into a tailspin. We’ve had to pull them back from crash-landing, keep them on track with their planning and help them hold-fast onto the joy and the thrill of the journey to making their vows.

With that experience in mind we set about creating and showcasing a stunning intimate wedding setting for an outdoor ceremony. The sort of ceremony and number of guests that an easing of the lockdown rules might allow for. This BBC article reports on potential changes to the current wedding rules coming quite soon.

Look at the setting we created in the image below and picture yourselves there with your very nearest and dearest, supporting you both and cherishing you both as you declare your love for and commitment to, each other. 

An Intimate Wedding Setting at Wrag Barn golf and country club nr Highworth, Swindon
An Intimate Wedding Setting at Wrag Barn golf and country club nr Highworth, Swindon

In this particular setting, you make your way around the trees to find this romantic scene before you. Those closest to you are waiting – as is your groom and the wedding officiant. . Seated on the cross-backed chairs, their first glimpse of you sends their hearts soaring skywards.

This bloom-bedecked archway is as much in perfect harmony with Wrag Barn’s meadow as you and your fiancé are each with the other. And you and the sunshine are as radiant as each other as you begin your walk along the cream aisle carpet towards your smiling husband-to-be.

An Intimate Wedding Setting - floral and greenery archways at either end of a cream aisle carpet in a meadow setting at Wrag Barn golf club Nr Highworth, Swindon

The Wedding Breakfast

Now you’ve said ‘I do’ and the air rings with cheers and good wishes as you begin being Mr & Mrs. And what’s the first thing you do as husband and wife? Why, you preside over your wedding breakfast of course.

Rustic wedding breakfast setting for an intimate wedding scene - bare wooden table dressed with a chiffon runner and white flowers and greenery. With an overhead arch of foliage.

This simple yet stunning scene is in keeping with the setting and style of your ceremony location. We dressed the rustic table with a simple, cream chiffon runner and plain white crockery, with blooms and greenery in plain, clear, glass vessels to echo the blooms in the outdoor arch.

To add to the natural theme , we made an overhead canopy of lush green foliage with clear baubles hanging down. Tea-lights placed in the baubles add to the atmosphere and the magic.

The green canopy is a fabulous way to create an intimate wedding setting for your first meal together as a married couple.

Overhead canopy of green foliage with clear baubles into which you can out Tea-lights.

A Versatile setting

You can adapt both the outdoor ceremony setting and the wedding breakfast setting to accommodate the size of your ceremony and guest list. 

Equally you can transfer the outdoor ceremony setting inside your venue, should the capriciousness of the British weather throw a cloud or two over proceedings. This is the UK after all. 

We hope we’ve shown you the possibilities of creating something wonderful, even within the restrictions of our current lockdown situation.

There are so many ways for creating an intimate wedding setting. If you’d like us to create something similar for you – or you have something else in mind – please get in touch and we’ll chat. It costs nothing and is non-obligational.

side view of table and chairs and green archway
close up of place setting on a rustic table
Table and chairs under an archway of green folliage

Visit our treasure trove to find some fabulous accessories to dress your venue. If by chance you don’t see what you are looking for, we will source it or create it for you.

Follow us on social media to keep up to date with our happening and to see even more of our decor. Follow the links to Instagram , Facebook and Pinterest

An intimate setting for an outdoor wedding ceremony- encouraging couples to still feel the excitement and joy of planning their wedding. Setting created by Faulous Functions UK
10 Things to thing about when planning your wedding

Wedding Planning Timeline 12-18 months+

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The top 10 things to do at this stage in the wedding planning timeline

In the post under this link here we have an article on the whole wedding planning timeline. But it is a rather long post. So we’ve decided to break it down into two separate posts, with less of the detail, to make it a wee bit more manageable.

So this post is concerned with the wedding planning jobs you need to tackle in the 12-18 month period before the wedding.

For a downloadable and printable list of venue walkthrough questions click below.

Venue Walkthrough QuestionsDownload

1. Set the date – Have an idea of your preferred date

Decide on the sort of wedding you want. Are you looking for a winter wedding, a full blown summer do or do you have a date significant to both of you?
Knowing this will help you to choose your venue as they will have a different look and feel depending on the time of year.

There are ways to give yourselves more options. Consider booking a mid-week wedding instead of the usual Saturday.
The suppliers you really want could have more availability for weekday weddings. Registrars and Celebrants may also have more availability for midweek ceremonies.

Wedding Planning Timeline 12-18 months+ - a wall planner

2. Set a realistic budget

No wedding is worth going into debt for. Decide on your priorities, items or services that are important to you. And add in a bit extra for a contingency – because you never know.

3. Draw up the guest list or lists

Gold backed acrylic table plan- Fabulous Functions UK

Knowing your numbers will help you with your venue search. Shortlist the venues that will cater for your numbers. This reduces the leg work and help to avoid the stress of viewing venues too big or too small for your wedding party.

4. Book your venue (s) – as soon as you can

Rose gold chiffon vertical drops serve to decorate the chiavari chairs in the Assembly Rooms of the Kings Head Hotel in Cirencester. The backdrop was created with a white voile draped panel and green foliage for the top border decoration. Styling by Fabulous Functions UK

After you have fixed your budget, this is the first item on your wedding planning timeline that needs your attention.
A good place to start are the wedding directories like the White Wed Directory. You will find a good selection of venues and usually listed under regions.
You can also find venues listed by categories ie. Quirky Venues, City Venues, Country House Venues.

It’s almost impossible to plan anything else or book your suppliers until this one is sorted out.

Do see the full post for more detail.

5. Send out save the date cards

You could sign up to a wedding website to send out save the date notices to your guests. This is a fab way to safeguard your environment while generating less paper waste.

6. Are you willing and able to do the planning yourself? Decide now!

You can do it yourself of course. Or you can decide to call on the worth-its-weight-in-gold expertise of a wedding planner/venue decorator. In which case, Fabulous Functions UK is here to help!

7. Select your wedding party: bridesmaids, ushers, best man etc.

They want to enjoy then journey with you knowing they are a part of your fabulous tribe.

8. Book your photographer and/or videographer

Photographers and videographers often get booked up to 18 months before a wedding. If you find one you love, confirm your date with them to avoid disappointment.

9. Meet your minister/registrar/celebrants

And be prepared with everything you want to ask about your ceremony.

10. Book your DJ/Band/dancing girls/chamber quartet – or whatever it might happen to be – and don’t forget the catering either!

It’s never too early to secure your favourite suppliers. Ask for recommendations. Other suppliers will know who are the best in the business. Those who will give you fabulous service and attention to detail.

So that’s the big top ten planning decisions to make in the 12-18 month period from the engagement ring to the wedding ring.

Your journey along your wedding planning timeline is well underway.
Time for a breather and a cup of coffee !

Other things to think about are:

  1. Booking your cars/bus/horse or whatever mode of transport you want.
  2. Finding a florist
  3. Book a toastmaster or master of ceremonies
  4. Take out wedding insurance and ….
  5. … THE DRESS – If you haven’t already – start now!

    If you’re going to have a couture bridal gown made then you must start now. To buy a designer dress allow 6-8 months. For off the peg or second-hand then 6-8 weeks should be sufficient for necessary alterations.
    Do check the availability of a good seamstress as there are peak times when they are rushed off off their feet with alterations.

Now follow this link for what to do in the period 6 months to the big day.

Wedding Planning Timeline- things to do 12 to 18 months before your wedding day- Fabulous Functions UK
When Plans for a Destination Wedding gets-a rethink due to the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic from Fabulous Functions UK

When Wedding Plans Must Change

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Here’s the story of one couples dream of a destination wedding and how their plans may change due to the effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Wedding plans get changed for all sorts of reasons. Some changes are forced upon us and we have to make the best of them. 

Here we tell how one couple are coping with enforced changes to their dream of a destination wedding. 

Lauren and Phil’s Wedding Plans – and when wedding plans must change

Cliff top views of Ponta da Piedade in Portugal a gorgeous locations for a destination wedding

It was a beautiful day as we stood absorbing the stunning cliff top views at Ponta da Piedade in Portugal when Phil popped the question!  After a heart stopping moment of taking his words in – I said ‘Yes’.

She said 'Yes' to his proposal at Ponta da Piedade in Portugal


After much discussion we decided to start our wedding planning and the idea of a destination wedding took shape. We wanted to recreate this scene from our engagement location for our wedding ceremony but the location had to accommodate our family and friends without the risk of falling over the edge and into the sea. 

Our original plan

We’d planned to travel to Portugal, view venues and wedding planners and start to make decisions about what we wanted for our wedding at the start of April 2020.

The plan, in my head, was to finalise our colour scheme and look at creating & sending out the Save The Dates by the end of April/ May.

But my original wedding timeline is now ALL over the place!

We had planned a wedding reception at the Vale del Rei Hotel. Chilled out atmosphere, good food and time to relax with family and friends.

Portugal/ COVID-19

Having a wedding in Portugal was going to be about confirming our commitment to each other in the first instance. With celebrations with our family and friends, the guarantee of glorious weather, the views, the chilled-out atmosphere and the fabulous food and drink.

Our destination wedding was to incorporate the wedding and a large family holiday. 

Also, cost was a big factor. We’ve got a budget of €10,000. At the time that meant we could afford to go over budget slightly with the good exchange rates. However, with COVID-19 this could and probably will, all change.

We’ve been in talks with two different wedding planners in Portugal. One has held our potential dates at the ceremony and reception venues up to 15th May. Other than that, we’ve got nothing booked so our wedding plans are currently on hold! But we’ve been assured that we can still organise a wedding for June 2021.

Backup plans

Blog, how the current situation of the Covid-19 has changed her wedding plans. When plans for a Destination Wedding must change-Fabulous Functions UK

I did, course, have a backup plan in case Portugal wasn’t possible. One that encapsulates the theme (beautiful view, outside ceremony, with a focus on food/ drinks) of our Portuguese venue but in the UK.

The Sandy Cove Hotel is beautiful – but much more expensive! And with so many weddings being rescheduled,  most dates are booked up already. We wouldn’t be able to get married on the date we originally wanted and we’d probably have to get married on a Friday. And that would mean further expense.

How am I feeling?

The main thing for me, is the HUGE AMOUNT OF UNCERTAINTY!!!

  • Will I be able to travel after all of this is over?
  • Can I afford a wedding abroad after this is over?
  • Will we be able to view the venues in Portugal?
  • What if the venues aren’t how I imagined?
  • Should I book it all now anyway
  • Will everywhere be booked up by the time I start booking?
  • What if my suppliers go bust by the time this is over?
  • Can we organise a wedding & a post-wedding party in the time given?
  • Will anyone want to go abroad for a wedding after this?

Portugal has beautiful views overlooking to the ocean and really great food. So Phil and I wanted to go for venues with the same kind of feel. The ceremony venue has exactly that with great views of the ocean. And the reception venue contains the best food – or so we’ve been told.

For me, a few things will influence whether we will go with the UK alternative:

The Suites Alba Hotel has stunning sea views and the perfect location destination wedding
  1. If, by August 2020, we’re nowhere near Covid-19 ending for both the UK and Portugal.
  2. The view of the economy and the outcomes (i.e. the recession and the exchange rates) – in other words, if we can afford a UK or Portugal wedding.
  3. Our guests view of the wedding abroad, their safety and if they’d still be able to travel.

I’ve looked into the backup wedding and their available dates for next summer and we’ve found a potential date that we both like. But, a destination wedding remains our main preference. Yet, until we know more we’re not confident in making a decision.

The one thing we know is that we want to get married and build our future together. And Covid-19 won’t stop us doing that!

Destination Wedding plans may change due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Blog by a couple thinking about their plans and how it might change- Fabulous Functions UK

If you enjoyed reading this blog then check out our blog with helpful tips on the questions to ask and things to think about during your wedding venue search. Venue Walk Through Questions

Questions to ask during a wedding venue search. Venue walk through questions -Fabulous Function UK

Venue Walk Through Questions

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When you’re choosing your wedding venue there’s lots of stuff you need to know to help you make an informed choice. Because, we know how overwhelming it is – even for the most modest plans -we’ve put this list together.

The venue walk through questions that follow will help you with your venue hunting.

Download a printable PDF of the venue walkthrough questions below:

Venue Walkthrough QuestionsDownload

Before you check your venue out, it’s a good idea to check the venue’s capacity. Is it big enough to accommodate your party? Too big and your party will look a little lost. We recommend that you:

Do some advance research

  1. How many hours is the venue available to you? What are the charges if your celebrations run over?
  2. What staff will they have available on the day? And is there a designated point of contact between them and your wedding contractor?
  3. Rehearsal – With a church wedding, you can arrange a rehearsal. Is it possible to have one in the venue you’re viewing?
  4. Consider noise levels. What time will the reception/party finish? And – what time do they want you to vacate the venue?
  5. Public liability insurance – who will need this? The venue – or you? And what about the vendors you are using? They probably will have their own but check.
  6. Security – is it needed? Does the venue provide any?
  7. Loading zone and parking – is it available to guests and vendors? Can cars be left overnight and what charges might that incur?
  8. Disability access – what is the venue like in terms of bathroom access for walkers and wheelchairs etc.
    1. Also for getting from the car park to the venue.
    2. Are the paths gravel or paved ( important for wheel chair access)
  9. Seasonal concerns – is there somewhere for coats, boots, umbrellas?
  10. Mobile heating – do they have mobile heating for outdoors. If they’re providing a marquee are they providing heating for it?
  11. Getting ready – do they offer anywhere? Is it included in the price or not? Ask to see rooms to assess for suitability.
  12. Lighting – If you do the walkthrough in daylight hours, think how it might look at night. Consider the lighting for a photo booth. backdrop lighting, ceiling lighting, the DJ. Will there be maintenance on the night in case of problems.

Ceremony Layouts

Venue Walk Through Questions - Happy guests at an autumn themed wedding

What follows are some venue walk through questions apropos ceremony layout and venue decorating.

  1. If space is available, consider alternative layouts: circular or semi-circular. Also, if you’re using the same room for both ceremony and wedding breakfast, where will the guests go while the room is being turned around?
  2. How many ceremonies per day happen in the venue that you’re looking at? How do they manage parking?
  3. Clear down after the event – does the venue do this? Or are your suppliers expected to? What are the exit times for vendors and rentals?
  4. Catering – is this on-site only? Does the venue have a list of preferred suppliers Or can you bring in your catering company?
  5. Alcohol and corkage charges – can you provide your own alcohol? What’s the corkage rates and is that per bottle or per person?

Decorating restrictions

Things to think about regarding your venue dressing.

  1. Can you hang decor items on walls or ceilings? If so – how?
  2. Ladders – do they have them on site?
  3. Audio visual equipment – Do they provide everything – speakers and all? Or do you have to source that?

It’s a lot to think about isn’t it? I hope these venue walk through questions helps with your venue search. If you think you’d like help with finding the perfect venue then get in touch with us now and let’s see what we can do.

Wedding Venue Walk through Questions - A helpful list of questions to ask doing your wedding venue search - Fabulous Functions UK
In a crisis getting your priorities right is so important. prioritising the marriage over the wedding and making the commitment to each other. The wedding rings symbolises all that and gets is to think about whats important your marriage or your wedding. Blog from Fabulous Functions UK

Your Marriage or Your Wedding?

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27 March 2020

Your Marriage or Your Wedding? When you are planning your wedding, you may begin to think they are one and the same thing. Sometimes circumstances makes us take a look at this assumption.

When you got engaged and started planning your wedding, everything in your world was full of love and excitement.

Your wedding prep went into in full swing. You searched Pinterest and other online sources for inspirations for your dress, shoes, veil, venue and venue décor. Then contacted and chatted to suppliers about your dreams and your vision for your big day.   

But that was then.

And this is now. And now we’re in the grip of the Covid-19 virus pandemic and your plans have been thrown into disarray.

Your Marriage or Your Wedding? What’s the Important Thing?

You’re going to feel crushed – of course you are. All that careful planning for naught. That IS how it will feel.

So take a step back and ask yourself what’s the more important: your marriage or your wedding?

Surely what matters most here, is the act of putting an official stamp, on your being joined together as a couple? In a blog on the topic of getting guests to pay for themselves we touched on that.

 But now more than ever it’s about getting this perspective on what matters. 

Wedding rings photography of Steffen Milsom Photography
Photography Curtesy of Steffen Milsom Photography

So what to do?

Now – as I write this blog, we’re in effective lockdown. The UK Prime Minister has prohibited all ceremonies – funerals excepted. At the moment the restriction is in place for three weeks.  After that who knows what may happen?

You need to take action and get a contingency plan it’s clear.

Here we talk about what we can do and how we can help you:

What you can do

  1. If you haven’t already, contact the person conducting your wedding ceremony. They will be reorganising the ceremonies they have already booked. 
  2. Talk to your venue. They’ll be following guidelines for the health and safety of their clients and staff.  What are they offering you?  
  3. If you can, consider continuing with the ceremony with the two of you and your witness. Then organise one hell of a celebration at a later date!
  4. Stream the ceremony to your family and friends who can connect via Facebook or other video link. 

    Indeed a couple recently did exactly that: Read all about it !

    Nothing was as planned. The bride bought an off the peg dress and bouquet. They sourced a photographer and they had their day a month early.

    Not the wedding they’d planned for. But memorable and moving in its own right. They were able to commit to each other and start their married life together. 

    5. And your final option is to postpone. Put the whole thing off, till a later date.

You’re not on your own in this

If Covid-19 is one thing, it’s a leveller. Every single one of us is affected one way or another.

Fabulous Functions UK is affected business-wise with couples rescheduling their wedding and celebrations to later in the year, or even to 2021. We’re also affected on a personal level. We were in the final planning stages of a family wedding due to take place mid-April.  I have the honour of creating the decor and styling the venue.  

They’d met with me and made all the final choices. We’d gone through all the locations for the accessories and chosen the final stands for the centrepieces and design combinations for the floral displays.  Confirmed all those little details to add the personalised touches.

Then came the lockdown. But the couple concerned followed the advice above and made a plan!

They’re going to continue with the legal ceremony as planned with only the permitted witness in attendance. And then there’ll be a mega celebration for when we can have the venue again. And it’s going to be ‘just FABULOUS!’.

Cancellations, Postponements and Fingers Tightly Crossed!

From the moment it became apparent to us all that Coronavirus is way more than ‘just another form of flu, I’ve had a mixture of responses from couples booked with me. 

Some have postponed until later. Some have weddings set for beyond this initial 3-month social distancing period so are continuing to plan for it – but are forming a contingency plan too.

One couple, who had planned to postpone till 2021, are now rethinking and may decide to go ahead with their ceremony as soon as possible. And have a celebration with family and friends when they can. 
So they’re looking to have their marriage first and their wedding later!

Don’t panic!

As challenging as all this is, , it WILL end. And when it does, your wedding or other celebration WILL be fabulous. Fabulous Functions UK will make sure of that.

Don’t fret. Don’t chew your nails. And above all don’t press the panic button! Call us now – let’s schedule a video call and have a good sit down with a coffee and our notebooks.  Our number is: 07511 842 451.

Your marriage or your wedding? Sometimes you have to alter your plans due to circumstances. You. may choose to marry first then hold your celebrations at later date.