An Intimate Wedding Setting

June 9, 2020April 15, 2021Leave a comment

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**

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

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+

May 11, 2020October 29, 2021Leave a comment

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 Questions Download

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:

Booking your cars/bus/horse or whatever mode of transport you want.
Finding a florist
Book a toastmaster or master of ceremonies
Take out wedding insurance and ….
… 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

May 6, 2020October 29, 2021Leave a comment

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

If, by August 2020, we’re nowhere near Covid-19 ending for both the UK and Portugal.
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.
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

Venue Walk Through Questions

April 27, 2020May 11, 2020Leave a comment

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

How many hours is the venue available to you? What are the charges if your celebrations run over?
What staff will they have available on the day? And is there a designated point of contact between them and your wedding contractor?
Rehearsal – With a church wedding, you can arrange a rehearsal. Is it possible to have one in the venue you’re viewing?
Consider noise levels. What time will the reception/party finish? And – what time do they want you to vacate the venue?
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.
Security – is it needed? Does the venue provide any?
Loading zone and parking – is it available to guests and vendors? Can cars be left overnight and what charges might that incur?
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)
Seasonal concerns – is there somewhere for coats, boots, umbrellas?
Mobile heating – do they have mobile heating for outdoors. If they’re providing a marquee are they providing heating for it?
Getting ready – do they offer anywhere? Is it included in the price or not? Ask to see rooms to assess for suitability.
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.

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?
How many ceremonies per day happen in the venue that you’re looking at? How do they manage parking?
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?
Catering – is this on-site only? Does the venue have a list of preferred suppliers Or can you bring in your catering company?
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.

Can you hang decor items on walls or ceilings? If so – how?
Ladders – do they have them on site?
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?

March 30, 2020April 28, 2020Leave a comment

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

If you haven’t already, contact the person conducting your wedding ceremony. They will be reorganising the ceremonies they have already booked.
Talk to your venue. They’ll be following guidelines for the health and safety of their clients and staff. What are they offering you?
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!
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.

giant garden games - photo collage of games

Giant Garden Games for Hire

March 10, 2020April 27, 2020Leave a comment

So, you’re planning a wedding or a special celebration and you want something a bit different. Either in place of a modern beat combo or disco – or to bridge the gap between the end of the wedding breakfast and the wedding singer starting their set. Have you considered giant garden games? They might be just what you’re looking for. Who doesn’t love Connect Four or Jenga? Well they’re even more fun in outsize form! And we have five giant garden games for hire!

For Indoors or Outdoors

Giant garden games are of course fantastic if you’re having an outdoor wedding or party – a big BBQ party for example. But you don’t have to be, to find a use for them – they work as well inside too. Wherever you plan to use them – or have to use them because of unexpected and unwelcome weather conditions – they offer hours of fun for the young or the young at heart.

Giant Garden Games Hire Packages

‘Oh, we’ve got a giant Jenga in the garden shed’ – is what you could be thinking now. Great! But if you don’t, don’t panic. Because we’ve got a brilliant giant garden games hire package.

Contact us here to enquire.

We’ve got FIVE giant garden games for hire. You can choose to hire any four of them for the package price of £50, to delight your guests.

The Five Giant Garden Games

Entertain your wedding guests with this Giant Jenga Garden Games for hire from Fabulous Functions UK

Jenga – our giant Jenga stands 5 feet tall when built. Challenge your guests to build this it as tall as they can before it tumbles.

2. Noughts and crosses – also known as Tic-Tac-Toe – is a classic pen and paper game transformed here into lawn/patio or indoor floor fun.

This one measures 120cms x 120cms, with five noughts & five crosses of 30cms x 30cms each.

3. Skittles – This forerunner of modern bowling is an old lawn and pub game. Our set contains nine skittles, a king pin and three balls.

Each skittle is 23 cms high.

Connect Four - giant garden games for hire

4. Connect Four – Standing at a mega 100 cms tall and 120cms wide, this giant Connect 4 comes with extra large discs. We don’t guarantee that they’ll help you to win though.

Giant dominoes on wooden decking - giant garden games for hire

5. Giant Dominoes – We wager your grandparents never saw dominoes like these!

The game of dominoes has been around from as early as 1120 CE, in China. Though we suspect not in giant form like these.

The Bath Wedding Expo

February 4, 2020November 3, 2021Leave a comment

The Bath Wedding Expo at the Assembly Rooms

We have a treat in store for you!
The Bath Wedding Expo is here! A fabulous not to be missed one day interactive wedding expo.
For an amazing wedding planning treat in the centre of Bath, read on… 👇

Where is it
You’ll find the Bath Assembly Rooms at:
Bennett St, Bath BA1 2QH

Bath wedding expo - map to Bath Assembly rooms

When is the Bath Wedding Expo?

The Sunday 23rd Feb 2020
From 10.30am – 3.30pm

Join us for an elegant, curated and interactive wedding experience at The Assembly Rooms in Bath. Bring your to do lists, you will be adding more ticks on those lists! 💕

What will you see?

Show features:
💍Goody bag on arrival
💍50 of the finest wedding professionals
💍Beautiful wedding trends and styles showcased in our unforgettable Inspiration Zone
💍A show-stopping catwalk show 💍The Style Hub featuring our ‘Style A Bride’ where we transform our model brides and create different looks in front of your eyes
💍The style hub will also feature our “Create a Tablescape” where the stylist Sandra of Fabulous Functions UK and florist Judy of Blooming Chic will create a show stopping tablescape.

There will also be!
💍Live music and entertainment 💍A beautiful cafe where you can recharge and take it all in!

The Bath Assembly Rooms Wedding Expo will feature 50 plus exhibitors and wedding experts.
Do come along, say hello and ask as m any questions as you want. - Bath wedding expo

This is an unmissable event for your #wedmin diary!
Why not pre-register to get your exclusive VIP envelope of special offers? Simply ‘Book your tickets’ and you’ll also be automatically entered into the prize draw to win a case of Champagne🥂

Do come along, say hello and ask as many questions as you want. Add as many ticks to your to do list and leave with your wedding supplier firmly tucked away, leaving you the room to smile know your list is a lot shorter and your wedding admin nearly done.

See you there!

Are Budget Wedding Backdrops Cost Effective?

February 2, 2020November 18, 2021Leave a comment

Are Budget Wedding Backdrops Cost Effective?

Are budget wedding backdrops cost effective? Or do they lead you down a rabbit hole of disappointment and frustrations? In this blog we first ask the questions and then find the answers for you.

We do the research so you don’t have to

Being the fabulous wedding venue dressing service that we are, we spend quite some time doing our research for our clients and sometimes browse the Internet to see what’s new in the wedding and party dressing world.

It’s important to us – and in the end to you – that we’re up to date with the new trends in venue décor.

On a recent web crawl we came across an article about cheap, DIY wedding backdrops. We looked at this article and asked ourselves some questions:

1. Are budget wedding backdrops cost effective?
2. Are these suggestions at all realistic?
3. And what are the costs to you?

Long Years of practice

Bearing in mind that we’ve had years of practice at this, our quick answer to the question ‘Are Budget Wedding Backdrops Cost Effective? is: No. They aren’t. Not really!

Though there is of course ONE exception. IF you’re an arty/crafty type that makes handmade gifts on a regular basis this doesn’t apply to you.

Except for one cost area: time. Time, as they say, is money. So, even if you are capable of threading paper birds or butterflies on to lengths of wire and making it look amazing, will you, in the middle of all the other things to think about, have the time and energy for it?

One of the things we’ve seen touted as a budget alternative to a flower wall is a floral curtain similar to the one in the image below.

Are Cheap Wedding Backdrops Cheap at all? -Floral curtain created with small florals in a rainbow of colours. A beautiful backdrop but time consuming to make and transport to the venue for installations.

We made this curtain from flowers threaded on wire. In this photo it’s on the door at home when we were making it.

From personal experience we can tell you that an alternative flower wall or curtain such as this, might be relatively cheap. But don't be taken in by the idea that its an easy alternative DIY project for your wedding to make.

It took ages – and it was tricky to transport to the venue without it getting as tangled as the Christmas fairy lights always seem to.

A Rapid Rethink

A friend of mine tells how, when planning her daughter’s wedding, the pair of them harboured vague money-saving notions and making their own invitations etc. But after spending an hour between them constructing a flat-pack cardboard favour box they had a rapid rethink. And off to the printer’s they went.
What dawned on them was that, even if they had particular skills in this area – which, by their own admission, they didn’t – they had neither the time nor the energy for it.

And that’s a big thing to consider.

Budget wedding backdrops don’t come cheap in practice

Well – most of the time anyway. Okay yes, you can get friends to save coffee jars etc for you. You can tie sting around the top and put a giant tea-light inside and hang them around your venue. A pretty feature for a rustic style décor. Something like this – if you keep them plain – will be cheap in terms of everything except time. Time in getting them made and then time in getting them hung at the venue.

But if you want to decorate or frost them, well the cost soon rises. Have a quick root round somewhere like Hobbycraft. Look at masking tape and spray paint etc – that will give you an idea of how cheap soon turns into not-so-cheap.

Too much to think about

Our feeling is this. Unless you’re Kirsty Allsop (and she has a big support team!) making your own venue décor backdrops, or other décor for that matter, is giving yourself too much to think about. And you’ve got enough – with dresses and suit hire and table plans and planning the honeymoon. To name but a few things you’ll need to tackle. Trust us. You don’t need this.

How to do wedding backdrops without bursting the budget

But there is a way to do it without busting the budget. And that’s to hire not to buy. Have a look at the accessory hire and treasure trove sections of our website. There you’ll find flower walls and other wedding backdrops along with globes, table plan ideas and much, much more. All available to hire.

You don’t see what you have in mind? That’s no problem. Send us a message via our webform or call us on: 00447511842451 and let’s get problem solving.

Now you’ve got that sparkler on the 3rd finger of your left hand you’ll want to keep it in tip-top condition. So, here’s some top tips for your ring care: Fabulous Functions UK

Caring For Your Engagement Ring

December 31, 2019October 29, 2021Leave a comment

You’re engaged! Congratulations. Your significant other has popped the question. He – or she – has proposed. You’ve said yes and you’re now sporting a gorgeous ring. One that you’ll want to show off to all the world – and why not? This post is full of useful information on caring for your engagement ring.

Caring for your engagement ring- ideas on how to keep your engagement ring in perfect condition-Fabulous Functions UK — **A square cut diamond engagement ring from the designer Holly Robinson of Holly Robinson Jewelley**

Showing off your ring

We’re in a digital world, so that doyenne of the jewellery world, Beaverbrooks, has a useful article about how to take the perfect engagement ring selfie.

Caring for your ring

Now you’ve got that sparkler on the 3^rd finger of your left hand you’ll want to keep it in tip-top condition.

So, here’s some top tips for ring care:

Insurance

It’s easy to think that insurance is unnecessary and that we never use it so why bother? Yet, should your sparkler get lost, damaged or stolen, then having an insurance policy will help to soften the blow and finance the replacement or repair of your ring.

In some cases the excess on your policy can be more that the cost of your ring repair, so it may be worth visiting your jeweller first and getting their advice on whether to claim on your insurance for the repair cost.

Resist removing your ring in public

Advice for caring for your engagement ring - Don't take it off in public places as you risk losing or forgetting it. Read the blog from Fabulous Functions UK

I’m always terrified of forgetting my rings on the side of a sink or losing them down the drain while washing my hands in a public bathroom. So I never take them off when I wash my hands in public places.

Keeping your rings clean

In our day-to-day activities our rings gather residue from soaps, creams, body oils etc. But a periodic steam clean will remove these residues and return your rings to their former sparkly glory.

Protect your rings from harsh chemicals

Stones such as emeralds and sapphires are porous and harsh chemicals can damage their lustre. Thus, whatever rock you have, wearing gloves when using any chemical products is advisable to protect your ring.

Wear and tear on your ring

Diamonds are one of the hardest natural elements. BUT a cut and polished diamond can get chipped, so do avoid subjecting your diamond to undue stress and hard knocks.

Do try and avoid wearing your ring in the gym, you can accidentally knock it during your training session – the ring band or shank can be cracked leading to a visit to your jeweller.

Do try and avoid wearing your ring in the gym, you can accidentally knock it during your training session - the ring band or shank can be cracked, leading to a visit to your jeweller.

Health Check for your Jewellery

The prongs on your rings can become loose with time, so we recommend a regular checkup at your jeweller. This will save you the pain of losing your precious stone.

Advice for caring for your engagement ring- Give your ring a regular checkup to ensure the claws are not loose. Loose claws can cause your stones to fall out.

Ring envy – don’t have it!

Every girl has an idea of what her dream ring will be like. Once you have your sparkler on your finger, don’t compare your ring to others. Therein madness lie. And anyway, whether it costs £5 or £5000, your ring is a symbol of your love. As such it’s precious and priceless and no one else’s ring can surpass it.

Learn how to care for your beautiful rose gold and diamond engagement ring. Every girl has an idea of what her dream ring will be like. Once you have your sparkler on your finger, don’t compare your ring to others. Therein madness lie. And anyway, whether it costs £5 or £5000, your ring is a symbol of your love. As such it’s precious and priceless and no one else’s ring can surpass it. — A beautiful rose gold and diamond engagement ring from Holly Robinson Jewellery

This blog from Goldsmiths has lots of tips on caring for your jewellery – in general – not only engagement rings.

And finally …

… Once more congratulations on your engagement. Now, enjoy planning your wedding and your own special journey to the alter.

This blog about the wedding planning timeline might be useful to you. And of course, we’re help too!

Call us on: 00 44 7511 842 45 or drop an email to: hello@fabulousfunctionsuk.com

Now you are wearing the sparkler from the love of your life, here are some tips on how to take care of your engagement ring. Visit the blog at https://www.fabulousfunctionsuk.com/caring-for-your-engagement-ring/
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Putting Pantone into Your Wedding Décor

December 17, 2019November 18, 2021Leave a comment

PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue

Putting Pantone into Your Wedding Décor.

About the Pantone colour system

‘Pantone Colour is a colour-matching system universally used by many industries, including printing, graphic design, paint and the make-up industry, amongst others.’

Invented in the early 1960s, the Pantone matching system lets designers achieve colour-matching of specific colours no matter what process produced it. Every colour in the Pantone Matching System has its own unique number (PMS number) and that allows for exact matches every time. Pantone attributed to every colour, in all their tones and tints, a classification number. As this Visme blog says: ‘Pantone literally wrote the book on colour matching. For over 40 years, Pantone has been the go-to colour matching system for not only the design industry but also paint, textile and plastic manufacturers.’

The Pantone colour of the year

Back at the turn of the millennium, in 2000, the Pantone Colour Institute created the Pantone Colour of the Year as a trendsetting concept for branding, marketing and creative society as a whole. The introduction of the Pantone Colour of the Year confirmed The Pantone Colour Institute as the front-runner for all things colour related.

So it’s easy to see why and how there is such anticipation and excitement about Pantone’s new colour of the year. It influences everything – including wedding venue décor.

The Pantone colour for 2020

Below you’ll find our blog about Pantone’s colour for 2020. Although it’s dated now you can still get the idea of how the Pantone colours will influence wedding venue decor. Thus, if you’re planning a wedding and you want to be en trend with putting Pantone into your wedding décor then you need to watch what they’re doing.

The 2020 colour of the year: Pantone 19-4052 Classic Blue

Pantone’s own website describes their 2020 colour of the year as: ‘A timeless and enduring blue hue, PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue is elegant in its simplicity’. As they say, the colour is suggestive of the sky at dusk.

They also describe blue as something imprinted in our psyche as a restful colour. A claim supported by this website all about the psychology of colour. The site describes blue as the colour of the mind and one that soothes. Blue affects us mentally whereas red brings about a more physical response. They claim that research often shows blue as a favoured colour across the world.

We’re in turbulent times at the moment, thus Pantone suggests that their classic blue ‘brings a sense of peace and tranquillity to the human spirit, offering refuge.’

Putting the Pantone into Your Wedding Décor

See Pantone Classic Blue on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UeTNaba14RI

The wedding websites are ahead of the game of course, and have already written about how to use Pantone Classic Blue in your wedding venue décor.

Here’s a few ideas on how to incorporate blue onto your decor and go about putting Pantone into your wedding décor.

Wedding Florals

Adding blue to your florals works beautifully. You can add as much or as little as you want, flowers provide a wonderful variety of blues for you to choose from. So be as wild or as understated as takes your fancy.

Stationery

Add classic blue tones to your stationery then a complementary colour. Here, the addition of gold foil creates a relief effect on these table numbers. Thank you Mat Fox Photography for this fab photo.

Beach Wedding Ideas for Putting Pantone into Your Wedding Décor

Macaroons guest favours for a beach wedding — Photo curtesy of **Joseph Dart Photography**

A beach wedding and Classic Blue are a gift for your ‘something blue’.

Bring blue into your table setting. Blue glassware and blue and white china – either matching sets or mismatched – will nod to Pantone’s 2020 colour of the year.

Your Wedding Cake

Goede Cake with a hint of Classic Blue and a Silk Flower Wall backdrop from Fabulous Functions UK

Edible blue – go for a blue geode wedding cake to bring your cake table bang-up-to-date.

Table Settings

Add a touch of Classic Blue with a blue napkin arranged on a silver charger plate and add Agate Slices for your guest place names.

Incorporate blues into your table settings by using napkins in Classic Blue, these blue agate from Fabulous Functions UK slices are the perfect guest name tags and they double up as guest favours too.

Other ways to add classic blue to your celebrations

In the summer time when the weather is fine, Classic Blue will look wonderful and fresh paired with white and shots of yellow.
For a winter wedding though, imagine a celestial-theme. Classic Blue will be heavenly for such a scheme. As will our silver, crushed velvet tablecloths available for you to hire. They’re also available in Royal Blue – which will hint at the trend if not hit it head on.

Shades of Pantone blues and greens - Putting the Pantone into Your Wedding Décor

If by now you’re in love with the idea of a blue-toned wedding but need more ideas – don’t hesitate to get in touch.