But, if you’re not one of those couples, then you could be agonising over the piece of music to which you intend to step onto the dance floor.
Image curtesy of Kevin Lines Photography

Wedding First Dance

You need to tread carefully here – did you see what I did there? This could be as tricky as who you’re going to sit your great-uncle Fred next to – what with his repertoire of off-colour jokes and his habit of blowing his nose REALLY loudly.

You can of course play it safe with some classic first dance songs, or you can look for what’s trendy at the time of your wedding and go with one of those. Alternatively you can quickstep to your local dance school in an effort to impress the guests with some slick salsa moves. To mix the dance step metaphors somewhat.

Decisions, decisions, decisions
So if you’ve not yet started to think about this one then dig out your dancing shoes because Fabulous Functions UK is here with some foot-tapping tips to get you started.

The First Dance Song Suggestions

And in no particular order, here are a few suggestions for your wedding first dance songs to consider.

1. At Last – Etta James
2. When Love calls – Atlantic Star
3. What a Wonderful Thing Love Is – Al Green
4. Love of My Life – Brian McKnight
5. Real Good Hands – Gregory Porter
6. The Closer I get to You – Luther Vandross & Beyonce
7. All My Life – K-Gi & JoJo
8. If I Ain’t Got You – Alicia Keys & James Taylor
9. Amazed – Lonestar
10. I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing – Aerosmith
    

And if there’s not enough for you there, then You and Your Wedding have a list of 100 first dance wedding songs for every kind of couple.

I love them all and want to have lots of first dances. If you can’t decide on one dance that you both like then why not have all the songs you both love.

Have some fun and create your very own first dance mashup! Have a look at this couple and see what fun they had with their Wedding Dance mashup.

Your wedding first dance can be as choreographed as you want or you can be spontaneous and make up your moves as you go along. The essential thing is: have fun!

Contact us

Should you wish to talk to us about anything wedding-related all our contact information is on our website here.

Wend your way there through leafy roads and lanes which twist and turns delightfully. You will find the hotel perched atop a hill in the pretty Cotswolds village of Painswick. I love how the hotel has the same name as the village in which it’s situated.

Here is the lowdown all about The Painswick Hotel; An exclusive use Cotswolds Wedding Venue

Why do I love The Painswick Wedding?

Our visit was just before Christmas, and the hotel was overflowing with character and charm, featuring wood panelling and cosy relaxing spaces in front of fireplaces with dancing flames.

Here is the perfect place to spend a lovely weekend exploring the countryside and taking long walks, enjoying a gorgeous afternoon tea with your besties.
Or taking it over for the weekend and making it your exclusive use venue for your wedding celebrations. Although the skies were grey and not a ray of sun shine in sight, the warmth of the greeting from all the staff certainly made up for it. They are attentive and caring, are experts in their fields and there is nothing they would not do to ensure your comfort during your stay and to ensure your celebrations are a success.

 

What’s special about weddings at The Painswick

The venue take over is the best! Couples often say their wedding day ends too quickly, At the Painswick, your day can last several days as you have the option to take over the venue for the weekend. Your guests can stay onsite in the 17 gorgeously decorated rooms or stay locally.

As an exclusive use Cotswolds wedding venue, The Painswick can host 2 weddings a month. You take over the hotel to have the exclusive use of this beautiful little gem of a Cotswolds wedding venue. Your wedding party can enjoy the delights of the 17 rooms available to them, It becomes your home from home where the staff look after your every needs and make sure you, your family and friends spend the time laughing hugging, making fabulous memories and leave wanting to come back again and again.  

What ceremony and reception spaces are available at this venue?

Should you choose The Painswick to host your wedding celebrations, you have the choice of an outdoor ceremony in the beautiful grounds with drinks and canapés on the enclosed manicured lawn afterwards.

You can choose the indoor options where you can say your beautiful “I Do’s” and be surrounded by gorgeous period panelling and high ceilings.

As you have exclusive use of The Painswick wedding venue, whatever you choose, you and your guests have the run of the hotel with use of the games room for a friendly bout of snooker or pool and the lovely comfy salons to relax, relive delicious memories and make a ton of new ones.

While you are in the area, take the opportunity to explore a bit. Visit the Rococo Gardens which is only 5 minutes away, Discover the pretty village of Painswick, enjoy a few energetic walks then come back to the hotel for a well earned treat.

What type of couple will love The Painswick?

I love this venue for couples who want an exclusive experience and love the countryside. And who want to prolong the joy of their wedding celebrations.

Any insider tips for weddings at The Painswick

I would love to see a vintage themed wedding at The Painswick. It would be an amazing venue to host a vintage themes wedding. With its high ceilings beautiful panelling and numerous fireplaces, something like a Gatsby themed wedding would be perfect there. The decor in the bar area is just picture perfect.

The Painswick Hotel: Wedding Costs?

Prices start from £16,000 for a 24-hour midweek wedding or from £33,000 for a 48-hour weekend wedding. This includes, the hire of the 17 bedrooms, food and drink and the venue hire fee.  

Catering Options  

The Painswick are recipients of a good award and are only too happy to tempt you with their gastronomic delights. Couples have the advantage of creating a bespoke menu for their celebrations.

What you can do in the area?

While you are in the area, take the opportunity to explore a bit. Visit the Painswick Rococo Gardens which is only 5 minutes away. Designed in the 1740s, it’s the only Rococo Garden in the country so well worth a visit of discovery.
If walking is your thing then discover the pretty village of Painswick, enjoy a few energetic walks then come back to the hotel for a well-earned treat.  
The hilly countryside and lanes are perfect for the armature cyclist who likes to be challenged.
You can also try your hand at clay pigeon shooting or take a tour in the family owned Woodchester Valley, a boutique vineyard and winery, it’s located just down the road from The Painswick, in the Stroud valley.

And the Facts

• Address : The Painswick, Kemps Lane, Painswick, Gloucestershire, GL6 6YB
• Phone : 01452 813688  
• Website : The Painswick
• Capacity : The Painswick can host 80 day guests and 90 for your evening celebrations
• What’s Included : As an exclusive venue, you have the run of the place to celebrate to your hearts content.

A huge thank you to Lisa of Ampersand Memories Photography for these fabulous photographs.

And an equally big thank you to the cute little Robin who came over to say hello.

Are you looking for your in-house wedding florist and venue stylist, visit our wedding collections where you will find a selection of packages for your wedding flowers and venue styling, you are sure to find one that suits your style, personality and venue.

Let’s work together to you create your beautifully, unforgettable wedding celebrations.

It will be our pleasure and privilege to be your ‘interior designer’ for your wedding day.

Visit the The Painswick, a true gem of the Costwolds and enjoy the delights they have to offer.

Be Social

Why not follow us on our social media to keep up to date with our happening and to see even more of our floral creations, venue decor and fabulous accessories for hire? Follow the links to Instagram , Facebook and Pinterest

Amy and Jerrad’s Wedding at Kingscote Barn, Tetbury

Amy is a returning customer – Fabulous Functions UK did the décor for her birthday party a few years ago – something she’d loved. So you can imagine our delight when she messaged us to say she’d met the love of her life, was planning her wedding celebrations and wanted us as part of her wedding planning team! Excited doesn’t cover it!

We arranged to meet for a coffee and an initial planning meeting in a cosy little pub in Devizes – with social distancing and masks in play to meet Covid regulations.

Amy and Jerrad at Kingscote Barn – Initial Wedding Planning Meeting

It was great to meet up with Amy and her lovely mum and listen as she described the vision she had for her wedding venue décor. We explored ideas and suggestions, discussed colour scheme and made suggestions for other suppliers needed for the day.

I’d brought samples to show Amy. It’s so helpful to see the fabrics, compare colours and combinations where possible and make choices based on that knowledge. We created a beautiful vision and I was super excited to get started.

Wedding Location

Amy and Jerrad had chosen Kingscote Barn in Tetbury for their wedding celebrations – a beautiful venue with much indoor and outdoor space for the couple and their guests to enjoy.

As part of our service, we include an on-site visit, approximately one month before the wedding date. This gives our couples a chance to walk through the venue and envision the décor they have chosen. Confirm locations for their accessories and make any last-minute changes. Amy and Jerrad’s Kingscote Barn wedding was no exception and so they walked through the venue with me, discussing each room and the best locations to place their accessories. At the end of the visit they were sure all was as they desired.

Action Stations

Come the wedding day it was all action. We arrived and unloaded all the accessories, had discussions with the coordinator at Kingscote Barn and got to work.

First up was dressing the chairs with a light grey chiffon hood and waterfall ruffles, creating a soft romantic feel. Once the florist had placed her centrepieces, we added tealights and candles to the tables, placed in groups of 3s around the tables to create a warm ambience once they were lit.

Next we turned our attention to the reception welcome room. We are happy to use accessories provided by our couples and incorporate this into the accessories we provide as part of the décor.

The floor standing mirrored table plan was a beauty and with much care we set it in place and added cylinder vases with floating candles. The personalised mirrored welcome sign was also placed ready to greet the guests.

Amy and Jerrad wanted to give a little nod to loved ones not present and had provided a treasured drinks trolly belonging to Amy’s Nan. This we carefully placed and decorated with items provided by Amy.

Amy and Jerrad at Kingscote Barn had a wealth of personal touches so… Not forgetting the ceiling! Kingscote Barn has a wealth of original beams and we attached some beautiful twisted willow branches, added tealights in glass baubles hung at various heights.

The aim was to create a warm welcoming décor full of romance, charm and sophistication. The venue looked so beautiful.

Love Notes from Our Lovely Couple

Jerrad said: ‘I knew the venue would be beautiful, because you were doing it.’

The both of them: ‘We cannot thank you Sandra & the Fabulous Functions team enough for the amazing work they did for us building up, and on the day of our wedding.’

The venue looked breath taking and you worked so hard so we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We loved working with you. You knew our vision and you helped with every little touch!

Sandra was on hand whenever I needed her. Thank you all so much it was just perfect. Any event in the future we will contact you!

Amy and Jerrad

We love to be Social

Why not follow us on our social media to keep up to date with our happening and to see even more of our floral creations, venue decor and fabulous accessories for hire? Follow the links to Instagram , Facebook and Pinterest

Second Marriage Dress Etiquette

Of late I’ve been giving some thought to two questions I’ve seen asked in various Facebook groups, that relate to second marriage dress etiquette:

1. Should one wear a wedding dress for a registry office ceremony?
2. Are there rules around second marriage style etiquette? Or put another way, a bride to be, marrying for the second time, wanted to know if it was acceptable to wear a white wedding dress for her ceremony.
   
   My own thoughts on both those is a big YES – of course. If that’s what you want to do, if that would make you happy, then go right ahead. 
   
   But you don’t have to only take our word on second marriage dress etiquette for it. I’ve done a little digging to see what big wedding-related websites are saying about second marriage wedding dress etiquette. Hitched.com have an article from late last year, Second Marriage Wedding Dresses: The Rules and Etiquette Revealed. They posed that some second-time-around brides have the lustre of the wedding shopping process tarnished by remarriage etiquette uncertainty. It seems there’s often a worry over whether or not white is appropriate for a remarriage.
   
   But, as they say, browsing for a second wedding dress ought to be as enjoyable as it was for your first. Further, some brides hold a conviction that a second marriage puts white out of the bridal picture. But yet, when Meghan Markle wed Prince Harry, a second marriage for her, she wore white.  And wonderful she looked too. 
   
   And anyway, the whole white wedding thing has nothing to do with purity and everything to do with Queen Victoria deciding to wear white because it complemented the lace on her dress. You can read more about that in our blog, Something Old and Something New that takes a brief look at a few of the classic wedding traditions.

Say ‘I Do’ in Glorious Colour

White is wonderful yes. But there’s nothing to say you can’t say I do in colour too. Red is a popular choice for a wedding dress – for the first time or for a second marriage. As this Vows Bridal website points out: ‘Coloured wedding gowns are everywhere these days. Red also signifies good luck in many cultures so is a perfect choice for a wedding dress and certainly one to chose when considering the etiquette for a second marriage wedding dress.

Brides are breaking from tradition and going for a unique look that can reflect their personalities. These wedding gowns may have just a little colour, or be completely one colour with absolutely no white or ivory to be found.’ A red gown will sure as heck make a statement! Red is a popular choice for weddings around Valentine’s Day and Christmas.

But it’s best to use the colours that suit you as a guide – that way you’ll both look and feel amazing. And, as the Hitched article says, you could always put a twist on traditional white by opting for a super chic white trouser or jumpsuit. 

Put another way, when it comes to second marriage dress etiquette rules – there are none. It’s the 21st century – do whatever you feel!

Incidentally, should you be in the Swindon area and should you not ever have had a colour and style analysis done, then now might be the time. If you’re thinking of going down the coloured wedding gown route for your remarriage then knowing the colours that best complement eyes and your skin tone will give you a head start in your quest for the perfect wedding dress!

If You’re Feeling Social …

… do 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 and see the latest additions to our accessory hire range as well as the fab venue transformations that we produce for our lovely couples.

In our blog, Five alternatives to Champagne for the wedding toasts, we had a rummage through the off-licence shelves to bring you some alternatives to Champagne for making a toast along with the wedding speech.

The logical next step then is to have a look at the correct running order of the wedding speeches themselves.

Who goes first and why

It’s understandable to feel nervous about the wedding speeches. Aside from wanting everything to run to plan you may well have nerves about delivering the speech itself.

For great tips on how to deal with wedding speech nerves, do check out this guest post from life coach, Frances Barrone.  

It will give you some great tips on dealing with wedding speech nerves.
Image curtesy of Steffen Milsom Photography

But this blog is about explaining what the running order is – and why.

The first thing to say is that, the tradition is for the giving of wedding speeches to take place after the wedding breakfast. But if we’ve learned anything from our recent posts about breaking with tradition, many modern couples are choosing to plough their own furrow, make their own traditions or adapt traditions to suite them and their wedding day preferences.

Which is why, as this article on Hitched.co.uk, points out: you can have the bride’s father make his address to the guests before the wedding breakfast commences.

Or you might do the whole lot before you eat so everyone can relax and enjoy their food. A particularly nervous speech-giver might appreciate this.  

Another way of doing it is to have a speech between the wedding  breakfast and dessert so guests aren’t having to sit through what might be a tedious block of speeches. And there won’t be any grumbling stomachs while the speeches are going on. This one is win-win all round!

It’s also worth noting that many couples change up the order of the speeches and also who gives a speech. Nowadays you’ll find the bride giving a speech, or her mother. Children who are brave enough to say something on behalf of the wedding couple may be invited so to do.

Then, after the main parties have spoken the floor is open to anyone who want to wish the couple well.

As the saying goes –  Your Wedding, Your Way!
So if breaking with wedding tradition is on your mind – go here.

Note too that having speeches isn’t the preserve of weddings. Birthday and anniversary celebrations can also call for speeches. And venue decoration. So if that’s where you’re at check out our venue styling packages here.

Traditional wedding speech running order

1. The bride’s father
2. The Grooms Speech
3. The Best Man
4. Maid of Honour
5. Anyone else wanting to make a speech to honour the happy couple.

It’s common etiquette for the bride’s father to head the speech running order list. He’s afforded this honour because, traditionally at least, he’s the one that’s the founder of the feast. Or has at least paid for a chunk of it.

Though, as we’ve seen in ‘Giving away the Bride’, this situation is not so common as it was.

Be all that as it may, this speech is the proud dad’s chance to welcome the guests he’s hosting and thank everyone for coming to share the celebrations. It’s also a formal welcome to the groom into his family.

The bride’s father’s speech should include a toast to absent friends and family before concluding with a toast to the newlyweds.

It’s usual for this speech to contain funny and heart-warming stories about his daughter. Indeed, it should glorify her! Yet it should mention the groom too and why he thinks they’re such a fabulous couple.

Visit this article on Hitched.com website for speech examples for the father of the bride

The Groom: his speech is next on the running order

The lucky groom’s speech-making duties encompass a response to the toast proposed by the bride’s father to the newlyweds. It should also offer thanks to the bride’s parents for hosting the wedding – assuming that they have – and for welcoming him into their family. Not forgetting an expression of gratitude to his parents of course!

It also falls to the groom to give thanks to the key wedding party members, hand out any thank-you gifts and compliment the bridesmaids! He might also want to say a few words in praise of his new bride. If he doesn’t want a row on the wedding night anyway.

Here’s 11 top tips for making the perfect groom’s speech.

The Best Man

Now we come to the last speech of the night and one that’s heavy with expectation. The Best Man’s speech! And perhaps some nervousness from the bride and groom’s quarter may be warranted- given that the expectation is that the best man will pepper his speech with amusing anecdotes about the groom.

If you’re a best man preparing a speech, do be mindful of the audience when you’re deciding which stories to share.

It’s polite to remember the bride but refrain from giving her the same verbal roasting as the groom.

Here’s 18 Tried and Tested Jokes for the Best Man’s Speech to give you some inspiration. And if you want more than that then here’s 21 funny introductions for the best man’s speech.

In summary then:

When you’re planning, and arranging your speeches, traditional running order or not, it’s important you consider these points:

1. Give some thought to how the person speaking ahead of you will round their speech off. If possible, discuss it with them. With a bit of co-operation, you can work a nice segue from their speech into yours so that yours starts by referencing the end of theirs.
2. Get the preceding speaker to introduce you. That way you don’t have to make a clumsy self-intro and it lets you know it’s time for you to take the podium as it were.
3. Confer with the other speech-makers on what jokes and toasts they intend including. This avoids repetition.
4. Of course, the same applies with anecdotes. Especially if there’s more than one best man or if the bride’s father is a bit of a wag. Heaven forfend you bore the guests by repeating the same or similar stories.

So there you have it. The whys and wherefores of the wedding speech running order.

If you’ve got any good stories to tell about wedding speeches you’ve experienced or how you’ve seen the situation dealt with at weddings we’d love to hear about it.

Find all our contact information here .

Our Services for Your Florals and Venue Transformation

As a Wiltshire wedding florist and having flowered many beautiful venues, we are able to guide you in the choices available to you for your floral designs and venue transformations. Your bouquet and wedding florals will be full of texture, scents evoking past memories and creating new ones to accompany you on your wedding day journey.

We act as your wedding interior designers, guiding you through the wonderful floral world, finding the best blooms for your wedding florals, and the choice of show stopping designs that feels right for you and your wedding party. You can visit our wedding collections and take a look at our wedding flower packages

When it comes to your venue decor, we have a fabulous range of accessories to style your venue and transforming it into a wonderful celebration space for you to renew bonds, catch up with friends and spend time making memories with the people who mean the most to you. Our venue decor packages are here

You can browse our gallery to see some of the beautiful designs we have created.

Loving what you see and want to learn more and see how we can create magic for your wedding day celebrations?
Then we are only a phone call away on 07511 842 451 or book a consultation with us so we can get started on your journey to the day you walk down the aisle and join hands with your sole mate. Our on line calendar is an easy and convenient way to set aside time for us to say hello and get to know each other. Pour over your ideas and explore options for your wedding day installations.

As you can see this blog is foremost about giving you the tools to deliver a masterful and entertaining wedding speech, but we do so much more with you and for you. Our aim is to accompany you along the journey and give you the confidence to know that all will be well on the day you walk into your wedding venue.

We look forward to chatting with you and planning a magical day for you, your beloved, and your family and friends.

By the way- did you see the blog on ways to keep your nerves when making your wedding speech? Have a read and let us know if it has helped you.
Happy reading!

Something old and something new

All the occasions we celebrate are riven with traditions. Easter has the eggs and the bunny, Christmas has Father Christmas/ Santa Claus – and more besides – depending on the nation. And, of course, every family puts their own spin on these regular calendar markers. And weddings are no exception.

So here’s a quick tour round some of the classic wedding traditions from horseshoes, to chimney sweeps to the well-known rhyme featuring something old and something new and something borrowed and something blue.

Chimney Sweeps

Back in the days when most of us had chimneys, to have a chimney sweep turn up at your wedding was seen as great good fortune. If he wished the couple good luck that was a very good omen indeed.

Remember Dick Van Dyke inn ‘Mary Poppins’?: ‘Good luck will rub off if you shakes hands with me’.

Chimney sweeps had, as Sooty the Sweep explains, this luck dispensing ability invested in them by King George II, when a sweep was the only one brave enough to stop his out-of-control carriage and save the king’s life.

As a result the king issued a royal decree declaring chimney sweeps as bringers of luck that one should treat with respect.

Lucky Horsehoes and Edible Traditions

Then there’s horseshoes – an ancient symbol of good luck of course. Since time immemorial we’ve hung them over doorways across the globe to protect the home from evil spirits.

The giving of horseshoes to a bride is a tradition of long standing. Well before Christian times people thought that a horseshoe resembled a crescent moon and that made it a very potent fertility charm! But, more recently, in Victorian times the tradition became established as a way of bringing good luck to the newlyweds for the duration of their lives together.

The Wedding Cake

Steeped in as much tradition as it is in fruit and brandy is the old fashioned wedding cake.

The Wedding Attire

The traditional white wedding dress is a relatively new one for British brides after Queen Victoria made them fashionable. As this Vanity Fair article explains, Queen Victoria made such a sartorial impression nearly 180 years ago that her example of wearing white is still considered mandatory by many a traditional bride. Further, Victoria’s choice of white bore no relation to any notion of purity.

Victoria wore white for no other reason than that it complemented the delicate lace on her dress. Before Queen Victoria caused a sartorial stir women of the lower orders wore their best dress and those with a bit more money married in a colourful dress that they could recycle for other occasions. And IF, before Queen Victoria, a bride wore white, it symbolised wealth rather than purity – they could afford to have the dress cleaned.

A Wedding Rhyme – Something Old and Something New

There’s a related tradition that may have its origins much earlier than the white dress:

Something old,
Something new,
Something borrowed,
Something blue.

The origins of the rhyme are not clear but you can find references to it as an ancient custom in an 1876 edition of ‘Notes and Queries’. (Wikipedia) In Britain this old couplet is a direction to the bride on what she should wear. Originating here, the tradition has since spread across the globe.

Tradition holds that the something blue takes the form of a garter – and there’s yet more tradition behind that. In some wedding rites the bride had the garter plucked from her. Saucy? Or Chauvinistic?

Additionally, something blue combines with something old as a device to baffle the Evil Eye – feared to render the bride barren. Preventing such an unfortunate occurrence is the wearing of something borrowed. Properly speaking this should be the undergarment of a women blessed with children so as to pass on her fertility to the bride.

When I got married, many moons ago now, I observed this tradition but in my own way. I borrowed a necklace, the new took the form of my dress and shoes and the blue was a garter.

Popular Culture

This particular tradition is not ignored by popular culture. It made it into the ‘Friends’ episode: ’The one in Vegas’. Monica tells Chandler she has to have ‘Something old and something new, something borrowed and something blue before they can get married. So, to fulfil the borrowed part of the rhyme they stole a new blue sweater from a shop and for the old they pressed a used condom into service!

How about you? How did you meet the rigours of this something old and something new rhyme at your wedding? If indeed you met them at all. Or if you’re planning to tie the knot soon do you plan to?

Why don’t you let us know? We’d love to hear from you. Drop a note to: hello@fabulousfunctionsuk.com Our full contact details are here.

Tradition With a Twist

The website of Wedding Ideas Mag has lots of ideas on how you can follow the rhyme while you can find a list of 12 modern day takes on the tradition in this article: ‘12 Modern Items to Replace Your Something Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue’.

A Look at 5 Fab Benefits of Weekday Weddings Over the Traditional Weekend

5 fab benefits of weekday weddings
It’s been the tradition for as far back as anyone knows, for weddings to take place on a Saturday. And there are historical reasons for that. This article from The Atlantic, on the topic of weekday weddings, quotes a rather interesting observation from Vicki Howard, a history lecturer at the University of Essex and author of Brides, Inc, about the wedding industry.
She posts that the work schedules of the couple and their guests had an inevitable heavy influence on the whole Saturday wedding norm. As she says, throughout history ‘agricultural seasons, factory hours, and other work constraints shaped the month and date people could take time out to marry.’

 Hence the popularity of the weekend wedding and, in the chances are, the summer wedding too. That would add up. But now more than ever there is an active choice to make between a weekend or weekday marriage. Further into this post we give 5 fab benefits of weekday weddings!

Never on a Sunday

A further factor in it not being the rule to marry on Sundays, is that of weddings only taking place in church. And on Sunday’s they’d have services. But of course, recent years has seen a huge decline in church weddings. With that there’s been a shift in both the day that weddings happened and the location. Something that’s seen off the never on a Sunday notion. 

The First Elephant in the Room

There’s no escaping the fact that, as soon as you talk about having a weekday wedding Nellie the elephant goes on a stampede. So, let’s try and control the elephant in the room.

Yes, it’s true that if you want a midweek marriage you’re going to have to ask your guests to take time off work to come to it. And for some that won’t be an option – but the opposite can apply too.

BUT: you can point out to your guests that they’ll get some valuable time to let loose from the Monday to Friday routine.  And, thanks to there being a wider choice of venues and suppliers available to you, sometimes at less cost, there’s reason aplenty to opt for weekday weddings. 

The Second Elephant in the Room

Then there’s the second elephant in the room. Currently we are in 2021 and coming out of a global pandemic with numerous national lockdowns – Coronavirus and its effect on weddings. 

At the moment, ceremonies can only take place in England in exceptional circumstances, for instance, if the bride or groom is very ill. But changes are coming soon if we continue to progress as we have. While the government aims to stop social restrictions by late June, do bear in mind that anything can happen. Ergo, a small weekday wedding may not be such an inconvenience after all. And aside from that, because Covid-19 put our lives and weddings on hold, this coming year is going to see more couples having to compromise on days and dates. Why? Because we’re about to see a rush to the alter as couples who’d postponed move to get the marriage deed done.

Still in a Quandary?

If by now you’re still on the fence with the whole weekend or weekday marriage thing, this article from Hitched UK on organising and planning a weekday wedding will help.  They proffer 5 fab benefits of weekday weddings. Read on for why you should give serious consideration to wedding on a weekday.

5 Fab Benefits of Weekday Weddings

1. More choice of venue and suppliers
   You’re much more likely to have a larger range of suppliers with availability to choose from on a weekday than weekend.
2. It’s a money-saving option
   There is often a separate rate for weekend and weekday venue hire. in fact, sometimes the price difference is often great enough to convince couples to wed on a Wednesday.
3. Your guests could save too
   Most hotels and guest houses offer reduced tariffs on a weekday. And transport is often cheaper on a weekday. So if you avoid peak times, your guests could end up paying much less than they first thought.
4. Avoid date clashes
   Wave if you’ve had invitations to two postponed weddings on the same Saturday! 
5. Beautiful photos whether it’s a Saturday or a Tuesday
   When you look back at your photos you will never be able to tell if it was taken on a Saturday or on a day of the week. So don’t make a weekday availability put you off.
   

Covid-Caused Delays

Thanks to the pandemic, many spring and summer couples have had to move their weddings to later in the year or early next year. Thus, increasing the chances of a wedding date clash by a massive margin.

But choose a not-so-popular-but-just-as-amazing weekday wedding date and you increase the chances of you most loved family and friends being there with you.  And surely that matters more than it being on a Saturday?

Talk to Us

Now things are getting moving again in the wedding world we’re itching to get going – with weekend or weekday weddings. Whichever it is – we’re on the starting blocks!

Anything you want to talk to us about – our availability, decor ideas, venues we have worked at, bespoke accessories etc. – do get in touch! All our contact details are here.

The wedding world has been thrown a whopper of a spanner thanks to the global pandemic Covid-19.

Couples are still falling in love, still saying “Yes” to the question “Will you m….” and we are so happy because we love all things weddings. The questions, the researching, the discoveries. The decision making, and the journey to the glorious “I Do’s”

This styled shoot brings together two beautiful cultures – A Jamaican groom and an Indian bride, creating an elegantly beautiful fusion of two cultures.

We chose the Lotus flower; India’s national flower and the Humming Bird; Jamaica’s national bird to symbolise the union of the two cultures. The colours are strong and vibrant while lending the opportunity for softness and sophistication.

These were used by Payal of Caligraphy by Payal to create an original design which could then be reproduced in the various elements of the stationery. Nicky of Polkadot Creations designed the welcome board and the banner and Anna of Evelyn and Elliot created the menu cards and the place cards.

Multicultural Wedding Couples

We created two looks for our multicultural couple: the traditional white wedding and the traditional Indian wedding.

We created two looks for our multicultural couple: the traditional white wedding.

Both representing the lives of our modern day couples who want to honour their heritage and embrace the diversity of the world they live in.

Set in the beautiful Kings Head Hotel and featuring the tall sweeping heights of the modern Assemble rooms; giving couples the choice of décor and style for their celebrations.  The centuries old walls of the vaulted cellar is perfect for a fabulous party to celebrate the start of your beautiful journey.
The Kings Head Hotel has some fabulous spaces perfect for your celebrations big and small. From the Corn Hall which comfortable seats 400 guests to the library for an intimate gathering of 10 guests.
We chose the Assembley Room which can accommodate up to 180 guests.

We chose a banquet style setting for this setting, The table supplied by the accessory hire company, Hospitality Services LTD were complemented with the lovely crossback chairs. The tables and chairs echos beautifully the natural world associated with both countries.
The centrepieces were long lush green garlands, interspersed with blue hydrangeas and purple / fuchsia anemone.
The lushness and vibrancy of the centrepieces brings to mind the vegetation associated with the two continents in which the two countries are situated.
And of course there had to be candelights, giving a soft romantic glow to the setting.

Why settle for one gown on your wedding day when you can wear two? The gorgeous white wedding gown is the beautiful creation from the fab designers at Theia Couture. Created in a soft crepe and embellished with delicate beading on the straps at the back

For your entertainment, this blog about wedding traditions around the world is a fun read. It’s perfect for finding out about some of the fabulous traditions wedding couples from around the world follow.

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“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?

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 plates during the meal.

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

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.

 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.

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