1. Detox. You know what they say about a healthy body
equalling a healthy body. Well there is much to be said for the
healthy mind-healthy body malarkey and a detox is a good way to
cleanse your system (good preparation for all that champagne
it’ll be plied with). Just a short week long detox should
suffice, depending on how far advance you do it. Detoxes vary but
are inevitably good for slimming down into gowns!
2. Spoil yourself with a pamper session, or, if you can afford
it, a spa break. Nothing beats stress like a good massage and a
mani-pedi will make you feel preened and pretty. Just be sure to
avoid facials as they can cause break outs - not so ideal for
pre-wedding de-stressing!
3. Practice yoga and/or pilates. The gentle exercise will
stimulate the production of serotonin and the focus on breathing
will encourage calm and relaxation.
4. Take at least half an hour for a long hot soak in the bath,
setting this time aside to forget about the wedding details.
Think candles, a glass of wine, classical music (or whatever ever
else floats your boat) playing softly in the background…
5. Eat healthily and regularly. Weddings are nerve and nausea
inducing enough, without factoring a low blood sugar into the
equation. Try to eat slow energy releasing foods to maintain your
blood sugar levels and drink plenty of water; you’ll feel more
energetic and more level headed.
6. Get plenty of sleep. If you’re morphed into a bit of an
insomniac as the wedding approaches, try turning off all
electrical equipment (laptops, phones etc) at least an hour
before bed. Spritz some lavender sleeping spray onto your pillow
and unwind either by reading or listening to relaxing
music.
7. Keep a diary. Even if you don’t normally, there is something
cathartic about unburdening yourself and letting all your worries
pour onto the paper.
8. Similarly, make lists. It’s stressful trying to remember to do
a million things, and keeping lists will make things seem much
more manageable.
9. Look at pictures of your honeymoon destination. There’s
nothing like the prospect of an indulgent, romantic holiday to
boost a person’s spirits.
10. Do something you love; whether it’s horse riding, painting,
shopping or knitting. As long as you love and find it therapeutic
it’ll help distract you from any pre-wedding jitters.
Oct
20th
The first dance
By CCooperWhen I think about my wedding day I am overcome with excitement. So much so that I just want to get up and dance around the room like a loon. Rather ironic, given the thought of fumbling my way through the first dance fills me with terror. All those eyes. Watching me. Me with my awkward, wooden dancing. I don't normally object to dancing, I generally take comfort in the fact that there is invariably someone worse, flailing widely on the dancefloor to draw attention away from me. However, that's not really an option for the first dance is it? So I have come to the conclusion that pre-wedding dance lessons are required! They're not cheap, but then, nothing wedding-related is. Here's hoping it pays off and I sweep across the dancefloor with the elegance of a young Audrey Hepburn (well, a girl can dream!).
Oct
19th
Vintage Birdcages
By RachelRI have always adored decorative birdcages. They’re so whimsical and romantic, and for this reason they make ideal wedding decorations. They are so effortlessly chic they will add a touch of elegance to any wedding. They are wonderfully multi-purpose and can be used as cardholders, lanterns when hung from trees, or table centrepieces. You can fill them with flowers, fruits, cupcakes, candles, peacock feathers, perfume bottles or beautifully bound antique books – the list is endless. Alternatively, source an artificial nest from a garden centre and fill it with chocolates. To further beautify, tie a plush satin ribbon, co-ordinated with your colour scheme, around the middle or on the top. Alternatively, use pearls or fairy lights. Pearls add to and perfect the vintage feel when loosely draped around or over birdcages, as do trailing fairy lights. Petals also add to the elegant, feminine aesthetic when scattered around the outside. Customise according to your individual style, the trend is easily adapted to accommodate any wedding. Vintage birdcages are readily available, either on the high street or online; it’s also worth looking in the classified ads and on eBay, where there will inevitably be brides selling off their birdcages. You could even hire them
{Credits: 1. You & Your Wedding; 2. Hawaiian Island Wedding Planners; 3. Flower Design Events;}
Oct
19th
Bespoke Vintage Map Hearts
By RachelR
These wooden hearts, personalised with a vintage map appropriate
to the individual, epitomise vintage chic and would make
excellent, if slightly pricey, wedding favours. At £15 (from
Wow Thank You) they
may be suited to smaller, more intimate weddings, although these
are gifts that could potentially be replicated at home by those
who are on a budget, using thick card and an atlas. Unique and
incredibly thoughtful, you could opt for maps of people’s
hometowns, their favourite places (depending on how well you know
your guests), or maps of the place where you first met them. As
the vintage trend acquires an ever increasing following,
decorations such as these offer an invaluable way to personalise
vintage touches.
Alternatively, if you love the idea but are lacking either the
patience or the funds, head to
Nostalgic Heart.
Offering a slightly more rustic take, they’ve produced vintage
map hearts suspended inside a clematis heart, which make
beautiful decorations at vintage or rustic themed
weddings.
Oct
19th
Flower Ice Cubes
By RachelR
Another great idea for anyone wanting to try a bit of wedding
DIY! These flower ice cubes (seen at
Jonathan Fong Style and
Martha Stewart.Com) are easy to make and look oh so
chic. Roses work well, but you can choose from a whole host of
edible flowers (including Violets, Starflowers, Chrysanthemums,
Gladioli and Snapdragons, to name a few). Just make
sure the flowers you use haven't been treated with potentially
harmful chemicals; firstleaf offer a wonderful
selection of edible flowers, or, if you're green-fingered, you
could even grow your own. It is also worth mentioning that any
surplus flowers look rather nice in cocktails and champagne
flutes!
There are a few different methods for making the ice cubes,
depending on the size of the flowers you're using, which are as
follows:
Method 1 (the
Jonathan Fong way)Requires:
(per ice tray)
12 spray roses (the small ones)
12 twist ties
2 wooden skewers
1 ice tray
Floral tape
12 spray roses (the small ones)
12 twist ties
2 wooden skewers
1 ice tray
Floral tape
Instructions:
1. To keep the roses submerged in the ice trays, we have to build a framework that will weigh them down. Cut the spray roses, leaving about 2 inches of stem, and use twist ties to attach the stems to the skewers.
2. Place the roses, which are attached to the skewers, upside
down in their individual ice compartments of the tray.
3. Tape down the skewers at the ends of the ice tray to keep
everything from floating when you add water. Your ice tray should
look like the one in the photo.
4. Add water to the ice tray and freeze overnight.
Instructions:
1. To suspend flowers in the cubes, work in layers: Fill an ice
tray (one that makes large cubes so the ice will last longer) a
quarter of the way with water, add flowers facing down, and
freeze.
2. Add more water to fill halfway, and freeze.
3. Fill to the top, and freeze again.
Handy tip: For ice that's especially clear, use distilled water
that has been boiled and then cooled. This limits impurities and
air bubbles, which make ice cloudy.
Oct
19th
Romance Novel Confetti
By RachelR
Check out this cute wedding confetti at
Etsy! It’s made from
romance novels and offers an unusual alternative to petal or rice
confetti. You could even DIY it (Amazon
stock heart hole punches) using any number of materials; although
romance novels are rather apt, you could use wrapping paper as well
to add some colour, or an old newspaper from the day you met/had
your first date. Alternatively you could use love poems or love
letters, to potential to customise is endless.
Oct
19th
Wedding pies - yay or nay?
By RachelR
So I’ve been hearing a lot about pies. Or, ‘man cakes’, as
they’ve been dubbed. Perfect for a more rustic wedding no? But I
couldn’t imagine sacrificing a decadent triple-tier wedding cake
for pies. Maybe pies in addition to cake, but never instead of
cake. I was quite dubious initially, but having seen some of
Pie&‘s handiwork I have to say,
I’m pretty impressed. Just look at this cute swan topper and their
four tier petal pies!
{Credits: Pie&}
Oct
19th
Vintage Dresses
By RachelR
Vintage chic. It’s
taken the nation by storm over the past decade hasn’t it? And now
it’s set to be a big influence in 2012 weddings, particularly
where frocks are concerned. Not really surprising given the
exquisite lace concoction Miss Middleton wore, is it? It was a
dress that garnered widespread praise and the Middleton effect is
still evident in bridal dresses today. Dresses will be romantic and
whimsical, creating a soft, feminine silhouette; picture
layers of lace and a cascade of ruffles. Ranging from demure
elegance to pure fantasy, there’s a look to suit every bride. These
dresses by Monique Lhuillier and Vera Wang encapsulate the trend
perfectly and show why it's become so popular.
{Credits: 1. Vera Wang; 2. Monique Lhuillier; 3. Monique Lhuillier; 4. Oscar de la Renta;}
{Credits: 1. Vera Wang; 2. Monique Lhuillier; 3. Monique Lhuillier; 4. Oscar de la Renta;}
Oct
13th
Honeymoons
By Vicky- Cheshire
The term ‘honeymoon’ is a very old term and dates
back to norse origins. It is said that in norse traditions
some tribes kidnap women and don’t let them free until her family
have given up looking for her or she falls pregnant. If any
of these two things happen the abductor brings the bride out to
the public and the wedding can commence in his tribe or village.
This is a very scary honeymoon tradition.
On a much sweeter note, after a couple got married it was customary to drink ‘mead’, a drink made from honey. ‘Moon’ refers to the thirty days that the couple had to drink the mead for. It is said that after the month “the couples came face to face with reality; and they realised that their affection, like the moon, would wax and wane.” http://in.travelomate.com/en/themes/honeymoons.html
Nowadays, the term honeymoon refers to something much happier. The honeymoon is a period of time at the end of a wedding where the newlyweds go on a luxurious break away for many different reasons. The main reason to take off is so that the couple can celebrate their marriage without any interruption. It can relieve the stress that came with planning the perfect wedding.
A honeymoon also lets the newlyweds be together as man and wife for the first time in their married life. They can spend many days just the two of them and enjoy each other’s company. http://www.saywhydoi.com/why-do-people-go-on-honeymoons-history-and-origin-of-the-honeymoon/
After many months of planning your wedding with some unexpected occurrences a holiday abroad is what you need. You can be pampered in a spa, have a three course meal everyday without having to do the washing up and do things you have always wanted to do but never got round to it.
The newlyweds are deserved a break after the long, hard months of checking, planning and organising every single detail of the wedding but honeymoons are expensive. But for these celebrities, money is no object.
David Walliams and Lara Stark did the honeymoon in style by flying to the most romantic city of them all- Paris.
Fergie and Josh Duhamel jetted of to the Maldives where they tried out scuba diving, kayaking and sailing.
http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/travel/photos/29916/3/celebrity-honeymoon-destinations-honeymoon-ideas.html
In this economic crisis people are being tighter with their money and that includes any holidays. An article from The Guardian website discusses how a couple can honeymoon on a budget. Many readers got involved and shared their tips for a cheaper honeymoon.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/blog/2008/feb/08/howcanwehoneymoononabudg
The following website gives you tips on how you can plan a cheaper honeymoon. One way of saving money is to ask your guests to chip in to your honeymoon expenses instead of buying presents. Take a look at this website for more tips. http://www.honeymoonersreviewguide.com/planning/cheap-honeymoon-ideas.html
On a much sweeter note, after a couple got married it was customary to drink ‘mead’, a drink made from honey. ‘Moon’ refers to the thirty days that the couple had to drink the mead for. It is said that after the month “the couples came face to face with reality; and they realised that their affection, like the moon, would wax and wane.” http://in.travelomate.com/en/themes/honeymoons.html
Nowadays, the term honeymoon refers to something much happier. The honeymoon is a period of time at the end of a wedding where the newlyweds go on a luxurious break away for many different reasons. The main reason to take off is so that the couple can celebrate their marriage without any interruption. It can relieve the stress that came with planning the perfect wedding.
A honeymoon also lets the newlyweds be together as man and wife for the first time in their married life. They can spend many days just the two of them and enjoy each other’s company. http://www.saywhydoi.com/why-do-people-go-on-honeymoons-history-and-origin-of-the-honeymoon/
After many months of planning your wedding with some unexpected occurrences a holiday abroad is what you need. You can be pampered in a spa, have a three course meal everyday without having to do the washing up and do things you have always wanted to do but never got round to it.
The newlyweds are deserved a break after the long, hard months of checking, planning and organising every single detail of the wedding but honeymoons are expensive. But for these celebrities, money is no object.
David Walliams and Lara Stark did the honeymoon in style by flying to the most romantic city of them all- Paris.
Fergie and Josh Duhamel jetted of to the Maldives where they tried out scuba diving, kayaking and sailing.
http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/travel/photos/29916/3/celebrity-honeymoon-destinations-honeymoon-ideas.html
In this economic crisis people are being tighter with their money and that includes any holidays. An article from The Guardian website discusses how a couple can honeymoon on a budget. Many readers got involved and shared their tips for a cheaper honeymoon.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/blog/2008/feb/08/howcanwehoneymoononabudg
The following website gives you tips on how you can plan a cheaper honeymoon. One way of saving money is to ask your guests to chip in to your honeymoon expenses instead of buying presents. Take a look at this website for more tips. http://www.honeymoonersreviewguide.com/planning/cheap-honeymoon-ideas.html
Oct
5th
The first dance as man and wife
By Vicky- Cheshire
This is a momentous occasion where all guests look on
as you take your new bride’s hand and dance her into a waltz.
This isn’t the dance you normally do in a club half drunk
in your own little world, this is ballroom dancing and that can
inject fear, stress and worry into the happiest day of your life.
It’s not unusual to have dance lessons before you big day to avoid looking like a complete lemon in front of your friends and family. Dance lessons would also build up your confidence making you less worried about how you will look at your wedding reception in front of all your guests.
Prince William was so embarrassed of his first dance with his gorgeous new bride Kate Middleton that he stopped singer Ellie Goulding from continuing. Ellie was 30 seconds into singing “Your Song” when she was stopped by the prince and told to move on to a more uptempo song so that everyone could join in and dance.
For full article http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/royal-wedding/2011/05/01/prince-william-and-kate-middleton-s-first-dance-at-royal-wedding-evening-reception-party-lasts-just-30-seconds-115875-23098799/
I didn’t know this but the reason that guests watch a new couple doing their first dance is because it gets couples to recall their memories of their first dance at their wedding, or the first time they met or their first date. For full article http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-is-the-First-Dance-Such-an-Important-Tradition?&id=285687 When it’s my sisters wedding and the moment of her and her husband’s first dance comes along I will be scouting the room to see if this is true.
The song for the first dance is important as it should mean a lot to both the man and wife. It conjures up memories to that special moment when you first heard it play.
When Michelle and Barack Obama married in 1992 they danced to a Stevie Wonder song because the song lyrics meant so much to them.
It’s not unusual to have dance lessons before you big day to avoid looking like a complete lemon in front of your friends and family. Dance lessons would also build up your confidence making you less worried about how you will look at your wedding reception in front of all your guests.
Prince William was so embarrassed of his first dance with his gorgeous new bride Kate Middleton that he stopped singer Ellie Goulding from continuing. Ellie was 30 seconds into singing “Your Song” when she was stopped by the prince and told to move on to a more uptempo song so that everyone could join in and dance.
For full article http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/royal-wedding/2011/05/01/prince-william-and-kate-middleton-s-first-dance-at-royal-wedding-evening-reception-party-lasts-just-30-seconds-115875-23098799/
I didn’t know this but the reason that guests watch a new couple doing their first dance is because it gets couples to recall their memories of their first dance at their wedding, or the first time they met or their first date. For full article http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-is-the-First-Dance-Such-an-Important-Tradition?&id=285687 When it’s my sisters wedding and the moment of her and her husband’s first dance comes along I will be scouting the room to see if this is true.
The song for the first dance is important as it should mean a lot to both the man and wife. It conjures up memories to that special moment when you first heard it play.
When Michelle and Barack Obama married in 1992 they danced to a Stevie Wonder song because the song lyrics meant so much to them.
Full article here: http://www.celebritybrideguide.com/obama-wedding-song/
The final thing I would say is don’t have sleepless nights over your first dance. If you get a step wrong, laugh and brush it off.
List of modern songs to play: http://www.thedjservice.com/blog/2011/07/top-100-modern-first-dance-wedding-song-list-slow-music-2011/
List of songs played at a celebrities wedding: http://www.wedding-music-help.com/celebrityweddingmusic.html
The final thing I would say is don’t have sleepless nights over your first dance. If you get a step wrong, laugh and brush it off.
List of modern songs to play: http://www.thedjservice.com/blog/2011/07/top-100-modern-first-dance-wedding-song-list-slow-music-2011/
List of songs played at a celebrities wedding: http://www.wedding-music-help.com/celebrityweddingmusic.html
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