WEDDING IDEAS & TIPS

We are often asked about wedding ideas & tips that couples can use to make their wedding day just that little bit different & extra special. Below you will find answers to some of the most asked questions.

Colour Schemes & Themes.

It is always a great idea to choose a colour scheme or theme for your wedding, that way everything you plan from the décor, to food, to invitations, to entertainment can incorporate your chosen colours or theme.

When considering your colour scheme don’t just think of the colours but also textures. Associate textures with seasons; velvet in winter and organza in summer. Fragrance is another important consideration; in winter have bowls of pinecones, cinnamon and orange zest on the tables to conjure up thoughts of warmth and comfort. Fresh herbs and flowers at a summer function, bring calm and freshness to the atmosphere.

Now a theme can be as simple as “Summer Harvest”, with displays of sunflowers & fruits & vegetables to “A Knights Tale”, where the guests come in medieval costume, mead & ale is served & a jester entertains the guests.

      

If you would like to theme your wedding but are a little creatively challenged, employ the services of a décor company, they have many props & displays that can be used to create the look you are wanting.

Of course the invitations your guests receive will be their first clue as to the colours or theme that you have chosen for your wedding. Whether you use a professional printing company to produce your invitations, or print them yourself on your home computer, ensure that they encapsulate the colour scheme or theme that will run throughout your function.

               

You will find that most overlays and napkins are now available, for hire, in just about any colour you can imagine. Chair covers can also be obtained in a multitude of colours, along with chair sashes.

Your chosen colours can also be highlighted in your choice of flowers, candles or even balloons.

How far you take your colour scheme or theme depends on your imagination and your budget, although if you or someone you know is quite creative you can accomplish a wonderful setting for very little money.

WEDDING STATIONERY
Timeline for organising the invitations

When planning the ordering of your invitations, you need to work out your timeline.
Working backwards from your wedding date, calculate 4 weeks to receive your RSVPs from your guests, invitations should be posted to your guests 4 weeks before that (unless you are sending overseas and then you must allow longer) and you need at least a week to personalise and address them.
The printer needs 2 weeks to print from final signoff and you need to allow around 4 weeks to decide on style, wording, font, etc. and checking and returning of proofs.
In all and to save yourself some stress work on 14 to 15 week from your wedding date, for your invitations if they are all local.
Even if you are making and printing your own invitations, it is still a good idea to give yourself about the same amount of time - it always takes far longer than you anticipate.


FAIRYLIGHT CURTAINS
If you are wanting to make your top table even more of a feature, nothing makes more of a statement than a fairylight curtain behind it. A fairylight curtain can also be used to highlight an area like the dance floor, or to mask or cover up an area that is not very attractive.

  
While you can create this look yourself by buying strings of lights & loads of organza, it is certainly easier to use a fairylight curtain supplier. Suppliers have the expertise in putting them up (without damaging the venue walls) & often have a variety of colours (organza) to choose from. Pricing depends on the size of the area that needs to be covered, but often ranges between $350 & $700.

WEDDING FAVOURS

They go by many names (& spellings) wedding favours, favors, table gifts, gifts for guests, bonboneries, etc, etc
Why do we give them?
Do we have to give them?
How much do they cost?
These are the questions that brides ask us time & time again, so here are a few answers:

 

 

Why do we give wedding favours?

For many centuries wedding favours have been a part of traditional wedding ceremonies, across a wide range of cultures. Initially wedding favours were an extravagance at celebrations hosted by European upper classes, who had the wealth to provide elaborate gifts to guests. The early wedding favours began as small fancy boxes, known by their French name of bonboniere. A bonboniere was fashioned of crystal, porcelain or gold and often encrusted with precious stones. The delicate boxes were meant to hold bonbons or other confectionery delicacies, at a time when sugar was quite expensive. Sugar was also highly valued by all, as it was believed to have medicinal benefits.

Do we have to give wedding favours?

The short answer is no. However, many couples do choose to give their wedding guests a small gift to say "Thank you for sharing our special day with us".
The tradition of providing gifts to guests was adopted by individuals of modest means by selecting simple treats as gifts. Every culture across time has a approached marriage as a wonderful event, with the nuptials celebrated throughout the community.
In many societies the bride and groom are associated with good luck, a common thought was that everything they touched would be charmed. By gifting members of the community, they would then pass those same blessings onto other

How much do wedding favours cost?

Aaahh, the unanswerable question! Wedding favours can cost anything from a dollar to the sky is the limit!
To give you an idea of the various options & pricing, there are a few price ranges below with a few wedding favour examples (to view the supplier, simply click on the image):
$1 - $3
   


$4 - $7
   

$7 - $10
   

More than $10
     
Wedding favours can be bought as standard stock, custom made & personalized. A wide variety of packaging, ribbons & embellishments can be bought, so that you can make your own.
Check out some of our wedding favour suppliers.

Find out how wedding traditions came about.

BRINGING IN THE PROFESSIONALS

Finding the right service suppliers can be a daunting job, however it is vital that you take the time to ensure that they are right for you.

The service providers are the people and companies that offer a service (or product) i.e.: photographer, baker, caterer, DJ, florist, etc…

Now, there is no getting around it, planning a wedding is not only an expensive undertaking but it is exceptionally time consuming too, and really the smaller the budget you have, the more time you have to put in. It takes time to find the right photographer, maybe the first one you liked was way too expensive and the second one already had a booking for the date you have chosen, you where not so keen on the next ones style of photography – you see what I mean, it will take a bit of time to find each vendor that is right for you.

Each service provider, whom you do decide upon, will probably have a contract, READ ALL CONTRACTS CAREFULLY before you sign anything. Most of them will require a deposit to confirm the booking.

   

A way of freeing up a lot of your time is to employ a wedding planner. Wedding planners have been around for quite some time but are only now becoming very popular. I think there are two main reasons for this: couples are realizing that it is not as expensive as they had thought to hire a planner and, as so many women work nowadays, they simply do not have the time to do all the planning themselves.

Where can you find a wedding planner? Bridal shows, bridal magazines and the internet are good places to look, however, a recommendation from a friend or family member is best and ALWAYS ask for & check references.

What do they do for you?  Well that depends on you and the planner. If you want them to do everything, they pretty much will, you’ll just have to show up for a few dress fittings and get to the altar on time – well almost.

   

Remember the movie The Wedding Planner? Well of course they glammed it up in the movie, but you get the idea of what a coordinator can do for you.

If you are having a large formal wedding (300+ guests) I would recommend hiring a planner, there is so much to sort out that this would be a good time to bring in the professionals. Even though the coordinator will do all the research and organizing he / she will not book anything without your say-so.

One of the most important things to remember when hiring a planner is that you must really like and trust them. Remember they will be organizing the most important day of your life and you are going to be spending a lot of time with them over the next year (even if it is mostly over the phone).

Many wedding venues have an on-site coordinator. This person will deal with the caterers, baker, decoration, hiring companies, etc. Their portfolio differs from venue to venue, so you will have to check and see what services are offered. You may have to pay extra for the service or it may be included in the venue fee.

     

If you don’t have the budget or don’t fancy the idea of having a stranger plan your wedding for you, don’t worry! There are several books that you can buy (or find at the library) that will be a big help, attend one of the Wedding Planning Workshops hosted by The Celebration Studio, make use of one of the many wedding planning software packages which can be downloaded from the internet, don’t be afraid to ask your venue/ photographer/ dressmaker/ etc questions & ask for help from your bridesmaids & family.

Yes, there will probably be a few bumps along the way but nothing you won’t be able to handle. Remember, good communication between all parties and asking for help when you need it, is the key!