Always the wedding planner......

Race for life

2009-04-21T20:43:00.002+01:00

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/beverlypearce

Yep - I am running 5k in June. All in the name of charity (and in between planning weddings!)

If anyone can spare £1 from their budgets, please click on the link above and sponsor me. Its all in aid of Cancer research.

Thank you very much
Beverly

Sensible wedding budgets!

2009-04-15T21:29:00.002+01:00

I don’t know about you, but I am bored of hearing about the recession and how awful everything is at the moment. This is especially true when you are planning a wedding. You are supposed to be excited and full of ideas, not (as everyone wants to keep reminding you) cutting back and looking at cheaper options. Who wants a cheap wedding?!

So, the main thing to remember at the moment is that you don’t have to spend lots of money on making your wedding look gorgeous. Think less is more and clean lines and bright colours always look fresh and in fashion.

Here are a few simple top tips to achieve this and control your spending on your reception decorations.

1) Ask your venue to use crisp, clean white linen rather than ivory or cream. This opens up the room more and looks fresher and brighter.

2) Choose one colour and stick to it. Use this colour sparingly but on impact. For example, white chair covers and a coloured sash. Ribbon around white napkins and coordinated favour boxes. This will look modern and sophisticated.

3) You want atmosphere – think candlelight! Be careful using scented candles in rooms where you will eat, but thick church candles in hurricane vases (Ikea) not only look great, but are affordable too and can even be given away as gifts at the end of the evening.

4) Don’t worry about table confetti. After all the glasses, plates etc are on the table, it will be covered up. Just keep your table centres to your chosen colour for effect.

5) Combine as much table stationery into one place as possible. Design a menu that has each persons name on the top so it can act as a place card.

6) Concentrate on the things people will notice straight away. As you walk into your reception room – what do you see first? Highlight attractive areas and take the eye away from less attractive areas with colour and light.

7) Table centres do not have to be huge affairs. If you are getting married in the spring, how about daffodils in a clean white vase? Tulips would also have the same effect and come in lots of gorgeous colours.

8) Favours will not be missed. If you really want to give something for people to keep as a keep sake, how about printing bookmarks with your names and wedding date on and attach a ribbon to the top. Refer back to tip 5 and add the guests name too! If you choose card in your signature colour, these would look stunning laying between the cutlery on each place setting.

A few ideas to get you going! Do you have any top tips? Let me know and your name and suggestion may be featured on here!

Great websites!

2009-03-22T22:24:00.000Z

I am always on the look out for websites that not only offer a good service or product at a fair price, but also websites that offer you something else or a little bit more for your money.

That’s why these 2 websites really caught my eye;

www.steelorchids.com

Gorgeous jewellery website that also sells bridal tiaras and crowns. A good range of styles and prices and a fantastic service where you click on the tiara you want to look at and there are instructions on how best to wear it. It also shows you all the matching jewellery to go with it.

www.candyspirit.com

Now this one is more for ideas as this lady is based in America, but this site has gorgeous images and ideas for sweet and lolly decorations and gifts. She even created table centres that are made up of sweet (or candy!) that would not only be delicious, but look very elegant too. Everything can be personalised in your colour and with your names. I will try and find a similar English website and let you all know. Until then, Enjoy looking!

I come Highly Recommended!

2009-03-10T22:40:00.001Z

Well, its time to hand over my fabulous title of ‘2008 Wedding Planner of the year’. It’s been a busy year for me and one that I have enjoyed very much.

Now another wedding planner has this title for the coming year and I am very proud to announce that I am still ‘Highly Recommended’ by Wedding Ideas magazine and my clients.

Maybe next year I will be able to win the accolade back – until then I will continue doing what I do best – planning fabulous, personal wedding days for my wonderful clients.

Keep an eye on this blog as I am working on updating the wedding planning part of the www.brideandbeautiful.co.uk website and I will keep updating you on amazing suppliers and providing top tips on how to plan your wedding.

Come and meet me and learn a thing of two!

2009-02-06T11:00:00.001Z

I will be presenting at a local wedding fair next month on the 22^nd Feb.

‘How to make your wedding amazing’.

It will be a great chance to pick up a few tips, ask me any questions you may have and to meet me!

Details are on this website:

http://www.inthepinkevents.co.uk/wedding-fair.htm

All Things Bride and Beautiful are also exhibiting at a number of shows over the next couple of months, so check out main website for details.

www.brideandbeautiful.co.uk

Happy New Year!

2009-01-06T21:20:00.002Z

To all my blog readers - Happy New Year!

I hope you all has a fabulous Christmas and wish you lots of love and happiness in 2009.

Good luck to everyone planning their weddings for this year and to those I am lucky enough to be helping - its this year - how exciting!!!!!!

I will be updating my blog as often as possible this year - so keep you eyes open for more tips, help and recommendations soon.

Thank you for reading!
Beverly

Wedding Ideas Awards

2008-11-10T20:31:00.002Z

GO AND VOTE FOR THE BEST!

It is that time of year again where the wedding industry ask their past and present clients to vote for them in the wedding awards.

I was lucky enough to win the award for 'UKs Best Wedding Planner' this year and I hope to defend my title this year too. If you think this blog has helped you with the planning of your wedding or would like to recognise the hard work of any wedding supplier - please do not hesitate to click on the link below and cast your vote.

Thank you very much
Beverly

www.the-wedding-awards.co.uk

NEC Success

2008-11-10T20:27:00.003Z

I had a fabulous time at the NEC and met lots of lovely brides and their grooms!

Ant and Dic were excellent and I really enjoyed our joking about on stage, but hope people learnt a few things from me too!

The lovely team at Wedding Ideas magazine backed me up all weekend and I have a great time working with them and the lovely Rachel Southwood took a couple of photos of me and the boys which I will hopefully upload here soon.

Thank you to everyone who saw me and said hello - I hope to see you all again next year.

NEC National Wedding Show

2008-10-05T19:39:00.003+01:00

Inspiration Sessions

Planning your big day
Beverly Pearce, from All Things Bride and Beautiful
FRI/SAT/SUN 13.00

Top tips on wedding planning and budgeting to help you create your dream wedding. Beverley will discuss how to make sure your planning runs smoothly and how to make sure you don't overspend, as well as giving you a few essential on the day tips!

Yep - I will be there! I hope to meet as many of my readers as possible so come and find me! Before and after my session I will be on the 'Wedding Ideas' magazines stand (M42).

Anyone who comes and says hello will receive 10% off of my Big Day Back Up service (click on to the planning tab and choose 'Big Day Back Up') so do not miss me!!

I look forward to seeing you there and hope you enjoy my talk.

Milton Keynes Wedding Fair

2008-09-29T21:35:00.002+01:00

Come and see me if you are in the area?!

I will be on the 'All Things Bride and Beautiful' stand at the wedding fair in Central Milton Keynes on Saturday 4th October 2008

Wedding Fair website here

I would love to talk weddings with anyone who is near - so come and say hello - don't be shy!!

BTW - I will also be talking at the NEC wedding show on the 10/11/12 October - more details to follow!!

NEC wedding fair website

An amazing wedding day

2008-09-08T21:54:00.001+01:00

I was lucky enough to coordinate a lovely wedding on Saturday at Packington Moor Farm in Litchfield, Staffs The venue is truly gorgeous. A modern feel inside a wonderfully converted barn. It has a civil ceremony license and a huge room for your wedding breakfast and reception. They also throw in a beautiful bridal cottage for your wedding night. Take a look at the website – even though it rained all day it was still the perfect venue. The staff were all friendly too and couldn’t do enough for me or the Bride and Groom. Highly recommended!

I also met an unbelievable artist called Laura Napier-Burrows. Now I have seen many ‘wedding singers’ in my career, but Laura was something else. If she had sold CDs at the wedding I would have bought one for myself without hesitation and then one for all my family and friends for Christmas! There are demos on her website, so visit now. She is also a lovely person as was her wonderful partner/sound technician. Based in the South of England, they travel - so book now!

And lastly to the couple – the Bride Karen looked gorgeous and Gareth made a very handsome Groom. A perfect couple who are both lucky to have wonderful families who were all having an amazing day. I love my job!

Venue Entertainment ideas

2008-09-03T21:45:00.000+01:00

Marquee reception

Warm evenings filled with laughter and children running off their dinner in the gardens, must be a marquee wedding! Entertain your guests during the day with the sounds of a live guitar as your guests mingle in the grounds surrounding your marquee and throughout dinner. It would set the perfect atmosphere of carefree intimacy. Moving into the evening, continue your theme and hire a live band to play at your reception. They sound fantastic in marquees and guests can walk out and cool down just a few steps away from the dance floor! Being in a marquee you won’t even have to worry about hotel guests complaining about the noise!

Pick a Piñata!

Piñata’s originate from Spain and are papier-mâché shapes, filled with sweets and small gifts. They come in all shapes and sizes and are hung from a tree branch or sturdy door frame. Children are blindfolded, handed a stick, turned a couple of times on the spot and then positioned in front of the shape when they try and hit the piñata hoping to split it open. The person who breaks it open gets the biggest prize and then the other gifts are shared between everyone. They will love bashing the piñata with a stick, but please make sure they are supervised by an adult and preferably one who hasn’t enjoyed to much champagne!

You can’t always rely on the British weather so consider buying or hiring a small marquee (www.argos.co.uk) so these games can be played out of rain and wind if required!

At Last.....

2008-08-17T20:19:00.002+01:00

A great hire company with plenty of choice!!

www.bonnefete-hire.co.uk

You can hire pieces seperately or in themed groups for example,

Vintage romance
Sweet Match

Take a look - theres a sale on at the moment too!!

Venue Entertainment ideas

2008-08-06T19:22:00.000+01:00

Castle

A dramatic venue needs dramatic entertainment and a castle venue gives you an excellent choice of activities that would fit the bill! Bring back the history of the building by holding a jousting tournament. www.medievalworld.co.uk. Obviously these tournaments are performed by qualified actors and not your wedding guests! Ask your guests to choose a knight to support and cheer them on from the sidelines. After all the excitement, treat your guests to a traditional medieval feast and provide more actors to perform as court jesters, lute players and jugglers!

Uplifting Lanterns

Castle venues also provide a beautiful backdrop to photographs and weather permitting, in the evening a gorgeous new trend that is beginning to emerge in the wedding industry. www.skylanterns.com is a gorgeous idea to end your wedding celebration with. Make a wish as you send a lantern floating up into the night sky and ask your guests to do the same. Using the power of fire and heat, each lantern will float into the air and upwards until slowly disappearing.

Great new website

2008-07-23T21:50:00.002+01:00

www.lovelyfavours.co.uk

Some great ideas on theming your weddings here including one of the most popular themes at the moment - vintage weddings.

You can buy individual pieces to contribute to the theme or buy a 'pack' of stationery,favors and decorations that include everything you need.

Other themes include vintage christmas wedding, nautical, baroque and exotic wedding too.

Really good ideas and some gorgeous looking products - Good Luck Lovely Favours!

Quick Theme Tips - Country

2008-06-19T21:09:00.001+01:00

A long warm evening of friends and family laughing and having fun will be perfectly complimented with a country style wedding. Surround your guests with big bunches of dried flowers in wicker baskets which can be moved from ceremony venue to reception venue and add lavender and herbs to the arrangements to add the scent of summer. Dried flowers can also be used for table centres and displayed in old style milk jugs or decorated wooden crates.

These can be given away to guests at the end of the evening as lasting mementoes’ of your day. Carry the country theme over to the rest of your table decorations by wrapping coloured raffia around your napkins and using gingham cloth as table linen. Favours can be horse shoe shaped cookies with each guests named iced on to the front to double up as place names.

Don’t just provide a DJ or live band to entertain your guests, give them a barn dance teacher and band to dance to! www.hireaband.co.uk has plenty to choose from. Another great idea as a gift for your guests would be a CD of the music the band plays and instructions on one of the dances so they can dance their way home! Give your guests a place to relax and get their breath back by placing real hay bales around the dance floor draped in more gingham material.

Buy this wedding magazine!!

2008-05-28T21:55:00.003+01:00

Wedding Ideas tells you how!

Wedding Ideas is set to conﬁrm its position as the most fun, friendly, down-to-earth and practical wedding magazine on the market with the publication of its ‘How To...’ special issue, on sale nationwide from today, the 23rd of May.

So, how do you lace a wedding dress? Make a buttonhole? Tie a Windsor knot? All these questions and more are answered in the June issue of Wedding Ideas, the UK’s best for real-life inspiration.

This down-to-earth ‘How To...’ guide shows brides and grooms how to tackle the most common planning elements without any stress and, more importantly, without spending a fortune.
Rachel Moschke, Editor of Wedding Ideas says: “More and more couples are making things for their weddings – stationery, table decorations and so on. It’s a great way of saving money and making your day even more personalised and unique. Our ‘How To...’ special is something brides can refer to in the run-up to their big day to make sure everything runs smoothly.”
And it’s not just about making things for your reception. There are tips on everything from choosing a hairstyle that suits you to having an eco-friendly wedding.

.....and a fabulous wedding planner writes a monthly article for this magazine too.......!!

Quick Theme Tips - Morracan

2008-05-11T16:18:00.001+01:00

Bring the warmth and exotic atmosphere of an Arabian night to your wedding day by creating a Moroccan paradise. Visit www.weddinginvitationuk.co.uk and look at the Asian collection for invitations that would suit this theme perfectly. If your venue allows for a marquee, hire one from www.arabiantents.com. Beautiful, opulent marquees and tents in a range of colours and sizes would set the scene and dazzle your guests. Offer your guests a choice of food by arranging food stations in different corners of the room and create a twist to your wedding breakfast by serving different types of unusual food like curries (mild and hot!), flavoured rice and condiments. Oversized black Moroccan lanterns with jewel coloured candles and exotic flowers like ‘Bird of Paradise’ and coloured orchids surrounding them would create stunning table centres. Contrasting table linen, for example dark purple tablecloths with midnight blue napkins, would add even more color to your celebration. Showcase an amazing cake like ‘Moroccan Magic’ from www.amandastreeter.com and place in an area where your guests can admire as they relax to live musicians playing Moroccan music. Build in to your plans a chill out area in your reception venue with low tables covered with jewel coloured tea light holders and scatter over sized cushions for people to sit on and light the candles as the evening draws in. Leave big coloured bowls of quality street sweets, which are already wrapped in rich coloured foils, on each table for your guests to feast on throughout the evening. Add evocative smells to your evening celebrations by burning incense sticks and dimming the lights to create a relaxing ambience.

Quick Theme Tips - Black & White

2008-05-01T20:48:00.001+01:00

Create a jaw dropping impression on your guests with a black and white themed wedding day. Your invitations set the scene for your day before your chosen guests even reach the ceremony venue, so make an impact by joining forces with www.libradesigns.co.uk and designing your very own personalised wedding stationery. Their fantastic cheque book style invitations would be perfect and you can then use the same design on the place name cards, your order of day and even your thank you cards to keep the theme constant. www.lvcc.co.uk have introduced a new range to their delicious cakes and now create couture cakes in monochrome colours which are stunning to look at and fabulous to eat!

Table centres do not have to be exclusively flowers so use feathers and beads to add interest. These beads can also be used to embellish your white napkins by wrapping a length of them around each one. Coloured glassware is very popular right now and black glasses would really create an impact on your otherwise white tables. Hire these from www.gordonscaterhire.co.uk. Delight your guests with some fabulous favours which can be as simple as a plain chocolate bar wrapped in white paper and tied with black ribbon, or labeled with a white sticker with each guests name printed in black and used as a place marker. Complete your theme by arranging a black and white dance floor to be laid in your evening reception room!

Quick Theme Tips - Vintage Tea Party

2008-04-22T21:33:00.004+01:00

Bring back memories of bygone elegance with a wedding themed around the idea of a vintage tea party. Pastel coloured bridesmaid dresses and complimenting waistcoats for the men in the bridal party will match the delicate roses you use in your bouquet and in your table centres. White bird cages from www.lavendersoflondon.com decorated with fabric butterflies and filled with light green hydrangea heads can be placed in corners of the room or on the cake table and bar area. One of the hottest trends at the moment is giving your guests a choice of dessert. Buy glass and coloured cake stands from charity shops in lots of different styles or from the Rosanna ‘Playing House’ range (available at John Lewis) www.rosannainc.com and arrange on a table in your reception room and fill the stands with lots of gorgeous iced cakes. Not only will this look amazing, you could ask your caterers to box these up at the end of the evening and hand to guests as they leave. To ensure you still get the ‘cake cutting moment’ on your day, choose a show stopping cake like ‘The Birdcage’ from www.maisiefantasie.co.uk.

Give lemon coloured boxes wrapped in baby blue ribbon full of clotted cream fudge to your guests as wedding favours or place a couple of gourmet tea bags in a personalised envelope so your guests can enjoy a cup of tea after the big day has ended. www.prettywild.co.uk has some beautiful wedding invitations that would compliment this theme perfectly, for example Dandy, bon bon or Arboris.

How to decorate your venue

2008-04-09T14:48:00.000+01:00

You have found your perfect venue and now want to make sure that when your guests arrive they are as amazed by it as you were. So how do you go about creating a truly unique space that not only compliments your style but uses all the venues features to their best advantage?

Even if your venue is well kept and modern or aged and traditional you can add special touches to rooms that will really pull your day together and make it look even more beautiful.

When visiting for any pre wedding meetings take a notebook and pen with you to jot down anything that catches your eye when you are there. If you go on a Saturday and a wedding is being set up for the day look at the way they use the space and learn from it. How will you do things differently? What would you do the same?

A good starting point would be to consider the area where your guests will enter your venue. Topiary trees can be placed both sides of the entrance and decorated with coloured feathers or loops of ribbon. These can also have battery operated fairy lights hung from the branches to be turned on later in the day to welcome your evening guests. If your venue has a long drive way, consider placing candle lanterns or luminaries (www.coxandcox.co.uk) along the side of the road or path to guide your guests to you.

Door arches are gorgeous and most often seen over church doors, but are just as fabulous over the entrance to a venue and a great way of introducing more flowers to your decoration. Ask your florist to use a small number of bright blooms and lots of greenery to keep the price down. Alternatively an arch can be constructed in front of a marquee entrance or within the venues grounds for a brilliant photo opportunity. Door wreaths (www.lovesmelovesmeknot.co.uk) are a pretty and clever way of indicating to your guests which rooms are being used on your day. Hanging from a ribbon attached to the top of the door (no drawing pins in sight!) or hanging from the door handle these can also be given away as gifts at the end of the day.

Stairways can be bought to life and made a real focal point with a few easy ideas. Wind organza fabric around the banisters or hand rails and add fairy lights set to twinkle all day. This can also be great for around pillars and posts to create a grand entrance to a room or to add extra light to an area. Ask your florist to trail ivy down each side of the stairs and stand groups of three battery operated candles (www.smartcandle.co.uk) on the top stair to create a warm glow throughout this room. Check to see if you can move any flower pedestals or arrangements used in your ceremony to your reception so they can be used again. Stand these at the bottom of the staircase or at the entrance to the room your guest will be eating in. If there are wide window sills, stand thick church candles here and scatter fresh or dried petals around them. If you only have thin sills available, purchase odd numbers of long tall vases and stand individual flowers in each one. An ideal solution if you want people to notice what is inside of the room rather than outside the window!

If you are not very keen on the decoration of a certain room you can always investigate the possibility of fabric drapes (www.shreyasdecor.co.uk) to hide the walls and areas of the room you would rather remain hidden. Drapes can also be used to highlight a certain part of your room, for example behind the top table or to decorate a whole room to match a colour scheme or to create a blank space to work with. To create an air of mystery to the room you will be eating your wedding breakfast in, hang organza fabric drapes from the top of the door so that when they are drawn back to allow your guests in, they are faced with their first glimpse of the fabulous room you have created within.

White table cloths on round tables will create a clean and traditional look. Match your napkin colour to the flowers in your centre piece or stay with white napkins but tie a contrasting coloured ribbon around in a bow to add colour and interest. You could even add a tag with your guests name on to the ribbon as a place marker or wrap a rose or flower from your bouquet to your napkins using bear grass as a gift for your guests. If you really want to make an impact patterned or coloured cloths will really make a statement! Checks, lines and contrasting colours like pink and orange or purple and yellow (www.specilaitylinens.co.uk) will look fantastic coupled with simple table layouts and will add colour and interest to any room. Don’t forget your tableware - Coloured glassware or charger plates bring that extra flash of colour to your table decoration and make your food and drink taste even more special.

Chair covers are a wonderful way of creating a polished look to your room and coloured sashes or bows will complement your chosen colour scheme. Alternatively, use the chairs available at your venue and make them more interesting. Hang small flower arrangements or single stems to the back of each or every other chair using a thick satin ribbon. Attach large tags with your guest’s names written in special font to the chair to direct people to their place at the table. If you are thinking of having favour boxes filled with sweets, wrap them in this ribbon too so they hang from the chairs instead of being placed on the tables.

Table centres don’t have to be flower arrangements, though these are still a great favourite to add colour and height to your tables. There are so many alternatives you can consider that will make your tables really make an impact. Over sized martini glasses filled with tropical fruit or chocolate goodies provide an amazing and edible option. Alternatively ornamental bird cages (www.lavendersoflondon.com) filled with flowers and greenery look amazing as do cake stands (www.argos.co.uk) with the bottom layer full of favours and the top layer overflowing with flowers and trailing ivy. Mirrored vases look perfect alongside lit tea lights as their reflection will create a lovely glow across the table and the flowers will also be reflected too. More flowers for your money!

Lighting is so important and candles always cast a romantic glow across any room. Table centres can be created round thick church candles nestled in greenery and surrounded by coloured tea lights. Add fairy lights to table centres to turn on as the evening draws in and up lighters with coloured gels can add to the atmosphere as your elegant day turns into your evening celebration. If you have the opportunity think about adding height and interest to your room by hanging flower arrangements suspended from the ceiling over each table or hiring candelabras (www.waveawand.co.uk) to decorate with flowers or butterfly garlands (www.ourfavouritethings.co.uk) and light the long tapered candles.

Add scented candles to bar areas in bright colours and fill glass bowls with sweets in wrappers the same colour as your colour scheme. Remember to leave paper bags for the kids in your party to fill with these goodies and take home with them. Don’t forget to add small table centres to any separate bar areas and ask your coordinator to replace tea lights as they stop burning or re light any blown out candles.

Above all remember to look carefully at your surroundings and show your venue to its best advantage using as many tricks as you can!

Elegant alternative to a veil

2008-04-02T18:16:00.004+01:00

I love, love, LOVE this gorgeous hair bling!!

Jo Thorne

Jo produces lots of amazing pieces and were all inpired by the sophisticated, smart, independent woman who is the modern day bride - just like you?

Its all delivered in a green box (green in all senses of the word!) and her website is certainly worth a look at!

Want to be a wedding coordinator?

2008-03-15T21:18:00.003Z

Then apply to work with us now!

You will be given full training by me, The UKs Best Wedding Planner and get to work at some fabulous weddings and meet some lovely people.

Take a look at our jobs section on www.brideandbeautiful.co.uk and send us an email! We will then send you the job description and ask you to answer a few simnple questions.

I hope to hear from you soon and good luck!

Unusual honeymoon venues in the UK

2008-03-09T17:22:00.004Z

Ever wanted to just get away and not to a hotel full of other people and children? Just the two of you or your immediate family? Then here are some unusual suggestions for you to be able to do just that:

http://www.forestholidays.co.uk/our_cabins/discover_our_cabins/tree_houses.aspx

Ever wanted to see what it would be like to live like a bird? Well now you can in these gorgeous tree houses. All fully kitted out for your comfort, wake up to the noise of the wind blowing leaves against your window and breathing in the fresh, clean air.

http://www.horsedrawncaravans.com/aboutus.php

If you like horses and want to be eco friendly on your honeymoon or holiday – this is the one for you! Imagine yourself a traveller, free to roam wherever you wish and sleep in your cosy caravan made for two.

http://www.sevendegreeswest.co.uk/cromarty-camper-van.asp

VW campervans – how much cooler can you get than touring in one of these! A home and a form of transport – pull up in a lay by with a view of your choice and relax with a can of beer in one hand as you strum your guitar with the other!

http://www.devonyurtholidays.co.uk/yurts.html

This really is getting back to nature. Stay in a yurt tent for your holiday and cook over its open wood fire and stare up at the night sky from your bed. Bliss.

http://www.waterwaysholidays.com/

Hire a canal boat and glide along the waterways of England. Water lapping against the sides of your holiday home, slow, warm pub dinners as you stop along the way. The British countryside at its best.

Cookie Favours!!

2008-02-24T16:42:00.002Z

Visit www.biscuiteers.com to see their amazing range of cookies that can be used as favours, gifts or even sent in the post to say thank you after the event. Prices range from £8.00 + p&p for an individual cookies to about £38.00 + p&p for a lovely big box of them. I think they look amazing and will be ordering soon to try them for taste and will report back!

Spring wedding ideas

2008-02-19T19:47:00.002Z

Here are my top ideas on how to theme and decorate your spring 2008 wedding;

1) Colour – Think fresh and new and you think of bright green and refreshing yellow. Daffodil yellow is uplifting and easy to find at this time of year and green should be lush like freshly grown grass (Not freshly mown grass – that’s my summer ideas!) Try mixing the two colours, not just in bouquets but also with your table wear too. Green table linen with yellow napkins would create a splash of colour. Speciality Linen has some great examples. Compliment with white chairs, each with a daffodil secured to the back with silk ribbon.

2) Favours – Think new and grow your own! Buy daffodil bulbs and wrap in pretty organza, tie with a ribbon and attach a tag with your guests name on. Packets of seeds should be sown around now, so provide your guests with a packet of lovely coloured blooms-to-be and place in mini terracotta pots decorated with ribbon. You could even pain their names on the side of these to double as place settings too!

3) Entertainment – make your friends and family laugh by providing them with the equipment to hold a welly throwing competition! How about remembering the good old days and hiring a maypole for them to dance around (maybe not a good idea in the evening once people have sunk a few champagnes!) or ask a local Morris dancing group to come and put on a show?

4) Colour again – Tulips!! GORGEOUS flowers (can you tell they are my favourite?) and they come in so many amazing colours, they are perfect to bunch together and put in something a simple as a tin can with patterned paper or cloth glued around it and placing in forgotten areas like bathrooms (for the ladies!) bar areas and welcome halls. Cheap, but incredibly cheerful.

5) Cake – Yum! Look at this one – Masie Fantasie. Its even named after the season and after working with May in the past, it will taste incredible too.

6) Stationery – Lollipop Designs. This Company has an amazing design range, which features ranges called Daisy, Anna and Lola. All three would be perfect for a springtime wedding and funky and modern with it.

7) Table Centre – I love my wicker and as it comes in all shapes and sizes, consider using them as a table centre and filling with springtime blooms. Wicker baskets would look very country and large wicker ‘pots’ would be perfect outside the doors of your venue to welcome your guests in.

Sweet themed wedding favour

2008-02-11T23:14:00.001Z

How about some glass sweets to scatter across your table or give to your guests as favours? These gorgeous hand made glass sweets are made by a fabulous artist called Sarah Banfield (sarah_e_banfield@hotmail.com) and the colour of the box wrapper/text etc and tissue paper inside, can be changed to suit your colour theme. You can even have both of your names printed on the front of the box with a note of thanks to your guests. Not avaliable anywhere else in the UK and a new product for 2008 - order now to be the first bride to have these at your wedding day!

Wedding coordinator job in the UK

2008-02-07T21:05:00.001Z

Well, here is your chance! I am recruiting for a freelance wedding coordinator to work alongside me at All Things Bride and Beautiful Wedding Planning Ltd - Below is the brief job decsription. Do you think you fit the bill? Visit our website to find out more and apply.

Wedding Co-ordinators (PTWP/07)

We are seeking individuals to join our award winning wedding planning team on a freelance basis. You must have exceptional customer service and organisation skills. We take wedding planning booking on various days of the week and in various UK locations, for this reason you will need to be flexible in your availability and mobility. We offer full training and the chance to work under along side one of the industries most respected wedding planners and for one of the industries most ambitious companies.

Couture Cakes

2008-02-05T20:00:00.000Z

In black and white icing, or white with dark chocolate, designs become nipped and tucked, neat and flawless. Couture cakes are all the rage according to The Sunday Times ‘style’ magazine and where better to find one than at www.lvcc.co.uk . Mich Turner, the owner of ‘The Little Venice Cake Company’ has been producing stunning cakes for bride and grooms and has written beautiful books on the subject, so you can be sure she will be able to design and create a cake perfect for you and your nuptials. This photo makes me want to reach in and indulge!

I am the UKs Best Wedding Planner 2008!!

2008-01-30T11:50:00.001Z

I am absolutely thrilled and excited to announce that at the awards lunch at the Riverbank Plaza hotel, London (www.parkplaza.com) at a fabulous lunch hosted by the wonderful team at Wedding Ideas (www.weddingideasmagazine.co.uk), I was announced as ‘The UKs Best Wedding Planner’.
Thank you so much to all my clients past, present (and future?) who voted for me and for all the invaluable support and encouragement from all my colleagues at ‘All Things Bride & Beautiful’. A special mention to Donnalee and Caroline who never fail to make me laugh even at my most fraught!

Issue 53 is in the shops now listing all the other winners and nominees and you can see photos of the event in issue 54 out in March.

Also, check out page 146 in issue 53 - some wonderful wedding planner has written a great article about personalising your wedding!!!

Stop Press – or allergy sufferers!!

2008-01-28T12:14:00.000Z

I get lots of emails asking me if I know a good cake maker that caters for people (like myself) who have food allergies or intolerance's. Well, I have good news! There is a fabulous company that creates cakes just for people like us!
London based Heavenly Cakes (http://www.heavenlycakes4u.co.uk) has the answer: a decadently delicious range of homemade, vegan delights that are free from eggs, dairy, wheat, soya, GM-ingredients and nuts (all products contain coconut oil2). Gluten-free cakes are available for the growing number of coeliacs in the UK and sugar-free cakes made with agave nectar provide a diabetic-friendly alternative.

Take a look at their website, they even produce and sell cookies and ice cream!! I feel a shopping spree coming on!

All Things Bride & Beautiful are expanding again!

2008-01-23T20:31:00.000Z

And I don’t mean we are all putting on weight! Our fourth shop opens in mid February (Exact date to be confirmed) in Oxfordshire – watch this space and our website for more information as it becomes available.

Our new website

2008-01-23T20:29:00.000Z

Has now been released!

www.brideandbeautiful.co.uk.

Its has had a face lift and now includes lots more information and a web chat facility – keep an eye out for times I will be available to answer your questions or one of the lovely ladies in one of our gorgeous shops who will be able to help you with any dress or accessory questions.

We will be advertising various event and special offers on here, so make sure you save it to your favourites and return soon.

Wedding Workshops!

2008-01-11T19:57:00.000Z

It takes an average of 250 hours to organise your wedding day and at the end of it, that is what it is, a day, the rest, as they say, is up to you…..This is why so many ‘brides to be’ are trying to learn a little at the same time as organising their wedding days. An added extra to this is that you can create those all important special touches that make your wedding day memorable for your guests, often leading to budget savings!

So what type of ‘Wedding Workshops’ are available?

Do you like the idea of arranging your own wedding flowers? Now there are workshops that offer advice and expertise enabling you to do just that. http://www.suebillington.co.uk/index.htm Sue has 24 years experience as a professional florist and has begun to run classes on floral creations including wedding flowers. Courses include a day’s instruction on wired shower bridal bouquets and wedding reception flowers for only £65 for the day (10am – 4pm) these classes are based in Buckinghamshire.

For all you chocoholics, how about making your own chocolate favours? Chocolate Delight (www.chocolatedelight.co.uk) based in Bournemouth run their own chocolate workshop. The course lasts for 3 hours and is run by a master chocolatier who has worked in The Ritz! You will create 5 different filings before dipping them into real Belgium chocolate and creating your own toppings. You then get to take 25 handmade chocolates home with you! All this for £39.95 per person! How can you resist! The course as well as the chocolate!

Looking for an alternative to the traditional guestbook? Then how about designing and decorating your own signing plate? Gone are the days of offering a colour coordinated book for your guests to leave good luck messages in, now you need a signing plate! Your guests leave their messages on the plate with a special plate and then the specialist company take it away and gloss it to keep the messages pristine forever more. www.glazedexpressionsofolney.co.uk offer mobile pottery classes in the Buckinghamshire area so you can literally make your own!

Are you worried about who or how you will apply your make up on your wedding day? Then an evening with a make up artist would be the way to go. www.blush.uk.com are London based and prices start at £50 for a beginners class which covers the basics of colour analysis and make up application. Advanced and group lessons are also available where you will go into more detail on evening make up and achieving different looks. Blush also offer a wedding day make up service.

How would you like a day designing and creating your own wedding rings with your husband to be? Then you need to contact www.weddingringworkshop.co.uk. They offer two types of experiences dependent on the metal you decide to make your rings with. The day long workshop includes meeting with designers to discuss ideas, a demonstration if the making process and then under supervision you melt your metal, mill and shape your rings. They are then filed and polished and any engravings are discussed and then you get lunch and a glass of champagne to congratulate yourselves on your hard work! A great way to spend a weddingy day with your other half and add that special something to your wedding day and marriage.

Let your achievements go to your head when you design your own tiara! Susan King offers expert and practical advice in Richmond, London. You will be taken through tools, actual technique and also given advice on where to buy your supplies. Also covered is the history of tiaras and then the design process begins! Once you have designed your masterpiece you are helped to bring it to life! More details can be found on www.susan-king.co.uk. ‘Make Your Own Tiara’ packages are also offered and one to one or group classes can be catered for.

Happy new year!

2008-01-06T18:50:00.000Z

And what a great start for me....

I have been nominated as a finalist for the award of 'The UKs Best Wedding Planner' by readers of 'Wedding Ideas' magazine. Thank you very much to everyone who voted for me. Fingers crossed for the 1st Feb when the winners will be announced. To view all the nominations and finalists buy this months wedding ideas magazine now (Issue 52)
www.weddingideasmagazine.co.uk

I am also mentioned in the article called 'Planned to Perfection' written by the lovely Becky Skuse on page 139 so a good start to 2008!!

I hope you all had a fabulous holiday season and are looking forward to the mornings getting lighter earlier again in a month or two like me!

Come back soon to see what I have in store for this blog and All Things Bride & Beautiful in 2008.

Have a fabulous holiday break!

2007-12-23T11:08:00.000Z

To all my brides past, present (and future!), the fabulous suppliers I have worked with and the readers of this blog – I hope you have a very merry Christmas and a fantastic new year.

I look forward to sharing my job, advice, tips and ideas with you in 2008.

Beverly x

P.s After all the Christmas pudding has been eaten and presents opened - remember to check out our website All Things Bride & Beautiful which is having a face lift over the holidays! Also, email me or leave a comment if you have any specific questions or have a feature idea you would like to see on this blog. Thank you!

Wedding Awards 2008

2007-12-09T17:37:00.001Z

The wedding industry is always growing and (we hope!) will always be around so its fantastic that people working within this industry are beginning to be recognised for the hard work and dedication they put into their jobs.

It is right that on the day the bride and groom have all the attention and praise for their wedding day, but its also excellent that the hard working people that pulled it all together get some praise too!

The Wedding Awards run by Wedding Ideas magazine has been running for 3 years now and is held annually to award and recognise the best in the business. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this year my happy clients vote for me and wish everyone else in the industry the best of luck.

Visit this link to vote now!

Top Tips for getting your reception room ready ...

2007-12-04T20:48:00.001Z

...on the morning of your wedding day.

I have a mini article featured on here ukweddingstore giving advice on the best way to make sure your reception room looks exactly as you want it to on your wedding day regardless of who sets the room up and lays the tables - you, a friend, the hotel or a coordinator like myself!

I hope you find the tips useful.

This blog was also featured in wedding professional magazine this month and I have had so many hits and fabulous feedback - thank you so much. Keep emailing me as I love to hear from everyone - wannabe planners and brides alike.

2007-11-29T20:13:00.001Z

A brilliant table centre to give away at the end of your reception! Cheaper than the average table arrangement and a great way to keep your table tops simple and your guests able to see each other!

New service – not for the bride!!

2007-11-25T19:14:00.000Z

I am frequently being approached by people interested in becoming a wedding planner asking questions and wanting advice. I love to help people out with achieving their ambitions but am very aware that due to the limited amount of time I am able to give these emails, I may not be answering your questions as well as I could if I spoke to you face-to-face and allocated more of my time to you.

So, I am introducing a new service…not for the bride!

For the small fee of £25 per hour (the individual can specify how long they would like to spend with me) people interested in pursuing a career in wedding planning and coordination can book a time with me (Occasional Saturdays, some Sundays and evenings 7-9pm only at our Buckingham store) to talk through any thing they would like to ask me about my job and how I became a planner.

I will be more than happy to explain the process of setting up a company, how to get your first clients, my experiences over the last 4 years, general advice on how to be a good planner, how to get your name known etc so you can decide if it is the career for you.

If anyone is interested in this, email me on Beverly@brideandbeautiful.co.uk to register your interest and book your time. The payment would be asked for in advance of our meeting.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Choosing your suppliers – can you believe what you read?

2007-11-22T15:58:00.000Z

Almost every UK based business has a website. This is fast becoming the most popular way brides and grooms research and select their potential suppliers.

So, what should you look for in a website that will make you book this supplier over another that offers a similar service or product?

Do they look professional?
Not everyone has the budget when they first start up to get their website designed by a professional – but it should at least look professional! If the website is badly designed it gives the impression that the business itself could be badly run. Have a proper read of all the information they provide before making a decision and if it doesn’t sound quite right – move to the next website.

Testimonials
Are they real? Ask to see the original cards/emails they have received from happy customers. Some suppliers may even have contact details of a past client who would be happy to talk to you. If they are just starting out and have been honest about this on their website – enquire about past experience and what work they have completed to prepare themselves for working at your wedding.

Accreditation
Check if the supplier is everything they make themselves out to be. If they say they are members of organisation’s or are recognized by industry experts, contact these people and check their stories. You may find that their membership has expired or they no longer meet their standards.

Images of Weddings they have worked at
Are they images given/loaned to the company by a photographer? If they look familiar you may have seen them somewhere else before. There is nothing wrong with this as long as they are honest that they do not have images yet, but hope to replace these with real weddings soon. The best photos are often those that prove the supplier was there, for example I like to have my photo taken with my couples not only for my memories, but as hard proof I was there and did what I say I do!

Experience & Qualifications
Some wedding suppliers do not need or there are no official qualifications for their job – but check they have experience and sound like they know what they are talking about! It is even better if they have been mentioned in the media or contribute to industry publications or forums as an expert. This really shows that they know what they are talking about and others think they do too!

Fixed abode
PO Box numbers are not a secure way to ensure the company you are enquiring about is legitimate and not likely to take your money and disappear! This is not always the case, but it is safer to choose a supplier that has a fixed address where they can be contacted directly.

Price
The most expensive is not always the best. Location can sometimes add to prices quoted (for example in London) and it is always best to compare experience and testimonials rather than the cheapest you can find or the most expensive. Look at various websites of companies that sell the same products or offer the same service and find an average as a mark.

If at all possible talk over the phone with suppliers before you book them to make sure you like them! I am a strong believer that I am successful in what I do as I actually grow a relationship with my clients that often lasts after the wedding day has happened. If you do not feel comfortable with them at a meeting or over the phone, you won’t feel comfortable with them on your wedding day either.

Morale of the story – do your research! You wouldn’t buy a car without knowing a bit about the car and its competitors and you wouldn’t buy a house without going and viewing it first. When you are spending so much money on one day – why should you do things differently?

A date for your diary

2007-11-19T18:23:00.000Z

I will be at the Milton Keynes Wedding Fair on 1-3rd February 2008 – Visit this site for more details (MK wedding fair) I would love to meet anyone who would like to meet me! I am not sure of our exact spot at the exhibition yet, but will let you know nearer the time.

I will be setting up specific time slots for people who would like to meet and talk to me about their wedding plans and ask for help and advice (for free!) so if you are interested, email me on Beverly@brideandbeautiful.co.uk to register your interest.

We will also be showing some of our gorgeous gowns in the bridal fashion show – so come along and be dazzled!!

To everyone who has emailed me this week...

2007-11-18T13:29:00.000Z

I am really sorry I have not been able to reply to you all yet - I will try and reply to you with answers to your questions and advise when I can, but please stick with me. I have a busy job and lots of emails to answer from clients so please do not think I am being rude and ignoring you. I am writing on my blog on my one day off this week - that is how busy I am!

Thank you for your understanding
Bev

Mixing and Matching

2007-11-12T20:07:00.000Z

2008 is the year not to be afraid of colour! Cast away the bridal pink and whites and bring in bright and vibrant colours!

Many people shy away from using colours that are not necessarily seen as wedding colours as they don’t think they will be able to make them work or people will be shocked by them. The truth is, it is likely that they will be impressed and love the gorgeous colours you choose.

So what colours go that you wouldn’t necessarily put together?

Orange and pink

Hot tropical colours – tall vases filled with a mix of graceful blooms in orange like ‘Bird of paradise’ flowers and fun and wide bright pink geraniums. Surround with bright pink candles wrapped in orange satin ribbon.

Black and orange

Create a dramatic colour scheme by using black and orange together. Choose a bright orange rather than a weak shade to really make it stand out from the black. Black tablecloths and napkins (as shown in image) with orange flowers has worked well before and adding a single stem of an orange flower to individual place settings really creates an impact.

Blue and green

These colour choices are slightly more calming than the others! Think sea green and sky blue and use thick satin ribbon draped over place settings on a back drop of a white tablecloth. Lots of greenery is needed for the table centres and violet flowers like lavender will not only bring a slightly blue colour but will also let off a gorgeous scent.

The moral of the story is experiment! Don’t be afraid to be different and set your own trends.

I love my job

2007-11-10T21:39:00.000Z

This photo (taken by Rosie at Forever After Images) shows just how I feel about my job and what fun I have with my brides (even if this one is a model!) Every job has its ups and downs, but at the end of the day - a happy couple is all that matters and the fact that I have fun on the way is a bonus!

Winter Wedding Ideas

2007-11-07T21:32:00.001Z

Go out and buy this months Perfect Wedding magazine to see my 25 top ideas for Christmas Weddings!!

Full of fabulous advice and ideas (especially from a wonderful wedding planner named Beverly Pearce) its well worth a look!

Let me know what you think of the article - beverly@brideandbeautiful.co.uk. I would love to hear form you.

How much work does a wedding planner do on the day of a booking?

2007-11-02T22:24:00.000Z

I get lots of emails from people looking into becoming a wedding planner and I try to reply individually to them all, but one questions I have been asked over and over again is “How much work goes into a ‘On the Day’ or 'Big Day Back Up’ booking?” So, I will try and answer this question here for wedding planners and brides alike!

Generally you will be on your feet for approximately 12 hours, sometime more – so I always make sure I wear flat shoes! I make sure I take plenty to drink as usually the bar is full of guests and it never looks good for the wedding coordinator to be seen propping the bar up! I try and take easy to eat snacks that I can eat on the go and don’t make any mess and always wear a suit. That way I look official and not like a guest. My initial jobs will be to meet up with the venue staff and run through the plan of the day, set up all tables after the venue has laid them with linen (average 100 guests, so 10 tables of 10) welcome suppliers and help them with any questions or problems and ensure everything is as it should be. I will then either stay at the reception venue or go and visit the bride to help her dress or just to calm her nerves! The bride then chooses if I go to the ceremony venue ahead of her to check everything is ready for her or go back to the reception venue and make it ready for the arrival of her guests. On the occasions I stay at the venue I will be fielding questions, taking phone calls from suppliers or lost guests and generally making sure everything is ready and perfect. Then the guests arrive. I check everyone is happy, everything is ready for welcome drinks and canapaes, pull people together for photos, direct people to cloakrooms, toilets and the bar and follow the bride around to check her dress remains clean, and give her a break from holding her bouquet and make sure her and her husband have a drink! Make last checks to reception room and ask venue if they are ready for guest to be seated. Time for dinner – help guests find their places, field questions, announce bride and groom in. Make any announcements, check venue are having no problems with serving and remind them not to bother the bridal party with questions or problems and collect presents and cards and put them in a safe place. Welcome evening suppliers and field questions, help any guests who have queries and set up evening reception room. Announce speeches, help give out gifts, welcome evening guests and make sure bride and groom are happy. Announce cake cutting (after checking there is a cake knife on the table!) and informing guests of time of 1^st dance. Help venue turn around the room for the evening party and field questions from guests and suppliers. Collect more presents and cards and put in safe place. Ask DJ to announce first dance and check venue are ready to bring out evening buffet at correct time. Check Bride and groom are happy and everything is running smoothly. After goodbyes and final checks – head home!

This is certainly not written in detail as I do about 1000 other jobs in the course of the day too – but I hope this gives people an idea of what we do for our money! Look out for similar write ups of real weddings in the future!

My top five predictions for trends in 2008

2007-10-30T20:32:00.000Z

1. Cheque book wedding invitations (http://www.libra-designs.co.uk/weddingstationery/wedding_invitations/cambridge.html)

These fantastic invitations not only look amazing but give your guests all the information they need as well as a ready made RSVP all in one. Contact Nikki at Libra Designs for a personal and professional service. I first met Nikki at a wedding fair and she then produced an amazing invitation for one of my full planning clients last year. Brilliant service with smile!

2. Gorgeous tents outside your venue (http://www.arabiantents.com/?action=show&type=tents)

Forget plain marquees for small wedding celebrations – go Arabic and hire a gorgeous tent from Arabian tents and fill with their gorgeous jewel coloured cushions. Perfect for a lazy summer evening with a jazz band playing alongside and the garden lit with outdoor candles.

3. Big chunks of chocolate for your wedding cake (http://www.choccywoccydoodah.com/)

Choccywoccydoodah create masterpieces for your wedding cake and recently designed a cake for one of my couples that was moist chocolate cake surrounded by thick sheets of chocolate. Bliss!

4. Guestbook’s where your guest tell your story!

(http://www.guestbookstore.com/store/wedding_cover.html)

These are a fantastic idea – arriving in separate sheets, add a pen and leave on your guests chairs to fill out. Collect at the end of the meal and make into a fantastic keepsake book full of personal stories and memories. Your guest answers questions like – How do you know the bride and groom? – Tell a funny story about the couple and more – an excellent way of getting your guests involved and embarrassing a few people on the way!

5. Unusual favours that guests will want to keep

(http://www.aweddinglessordinary.co.uk/) This company sells amazing and unusual wedding favours that your guests will love. Match your favour to your theme or who it is intended for and find ideas such as shell bottle openers, plantable magic beans and scented bath salts all packaged to look beautiful on your tables.

2007-10-29T19:10:00.000Z

I had a great night on Friday - I attended a PR event organised by the UKAWP at the gorgeous Berkeley hotel in Knightsbridge, London.

Paula from the excellent PR company 'Do your own PR' came along to give us an evening of PR tips and advise and really inspired me to pull my finger out and get writing press releases - watch this space!!

Met some lovely wedding planners and eat some fabulous food and drank some wonderful champagne - oh the life of a wedding planner!!

Me on Sunday!

2007-10-24T20:18:00.001+01:00

One of the shots taken of me on Sunday - I HATE having my photo taken - but Rosie is really great with making you feel comfortable and I dont mind this one! It was rather off putting posing in front of 3 professional models though!

Beautiful Brides (well pretend ones anyway!)

2007-10-22T19:36:00.000+01:00

I had a fabulous Sunday yesterday. I spent the day being the stylist at a bridal photo shoot with the lovely Rosie Parsons of Forever Images (www.foreverafterimages.com). We had three fantastic models working with us called Catherine, Emily and Anna and I got to work with my great friend Heather Long, a very talented hair stylist and an amazing make up artist Lora Papez (www.lora.org.uk)

We all met at The Bear hotel in Hungerford (www.thebearhotelhungerford.co.uk) who has a gorgeous bridal suite we filled for the day taking some beautiful photos. Visit Rosie's blog to get a sneak preview. As soon as I can I will add a few to here too - so check back soon.

http://rosieparsons.typepad.com

Check out my article in Perfect Wedding magazine now!

2007-10-20T11:48:00.001+01:00

All very exciting!

Issue 10 (Nov 07) Page 62 of Perfect Wedding magazine features a three page article written by myself called 'Avoid Wedding Day Disasters' and is now out.

Its was written using my experience at weddings over the last 4 years, so all the 'disaters' are real life and have been solved on the spot at one of my clients gorgeous wedding days.

You have to read it to believe it!

I hope you enjoy it and would love to hear your thoughts so please leave me a comment on here.

Welcome!

2007-10-20T11:10:00.000+01:00

Welcome to my blog! I am Beverly Pearce and I have been a wedding planner and coordinator in the UK since 2003. I have started this blog to keep a record of all my goings on in the wedding planner world as I get so many people contacting me asking for a 'Day in the life' account of what I do - so I will try to update this site as often as possible, though probably not daily ; ) writing just that! If you would like to contact me -please do so through our website www.brideandbeautiful.co.uk on the 'Planning ' pages and come back for a read soon!

Images of weddings I have coordinated and planned

2007-10-19T21:57:00.000+01:00