Search Results for: ceremony

How to personalise your wedding: Create a logo and brand your Big Day

05/06/2013 by Karen

One of the most stylish, cost-effective and easiest ways of personalising your Big Day is to create a logo of you and your fiancà©’s initials or names and use it on your invitations, RSVP cards, thank you cards, menus and any other printed materials.

But why stop there? How about also printing bespoke stickers or having a custom stamp made and personalising even more elements of your day? It’s amazing how simple this is to do and how much fun you can have branding different details of your day.

For my wedding to Jeremy, I used our initials J and K, to create a very clean symbol that represented our union. As is often the case with logos, the simpler the better – the litmus test is said to be can you draw your logo with a stick in the sand? (Try that out on your honeymoon!).

Here you can see our wedding logo’s first outing on our ‘Save The Date’ that I designed.

Next on my design list, was creating the invitations and with these I combined the simplicity of the logo with a pop-art influenced collage of imagery that represented the two of us, our childhoods, and important landmarks and locations in our relationship. We wanted to make our invitations fun and also wanted to share elements of our personalities and relationship with our guests. The printing and production techniques were as important to me as the design so we chose to print them on a beautiful thick 640gsm stock called Omnia that has the texture of watercolour paper. I felt like our guests would almost be receiving a small pop art screen print when they received our invitation!

The text and logo on the reverse of the invitation also had a quality feel as they were printed with raised thermography, and the font itself was traditional and pretty. No swirly wedding text for us! Our printers, Ashwyk, were fabulous to deal with, gave a really attentive service, and produced outstanding results that we were over the moon with.

image: Ashwyk

The finishing touch was custom made square envelopes from Mount Street Printers with our logo on round stickers from Moo on the reverse. For our address labels we used these fantastic clear labels and printed them at home with the same font we used on the invitation. The result was that the addresses looked as though they were professionally printed direct on the envelopes but it was actually all done on a home printer with these amazing clear labels. I really recommend them!

A Vera Wang Bride for a Jewish Wedding at Kensington Roof Gardens, London, UK

01/06/2013 by Karen

This is a beautifully fresh and intimate summer wedding, set on a magical garden rooftop in the heart of London, that oozes style and elegance. It’s also the magical wedding of my brother, André, and my amazing sister-in-law, Lee Ann, so it has a very special place in my heart… (and if you look closely you can spot me in red Vivienne Westwood in the big group picture at the end!)

But back to the wedding – I loved Lee Ann’s idea of taking the shade of her apple green sash on her dress and using the fresh green colour throughout all kinds of details on her day.

And how did these two meet? Well it’s verrrry romantic: Lee Ann, a Floridian, and André, a born-and-bred Londoner, married after a whirlwind long-distance romance. They met on a 5-day Caribbean cruise in September 2006, were engaged 6 months later, and were married, less than a year to the day they met, in August 2007.

The Venue

Lee Ann, the Bride: Kensington Roof Gardens was our perfect venue. Towering above central London, the stunning gardens, complete with house flamingoes, seemed like the 8th wonder of the world! We wanted somewhere central as there were quite a few foreign guests in town for only a few days, but equally we wanted a beautiful, garden setting. Nothing could have been more perfect, and to top it all, Claire Vidler and her events term were superb to deal with throughout.

The magic ingredient, of which we have only the Gods to thank, was being blessed with glorious sunshine on the day.

THE DRESS WHICH LEAD TO THE THEME

My dress was by Vera Wang. I wanted something different and loved the ivory colour teamed with an apple green sash- perfect for our summer garden setting! In fact, the colour of the apple green sash set the theme of the wedding throughout, and the same shade was used on the invitation design, and all sorts of details from the sashes on the backs of the chairs to the flowers to the ribbons on the cake to the ketubah illustrations.

THE CHUPPAH + FLOWERS

We used a wonderful florist called Rebecca Fiest. I loved the idea of small arrangements all of one colour, and Rebecca interpreted my ideas sensitively and brilliantly. She also did such a beautiful job with the chuppah. I knew I wanted it to be constructed from bamboo poles with fresh spring flowers, and it couldn’t have turned out more beautifully.

Tips + Advice From Real Brides

TIP #21: Keeping your family happy is really important. Talk openly and honestly with your family about what you expect a wedding to be like. It took us a long time to understand the differences between Turkish, Israeli and British cultural understandings of what a wedding is and should be, but once we did, we were able to make agreements, compromises and creative decisions.

When I met Karen from Smashing The Glass after her On the Sofa talk at Brides The Show she shared some golden advice: “No one can tell you what you should focus on, find the things that are important to you (don’t say everything… prioritise!) and focus your energy on those things.”

We found that creating a meaningful ceremony and chuppah, making the whole experience accessible and fun for people, and bringing out the garden theme in fun, quirky ways, were our priorities, so we always kept the big picture in sight. And we gave up on some really cool ideas, but that didn’t matter. Perspective is important.

Forgive each other (that goes for partners and families alike!) Everyone’s under pressure, not just from planning the day but for the big changes a marriage signifies. Even though people live out of home for a long time, marriage can mark a subconscious transition and a sign of independence from parents and siblings, so while people might seem angry, stressed or upset, it’s often all part of the process. You will forget it all when it’s over!

On the day, zoom out, but also be present. Enjoy it, soak in the experience, and talk about them over the following days. Ask your friends about their experiences too – they will have totally different stories and angles that will enrich your memories.

Practical stuff: website RSVPs are amazing, don’t do paper; create a joint email address; divide responsibilities; don’t get ‘analysis paralysis’ over tiny details, sometimes you just need to trust your gut and make a decision; and do ask for (but not demand!) help – our Team Wedding were incredible, and we received so many offers of practical help that made a huge difference to our sanity.

Real STG bride, Debbie. Read all about her lovebird-themed super cool Jewish wedding here.

TIP #20: “It’s easy to get lost down the rabbit hole of research online and overwhelmed with quotes. Only contact your top 3 suppliers for quotes and then choose from them.I met every one of our major suppliers in person. Don’t forget that it’s not just the product you’re buying, but the service — ask yourself: are they the kind of person that you’d like involved in your big day, do I like working with them? If not, don’t book them!”

Ros (married at the ICA in London). Read all about her London-themed contemporary cool Jewish wedding here.

TIP #19: “It’s easy to get lost down the rabbit hole of research online and overwhelmed with quotes. Only contact your top 3 suppliers for quotes and then choose from them.”

Ros (married at the ICA in London). Read all about her London-themed contemporary cool Jewish wedding here.

TIP #18: “Look out for ‘holiday’ online deals e.g. we bought our stationery online at Christmas, Prosecco on bank holidays, sign up for e-newsletters and use those discount codes!”

Ros (married at the ICA in London). Read all about her London-themed contemporary cool Jewish wedding here.

TIP #17: “Don’t be afraid to negotiate wherever you can on prices. Suppliers are open to this, so ask! If they won’t give you discount, then what else can they include in the price?”

Ros (married at the ICA in London). Read all about her London-themed contemporary cool Jewish wedding here.

TIP #16: “A lot of people have will come out of the woodwork to give you their input regarding how the wedding should be planned. Remember that it’s your wedding, stick to your instincts and plan together, so when it comes to the wedding day you and your guests feel a piece of both of you in the adventure.”

Suzi (married at The Madonna Inn, California ). Read all about her Persian-American playful, glittery wedding here.

TIP #15: “My only advice would be to have fun, try not to freak out, and don’t sweat the small stuff. At the end of the day, nobody remembers whether or not the LED votives you bought were cute or not, they remember the food, the music, and most importantly, the vibe of the group you’ve brought together. They remember the party! “

Niki (married at Santa Margarita Ranch, California ). Read all about her super-fun wedding here.

TIP #14: “Make decisions based on what makes you happy, not on what others recommend or what’s perceived to be sensible, suitable or the done thing. Don’t settle for ‘it’s nice’ and never ever let yourself utter the words “it’ll do”. Think about the things you really love, not those you simply like, and if thats’s a certain bloom or shade then build theme around it. The best weddings capture the heart, soul and style of the couple — colour co-ordinated or not. It’s OK to take inspiration from another bride’s amazing taste, but add a pinch of your own magic to make it still all about you. Don’t get caught up too much in current ‘trends’ and don’t stray away from your usual unique style. We advise couples to look to their home dà©cor and every-day wardrobes if they find the abundance of theming and styling options overwhelming, there’s no reason you have to completely change your look for your wedding, it should be a reflection of you and the things that you love.”

Spot-on advice from Wedding blogger, Charlotte O’Shea from Rock My Wedding

TIP #13: “When deciding on the style of your wedding have a collection of personal details in mind so you can ensure the day is a true reflection of you both as a couple. From favourite songs, colours, movies, moments and quotes — that is what makes the your day truly unique!”

Wise words from the Events Lounge team.

TIP #12: “Never fear asking for help – everyone wants to get involved and it’s an honour for most. Go the extra mile because it will be with you forever. We found a lot of people default to ‘it’s your wedding, do what you want’, which is true but we considered it for everyone we invited. Being inclusive was the key to an unforgettable day”

Stacey (married at the Dome Cinema in West Sussex ). Her NYE Fancy Dress Jewish Wedding can be seen on Smashing The Glass here.

TIP #11: “I think for many brides a wedding can be a wonderful chance to really explore your creativity and find yourself, particularly if you work in the professions and have never had the chance. My top tip? Only invite the people who love you and won’t judge you, and then you can take all the creative risks you want with your wedding!”

Fiona Campbell, the wedding writer and photographer.

TIP #10: “My one word of advice would be not to stress and enjoy every second. I was incredibly nervous and am not particularly good at being centre of attention and so did get myself into a little bit of a tizz simply worrying about nothing. I would highly recommend the night before setting up a zone of tranquillity as my mum did for me- a hot bath, aromatherapy oil, gorgeous smelling candle, homely PJs, your favourite music, book and teddy bear if like me, at the age of 30, you still have one.”

Lou (married at Os Agosto in Portugal ). Her beautiful destination wedding with lots of lovely DIY ideas can be seen over at Rock My Wedding)

TIP #9: “The spiritual significance of a Jewish wedding is often lost in all the madness of putting it together. If there is one piece of advice I would give a bride it would be to try to experience the pure and sacred side of a Jewish wedding as much as possible.”

Shiri (married at Taboon in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City ). Read all about her intimate ‘surprise’ wedding here.

TIP #8: “Be yourself. Plan a wedding that reflects you and your partner, not a wedding you’ve seen in a magazine.”

Kat Williams, Founder of the legendary RocknRollBride wedding blog)

TIP #7: “My advice to brides who are busy planning: stay true to your heart & throw a rockin’ party! We loved incorporating things that were important to us in our wedding. Our recessional song was a song that Jonathan and I wrote together when we first started dating, and the favours were made by my Grandmother. Get all of your planning done ahead of time, hand over the reigns day-of, and enjoy your wedding for what it is: a celebration!”

Christina (married at Vesuvius Vineyards in Iron Station, North Carolina ). Her wedding, full of personal and handmade touches, can be seen over on Green Wedding Shoes)

TIP #6: “Do make sure you have good suppliers — it’s sometimes worth paying that little bit extra to ensure that you get what you want.” Liz (married at Cripps Barn in the Cotswolds ).

Her unbelievable beautifully branded wedding can be seen over at Rock My Wedding)

TIP #5: “Make the most of the weather, whatever it may be and use the weather as a photo prop. I had pretty parasols for rain or sun, and gold metallic wellies for splashing in puddles! I would say the same to anyone who is getting married. Before this advice I was so worried about the weather. After I had chosen these accessories, I was just excited to use them.”

Nicola (married at ‘The Crazy Bear’ in Stadhampton, Oxfordshire. Her wedding can be seen over on The Wedding Vine.)

TIP #4: “Don’t worry about double or even triple checking details with your suppliers, you’re not being annoying and this is what you are paying for. I wish I had taken my own advice on this one as some of the details on the day were lost due to some suppliers not being as efficient as I had hoped. You absolutely can’t please everybody and nor should you. This is your one opportunity to do things as you want and it’s the one time you should be allowed to make decisions without having to justify them. Real friends will understand and those that don’t aren’t worth losing any sleep over.”

Danielle (married at the Haymarket Hotel in London ). Her fashion-packed wedding, full of details can be seen over at Rock My Wedding)

TIP #3: “During the planning, we got sick of people saying ‘should’ — you should have this, you shouldn’t do that — so the only advice we can offer: there is no ‘should’. Do what you want, because no-one else will notice at the end of the day apart from you two. They will all have a good time regardless!”

Ali (married at home in Nottingham ). Her wedding, full of unique and personal details, can be seen over at Rock My Wedding)

TIP #2: “This is your wedding. Do what you love, Invite the people you want. Dance to the songs that bring you the most joy. Eat the best food you’ll ever have. Enjoy every moment. Share the photographs with your children and grandchildren. Most of all spend the rest of your days with the person you love.”

Deanna (married at Syon Park)

TIP #1: Wedding planning timeline for every organised bride:

Gifts for Grooms

GROOM TREAT IDEA #11:
Create custom converse trainers like these black and orange Converse (the groom’s favourite colours). For this wedding, each pair of Converse had the date and the individual groomsmen’s nickname embroidered on the side.

GROOM TREAT IDEA #10:
Surprise him after the ceremony by wearing a necklace with your new initials for the reception, such as this one from notonthehighstreet.com that Karen (below) wore.

GROOM TREAT IDEA #9:
Create a personal newspaper (try inthepaper.co.uk or makingthenews.co.uk) with photos of you both and memories written as news stories. It makes for a very cute start to the day and a gorgeous post-wedding keepsake too.

GROOM TREAT IDEA #8:
Order a US-style groom’s cake à la Will and Kate (they ordered a second cake made of chocolate and McVitie’s digestive biscuits) and have your guests enjoy his fave dessert.

GROOM TREAT IDEA #7:
Make sure he gets to the ceremony on time with a new watch — practical and stylish — inscribed with your wedding date, or ‘We have all the time in the world’

GROOM TREAT IDEA #6:
Personalise something relevant to his hobby — a guitar plectrum or golf marker — or treat him to cufflinks engraved with a message, the date you met, or even children’s fingerprints. Check out lots of options at notonthehighstreet.com.

Bridal Style

OBSESSED with this new wedding dress design from Vivienne Westwood called ‘Elizabeth’. See the full collection here.
Vivienne Westwood Elizabeth Wedding Dress

Alexander McQueen bridal AW14. Just love this dress! The stars and the moons…. swooooooon.

[Image: The Lane ]

Order your very own wedding Converse as dancing shoes for the reception. Get them at Converse.com.

[Image: Kelly Ewell ]

Hang lockets containing photos of your grandparents, or people special to you, within your bouquet (as seen in Candace & Asher’s super-stylish ‘shabby chic’ Jewish wedding )

[Image: Sloan Photography]

Black & White Vera Wang Monochome, complete with black arm-length gloves, from Vera Wang bridal 2014 Spring/ Summer show

[image: thebijoubride.com ]

Lego wedding dress designed by Japanese artist Rie Hosokai

[image: technabob.com ]

Stunning vintage wedding dresses by Kate Halfpenny

Image: Love My Dress

Image: Bijou Bride

Gorgeous dramatic trumpet on this Peter Langner gown

Peter Langner “Holding Tight” gown, sourced from Martha Stewart Weddings

Bows for Bridesmaids’ Toes

With the world’s easiest add-on, an ankle-gracing bow, your ‘maids can wear neutral or black frocks and still be subtly in step with your colour scheme.

Have each one wear a basic sandal with an ankle strap. The morning of, they’ll take a 2-inch-wide ribbon, wind a length (each of these is 46 inches long) around their leg and through the strap on the outer ankle, and tie into a bow. Voila: dancing shoes!

Sourced from Martha Stewart Weddings

Emulate the style icons from the 70’s with a dramatic floppy hat. Perfect for a garden summer wedding or bohemian beach style ceremony, adorn your hat with delicate flowers for a romantic feel.

Dream dress by Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood Capon Dress: White Duchess Satin with Tulle petticoat

Beautiful back by Anna Campbell

Wow! This is a gorgeously short (and very affordable!) dress from Milly Bridal

What a show-stopping look from Milly Bridal!

Net-A-Porter launch an exclusive bridal collection with dresses From Issa, Nina Ricci and more

A selection from Net-a-Porter’s exclusive bridal collection [image: Grazia Daily]

Net-A-Porter has launched an exclusive capsule collection of bridalwear teaming up with eight of their favourite designers to create a wedding dress selection on the website starting at £1,295. The edit will feature designs from Antonio Berardi, Lover, Jay Ahr, Chalayan, Rochas, Issa, Nina Ricci and Jessica Biel’s wedding dress designer, Giambatista Valli. See the gallery below to see some of the dresses on offer and shop the full collection on Net-A-Porter.

Shop Net-A-Porter’s full bridal one-stop-shop

Rochas’ taffeta-twill gown with skinny belt £5,517 [image: Grazia Daily]

Nina Ricci's lace trim crinkled silk-chiffon gown with floral lace appliquà©s £3372

Giambattista Valli's tiered organze and macramà© v-neck dress £6,600

Issa has created a flattering short-sleeve full length dress made with French lace, and sheer neckline and shoulders £2,700 [image: Grazia Daily]

Antonio Berardi’s caped back silk crepe long-sleeve gown is £9,039 [image: Grazia Daily]

Chalayan’s simple crepe column dress with silk crepe overlay £1295 [image: Grazia Daily]

Lover ivory lace dress with traditional covered buttons shows a little extra leg but the modest neckline and sleeves balance it out £2495 [image: Grazia Daily]

A crystal embellished silk-chiffon gown by Jay Ahr £5000 [image: Grazia Daily]

Search Results for: ceremony

image: Ashwyk

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The Venue

THE DRESS WHICH LEAD TO THE THEME

THE CHUPPAH + FLOWERS

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