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Stress Free Wedding Planning with the Tap of an App… Hello Bridebook!

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Bridebook-wedding-planning-appDon’t you kick yourself sometimes when someone else comes up with those brilliant inventions that in hindsight are so obvious? Those relatively simple concepts that make life so much easier. Step forward Bridebook.

Bridebook is a sophisticated, FREE digital wedding planner that’s taking the bridal world by storm. And for good reason.

It’s SUCH an inspired idea — a website and app that has EVERYTHING you need to plan your wedding all in one place

And not before time. With the soar in seriously useful apps, we now expect everything to run a bit more smoothly. How often do you hear the phrase “don’t worry I’ll Uber it”? It’s now almost a verb. And Deliveroo, the (quality) takeaway app, has all but revolutionised my world for sure.

And so yes, we are ready to tap an app and do everything ‘wedding’ calmly and un-complicatedly.

Bridebook wedding planning appGood bye wedding stress

If you’re not employing a wedding planner (and let’s face it, not all of us can or want one) creating your dream single-handedly can be a beautifully rewarding thing but for lots, it can be stressful and all consuming.

Did I double-check the venue can give us 10 more places? Shall I spend less on flowers and go for candelabra centrepieces? Do I do paperless invitations? Where’s that RSVP list? Is this the most recent cost sheet?

It can seriously take over your every waking thought.

The entrepreneur founder of Bridebook – Hamish Shepherd – saw brides (who were booking his wedding venue [Hedsor House, above]) drowning under this preparation process and knew a digital solution was needed.

Bridebook wedding planning appSo what does Bridebook actually do?

With Bridebook you can just grab your phone and see in an instant the current status of your wedding planning and action any part of it.   Toodle oo spreadsheets and a million print outs. We’re moving on.

The site is comprised of 5 wedding planning tools, so you can get organising wherever you are …

  1. Checklist
  2. Budget
  3. Supplier Shortlist (and Directory)
  4. Guest list
  5. Advice

Each of these tools has their own special features that set them apart.

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A Cool Jewish Wedding Gift List with Prezola

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Jewish-Wedding-Gift-ListIf you’re unsure whether to have a wedding list, let me tell you, from experience, you really do need one. Your friends and family will WANT to buy you a gift to show the love. But unless you direct them, you’re in danger of receiving presents that are either too chintzy or a tad off piste. Without a list you could be the proud recipient of something you already have or ever worse – never ever want to have.

Prezola really is THE modern wedding registry for our stylish Jewish couples. It’s super polished, eclectic and cool with over 300 top homeware brand to choose from. Including The White Company, Habitat, LSA, Jo Malone, Sonos, Joseph Joseph… 

And hot off the press, I can reveal that the truly stunning Graham and Green and Soho Home (my absolute faves!) have recently just added themselves to that illustrious list. So it’s not without reason that Prezola is now the UK’s favourite independent (multi award-winning) wedding gift list and honeymoon fund. 

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Why I love Prezola

I would have LOVED to have known about Prezola when I got married. It’s such a beautifully curated site with the most gorgeous selection of homewares I’ve seen in one place. It feels so hand picked whether your style is urban and cool or pretty and rustic, glamorous and shiny. And they’re SUCH a lovely company to work with. They’re one of my favourite STG finds and in fact I’ve already made a dream list with them.

Prezola understands the modern Jewish bride

Hugely exciting news is that Prezola now caters specifically for Jewish weddings. Alongside the perfect modern gifts (30,000 to be exact), they now also offer the more traditional Judaica style gifts that relatives just LOVE to buy you. 

These range from Challah boards and Matzah plates that you can use every Shabbat to Passover Seder plates used only two nights in the year

But get this, with brands like Alessi and the fabulous Jonathan Adler, Prezola now have traditional gifts with a modern twist. So STG!

Modern Traditional Gifts

A wedding list is a beautiful thing — it allows you to let people know exactly what you want without the embarrassment of actually telling them personally.

For an engagement present, a beloved aunt bought me and Mr. STG a challah cover, which lets say, left a lot to be desired in terms of design. It now spends its life in the messy drawer in our kitchen. If I had a list at Prezola, I could have chosen a more ‘us’ traditional gift and not feel guilty every time I catch a glimpse of that lavishly embroidered cover.

I love tradition but I also love design. Who says I cant have both?

Prezola certainly knows how to do Friday night, STG style..and it makes me smile whenever I look at this Jonathan Adler brilliant brass bird Menorah below. Here are my dream Judaica picks from Prezola (never thought I would use the word ‘dream’ and ‘Judaica’ in the same sentence till I saw Prezola’s list!)

To see all their fabulous Judaica, click here.

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The Modern Take

If you’ve already set up home, it’s especially important to have a wedding list. You simply don’t need two toasters. And the best part is that you can browse and go a little wild. You know those things that you possibly wouldn’t have bought when you had your sensible head on. Prezola’s list lets you get the big stuff — think gorgeous linens and stunning cookware, but also the fun, cool additions to your home.

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Make Your Wedding a Work of Art with Paper Anniversary

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How is it possible to make the most memorable of days even more indelible? At  STG we love anything out of the ordinary when it comes to weddings, and  today we are posting something truly unique.

Meet  Paper Anniversary,  the brainchild of artist Candice Hirson, that specialises in hand painted bespoke artwork, inspired by your relationship and love story.

I truly believe that the art in your home tells the story of who you are. Our walls (and shelves) are full of mine and Mr STG’s choices, some pieces we’ve chosen together and some are from before we even met. All of them are meaningful and special to us in one way or another. None more so than a painting of me pregnant with our first child. It’s captured such an exceptional moment in time and anyone who sees it is drawn to it probably for the same reason.

That’s the sentiment Paper Anniversary work on. What could be more personal an expression of you and your husband and tell your story than an authentic piece of art, inspired by your relationship and wedding day? Candice (Ms Paper Anniversary) will immortalise that loved-up shot with amazing intuition and sensitivity  into a piece of art to hang for all to see.

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A great gift for your partner, or the  couple who have everything

You can commission  Paper Anniversary to create a totally extraordinary first wedding anniversary gift (paper anniversary) for your partner or wow a close friend or relative with this unbelievably thoughtful wedding present.

As it’s so subjective, gifting art may normally seem like a tricky business and buying for a couple adds a further challenge of keeping both parties happy, however with such a common interest — namely their wedding day — I think you’re in safer, chartered territory.

And let’s face it paying tribute to a friends relationship  like this will certainly set you on the right path to becoming the most astute and considerate present giver ever!

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10 Luxury Honeymoon Destinations that go above & beyond

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Wouldn’t it be great if a super-stylish crack team of travel experts scoured the globe and tracked down the best boutique hotels for you to choose from for your honeymoon? The best that is, according to the really important stuff, for this most romantic holiday of your life. How about the hotel with the most extravagant view from the pool or the most indulgent spa, the sexiest bedroom, the most intimate bar or those places that simply go above and beyond anyone’s expectations?

Well that’s what’s happening right now in the gorgeous, totally dreamy world of Mr & Mrs Smith. Believe me, they are your secret honeymoon weapon.

For those who haven’t yet heard me extol the many virtues of this extraordinary boutique hotel finding and booking site, let me fill you in here.

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Six Senses Yao Noi, Thailand

Mr & Mrs Smith Awards 2016

Ok, so they’re not technically looking for honeymoon destinations in this current global search but, Mr & Mrs Smith are running their annual awards to identify and reward the boutique hotels in their outrageously impressive portfolio – that create THE most special stays. They are singling out those utterly unique, personality-packed places that raise the bar in terms of design, food, service and all- round wow factor.

So that’s great news for us as we get to take a peek at those choice contenders – the best boutique hotels in the world in the most desirable destinations. This has to be the hottest shortlist in travel right now!

Nihiwatu, Indonesia
Nihiwatu, Indonesia

And the award goes to…

The awards are being judged on 12 different categories. Namely: Pool with a View, World’s Sexiest Bedroom, Best Dressed Hotel, Best Date-Night Bar, Best Gourmet Getaway, Most Spoiling Spa, Local Hotel Hero, Best Family Hotel, Above and Beyond, Coolest Creative Hub, Hottest Hotel Soundtrack, Best Smith Hotel 2016.

And reassuringly the top ten hotels in each category have been selected by none other that the King and Queen of Mr & Mrs Smith themselves — company founders James and Tamara Lohan, along with the amazing founding editor Juliet Kinsman. They know, live and breathe their stuff. So any hotel worthy enough to make their short list is good enough for me.

As you can see by the colourful categories of awards — this is a cool company that understands the changing boutique-hotel scene around the world.

There is a new order in what people are looking for and it’s moved on considerably from “how far to the beach?” and “is breakfast included?’. Mr & Mrs Smith recognise those unique aspects for the hotel experience that have particular resonance to today’s traveller. Be that acting as a hub for the neighbourhood creative scene; having the perfect date night bar; being a destination foodie spot or of course setting the stage for an out of this world, memory-making honeymoon.

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Aman Tokyo

Do Judge me

The chosen hotels will be put to a panel of three specialist judges in each category.

And the judging panel? It’s basically across the board cool — a network of travel experts from the fashion, music, food industries, including chef and author Tom Aitken, writer and broadcaster Lauren Laverne, singer Jessie Ware, legendary restaurateur Jeremy King, cocktail maestro Tony Conigliaro … take a look here at the impressive line up.

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Keemala, Thailand

Above and Beyond

For Smashing The Glass, I really wanted to feature a list of the best of the best — essentially the Above and Beyond category. These are Smith stays that are made even more special by seamless service and generosity of spirit — where going the extra mile is the starting point. Is there nothing this hotel won’t do?

They boast dedicated, flexible and helpful staff who totally rock at enhancing your stay, or maybe the hotel goes above and beyond in terms of products or services — full-size bathroom products, free laundry, transfers by speedboat?

Sometimes, it’s one individual who makes the biggest impact. The sommelier who helps you discover a new favourite wine; the concierge with an unbeatable book of contacts; the chef who keeps the kitchen open a little longer because your flight was delayed.

The Above and Beyond category is by far my favourite, and that’s what you really want for a honeymoon. Natural hosts who instinctively know how to spoil you, anticipate your every need and upgrade your trip beyond measure. Oh yes and it so happens that all the hotels are in sublime and wildly different locations.

A trad twenties hunting lodge on the banks of Waikato, New Zealand to the thoroughly modern English countryside manor with just a sprinkling of rock star style to a remote ecolodge on the rainforest clad coast of Nicaragua. Where would you even start to choose between them?

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Fasano, Rio, Brazil

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Basic Invite – Pushing the Envelope on Wedding Stationery

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My former life as a graphic designer – pre STG – was awash with Pantone references, fonts, typefaces and paper stock. A love you can’t take out of the girl it seems. So when it comes to wedding invitations, I’m the first in line to coo over a sassy design, a bold choice of colour, thoughtful monogramming, the texture of the invite and the weight of an envelope.     And believe me attention, individuality and quality never go unnoticed.

It’s important to set the tone for your big day and nothing builds anticipation better than the invitation.   It’s the movie trailer, the pre-promote and the amuse bouche to tantalise your guests.

Just as e-commerce for luxury fashion goods has developed over the last decade – think Net a Porter – so too have online destinations for luxury, customised, wedding stationery.

And Basic Invite is one of the best I’ve seen.

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Every paper product you could possibly need

It’s an elegant, online hub for all things printed and wedding –  save the date, invitations, RSVP cards, menus, programs, and thank you cards. And I love that it covers the whole gamut because it’s so important to pull all the threads of your wedding together and coordinate your paper products into one look – it is your brand after all.   But it’s also an incredibly efficient way of organising such an important aspect of the big day, without compromising on style.   Quite honestly, it sometimes feels as though you could make a full time job out of wedding preparation, that is on top of your actual job, so at STG we welcome style-conscious efficiency whole—heartedly.

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