Twilight Fever!

There are a lot of wedding trends going around at any one time but Twilight: Breaking Dawn really has the top trend award right now in my eyes. Everywhere I look people are talking about it, comparing it to others and setting trends with it.

So, if you want a Bella and Edward inspired wedding day, how can you do it? Well, even though we can’t promise the vampire groom or the werewolf best man, we can give you a few hints to set you in the right direction.

Want to look like the happy couple. Well, dress your groom in a sharp tux and head on over to Alfred Angelo for this outstanding and beautiful replica of Bella’s dress.

Decoration really is key for a Twilight themed wedding. Think outdoor, lots and lots of flowers and traditional chairs. It was a very organic and natural wedding, using lots of leaves and twigs to create an almost rustic atmosphere.

Although heading down to the florist and getting exactly what Bella and Edward had may be a little out of your budget (see above photo), why not go for an full flower arch to get married under? Also, use vast amounts of rose petals to create the perfect romantic atmosphere.

Although hunky groom Edward Cullen couldn’t appreciate the beautiful wedding cake that was centre stage on their big day, you can, so make sure you pick a cake maker you trust to create your extravagant work of art and work closely with your florist to decorate the cake with a luxurious arrangement. Great options if you have a smaller budget include stock and ivy. These are affordable options and will look stunning.

Use traditional script and styles for your stationery choices to prepare your guests for your big day and carry this throughout your stationery, including your table plans and place cards.

Enjoy planning your Breaking Dawn wedding and for help and coordination tips, get in touch with us directly at Weddings by Rachel.

An Incy Wincy gift that’s for keeps

Thank you to Jenny Tricklebank from Incy Wincy Keepsakes for contributing to our blog.

Weddings are such a special time: a day in our lives that we never forget.  At Incy Wincy Keepsakes, we make gifts with thought and meaning that will remind you time and time again of that magical day.

We can include just one or both of your fingerprints on a beautiful wavy heart necklace for brides and on a special and personal set of cufflinks for the groom.

  

To find out more about Incy Wincy Keepsakes, you can check out the website www.incywincykeepsakes.co.uk or call 07954102729.  Please quote Weddings By Rachel for a 10% discount.  Or alternatively look up Incy Wincy Keepsakes on Facebook for more photos and information.

Wedding Planner Named Wedding Service and Best New Wedding Business in East Wales

At the inaugural Welsh National Wedding Awards 2011 announced last night, Weddings by Rachel, a wedding planning professional based in Gwent has been selected to receive the prestigious Welsh National Wedding Awards 2011 Awards for Best Wedding Service and Best New Business in the East Wales Region. Recognition for the Welsh National Wedding Awards 2011 is determined by votes from brides and grooms.

By winning this award, Weddings by Rachel proves that they represent quality and service excellence within the wedding. Awards were given to the top wedding professionals and were based on the votes received via brides and grooms from the last two years.

Weddings by Rachel has been running for 18 months and offers brides and grooms the opportunity to relieve the stress of wedding planning and utilise the best in the business, both with suppliers and budgets, by using the expert services of a professional wedding planner.

Rachel Matthews, Owner of Weddings by Rachel said: “It is an honour to be up against such fantastic competition in the wedding industry and be selected as one of the best in the region. Dedication to my clients is very important to me and I thrive on delivering the perfect wedding every time. It is fabulous to see this pay off and to see brides and grooms appreciate the service that I have provided.”

The wedding planning process at Weddings by Rachel is very client focused and starts with a consultation with Rachel to discuss the theme and ideas of a bride and grooms wedding and get to know them as a couple. This is then followed up with a proposal plan for the wedding day and a budget plan, which is used as a base for creating their perfect wedding day.

Specialising in creating bespoke packages for any budget, Weddings by Rachel works very closely with each couple, giving complete support throughout the entire process.

“I have worked with brides and grooms of all budgets and offer complete support for any package. This is something that I find very important as it is imperative that couples feel comfortable and relaxed as their wedding day approaches.”

For more information on the packages offered by Weddings by Rachel or to book a free, no obligation consultation, visit www.weddingsbyrachel.co.uk.

How You Know When It’s Time To Hire A Wedding Planner

Hiring a wedding planner is something that most brides see as a luxury item that they can’t afford. The truth is, a wedding planner can be extremely cost effective and can often save you money on other suppliers.

The truth is, most brides will hire a wedding planner if they don’t have the time to plan it themselves. It is said that you should dedicate 12 hours a week to planning your wedding including all of the research, supplier meetings and organisation. However, a lot of couples try to save as much money as possible and can often see a wedding planner as an added expense that they don’t need.

The question you need to ask yourself is when do you know that you need to hire a wedding planner?

• If your wedding is only a few weeks away and you haven’t finished everything or if you still need to find a great supplier at last minutes notice who won’t charge you the earth. You can call a wedding planner in at last minute just to help with one thing, for some last minute support, or if an emergency happens
• When you are so stressed out that you are losing sleep over the planning. Planning your wedding should not be a stressful time. It sounds cliché, but this should be one of the happiest times of your lives. Your wedding is only one day, but your marriage is forever. Sure you want everything to look great and go smoothly, but this is also how you should feel. If you happen to be at a time in your life where it is unrealistic for you and your fiancé to plan your wedding and reception alone then don’t hesitate to call in for help
• If you have been engaged for months and still haven’t booked anything. This probably means that you don’t have the time to do it all. The question to ask yourself here is do you want to book a date and find you don’t have time to prepare for it? That’s when you should call in a planner to do all of the running around for you.
• If you know that you are not organised and think that you will forget things or don’t know where to start with the planning then a wedding planner is a great idea for you.
• If you are getting married somewhere where you don’t live, or somewhere a little unique, such as a barn or marquee, then a wedding planner will be a great help to you. They’ll know lots of local contacts and be there on the day to make sure that everything runs perfectly.

Weddings by Rachel offer free, no obligation consultations, so if you feel that you may fall into one of the options above, give us a call and let us come and talk to you to see if we can help.

This Made Me Shed A Tear…

I read this and it made me shed a tear (or two) so I thought I would share it…

Her hair was up in a pony tail, Her favorite dress tied with a bow,
Today was Daddy’s Day at school, And she couldn’t wait to go.

But her mommy tried to tell her, That she probably should stay home,
Why the kids might not understand, If she went to school alone.

But she was not afraid; She knew just what to say,
What to tell her classmates of why he wasn’t there today.

But still her mother worried…, For her to face this day alone
And that was why once again, She tried to keep her daughter home.

But the little girl went to school Eager to tell them all,
About a dad she never sees, A dad who never calls.

There were daddies along the wall in back, For everyone to meet,
Children squirming impatiently, Anxious in their seats.

One by one the teacher called A student from the class,
To introduce their daddy, As seconds slowly passed.

At last the teacher called her name, Every child turned to stare,
Each of them was searching, A man who wasn’t there.

‘Where’s her daddy at?’ She heard a boy call out,
‘She probably doesn’t have one,’ Another student dared to shout.

And from somewhere near the back, She heard a daddy say,
‘Looks like another deadbeat dad, Too busy to waste his day.’

The words did not offend her, As she smiled up at her Mom,
And looked back at her teacher, Who told her to go on.

And with hands behind her back, Slowly she began to speak,
And out from the mouth of a child, Came words incredibly unique.

‘My Daddy couldn’t be here, Because he lives so far away,
But I know he wishes he could be, Since this is such a special day.

And though you cannot meet him, I wanted you to know,
All about my daddy, And how much he loves me so.

He loved to tell me stories He taught me to ride my bike,
He surprised me with pink roses, And taught me to fly a kite.

We used to share fudge sundaes, And ice cream in a cone,
And though you cannot see him, I’m not standing here alone.

‘Cause my daddy’s al ways with me, Even though we are apart,
I know because he told me, He’ll forever be in my heart.’

With that, her little hand reached up, And lay across her chest,
Feeling her own heartbeat, Beneath her favorite dress.

And from somewhere here in the crowd of dads, Her mother stood in tears,
Proudly watching her daughter, Who was wise beyond her years.

For she stood up for the love of a man not in her life,
Doing what was best for her, Doing what was right.

And when she dropped her hand back down, Staring straight into the crowd,
She finished with a voice so soft, But its message clear and loud.

‘I love my daddy very much, he’s my shining star,
And if he could, he’d be here, But heaven’s just too far.

You see he is a British soldier and died just this past year,
When a roadside bomb hit his convoy And taught Britons to fear.
But sometimes when I close my eyes, it’s like he never went away.’

And then she closed her eyes, And saw him there that day,
And to her mothers amazement, She witnessed with surprise.

A room full of daddies and children, All starting to close their eyes,
Who knows what they saw before them, Who knows what they felt inside.

Perhaps for merely a second, They saw him at her side,
‘I know you’re with me Daddy,’ To the silence she called out,
And what happened next made believers, Of those once filled with doubt.

Not one in that room could explain it, For each of their eyes had been closed,
But there on the desk beside her, Was a fragrant long-stemmed rose.

And a child was blessed, if only for a moment, By the love of her shining star,
And given the gift of believing, That heaven is never too far.

5 Ways To Add ‘Something Blue’

At Weddings by Rachel we love tradition. This is why we live by the old rhyme “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a Silver Sixpence in your shoe.”

This rhyme originated in the Victorian times and is still practiced by some to this day. It is thought to bring luck to the bridal couple.

However, adding something blue can be very difficult if you are not incorporating blue into your wedding theme. Therefore, here are 5 clever ways to add something blue and keeping it hidden!

1. Wedding Garters
   These can be found in all colours nowadays and you can get them personalised too. Look for one that incorporates blue ribbons or one that is completely blue if you prefer.
2. Jewellery
   This can be a great addition and if you wear a startling pair of sapphire earrings, or a beautiful bracelet with one sapphire or blue stone, it will not clash with your colour scheme.
3. Flowers
   Although your flower scheme will match your wedding colours, why not add something like a blue butterfly into the bouquet? This will not stand out too much but will be a very pretty addition for your something blue.
4. Hair Combs and Tiaras
   A lot of hair combs and tiaras have the odd blue gems in them. This won’t be too overpowering when worn and will blend in well if you are going for a sparkling affair. If you’re having made to order, ask your maker to add in just one or two blue gems to wear your something blue all day.
5. Handkerchief
   Carry a blue handkerchief with you to wipe away any tears. This can be held, put into your bag or given to somebody to look after. If you don’t fancy all blue, why not get one embroidered in blue with your wedding date?

Shortlisted for Welsh National Wedding Awards

Weddings by Rachel have been shortlisted for two Welsh National Wedding Awards – Best New Business and Best Wedding Other. Thank you to everyone who voted for us – we really appreciate the support and look forward to keeping you updated. Fingers crossed!!

3 Tips for Involving Your Groom in the Planning

Getting your groom involved in the planning of your wedding can be a daunting task. While you may be one of the lucky few whose groom is up for the task, there are a lot of men out there who still believe that the wedding planning is always done by the bride and its best not to get involved.

You may also have a groom who appears to have zero interest in helping at all. You are not alone! The key is to stay calm and not force him into doing things he doesn’t want to do. Be subtle and approach the situation with care, making sure that you appeal to his interests to assist you in the planning.

• Use his skills. If he is a great negotiator get him to talk prices with your suppliers. If he is a whizz with numbers, ask him for help with the budgets. If he is good at building, construction or woodwork, why not ask him to create either special bride and groom chairs for the reception or a canopy to stand under for photos?
• Include something special in the wedding for him. Remember those exciting nights out on the town when you first started dating? Have him research bands and DJs, and arrange for the two of you to go out on “dates” to take notes and compare. If he’s an adrenaline junkie, why not organise a super car to bring him to the wedding? Is he into steam trains? Why not get married at an old railway station? There are lots of ideas and it’s great to talk about what you like and incorporate that into your wedding day.
• Talk to your groom! This is vital. Ask him for opinions on things. Show him pictures. Get him input on decisions. However, it is really important to support and encourage his ideas. Don’t ask him to be involved and shoot down every one of his ideas. This will put him off having any involvement. Work together, after all, the wedding is for both of you.

For more planning tips and advice, contact Weddings by Rachel.