This article has been kindly contributed by Jo Stewart of Stoke by Nayland Hotel
So, you’ve set the date….it’s all romantic and exciting….but which venue? There is an abundance of choice, which allows you to make the perfect selection for you.
There’s the fairytale castle,
the modern, contemporary and stylish hotel,
the glamour location,
the beautiful countryside,
the list is endless…..
To ensure you consider all options, there are some key points to consider:
Can you have a civil ceremony at the venue?
Majority of venues are now licensed to hold Civil Ceremonies. If you would like to get married at the venue, make sure you ask if they have a licence to conduct the ceremony. They will hold a certificate to prove this licence has been granted.
Do you have any tips to help us plan the perfect day?
1) Set a budget. This little piece of advice is so important and allows you to build a firm foundation for your wedding. Many couples struggle to set a budget because if you’ve never planned a wedding, it’s hard to know what is realistic and how far your money will go. However, most people know how much they can realistically afford and how much they are comfortable spending on one event: it really is worth spending some time researching and getting your budget right at the beginning. Until you have a budget, you can’t begin approaching suppliers and all of your plans become a series of confusing ‘what ifs’. It’s much better to start things off properly with a good idea of what you can spend in each area.
2) Clarify your priorities. Unless you’re on a very large budget, you will have to compromise on some aspects of your day. Identify your top 5 priorities at the outset so that you can concentrate your budget and energy on doing a few things really well rather than spreading yourself too thinly and doing everything badly. We tend to find that for most couples that as they focus on a particular part of the celebrations that aspect becomes THE most important part of everything and that it becomes very tempting to overspend. Formally setting your priorities at the outset helps to guard against this and saves lots of heartache down the line.
3) Get the basics in place first. From the second that engagement ring is on, planning a wedding can be an overwhelming whirlwind of people asking questions and giving their opinion. Rather than allowing yourself to be swallowed up into the insanity of it all, take a couple of weeks to soak up your new status and to slowly chat your ideas through with your partner. Once you have a rough idea of what you want as a couple, you can begin putting the basics into place. You’ll need to start with finding your venue and you’ll be able to narrow down the options by budget, availability and style. Once your venue is confirmed you will have a date and this will allow you to begin approaching the other suppliers. My advice is to focus on those suppliers who can only do one wedding per day e.g. photographers, transport, entertainment, hair and make up artists. After booking these suppliers, you can relax and start thinking about the visual aspects of the day and finding items such as dresses and stationery. Don’t be tempted to do these things before you’ve confirmed your basic suppliers as you will only tie yourself up into stressful knots and end up making little if any progress.
4) View your wedding holistically. It’s easy to view your wedding as one long to do list but it’s vitally important that you don’t make decisions without considering other aspects to ensure there is a thread of continuity running throughout your celebration. For example, it’s easy to rush out and buy a dress before you’ve really thought about items such as your venue or entertainment. However, the style of your dress should be heavily influenced by your venue and how formal your celebration will be. This in turn will affect the type of entertainment you choose, the style of your flowers and even the type of menu you serve. As bizarre as it sounds, it’s really important to consider all of these items together because if you don’t your wedding will lose its sense of flow.
What time can we get married?
This will need to be discussed with the Registrar when setting your date. However, once you have set the date and time, this will assist you in having a timeline for the whole day.
Do I need my own Wedding Planner?
You can choose your own Wedding Planner to support you in all aspects of your Wedding if you wish but in relation to venues, they will have a dedicated Wedding Coordinator to discuss your big day and ensure your day is a special day liaising with you or a Wedding Planner.
Do you provide vegetarian options for our guests?
Any dietary requirements can be catered for including a vegetarian option. This will usually be provided at no additional cost.
What time will the Bar close at the venue?
Venues vary and you will need to check this. Majority of venues are licensed until 12pm in event rooms but they can apply for an extension to their license with their local Council. This will enable your Wedding to continue later but there is a fee payable. Some venues have a 24 hour license so a fee will not apply.
If you have any questions you would like answered, please do not hesitate to contact Heidi or myself, email jo.stewart@stokebynayland.com and we will be happy to answer more questions to help with our special day.
If you are looking for a venue, consider Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf and Spa. Check out our website www.stokebynaylandclub.co.uk
We would love to meet you and show you round our fantastic venue.
Hope to see you soon and happy planning!
Monday, 2 August 2010
Monday, 26 July 2010
It's your turn!
What would you like to read about on a wedding blog? Are there any particular parts of planning your wedding that you are struggling with? Tell me some of your problems and I will write articles tailored to your struggles! It would be preferable for you to comment here so everyone can benefit from what you have to say, but if you can't, email me at anaffairtorememberevents@hotmail.com.
Happy Planning!
Heidi :)
Happy Planning!
Heidi :)
Friday, 23 July 2010
Unexpected Costs
So you’ve got your wedding budget all set up and you know what you’re spending and where it’s going so you’re doing well, right? Maybe not. Have you accounted for those pesky unexpected costs? By “unexpected costs” I mean everything from the VAT to all of the undergarments that go with a wedding dress. No one ever thinks of these expenses and then they get into financial trouble when they find that they have gone over budget. I recommend setting aside 10% of your budget for unexpected expenses. It may sound like a lot to set aside but whatever you don’t spend, you can take with you on your honeymoon! Here is a list of some of the most notorious unexpected expenses that creep up on unsuspecting brides.
VAT
When you get a quote from any supplier it is important to ask whether or not VAT is included in the price. So let’s say you have budgeted £5000 for your reception and that is the maximum amount you can spend. If VAT is not included you do not really have a budget of £5000, you actually have a budget of £4125 (VAT=£875). Also, keep in mind the planned VAT increase and find out what rate of VAT you will need to pay for your wedding date.
Corkage Fee
As you may be aware, you can find some pretty good deals on alcohol for your reception should you choose to provide your own. However, be weary because some venues have what is called a corkage fee. A corkage fee is the fee that a venue will charge to serve alcohol that you have brought yourself. This is in place because venues make so much money off of their alcohol and they lose that revenue when you decide to bring your own. Depending on your venue, it may still work out cheaper to provide your own alcohol if they allow you to so explore this possibility.
Cake-cutting Fee
Yes, it is as crazy as it sounds. This is literally the fee a venue may charge to in order to cut and serve your wedding cake. When interviewing your venue, be sure to ask if this fee is something that they charge.
Alterations
It is likely that your dress will need to be altered and these costs can be substantial depending on the complexity of the work that needs to be done. You do not have to go to the shop that you purchased your gown from; you are free to shop around for a better value.
Delivery Costs
Several things will need to be delivered to the wedding venue from the chair covers to the wedding cake. Not everyone charges a delivery fee but it is better to ask and be aware of it than to be caught unprepared for it at the last minute.
Gratuities
This is more of an issue in America than it is here in the UK but it is customary to tip some of your suppliers, namely your wedding officiant. This is usually only when the officiant is a minister and is seen as a thank you gift from the couple.
Undergarments
I remember the first time I tried on a wedding dress-I had no idea there were so many undergarments to go along with it! It is likely that you will have budgeted for your veil and tiara but what about your undergarments?
Postage
Most couples account for the cost of their invitations, RSVP cards and thank you notes, but seem to forget about the postage. This cost can be substantial depending on the size of your wedding so be prepared by planning ahead for it.
Make-up/Hair Trials
Before your big day, you may want to do a test run with your beautician. Many packages include trials, but ask your beautician to be sure.
Other Paper Goods
This can include menus, place cards, as well as ceremony programs. Include these costs with your invitations and other paper goods.
Flowers for other people
You must keep in mind not only your bridal party, but your parents as well as they often wear a boutonnière or corsage on the day of the wedding.
Vendor Meals
Some vendors, such as your photographer, will be with you for the entire day and may request that they be fed. It usually will say in a vendor contract if they expect to be fed and if it does not you should definitely ask.
I could probably go on and on about things I have seen people forget about entirely because the wedding planning process is a hectic one, but these are some of the main expenses that couples may incur. Don’t be overwhelmed, you are not likely to incur all of these expenses, but it is important to be aware and read your contracts carefully.
VAT
When you get a quote from any supplier it is important to ask whether or not VAT is included in the price. So let’s say you have budgeted £5000 for your reception and that is the maximum amount you can spend. If VAT is not included you do not really have a budget of £5000, you actually have a budget of £4125 (VAT=£875). Also, keep in mind the planned VAT increase and find out what rate of VAT you will need to pay for your wedding date.
Corkage Fee
As you may be aware, you can find some pretty good deals on alcohol for your reception should you choose to provide your own. However, be weary because some venues have what is called a corkage fee. A corkage fee is the fee that a venue will charge to serve alcohol that you have brought yourself. This is in place because venues make so much money off of their alcohol and they lose that revenue when you decide to bring your own. Depending on your venue, it may still work out cheaper to provide your own alcohol if they allow you to so explore this possibility.
Cake-cutting Fee
Yes, it is as crazy as it sounds. This is literally the fee a venue may charge to in order to cut and serve your wedding cake. When interviewing your venue, be sure to ask if this fee is something that they charge.
Alterations
It is likely that your dress will need to be altered and these costs can be substantial depending on the complexity of the work that needs to be done. You do not have to go to the shop that you purchased your gown from; you are free to shop around for a better value.
Delivery Costs
Several things will need to be delivered to the wedding venue from the chair covers to the wedding cake. Not everyone charges a delivery fee but it is better to ask and be aware of it than to be caught unprepared for it at the last minute.
Gratuities
This is more of an issue in America than it is here in the UK but it is customary to tip some of your suppliers, namely your wedding officiant. This is usually only when the officiant is a minister and is seen as a thank you gift from the couple.
Undergarments
I remember the first time I tried on a wedding dress-I had no idea there were so many undergarments to go along with it! It is likely that you will have budgeted for your veil and tiara but what about your undergarments?
Postage
Most couples account for the cost of their invitations, RSVP cards and thank you notes, but seem to forget about the postage. This cost can be substantial depending on the size of your wedding so be prepared by planning ahead for it.
Make-up/Hair Trials
Before your big day, you may want to do a test run with your beautician. Many packages include trials, but ask your beautician to be sure.
Other Paper Goods
This can include menus, place cards, as well as ceremony programs. Include these costs with your invitations and other paper goods.
Flowers for other people
You must keep in mind not only your bridal party, but your parents as well as they often wear a boutonnière or corsage on the day of the wedding.
Vendor Meals
Some vendors, such as your photographer, will be with you for the entire day and may request that they be fed. It usually will say in a vendor contract if they expect to be fed and if it does not you should definitely ask.
I could probably go on and on about things I have seen people forget about entirely because the wedding planning process is a hectic one, but these are some of the main expenses that couples may incur. Don’t be overwhelmed, you are not likely to incur all of these expenses, but it is important to be aware and read your contracts carefully.
Monday, 19 April 2010
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
The Truth About Wedding Planners
This is my very first published wedding planning article and I wanted to share it with my readers
We have all heard a story about the wedding that went wrong. It’s common knowledge that “the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray”, yet we do nothing to plan for it. Every bride wants the most talented photographer to preserve her memories and the most gifted florist to create the most beautiful scene, yet they proceed to put someone like their mother or their maid of honour in charge of running everything. This makes no sense to me. There are so many talented wedding planners out there who can make your special day run seamlessly and help you with every little detail, yet many brides would rather invest in expensive wedding favours that no one will remember instead of a qualified planner. Let me put it this way: It’s like bringing together an all-star football team and then asking your mother to coach them….for free. Are you beginning to see how ridiculous this notion is?
Let me be clear, I am not against DIY. In fact, I often advise brides to do some DIY projects. They can be fun and save you tons of money. However, there are some places where I think it is foolish to try to do things yourself. If you wouldn’t dream of doing your own photography, why would you try to orchestrate the contracts, relationships and schedules of 20+ vendors when you are trying to have fun?
Now I know you’re on a budget, I understand. But, did you know that a wedding planner can actually save you money? We have relationships with vendors that allow us to negotiate discounts for our clients that the general public cannot get. Let’s look at an example. Many of the vendors that I work with offer 10% off of their services for clients that I refer to them. Now, if your wedding budget is £10,000 and you book all of your vendors through me, you will save £1,000. Think about what you could do with an extra £1,000.
Venue coordinators and relatives that want to help with your wedding are great, but they are not there for you to dump the load of planning your entire wedding on. A good venue coordinator can make sure that your reception runs smoothly but will not have relationships with vendors that can save you money. As for relatives, I personally think they deserve to have as much fun at your wedding as you should be having! Leave the stress and the worry to the professionals. You should be preparing to have one of the best days of your life, not worrying about why the cake hasn’t arrived. And did you know that, on average, it takes a couple 250 hours to plan a wedding? Nobody wants to take on such a daunting task alone. Do yourself a favour, just take five minutes and call a local wedding planner to set up a consultation. When you are having the time of your life at your wedding, you’ll thank me.
Monday, 12 April 2010
10 Ways To Get Your Fiance Involved In The Wedding Planning Process
Let’s face it, the wedding planning process is geared toward the female psyche. Why else would there be so much emphasis on the elements of colors, flowers, emotions, fashion and cake? (Okay, maybe the guys can embrace the cake idea, but forget the rest!)
If you’re one of those lucky gals whose fiancé wants to have input on everything from choosing linens to the height of the heel on your pump, then read no further. Give your honey his wedding to-do list and go get a manicure. If you’d like your Price Charming a little more involved, however, then try the following.
1. Ask yourself why you want your fiancé involved. Is it because you feel it demonstrates how much he loves you, or simply because the task overwhelms you and you want help? The answer to this question will determine how you will ask your fiancé to be involved. Is it important to you that he have input into which photographer you choose or would you rather his assistance be in a more detailed-oriented realm (like picking people up at the airport or making sure all the vendors are paid on time)?
2. Keep your wedding planning conversations with him brief. He probably wants to be involved, but an hour of debating the merits of freesias or daisies in your bouquet will have his eyes glazing over. When his input is desired, keep the chat to 15 minutes. If nothing is resolved, bring the topic to the table the next day. If nothing else, you’ll wear him down from sheer tenacity.
3. At the beginning of the planning process, ask him which aspects of the planning he wants to be in charge of. This will allow him to select areas that interest him (saying selecting a DJ verses choosing cutsie wedding favors).
4. Get him involved in the selection of food and alcoholic beverages. If you make a “date” out of tastings, he’ll be happy to go along. And the old adage is still true–the way to a man’s heart (or at least keeping his interest) is through his stomach.
5. Narrow down his choices to two or three before asking for his input. Present him with any more choices of photographers and his eyes will glaze over looking at all the samples.
6. Whatever you do, ALWAYS give him say in his wedding day attire. No matter how reluctant he is to participate in the other aspects of wedding planning, more than likely he’s going to balk at you telling him what to wear.
7. If he tells you to simply delegate some vendors/tasks to him, then do so willingly, but be sure you give him ones that align with his interests. If he’s like most men, he’ll be more invested in looking for the DJ, wedding-day transportation, arranging the rehearsal dinner and tuxes than shopping for flower girl dresses. Most guys will want to have a say in their honeymoon destination, so you might want to have him come up with options for that too.
8. Let him know you value his opinion. He just wants you to be happy, and he may think that the way to make that happen is to defer to you on all of the decisions. If you tell him that’s not the blessing he imagines it to be and that you’re excited to have his input, then he’ll be more prone to offer it. Caveat to this: you’re going to need to listen to his input and honor his suggestions from time to time!
9. Make it easy for him to participate. Make sure you have a mutually-agreed upon system for organizing the wedding planning so he’s not off doing one thing while you’re doing something counterproductive to it.
10. Remember to keep dating your fiancé during the wedding planning process. Sure you’re excited and maybe the wedding day is all you think about, but maybe you should relegate some of that chit chat to conversations with your mother and bridesmaids. Set aside at least one evening a week for a “No Wedding Talk” date night. He’ll be much more interested if you don’t flood him with wedding talk 24/7.
This post comes from www.onlineweddingguide.org.
If you’re one of those lucky gals whose fiancé wants to have input on everything from choosing linens to the height of the heel on your pump, then read no further. Give your honey his wedding to-do list and go get a manicure. If you’d like your Price Charming a little more involved, however, then try the following.
1. Ask yourself why you want your fiancé involved. Is it because you feel it demonstrates how much he loves you, or simply because the task overwhelms you and you want help? The answer to this question will determine how you will ask your fiancé to be involved. Is it important to you that he have input into which photographer you choose or would you rather his assistance be in a more detailed-oriented realm (like picking people up at the airport or making sure all the vendors are paid on time)?
2. Keep your wedding planning conversations with him brief. He probably wants to be involved, but an hour of debating the merits of freesias or daisies in your bouquet will have his eyes glazing over. When his input is desired, keep the chat to 15 minutes. If nothing is resolved, bring the topic to the table the next day. If nothing else, you’ll wear him down from sheer tenacity.
3. At the beginning of the planning process, ask him which aspects of the planning he wants to be in charge of. This will allow him to select areas that interest him (saying selecting a DJ verses choosing cutsie wedding favors).
4. Get him involved in the selection of food and alcoholic beverages. If you make a “date” out of tastings, he’ll be happy to go along. And the old adage is still true–the way to a man’s heart (or at least keeping his interest) is through his stomach.
5. Narrow down his choices to two or three before asking for his input. Present him with any more choices of photographers and his eyes will glaze over looking at all the samples.
6. Whatever you do, ALWAYS give him say in his wedding day attire. No matter how reluctant he is to participate in the other aspects of wedding planning, more than likely he’s going to balk at you telling him what to wear.
7. If he tells you to simply delegate some vendors/tasks to him, then do so willingly, but be sure you give him ones that align with his interests. If he’s like most men, he’ll be more invested in looking for the DJ, wedding-day transportation, arranging the rehearsal dinner and tuxes than shopping for flower girl dresses. Most guys will want to have a say in their honeymoon destination, so you might want to have him come up with options for that too.
8. Let him know you value his opinion. He just wants you to be happy, and he may think that the way to make that happen is to defer to you on all of the decisions. If you tell him that’s not the blessing he imagines it to be and that you’re excited to have his input, then he’ll be more prone to offer it. Caveat to this: you’re going to need to listen to his input and honor his suggestions from time to time!
9. Make it easy for him to participate. Make sure you have a mutually-agreed upon system for organizing the wedding planning so he’s not off doing one thing while you’re doing something counterproductive to it.
10. Remember to keep dating your fiancé during the wedding planning process. Sure you’re excited and maybe the wedding day is all you think about, but maybe you should relegate some of that chit chat to conversations with your mother and bridesmaids. Set aside at least one evening a week for a “No Wedding Talk” date night. He’ll be much more interested if you don’t flood him with wedding talk 24/7.
This post comes from www.onlineweddingguide.org.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)