Blog Archives
Ellie Sanderson at the NEC National Wedding Show!
Ellie Sanderson Bridal Boutique stunned us at Earls Court! Now she returns to the NEC to show us her beautiful bridal collection.
How soon is too soon?
With William, the Duke of Cambridge, admitting yesterday that he wants two children with his wife, Kate Middleton, the hot topic of conversation has now turned to how soon is too soon for children after marriage? The answer is… it is your choice. For some couples, children is all they have ever hoped and dreamed for when it comes to marriage, but for others it is the last thing they want to think about as the newly wed couple. It is now a year and a half since the royal wedding, and it is clear that babies are on the mind of the couple and the press! It is important to have time together as couple just after you are married, to do couple activities and get used to married life! The best advice that we have to give you is cross the bridge when you get to it and don’t let the body time clock tick too long!
Humanist Weddings are the future?
Humanist weddings are now the 3rd most popular weddings in Scotland! Currently if you want to get legally married in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and you are not religious you have to carry out a marriage or a civil partnership ceremony in a register office or an approved venue. However with a humanist wedding you have complete flexibility with the ceremony and, with the help of your celebrant, you can make your wedding totally unique!
With a humanist wedding the sky is the limit! Your wedding ceremony is no longer limited to licensed venues but can be held where ever is special to you. Whether that be on a boat, in your garden, or on the beach. You are no longer limited in terms of space to that stuffy register office! Your close friends and family can take part in the ceremony and you can choose music and readings that are special to you. You no longer feel the constraints of tradition and can have a wedding when, where and how you want it. It really gives you the chance to have a celebration that shows your special commitment between you both.
But is this the end of tradition? Perhaps there is a reason why these customs have lasted this long! For some people the church ceremony marks a real milestone in their relationship and adds weight to the commitment between them both.
So what is the future of weddings?
A bit of wedding nostalgia
Something Old…
The ‘something old’ part of the famous wedding poem represents the presence and importance of the past when moving into the future. However it can be difficult to choose that treasured heirloom when your special day is approaching fast. It could be an antique or just an item that represents something from your past.
It could be carried by the bride for example a vintage purse, compact mirror or childhood treasure. The bride could wear a vintage ribbon or hat pin on her dress, or a family heirloom such as a tiara. The location could be historic or transport could be carried out by a classic car.
If you want to be really different your rings could be carried on a childhood pillowcase or you could carry a love letter between your mother and father. If you don’t want to carry anything, you could display photographs of your grandparents and parents wedding or photos of you as a child.
It does not matter what it is as long as it is personal, special and memorable to you.
Feeling Blue…
Something old, Something new, Something borrowed, Something Blue….
This old rhyme still rings strong and therefore it is nice to think of unique ideas for each. It is a wedding tradition not only talked about on the day but also in years to come. So here are a few ideas to spark some inspiration when choosing ‘something blue’!
You could have something subtle for example blue confetti or a blue ribbon around your bouquet. You could go blooming blue with a blue floral arrangement or blueberries in the dessert. You could wear blue by painting your nails with blue polish, blue eye shadow or blue stones in your jewellery. How about blue shoes or a blue purse? Why not choose something a bit more secretive, just for you and your groom, for example a blue petticoat, blue garter or blue lingerie!
If you don’t want to wear blue yourself, you could have blue balloons or blue chair covers. You could even tie blue ribbons round your wedding favours!
The list is just endless. Its not something you need to feel blue about so let your imagination run wild.
What will you choose?
Punch and Judy Shows
Celebrate the 350th birthday of Mr Punch this year by including him in your wedding entertainment. Any entertainment agency will be happy to track down a local Punch and Judy show to come along and entertain any children at your reception with, Punch, Judy, Mr Policeman and of course the sausage eating crocodile.
Looking for something a bit more PC? Book a magician who can do close up magic during the drinks reception and then entertain the younger guests with a magic show later.
Church Weddings are on the increase
It seems that the nation was captivated by the Royal Wedding last year and it has inspired other couples to follow in the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s footsteps, with the number of church weddings rising for the first time in several years.
Despite fewer marriages taking place, four per cent more couples are opting for Church of England Weddings.
The new figures show weddings in churches went up to 54,700 in 2010 compared with 52,730 in 2009 and the statistics are expected to be higher this year following the Westminster Abbey event in April.
The rise also seems to have come after the Anglican Church relaxed its rules in 2008, allowing couples to marry in any area where they have lived for six months or where their parents or grandparents were married.
Leap Day Proposals
Are brides ready with a wedding ring?
That tradition of 29th February each leap year being the one day that women can propose goes back many hundreds of years to when the date had no recognition in English law – indeed the term came from the day being ‘lept over’ and ignored.
It was considered that as the day had no legal status, it was reasonable to assume that traditions, including the fact that it should be the man who proposes, also had no status.
Women who were concerned about being ‘left on the shelf’ took advantage of this anomaly and proposed to the man they wished to marry.
It was also thought that since the leap year day corrected the discrepancy between the calendar year (365 days) and the time taken for the Earth to complete one orbit of the sun (365 days and 6 hours), it was an opportunity for women to correct a tradition that was one-sided and unjust.
While many traditions have gradually disappeared, this is one that is still going strong, and there will be some nervous looking men around tomorrow….
Unusual wedding traditions from around the world
Sweden: It might be an odd choice of in-sole, but in Sweden it’s traditional for the bride’s mother to give her daughter a gold coin to wear in her right shoe, while her father gives her a silver coin for the other. It’s said that by doing this the bride will never be poor- worth a go?
Latvia: Over in Latvia, the groom’s best man and other friends have been known to kidnap the bride at her wedding reception. The new husband then has to pay a ransom (thankfully not real money, but a round of drinks or a song) to show his love and get her back! A bit cruel perhaps, but a great opportunity for a big show of romance too!
India: The bride’s parents might need a little sweet talking if you want to include some Indian culture in your big day; it’s traditional for them to wash both the bride and the groom’s feet with milk and water during the marriage ceremony so that the couple are pure and prepared for their life together.
Indonesia: Celeb weddings may seem grand over here, but in Indonesia it’s perfectly normal for there to be more than 1,000 guests at a wedding reception! Even scarier, the newlyweds are expected to individually greet each guest before the party starts, so we won’t blame you if you don’t fancy taking on this tradition.
Information provied by John Creed Jewellery.