Wedding Planner Blog - Bellissimo Wedding Planners & Event Co-ordinators

Stunning Italian Countryside Wedding - Bellissimo in association with Event Designer Italy

2011-12-30T17:53:00.000Z

Well here at Bellissimo you could say that we are quite resourceful and not only do we get involved in weddings on the South Coast of the UK plus running the only venue in England & Wales where you can get married on the beach and have a marquee on the sand for your reception BUT we also work in conjunction with a wedding planner based in Tuscany and together we can assist from both the UK and in Italy for your desintation wedding.

This year one of our couples chose to marry in the stunning Tuscan hills and we can now share a few images of their beautiful day with you. Enjoy! x

The beautiful bride with her stunning bridesmaids

The bride celebrating!

The gorgeous courtyard ceremony

Stunning shot of the bride and groom surrounded by the beautiful Tuscan countryside

Let the reception commence as the sun goes down

For any more information on destination weddings please contact us or contact Chiara at Event Designer Italy

Review of the year 2011 - wow what a year it has been!

2011-12-23T12:11:00.001Z

Well where to start - this year truly has been an amazing year. Year three for Bellissimo Weddings and Simply Events on the non wedding side of events which we plan.

Frances was with us until half way through the year after completing her placement year from Bournemouth University with us and had been a huge help in moving the business forward. 2011 has seen us work on over 10 weddings in a mixture of full planning, partial planning and on the day co-ordination. This really has been the year of the marquee! Melanie has become known as somewhat of an "expert" on marquee weddings and no wedding had tested her more than a wedding in June where we were brought in very late in the day where the bride and groom were experiencing some difficulties with suppliers and pulling their marquee wedding together and to say there were quite a few challenges to get over is very much an understatement but we pulled it off and were thrilled to have some wonderful testimonials from couples who really did "get" the value of what we do and what we offer - often not fully appreciating the extent of what we do until after the day when they get to see it in full.

The early part of the year saw us working on numerous wedding shows which we organise for local venues which is hard work but fun at the same time. We have had some wonderful shows including RNLI College in Poole which was a new venue for us this year and gave us the chance to offer a waterside venue with a great selection of local suppliers on board for couples to meet.

The team at the RNLI show

Guests at the RNLI show in March 2011

The year continued with a pace with lots of weddings and events to work on including various charity events and corporate events. Then, we were nominated for a Langtry Manor Small Business of the Year Award - what a privilege to have someone nominate us for that and then to find that we had been short-listed as one of the three finalists. It was a lovely awards dinner and whilst we didn't win it was such a great feeling to have been recognised so early in the our business.

Melanie at the awards in May

We were short-listed as a finalist

More recently, we were also nominated and short-listed for a regional award as Wedding Planner of the Year 2012 - its been the year for nominations! Maybe next year we will get a little closer!

The weddings continued throughout the year and we have worked in some amazing venues including Lulworth Castle, The Italian Villa at Compton Acres, Exbury Gardens and some stunning marquee settings.

Melanie helping one bride into her gown

Melanie chatting with Father Bruce before a wedding this year

We also started offering baby showers and the first was in the spring of this year - going into the home of the mum to be or a friend and setting out lovely food, cakes, and running the event with some great games and hosting the guests as they arrive - great way to welcome the new mum to be

In March Melanie took part in Wedding Planning Excellence and was asked to speak to fellow planners with both her planning and legal hat on and was pleased to do this.

Melanie in a public speaking role

Melanie and the fellow planners at WPE 2011

Moving into the warmer months we were really pleased under the Simply Events side of the business to work on a joint birthday and anniversary celebration for some wonderful clients in Dorset. The theme was the Caribbean and we set up a small marquee in the grounds of their property and brought in Beales Gourmet to provide a sumptuous Caribbean themed menu for our clients and their guests.

One of the tables at the Caribbean themed event complete with boat shaped napkin folds in black, yellow table cloths for the Jamaican flat and tropical flower centre pieces.

One of the most stunning weddings we worked on this year was over at Studland in a ti-pi! Below are just two images we took on the day showing the ti-pi going up - more to follow on a full blog on this wedding in the New Year.

And don't let anyone say that the life of a wedding planner is glamorous! Scrubbing floors and cleaning or unblocking loos is often the order of the day at marquee weddings!

We had a really hot spell at the end of the summer and sneaked in another wedding show...or two!

Winner of a floral prize at one of our shows

Fashion show at The East Cliff Court

We worked on several charity events this year - and the Sunflower Ball in aid of Lewis Manning was just one of them. This was a fabulous event with auction and raffle and amazing big band music. A great night was had and some great donations were made to enable a really good sum to be given to the charity.

A huge and important part of 2011 was celebrating our third business birthday in September. We were thrilled to take over The Italian Villa at Compton Acres and had the most beautiful balmy summer evening to entertain clients, suppliers, friends and family in the gardens with bubbles and canapes.

Some sweet treats for our guests

Vicky and Richard sing and play for us

Our guests in the gardens of The Villa

Melanie and some fellow wedding planners who helped celebrate the night with us

Melanie saying a few words of thanks and announcing the Beach Weddings contract! More about this below

One of our last weddings of the year was a stunning marquee wedding in Dorchester which was an absolute pleasure to have worked on through 2011. This is one of our favourite images from the wedding as the Bride and Groom emerge from the Church

Image courtesy of Angela Ward Brown Photography

The Marquee at our Dorchester wedding all laid out waiting for the guests

End of October saw another wedding show - year two of us organising the Wedding & Lifestyle show at The Italian Villa at Compton Acres

Guests browsing through the stands at the Italian Villa

Image courtesy of Ina Halsor Photography

Our models getting ready to hit the catwalk

Image courtesy of Digitally Different Photography

Melanie with twin page boy and flower girl from our last wedding of the year

And so, as if that wasn't enough, in October we learned that we were successful in our bid to become the operators of www.beachweddingsbournemouth.co.uk. What a hugely exciting project this is going to be. We have a 5 year contract to be the operators of this unique beach wedding venue and its the only place in England & Wales were you can legally marry right on the sand. This has proved so popular during the 2 months since we launched at the end of October. We are very excited and thrilled to be part of this project. Its hugely exciting for wedding world and for Bournemouth as a beach resort and will certainly bring some amazing weddings to the beach in 2012. The bookings are filling up for the 2012 season and we are really excited to be getting everything prepared.

Image courtesy of IanH Photography

Our launch weekend marquee set up on the beach

Early morning photoshoot for beach weddings - these images were featured all over the press - locally, nationally and internationally!

The Beach Weddings crew in action!

Images courtesy of IanH Photography

A collection of images from our hugely successful launch weekend for beach weddings.

That just leaves us to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who has worked with us and supported us in 2011. The business really is flying now and its been a lot of hard work and long hours but 2012 is looking to be a very exciting year for us and we look forward to welcoming lots of Bellissimo Brides, Simply Events clients and Beach Weddings Bournemouth couples. We will continue to work hard and create magic.

A very Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year to all our followers

Melanie, Natasha and the team

xxx

Delightfully elegant Dorchester Marquee Wedding

2011-12-22T19:32:00.000Z

Well yes its been a few months since this wedding took place and we have been so keen to blog about it but where has the time gone! So better late than never but here it is. This was the beautifully elegant wedding of Sarah and Phil with buckets of fun - this was one of our favourite weddings of 2011 and the lead up and the day itself was filled with some of the most lovely people we have ever had the pleasure of dealing with. A wonderful family on both sides, truly wonderful bridal party and the best guests - a real joy to be part of this day. The wedding took place in September on a stunning Dorchester estate surrounded by rolling hills of green. And green was very much the theme of the day. We went for a very natural and rustic but elegant feel for the day with different greens being used throughout from the bridesmaids dresses to the ribbons on the napkins for the wedding breakfast. Here is how the day unfolded. We are delighted to bring you these images courtesy of Angela Ward Brown Photography

The bride with some pre-wedding mail - taking some time out

The bow issue - the signal on the Estate was very poor and this was the point when the bridesmaids were trying the locate Melanie to help with a bow dilemma with Sarah's dress - see the mobile phone in the hand - I did eventually get the message that the bow tying was proving a problem and dashed over to finish that off!

Pre- wedding time with Mum

Guests were treated to a little light refreshment on their way through the barn to the Chapel for the wedding ceremony - perfect idea

Now it would not be unkind to say that the boys were not the best at being where they needed to be and on time so this is the Best Man dashing off realising that despite reminders yes he had in fact left the rings in the house - bit of a quick run back to the house to get them!

Cool and calm - the groom makes his way

Here come the girls - in stunning contrasting sage green and pale gold dresses in a beautiful floating fabric they all looked beautiful and relaxed and ready for a wonderful day. Now one of the challenges we faced with this wedding was the high number of guests in comparison to the tiny and beautiful old Chapel.

This Chapel is so beautiful yet without power and no seating we had to come up with some ideas on how to seat nearly 200 people in a Chapel which really is meant for less than 100! It was a challenge but it was achieved! Some narrow folding chairs, some benches and standing room only at the back for the young ones. The brass band were positioned on a specially made platform at the back of the Chapel. The bride chose a beautiful peace of music for her entrance to the Chapel which was played beautifully by the Sherborne Town Brass Band - a solo trumpter played The Prince of Denmarks March which gave the entrance a real regal feel to it - just one of the magic moments from this day.

The guests and the groom eagerly awaiting the arrival of the bride

Such a fun service - the bride and groom joke with the Best Man during the service

This is one of my favourite images of the day - the bride and groom emerging from the Chapel after the service. The florist had created a stunning display of hops around the entrance to the Church to create this stunning vision

The confetti shot with the bride and groom on their way for their drinks reception

We had some really fabulous elements to this day - the bride and groom re-signed the Register after the service inside the House with guests watching on - so the contract was then sealed!

The marquee was a delight. We had worked hard over the months before the wedding to create a natural colour palette of different shades of green incorporating green glass and shades of pale gold to complement the bridesmaids dresses. The table linens were alternating between a pale green and a gold colour and the family had contributed home made favours - the groom's father with his own jars of Estate honey for the chaps and the bride's mother with Welsh cakes in gorgeous little bags for the ladies. We were thrilled with the skills of florist Helen Ffoulkes - Jones and her team who created stunning displays throughout the marquee and in the Chapel and the bouquets for the bride and the bridesmaids. The table centres had tall or low arrangements with all shades of green and the taller arrangements had crisp green apples and grapes decorating the base.

Whilst the final preparations took place in the marquee the guests enjoyed delicious canapes served by the fabulous team at Creative Catering and ice cold champagne and plenty of it! The countryside was a delight to surround this outdoor drinks reception and the guests were treated to the sounds of the Sherborne Town Band who played a selection of brass band music chosen by the bride.

The bride and groom make their entrance into the marquee for the first time as their guests await them. Guests were served a sumptuous menu in elegant surroundings.

Another magic moment - the bride's mother had prepared Grace in Welsh as a surprise for her daughter and you could say that it was a bit of an emotional and beautiful moment

The bride and groom chose a savoury wedding cake of local cheeses - fabulous idea and very tasty - the Chef later broke this down and served on a colourful table with breads and chutneys and fruits and the guests all tucked in

The groom's speech really was one of the best we had ever heard - delivered perfectly with elements of fun and emotion - the bride clearly enjoyed this and the groom did extremely well

And so the evening began - the bride and groom took to the floor for a brilliant first dance to the joined by their guests who were enjoying an evening of freshly mixed cocktails all night (with lots of lychee martinis being served!) and they snacked on bacon rolls later on in the evening. The band were amazing keeping guests entertained until the early hours with the DJ taking over too to keep the party going on well into the next day - the guests (and the bride and groom!) really did not want to leave the floor!

The bride and a friend enjoy a cocktail from their bar!

The marquee by night - the guests dancing away

This wedding truly was a pleasure to work on and we thoroughly enjoyed it and the day itself. The families were wonderful and opted for our full wedding planning service so we worked closely with the family for around 9 months to put this wedding together. For more information on our full wedding planning packages please see our website on our wedding planning services.

Thank you to Angela Ward Brown for allowing us to feature these images in our blog and a pleasure to work with you again Angela.

Congratulations to Sarah and Phil and thank you for asking us to help you plan your special day - the pleasure was all ours

Bellissimo presents The Lifestyle and Wedding Show at The Italian Villa 2011

2011-11-01T19:59:00.000Z

After two busy days of beach weddings, it was time to host our annual Lifestyle and Wedding Show at the stunning Italian Villa at Compton Acres in Canford Cliffs.

This ever popular venue came alive with over 45 of the highest quality exhibitors on Sunday for what is one of the most highly anticipated wedding shows of the season. With over 400 guests through the doors last year this was going to be a busy day!

And sure enough as the clock struck 11am, there was a queue of brides to be and their families waiting to come and see what fantastic stands we had set up for them this year. The Bellissimo team were ready and waiting, with goody bags to give out to all our lovely brides to be, which included yummy cupcakes courtesy of Lisa Notley who also had a stand where our guests could sample her amazing baking. We were lucky enough to have a taste of both the carrot and the chocolate cake - well there have to be perks of the job and ladies love cake don't they!

The Bellissimo Team at the Italian Villa

We had stands over two floors, in the Medici and Verona Suites, and guests were treated to a wide selection of exhibitors to talk to including, accessories, styling, stationery, florists, photographers, musicians and many many more.

There were two fabulous fashion shows which took place in the Sienna Suite and featured stunning bridal collections from Exquisite Bridal and Calm Amongst the Chaos and a range of gorgeous footwear from Shoe Devotion. Ina of Ina Halsor Photography took so many wonderful photos...here's a sneak preview! Have a look at our Facebook page for the full collection...

All images courtesy of Ina Halsor Photography

We were treated to wonderful performances by Katie Francesca and Jay T Singers prior to each show and one lucky couple won a wedding at The Villa in our prize draw. Congratulations to Katrina and Andy who won and will be getting married next year!

The feedback from the show was excellent once again, with plenty of comments from exhibitors and guests on how well organised and well attended the show was.

We had a great day talking to lots of lovely couples, many of whom had already booked their wedding at The Villa, but many of whom were undecided on their venue and had come to see this renowned wedding venue.

If you didn't get the chance to talk to any of our team on Sunday, please feel free to give us a call on 01202 533014 or email us at info@bellissimo-weddings.co.uk for a free, no obligation chat about the planning of your wedding.

Dont forget our next wedding show at the RNLI in Poole will be on Sunday 15th January so put the date in the diary and we'll see you there!

Natasha

Big news from Bellissimo - Launch of Beach Weddings Bournemouth

2011-10-21T19:53:00.000+01:00

We have been busy bees here at Bellissimo HQ for some time now working on a very exciting new project which is truly going to put Bournemouth on the map when it comes to deciding on a destination for your wedding. Always fancied getting married on the beach? Difficult to get away to distant shores because of finances, travel restrictions, family or friends who cannot join you on such a long and expensive journey?

Well look no further as your answer is here. For the very first time in the UK, Bellissimo are proud to bring you Beach Weddings in the UK - on the beautiful shores of Bournemouth beach.

Image credit : Ian H Photography

This truly unique wedding and event venue is officially launching to the public on Saturday 29th October and taking bookings from now for the 2012 season which starts on 1st April 2012 and beyond.

Bellissimo have been awarded the Operators contract by Bournemouth Borough Council for 5 years which means that our well regarded high level of service and attention to detail can now be enjoyed by couples who wish to have their wedding or civil partnership ceremony on the beach close to the crystal blue waters. This stunning venue is also open to people looking to renew their vows or hold a baby naming or welcoming ceremony. Its also possible to hold a birthday party or celebration without a formal ceremony.

Image credit : Ian H Photography

Our venue has so many possibilities thanks to the large space available. We have just over 800 square metres of sand which can be exclusively hired for your special event and a marquee can be erected within this space for your guests to enjoy a wedding ceremony and your reception.

We have set up a brand new, dedicated website and have a Facebook page which we would love for you to 'like' to keep up to date with all the latest news, gossip, photos and blogs.

Our official launch is on Saturday 29^th October and would be delighted if you would join us to see how the The Wedding Hut and marquee will be set up for weddings between 11am and 3pm. Please come along and chat to the team. We can talk you through all of the possibilities with this unique venue and you can meet some of the suppliers who we will be working with over the coming years to bring you this stunning venue. The Wedding Hut will be dressed as it would for a ceremony. The marquee will be dressed for a part ceremony and part wedding breakfast to show you an example of what a marquee could look like. We will also have stunning coastal styling displays for you to look at courtesy of the talented ladies over at Coastal Creatives and floristry in the Wedding Hut, the marquee and the Cliff Lift courtesy of Arcade Flowers, Ringwood.

Shortly before opening up the venue for the public we will be lucky enough to have a photo shoot with our models of the whole venue and for that we need to thank our models Emma-Jayne and Rob who will helping is to get some amazing shots of the set up and thanks to IanH Photography who will be available for the whole of Saturday for couples to speak to about their own Beach Wedding photography requirements.

We also need to say a big thank you to Laura McKenzie from Hair by Laura for her early morning start this week and for attending to the hair styling for our preview photo shoot and to Natalie and Liam our bride and groom for making such a stunning couple for our shoot.

Look forward to meeting you there.

Wedding Exhibition - The Menzies East Cliff Court Hotel - Sunday 2nd October 2011

2011-10-19T16:55:00.000+01:00

With wedding season drawing to a close, wedding fayre season is upon us, so on Sunday 2nd October, Bellissimo Weddings hosted our first show of the season at the Menzies Eastcliff Court Hotel on Bournemouth's beautiful Eastcliff. And what a day to have chosen! It was nearly 30 degrees and the beach was absolutely packed! But luckily we had some determined brides-to-be that despite the glorious weather turned out to come and see what we had on offer. I did notice a few bikinis poking out of dresses though! And one couple even arrived with their beach towels under their arms!

Courtesy of dorsetbeaches.co.uk

Our guests were treated to a glass of bubbly and some delicious canapés on arrival courtesy of the hotel and then were free to wander around where all our exhibitors were on hand to talk to our brides-to-be about their wedding plans.

We were lucky enough to have FourT4 Photography take photos of the day and all the photos you see in this blog have been taken by Jon himself. Jon is a fantastic, very professional and unobtrusive wedding photographer who covers weddings, civil ceremonies and events around Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire.

Jon's stand

We had three suites full of exhibitors so guests had plenty to see...

In the Ocean View Suite, Cake Cucina had the most amazing cakes and cupcakes on display...

All courtesy of FourT4 Photography

...and in the Garden Suite Simply Love Vintage displayed a selection of their fabulous range of vintage crockery, china, and vintage inspired accessories. They are available to hire for your wedding or event and add the finishing touches to your vintage themed day!

Courtesy of FourT4 Photography

Flaura Boutique had created some gorgeous bouquets for the day, which were used by the models in the fashion shows...

Courtesy of FourT4 Photography

The fashion shows featured some absolutely stunning dresses by Bliss Bridal, Christchurch showed off by the five gorgeous models, Emma-Jayne, Sasha, Lauren, Anita and Julie. Bliss Bridal showcased bridesmaids and guests dresses as well as brides dresses to give brides-to-be and their guests some food for thought on what to wear on the big day. The models hair was expertly coiffed by Laura at Hair by Laura and the make up beautifully applied by Tara Sanger.

All courtesy of FourT4 Photography

We didn't forget about the males of the wedding party either and Gibb Menswear of Southbourne were on hand to offer the men some style tips too!

At the entrance to the hotel we had a wonderful vintage car supplied by All Aspects Wedding Services which looked gleaming in the Bournemouth sunshine!

So an all round successful wedding show and if you like what you see and would like to attend or exhibit at a Bellissimo Wedding Show, please contact Melanie or Natasha on 01202 533014 or email us at info@bellissimo-weddings.co.uk.

And don't forget that the next show is the Wedding and Lifestyle Show at The Italian Villa at Compton Acres, Poole on Sunday 30th October between 11am and 4pm.

See you there!

Natasha

Hen night ideas for Dorset

2011-10-17T15:37:00.000+01:00

Hen Nights

Hen nights are like marmite…you either love them or you hate them! If the thought of wearing a pink tutu whilst drinking out of a willy shaped straw makes you cringe then read on for a few ideas of how to enjoy your hen night without a learner plate in sight….

Starting your weekend off with a spa day is a sure fire way to get you relaxed and in the mood for a chilled (or not so chilled!) girly weekend. There are several spas in the Dorset and Hampshire region which cater for hen parties but I have picked just a few to get you started...

With its prime position right on the beach, The Sandbanks Hotel, Poole is all about location, location, location. Their pamper days start at £110.00 and include morning coffee on arrival, therapeutic back massage, file and varnish on fingers and toes, prescription facial and lunch either inside or outside on the terrace.

The Captains Club is a hotel and spa situated on the River Stour in Christchurch. Spa packages start from £115 at weekends and they also do a fabulous afternoon tea which at £12 PP is value for money compared to other similar venues in the area.

The Chewton Glen is another very popular choice for spa days but at £138 per day it’s a slightly pricier option; the reputation of this hotel however more than justifies its prices!

A little further into the new forest is Senspa at Carey’s Manor, a stunning spa set within a beautiful country house hotel in Brockenhurst. The spa had a major refurb a few years ago and since has become one of the area’s top spas. Spa days start at £104 for a Saturday but if you can go on a Friday or Sunday you may just be able to save a few £!

www.careysmanor.2day.ws/

A jewel in the spa crown is Limewood. Situated in the heart of the forest, this newly opened spa has quickly become the most talked about in the area attracting a London crowd and even some local celebrities! At £185 for the day it is easily the most expensive spa in the area but it is definitely worth it!

www.telegraph.co.uk

So now you are totally chilled and refreshed and ready to hit the town for something to eat and a few cocktails!

If you are staying in Poole, then hit the quay and head to the newly opened Fishy Fishy which is famous in these parts as the restaurant that Dermot O’Leary co-owns! Another great eatery in the Quay area is Gossip, a family run Italian restaurant which serves up excellent pizza and pasta in a modern environment at competitive prices. Other favourites in Poole’s old town include Storm and Melanie's favourite the Guildhall Tavern.

harboursideholiday.co.uk

It is hard to know where to start in Bournemouth town centre as there are apparently more restaurants, bars and pubs in Bournemouth per square mile than anywhere in the country! A few of my favourites for quick and easy but good Italian food are Alcatraz Brasserie, Cuccinis or Valentinos. Or why not try Mandarin or Ocean Palace for a delicious Chinese. If seafood is your thing there are a couple of excellent places to treat yourself to some oysters and lobster. WestBeach is an award winning restaurant right on the beach by Bournemouth Pier that serves up fresh seafood daily. The Crab is across the road from the Bournemouth International Centre and also serves up fresh fish and seafood straight from local shores.

www.tripadvisor.co.uk

So after dinner you will probably be looking for a good watering hole to try a cocktail or two and 1812 delivers on every level with their extensive cocktail menu, laid back atmosphere and classic lounge feel. It’s hard to know where to start, but my favourites are the Gingerbread Man and the Apple Strudel…YUM!

If you are looking for something a little different, why not head down to Aruba on Pier Approach. The wrap around balcony lets you sip your cocktails al fresco with stunning views from The Needles all the way round to Old Harry’s Rocks. Try one of their famous frozen strawberry daiquiris or for something a little stronger try their 5 rum Zombie! But be warned, it’s called a Zombie for a reason!!

If however spas and cocktails aren’t your thing, Bournemouth has plenty to offer to keep you entertained on your hen weekend…

If you are planning your hen party during summer, enjoy the award winning beaches of Bournemouth by renting a beach hut for the day from Bournemouth Council's official beach hut hire website.

photo4me.com

And if you’re here and the weather is nice, why not get the adrenalin flowing with a private rib charter with Bournemouth Rib Experience who will pick you up from Bournemouth Pier and take you for a thrilling ride around the bay!

If the weather is not so nice and remembering that we live in England where the weather is temperamental at best why not opt for some indoors activities…

Pavilion Dance is a newly refurbished specialist dance centre which has various classes on offer for hen parties such as learning how to dance like the dancers in your favourite music video!

Chocolate is every girls best friend and if you have ever wondered how it’s made then look no further than The Chocolate Boutique Hotel chocolate making classes!! Check out their website for the latest special offers.

And if cooking is your passion then why not try a cookery class at Flavours School of Cookery where you can take courses such as 'The taste of Thailand or 'Cafe Jamaica'!

So I know we moved on from spas, but whilst newly opened Yutang Spa on Westover Road might be a spa by name, it isn’t necessarily what you think…Yutang is the first Kangal Garra Rufa spa in Bournemouth – that’s a fish pedicure to you and me! Let the little fish nibble away at your feet while you sip champagne and relax in their zen styled surroundings.

For something a little out of the ordinary why not try a pole dancing class?? Polz Apart have on/off classes available for hen parties, just have a look at their website for further details.

And finally if you are prepared to drive to Dorchester, which is a lovely town about 24 miles out of Bournemouth, then an afternoon's zorbing at Zorb South will surely get the adrenaline flowing!!

gothisplace.com

So, I hope that has given all you lovely ladies some inspiration for how to enjoy your hen night in Dorset...

Have fun!!

Natasha

X

itravelnet.com

Happy birthday to Bellissimo and Simply Events!

2011-09-29T09:02:00.000+01:00

Well, here we are. And being here 3 years after the business started in our opinion is quite an accomplishment in the economic climate which we have all be subjected to over the last few years. So...

Image credit - farryfun.com

When I first thought about starting the business which was around 6 months before launch at end of September 2008 whilst you do get some positives from some people there is inevitably a lot of negativity surrounding the idea of starting a new venture, from scratch, when things are not so rosy in the world. However, I do am of the firm opinion that sometimes you just need to go for it! Now, I am not suggesting that people should do what I did and give up a regular and guaranteed income and throw all your eggs into one basket and take a huge risk - risk taking is not for everyone and I was in a fortunate position to retain a certain income from my previous career at the same time - but sometimes in life you do have to put your faith in yourself and go for it.

Its critical in any business that you take a long time to research and research again. There is no point in starting a business which no one is interested in if no one is going to buy from you - whether that's a product or a service. You also have to spend a lot of time working out who your competitors are, who your ideal client is and how they are going to find you or how you are going to find them.

Don't be keen to borrow or spend out too much money in the early days - people will be very keen however to take it from you! You will be inundated with calls from people wanting you to advertise with them and have listings with them for all kinds of directories and you need to think carefully about the audience you may reach with any kind of advertising and where your hard earned cash is going to be spent because in the early days your cash will be hard earned and there is not likely to be much of it in at least the first three years so be prepared for that!

Accept that you will make mistakes - we are only human. I made quite a few large ones in the early days I am not ashamed to admit - but make sure you only make it once - learn from it, don't do it again and move on.

Always continue to educate yourself and learn. Running your own small businesses means that you are expected to be "jack of all trades" and expert in all areas from sales and marketing to client care, social media, accounting and oh actually "doing" the work that your business was designed for on top of all of that! You wont necessarily be able to pay to have the professionals on the job. Consider a trade exchange if you can with other businesses in a similar position to you. Look at what's on offer free of charge. I have found the services of Business Link to be invaluable in the early days and although they are sadly no longer to be what they are now after November of this year they will still offer a limited service and there are other forms of education and free training available in all areas of running your business so look out for free networking events, courses and webinars and absorb it all.

Find a professional organisation connected with your business and think carefully about the advantages for you and your business for joining that organisation. I carried out some training and then gained membership with the UK Alliance of Wedding Planners (UKAWP) which has proved extremely important to join forces with like minded planners and has allowed regular training and networking with others in the business plus support in the event that you need to bounce ideas around with others in a similar position to you or bring others on board to help you on larger events.

Surround yourself with people you like to be with - go networking. Meet people. Get out there and get your business and yourself noticed and get people talking about you. Its definitely who you know not what you know so make friends and associates. I have been part of quite a few networking organisations from the outset and have found that some great contacts can be made. I retain a membership of two groups of Women In Business Network (WIBN) which are great networking groups to me a member of.

Melanie with the team at The Italian Villa at Compton Acres/ Beales Gourmet after hosting a corporate open day for them

Be careful with other competitors who may lead you up the garden path posing as a potential client / customer - you will get used to this in any new business and in no time they will stand out a mile off!

Most importantly of all though keep your head and be prepared to work long hours - probably more than you did before? It won't feel the same though because you will be doing it for yourself!

So just what have we been up to over the last 3 years. Well - its been a fairly busy time! We have been lucky enough to work on an average of 12 weddings a year together with corporate events and I split the business just over a year ago between Bellissimo Weddings and Simply Events which concentrates purely on private and corporate event planning. We have worked on corporate open days, charity fundraising events, corporate staff parties, summer BBQs, birthday celebrations, anniversaries, organising trade and wedding shows, charity sporting events. I have also been asked to take part in various public speaking event both as an event planner and incorporating my other career as a lawyer which is always fun to do. Then came the TV project. Last year I filmed a 12 part series on wedding planning as a the presenter and its due to be screened later this year - that was great fun and watch out for the result! We have helped others on their events such as the charity Cupcake Camp Bournemouth we were asked to take part in this year. We have worked on a charity event for a charity rally, black tie dinners and balls, night club launches and the list goes on! It wasn't envisaged when the business started that all different avenues would develop from an initial idea which was to provide the highest possible levels of service to people looking for someone to plan amazing weddings and events for them - so its interesting how things pan out!

We have been lucky enough to have been nominated and then reached the finals in the 2011 Langtry Manor Women in Business Awards and now we have been nominated for a Wedding Industry 2012 award for best wedding planner. How exciting to have your work recognised.

That leads me on to saying a huge thanks to a lot of people is due at this point who have helped to get the businesses to this point of success in time. There is a long way to go and the business is changing all the time and new avenues are coming our way and new angles to the business are seemingly always around the corner which makes the business exciting.

Team Bellissimo in early 2011 - Melanie with Frances and Kathryn on board for a show

Frances spent a year working with us on a placement from Bournemouth University Events Management degree and is now back at University completing her final year. Frances was a huge help to the business during her year and I know that she learned a great deal and a big thanks goes to her.

Good friends Stephanie and Debbie have helped out a lot in the early days supporting events and Stephanie donating her time and energy for public speaking engagements for us together with her huge knowledge on American events including baby and bridal showers.

Frances and Melanie in the early part of Fran's placement

Image credit -clayphotography.co.uk

We have also been delighted to have Kathryn on board for larger weddings and more recently Natasha has joined the team to help out on event promotion and shows. We have huge support from our tried and trusted suppliers and venues who recommend us who put their faith in us to recommend us to their brides / clients for event planning services and long may this continue. We strive for perfection and hope to continue to deliver for as long as the business continues.

Melanie with good friends Stephanie and Debbie who have been a huge help and support in the first few years of business

My hubby Sean usually gets the brunt of everything that I can't do, lift, fit in, manage - calls late at night during a long wedding to help load something or pick something up. Helping out standing on the door at shows or managing people. and I have say I couldn't have done it without him in these first three years. Always a huge support in everything I do and always willing to help out with our events.

Sean and Melanie whilst working hard at a show

And to the future we go - with a lot of excitement on the horizon. New projects and contacts are under way and we are working on one really exciting project for next year - so watch this space and if you ever hear anyone tell you that they don't just want a wedding but an amazing wedding - then be sure to tell them about Bellissimo and Simply Events - and as we say "don't get married or have an event without us"...

Melanie

Supplier feature - Hanieh Chehrehnegari - Speakers Key - Tips on Planning your Wedding Speech

2011-08-17T22:05:00.000+01:00

“Tips on Planning your Wedding Speech”

Hanieh Chehrehnegari – SpeakersKey Ltd

We are delighted to welcome Hanieh to our blog to give some words of wisdom on making that all important wedding speech. Hanieh is the founder of SpeakersKey and as a former TV presenter and reporter she is experienced in public speaking herself and established her business to help people combat nerves and fears with delivery their own speeches in life and a large part of this is of course wedding speeches. Here Hanieh gives us an insight into how the skills of her and her business can help grooms, best men fathers of the bride and even the bride herself!

Hanieh Chehrehnegari

Traditionally, it has always been the best man and the father of the bride who are responsible for delivering that all important speech at weddings. Recently, however, a number of couples choose to defy this convention and call upon the services of a number of people to raise a toast at their wedding, such as the Maid of Honor. I’ve had the pleasure of being invited to a number of weddings over the years and with those come the speeches and for the most part these have run smoothly with little or no awkward moments at all however I have also witnessed the most uncomfortable, cringe worthy toasts followed by a stunned silence and shock from either the bride, the groom or the entire audience. Being given the honor of delivering a speech should fill you with excitement and good planning, content and delivery should leave the audience with a fond and memorable speech. For some, however, this responsibility is often met with nerves, fear and sleepless nights! In this article, I will be looking at 3 tips in planning and delivering your perfect wedding day speech.

1. Over the years research has shown that the thought of Public Speaking is met with fear and that the only fear that was ranked higher than this was in fact death! But Why? What causes so many of us to have this fear? The important fact to understand is that if planned well, content good and delivery practised; there is no need to be nervous. Research has also shown that much fear arises from simply the potential for error and perception, what will people think; will my joke be funny? What if I forget my lines? Rather than the positive aspects like giving a meaningful speech and wishing the newlyweds a great life together, full of joy and happiness and perhaps having the audience appreciating a particular story along the way. If you have been given this responsibility and are feeling anxious at the thought of it, then start to focus more on what will go right rather than what could go wrong. Remember, positive thoughts breed positive actions!

2. The minute you are asked to speak should be when you start to research and plan your speech. Planning and practising ahead will help you overcome any teething problems. Use this time to research the content of your speech – What are you going to talk about? What stories do you want to mention? Will you be sharing a joke or two? How long do you have on stage? These are the key questions that you should be asking yourself or others. You should also speak to the bride and/or groom and ask them whether there are any specifics that they’d like you to mention and conversely any subjects that you should steer well clear of. You must be careful, tactful and know your limits - discussing the brides intimate history in front of her in laws is not a good idea! Ask friends and family for any inspiring stories, anecdotes or fond memories that they have of the happy couple.

3. Once you’ve done your research, start writing - this should always be done so that you can actually refer to the speech and make changes as opposed to just “winging it” and hoping that you’ll remember everything. Remember delivery is just as important as the content itself so practice delivery to anyone and everyone - the wider the audience the better as you’ll be able to gauge the reaction from a variety of people and this ensures that your speech will be well received by the entire audience and not just a subset. Does it sound good? Was I clear during delivery? Is there anything that needs to be added or removed? Is the timing right? Now is the time to edit and once you are satisfied with the final draft, practise some more! Additionally practising the speech in a similar environment to the actual venue is also a great idea as you’ll get a feel for the acoustics and it’ll give you a chance to wear your outfit to really get a feel of what it’ll be like on the day!

4. Finally and most importantly, enjoy the speech! You have been chosen to speak for a reason – you’re obviously very special to the bride and groom to be privileged with this responsibility, they want to see you do well as does the entire room so have a laugh or two.

Below I’ve listed some additional points to ensure the smooth running prior to your speech so take it upon yourself to certify the following;

- Does your speech contain a thank you to all guests that have attended? (I once travelled half way across the world to attend a wedding of a very special friend as did a few of the other guests, and we received no mention whilst all the others did!) Remember to acknowledge people.

- Does the microphone work (if there is one)?

- Know your audience; are you toasting the right people? i.e. Father of the Bridge toasting the Bride & Groom at the end.

- Don’t think that alcohol will help you get through the speech – it is not required. Treat yourself after the speech!

- Are your jokes appropriate and non offensives to all?

- Cue cards often make the speech more structured and well paced so should always be considered.

- Smile! Enjoy yourself – you really could add more joy on the wonderful day by smiling!

Hanieh Chehrehnegari

SpeakersKey Limited 2011

SpeakersKey is a training and development company specialising in public speaking, confidence building and workshop design. They can provide tailored programmes across the country and online training. If you wish to discuss requirements for training for your own wedding or speech please contact Hanieh for more information

Wedding of Clare and Michael at The Italian Villa

2011-08-16T22:14:00.000+01:00

A few months ago we were delighted to be recommended to help Clare and Michael with the final few months of their wedding preparations for their July wedding in 2011. When we came on board they had already selected their venue and most of their suppliers and they wanted our help to assist with some final suppliers and some details and to co-ordinate the logistics for the day in advance and be there on the day to help dress and finish the venue, co-ordinate all of the suppliers and to deal with any trouble shooting. So - that's what we did!

This wedding was a real pleasure to work with and we had quite a few "curve balls" as the bride put it after the wedding - but that's all part of what we are here for! We wanted to share with you just some of our favourite images from the day with the kind permission of the wonderful Ian Hamilton of IanH Photography who originally recommended our services to the bride and groom - so thank you Ian in more ways than one!

The day started for me with some early morning calls from the bride to sort out some last minute errands followed by a visit to the venue, the beautiful Italian Villa at Compton Acres Poole where we met with some of the suppliers who then set about putting together the stunning Medici Suite which would await Clare and Michael and their guests after their late afternoon Church service. The room was transformed with crisp white chair covers and tartan chair bows which were chosen by the bride's mother and attended to beautifully by mother and daughter team Sandy and Debbie from The Card and Favour Company. We were asked by the bride to assist last minute with some reception stationery requirements and we were pleased to recommend the services of Emma Farwell Designs who we work with regularly. Emma made the beautiful table plan and table name cards, which were all named after castles, at very short notice and did a superb job and they really helped to finish the tables. I then went to the house to assist the Bride with some last minute adjustments to her stunning Suzanne Neville dress and make sure that the girls were all well watered with bubbly before they left for the ceremony - always such an important task!

Over at the Church of the Sacred Heart Richmond Hill Bournemouth I met with the groomsmen to help with the final touches - buttonholes and final minor adjustments plus some discussions with the Father in advance of the start of the ceremony. This ceremony was usual as a Registrar was also required for this service but was cutting it a little fine following a delay with the previous wedding so a little chasing was required!

The Church looked beautiful - awaiting the bridal party and their guests

Although it looks like it - I don't think I was being told off by Father...

Before the ceremony whilst the guests were eagerly assembling for the service and again after the ceremony as the bride and groom departed in their beautiful vintage Rolls- Royce family friends greeted the guested in true Scottish style with the bagpipes which helped to make this even more of a grand occasion. Well done guys - you did a grand job! You were to be heard all around Bournemouth Town!

The guests were gently ushered into taxis outside the Church following a slight issue with a broken down coach but the bride and groom were none the wiser (well for a while anyway!) and everyone then made their way over to The Italian Villa for to have a leisurely mingle in the Italian gardens with plenty of pink Lanson and delicious canapes courtesy of Beales Gourmet - the resident caterers.

Stunning floral displays where the ever superb work of Helen of Flowers by Helen Ffoulkes-Jones

After enjoying the sweet music of a string quartet in the Gardens and lots of chat and congratulations for the bride and groom guests were greeted into the Villa where a feast awaited them. Guests dined on layers of vine-ripened tomatoes, buffalo milk mozzarella and avocado with basil oil followed by seared breast of corn fed chicken with pancetta and lemon and lime cheesecake. Yum! Speaking to the guests after the wedding breakfast we were told of so many compliments for the food and the service for this very special wedding with such a wonderful family.

The groom the other speakers of the day were keen to start their speeches pre-wedding breakfast so this was the order of the day and I have to say these speeches were some of the best wedding speeches I have ever heard - and I have heard a lot of wedding speeches! They were filled with humour and sentiment and emotion and there genuinely was not a dry eye in the house from the guests and the staff on duty!

Clare and Michael enjoying the speeches

The cake was a delicious champagne and strawberry delight with a beautiful topper which was such a likeness of Clare and Michael! Bringing out their fun side and gracing the creation by the wonderful Lisa Notley

Clare and Michael

Guests completed the night with a traditional Caleigh band and danced the night away. This was a wedding which was an absolute pleasure to help with. It was full of lovely guests, family and most of all such a wonderful bride and groom. There were things which needed to be resolved last minute but it was a pleasure to do and it meant that Clare and Michael had some unusual twists which made it all the more enjoyable! The Best Mens' speech was conducted standing rather than seated and we moved all the guests to another part of the Villa for a slideshow of hilarious images. The kilts and the bagpipes added to the real Scottish feel of the day and we used different styles of music through the drinks reception in the gardens and then piano during the wedding breakfast with popular songs to please the Scottish and Irish guests.

Thank you Clare and Michael for choosing us to help with your day. Huge congratulations to you both.

Testimonial we received from Clare and Michael after the wedding:

"Dear Melanie. Thank you so much for all your efforts for our wedding. You were amazing! We did our best to try to thrown you a few curve balls…the coach breaking down, the wrong colour flowers, drinking too much champagne but you handled them so calmly and quietly and with excellent results. You truly where instrumental in making our day so wonderful we really cannot thank you enough or recommend you more highly. Lots of Love Clare and Michael"

If you would like more information about our wedding planning services please take a look at our website. and call or email us to let us know about your requirements.

The importance of a wedding rehearsal

2011-07-17T13:28:00.000+01:00

Having attended another wedding rehearsal yesterday for one of our couples who are getting married this month it got me thinking that a little blog on the subject could be helpful for couples when thinking about their own ceremonies. Should you have a wedding rehearsal? Well in our opinion - yes you should and you should use it as an opportunity to do several things before your wedding day:

Image credit - Practically Ever After

- Get comfortable. You won't be walking down an aisle every day (one hopes!) so its not something that people are generally familiar with and having the opportunity to go over the entrance and the walk and who is where and who stands on which sides etc. is a great ice breaker so that you feel a little more comfortable about the day itself. The emotion or nerves will usually get you on the day itself so its good to have had a little run through of this before the day. Think about bridesmaids in front or behind the bride and where the position any little ones in the procession. Personally I think it works best with bridesmaids to the front of the bride so that the bride makes her entrance last - make sure there is sufficient gap though between the bridesmaids and the bride so that the photographer can get a clear shot of the bride walking in. The only time you may want to consider having 1 or 2 bridesmaids behind the bride is if her dress/train may need fixing as she walks down the aisle. With the little ones it works well having them in front with older bridesmaids behind to nudge and guide them if they need it!

- Allow your bridal party to get familiar with what their duties are. Your Vicar or Priest (or civil ceremony venue) will run through where all of your bridal party fit into the day itself and what is expected of them so they know a little more about where they should be and what they should be doing - if they turn up on the day without any rehearsal yes of course you and your day will survive but your wedding party will be a little "blind" on what they are meant to be doing!

- Allows you to try music (depending on your ceremony venue) and agree the volumes and test your processional and recessional songs to ensure that they are the right length and you know when during the song the bridesmaids and most importantly the bride should begin her walk down the aisle. I don't think that Kate Middleton would have attempted her wedding without having a little "go" at her mammoth walk down that stunning aisle and it should not be any different for any other bride!

- You will get a chance to read some of your vows to each other which should help to combat some nerves on the day and also to check your own volume for the ceremony - you do want everyone to be able to hear you!

- Get people who are conducting readings for you to come along and have a practice. They may not be used to public speaking or may not be used to standing at the front of a Church and speaking into a microphone so again its a good chance for them to see what it will sound like and how to conduct their voices.

- Try to get all of your main bridal party at the rehearsal if possible - its not always possible because of distances to travel and work etc but if you can have the following people there: Bride and Groom (of course!) both sets of parents, person giving away the bride if different, best man (men), all the bridesmaids, all the ushers and anyone doing a reading or singing or any other kind of performance during the ceremony. Even the little members of the bridal party ie flower girls and page boys as it will really make it clear to them what they will be doing on the day and most little ones will take it in and it will make them more excited and less nervous about it all too.

- Try to have your Order of Service printed and take at least one copy with you to the rehearsal so that the person conducting your ceremony can have a copy in advance and you can run through it with him/her at that time. Make sure you then arrange to get the Orders of Service to the Church in good time for the wedding day itself so that your Ushers can distribute them on the day.

- If you have a wedding planner or have a wedding co-ordinator for your day then your co-ordinator should come along to your rehearsal too as it is a good opportunity for your bridal party to meet the planner/co-ordinator and for her/him to go through some plans for the day and then on the day your planner will be there to remind and prompt your bridal party with the duties they have so they don't have to stress and worry about not remembering all they have to do! Its so common as a planner to see Ushers and the bridal party get nervous and excited before the ceremony and forget where they are meant to be and when and all the little details they were asked to remember at the rehearsal! Don't worry - planners will be there taking notes and will point those things out where important on the day!

- You may be thinking that if you are having a civil ceremony that you have not been offered a rehearsal and we do find this a lot because Registrars do not traditionally offer a rehearsal service which is a real shame. However, some civil ceremony venues will still offer a rehearsal without the Registrar being present and it gives you an opportunity to have a run through even though a civil ceremony is shorter and not so full or formalities. Even still, its just as important to make yourselves familiar and comfortable so do ask your wedding venue for a civil ceremony if its possible. We find that if your wedding is a Saturday then a Friday evening rehearsal works best as a lot of your guests if not local will have travelled to stay the night before the wedding - so maybe a 5pm or 6pm rehearsal and then the bride and groom can part and be traditional and spend the night apart as they should!

- If your civil ceremony venue does not offer a rehearsal then here's a few tips for you. You may not be told that the bride and groom will need to be seen separately by the Registrar before the ceremony to confirm identity, address etc. Also, did you know that in this area the Registrar will usually ask the groom to pay, in cash for a copy of the marriage certificate before the ceremony. The fee is normally £3.50 and why that cannot be paid in advance when you pay for your Notices of Marriage and the Registrar's fees I don't know but have some cash handy on the day! When the bride arrives at the ceremony make sure that groom is well hidden as the Registrar will also wish to check identity with the bride before the ceremony begins so have somewhere where this can be conducted away from the guests and the groom.

- Its also a good opportunity to make sure that all the important people know where they are going for the wedding ceremony if they have not been there before! If they come along to the rehearsal it gives them less opportunity to get lost on the day!

- It is a really good chance for your photographer and videographer to get familiar with the ceremony venue as well - particularly if they have not shot or filmed in that location before. As a planner I will always ask the photographer and videographer to attend the rehearsal - its not always possible again because of distance and other prior commitments but I do always like them be present. They get to check out the light and space and liaise with the person conducting the ceremony to see where they will be permitted to be during the ceremony. Every Registrar and Vicar/Priest is different and will have different rules and likes and dislikes about where they will permit the videographer and photographer to stand during the ceremony and if they will permit film and photographs at all during the ceremony so its best to get that agreed before the day itself so that there is not so much of a rush on the day. The Church may also ask your videographer for the special Licence they should provide to be able to video the service and again its best to do that before the day of the wedding itself. Check with your photographer and videographer before you book if they will attend your rehearsal

- If you are having a ceremony conducted by a civil celebrant such as Diana Saxby from Grace the Day then Diana will always arrange a rehearsal for your ceremony wherever its possible to do so. This is another great way to enhance your wedding day so consider having the legal ceremony perhaps the day before which can literally be just the bride, groom and witnesses in jeans at the Register Office and then a beautiful and bespoke ceremony written just for you with a full rehearsal whenever you like before the day itself to make you feel entirely comfortable.

Finally - if you are having your rehearsal perhaps the evening before the wedding day itself or maybe a few days before - what about doing things the American way and having a rehearsal dinner afterwards - what a lovely way to bring the families together prior to the wedding. Arrange a nice meal for all of the close family and bridal party and have a chance to all get excited together.

All that glitz and glamour - of the Sunflower Ball

2011-07-12T22:09:00.000+01:00

OK so its taken us a few weeks more than it should to report on this event but we are thrilled to at last get a few minutes to write an article for our blog on this event. Even the appalling weather and lots of other challenges could not stop these wonderful guests having a the most amazing time a few weeks ago at the Sunflower Ball at the RNLI College, Poole. We were very pleased to be asked to come on board under our sister company brand of Simply Events, which specialises in corporate and private event planning, to help with the organising and co-ordination of this event which was hosted by Jacqui Frampton of WIBN South & South West in aid of Lewis Manning Hospice based in Poole, Dorset.

We worked for a few months on this with a team of committed people who were confident from the outset that we would be able, even during these tough economic times, to get the lovely ladies of WIBN and their contacts, friends and family on board to support this cause and buy all of the tickets to make it a fantastic event. And that they did! In fact, we could have sold more tickets - we just didn't have the room! There was a lot of love and support for the event and the committee who worked on this event worked tirelessly to get sponsorship behind the event and get support with some great auction and raffle prizes to make sure that the evening went with a real swing!

The very kind sponsors for the event were Float The Boat, creative marketing and design, Simply Eloquent Mortgages, Tops Day Nurseries and Acquit Debt Recovery

One of the sponsors from the event - Emma Burt from Simply Eloquent

When we first looked at waterside venues in Poole and Bournemouth who could host this for up to 150 people we have to say its not easy and with Lewis Manning Hospice being a Poole based charity it was felt that a Poole based venue was needed so RNLI College ticked all the boxes.

We transformed the room from a fairly blank palette with black chair covers and bright yellow organza sashes topped off with miniature sunflowers on the back of each chair to run along with the theme. The table centres were striking fresh sunflower arrangements and it was great to see that so many of the guests added sunflowers to their outfits in one way or another - lapel or wrist corsages or sunflowers in their hair!

Girls looking very glam!

Guests were treated to a delicious three course summer menu following which Max our MC and auctioneer got straight into the business of auctioning off some amazing prizes including a golf day with a pro golfer and some rather fetching ladies handbags and accessories!

Max in action on the auction

Maria from Lewis Manning "doing her bit" with the auction items - well done Maria!

Also featuring another sponsor Diane Banten from Acquit Debt Recovery

Following the auction we had a quick and swiftly organised raffle which went down well so that guests could move on to the most important part of the evening - the entertainment and the DANCING! Get your dancing shoes on guys and girls!

We were very lucky to have secured the most amazing swing band Swing Unlimited comprising of 18 very talented musicians and what a night of music we had - well done everyone - you had all of our guests up dancing so much so that they did not want the night to end!

Do you think they might be having some fun?

The night would not be complete without some casino fun which came courtesy of our friends at Absolute Fun Casino who did a brilliant job of getting all of the guests into the mood to win the great prizes on offer and raise more money for the charity - guests purchased fun money to join in on the casino.

So, you could say that a great night was had by all and over £3,000 was raised for Lewis Manning Hospice and the guests really did not want to go home! Some guests stayed over for the night at the RNLI College and their night went on till...well the small hours you could say and then a breakfast was enjoyed in the morning to chat over the events of the night before. We have already had requests for another BIGGER and better event soon so watch this space!

A HUGE thank you goes to all who sponsored and took part in some way and came along to support the event and helped to make it not only such a success and raise so much money but make it so much fun! Thank you also to those lovely people over at Seeker who kindly covered the event for us and took these fabulous images and gave us permission to use them in this blog. Please contact Seeker if you wish to purchase any of the images here or any other which they feature on their site from this event.

Simply Events

Real Wedding Feature - Kate and Ben - Magical Fairytale Marquee Wedding

2011-07-08T17:44:00.000+01:00

Having just received the images from the wedding of Kate and Ben I was thrilled to see that the photographer Sally Adams, freelance photographer has captured the fun of the couple and their family and friends perfectly. This day was one which Kate had planned for so well and had been so involved in the creative side of the wedding. Such a talented and beautiful bride, Kate had gone to such detail in making and creating so many of the decorations which adorned the tables in her marquee - right down to printing hundreds of miniature photographs of family and friends which were then hung with ribbons on the trees which she made as the table centres for the marquee.

Kate getting ready for her wedding day and looking beautiful

We were asked to come on board as Kate could see that bringing together her months and months of hard work would need someone else on hand on the day to ensure that she could enjoy the build up of the day and the day itself and there is a lot to think about and do for a marquee wedding. We worked closely alongside Kate to make sure that the marquee ended up looking how she wanted it to look. The marquee was built to such high standards by the team at Pole to Pole Marquees and Jason one of the owners of the business ensures that he is on site all day for his marquees and all evening to oversee the power situation - what a godsend with a marquee wedding running on a generator!

Kate wanted the marquee and the day to have a magical, fairytale feel about it and it was full of decorations with that theme - fairies and goblins and pretty decorations in shades of purple.

A view of the marquee from the top table

The napkin table settings with pretty jewelled bracelets and garden leaves for decoration all within Kate's theme

The bride arrived at the Church in a fun and funky Cadillac - this wedding was full of unique twists and turns which helped to bring out the personalities of the bride and groom and it was great to see a couple being brave and bold in their choices and not following the norm!

Here comes the bride!

The bridesmaids looking amazing in deep purple greeting the bride as she arrives for the ceremony - simple posies of lillies for their bouquets

The happy couple in the Church during the service

Lovely image of the bride and groom after the service - grabbing some time for some personal shots before heading back to the Marquee to greet their guests

The confetti shot at the gate of the Church

Back at the marquee, the guests were treated to a drinks reception of rum cocktails and canapes on the lawn whilst waiting for their bride and groom to arrive. The inside of the marquee had been kept a complete secret from the guests with the window walls draped from the inside so that guests could not see in! Inside the marquee we had a reception area where the guests were received on a receiving line but the main section of the marquee was still sectioned off with drapes so that Kate got to do a complete "reveal" of all her hard work so that her guests all saw the finished look at the same time as her - it was a really great moment!

One of the younger guests enjoying the outside before going into the marquee for the wedding breakfast

The most obvious thing about this wedding was how much fun all the guests were and how much fun they had! This is really reflected in the photographs and captured so brilliantly. Guests had an amazing time all day and all night!

Go girls! Girls just want to have fun!

The groom making a really heart felt speech - had a few tears with the guests going thats for sure!

The guests were treated to a relaxed family style wedding breakfast of salmon and meats and delicious salads followed by the most sumptuous desserts which had been made by the groom's Mum and they all looked amazing! Yes we did have some rain on this day as you can see from the back of the marquee in this shot but it really did not dampen the spirits of this wedding - the guests were having such a great time! A few of our appropriately coloured wedding umbrellas just made it all the more fun for guests when dashing for the loo or having piccies outside on the lawn! The rain didn't hang around for long and this left time for outdoor activities for the guests after the meal - especially the bride and groom!

I LOVE this shot! Well done to Kate and Ben for getting up there and having so much fun!

It was a real pleasure being involved in this wedding day and helping it to go with such a swing! Kate is so talented with her design of the day and her creative skills that I may be offering her a job in the not too distant future if she would like one! The guests were all such a pleasure to deal with.

There is a lovely video highlights about this day which was filmed by Ollie of 7876 Films which you can access via this link http://www.7876films.blogspot.com so do take a look as its beautiful and just adds to these lovely images.

Many congratulations Katie and Ben and lots of love for the future

Real Wedding Feature - Cambridge Blue at the Castle

2011-06-22T11:48:00.001+01:00

A few weeks back we hinted at a wedding which we had been lucky enough to work on at the stunning Lulworth Castle, Dorset, and today we can bring you images and a little more background into this beautiful day for Ian and Scotty. Thank you to John Howarth of Columbia Photography and to Ian and Scotty for allowing to feature these beautiful images from their day.

Our couple were searching for a venue outside of London which would present them and their guests with the "wow" factor and it really helped swing it that this stunning Castle just happens to be surrounded by beautiful rolling countryside, not far from the coast which was important to the Groom and we could have sheep incorporated into the day in more ways than one!

Ceremony Room set up ready and waiting for the guests and the bride and groom

The guys getting ready - well - in the most appropriate way!

The Bride and Groom and some of their guests were very wise in having chosen the most wonderful local house to stay in for a long weekend over the wedding so they were really close to the Castle and could all relax in the build up to the wedding. We all met the night before for a rehearsal at the Castle and we started to set up a few things the night before and then the next day the Bride and Groom could relax and get ready whilst we were at Castle with the florists and the Castle staff and the caterers which was provided by the ever fabulous Beales Gourmet who are a relatively new addition to the approved caterers at the Castle and were about to embark on their first wedding at the Castle for Ian and Scotty followed by another wedding the following day. And what a feast lay ahead for the guests!

The beautiful Bride arrives to greet her Groom for the ceremony

The ceremony had a really lovely feel about it with some great music chosen by Ian and Scotty. They also asked a close friend to play the piano during the ceremony and another close friend who just happens to be a professional singer who sang a stunning version of "All I Ask of You" from Phantom of the Opera which was very emotional and brought something very personal to the ceremony.

Sealing the ceremony

Bride and groom leaving the ceremony for the great steps outside the Castle for photographs

After the ceremony the guests were treated to cocktails and bubbly on the lawn and we were blessed with a sunny (if a little windy!) day on the back lawns behind the Castle.

A happy and relaxed Scotty after the ceremony

Guests were entertained with croquet and other garden games and the Bride and Groom got to have photos taken with the all important sheep which was a must to be part of their day!

Well I think these chaps look like they are enjoying themselves having a go at one handed croquet! Its multi-tasking though!

Love this one - Bride and Groom feeding Larry the Lamb!

The wedding breakfast began with the guests bursting into song before food was served - the words for Jerusalem had been sneaked into their napkins and we have to say that the guests all took part and did a grand job!

The dining room ready and waiting for the guests - simple and elegant dressing with the Bride and Groom's chosen colours of Cambridge Blue complete with a chocolate lamb on each place setting to continue with the lamb theme!

What followed was a wonderful selection of dishes - ignore the next few images if you are hungry!

Tiger king prawn starter

Vegetarian alternative starter - deliciously fresh

For their main course the guests were treated to a trio of lamb and a chocolate dessert and following the cake cutting it was on to another very important part of the day - the party! The Castle was such a great venue to work with. The staff were really accommodating and whilst we have worked with Beales Gourmet many times before at their resident venue The Italian Villa and on outside marquee weddings and events it was great to work with them here. The food was amazing with so many great comments from the guests and in the evening the guests got to feast again with a hog roast with all the trimmings and a beautifully displayed cheese board and the all important cake!

Cake cutting with the Castle Sword! Very brave!

This wedding was such a pleasure to work on. There were some distance issues to get around as Ian and Scotty are not local to us or the venue so we set about booking supplier and venue visits and meetings grouped together at weekends or meeting part way between here and them! We work a lot on phone and email and keep our couples updated with timelines and progress reports and it works well. Ian and Scotty had some definite plans on what they wanted and decided to deal with some of the planning themselves so we fitted around what they wanted. They and their guests were such fun on the day and it was all about having a great day and a great party.

We hope we delivered - many many congratulations to you both and lots of love and best wishes for your future together

On the Day Co-ordination Service by Bellissimo - what does that mean??!!

2011-06-15T13:02:00.001+01:00

We like to be very flexible with the services which we offer and appreciate that not all brides want to hand over all of the planning of their wedding to someone else and really like to have some creative input, so we offer an on the day co-ordination service. The title is a little misleading however as this does not mean that we just turn up on the day! Perhaps a change of title is in order to make this more clear but most planners in the business do call it that service and we have found a lot of brides ask for exactly that.

So - what do we actually do when a couple books us for that service? Its such a HUGE range - we find ourselves doing everything from rushing around on the morning of the wedding changing shoes which dont fit for the bridal party and setting up cakes and flowers right through to cleaning toilets and getting down on the hands and knees and cleaning the dance floor before people arrive! You could say that its certainly not all glamour!

Final details pre-wedding with Groom and Best Man

Image credit - Jennifer Sinclair Photography

We certainly make sure that we mop up all the duties which no one has had assigned to them or that no one else either wants to do or are doing. This makes sure that our clients' wedding runs as smoothly as possible and that the detail is never missed.

I thought that what might be helpful is a brief run down on what will happen if you decide to use us for this service:

1. We receive an enquiry which is usually on a recommendation from previous bride or venue (which is lovely!) and we have a brief chat with the bride or groom about how far they have got with their wedding plans. We set up a time to meet to have a full consultation to discuss the plans which we like to do around 2-4 weeks before the wedding and preferably on site at the wedding venue so we can do a full "walk through" the day.

2. At the meeting we go through our detailed fact finding questionnaire and take full details of the day, the plans, the suppliers and start spotting anything which is left to be resolved and ends to tie up.

3. A lot of couples at this stage then like us to add to our on the day service by helping out with last minute supplier searches if things have been overlooked or if the busy couple have just not had time which is not uncommon! We can do that - we are happy to be flexible with our services and add in where we need to along the way. Don't forget that we are well connected with suppliers so we can often put our hands on suppliers at the last minute for you.

4. Once we have a full picture of the day and all details of the suppliers we start to work on a detailed time schedule for the day which our couple approve and once they are happy we distribute this to all suppliers so that everyone knows where they are mean to be and when and it gives everyone an opportunity to say if they think they need more time for something or if something needs to be changed. We amend until everyone is happy then we work strictly to this during the day and this is how our weddings run to time! Its all in the planning!

5. For the final weeks we encourage our clients to leave the contact with the suppliers to us so that they get to relax and we deal with any last minute issues.

6. If its a dry hire venue or a marquee where things need to be set up such as tables and chairs and chair covers, table centres, decorations - anything really - then we are on hand to do that the day before if we can or the morning of the wedding if we can't.

7. We would usually go to the wedding rehearsal if there is one and encourage the photographer and videographer to go to. We find this means that we get a feel for what's happening during the service and we get to meet the bridal party and introduce who will be covering the wedding on the day so that best man/ushers/parents know who we are and they can come to us for anything during the day. At this point best man usually is not clear on what he has to do and when and likewise with the ushers so we do reminders here (or on the morning of the wedding if there is no rehearsal) to put everyone at ease.

Sorting out the guys!

Image credit - Christian Michael Photography

8. On the day we start early and do any finishing off at the venue. There are always flowers to deliver somewhere, checking of tables and table plans to do, dropping off of buttonholes to the guys and making sure they are on properly and they are all dressed correctly - vital point! Buttonholes don't tend to look that great when not put on properly and hankies and ties or cravats not done properly is really annoying in photographs if not finished properly!

One of the most important jobs - the Groom's buttonhole

Image credit - Christian Michael Photography

9. During the day we would usually have 1 or 2 or us there depending on the requirements of the day - if one is needed at the ceremony perhaps to back up the photographer for photography calls or getting guests on and off coaches without missing anyone then 1 would be there and 1 at the venue making sure everything is set up, all the suppliers turn up when they are meant to and then there can be communication when the first guests are on their way from the ceremony to the reception so that the caterers can be ready for their arrival with drinks and canapes.

Room set up in a barn for a countryside wedding - chair covers all done!

Image credit - Jennifer Sinclair Photography

10. Usually we are there throughout the day until all formalities have been completed ie first dance, cake cutting - sometimes later if we are needed to stay until the end to help with clearing up and out if its a venue which has to be cleared on the night - what bride wants to be doing that at the end of her wedding day? All day we will back up the venue staff or catering staff - we never tread on anyone's toes or tell them how to do their jobs. We are there to compliment what they do and back up where necessary. If there is wine to be poured or plates to be cleared and the caterers are busy then we will help and do that. We are always looking out to make sure that our couple (and we always look after the parents very closely) are very well looked after and of course the guests as well.

Set up for the ceremony which then had to be turned around for the wedding breakfast

Image credit - Christian Michael Photography

11. We are closely watching the timing and making sure that any line-ups are done to do, seating is done swiftly and the speeches run in the correct order. We do announcements if there is no MC or Toastmaster to do this.

12. We will then make sure that bands/ DJs and any other suppliers arrive on time for the evening and ensure they are set up in time and fed and watered and are happy! We will set up for the cake cutting shots and encourage guests to take part in this and same with the first dance.

13. After this - if we can and the party is in full swing - we may leave! Usually the day can be anything from 10-18 hours on your feet.

Glamour it is not. Its all about very hard work, making sure no details are missed and if anyone does not turn up when they are meant to or there is a problem that we quickly react to that and solve it before the bride and groom even know.

So far this season we have worked on quite a few marquee weddings which take a lot of preparation and set up and we will oversee all of this and tweek things as we go along. There are always things to set up and tea lights and candles to light and replace and details to add. A guest book or wishing tree to make sure people sign. We always keep an eye on the wedding cards and gifts and make sure these go away safely either back to the house or wherever they need to go.

We have some weddings come up where our services will extend to making sure guests do partake in some activities during the drinks reception which is really important to the couple. We have quite a few more marquee weddings and some weddings where the timing is very tight because the ceremonies are quite late so its really important that we are there to ensure the day runs to time. Otherwise, a couple could be paying for a fabulous live band who are due to do 2 x 1 hour live sets and if the day runs late you eat into this time and may miss half of it and it would be such a waste of money and a real shame. We are always on hand with our emergency kit and you will be amazed what's in it and what people ask for....

So - does that sound like enough? Its quite a comprehensive service and we are pleased to say that our couples love it! Take a look at some of the testimonials we have had for this and our other services.

Why is this service so popular? Well hopefully the above will speak for itself but we feel it gives couples real peace of mind that there is someone "in charge" on their wedding day - who people can go to and ask questions and deal with issues rather than bothering the bride and groom on their special day. Descriptions for this have been "fairy godmother", "Wonder Woman" and "don't you ever sit down - you have not stopped all day!". At one recent wedding the mother of the bride said that she felt that she had "been to some of the best hotels in the world but had never been looked after so well as I looked after her at the wedding and could ". All of the comments we get mean that we know that the service works. On the day co-ordination whilst its the smallest service we offer is in fact the most difficult as you are stepping in late to someone else's plans so our advice is always to consider full plan and let us take care of things from the outset - you would be surprised how much money and stress we can save you!

Clipboard in hand with that time schedule

Image credit - Clay Photography

Hope that does some way to let you into our world and what we do for just one small part of the services we offer. Any queries or comments - we would love to hear from you!

Expert Feature - Diana Saxby - Grace the Day - Civil Celebrant

2011-06-08T12:35:00.000+01:00

Diana Saxby, Grace the Day

"What IS a Celebrant?" is one of the recurring questions since I started out, along with "So you are a Humanist?" and "Are you a Registrar?"

So, along with a smattering of public speaking accompanied by my trusty short presentation film, I welcome any opportunity to address these misconceptions, starting with what a Celebrant is NOT!

I am not a wedding planner

Wedding day co-ordination, seating plans etc are definitely the responsibility of the wedding planner or the venue co-ordinator and if these have not been addressed early on and a celebrant is asked to advise, then it may be wise to re-think who you have engaged for these priorities. As a trained celebrant I will only take responsibility at the venue for choreographing the entrance, exit and positioning of the bridal procession throughout the ceremony and officiating on the day by performing the ceremony as agreed with the bride and groom. While it's important to have a good working relationship with everyone involved, it's equally important that I don't tread on anyone's toes in the hope that they won't tread on mine. Everyone has a useful purpose and a valuable role to play which I respect.

I am not a Registrar

Celebrants offer alternatives to Church and Registry Office weddings and have a great deal more freedom than registrars, including the freedom to conduct ceremonies indoor and outdoors without a licence. Their ceremonies can contain religious or spiritual readings and music. A registrar is still required to legally register the marriage and authorise the marriage certificate in a simple and inexpensive visit to the local registry office, either before or after the ceremony. A celebrant ceremony will include all the meaningful exchanges of rings, vows and pledges and will finish with a blessing or reading which can be spiritual, religious or non-religious.

I am not a Humanist.

My own opinions are not reflected in the ceremony, which is designed entirely for the couple and no one else.

The ceremony script is written either for them or by them and their input, contribution and approval makes it totally bespoke and unique. My practice is to keep the script absolutely private and confidential until it is delivered on the day of the wedding. I have learnt from bitter experience not to work when a third party is present as my brief is taken from the couple and much of what is discussed is intimate and private until shared on the day. I will include any reading or vows which the couple choose as appropriate to reflect their own identity, beliefs and hopes for the future.

In my opinion, a good celebrant should be open-minded, flexible, adaptable, creative, articulate and a confident orator. They shouldn’t be bigoted or prejudiced, nor should they impose restrictions, particularly when working with other professionals, such as photographers and film-makers. A registrar or vicar may limit the number of photographs taken during a service and stipulate where a photographer should stand. I don't make stipulations and believe in working in harmony with others, so that we enhance each others work, not hinder it.

My previous work history included the organising of functions attended by the Royal Family and liaising with members of the Royal Household, so while I have knowledge and respect for protocol, I am neither bound nor restricted by it as a celebrant. I’ve valuable links with reputable professionals who I’m happy to recommend once I’ve worked with them and can personally endorse their work and professionalism. I also have links with a number of beautiful venues, some of which are private homes with large and beautiful gardens, and I'm listed as an approved supplier with a number of well known and well-kept secret venues in several counties.

A creative mind helps to visualise beautiful, elegant ceremonies in unusual and romantic settings and I am happy to suggest locations and venues from my portfolio when we meet personally to discuss planning the bespoke ceremony for two unique individuals.

Diana Saxby is a Civil Celebrant and is the founder/owner of Grace the Day

We work with Diana and have great pleasure in doing so and believe that Diana's ceremony services offer a really personal and unique element to your wedding day.

You can contact Diana to discuss your own personal ceremony requirements 07760 110007 or email ceremonies@dianagrace.plus.com

You can also visit Grace the Days website

Getting the timings right for your wedding day

2011-06-06T17:15:00.000+01:00

Now, no one would want their wedding day to feel like its a military operation but a little bit of military precision with your timings will go down very well - believe me! Great preparation in advance of your wedding day on the timings will be a huge key to the smooth running of your wedding day. Part of all of our planning services are working with our couples to create a detailed time schedule for the day which we usually put together as an Excel spreadsheet but there are lots of ways of doing this. We work to 15 minute time slots and we start from early in the morning when the bridal preparations start - right through to the end of the day when guests leave the wedding and make their way home.

Timings are not only important for the peace of mind of our couples but also for all of the suppliers/vendors who are helping to make your wedding day a success. People like leadership and organisation and your suppliers will work better for you if they know what they are doing and when you want them to do it. So, even if you only have a few weeks left until your wedding day - get cracking with that time schedule!

Think carefully about how long everything will realistically take - here are some good tips for you:

- If you are getting married during the busy summer season/school holidays (especially in the Dorset area where we have a lot of holiday traffic) remember to allow additional time to get from A to B in case of traffic. Remember also that if you are travelling in a vintage car over a fair distance they don't tend to travel at normal car speed so it will take you longer that you would expect. Speak to your wedding car company to ask exactly how long they would allow on timings for this.

Not a sight you want to see on your wedding day

Image credit - www.dailymail.co.uk

- Always allow plenty of time for getting ready before the wedding for hair and make-up. Make sure that you plan to be ready (hair, make-up and dress) around 1 hour before you are due to leave in your wedding car for the ceremony. Leave yourself time to enjoy the moment and relax and have some pre-wedding photographs.

- Getting people from A to B always takes longer than people think. People don't tend to move quickly - especially at a wedding when they are relaxing. Make sure you have agreed a list of essential group shots with your photographer and if your photographer works alone assign someone to help the photographer gather people together after the ceremony for these essential shots. So much time can be wasted waiting for people to get together for photographs. This section of the day can get quite boring for guests so you really need someone in charge to help with this task. If you have a wedding co-ordinator they would usually help you with this section of the day. Its a valuable place not to loose time - surely you would rather be spending time with your guests at your drinks reception, wedding breakfast or evening reception so don't waste time here which you can enjoy later.

- For a typical drinks reception post ceremony and pre-wedding breakfast we usually allow 90 minutes - we find that 60 minutes is too short as you will want to have some more relaxed photographs taken during this time and perhaps bride and groom going off on their own with the photographer for some shots. You also want to have enough time to enjoy at least some of the drinks reception with your guests. 2 hours can be a little too long - but if you have to have this much time (perhaps your ceremony room is being turned around for the wedding breakfast) then include some entertainment during this time to keep your guests happy and entertained. Don't forget during the wedding breakfast that its best not to give you guests too much alcohol without offering soft drinks as well (ladies often like to switch between bubbly and water or how about an Elderflower presse or something light) or feed them too - so canapes on the cards we think!

Image credit - Columbia Photography

- Formal receiving lines. Well - we can talk about these for ages! Not a huge fan I have to say but they do have their place and purpose I know. If you really feel that its necessary for a formal receiving line to greet your guests on their way in to the wedding breakfast beware of how long this can take. As a rough guide - if you have the main wedding party greeting your guests (bride, groom, bestman, bridesmaids, and 2 sets of parents) with x 100 guests you can take anything from 45 minutes to an hour to get everyone in and its not the most exciting time for guests waiting in line. If its necessary then consider only the bride, groom and parents - this can take less time. Or, what about not having a formal receiving line but bride and groom visiting guests table by table and perhaps having a photograph with each table during the wedding breakfast?

Receiving line - image credit - www.weddingtropics.com

- Speeches. I have a theory - whatever a groom or bestman tells you when you ask how long his speech will take - double it. With my experience I tend to find this is correct no matter how nervous they say they are. Fathers of the bride tend to be pretty accurate. Get speeches done and out of the way pre-wedding breakfast if you have nervous speakers - provided that you have it well organised in advance with the caterers and you pre-warn the speakers they cannot go over time otherwise you could have food delivered to you in not the condition you would like!

Best Man Speech - www.weddingspeechmatters.com

- Try to get the formalities of cake cutting and first dance fairly early on into the evening reception - and evening reception is nice so that evening guests can share in some formalities if you have extra guests arriving - and then the evening belongs to the bride and groom to enjoy themselves without being called for anything.

- If you think your guests would benefit from knowing a bit more about the schedule of the day draw up a Schedule/ Order of the Day and issue in advance or with your invitations or put it up on your wedding website if you have one

Hope these tips help you to get the timings right on your wedding day - if you need help - just contact us

Melanie

Selecting Your Wedding Breakfast Menu

2011-06-02T11:17:00.000+01:00

There are so many hints and tips out there for selecting your menu for your wedding breakfast and many a bride-to-be has probably got her hands on lots of lists. BUT - we wanted to share just a few of the recent very important things that we have been picking up along the way at some reason weddings which could help you on this very point (and being a BIG foodie this is something which is very close to my heart to get right on the day!):

Image credit - www.bealesgourmet.com

- Do pick foods which you love as the couple of course but also remember that if you are feeding a lot of guests something which may be quite unusual may not appeal to everyone so try to select dishes with please you but will also please the majority of your guests

- Remember you will never please everyone all of the time so don't beat yourselves up about this. If you feel you are going for a menu or a dish which is slightly more "out there" in terms of adventure then include a short mention with your wedding invitation ie "we will be serving lamb at the wedding breakfast - please let us know if you prefer an alternative" etc

- We find at pork is usually not so good a choice because of religious issues so that could be a meat to avoid unless is in a more casual setting such as a hog roast for an evening do or if you mention in advance as above

- Think carefully about where your speeches will take place during the day - particularly if you have given your caterers strict instructions on rare beef or pink lamb don't then go for pre-dinner speeches which could quite easily run over and mean that your caterers don't have a good chance of delivering the good quality of food you expect - its not fair on them and will only mean that they cannot bring you the quality they would like to. Time your speeches carefully. If you do prefer to have the speeches completed pre-dinner why not opt for a meat which is less likely to spoil if speeches do run over

- You must insist that you have a full tasting in good time before your wedding. Try a number of dishes to make a selection and try to taste with your selected wines too so you can ensure that the wines compliment the dishes

- Try to select ingredients which are in season and local if you can - not only will you be bringing some environmentally friendly elements to your day but your guests will appreciate the seasonal and local touches and you should hopefully help to keep costs down and your dishes will be fresh, current and tasty

- Communicate with your caterers and make sure that your full menu compliments each course - its amazing how many times we see canapes and starters which clash with the main course or the evening food - think about the day as a whole and take their advice on a well balance menu for the whole day

- Make sure the pudding compliments your wedding cake - there little point in having a chocolate dessert if your wedding cake choice is chocolate.

- If you are working to a budget you could ditch the dessert and use your wedding cake and have that cut down and serve with a Chantilly cream or coulis. This could save on costs. Or, why not opt for a cheese wedding cake which can be cut down and served after the wedding breakfast or in the evening with a selection of breads and fruits in a lovely display - you can even add to the cheese wedding cake with soft cheeses in the kitchen - best not to have soft cheeses as part of the cheese wedding cake display as they can become too soft when on display and look unsightly.

- If you are choosing canapes during your drinks reception, think about how many you should serve to your guests based on (budget of course) how much time they will have to wait before they will be served their wedding breakfast - this is particularly important if you are planning to have your speeches before the meal is served as guests will be waiting long and guests don't like to wait to be fed! If you are giving them too much to drink and not enough to eat this is a recipe for disaster - especially in hot weather. We would suggest that 4-5 canapes per person for a 60-90 minute drinks reception or if you are planning on keeping them waiting for a little longer then increase by another 2 per person. Have a good selection and make sure you have plenty of non alcoholic drinks on offer as well such as an Elderflower presse or non alcoholic punch or sparkling waters with fresh cordials and fruits

- Think about presentation and how the food will be presented to your guests. Ask your caterers how the food will arrive to the table ie will all the vegetables be plated on the same plate or will this arrive separately - how much room will you need on the tables? If you are restricted for space then avoid having separate vegetable bowls arriving and ask if this can all be presented neatly on the same plate

- If you can't decide on a single pudding to end your meal (or this can even work well with starters too) how about a duo or a trio - smaller portions but a well balanced selection of dishes for your guests. This can also work well on a tapaps/mezze style of dining for your guests so rather than a single plated dish why not serve your guests 3 or 4 smaller starters each which guests select from passing around the tables. This works well for breaking the ice with guests who may not know each other so well

- There is nothing to say that you can't offer different puddings - one for the ladies and one for the gents? That's a good way to offer something different.

We hope you find this useful for your own wedding - we would love to hear your comments

Above all - eat well and enjoy!

Photo credit - Creative Catering

Lulworth Castle wedding - including the sheep!

2011-06-02T10:55:00.000+01:00

On the 13th May 2011 we had the great pleasure of seeing all of our hard work on our first wedding at Lulworth Castle, Dorset come together. We had been looking after one of our lovely couples, Scotty and Ian, for around 6 months and we had started work for them with a venue search during which time Scott and Ian settled on Lulworth Castle. Lulworth Castle - for those of you who don't know this venue - is a stunning 17th century castle set in beautiful grounds in the deepest Dorset countryside. It was originally built as a hunting lodge and became a country house at the centre of a large estate.

The outside of the Castle now

Photo credit - Columbia Photography

The exterior of the Castle has changed little over the years but a fire in 1929 gutted the interior but the ruin was beautifully restored by the Department of the Environment and completed by English Heritage and re-opened in 1998. On-line you can see images of the interior before the fire and whilst the interior has been restored beautifully I do love to look at these pictures to see what life was like inside the Castle as a hunting lodge and the differences now when the venue is set up for a wedding. Its wonderful for others to share this space for their wedding but it must have been such a beautiful place to be pre-fire too!

The Saloon as it was pre-fire in 1929 - now this room is used for wedding ceremonies and celebrations and we will feature photographs soon of how this room now looks dressed for a ceremony

Photo credit - www.lulworth.com

We had great fun working with Scotty and Ian and bringing to them lots of venue suggestions to fit their brief and this ticked all the boxes for them. We were instructed that lambs had to be part of the day and as you will see with pictures to follow in future blogs on the wedding - lambs were very much part of the day!

Guests got to enjoy pre-wedding drinks at the Weld Arms just outside the Castle gates and a wonderful day in the Castle with a sumptuous meal, speeches and dancing with lots of personal touches throughout the day. The bride and groom and guests then stayed locally in the most wonderful property - The Lindens - for post wedding celebrations. We thoroughly enjoyed being part of this wedding - having worked with the couple from the beginning to locate their venue, to helping with supplier sourcing and structuring the day and co-ordinating throughout the day right until all of the formalities had been concluded.

We worked with some wonderful suppliers who made the day such a success including Paul Pinnock and his team at Lulworth, Tony Beales and his team from Beales Gourmet on the catering side, John Howarth from Columbia photography and the talented team from Parkwood Flowers who made the venue look even more beautiful to name just a few.

Keep watching for images of this wedding - can't wait to share more with you!

What a glorious day for William, Kate and the Country

2011-05-05T18:58:00.000+01:00

Image courtesy of our-india.com

What a amazing day we have all had the pleasure of being able to share. Friday 29th April 2011 saw the world watching the elegant and graceful Kate Middleton marry Prince William at Westminster Abbey, London. In the excitement of the few days running up to the special day we were lucky enough to have been interviewed by Wave 105 Radio Station to give our take on what the day would be like and what effect the wedding would have on the wedding industry as a whole.

The world was watching for that all important first glimpse of THAT dress - and whilst some would say that Kate's dress was along the lines of what the world was expecting- I don't think that anyone can deny that Kate looked very much the elegant and perfect princess and astonished the world with her natural and seemingly effortless beauty. She was radiant and beaming with happiness and did not appear to be at all nervous about the huge day which was ahead of her.

The dress was a stunning Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen creation with sheer full length lace sleeves and an elegant yet perfectly suitable V neck line. What the world may not have been expecting was such a full skirt. Kate has such a slight and delicate frame that most people were expecting a straighter skirt. For a Royal bride however the fuller skirt was very much appropriate and Regal. There were only a few opportunities to see a beautiful Victorian style bustle on the back which brought some twists to the dress which was altogether very Grace Kelly.

Image courtesy of myvisitingcard.com

Kate wore a stunning full length veil and was lucky enough to have been loaned (by the Queen no less!) a stunning (yet perfectly understated) tiara to finish her look. Her bouquet contained Lily of the Valley and Sweet William and was a very simple shower design in the rough shape of a shield. We would say that perhaps the bouquet was just a little too on the small side and appeared a little insignificant and she could have gone for something a little larger although the actual flowers used were perfect and did not detract from the beauty of the dress or Kate herself. The simple flowers in Kate's sister Pippa's hair and in the buttonholes were all taken from the same flowers in Kate's bouquet. Simple and understated.

When we first saw the pictures in the Abbey and throughout the footage of Kate being guided so beautifully along the long red carpet aisle we could see that the Abbey had been lined with tall maple trees which had Lilly of the Valley and wild strawberry plants in the base. These looked stunning and whilst us wedding planners are used to bringing in large trees and plants for added wow factor for receptions (particularly marquees) and civil ceremonies its not so much done in a Church ceremony - probably because not all of us are lucky enough to get married in such a grand Cathedral! However, we think that we will see a fashion of couples looking to introduce similar looks into their Church ceremonies. Friendly Vicars and Ministers may oblige! Smaller versions in place of or in addition to pew ends could certainly work we think and could be a common occurance for weddings to come. The flowers in the Abbey were also very simply with a lot of greenery and large heads of hyndrengea and, together with the simplicity of Kate's bouquet and the rest of the bridal flowers, we think we could see a return to less extravagent floral arrangements and more use of greenery and bringing the outdoors indoors.

Kate held herself amazingly well all throughout the day. She was poised and elegant and looked very Regal and hugely experienced at huge occasions such as this but she is very much not! Goodness only knows how much training she has had to get to this point or perhaps she is just a natural at this and its a sign of things to come. We loved the fact that Kate had a very "non Royal" wave - choosing instead to wave engergetically and meaningfully to her crowds of adoring public. She also did not hold back on her clear delight at the crowds outside the Abbey cheering at the important points of the ceremony - she smiled whenever that happened. And what about the "WOW" when she saw the crowds outside Buckingham Palace when they came out to deliver those kisses - good for you Kate. Long may that continue.

Almost 2,000 guests graced the Abbey and 650 people were then invited to Buckingham Palace for a champagne and canape reception hosted by the Queen. We think that this style of layout for the day could catch on for future couples- an earlier ceremony (and more Church ceremonies expected in the future as well) followed by a less formal champagne and canape reception immediately afterwards and then moving on to another venue for a later evening formal seated wedding breakfast. Kate and William's was hosted at Clarence House by Prince Charles. Following that, a more fun and very late night dancing reception then followed. Maybe we will see couples following these ideas.

Image courtesy of nollywoodgossip.net.

Fiona Cairns with her stunning cake creation for the Royal bride

We also think that couples may try to introduce a Regal feel with more use of brass band music/trumpet music into a ceremony. We have one couple who already came up with this idea for a wedding this summer and we can't wait to see this on the day. We have arranged for the local town brass band to come along and a solo trumpeteer will play a bridal march for the bride to walk up the aisle to and will then accompany the congregation during the hymns. They will also play the guests in and the bride and groom out - perhaps this will also become a popular addition to future weddings.

The whole day went so smoothly - organised with military precision and left a real lump in the throat for even the biggest wedding cynic! Come on - even you guys enjoyed it - admit it! It was an opportunity for we Brits to show the world how its best done. We do all the pomp and ceremony better than anyone else and it made us feel proud to be British.

Kate and William introduced their own fun elements to the day such as stealing that second kiss, the open top Aston Martin with balloons and tin cans and two wedding cakes - one for him and one for her. So, its true to say that even with the huge constraints which are upon couples when planning weddings you can still sneak in some elements which truly reflect sides of your personalities - very few people would ever have to face the restrictions which Kate and William would have had to face but still they managed to put their own stamp on proceedings.

We truly hope that this amazing day in history watched and envied by all the world will spur on people to get married and to get excited about it and take some of the elements from this Royal occasion into their wedding day. So much planning will have gone into making this wedding so special and if you need help and advice and a free consultation to discuss your own wedding plans (if Kate and Williams has got you completely gripped with wedding fever!) then please call us on 01202 533014 or visit our website and we would be delighted to meet with you to discuss the tailored services which we offer.

We have reached the finals!

2011-04-21T09:51:00.000+01:00

Yes its true - we are very happy bunnies over at Bellissimo and Simply Events! Last week we were delighted to discover that we had been shortlisted to reach the finals of the Langtry Manor Business Woman Awards 2011 in the category of Small Business of the Year. This award is sponsored by The Federation of Small Businesses and they are looking for a small business with a big attitude to business! Well - we think that's definitely us as we have had a big attitude to making it in business from day 1! Bellissimo is in its third busy year and Simply Events, the sister company, was launched at the end of 2010.

Bellissimo is a wedding planning business which concentrates on helping couples plan amazing and unique weddings and Simply Events concentrates on private and corporate event planning for individuals and businesses. Both businesses were started by Melanie Kiani and Bellissimo was launched in September of 2008. Both businesses were started single handedly without the recourse to any form of borrowing or assistance and started in the dining room! Business has grown from a complete standing start after a lot of effort and research and months of planning in advance. Business is tough in the market which we are all currently working in so probably not the best time to start a business - but when is?! Melanie has worked hard over the last 3 years to create a good business platform and profile in the local community and has taken on a student, Frances, from the local University Events Management Degree for her placement year to help her on her way into future business. Frances herself was nominated and shortlisted as a semi finalist in the Business Woman of the Future category in these awards which was a great achievement for a young business woman. So, the hopes for the future is that both Bellissimo and Simply Events will continue to grow and build on the good relationship which has been created over the past three years.

The Langtry Manor Business Woman Awards were set up to reward the achievement of women in business in the local area. There are 11 award categories this year in total all sponsored by female friendly businesses - two of them are voted by the public.

The awards dinner where the winners will be announced is taking place on 19th May at The Langtry Manor in Bournemouth and we are really looking forward to being there on the night and are thrilled to have been placed in this category as one of the finalists alongside two other very worthy finalists.

We will keep you posted on the results but whatever happens we are pleased to in the running! Thank you to Tara Howard of The Langtry Manor and PPR Media Solutions who have put these awards together for the past two years and are clearly doing a great job in recognising and rewarding the strong place which women in business have in the local area.

Wish us luck

The WIBN Sunflower Ball - Friday 17th June 2011

2011-04-20T15:02:00.000+01:00

We are delighted to bring you some news of an upcoming event this June in the beautiful town of Poole, Dorset. In aid of the fantastic Lewis Manning Hospice and teamed with The Women In Business Network the "Sunflower Ball "is an early summer event not to be missed.

Arranged by our sister company Simply Events The Sunflower Ball will be held at The RNLI Lifeboat College in Poole on Friday 17th June 2011 which is a striking and contemporary building overlooking Poole Harbour.

The Lewis Manning Hospice is Poole's voluntary hospice offering specialist palliative nursing care to around 650 local people living with cancer and other life threatening illnesses. The hospice receives around a 1/3 of the necessary funding from NHS Bournemouth and Poole the rest they have to raise themselves they currently need to raise in excess of £50,000 a month to cover running costs. Time to Care is a recent appeal from the Lewis Manning Hospice to raise £2.5million to build a new facility that will enhance existing services of the day hospice.

We are delighted to be associated with this event and the plans are well under way. Please join us from 6.30pm for a Pimms drinks reception on the terrace over looking the water. After enjoying the wonderful scenery you will be treated to a three course meal with wine followed by coffee and petit fours. Get your dancing shoes ready to dance the night away to a DJ and some wonderful Big Band Entertainment. If you fancy yourself as a bit of a fun gambler try your luck at the fun gaming tables. To ensure we raise the most money possible for this fantastic charity we will also be running a raffle and auction throughout the evening but most of all this will be an evening of fabulous fun and entertainment.

Sunflower wedding inspiration board inspired by the plans which we have underway for The Sunflower Ball - 17th June 2011

Use this as an opportunity to entertain clients or staff or just an excuse to get those glad rags out and have a nice evening with friends or family. You can make a night of it too by booking one of the RNLI College's newly refurbished rooms and enjoy a leisurely breakfast the following morning with a water view.

For more information please contact us or to reserve your table/tickets please do so as soon as possible by contact Diane on 0845 521 2324 or email diane@wibn.co.uk

Full details of the event can be viewed on the dedicated webpage The Sunflower Ball Website

Images courtesy of-

Sunflower table- weddingo.co.uk

Shoes-getmarried.com

Collage-primadonabrides.co.za

Candy Buffet Table-designedbyyourstruly.blogspot.com

Bride and Bridesmaids-wedding-splendor.com

Invites-mypersonalartist.com

Cake-weddingandcakes.com

Sunflower field-myweddingsandmore.com

Cupcakes-queenofartscakes.blogspot.com

Wedding table setting-bride.ca

Royal Wedding Timings Announced

2011-04-15T16:38:00.000+01:00

The all important timetable for the forthcoming Royal Wedding on 29th April 2011 have been formally announced - in typical Royal fashion its very specific and it should most certainly run exactly to time!

So, get hanging out that bunting and planning your special wedding celebration - here is how the day will unfold:

Image courtesy of kateandwilliamwedding.info

The following timings have been confirmed for the royal wedding day on 29 April:

Between 0815 BST and 0945 BST - The general congregation will arrive at the Great North Door of Westminster Abbey.

From 0950 BST - Prime Ministers and Governors-General of various Commonwealth countries, the Diplomatic Corps and other guests arrive at the Abbey.

1010 BST - Prince William and Prince Harry leave Clarence House for Westminster Abbey.

1015 BST - Prince William and Prince Harry arrive at the Abbey.

1020 BST - Members of foreign royal families arrive at Westminster Abbey from Buckingham Palace.

1020 BST - Kate Middleton's mother, Carole, and brother, James, leave the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey.

1025 BST - Minor members of the Royal Family leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey.

1035 BST - The Duke of York and his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, leave for Westminster Abbey along with the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Princess Royal and Vice-Admiral Timothy Laurence.

1038 BST - The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall leave Clarence House for Westminster Abbey.

1040 BST - The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey.

1048 BST - The bridesmaids and pages leave the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey.

1051 BST - The bride, accompanied by her father Michael, leaves the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey.

1100 BST - The marriage service begins and is relayed by speakers along the route.

1215 BST - The carriage procession of the bride and bridegroom with a captain's escort of the Household Cavalry, followed by The Queen's procession with a sovereign's escort of the Household Cavalry, leaves Westminster Abbey for Buckingham Palace.

1230 BST - The bride's carriage procession arrives at Buckingham Palace.

1240 BST - Members of the Royal Family and members of foreign royal families arrive at Buckingham Palace.

1325 BST - The Queen and the bride and bridegroom, together with their families, appear on the balcony.

1330 BST - Fly past by the Royal Air Force and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Information courtesy of bbc.co.uk

How will you be celebrating? We would love to hear all about your plans. We are planning a family day with the girlies - house all to be decked out with lots of appropriate decorations, pink fizz on the go and lots of yummy food for a lovely lunch and watching the events unfold.

Enjoy it - could be a long wait for the next one!

x

Ceremony timings to be lifted

2011-04-04T11:32:00.000+01:00

Couples who wish to marry under the stars in the moonlight maybe just maybe are about to have their wish granted with the ban on night time weddings being lifted.

Current laws in the UK (The Marriage Act 1836) state that a wedding ceremony has to take place between the hours of 8am and 6pm. The Church of England rules are not intended to be changed but it appears that civil ceremony restrictions are possibly set to be removed under the new proposals which are part of Protection of Freedoms Bill. These changes will allow marriages to take place 24 hours a day in England and Wales and will also apply to civil partnerships.

There are currently not the same time restrictions in Scotland. The changes are expected to boost the demand for evening civil weddings especially during the summer months

Although England has a long way to go before they match up to the 24 hour weddings of Las Vegas - the new proposals will not allow last minute weddings as you get at the chapels in Las Vegas as at least 15 days notice will will be required.

(Image courtesy of bbc.co.uk)

What do you think about these proposed changes. Do you fellow planners think they will be popular? In reality we wonder how keen Registars will be to perform ceremonies at midnight and how much it will actually cost people to have a Registar come out to perform a ceremony at that time? There are all kinds of practical implications involved with having ceremonies at unusual times but as planners we would welcome the opportunity to work with couples who want a wedding which is out of the ordinary - it could make for more creative and unique weddings.

Perhaps the general public don't understand that you CAN have a ceremony event now at any time of the day or night and at whatever venue you wish by having your legal ceremony perhaps with just the bride and groom with two witnesses in your jeans the day before your "wedding" - here you say the legal vows but you don't event need to exchange rings. You can there hire a bespoke ceremony company/celebrant who will write a personal ceremony for you (with or without your involvement) and you can have that ceremony in front of your family and friends, exchange rings, say whatever you like and you are not bound by the restrictions of the laws we have in this country. Maybe generally its not well known enough yet that this kind of service exists and perhaps a change in the law is not really needed - just better promotion of ceremony companies and more promotion from local Councils of that service rather than a change in the law. Will a change in the law put ceremony companies out of business?

William and Kate get his 'n' hers wedding cakes

2011-04-04T10:53:00.000+01:00

Well will this be the first of many wedding fashions which will follow after the Royal nuptials in April? The Times reported on Sunday (yes I am a day late - I usually get to read the Sunday papers some time on a Monday evening!) that Kate and William will each have their own choice of cake for their wedding. Now this is not a new idea by any stretch but not something that we see an awful lot - but perhaps during latter part of 2011 and into 2012 brides and grooms will follow suit and cake designers will be asked to produce two different cakes for weddings - great business for them!

The official wedding cake chosen by Kate is reported to be a multi-tiered traditional fruit cake in white and ivory and is being embelished with lots of handmade sugarpaste flowers to incorporate some ideas which Kate has had and is being made by cake designer Fiona Cairns.

William on the other hand has requested McVities make him a cake based on a childhood love for Rich Tea biscuits - can't wait to see how that turns out - how different.

We would love to hear your ideas for his and her wedding cakes - maybe traditional vs cupcakes or fruit vs chocolate or something decedent. What about real cheese cake vs something ultra sweet. Let us know if you have had this at your wedding.

For the full story go to the story from The Telegraph

Cupcake Camp Bournemouth 2011

2011-03-29T10:40:00.000+01:00

We are very excited to bring you news of the wonderful event 'Cupcake Camp' taking place on Saturday April 2nd 2011 2pm-5pm in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support. We were asked a few weeks ago to help with the last stages of planning this event and were happy to donate our services for this gteat cause. This is billed as the UKs second cupcake camp following the first in London last year and the line up looks really exciting for all the family.

Margaret Hitchman of Cake Heaven in Bournemouth has organised a family fun day filled with lots of exciting activities, exhibitors, music, arts and crafts, photography booth and of course plenty of cupcakes!

Dozens of top bakers from Dorset, Somerset and as far as London are coming together on a great big bake off to enter their cupcakes into 1 or 14 different categories which will be judged. There are categories for Royal Wedding cupcake, Best of British, one for the boys and many more - no doubt there will be lots of creative ways of bakers putting their own spin on the categories.

The most exciting news is that award winning cake designer Zoe Clark of The Cake Parlour, London will be coming along to help to judge the competitions and will be on hand during the day with her books which can be purchased and signed personally by Zoe. She will also be showing some of her fantastic cake designs and on hand to speak to with any of your cake questions. What a treat! Thank you to Zoe for agreeing to support this event and take part. For more information on Zoe Clark please see her www.zoeclarkcakes.com or her new shop The Cake Parlour www.thecakeparlour.com

(image courtesy of lulubellescakes.com who are just one of the bakers taking part )

With over 30 cupcake bakers to choose from you really will be spoilt for choice. Entrance to the event is free and you will be able to 'buy' vouchers for £1 in order to get your hands on some yummy cupcakes there is no maximum or minimum amount so why not spoil yourself and all the family. Mothers Day is the day after too so this is a great time to select your favourites, get them gift boxed and wrapped in some lovely ribbons all ready to give your Mum on Sunday!

(image courtesy of icemaidencakes.com who are also taking part)

(image courtesy of cakeheaven.webs)

For more information please visit the website of Cupcake Camp Bournemouth.

Hope to see you there to enjoy a great day. Everyone should eat cake!

x

Happy St Patricks Day

2011-03-17T12:58:00.000Z

To all you Irish lovelies out there Happy St Patricks Day! And to all those out celebrating today, and enjoying a glass or two of Guinness or just a good Irish Whiskey - enjoy! I couldn't help but create a St Patricks Day inspired wedding board

Images Courtesy of:

Garter- juliansmith.wordpress.com

Wedding Favors- talkcraftytome.com

Flowers-flora2000.com

Button Hole- lizimages.blogspot.com

Shoes-marigoldevents.com

Name Cards-weddinic.com

Collage-polyvore.com

Dessert Table-manolobrides.com

Table Setting- manolobrides.com

Bridesmaids- www.thefairamountbride.typepad.com

Cupcakes-harbourandjones.com

Frances Edwards

x

Could resist jumping on the bandwagon with this one....

2011-03-08T14:38:00.005Z

Yes we know that the world has gone Royal Wedding crazy and people will be a little sick of it by the time the day comes but Frances could not resist putting together this lovely montage of images which made her feel all "Royal Weddingy"

Enjoy

x

Photos courtesy of-
Teacup strawberries- 5starweddingdirectory.com
Invitations- modern-wedding-ideas.co.uk
Cupcakes-crumbsanddollies.blogspot.com
Shoes-letsbuyit.com
Flowers-arenaflowers.com
VW-omgimgettingmarried.com
Bunting-blog.bohoweddingsandevents.com
Keep Calm & Get Married-misi.co.uk
Bow-weddingspot.co.uk
Stand up invites- blog.bohoweddingsandevents.com
London bus- lisadawn.co.uk

The Carlton Wedding Fayre - Sunday 20th February 2011

2011-03-08T10:19:00.000Z

We were delighted to work again with Menzies Carlton Hotel over looking Bournemouth's sea front on Sunday 20th February for their spring Wedding Fayre. Held from 11am-4pm it was jam packed with some of the finest wedding suppliers in Dorset.

A big thank you goes to the wonderful Ian Hamilton who took time out to photograph the show for us and has provided us with the images within this blog. Ian describes his photography style as "discreet" believing that a wedding day should be captured quietly and sympathetically creating a storybook of memories. For more information on Ian and his fantastic photography please visit his website.

Couples had a really impressive 31 exhibitors over three different rooms at the hotel to enjoy and were treated to a glass of bubbly and canapes on arrival. Another thank you has to go to Party Proppers Plus Party Proppers Plus who set up The Causerie suite to showcase what it could look like for a wedding breakfast. They are the perfect contact if you're looking for some venue decorations from balloon arrangements to fairy lights also they can help to create some beautiful wedding stationery.

It really was a case of having everything under one roof from a selection of fabulous photographers, florist, gift list services, casino, chair covers, wedding rings and a DJ to name but a few. All those that we managed to talk to after their visit to the exhibitors were bursting full of ideas for their big day.

Whilst at the fayre couples were given the chance to enter a prize draw to win a selection of fantastic prizes.

Prizes were:

- A sumptuous 2 course meal for two and a bottle of house wine in the Fredericks Restaurant at The Carlton Hotel followed by a one night stay at the Hotel and a delicious full English breakfast the following morning.

- Beautiful bouquet of flowers courtesy of On The Wild Side Florist

- An engagement style portrait shoot plus print credit with a combined value of £200 courtesy of Andy Rapkins Photography.

Gemma Rowlands - happy to win the bouquet of flowers prize

A big thank you goes to the staff at The Carlton Hotel and to all those who came along to exhibit without you we wouldn't be able to put together such wonderful and informative wedding fayres. Also once again thank you to Ian Hamilton.

If you missed this fayre we have another coming up on Saturday 12th March at The RNLI Lifeboat College in Poole from 11am-4pm free entry and free parking. Come along and visit a large choice of contemporary suppliers to help put together your wedding day. This is beautiful and unique waterside venue. Also on the day there will be a selection of presentations on a number of wedding topics giving you hints and tips to ensure your day is perfect which you can book in for in advance. Check our facebook/Twitter for a full schedule which will be published in the next few days.

UKAWP-The Wedding Sanctuary

2011-03-08T10:08:00.000Z

The UKAWP Wedding Sanctuary is to be held on Sunday 20th March 2011 at the stunning Somerset House.

The Wedding Sanctuary is a show designed to offer top design inspiration, personal style advice and the best one on one planning support available. Top names in wedding world will be on hand to answer any burning wedding day questions alongside some of the fabulous UKAWP Wedding Planners. With something for the bride and groom is really is going to be a superb event.

Bellissimo's own Melanie Kiani has been asked to present at The Wedding Sanctuary and is very delighted to have been given the opportunity. She will be providing a short presentation on how to get the best out of your wedding suppliers. There are lots of presentations going on throughout the day so a great opportunity for brides and grooms to learn lots of helpful advice for planning their wedding.

A taster of the fabulous people showcasing their work at The Wedding Sanctuary.

For more information and to purchase tickets visit The Wedding Sanctuary website. Or see below for further details.

Bournemouth to be the first for UK beach weddings

2011-03-08T09:51:00.001Z

Melanie was delighted to receive a call from a journalist last week who wanted to chat with her about the plans for Bournemouth to be the first town in the UK to offer the opportunity for couples to actually have a civil wedding ceremony on the beach. Today, all the nationals are featuring the story and Melanie is delighted to have been quoted in various features.

How exciting for Bournemouth! Provided that planning permission is granted, the town will have a luxury cream coloured beach hut to serve as a "chapel" which will be located right on the beach so couples will be able to feel the sand between their toes whilst getting married and their guests would be positioned just outside the beach hut on the sand - either standing or seated to suit the couple.

When Melanie chatted to the journalist about these exciting plans for Dorset she asked what the plan was if the weather was unkind. We understand that the plans would be for the Council to work in conjunction with local hotels and venues so that a "bad weather plan" can be in place as back up as the beach hut would not be big enough to house guests in the event that the weather is unkind.

We think this is a great development for Bournemouth and will offer an opportunity for couples to actually have a civil marriage ceremony on the sand. At the present time there are alternatives available by having the legal marriage ceremony performed in a licensed venue and then moving down to the beach for a re-affirmation of vows or a blessing from a civil celebrant but this will present couples a chance to actually marry on the sand. The Council say that they receive around 60 enquiries a year for real beach weddings.

Let us know what you think - do you think this will prove popular in Bournemouth? We would love to hear from you!

To read the full story in The Guardian please follow this link The Guardian

Your wedding during the Olympics?

2011-02-16T19:22:00.000Z

Newly engaged couples will now be starting to think about setting a date and if it is set to be in the summer of 2012 my tip to you is book super duper early! We have recently been asked to look after a few couples whose weddings will be taking place in the middle of the Olympics! With this happening it shouldn't put you off your dream 2012 summer wedding it will just take a tiny bit more thought and you can always look into alternatives for transport and accommodation.

(photo courtesy of theguardian.co.uk)

Official dates for the 2012 games are 27th July -12th August 2012, however for much of the time leading up to it and a while afterwards England is set to go Olympics crazy. The application for Olympics tickets opens on Tuesday 15th March 2011 and will be open for six weeks closing 11.59pm on Tuesday 26th April 2011.

(image courtesy of h3sean.com)

If you have guests traveling from afar for your wedding, hotel accommodation should be high on your wedding planning list of priority however you could go for something a little different as far as guest accommodation goes if you struggle to get space need to where your guests need to stay. If your wedding is London based or Dorset based because of the sailing events taking place in Weymouth you need to think on this very early. Considering it is summer how about going for a little bit of a festival twist and think about hiring tipi or bell tent for your wedding. These days its very much "posh" camping!

(images courtesy of Honeybells tent hire)

These tents from Dorset based company Honey bells can be hired furnished or unfurnished sleeping up to 6 or 8 people. With a few different hiring prices and different packages available they really could be a perfect way of solving your accommodation worries in a very unique way also it can ensure your wedding isn't just one day but a whole weekend event and definitely something that will be remembered for a long time to come.

(image courtesy of lovemydress.typepad.com)

If transportation is a worry why not hire in transport that will ensure all your guests get to the venue on time. Whether that transport be just basic mini buses from a local hire company or you could treat your guests to a a stylish ride in a personalised wedding bus.

(image courtesy of ThisBus.com)

So, if you have the summer of 2012 in mind for your big day don't let the Olympics stand in your way. With a bit of thought it really doesn't need to be a problem and you can have everything on your list that you would like.

Frances Edwards

Bellissimo Weddings - a selection from 2010 weddings

2011-02-10T11:42:00.001Z

We thought we would post to the blog a selection of the wonderful weddings and events we have had the pleasure of working on with some lovely couples and fabulous venues during 2010

Stunning Wedding of Dave & Caroline in Gloucestershire

(images courtesy of Jennifer Sinclair Photography)

The vintage inspired wedding of Andrew & Ina

(images courtesy of Angela Ward Brown)

Bringing Las Vegas to Bournemouth for the wedding of Kate & Andy.

(images courtesy of Picture This Photographer)

Nick & Mel's stylish black ivory wedding in Christchurch

(images courtesy of Columbia Photography)

Anna & Nico's wedding enjoying the outdoors - down on the farm

Beautiful seaside & lime wedding of Paul & Helen

(images courtesy of Amanda Clay Photography)

Wedding & Lifestyle at The Italian Villa October 2010

(images courtesy of Ina Halsor Photography)

Lots more to post from this year's weddings as soon as the season gets underway.

Enjoy!

Frances x

Valentines Day Inspiration Board

2011-02-09T11:49:00.001Z

With Valentines Day just around the corner shops are brimming with red and pink. From beautiful cards to stunning bouquets of flowers. It really is the perfect reason to spoil the one you love this weekend. Whether it is a romantic night away for 2, a romantic dinner at a top restaurant or just a takeaway with a few glasses of bubbly in front of the TV at home everyone does romance in their own special way.

We thought we would put together a romantic Valentines Day inspiration board to give you some ideas:

Everyone wishes to pick the perfect valentines gifts yet sometimes it is difficult to find something extra special. As a thought why not think about your loved one's favorite hobbies and incorporate this in someway on Valentines day, whether that be his love of cars or her love of spas!

For romantic break inspiration take a look at our blog on romantic getaways also posted today

Go on - spoil each other!

Frances Edwards
Bellissimo

x

images courtesy of-
LOVE- pomegranate.me.uk
Cakes- fabuloussavings.co.uk
Roses-morts-missings.co.uk
Chocolates-saint-valentines.co.uk
Jam-lisslouandthe2littleboys.com
Cupcakes-thoughtfullysimple.com
Love hearts- lovepeaks.net
Valentines Card-etsy.com
Cookies-cookieheartshow.com
Moet- existern-am.com

Valentines Inspiration- Romantic Dorset Breaks.

2011-02-09T11:43:00.001Z

With Valentines day just around the corner we thought you may like to be tempted with a few ideas of somewhere in Dorset where you can steal some romantic time away with your loved one - come on boys - treat your lady and you will earn some HUGE brownie points!

5 Valentines Break Ideas In Dorset

Why not treat the one you love to a romantic night away in one of Dorset's beautiful hotels. With breaks to suit all budgets and style its the perfect location to spend this Valentines.

1. The Chewton Glen Hotel- The Luxury Choice - yes please!

Set in the heart of the beautiful New Forest this luxurious 5* boutique hotel is the perfect way to show someone how much you love them this Valentines day. Together with Laurent-Perrier they have created the perfect overnight stay:

Chilled bottle of Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé and pink macaroons in the room on arrival
5 Course "Menu Gourmand" Valentines Dinner with selected wines to accompany each course
Overnight accommodation in your chosen romantic bedroom or suite
Next morning enjoy breakfast served in your room with a 1/2 bottle of Laurent-Perrier Brut champagne
Full use of the award-winning spa and leisure facilities
A late check-out at 4pm, plenty of time to relax - and also put on your bathrobes and indulge in the spa
Departure gift of hand-made Chewton Glen chocolates for the journey home
Service and VAT

Prices from £384.50 per person, based on two people sharing a bronze room with shower

Bronze Room with Bath - £825.00
Silver Room - £903.00
Gold Room or Junior Suite - £974.00
Suite - £1,096.00
Duplex Suite - £1,239.00
Master Suite - £1,471.00

Picturesque Chewton Glen Hotel (image courtesy of theguardian.co.uk)

2. The Greenhouse Hotel,Bournemouth- for the "green minded" couples

This 4* boutique hotel set in the heart of Bournemouth and claims itself to be he greenest hotel in the UK. The hotel opened in November 2010 and has been awarded "Small Hotel Of The Year" at The Bournemouth Tourism Awards. Indulge yourself this Valentines day with life's simple pleasures in this award winning eco-chic hotel. Your Valentines package will include a glass of champagne on arrival before being shown to your beautiful room. By evening enjoy a cocktail in the stylish hotel bar followed by a delectable nine course taster menu. With food prepared by the talented Scottish chef Gordon Jones, who is a true creative genius working alongside the hotel ethos to create stunning dishes incorporating local ingredients which are where possible free range and organic. Enjoy this stunning meal with wine from The Greenhouse Hotels carbon footprint measured wine list. The next morning indulge yourself with breakfast in bed and a late checkout of 1pm.

This wonderful "Valentines Romance" package is price from £140pp and is available Saturday 12th February and Valentines Day Monday 14th February and includes one nights accomodation is a large double bedroom, champagne on arrival, complimentary cocktail before the wonderful 9 course taster menu and full English breakfast.

The Greenhouse Hotel

One of their Master Double rooms

3.The Captains Club Hotel,Christchurch- for the modern stylish couple

On the banks of the River Stour on Christchurch Quay this contemporary 4* boutique hotel and spa is everything you would expect from a modern luxury hotel. A perfect location just a short walk from historic Christchurch with some lovely boutique shops and ten minutes from Bournemouth Town Centre and Bournemouth airport. With a twice awarded AA rosette hotel enjoy a romantic meal in the restaurant overlooking the River Stour.

This Valentines day The Captains Club have put together a package to enable you to get the most out of this fabulous sophisticated hotel. Enjoy a four course dinner in the award winning Tides Restaurant with dancing to some beautiful live music for £65 per person. An if you are looking to spoil yourself a little bit more why not indulge in an over night stay. For £325 per couple you will stay in a luxurious river facing room where you will find half a bottle of chilled champagne on arrival by evening enjoy a four course dinner and dancing. Next morning not only will you enjoy a lovely breakfast but also take time to relax in the hydrotherapy pool in spa.

The Stylish Captains Club Hotel
(image courtesy of activehotels.com)

4. The Chocolate Boutique Hotel- for the couple with a sweet tooth

A fabulous chocolate themed hotel set in a beautiful Grade II listed building, situated in Bournemouth's Soho Quarter this hotel has 13 unique chocolate themed rooms that can accommodate up to 25 people. The hotel are offering a number of Valentines packages this year.

A one night stay for two on Saturday 12th February or a one night stay for two on Monday 14th February, stay includes:

Chocolate fountain
A bottle of award winning Cava
2 chocolate cocktails
500g chocolate slab with personalised message
2 places on our Valentines Special Chocolate Workshop

Arriving at the hotel you will be greeted and taken to your room where you can enjoy a cold bottle of bubbly and a chocolate fountain followed by a chocolate workshop the chocolatier will teach you about the magical history of chocolate from the very beginning to how we consume it today.

Then taking a moulded heart you’ll pipe on a personal message before learning the process of making Belgian truffles with live demonstrations using raw ingredients. The course will last between 2 and 2.5 hours, where you will get hands on learning the skills to mix, pipe, cut, shape, coat and package your scrumptious chocolate truffles.You will create around 30-50 truffles. That’s about half a kilo of finished chocolate. In the evening head down for a cocktail or two from the automated cocktail machine or indulge in a handmade chocolate cocktail. The rest of the evening is yours to enjoy and the hotel have a restaurant recommendation list filled with the finest restaurants Bournemouth has to offer. Price for this package is £200 per couple or £250 if you wish to upgrade to a luxury suite.

The Chocolate Boutique Hotel
(image courtesy of asiarooms.com)

5. The Hallmark Hotel Bournemouth- for the seaside lovers

Just a short walk away from the beautiful Bournemouth coast the 4* Hallmark Hotel with wonderful leisure facilities is an ideal location for a Valentines break in a very convenient location. From just £70 per person based on two people sharing a double room you and your loved one can enjoy:

Full English Breakfast
Chocolates in your room on arrival
3 Course Dinner with a glass of sparkling wine
Complimentary plate of tapas per person
Complimentary use of the health and leisure facilities
10% off pre-booked spa treatments

The Hallmark Hotel Bournemouth
(image courtesy of hallmarkhotels.co.uk)

I hope this has helped all you love birds out there who are looking for the perfect way to spend Valentines day this year.Enjoy - especially if a surprise engagement is on the cards!

Frances Edwards
Bellissimo

Its all about the cake...

2011-01-31T22:51:00.001Z

The tradition of a wedding cake is believed to date back to the Medieval times. Originally made of wheat which was a symbol of fertility and prosperity. Since then it has evolved into something so much bigger with cakes now looking like stunning pieces of art with so many flavours to choose from it really does become such a huge decision in the wedding planning process.

(photo courtesy of cakesbylisanotely.co.uk)

Amazing chocolate fudge wedding cake by the talented Lisa Notley.

Melanie had this cake for her own wedding so can certainly vouch for how wonderful it was!

Traditional wedding cakes used to be one tiered with multi -tiered cakes reserved for English royalty. Now we see wedding cakes with all sorts of numbers of tiers with some elaborate creations. All the flavours you can imagine can now be used as the basis of these cakes.

As with everything cakes seem to go in and out of fashion Since the summer we have seen the increase in couples choosing alternatives to the traditional tiered wedding cake. Traditionally fruit based cakes with white icing was the choice for a wedding. However a good wedding cake creator can normally offer you a range of flavours - why not have each tier in a different flavour and maybe one in traditional fruit to keep for the future?

Cupcakes have seen a rise in popularity over the past few years and it still seems to be a choice for some brides for 2011 and 2012 weddings. It is a bit of a "Marmite" thing - either we find brides who are set on having a tower of cupcakes or during our initial consultation the conversation gets on to cakes and its a definite "no" to cupcakes with traditional cakes ruling the way!

(photo courtesey of foxs-cupcakes.co.uk)

Cupcake tower created by Fox's Cupcake Company.

Fox's Cupcake Company based in Dorset can create some delicious cupcakes in all manner of colours and flavors. In the image above you can see a selection of cupcakes in a tower with one tier of a traditional cake on top. To incorporate both the traditional and this new cupcake fashion this could be a good option.

(image courtesy of foxs-cupcakes.co.uk)

A wonderful cupcake tower with miniature and standard cupcakes coordinated with the couple color scheme and a traditional one tier cutting cake on top which is a good idea if you would still like to have the tradition cake cutting photograph/ceremony.

If your looking for something a bit different this is available in the form of alternative wedding cakes and other delightful treats! The Wedding Cheesecake Co will supply you with a cake but this is no ordinary cake it is one which is layers of cheese! For all you cheese lovers out there this is the perfect wedding item for you. It will give the guests something to talk about when they walk in and instead of seeing an iced cake they see a fabulous selection of cheeses, this can be taken and cut down in the kitchen to serve as an alternative to desert or perhaps a cheese course following desert or maybe used for your evening buffet served with a beautiful cascade of breads and olives and fruits. This can be a good way of saving some costs on the day.

(photo courtesy of theweddingcheesecakeco.com)

The Wedding Cheese Cake Co.

(photo courtesy of cakesicles.co.uk)

Another little idea- decadent miniature cakes on lolly sticks. Dipped in chocolate and coated in your choice of sprinkles or drizzles.

The Cupcake Boutique based in Dorset have introduced the Dorset wedding world to a little thing called "whoopie pies". Described as a sinfully sweet sandwich, these are an alternative to the fashionable cupcakes. They are sandwiches of cakes filled with cream or frosting. The Cupcake Boutique are offering five flavors currently consisting of: Vanilla, Chocolate, Lemon, Chocolate, Raspberry truffle and Passion fruit. Alternatively they will be happy to try out any new flavors you may have in mind.

(photo courtesy of thecupcake-boutique.co.uk)

The wonderfully colorful Whoopie Pies!

Cupcake & Co based in Poole Dorset can create stunning cupcakes with any of your ideas. Established in April 2009 by a mother and daughter team their cupcakes are of the highest standard and they are created with you in mind.

These cupcakes were created by Cupcake & Co for one of our brides in 2010. Lemon cupcakes with vanilla frosting and edible gold leaf. The bride and groom didn't want a traditional cake with cake cutting so decided on these elegant cupcakes that fitted in effortlessly with their vintage theme.

(photo courtesy of Cupcake & Co)

What about Louise Sinclair of award winning Dorset based Couture Cake Company who creates beautiful bespoke cakes designed to your specific needs. Also a patisserie queen Louise is perfect for all your event needs. After making cakes and other treats for friends and family Louise decided to turn this passion into a business and is in the process of completing all sorts of further certificates in sugar craft, patisserie, baking and confectionery.

A recent New York skyline cake created by Couture Cake Company for a surprise birthday party which we recently planned for one of our clients.

Fancy a cupcake in a jar? Or what about an apple pie flavored cupcake look no further than Lulubelles Cakes. Available in a huge array of flavors and themes they can create your dream cupcake selection.

Beautiful pastel cupcake tower from Lullabelles

Cupcake jars from Lullabelles- a possible wedding favor idea or just a lovely unique gift for someone.

Representing togetherness the traditional cake topper became a huge craze in the 1950's in the United States. Traditionally it would be the bride and groom in formal attire, with the bride in her white dress and veil and the groom in his suit. However this has changed with the times and now you can get almost anything to decorate the top of your wedding cake.

(image courtesy of weddingcaketopperstore.com)

Traditional wedding cake topper.

(image courtesy of weddingandcakes.com)

A non traditional yet very chic wedding cake topper. Perfect for all those couples going for a very modern wedding.

Or you could opt for a fun and very modern cake topper like those created by Nikki from Cake by Creative Cakes by Nicki/Clay Buddies

If you have a real sweet tooth there are so many other ways to incorporate lots of treats for you and your guests. How about a candy buffet table? filled with your favorite sweets. American queen of candy buffet/dessert tables Amy Atlas. Her creations are a sweet lovers heaven.

(image courtesy of wendymyers.wordpress.com)

An example of a Candy Buffet table that can be colored to match the scheme of the day.

(image courtesy of decor8blog.com)

A stunning creation by Amy Atlas

(image courtesy of decor8blog.com)

The work of the amazing Amy Atlas

Locally in Dorset you can have your very own dessert bar created for your wedding or event by Sweet Dream Events - Hannah is extremely talented and her work which you will find details of on her website speaks for itself Sweet Dream Events

Going for a vintage theme? What about a wonderful vintage ice cream van to arrive during the wedding breakfast to serve some delicious traditional ice cream to all the guests. Vintage scoops will serve traditional home made ice cream out of there beautiful 1950s ice cream van named 'Betty'

(image courtesy of fiftieswedding.com)

Betty would be a great addition to anyone's event.

I hope this has given you some ideas for your wedding day. When going to discuss having your wedding cake made be sure to sit down and express all your ideas, companies are willing to do as much as they can to make sure your cake or your alternative is the way you want it. Try to have a taste of the type of cake or treat which you intend to serve as some cakes can look great but the taste is so important so be sure to try too - that's one of the great sides of planning your wedding!

For more help on supplier sourcing for your cake or sweet treats then contact us

We would be happy to help!

Frances Edwards