Shooooooooooooooooooooooes!

Oh my, I simply can't contain my excitement... AND the urge to go and pop on "The Dress" is killing me... I collected my shoes from Hetty Rose today!!!!

So, I've taken a few pics to wet the appetite without giving anything away...



They're devine... Hetty has made them beautifully, and even though they're quite high (hopefully making me 5ft 7 on the day!) they are sooooo comfy (I've wearing them right now!)!

They're a one-off and include details of my dress which is pure genius on Hetty's part! I'm so pleased I met Hetty (I can't recommend her high enough) and can't wait to be able to show them in their full glory!

By all accounts, my shoes will be playing their own starring role in their very own photoshoot with Hayley Ruth... I think she is actually as excited about them as I am!

Robes for the entourage...

Entourage is probably the wrong choice of word... I have one Bridesmaid, Tracey (or "Old Dame" as she calls herself) and Evie is my Flower Girl... which sounds odd calling her that so I'll be giving her a more fitting "title"... (this will be her 4th appearance as a Flower Girl... so she certainly knows what she's doing now!!!).


1st appearance (Age 3) as a Flower Girl for Louise & Andrew in July 2009

2nd appearance (Age 4) - for Aunty Lisa & Uncle Simon August 2010

(We havent got the photos through for the 3rd appearance at the Wedding of James & Leeann

on New Years Eve 2010... so pictures to follow!)

Having only 1 Adult bridesmaid makes the dress search far easier! We only had to worry about finding something that suited Tracey rather than struggling with a mixture of different shapes and sizes... AND, not wanting Evie to look like a mini-version of Tracey or I (unlike the popular choice on a certain "type" of Wedding related program at the moment... "tut tut tut" **shaking head**) meant that the world was her oyster for dress options (well almost).

I didn't feel the need to wander around endless shops looking for the right dresses... we simply popped back to Fleur de Lys (where I bought my dress) as they have a great collection of high quality bridesmaid dresses (including: Jasmine, Veromia, Kelsey Rose & Mark Lesley).

Choosing Tracey's style of dress was easy... her only stipulation was that she wanted something long... and my only stipulation was finding something "in-keeping" with the style of my dress... we quickly whittled the dresses down to a choice of 2. The final choice to be made based on what colours each were available in.

Choosing Evie's dress was actually far harder that I had imagined... we picked out 3 for her to try... and all 3 created "tear-jerk" moments... she looked so beautiful in every dress... so in the end, I let her choose! I would not be at all surprised, if on the day of our wedding, Evie is the cause of "not a dry eye in the house"... as we walk down the ailse the attention will most likely be on her (and not me...), which would actually be a bit of a blessing, I'm not comfortable with the thought of everyone watching me (especially as I'll no doubt be fighting back the tears!)...

Colours... oh heck... the difficult bit!

Without giving away too much detail... we haven't got a structured colour scheme for our wedding... it's more of a collection of tones that suit the style of the day. So, the tone of colour we were looking for ruled out far more options than I had originally anticipated... we must have spent a good hour flicking through the colour options for both styles of dress we had whittled it down to for Tracey. I was being drawn to one colour in particular, so decided to go for that, got the paperwork done and signed off... then came the ill-fated mistake... Tracey had to try on another dress for size. The style of the dress didn't suit the style of the day... but, oh the colour... it looked fabulous on her! Pushing it out of my mind (the colour had been chosen) we left the shop.

The rest of the day, the colour played on my mind... Ed returned from work, we talked it through, I phoned the shop, drove back and changed the colour (which meant I had to opt for a different fabric)... phew... and left... much happier!

Now all we have to do is wait for the dresses to arrive... and source accessories!

N.B. If I had more than one adult bridesmaid.... I would have chosen dresses and colours to suit each individual... I like things to be in order, but I'm not afraid of a little "mix and match"... at the end of the day, your attendants need to be as comfortable in (and in love with) their attire as you are in yours...

It's all about the shoes!

I had an idea of the style of shoes I was looking and with the help of my "Shoe Guru" friend Claire Dobinson of The Bombshell Academy I found some stunning Louboutin's and D&G shoes... but they weren't perfect... they were missing that special little touch. So imagine, to my delight, finding a shoe designer that made bespoke shoes! I first met Hetty (Hetty Rose Handmade Shoes) on Twitter... and found out she was exhibiting at The Designer Wedding Show, so dragging Hayley Ruth (kicking and screaming.... pah) we set off to meet her (and lots of other lovely wedding suppliers that we chat to on twitter). A few weeks later, and I'm at Hetty's Studio (in Chelmsford... an added benefit of her being based so locally to me!), having my feet measured & drawn around (god that tickled!) and chatting about design ideas.

Between October and January Hetty has been busy working away on my shoes! She's one very clever lady and has been replicating parts of my dress for added detail!... I seriously can't wait to show them off. I've had 2 fittings so far, at the last one (December 2010) I got to try on my part made shoes... no sole, no heel, but "oh" so Divine!!!!

Hetty sends me little updates of how my shoes are coming along... and by all accounts all that's left to do now is add the heel! But we can't do that until I've had my dress fitting (Eeeek... this wednesday!!!!!)... and then I get to try on my completed shoes!!!!!!!

A selection from the Kimono Collection by Hetty Rose Shoes

Make sure you check out Hetty's website... her Kimono Collection are amazing... AND take a look at the little video that shows a pair of shoes coming together... pure genius!

Care Fairies for the little guests

As previously mentioned, we've booked The Care Fairies to provide Childcare services at our wedding. We feel that it's important to share some information about the founder and owner, Lucie Worth, and her company for the benefit of the guests attending with children.

If you are considering childcare facilities at your own wedding, make sure you find out plenty of information about the company before you book and give your guests as much information as possible in advance, they'll want to know who's looking after their children!

Care Fairies was set up after recognising the need for imaginative, fun and uncompromising childcare. After repeatedly being asked to help out at events for family and friends, there was an obvious need and a niche in the market for such a service and from there Care Fairies continues to develop and blossom with their reputation. They have now worked at events such as Corporate events, Conferences, Festivals, Children Centres, Parent Workshops, Weddings, Parties, Music studios and Charity events.

We asked Lucie a few important questions...

What training and qualifications do you and your staff have?

I  have a 10 years experience in Childcare. A BSc honours in Psychology and counselling specialising in modules such as Child development. A level 3 NVQ in Childcare. I have first aid training in the early years and I am qualified to administer the Epipen for allergies. I have undertaken a number of courses over recent years related to Safe Guarding children and working with children with special needs. 

All the Fairies have a Criminal records check, first aid training and a variety of childcare related qualifications and vast experience. Some of these include, NVQ level 3 in Childcare, teachers, trainee teachers, teaching assistants and nursery nurse assistants. I personally hand pick all the Care Fairies to ensure they are fully equipped to look after the little guests. 

What age range can you cater for? 

We look after tiny tots to early teens!

What ratio of Children to Carers do you provide?

We do comply to the ratios set by Ofsted and would never have fewer than a ratio of 1 adult to 3 children, however we do tailor each event to the individual requirements and specific needs of the little guests which means we may have more fairies than they deemed necessary by Ofsted. 

How long are you normally present at a wedding and what part of the day do you normally cover? 

The duration and time slot completely varies based on the individual needs of each client, some people like to have childcare throughout the ceremony or reception or wedding breakfast or leading into the evening with a Night-time crèche or a simply babysitting service, or all of the above, whatever the needs we can tailor our service to meet the requirements to ensure the day runs smoothly and the little guests have as much fun as the adults.

What Industry Standards do you have to meet to be able to provide your services?

Care fairies comply with all health and safety regulations and do their utmost to ensure that each crèche has a risk assessment and that all matters are dealt with prior to the event. All the staff have all the necessary checks (such as CRB and references) carried out before they work at a Care Fairies event. Care Fairies has comprehensive liability and employer insurance. 

Do we need to provide any toys or games?

With one wave of our magic wand, (and hour or so of our time!!!), Care Fairies can flutter their wings and transform any room for any occasion into a fully equipped, safe, stimulating and child friendly event. Our mobile crèche service can be located anywhere.

What kind of entertainment can you provide for the children? 

We provide comprehensive childcare age appropriate toys and games, art and crafts, chill out area for the tired guests with books and DVD's, music and dancing, outdoor activities weather permitting, meal supervision if required and chaperone to photos. 

Can you theme the entertainment if required? 

We tailor each event to the individual requirements so if this means themed entertainment that is what we provide!! 

How do you encourage the children to join in rather than staying with their parents?

The environment that we create our Care Fairies crèches is stimulating and fun combined with approachable and experienced staff that are skilled in settling children into the crèche and making them feel comfortable with us. Our main aim is to ensure that the children are safe and happy and have a memorable and enjoyable experience with us which leaves the adults free to have fun with the knowledge that their children are in safe hands

Business aside, what’s your best piece of advice for The Bride & Groom on their Wedding Day?

Enjoy the day, safe in the knowledge all your guests are catered for.

We highly recommend the services of The Care Fairies... get in touch with Lucie for more information or a quote to provide childcare services at your own event!

http://www.carefairies.com/

We've been blogged!

What a lovely compliment to wake up to today... Jim from Aardvark Wedding Films has blogged about us!

The Wedding I can't wait to film! 

"I look forward to every wedding I film, eager to see how the couple have made their day special, how the families come together and celebrate, and how the vendors work together behind the scenes to make everything run perfectly. I don’t think I’ve looked forward to one as much, however, as Emma and Ed’s wedding, which I became a part of on Tuesday night. And the day itself isn’t until next July!" ... read more here.

Thanks Jim! Lovely words from a lovely guy!

Wine, Websites, SEO & an Aardvark!

With Ed back working full-time in a kitchen (as Head Chef at The Cork House in Stansted... visit highly recommended!) the opportunity to meet up with potential suppliers is drastically reduced. So, when Jim Cliff of Aardvark Wedding Films said he'd be quite happy to come along for a chat at the end of an evening service (10pm!) we were rather chuffed (I guess the fact that Jim is also a friend of ours assisted in getting him out so late!)! With one late meeting scheduled I quickly set up another with Steve Hooper of UK Wedding SEO for a chat about my website. Thus giving me the perfect opportunity to spend another evening in The Cork House, sample some more of my fiance's fabulous Tapas and have a sneaky few glasses of wine (oh ok... maybe more than a few...).

Meeting #1

My "SEO Dude" Steve decided to keep me waiting (he says he "got lost")... so there I was... "Billy no mates"... sitting in the bar on my own, fiddling with my phone while everyone looked pityingly at me... the only way to console myself, and the thought that I'd been stood up, was of course to have a cheeky glass of wine... Anyway, Steve FINALLY arrived (2nd glass of wine...).

Steve's a bit of a genius when it comes to SEO & websites. The fact that he completely tore my website apart did not bother me (3rd Glass of wine)... there's lots to be improved on! The overall look and feel is fine, it's more a case of how Search Engines trawl through the site, the keywords, the use of pictures instead of text etc... Additionally, the team I currently use to host my website wont allow me the option of making updates myself, I can't have a blog attached to it, and it costs me the earth! So, with Steve's help... I'll soon have a shiny new Wordpress Website which will be SEO'd to the max! Hoorah!

I can't recommend Steve highly enough... get in touch with him!

www.ukweddingseo.co.uk

www.twitter.com/ukweddingseo

(4th Glass of wine) Running a little behind on SEO & Website chat... going off on a tangent as always... and Jim arrived to join the party. The boys chatted video for a while, while Ed delivered some Tapas for me (YUM!), a very late dinner (effect of glass 4, taking its grip)...

Meeting #2

Ed finally finished in the Kitchen, Steve departed and we were onto discussing video coverage of our wedding! With the amount of "stuff" we have planned for our day Jim (Aardvark Wedding Films) recommended a double shooter package... we don't wany anything to be missed and he can't be in two places at once!

Our photographer Hayley Ruth, and her sidekick on the day, will be capturing some amazing shots and "works of art". But to get the real "feel" of the day captured... nothing can beat a video... Having "been there and done it before" I know that we will miss a lot of what's going on as we'll be pulled from pillar to post. We want the opportunity to see what each other gets up to during the morning preparing for the ceremony, the arrival of our guests (in our absense) at the morning reception, the childrens entertainment while we're sitting for the Wedding Breakfast and a whole host of other bits... (mouth tightly zipped).

Basically, we want to be able to re-live the emotion, atmosphere and spirit of the day over and over again. Thanks to Jim we'll be able to do so just by pressing the play button on our DVD...

So, we're officially booked with Jim... and looking forward to "Lights, Camera, Action" at the pre-wedding video shoot and again on 16th July 2011!!!

We've know Jim for approximately a year (yep, he's another local twitter find) and have great admiration for his work. He's a fellow member of The Wedding Partners and has already filmed both of us... take a look at our Showreels... A Bespoke Design and Feed Me Dining.

www.aardvarkweddingfilms.co.uk  |  www.twitter.com/AardvarkFilms

Glass number 5 down the hatch... enough said!

The answer.... find yourself an Ethical Wedding Supplier!

Okay, so I've given you the answer to the question... but what is the question?!?!?

Last week English Wedding posted a Blog entitled "Weddings Have Spiralled Out of Control. Who's fault is it?" which sparked discussion and interest across the Wedding "Tweeter" world. The article is great... it's to the point and thought provoking... take a look here.

At the end of the day, the cost of a wedding is entirely at the discretion of the couple getting married... the amount they want to spend is entirely their own decision... Admittedly, it's VERY easy to get carried away by "wanting" more and more and therefore just as easy to forget what the day is actually about... BUT it's the most important day of your life, you want it to be special and talked about for years to come, don't you?

So to avoid "Spiralling out of control", give yourself an initial brief i.e. decide what's important about your day and have a clear picture of what you want to achieve (without deviating from the guidelines you set yourself). Then, possibly the more difficult & challenging part is finding the right suppliers to help you achieve this...  

BUT (here's the question) do industry suppliers really take advantage when the word "wedding" is mentioned? Sadly, yes... this is the case in some situations! I quite often hear horror stories from my own clients... and occasionally a comment which tars all industry suppliers with the same brush! It's infuriating...

... that's why you should choose an "Ethical Wedding Supplier".

I was over-the-moon to see that Claire (the face behind the blog), had decided to set up an Ethical Wedding Supplier List. To be on the list, suppliers sign the "Pledge" which does not only focus on the cost element of supplying to clients in the industry. It also includes "industry standard" type content... i.e. maintaining respect & intellectual property of other businesses which is an extremely important part of the pledge (many of us are constantly agitated by the copying of designs etc... of other inferior businesses). I didn't hesitate... I was in there like a shot, getting myself signed up and suggesting that others should do the same!

So, when you're looking for a supplier...

• consider the "Pledge" and all that it stands for...
• If your supplier is not on the list at present, dont panic... you should be able to tell if they are "worthy" of being on the list by taking the time to talk to them and question them!
• REMEMBER, just because the product or service you after is expensive it does not necessarily mean you're getting ripped off... take a good look at what's on offer... if you're after quality, you'll be paying for it!

What's the Pledge?

Who's signed the Pledge?

Thanks to Claire from English Wedding for setting a standard!

http://www.english-wedding.com/

Getting Organised... more suppliers booked!

It's been a really busy couple of weeks... no time for blogging, but plenty of time to get some more of our suppliers arranged! We've hooked up with some more of our fellow The Wedding Partners members and got them booked! Yes, we're being organised... we have to (if next spring is as busy as it was this year we'll need to be ahead of the game!). We'll be blogging about them individually later but to introduce you to the latest additions to "Our Suppliers List"...

Matt Carter, Event Pianist.

He's a great guy, and fabulous Pianist. He's busy learning something special for us... We can't wait to hear your version Matt! We'll be catching up with him for a chat soon!

Claire & Sarah, Finn Jordan

Two fabulous ladies... Claire is the whizz with the sissors, tongs and pins and Sarah has the magical fairy wand to sprinkle a bit of beauty dust... We've had brief chat about style etc... so now I'm really excited about the trial... yippee!