Usually, at the end of the summer, as the days start getting colder, the nights start drawing in and we get that ‘back to school’ feeling, we know it’s time to sit down and look ahead to the new year. Not to wish away time, the year flies by fast enough as it is! But to look at what seems to be cropping up more and more in weddings and predicting what will be the main trends in the wedding world over the following year.
So grab a hot cup of tea/coffee/hot chocolate (delete as appropriate) as it’s time for our annual look ahead. From big sleeves, statement florals, crisp walls(!) and the impact of the current world financial meltdown on wedding decisions, here’s our round up of the wedding trends we’ll be seeing a lot more of in 2023.
Do you agree with our trend predictions? Have you noticed any other trends about to explode in 2023? And are you featuring anything we’ve mentioned in your own wedding? Let us know in the comments below!
Everything you need to take care of from the moment the wedding is over & beyond! Your Post-Wedding Admin…or as we like to call it ‘Wedmin’, Checklist!
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First comes love, then comes marriage…then comes the admin!
There’s been a lot of planning, a spreadsheet with more tabs and colour coding than even made sense by the end, meetings and appointments, to-do lists that somehow continue to get added to faster than removed, despite being desperately close to W-Day (*Wedding Day in case you were wondering), but your big day is finally within sight (or maybe has recently passed if you’re reading this). Congrats!
Maybe, after all of that, you’re wondering what more we could possibly be here to tell you about? Well, it’s the fun stuff we have fondly termed ‘post-wedmin’… ‘cos making something sound cute definitely makes it more exciting, right? Ok, well if nothing else, we’re hoping it makes it sound more approachable! It’s all those final administrative jobs that need taking care of before you can finally move away from your laptop/phone/bank account to put your feet up and say, “ok, we’re married, what do you wanna watch on Netflix?”.
But honestly, we’re not here to stress you out with more jobs! More of a checklist that you can work through to be confident there’s nothing you’ve forgotten or overlooked that could come back to bite you later.
So, if you’re in the final weeks of wedding planning or very recently married, this is the video for you, or simply mark it ‘watch later’ so we’re there when you’re ready for us…then Netflix!
Any big jobs we’ve missed? Add them in the comments below to help out other viewers, especially if you’re not getting married in the UK as maybe there’s some specific to your country.
Now the wedmin is taken care of, how about a little honeymoon inspiration? Find our honeymoon destination reviews on our YouTube playlist here:
If cake isn’t your jam then you may just be wondering if you *have* to have a wedding cake as part of your celebrations. It’s tradition right? Well, while we’re not fully on board with the anti-cake feeling (big cake lovers here at Bride Society), we are very pro doing things your way and having a wedding that’s personal and meaningful to you. So if you don’t like cake, don’t have cake! And who even needs cake when there are soooooo many other options for a showstopper centrepiece.
We’re sharing our ideas, from savoury to sweet, for alternatives to a traditional wedding cake. (But, if like us, you’d still like cake and are looking for other ideas to add to your wedding food offering, this video still works for you.)
And, we should probably warn you; after watching this video you might end up increasing the size of your dessert table. How else will you fit multiple ideas on there… The more the merrier we say!
And if you think we’ve missed a corker of an idea, please let us know in the comments below to share with other couples deciding what to do for their wedding.
What have you chosen for your big day? Are you opting for cake, or choosing something a bit different? Or having it all?! We’d love to hear your plans.
Culturally we love a tradition here in the UK. And who can blame us? You hear Michael Bublé come on the car radio or see an ad for Love Actually and it’s an instant cue for your brain that Christmas must be coming!
Traditions serve a great purpose for helping us recognise what an event is, i.e. What makes something recognisable as a birthday party vs a Christmas party vs a wedding etc? After all, what is Christmas without Pigs in Blankets (ok, very British reference, but seriously the best thing ever)?
All that said, above all else we want to help you make your wedding feel like YOU, for you to be comfortable. Your wedding should be a reflection of who you both are and nothing else.
If a tradition doesn’t do it for you, no problem, throw it away! Don’t want a big white dress? Fine! You really don’t have to!
If you don’t like what a tradition historically stands for / represents, why not mix it up or redefine it, make up your own thing or throw it out altogether? Basically, you do you! There’s a big difference between what you HAVE to have to make the wedding legally binding and what you traditionally‘have’ to have / do. Feel liberated!
The way we see it, you’ve got 3 choices:
Love tradition? Great, stick with it! All power to you.
Keep the rough idea of the tradition but mix it up, redefine it and make it you.
Throw it out! Keep what you like (if anything) and chuck the rest. So long Sista!
So then, how to make a wedding still ‘feel’ like a wedding whilst making it also ‘you’? Well, in today’s YouTube video we’re chatting about some of the biggest traditions in British weddings, giving you lots of suggestions on how to give them a face lift whilst still giving them a nod – big or small!
If you’ve got any other ideas on how couples can mix up wedding traditions, drop a comment over on the YouTube video to help each other out.
Looking for more advice from Bride Society? Check out our ‘Wedding Chat’ playlist over on YouTube.
Bake and decorate some autumn themed cupcakes with us
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The night’s are well and truly drawing in, the trees are turning golden, it’s time to rewatch Gilmore Girls for the 6457th time and Bake Off is back on our screens!. Autumn is here! And it’s not all about Halloween or pumpkin puns (although we are a big fan of a gourd pun…).
We’ve created three simple cupcake looks which will be perfect for an autumn wedding cupcake tower, or even for an average Monday afternoon treat. Create our gilded pine cone, pumpkin patch and abstract autumn cupcakes with us.
Ready, steady, bake!
To bake 6 vanilla cupcakes (scale the recipe as needed):
115g butter/margarine
115g caster sugar
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
115g self raising flour
Vanilla buttercream:
250g butter
575g icing sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
We used the equivalent of 1M/2D piping tip for the rosettes and open star piping tips in different sizes for the pumpkins and abstract cupcakes.
The mould used in the video is no longer available, but here is a similar style. Or search for ‘pine cone icing mould’ in a search engine.
If you have a go at creating your own seasonal cupcakes, we’d love to see! Tag us in your photos over on Instagram.
We’ve seen a few autumns come and go over the years since we created Bride Society. Each year we put our heads together to come up with all kinds of ideas that would be perfect to make for a beautiful fall’s day wedding. In fact, we have a whole playlist of DIY tutorials on our channel full of inspiration and step-by-step instructions on how to create those seasonal touches. But today, as autumn begins, we’re taking things one step further and rounding up all our favourite ideas for every aspect of your wedding day, inspired by the gorgeous rich tones and cosy vibes that this season offers. From florals and décor to the cake and the outfits, we’re talking what’s on trend for your autumn / fall wedding!
Looking for more content like this? Check out our autumn / fall wedding DIY tutorials over on YouTube! We also have a dedicated Pinterest board to support this video which you can find here!
Questions or video requests? Leave them in the comments and we’ll do our best to help. Crafting your way through your autumn wedding? Tag us in your photos over on Instagram, we’d love to see what you’ve been up to!
Absolutely Non-Essential, Essential Items for the Bride to Be
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We’ve been creating wedding content for over five years now and it’s about time we got down to serious business and talked about the absolute essentials when it comes to planning a wedding.
No, we’re not talking budget or wedding venue, or even how to legally get married. We’re talking those Bride to Be “Must Haves“, the items that announce to the world you’re a bride and everyone should know it! Of course these are absolutely not essential when it comes to wedding planning, but if you are looking for some inspiration about how to really immerse yourself fully in the wedding planning world, you might like some of our ‘must have’ suggestions.
We’re covering all bases, from the subtle to the not so subtle. From clothing to jewellery to accessories. If you can think of it, you can probably find it personalised for the future bride.
Enjoy!
N.B. Please know this video is most definitely a bit of fun and all talk of ‘essentials’ and ‘must haves’ shouldn’t be taken too seriously.
Everything featured, plus even more, can be found over on our dedicated Pinterest page.
Items featured in the video (*Please note: products marked with an asterisk are affiliate links. This means we receive a nominal amount of commission from the seller for the referral at no extra cost to you.)
Are you tempted by any of the ideas featured in the video? We’d love to know what your ‘must haves’ are. Let us know in the comments or come on over to Instagram!
How to use Design Space, curve text & layer iron-on vinyl (HTV).
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Whether you’re working the night shift, jetting off on a long-haul flight or trying to catch some z’s whilst the baby sleeps, this is the Cricut project for you. Jet lag and sleep deprivation are no joke! So along with a handy pair of ear plugs, which let’s be honest, are useful in a multitude of situations, grab yourself a cute eye mask and let’s get Cricuting!
In this week’s Cricut tutorial, we’re showing you step-by-step how to create your very own personalised eye mask! For those of you travelling somewhere exotic, why not make yourselves a matching pair of our “Honeymoonin’” design? Or simply adapt our tutorial to whatever suits you; “Bring Coffee!”, “Nope.”, “Me Time”…or even make yourself a whole bunch to wear according to mood.
If you’re a complete beginner, we’ve got you covered with detailed instructions on how to create a design and curve your text inside Design Space as well as how to cut, apply and layer iron-on vinyl (HTV), no worries. If you’re a little more experienced and just looking for some specific techniques, use our time stamps in the YouTube video description box to jump ahead! Simple.
Happy Napping!
What we used:
(*Please note: products marked with an asterisk are affiliate links, which means we receive a nominal amount from the seller for the referral at no extra cost to you.)
• Eye Mask
• Cricut Maker (other Cricut machines can also be used)*
If you’re in Canada, you can find the HTV here: https://amzn.to/3P0m3Uw* and https://amzn.to/3asPBLL*
USA: https://amzn.to/3RtuMA9* and https://amzn.to/3uHzUqE* (*Affiliate Links)
Looking for more content like this? Check out our dedicated playlist of Cricut tutorials over on YouTube!
Questions or video requests? Leave them in the comments and we’ll do our best to help. Tag us in your photos over on Instagram @bridesociety_uk if you’re having a go at this project, we’d love to see what you did with yours!
Small weddings became a necessity during the past couple of years, limited numbers of 15 or 30 meant intimate weddings became the norm, and the only way to do it, if you wanted to tie the knot.
But the end of number restrictions hasn’t ended the trend in celebrating with just your closest family and friends. In fact, small weddings seem to be on the rise! Whether down to budget, or wanting to make your budget go even further with some big splurge items.
If you’re undecided and still pondering whether or not to go down the small wedding route, you can check out our video, Pros and Perks of a Small Wedding.
BUT if you’ve made the decision and are full steam ahead with your intimate wedding plans, how can you create those little touches to make the day (or weekend celebration) that extra bit special for both you and your guests? Watch this week’s video to find out!
Are you having a small wedding? We’d love to hear all about your plans. Either leave a comment below or head on over to our Instagram page to share all the exciting details!
Creative ideas on how to turn your precious wedding items into treasured keepsakes.
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You spent likely countless hours pouring over every detail of your wedding, making sure you had the perfect thing that suited you and your partner the most (for the price you could (sort of) afford), from the outfits, to the flowers, to the cake toppers, so much effort and consideration went in to all of it.
And then the big day itself happens, and each of those items becomes all the more loved and sentimental because of the precious and truly happy memories now eternally linked to them. But what next? One day in the (hopefully) sun and now they’re in a box under the spare bed for the rest of time?
If you’re wondering what to do with all those well-wishing wedding cards or trying to come up with something a little more on the creative side to do with your wedding photos (or basically any other component of your wedding) then this week’s video is for you. We know it was all about so much more than just that one day, so we’re here with a whole heap of ideas on how to convert all those treasured wedding items into lasting keepsakes.
Find our dedicated Pinterest board that supports this video here.
Featured Products (in order of appearance) and Featured Info. Pages:
(Products marked with an * are affiliate links. This means we make a small amount of commission on any purchases made through those links at no extra cost to you.)
Thanks for watching! We hope you’ve found some exciting ideas to inspire you in our video. May your wedding memories live on with their second life. Are you making / having any of these items made? We’d love to see! Tag us in your photos over on Instagram here.
Typically you want your closest family and friends around you when you tie the knot, and if some of that family just so happen to have four legs, why wouldn’t you also want them there with you to share your special day?!
More and more venues are recognising the importance of including animals at weddings, so it’s becoming much easier to find pet-friendly venues.
And there are so many ways you can include your pets as part of your wedding day, both with them being there in ‘person’ (or in ‘animal‘) if your venue allows it, or incorporated in a different way, while they have their own mini-break away from the celebrations. We’re sharing a selection of ideas in this week’s video.
Plus, we have some helpful tips if you are having your pet there by your side on the Big Day. No unexpected accidents here!
Are you including your pet as part of your wedding? We’d love to hear your plans! Leave us a comment below, or head on over to Instagram.
If your mind is turning to the thank you gifts for the people in your wedding party, chances are you are most of the way through your wedding planning journey. Congratulations on making it this far! We’re sure it’s had its moments along the way but hopefully you’ve had a supportive crew around you, from groomsmen and bridesmaids to parents and beyond. (We’ll overlook the bridesmaid meltdown about who’s wearing what and that time your MIL-to-be insisted you had to invite that cousin and his 4 children you never knew existed.)
You, your fiancé(e) and hopefully the rest of your close friends and family have almost made it to the finish line, and fingers crossed, are all still on speaking terms. Maybe they’ve been SO helpful (financially, practically or emotionally!) you even want to incorporate giving them a little thank you gift into your wedding speeches. But, what to give them?
If your mind is already a little fried from all the wedding planning itself, we’re here to lend a hand with some inspiration for your thank you gifting! We’ve already got your bridesmaids and groomsmen covered with our gift guides and this week we’re turning our attention to your parents (parental figures) and soon to be in-laws.
Featured Products (in order of appearance):
(Any products marked with an * are affiliate links. This means we make a small amount of commission on any purchases made through those links at no extra cost to you.)
25 Unusual Hen Party Ideas to Help You Plan the Perfect Hen Party/Bachelorette
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The pressures on! You’ve been tasked with planning the perfect hen party for your bride to be bestie but struggling to come up with something ‘different’ to the usual hen party activities. It can be a daunting task, especially if you’re wrangling a group of people you don’t know that well, all with different budgets, but fear not!
We’re giving you 25 activity ideas for a hen party/bachelorette, covering a whole range of budgets and interests. Axe throwing anyone? We’re certain there’s something in the list (if not several ideas!) that will be ideal for your plans.
If you’re after more classic hen party ideas, or want some game inspiration, check out our hen party/bachelorette playlist here.
Have you been inspired? We’d love to know if you’re planning on doing any of the ideas we suggested. Or if you’ve come up with a unique and amazing plan for the hen do you’re planning, please share in the comments below!
Got any questions or video requests? Comment and we’ll do our best to help. For more content, find us on Instagram @bridesociety_uk, we’d love to get to know you better!
Try-on & review of bridesmaid dresses from high street retailer, Coast!
You’ve decided on who you want standing by your side whilst you say your, “ I do’s”, to be on the other end of the phone to vent to when your mother-in-law to-be is demanding you invite yet another ten cousins you didn’t even know existed, and to sit with you for endless hours making that hundredth favour that you recall thinking was ‘oh such a good idea’ to make from scratch.
You asked, they said yes, they helped you pick out ‘the one’ (I’m talking about the dress here, but maybe they also helped with the guy/girl!), and now it’s time to shop for their all-important bridesmaid outfits.
The high street joined the wedding world a few years ago and haven’t looked back! Last week we took a look at wedding dresses by online retailer ASOS and this week we’ve shimmied on over to Coast to check out their bridesmaid dress collection. So many styles and colours to choose from that we think you could make even the most ‘particular’ of bridesmaids happy and still keep the overall look you’d envisioned for your wedding.
We picked out a selection of lengths, cuts, styles and colours to try-on at home to give you an idea of what’s out there as well as the low-down on quality, comfort and practicalities of each dress…and so you can get an idea on how things look and fit on different body types from those pictured on their own website!
And yes, we answer the biggest question of all…“but can you wear a bra with it?”.
All the dresses we tried on are linked below and you can find time stamps in the YouTube video description box if you want to jump ahead to find out what we thought about a particular dress.
Note that prices listed here are the full-price figures at time of filming, however the website often has discounts available, so it is worth a quick look before dismissing them based on the price we’re showing you.
Which was your favourite? Let us know in the comments below!
It’s been a WHILE since we had a look at what ASOS had to offer in terms of wedding dresses, pre-pandemic in fact! So we thought it was about time we delved into the ASOS Edition Bridal Collection for 2022, choose some to try on, and review the fit, quality, sizing and style! They have a huge range of dresses at a wide variety of price points, but we decided to stick to picking dresses under £200.
Of course in between ordering the dresses and filming the video (about a week!) ASOS seemed to raise all their wedding dress prices by £10. This meant one of the dresses we chose, Poppy, now comes in slightly above the £200 budget at £205. But we hope you’ll forgive us for keeping it in the video.
So what did we think? Whether you’re looking for a more budget friendly dress to wear on your Big Day, or after a second dress for the evening, we were *spoiler* mainly impressed by what we found. Our full thoughts can be found in our video.
For more details about the dresses featured in the video, check out the links below:
Please note this video was not made in partnership with ASOS and the content is in no way endorsed by ASOS. All opinions expressed in this video are the honest views of Bride Society. Prices are correct at time of posting. There are NO affiliate links in this video.
We’d love to know what you think of the dresses we tried and whether you’re tempted by any of them. Let us know in the comments. Or if you’re wearing one of these for your wedding, we’d love to see pictures! Tag us over on Instagram.
