Wedding Thank You Gift Ideas | Parents

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Gift Inspiration for Parents of the Bride/Groom

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.)

Cards

Planters and Florals

Jewellery

Photo / Illustration Gifts

Misc.

Personalised Bags

Regional Hampers

You can find our dedicated Pinterest board that supports this video here! Looking for more content like this? Check out our ‘Gift Guides’ playlist.

Is a week too long until our next instalment?  Follow us on Instagram for more content and to get involved with the Society!

– Rebecca and Laura from Bride Society x

25 Hen Party Activity Ideas

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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!

-Bride Society

Coast Bridesmaid Dresses 2022

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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!

For more wedding try-ons, visit our dedicated YouTube playlist here!

Is a week too long until our next instalment?  Follow us on Instagram for more content and to get involved with the Society!

–Rebecca and Laura from Bride Society x

ASOS Wedding Dresses Under £200 | Try on and Review

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ASOS Edition Bridal Collection 2022

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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:

  • ASOS EDITION Elizabeth beaded bodice wedding dress £190.00. 

    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.

-Bride Society

How to Make Personalised Flip Flops with Cricut

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How to use Cricut Design Space, cut & apply iron-on vinyl (HTV) to flip flops.

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What better time than a heat wave to make your own customised flip flops?!  The sun is out and so are our feet!  Not something that happens all that often here in the UK, so we’re making the most of it and pimping up our footwear!

If you’re just dipping your toe into the world of Cricut (yes, you can expect a few foot related puns), then we’re here to hold your hand with our step-by-step instructions, taking you from design using Cricut Design Space, to cut and application of iron-on vinyl (HTV).  If you’re feeling a little more confident and are just looking for tips on a particular step, check out the time stamps in the video description box on YouTube to jump ahead.

The perfect Cricut project whether you’re prepping for your honeymoon, a beachy vacay or simply hanging by the paddling pool in the back garden with the kids, simply adapt the wording of our design to suit!

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.)

• Flip Flops*

• Cricut Maker (other Cricut machines can also be used)*

• Cricut EasyPress Mini*

• Fine Point Blade (usually included with the Cricut Maker machine)

• Cricut StandardGrip Mat

• Cricut Basic Tool Set

• Cricut Iron-On, Matte “White”*

• Cricut Glitter Iron-On “Silver”*

• Heat Resistant Sheet (/Baking Sheet)

• Scissors

If you’re in Canada, you can find the vinyls 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 Cricut ideas? Check out our dedicated playlist here!

We hope you found that helpful. Share your Cricut creations with us over on Instagram, we’d love to see!

Got any other questions or video requests?  Leave them in the comments and we’ll do our best to help.  

How to Make Budget Friendly Favour Boxes

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DIY Heart Wedding Favour Boxes

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You’re planning your wedding favours on a budget, but you want to elevate the presentation so it certainly doesn’t ‘look’ budget. This is where our budget friendly favour box DIY comes in. All you need is some card to fit with your theme/colours, some bits and bobs you’ve almost certainly already got lying around the house and you can take your sugared almonds* to the next level.

*insert chosen favour here

These heart favour boxes are so simple to make and would be great just as they are. But if you want to go one step further, you can decorate the boxes with whatever you like! We embraced the rustic theme for our favour boxes, and along with the Kraft card, added a single dried flower in a contrasting colour to add a bit more interest. But go wild with sequins, bows or whatever your heart desires! Just be careful if you’re attaching anything to the top of the box that you don’t glue anything over the split in the heart. As that’s how your guests will be opening their boxes.

You only need:

  • Card of your choice (we used Kraft card for the example to give a rustic feel)
  • Pencil/Pen to draw out the net
  • Ruler
  • Scissors
  • Glue stick/glue gun
  • Decorations (optional) – We added a simple single dried flower to our box

We’ve provided the dimensions for the box we made, below. This box would be big enough to add a couple of chocolates/sweets for your guests. Alter the measurements as needed to create the size of box you want for your favours.

We’d love to see how yours turn out, tag us in your photos over on Instagram.

-Bride Society

Our Favourite Wedding Favour Ideas

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Wedding Favour Inspiration Your Guests Won’t Leave Behind!

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If you’re choosing to give your guests wedding favours, you want to make sure you’re getting something that’s not only good value for money, but also something they won’t leave behind at the end of the night!
We’re big fans of multipurpose favours, something that can also double up and play another role on your reception tables, e.g. place settings. Definitely budget friendly as you’re getting 2 for the price of 1!

We’ve created a whole load of DIY videos on our channel, showing you how to make various types of wedding favour (check out the playlist here), so we couldn’t quite believe we hadn’t done a round up of some of our favourite favour ideas!

So, we’re chatting through some of our favourite wedding favours and have split the video into four categories: kids, eco-friendly, seasonal and edible. There’s some overlap in the categories but don’t judge us too much on that!

Check out the full Pinterest board at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/bride_society/wedding-favours-our-favourite-favours/

Other videos mentioned:
DIY Mini Tambourine Wedding Favours
DIY Bird Feeder Wedding Favour
Mini Egg Favours
How to Make Easter Bunny Geo Cake Hearts | Rabbit Cake Truffles
Halloween Cakesicles | How to Make Mummy and Witch Inspired Cakesicles
How to Make Valentines Hot Chocolate Bombs/Bombes | Easy Hot Chocolate Bomb Heart Tutorial
How to Make Hugging Candy Cane Gingerbread Biscuits
How to Make Chocolate Marshmallows | Kids’ Favours
Bridal Inspired Cakesicles | How to Make Wedding Cakesicles

We’d love to know what you’re choosing for your wedding favours, let us know in the comments below!

-Bride Society

What Commonly Gets Forgotten When Wedding Planning

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In case you’re planning a wedding & worried you might have forgotten something…

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When planning a wedding, it’s totally, 100%, without question, normal to reach the stage of befuddlement.  Planning a wedding is a process for sure, and whilst it has not officially been coined with specific terms for the psychological stages, I would like to propose, ‘befuddlement’ be adopted for official use from here on out (I have a Counselling degree and a L3 Wedding Planning qualification, so I’m pretty sure that must make me an ‘authority’ on this issue!). 

There’s a lot that goes in to getting that one day ‘just right’, and at some point you undoubtedly find yourself asking, “Have I really done it all?”, “I must have forgotten something!”.  You’ve got lists and sub-lists but there’s still those little things that manage to pop into your mind just as you’re falling asleep…you make a mental note to write that down in the morning, but low and behold, the thought is lost with the sunrise, leaving you with that nagging feeling, hoping you remember whatever it was in time or that it wasn’t really that important anyway.  Well, that was until this week’s video!  We’ve compiled a list of things we know can easily get forgotten or overlooked during the course of planning a wedding, and hopefully we’ll jog your memory about whatever that thing was from last night!

Check it out here…

We hope that helped!  For more wedding and honeymoon content, join us over on Instagram @bridesociety_uk .

— Rebecca and Laura at Bride Society

Paperchase Wedding and Hen Party Collection 2022

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By popular demand, we’re back with another haul! And this time we’ve headed back to Paperchase! We last looked at the Paperchase range back in 2020, so we thought it was high time to see what was on offer for wedding and hen party planning in 2022.

We picked up a few things perfect for a budget friendly hen party, including Henny 2.0… But we’ve mostly focused on wedding planning/wedding stationery for this look at the collections. They have such a wide selection of wedding planners at a range of price points, all offering slightly different things, we think there’s definitely something for the organised bride to keep track of the planning process.

We’ve only picked out a small selection of what’s on offer. You can find the full range at https://www.paperchase.com/en_gb/wedding

All items featured in this video are linked below. Any links 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.

Buying any of these products?  We’d love to see!  Share your photos with us over on Instagram @bridesociety_uk.

-Bride Society

I’ll Google It

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Google FAQs | Wedding Edition

Got a burning question about your wedding?  Chances are we’re answering it in today’s video as we’ve tackled some of Google’s most frequently asked wedding planning questions!

When in doubt, these days most of us turn to Google for the answer.  Do kids today even know how to search for information any other way, let alone what ‘dial-up’ means?  I predate Google and even I’d have to think about what I would have done (and yes, I did just have to Google, “When was Google created”, in case you’re wondering, the answer is September 1998).  Even if you use a different search engine, we all seemingly use the term ‘Google’ regardless.  It’s as if it has become an interchangeable word for ‘search engine’, like Sellotape or Hoover in their own fields!  And now, here I am, in a social media based job that simply would not have existed when I left school (to save you another ‘Google’, YouTube was created in February 2005). Anyway, enough of the lamenting and history lessons….

The way we research and plan our weddings has now irreversibly altered, and so as many of you sit there searching your wedding planning questions online, we have been busy answering them!  So here you go Google…

The Questions:

Q1. How long before a wedding should you start planning?

Q2. What is the first thing you do when wedding planning?

Q3. What’s the best month to get married?

Q4. Which part of the wedding costs the most?

Q5. What is ‘Something Blue’ for the bride?

Q6. Do you wear your engagement ring on your wedding day?

https://youtu.be/htQ06s-4z2I

You can jump ahead to any question using our time stamps in the video description box over on YouTube.

Got any other questions or video requests?  Leave them in the comments and we’ll do our best to help.  Find us on Instagram @bridesociety_uk, we’d love to get to know you better!

— Rebecca & Laura at Bride Society

The Ultimate Groomsmen Gift Guide

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Gift Ideas for Your Wedding Party

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I don’t know about you, but I find buying gifts for the men in my life much more difficult than female family and friends, especially when I’m trying to avoid the cliché ‘man’ gifts and instead want something more personal and tailored to them.

So it’s possible you might be unsure of what to buy your Groomsmen/Father of the Bride/Father of the Groom/Best Man (delete as appropriate) as a thank you for their help and support during the run up to the Big Day. But fear not, we’re here to help with the ultimate Groomsmen gift guide, covering all budgets and interests!

For even more gift ideas, check out our Groomsmen Gift Guide Pinterest board.

All the items featured in the video are linked below. Any links 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.

Clothing and Accessories:
– Personalised Wooden Wedding Venue Coordinate Cufflinks*
– Morse Code Secret Personalised Initial Bar Cufflinks*
– Personalised belt*
– Secret Message Tie Bar*
– Personalised Sterling Silver Tie Clip*
– AllSaints Fragrance
– Tie

Keepsake Gifts:
– Personalised Monogram Charging Station*
– Set Of Four Personalised Couples Retro Style Beer Mats*
– Men’s Personalised Stag Watch Box*
– Personalised hand stamped lures*
– Money Clip*

Boozy Items:
– Personalised Bottle Opener*
– Personalised Auric Brass Bottle Opener*
– Personalised Luxury Boxed Wedding Stag Hip Flask Set*
– Groomsmen Flask Set*
– An Introduction To Manchester Craft Beer Box*
– Japanese Whisky Tasting Set*
– Personalised Frosted Tumbler*
– Personalised Whiskey Tumbler In Solid Oak*
– Oak Effect Beer Bottle Carrier*
– Whiskey Personalised Bottle Box*

Travel and Activity Gifts:
– Day Off Spent Blacksmithing At Oldfield Forge*
– Personalised Golf Score Card Holder*
– Personalised Best Man Buffalo Leather Wash Bag*
– Monochrome Personalised Passport Case*
– Monochrome Luggage Tag*
– Bike Track Map Personalised Tool Tin Gift Set*
– Pebble Leather Personalised Glasses Case*
– Personalised Glasses Case*

Hamper Gifts:
– A Man’s Essentials Gift Box*
– Dark Chocolate Lovers Gift Hamper*

Let us know if this has inspired you with your Groomsmen gifts, or if you have any more ideas, leave them in the comments below!

-Bride Society

The Final Countdown!

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Final Week Wedding Planning Checklist

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You’ve been planning for this day for months, if not years (or maybe since you were 6!).  You’ve made Pinterest boards, spreadsheets and to-do lists, you’ve been to fairs, meetings, fittings, trials and tastings, and DIY’d every last detail.  And now finally, after all that, W-Day is only a week away and you’ve got your finger hovering over that automated ‘Out-of-Office’ reply!

Maybe the obscure wedding dreams have started to kick in?  Or you’re chatting with colleagues but odd little wedding to-do jobs keep popping into your mind?  We get it, we’ve been there, we’re here to help!

Firstly, congrats on getting to this point!  ESPECIALLY if you’ve had to plan this thing more than once thanks to C#!*D.

At this point, the bulk of the work is behind you and it’s time for the final pieces to fall into place ready for you to enjoy your wedding day and have all your hard work pay off.  Laura and I are sending you and your fiancé(e) a massive virtual high-five right now!

To help this final week go smoothly and so you can rest easy knowing you’ve got everything covered, we’ve put together a Final Week Wedding Planning Checklist – the tasks that you’ll need to get checked off in this final countdown…obviously there may be a few additions you need to add that are personal to you, but we think you’ll be glowing with confidence after you’ve conquered our list.

Check it out in our latest YouTube video here:

We hope you find it helpful!  If got any other suggestions for the checklist, leave them in the comments to help out other brides and grooms who might be watching!

Don’t forget you can find us over on Instagram for even more content!

— Rebecca and Laura at Bride Society

To Marquee or To Not Marquee…

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What to consider when planning a marquee wedding

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As soon as you get engaged and the wedding planning begins, the decisions start thick and fast. Arguably one of the most important decisions, and a big one to tick off the checklist, is the venue!

Coming in all shapes and sizes, there’s a lot of choice when it comes to finding your dream venue. City centre? Rustic barn? Country House?

Or one route you may be considering is a marquee/tipi/yurt for either, both parts of the day, or for your reception celebrations. And if you’re looking for a blank canvas venue where you can be in control of every detail of the day, it could be the perfect way to go.

BUT, there are a few things to consider which may not have even crossed your mind. That’s where we come in! This week’s video is sharing everything you need to think about when planning a marquee wedding.

If you think we’ve missed anything or want to share your own experiences, please leave a comment below.

And if you’ve 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!

-Bride Society

When one proposal just isn’t enough!

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Bridesmaid Proposal Boxes

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You & your fiancé(e) have had your proposal moment and now it’s the turn of your bridal party. You’ve decided who you want by your side through your wedding planning journey, who will be your biggest supporters & cheer squad in the run up and on the big day itself.  So now all that’s left is to ask…by no means as important as that initial “yes!” but it runs a close second! 

Over the past few years, it has become a popular trend to ‘pop the question’ with your friends by giving them a proposal box of a few small gifts and a card asking, ‘will you be my bridesmaid?’ to make the occasion a little more special as well as pre-emptively letting them know you appreciate them for everything they are about to take on as part of their role within your wedding.

Now, all that said, if you’re feeling a little stuck for ideas of what to include in your boxes, we’re here to help in this video…

Have you got anything else you’re including in your boxes?  Let us know in the comments to help inspire other brides who are watching!

For even more Bridesmaid Gift Ideas check out Not On The High Street here (affiliate link).

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!

— Rebecca & Laura at Bride Society

Questions to Ask Your Wedding Venue

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  • Said Yes √
  • Date set √
  • Venue Booked √

But now you’re in the midst of wedding planning, suppliers are asking questions and you’re realising you don’t have all the answers. 

What time can you get into the venue on the morning to start getting ready with your bridal party? And who is actually expected to clean up at the end of the night? 

Most venues will offer a meeting after you’ve booked with them to give you an opportunity to have another look at the space and answer any questions you may have. But, what are those questions, and what information might you not even know you need to know? 

Grab your pen and paper as you’ll want to make notes. We’ve got the essential questions you should be asking your venue before your Big Day. 

  • Unexpected wedding planning surprises successfully avoided √

Let us know if you think we’ve missed any important questions by commenting below, and help out other couples on their wedding planning journey.

Looking for more wedding content from us?  Check out our Instagram and Pinterest!

– Bride Society