Just Call Me Buddy

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Fiancé(e) Christmas Gift Guide | 2020

5 weeks. 35 days. 840 hours. 50,400 minutes. Christmas is coming! Is it just me or do some of those numbers make Christmas seem like it’s just around the corner, and others like it’s still an age away?!  I’ll let you pick which number makes you the happiest!  I’m personally somewhere in the middle as my current mental state is something like, ‘somewhat unprepared but in need of something to look forward to’!

If you’ve just found yourself picking the number that makes it feel the furthest away because you’re currently panicking about a lack of gift inspiration for your other half, then fear no longer…we’ve got your back!

We know that this year Christmas prep. is looking a little different.  The shop doors are physically closed, making it harder to browse for ideas, combined with a desire to shop small, support local and to buy online where possible to avoid crowds once we are allowed out again.  Plus, with the need to purchase slightly sooner with online gifting to allow for delivery times, we thought we’d better bring you this gift guide ASAP!  Whilst we’re offering general inspiration, we’re also showing you lots of examples in today’s video…the majority of which are from independent sellers and can be purchased online.  Just call me ‘Buddy’ (too soon for a Christmas film reference?)!

Whilst we’ve focussed in on gifts for fiancé(e)s, this gift guide still has you covered if you’re buying for a couple, girlfriend/boyfriend, wife/husband, or life partner etc.  Whether you’re looking for stocking fillers or an extra special blowout treat (cos let’s face it, it’s been a heck of a year!), we’ve got inspiration for every budget. 

Like the look of a specific gift featured in this video?  All the featured gifts, and more, can be found on our Pinterest Board that accompanies this video here.

Want to leave a hint for your other half?  No judgement here!  Feel free to comment below or on YouTube which gifts you like the look of the most!  Share the video, or simply ‘accidentally’ leave it open on your computer!

Happy Shopping!

NB. Please note, there are no affiliate links associated with this video and has been made entirely independently of any of the companies featured. We are not able to accept any responsibility for the quality or reliability of any of the sellers mentioned in this video, images shown as examples only.

—Bride Society

OK 2020 We’re Done

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Wedding Trends for 2021

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Goodbye 2020! We didn’t quite manage to predict we’d be facing a worldwide pandemic when we filmed last year’s wedding trends video and we’re definitely regretting predicting that 2020 would be a bumper year for couples tying the knot!

However, we’re looking forward and we’re optimistic that weddings will be going ahead in 2021!

Obviously Covid is still having a massive impact across the world and even when things are back on track, we’re sure weddings will still be impacted in one way or another, either by necessity or choice.

So for our 2021 wedding trends video, we’ve thought about how weddings may be changed by events of 2020, as well as the usual trend predictions for flowers, outfits, decor and cake!

Check out the video below to see what we think will be some of the biggest trends in the wedding world in the coming year.

Cakes featured:

-Bride Society

Knowledge is Powder!

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Wedding Day Makeup Q&A with Pro Makeup Artist, Naomi from Beyond The Literal.

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Did anyone ever teach you how to apply makeup? Like, properly? Not just hand you a mascara and say, “you put this on your eyelashes”!  Me neither. Simultaneous equations – yes, makeup – no!  I’ve occasionally walked past the makeup counters in beauty stores and considered sitting in their chairs, only to keep on walking when I see the reps faces which seem to be showcasing their entire product line simultaneously, combined with a fear of feeling obligated to purchase an infinite amount of products I’m not sure I want, need or like afterwards.  Just me?

If you’re anything like me, you’ve maybe picked a few tricks up here and there over the years, alongside some tentative experimentation but overall you’re not exactly sure you’re doing it right, in the right order or in the ideal way for your face…and don’t even get me started on what the heck all those different brushes are for! 

Enter Naomi from Beyond The Literal…

This week’s video features our very special guest, Naomi, who is an experienced professional makeup artist based in the USA.  She not only has her own YouTube channel (find it here!) full of tips, tricks and advice but, in the age of social distancing, she also offers virtual makeup lessons (for more info. click here)!  The perfect solution – experimentation in your own home, advice tailored to you as an individual, helping you achieve the look YOU want and no guilt trip to buy certain products before you leave!  If you’re thinking of doing your own wedding day makeup, this could be the confidence boost you need.

We recently reached out to you over on Instagram to find out what questions you have about wedding day makeup…we put those questions to the Pro in this week’s video, so check out the video link below to meet Naomi and be empowered by her words of wisdom:

—Bride Society

#SquashGoals

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If you’re planning an autumn/fall wedding, you may be pondering how to include seasonal bits (read: pumpkins) into your wedding decor with a weddingy twist. Not everyone wants to full out Fall with orange pumpkins and gourds decorating every surface. (Though if that’s your jam, go for it!)

We think we’ve come up with a perfect solution, a nod to the season by using pumpkins, but wrapped in a perfect wedding appropriate jacket. And because everything is cuter in miniature, we’ve used mini or munchkin pumpkins to create our paper maché pumpkin place settings.

These are perfect for your wedding reception tables. The paper we’ve used is sheet music, this would be perfect for any music loving couple. Or how about using the sheet music to your first dance or a meaningful song. Not sure it could get more romantic!

We’ve applied it directly to a pumpkin using PVA glue so, although this DIY could be done in advance, we wouldn’t recommend doing it too far, otherwise your pumpkins may start to go a bit past their best.

As an alternative, you could use a pumpkin shaped item to paper maché, rather than the real thing! We’ve just used one layer of paper to cover the pumpkin, however, apply as many layers until you’re happy with the look of your pumpkin.

Leave to dry between layers. Once dry you will be able to write directly onto the pumpkin with your marker pen.

Add any extras you fancy, for example you could add a splash of gold by painting the stem of the pumpkin if you’ve left it exposed like us.

Got a Cricut machine? Why not create the name stickers and add those to your pumpkins.

For more wedding pumpkin ideas, check out our autumn playlist.

We’d love to see how you’d put your own spin on these so please tag us in your Instagram photos if you give it a go.

-Bride Society

Lounging in Style

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DIY Personalised Slippers |  Beginners Cricut Tutorial

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The concept of personalising everything wedding related is the hottest it’s ever been.  We, and you alike, are all about your weddings being a reflection of your personalities, full of personal and unique touches.  And the rise of the Cricut machines has given us at-home crafters all the tools we need at our fingertips to make this happen! 

This week’s unique touch for your wedding are personalised slippers…a lovely gift for you and your bridesmaids to wear on the morning of your wedding whilst all the makeover magic is happening (also who doesn’t love a bit of outfit coordination for the photographs!).  With our design you can easily change up the name and this time we’ve gone with location coordinates (of where you feel in love / wedding venue) instead of the wedding date, as let’s face it, in these COVID-19 times you’re likely either sick of having to remove & replace your date from items you’ve already made or are nervous about committing to fabric with your future date.  With that in mind, using coordinates instead of your date is the perfect personalisation solution that allows you to scratch that creative itch now!  Genius, we know!

For this tutorial we’re using a Cricut Maker machine.  If you’re new to Cricut and are crafting for your wedding, this DIY is a great place to start with step-by-step instructions to get you on the road to vinyl success! Any questions?  Let us know in the comments over on YouTube and we’ll do our best to help you out.

Materials we used (with product links if you need them!):

NB. This video is not made in association with Cricut or Hobbycraft. There are no affiliate links listed here. If you choose to use other materials or equipment to make this project, please refer to the Cricut website as instructions will vary slightly.

The Cricut website has a really useful heat guide for transferring your vinyl if you’re using different equipment/materials to ours, take a look.

Having a go?  We’d love to see your cosy slipper creations!  Tag us in your photos over on Instagram @bridesociety_uk.

—Bride Society

Blooming Tasty

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Pressed Flower Cakesicles – ‘Shell’ Method

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Cakesicles are going nowhere fast and from the reaction to our first cakesicle tutorial, you should have all now mastered the dipping method. So now it’s time to try an alternative way of creating these tasty treats!

The shell method is slightly more labour intensive, however it can create a neater finished look, reduces the amount of excess chocolate you have to use and produces more consistent results if you’re after identical items, Bake Off challenge style. 

As always, we’ve used the cakesicle mould linked below but this method works with any. 


Silikomart Mini Ice Cream Silicone Bar Mould Set, Classic, White* (Affiliate link – we receive a small share of any sales made through this link)

For the cake mixture: Use a ratio of 1:4 for the buttercream/cake quantities. You want the crumbled cake and buttercream mixture to hold together but not be too sloppy with frosting.

For this video we’ve used ready made cupcakes. Three cupcakes will comfortably fill the four spaces in the mould, and you’ll likely have a bit left over. 

As for the chocolate, we’ve gone ‘Bridal’ again and used white chocolate for the shell of each cakesicle, however any type of chocolate will work. You will need approx. 2tbsp of melted chocolate for each; 1tbsp to coat the base and sides and then the other to seal the top. 

 We’ve combined trends and decorated our cakesicles with pressed edible flowers. These would be perfect for your Bridal shower, engagement party, individually wrapped as wedding favours or even an alternative wedding cake! You could easily coordinate the colours of the flowers (and/or chocolate) to the rest of your colour scheme.

N.B. Please remember to source your flowers from a reputable company and know which parts of the flower are edible. Stems are decorative only and should be removed before eating. 

For almost instant pressed flower results we use this microwave flower press. It will press and dry your flowers in less than two minutes! Then they’re ready to adorn the cakes. 

After a fail of attempting to add the flowers into the moulds at the beginning of the process (didn’t quite work as planned – see below!)…

The first attempt – fail!

…the easiest way to floralise your cakesicles is to simply paint the pressed flowers with some edible glue after the cakesicles are out of the moulds and ready for eating.

For full details check out the video below.

Having a go?  Share your cakesicle creations with us by tagging us in your photos over on Instagram, we’d love to see!

—Bride Society

Hello Autumn

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Autumnal DIY Tealight Holders

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Whilst I’m a summer sun kinda girl at heart, there’s still something I really enjoy about when autumn / fall first sets in.  The cooler temperatures are a chance to rediscover some of those cosy jumpers that have been at the back of the wardrobe for the past few months, the changing up of menus meaning the chance to get my hands on a PSL (or more, who am I trying to kid!) again…or the idea of warming up with stews and wholesome soups.  Those darker evenings signalling soft lighting, open fires and cosy blankets…and my favourite thing of all – how beautiful nature is at that point at which the trees start to turn.  What do you love most about this time of year?  Let me know in the comments below.

So to embrace those autumnal feels, we’re turning our attention to the soft, warm, inviting vibes that lighting can bring with a couple of tealight designs that really encapsulate all the fall vibes.  We’ve got step by step instructions for how to create these rustic / woodland inspired tealights for your wedding…or thanksgiving…or just for the joy of it around the home, in this week’s video:

Autumnal DIY Tealight Holders

Having a go?  Share your cosy autumnal vibes with us by tagging us in your photos over on Instagram, we’d love to see!

Any questions or requests?  Drop us a comment below and we’ll do our best!

—Bride Society

Into the Woods

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DIY Rustic Place Setting Inspiration

Looking for some inspiration for your place settings for your rustic wedding? We’ve got you covered!

These log slice moss place settings will fit in perfectly, are really simple, super quick to make, and can be made really far in advance! (No last minute wedding prep stress here!)

If you want to zhuzh them even more, why not add dried flowers, acorns, small pine cones, basically any other woodland-y bits you fancy. The options are endless!

Equipment used:

Having a go? Share your place setting creations with us by tagging us in your photos over on Instagram, we’d love to see!

-Bride Society

For me? Thanks!

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DIY Gift Bags

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When it comes to gift giving, I love to put effort in to the presentation (as well as the actual gift idea of course!)…for me how a gift is wrapped etc is all part of the excitement. That said, gift bags can be pricey! If you’ve gone all in budget wise on the gift, you may not be thrilled at the idea of spending more for flourishes that aren’t technically necessary…or maybe you just realised you’ve run out of wrapping paper! Cue the DIY gift bag! You’ll be surprised how easy it is to whip one up and you’ve probably got all the equipment you’ll need lying around the house already!

And don’t stop at gifts! These bags are the PERFECT size for confetti, sweet treats, favours and lots more.  Easily personalised and colour coordinated to your wedding theme.  Possibly our most multi-purpose wedding DIY to date!

All you need is one A4 sheet of paper (or cut some left-over wrapping paper to A4 size!) and a glue stick to make our gift bag!  Then decorate as you wish (we’re showing you a couple of ideas).

Approximate measurements of finished gift bag: 15x11x3cm.

You will need…

Equipment used in this video (no affiliate links):

Decorative options:

(Personalised candle tin featured is from The Secret Bridesmaid.)

So time to roll up our sleeves and get crafty with this gift bag tutorial…

Small Gift Bag Tutorial

Having a go? Share your gift bag creations with us by tagging us in your photos over on Instagram, we’d love to see!

—Bride Society

It’s a Date!

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How to make save the date calendar cookies

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It’s no secret that we’re a fan of a sweet treat here at Bride Society and if one of these save the date biscuits landed on our doormat, we’d be clearing the calendar immediately and saving the date! (And no pencil here, it’d be pen all the way!)

In this week’s video we’re showing you how to treat your invitees to some edible info about your upcoming wedding. You will probably want to send the cookie with a bit more information as the biscuits won’t hang around for long!

We used the Pink Whisk sugar cookie recipe for our biscuits which has the great advantage that the biscuits don’t rise or spread during baking. Carefully transfer your cut out, unbaked cookies to a lined baking tin and they’ll stay in whatever shape you’ve chosen! Full details can be found here.

We used a 9cm square cutter from this set to shape the biscuits. However, if you don’t have a square cutter then simply use a knife to cut out the dough. 

Personalise with your colour scheme and any sprinkles/edible glitter/decorations you like. And of course your own date! If you’re not confident with piping the information, you could use cutters and sugar paste to create the letters.

We’d love to see your efforts so don’t forget to tag us in your Instagram photos if you give them a go.

-Bride Society

You’re Invited

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Wedding Invitation Inspiration

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The date’s booked and now all you need are some of your nearest and dearest to help celebrate your Big Day.

Choosing your wedding invitations can be a challenge as there are so many styles and types to choose from! They can be used to set the tone and give your guests a glimpse of what your wedding day may bring so you may feel like there’s some pressure to get it right.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed to find that perfect invite that’s unique, creative and a bit different to the norm, fear not! In this week’s video we’ve rounded up some of our favourite styles of invitation to help inspire you and hopefully help you choose the right invitation for you. We’ve also got tips for how to avoid losing grip on your invitation budget if you fall in love with a definite splurge style.

Check out our Pinterest board that accompanies the video here (all products featured in this video can be found over there).

Disclaimer: We are not currently working with any of the businesses featured in this video and cannot vouch for the quality of these specific products or reliability of services.  The images are intended for inspirational use only.

-Bride Society

Here’s to the Girls!

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Bridesmaid Thank You Gifts

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Your girls have been with you through thick and thin.  They’ve rushed to your side with the tissues and trashy mags after every break up and been the first to put a glass of Prosecco in your hand after each promotion.  And now you’re getting married, things are no different…your bridesmaids have been there counselling you through every wedding planning headache, they’ve planned your bridal shower/hen party/bachelorette, they’ve helped you pick your dress and DIY’d with you in to the early hours, long past the caffeine wearing off and the wine bottles being drunk dry. 

Come the day of your wedding, they are your teammates, your ‘Bride Tribe’ – calming any nerves, holding your dress up around your head when you need the washroom, warding off any wedding day glitches before they happen and making you feel truly special.  These girls have and will always have your back, #sisterhoodrules. 

In today’s video we’re giving back some love to your ‘maids, bringing you inspiration for bridesmaid thank you gifts.  Whether you’re looking for a small token of your appreciation or wanting to go bigger, gifts for on-the-day or keepsakes, we have ideas you’ll love…and even more importantly, that they’ll love.

Check out our Pinterest board that accompanies this video here (all products featured in this video can be found over there).

What’s your favourite of our picks?  Got other gift inspo to share?  Let us know in the comments below to help out other brides looking for ideas…

Disclaimer: We are not currently working with any of the businesses featured in this video and cannot vouch for the quality of these specific products or reliability of services.  The images are intended for inspirational use only.

—Bride Society

Hearts Aflutter

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Origami Butterfly Name Cards

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Butterflies are said to symbolise love and marital bliss.  And whilst I might not ordinarily want to encourage insects into your wedding, butterflies might just be elegant enough to get over the line!  In some cultures, couples enjoy a butterfly release at the end of the wedding ceremony – which must be a beautiful array of colour. Whilst I’ve never witnessed that in person, I have been victim a couple of times to those wind-up paper butterflies that get put inside cards/gifts to jump out at you as they’re opened…fun (assuming you don’t lose an eye), but probably not quite the blissful serenity we’re going for here!

Today we’re bringing the butterflies indoors for our wedding DIY in the form of origami.  These butterflies are quick and simple to make, beautiful as decoration, name cards, escort cards, or simply as a relaxing activity on a rainy afternoon.

Making them for your wedding? Get the girls over (abiding by government guidance of course!), open a bottle of wine and get folding together (any excuse right!?).

Happy folding!

Equipment used in this video:

  • Sharpie in Gold
  • Paper from The Works, £1, dimensions 15cm².

Got any questions or video requests? Leave them in the comments below and we’ll do our best to help. Tell us how you got on and tag us in your photos over on Instagram: @bridesociety_uk, we’d love to see your butterflies!

—Bride Society

Wave Your Wand High

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DIY Ribbon Wand / Confetti Alternative

Weddings and receptions are back on! Albeit on a smaller scale and not quite back to normality yet… If you’re after some DIY projects for your micro/small wedding we’ve got you covered.

This week we’ve put together an easy DIY tutorial to create a jingling ribbon wand which is perfect as a wedding confetti alternative, especially in these social distancing times.

Leave your wedding ceremony to a guard of ribbon wands with the added bonus of them keeping everyone at a safe distance!

They look great in photographs and when dancing is allowed again are a fun addition to the dance floor for both adults and children alike!

You will need:

  • Wooden dowels – we used 8mm wooden dowels cut to approx. 30cm in length
  • Screw eyes – https://bit.ly/3gHH3xD
  • Jingle bells – https://bit.ly/2G4ywYQ
  • Wire – we used jewellery wire but you could also use jump rings
  • Ribbon – colours and type of your choice!

Use a selection of ribbons in your colour scheme and choose whatever length of ribbon you fancy.

Just remember that you will lose a little bit of length when you attach the ribbon to the dowel. The screw eye may take a bit of force to screw into the dowel.

A way to avoid this is to drill a small pilot hole as a guide for the screw eye. This will also minimise the dowel splitting.

-Bride Society

Hey Beautiful!

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Cricut Mirror Decal Tutorial

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This week we’re plunging back into the crafty and creative world that is Cricut (click here if you’re thinking Cri…what?!), helping you learn how to use your magical machine to make beautiful, professional looking DIYs for your wedding.

On the morning of your wedding, you and your bridesmaids will be busy beautifying from head to toe and your photographer likes to capture a piece of the ‘getting ready’ action…so we thought a decal on your mirror would be a clever & personal touch to those memorable photographs…though I like to think this project works whether you’re planning a wedding or not (our design reads, “Hey beautiful” and it’s still on my mirror, that’s all I’m sayin’!)! 

We’ve got step-by-step instructions, suitable for any skill level, on how to use Cricut ‘window cling’ to create this week’s work of art.  It’s the perfect material for working with mirrors or windows as it is fully removeable with no residue and can be reused – just hang on to the backing paper to store it!  And I say all this without Cricut paying me to sing its praises!

Here’s a list of what you’ll need to make our decal project:

Having a go?  Share your made-over mirror creations with us by tagging us in your photos over on Instagram @bridesociety_uk, we’d love to see!

Any questions?  Just ask, we’ll try our best to help.

NB. This video is not made in association with Cricut or Hobbycraft. There are no affiliate links listed here. If you choose to use other materials or equipment to make this project, please refer to the cricut website as instructions will vary slightly.

—Bride Society