Adults only treat inspiration to cool down on these warm and sunny days!
These elderflower and prosecco ice lollies can be taken to the next level by adding edible flowers (we’ve used borage) or fruit such as raspberries or lemon slices.
It could not be simpler – all you need is a mould that will fit in your freezer. If you haven’t got a mould that has sticks included, you can use traditional lolly sticks. Just wait for about an hour into freezing to add them to the lollies. This stops the sticks from falling over in the liquid.
These lollies need to be eaten quickly once removed from the freezer. (Although I’m sure they won’t be around for long anyway!)
If you don’t fancy an alcoholic lolly, why not substitute the prosecco for lemonade?
If you’re planning a summer wedding, these could be perfect for your guests to enjoy during your drinks reception.
I guess right now a lot of us might be feeling somewhat blue, but this ‘something blue’, is all positive. There are many, many traditions associated with weddings, and amongst them I’m sure many of you have heard the rhyme;
“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence in her shoe.”
This rhyme has been a such a strong tradition for many years with couples, myself included, giving at least a nod to it by incorporating some or all the elements in to their day. For me, I had a handkerchief that was my grandmother’s which had blue flowers on it – so old, borrowed and blue were all covered off in one go – efficient! The ‘new’, well that was basically everything else and whilst I didn’t have a sixpence in my left shoe, a guest did give me one as a gift.
We set about thinking of ways you could incorporate the ‘something blue’ (which is said to represent love, purity and fidelity) into your wedding, ranging from flashy to subtle, modern to sentimental for today’s video. Check out what we came up with here:
Do you have other ‘blue’ ideas? Let us know in the comments if you’re planning on honouring this tradition and how. Remember you can check out our Pinterest board that goes with this video here.
NB. Please note this video footage was filmed prior to the Covid-19 outbreak in the UK and therefore social distancing was not in place at this time.
This spring presents more challenges than most, perhaps you’ve had to postpone your wedding or your Easter Sunday family gathering is not going to be what you’d envisioned. This year is going to be different for sure, but we’ve been trying to concentrate our thoughts on what we can still do…so whether it be for a smaller than expected Sunday dinner with those you live with, or you’re thinking ahead to your wedding reception this time next year when all of this is over, we thought these adorable bunny napkins would be a great addition to your tables.
It’s something crafty to do, either by yourself or with the kids (crafts are not just for kids!) that really doesn’t require many materials –seeing as access to supplies is limited right now, and can be done well ahead of time. You literally just need a paper napkin, NOTHING ELSE!!
My personal napkin supply was running a little low when I shot this tutorial, so I had to resort to using this slightly scrappy one that’s been used as a prop in previous Bride Society videos/photos, but it does the job and it’s a time for being resourceful!
NB, Materials: My paper napkin is 19x19cm – I wouldn’t recommend starting much smaller than that if you can avoid it as the folding process makes them fairly petite. You can alternatively use fabric napkins, they are just a little less cooperative.
I realised after making this, with the intention of it being used for dining purposes, that it also makes quite a fun finger puppet! Do with that what you will.
Cute, fun, practical and relaxing…time to start folding!
Share your bunny photos with us over on Instagram by tagging us @bridesociety_uk.
A Week in the Life of a Wedding Supplier – Exhibiting at a Wedding Fair
N.B. What a difference 6 weeks makes! Please note this was filmed in February before everything escalated in the UK. We hope you’re all keeping safe and staying home if you’re able to.
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If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of preparing to exhibit at a wedding fair then you’ve come to the right place! Alongside Bride Society, I (Laura) also run a wedding cake business in the East Midlands. Back in February I exhibited at the Wedding Event with a Difference in Nottingham and thought I would film the week running up to the fair to give you a glimpse of what goes on.
So get ready for a week in the life of a wedding supplier; involving a lot of chat, paint, polystyrene fake cakes, dried flowers and some actual real cake!
Despite the lovely weather in the week, unfortunately Storm Dennis hit on the day so it wasn’t ideal conditions for heading out. But that didn’t seem to put a dampener on things and lots of couples braved the storm to come and enjoy the wedding inspiration (and chat about cake!).
Another year, yes, another Paperchase Haul…and that’s because we love them!The 2020 range is here, so we’re showing you what we picked up from their hen party (bachelorette) collection in this week’s video.
The Paperchase game is strong once again, they have never
let us down yet! They have your night
covered from badges and fun accessories, to games, decorations and
keepsakes. So whether you’re a
bridesmaid reading this for some ideas or the bride-to-be looking for some
hints to drop, we think you’ll love what’s on offer.
Our favourite item this year? There’s lots of good stuff, but my mind immediately jumps to one stand out item over all the rest, the ‘Hen Party Scrap Book’ – a keepsake for the VIB (aka Very Important Bride). Someone at Paperchase has clearly sat down and given this item some proper thought – sending Paperchase a blogosphere high-five for this one. It’s a hardback book filled with prompts to help the Bride capture the whole night with memories to treasure. Interested? Check it out in more detail in our video or buy it here. All product links are below in order of appearance, with time stamps if you want to jump ahead to check out a specific item – handy!
After more Hen Party/Bachelorette inspiration? Check out our YouTube playlist.
Product Links (in order
of appearance, inc. video time stamps):
Interested in what Paperchase has in their 2020 wedding range? Check out our haul here.
Picking up any of these products? We’d love to see! Share your photos with us over on Instagram @bridesociety_uk.
NB. All views and opinions expressed in this video are that held by Bride Society and are in no way affiliated with PAPERCHASE. All pricing and other information provided in relation to the products mentioned were correct at the time of filming to the best of our knowledge.
We’ve given you the ideas for hosting your hen party at home, now it’s time to turn our attention to a classic night out on the town!
It can be a challenge to bring together a, potentially large, group of people, regardless of the location. These tips and ideas can help break the ice so everyone, including you, the VIB (Very Important Bride) have the best night!
There’s a mix of games, challenges and surprises so there should be an idea for everyone. And if you end up creating fiancé(e) face masks for the group, please let us see your photos!
We’re assuming there will be drinking involved in these activities, but, as always, if alcohol isn’t your thing they can be adapted to suit your preferences.
We’d love to hear if you are planning any of these activities for a hen night. Let us know in the comments or tag us in your photos over on Instagram!
The high street has become a hive of great wedding products
over the past few years, from stationery to décor to accessories to
bridalwear. And this year they seem to
be getting well ahead of the wedding season, I mean February!? I don’t remember shops bringing out their
bridalwear collections until April-time in the past, although maybe it’s just
one of those things like, “I don’t remember it being this cold last winter”,
when in reality it was, so don’t quote me on it!!
Whether or not they launched when there was still snow on the ground last year, we think February is a great time as now Christmas has passed we’re sure attentions have turned back to wedding planning and let’s face it, you wouldn’t want to leave buying key items until the wedding is right on top of you, so it’s actually the perfect time.
In today’s video we are reviewing Warehouse’s 2020 bridesmaid collection – it’s not a high street shop we’ve noticed in the past for bridalwear, so we were pretty excited when their advert popped up in our social media streams…yep, targeted marketing working its magic, haha.
Not the biggest collection we’ve ever seen but arguably
perfectly formed… They are all of a
similar style and most come in multiple colours so you can definitely get a mix
and match situation happening, or find a hue close to your colour scheme. Perhaps a more modern approach to have your
bridesmaids wearing different dresses and colours, but we love the idea –
giving diversity / interest and allowing for individual bridesmaids to find
styles they like to wear and feel confident in, whilst still creating an
overall aesthetic that’s good down the camera lens.
We’re giving you the low down on what we think of the quality and fit (on body types that vary from the models used on their website!), what we liked versus what we’d send back quicker than you can say, ‘I do’, as well as giving you a detailed look at all the dresses for yourselves. Curious what’s on offer? Come this way…
Like what you’re seeing? Here’s the links to all of the dresses shown in this video, in order of appearance (and the time stamps for each in case you want to skip ahead to a specific dress!):
The full collection and range of colours can be viewed here.
NB. All views and opinions expressed in this video are that held by Bride Society and are in no way affiliated with Warehouse. All pricing and other information provided in relation to the products reviewed were correct at the time of filming to the best of our knowledge.
What’s New in Paperchase 2020 – Wedding Day Décor and Stationery
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The traditional ‘wedding season’ has pretty much disappeared, with more and more couples choosing to get married all year round. That being said, spring/summer is still the most popular time when it comes to the High Street bringing out their wedding collections and Paperchase is no exception!
So we were excited to see that Paperchase have just launched their wedding range for 2020 (February being slightly earlier than we were expecting!). A botanical and rose gold theme with some updated pieces from previous collections to match the new theme, as well as some brand new products we haven’t seen before (like the seating plan book!).
We picked up a range of items in our Paperchase Haul, focusing on the run up to the wedding as well as the wedding day itself, to give you an idea of what is on offer this year and what’s worth it.
So not actually a cake, but a very delicious and not so complicated way to really impress if you need a last minute solution for Valentine’s Day!
This week’s edible DIY is three layers of shortbread sandwiched with buttercream/frosting and decorated with whatever you know your other half loves! We’ve gone with gummy hearts, the classic love hearts and blueberries to stick with the “Valentine’s” theme (the blueberries not so much, but they added a contrast of colour and fruit makes it healthy right?!).
And if you’re not a fan of, or don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day itself, you can of course create any shape/number/letter you like so it’s suitable for any occasion. All you need is to create a template in the shape of your choice! (Hint: a cereal box works very well as something to create your template from)
Vanilla Shortbread recipe:
300g plain flour
250g unsalted butter
125g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Vanilla buttercream:
125g unsalted butter
295g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Don’t forget to tag us in your photos if you have a go at making this week’s DIY. We’d love to see!
We’re giving the guys a bit of attention today with a Wedding Day Washroom Kit of their very own.
If you’ve been following us for a while, you’ll know that we put together a kit for the Ladies’ bathroom (you can check out that video here) but the men in your life are just as deserving of those little extra wedding touches. Possibly even more so, as they’re traditionally less likely to have a bag or many things with them while attending a wedding and therefore more likely to require an emergency safety pin (after an enthusiastic dancing related incident?!) or a spritz of aftershave to freshen up for the evening.
So if the budget doesn’t allow for your very own valet in the reception bathrooms, we’re showing you what we put in our washroom kit for some inspiration for your big day. NB: We have included pain killers – for those headaches that can creep in during a long day, but of course be mindful that these should be kept out of reach of children as you will not be playing bathroom monitor on the day of your wedding!
Download your Checklist!
If you think we’ve forgotten anything, please let us know in the comments below!
We all know it’s important to make time for our relationship, that’s why we reached out to you over on Instagram to find out what your favourite thing to do on ‘date night’ is. We rounded up the responses, and with some of our own ideas mixed in, we bring you; ‘DATESPIRATION’! And you know what, I’m actually really pleased we did this – I hadn’t realised how much I’d been defaulting to the same plans on repeat! Know what I mean? Yea sure, we like what we like, but now I’m thinking there might be a whole other bunch of things we might be missing out on…watch this space hubby!
So whether you’re looking for some Valentine’s Day activity ideas to mix things up from the go-to candlelit dinner, or wanting a ‘date night’ that’s outside the box, we’ve got a whole range of date ideas for you; from budget to luxury, classic to inventive, staying in or going out, you’ll find it all here!
Getting married is a big deal,
and as you may have noticed, your wedding is a big deal to many more people
than just the two of you!
Sometimes people just love giving their opinions, solicited or not. We’ve all experienced it; you’re ill – they have a miracle cure you have to try, you’re on a dating app – they have a list of criteria for your perfect match, you’re buying a house – they’re telling you how many rooms you need and how the wall colour you want is dated, and as we all know, when it comes to the big one, parenthood, even your cat has opinions on that! Weddings are no different. Nothing gets family, friends, colleagues, and your next-door neighbour’s cousin going more than wedding-talk. While it is all mostly well-meaning, sometimes people manage to forget that this day actually isn’t all about them…and well, then there’s those people who just like the sound of their own voice.
Don’t get us wrong, sometimes input and guidance is great, but it’s all in the delivery! We appreciate you may not have planned many weddings, so you may be looking for some help…but my guess is that’s when you buy a wedding magazine, chat to your suppliers, browse Pinterest, ask a trusted friend who will help not hinder, or even hop on our channel…finding the info on your terms, no pressure added. We’re focusing our tips and techniques on how to handle those unsolicited, unhelpful opinions and demands that might be flying your way. AND hopefully in a way that gets the outcome you want without alienating any friends or family.
Got any more tips? Share them in the comments and help each other out!
Back in November, Rebecca and I were invited to Melbourne in Derbyshire by Steph from the Secret Bridesmaid to be involved in a styled wedding photo shoot. We went along to capture some behind the scenes footage of what goes on.
If you’re unsure of what a styled wedding photo shoot is, it’s an opportunity for wedding suppliers to come together, do something creative and show potential customers what they can offer.
Despite us only planning on being in the background (and getting to hang out with the gorgeous four legged model!) Rebecca got involved and became a bridesmaid for the afternoon, showing off one of Steph’s multiway bridesmaid dresses.
Details of all the suppliers involved are listed below so please go and check them out.
We hope you enjoy the behind the scenes look at the shoot day and if you’d like us to do more of this kind of thing, please let us know in the comments below.
The busyness of the holidays can mean that wedding planning’s put on the back burner while life and festivities take priority! This may mean you’ve woken up (almost) mid-way through January and realised you’ve lost your planning mojo.
Well, the New Year has come and gone, and resolutions may or may not have already been broken but we’re here with some motivation to at least get your wedding planning back on track!
We’re taking the dread out of the to-do list with tips ranging from the smallest re-introduction to planning to re-igniting the excitement of why you’re planning your wedding in the first place.
There is talk of the dreaded budget, but you never know, Father Christmas may have been generous this year and given the wedding budget a bit of a boost.
If you have any other tips or advice, please leave them in the comments below to help out the rest of the Society.
Happy New Year! Here’s to our first post of 2020 and a whole New Year of Bride Society content! (Hoping it’s not just us that’s excited about that! Comment below and say hi.)
We hope you had a lovely time over the holidays, however you spent it. For me that meant Canada (home is in the UK if you weren’t sure) with my husband’s side of the family, and I’m now sat on the plane home on New Year’s Day (sadly an early flight so I was asleep before midnight on New Years’ for the first time since childhood) writing this blog, closed in on my north, south, east and west by children still hopped up on the remnants of Christmas candy, thinking these 7 hours are going to be a challenge! However, thanks to my Mother-in-Law for my noise cancelling headphones this Christmas, I’m instead able to focus my attention on all you engaged brides and grooms-to-be down there and how much I’m looking forward to being a part of your journey down the aisle. Join us over on YouTube every Friday for all our video content from advice, to DIYs, to honeymoon inspiration and lots more. Plus check out our Instagram page where you can find us; Rebecca and Laura, and the rest of the Society for more inspo, support and the personal touch from our community of brides and grooms to be.
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Know someone who got engaged over the Christmas – New
Year period?
Whilst the January blues may soon be hitting hard for many, the excitement is just kicking off for some – hooray! Congratulations to you or whoever that person/couple in your life is! If you were just starting to contemplate heading back up into the loft with the left-over rolls of wrapping paper and feeling grateful you don’t have to head into another store filled with crowds of frenzied shoppers, you may want to hang back a second. That’s right, we’re thinking ‘engagement gifts’. By no means compulsory, but if the person/couple is close to you, you may be looking for something small to mark the special occasion.
If your present buying brain power has already imploded in a post-Christmas related trauma, fear not, we have the answers! This week’s video is packed full of our favourite engagement gift ideas for the newly engaged couple and there are even some helpful links below to get you going (none of these are affiliate links, they are purely here because we think they’re awesome!). We also have a Pinterest board that specifically accompanies this video here.
Congratulations again! Comment below if you have any other great engagement gift ideas to help each other out, we all appreciate it!
