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!
…not french hens, but a special festive message from Bride Society!
Merry Christmas to all of Bride Society! And no, we’re not late to the party with this message….there are 12 days of Christmas and I won’t be told otherwise!!
Whether you’re a bride, groom, bridesmaid or anyone else that has been part of the Society over the past year, we hope you’ve had a wonderful year planning your weddings and we are excited to have been a part of your journey in some small way. Thank you for being a part of what we create, it honestly matters so much to us every time one of you follows us on Instagram, subscribes to our YouTube channel, sends us a message or comments on a post – we notice it all!
If you’ve just about maxed out on family time (we know you love them, but…!) and Christmas movies, take a moment to watch our Christmas message to you and we look forward to helping you plan your wedding in the New Year.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, from Rebecca and Laura at Bride Society xx
“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas”…. weddings that is!
We couldn’t let this time of year go by without discussing some of our favourite ways to add some festive touches to your winter/Christmas weddings. From wreaths to snow covered mason jars, candy canes to pigs in blankets canapés, you can pick out some subtle touches or go full on festive extravaganza!
This weeks video is packed with festive inspiration.
Christmas is a great time to get married, venues look beautifully decorated when festive touches are used (we’re thinking embracing the darker evenings with fairy lights, candles and a few sparkles!), and food options are especially great during this season.
We’d love to hear if you’re planning to add some festive touches to your winter wedding! Tag us in your photos over on Instagram if you do!
Find our Pinterest board that accompanies this video here.
Recipe – makes 30 biscuits (approx.). We actually only need two for the cake toppers, the rest are just for fun!
Ingredients:
350g Plain Flour
85g Golden Syrup
175g Dark Muscovado Sugar
100g Butter
1 Egg
1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1tsp Ground Cinnamon
1tbsp Ground Ginger
To decorate:
Water
Icing sugar
Black Food Colouring
At this point in the season I’m a good vat-full of gingerbread lattes in, interspersed with a few eggnog lattes for good measure. The Christmas tree is up and I’m one good Christmas movie and countless bad ones down (recommendations welcomed!).
Whilst fully embracing the festive vibes, it came to us…how
adorable would gingerbread people be as wedding cake toppers (or just on your
Christmas Cake…but you might just want to decorate them differently from us
else it could be weird, just saying!)?!
If you’re having a festive wedding, we don’t think you can get cuter
than this!
Bake with us in today’s video as we show you how we made our little gingerbread couple…totally not bad luck to eat yourselves afterwards! Haha.
Having a go? Tag us in your photos @bridesociety_uk over on
Instagram, we’d love to see your take on them.
We’re big fans of cake here at Bride Society so when we decided to film our wedding trend videos looking ahead to the New Year, we thought it was only fair to give it the attention it deserves with a specific wedding cake trends video for 2020.
If you’re looking for a more general wedding trends video, then you’re in luck, check out our 2020 trends video here!
Instagram handles for all suppliers shown in the video:
Our round up of our favourite winter wedding ideas!
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Who said Winter is dreary? Well, ok, most of us at one time or another, but if you’ve decided to have your wedding at this time of year, we’re thinking you are probably someone who has seen the good in the season!
We love all things warm and cosy around here – give me a chunky knit jumper and a mug of hot chocolate, throw in some soft lighting and if you can muster up a roaring fire, then life is good! …That has led me to imagine a bride in an oversized jumper over a wedding dress, and bizarrely I’m thinking that could be quite cute (not so much for walking down the aisle – I’m not crazy, but in between times)! Who’s with me?
Ok yes, the season has it’s challenges, but it is also full of everything from the cosy jumpers I was just fantasising about (full disclosure – wearing one right now!), to sparkle and glitz! What more could you want? And whoever it was that just said “sunshine”, shush!
Laura and I put our heads together and came up with our top loves for winter weddings in today’s video. We’ve got it all covered from décor to attire to food and those extra special touches! Check out our dedicated Pinterest board accompanying this video here.
Useful links:
Our Pinterest board accompanying this video can be found here.
Our YouTube Winter Wedding Playlist where you can find all our videos related to planning your Winter-time wedding is here.
The countdown has begun to the end of the year so it’s time that we look ahead to the new decade and the expected wedding trends for 2020!
There are rumours in the wedding industry that 2020 will be a bumper year for weddings as couples appreciate the symmetry that the round number of 2020 gives.
As weddings are often planned over a prolonged period of time, i.e. it’s not unusual to be planning your wedding for one or two years before the Big Day, trends in weddings can also appear over multiple years. In this year’s trends video, we’re talking about the new trends that will appear in the new year as well as a few ideas that we think are here to stay.
So get ready for chat about sustainable weddings, grazing tables, dried flower decor and much more!
Let us know if you’re planning on incorporating any of these ideas in to your wedding. We’d love to hear about it!
And if you’re interested in what we had to say about 2019 and whether we were right in our predictions, like did frosé turn out to the big drink of summer weddings?!, you can still check that video out here.
Wedding Candles ‘Unboxing’ with The Secret Bridesmaid (gifted)
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So, it’s safe to say that airport security won’t be offering us employment as sniffer dogs anytime soon as we are both clearly unskilled when it comes to being able to identify smells! That and we are human beings, but I’m confident that would be the lesser of the two problems for them! (Blog continues below…)
KEEP READING, details below!
This week, Steph from The Secret Bridesmaid sent us a range of her soy candles to test out! Happy days, our houses have never smelt so good (we live with boys after all)! I will preface this whole exercise by saying these look beautiful and smell amazing…she personalises the candle tin lids to feature your details and has so many designs to match your look. Whether you want them as wedding favours, names for your place settings, thank you gifts, or maybe even a Christmas present – she can take care of you! Now, whilst they do smell amazing… Laura and I set ourselves the challenge to ‘guess the scent’…let’s just say that was a mistake on our behalf! Haha, who knew that would be so hard? Also, in my defence, having a cold didn’t exactly help my situation…watch now to see who won!
GIVEAWAY: CLOSED. The Secret Bridesmaid is giving Bride Society viewers the chance to win a handmade decorative bridal hair comb worth £45! Visit our Instagram @bridesociety_uk for details of how to enter and t&c’s!
WAIT, there’s more!The Secret Bridesmaid is giving you 10% off purchases when quoting “BrideSociety10”. Order directly through Steph and keep an eye on her website as there is always more exciting stock arriving!
NB. The candles featured in this video were gifted to Bride Society, however all opinions and comments made in this video are those held by Bride Society who retain full editorial control over the video / blog content.
You’ve spent countless hours meticulously planning every detail of your ceremony and wedding reception…but wait there’s more! Sorry, there’s always something else when it comes to wedding planning isn’t there?! The wedding morning!
It’s really easy to overlook your wedding morning, the bit after you wake up (if you even slept!) and before the official part kicks off. You may be thinking, “I just need to get ready, what’s there to plan?” Well, whilst this is true and if you don’t want to think about it anymore beyond figuring out your timings, you can definitely leave it at that…but it is still a really significant part of the fun and enjoyment of the day and we want you to wring out every last ounce of happiness you can from this special day! So, to help you get your day off on the best foot possible (and help it run smoothly!), we’ve put together our top tips and things to think about ahead of time.
Got any other wedding morning tips or ideas to share with other brides/grooms-to-be? Let us know in the comments below or over on our YouTube channel. Be a part of the Society!
