Lighting for Weddings

Lighting is probably not at the top of your list of things to consider about your wedding styling, but it can make a huge difference to the atmosphere of the ceremony and reception. Well-placed lighting can create a romantic or contemporary look, soften harsh venue decor (such as stark white walls), make a large room more intimate, and separate different areas of your reception. With this in mind, I've put together a few images of the typical lighting techniques found at weddings. 

Candles
Candles are definitely the most common form of lighting at weddings. Not only do they give off a lovely soft glow (and sometimes scent!), but no other light says 'romance' like candles. Despite being used traditionally in religious settings, candles have come to lose this connotation, and are also found in a lot of civil ceremonies. There are several ways you can use candles during your wedding.

How about lining the aisle with candles, to create a dramatic backdrop to your entrance?

 

Image credits - from top: http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/aisle-decor-for-a-rustic-wedding, elizabethannedesigns.com, my1950swedding.tumblr.com, trendeeflowers.blogspot.com,



As you can see from the images above, many different types of candle can be used to line your aisle - from tall pillar candles to small tealights. Candles also look really great when combined with floral displays at this point in the ceremony. When choosing candles to put along the aisle, you need to consider the style of bridal gown you will be wearing. If your dress is quite wide, or has a long train, then exposed tealight candles will pose a potential fire hazard - why not try pillar candles in hurricane lanterns instead? 

Candles are also a great addition to your wedding reception, and are often used as table decorations. The type of candle used will depend on the sort of wedding centerpiece you are having. A tall floral centerpiece works well surrounded by small tealights, whilst eclectic arrangements of votive candles can be a centerpiece of their own, and candelabras always create impact.

  






Image credits - from top: nycityweddings.com, flickriver.com,  http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/ideas-for-non-floral-centerpieces, myweddecorations.blogspot.com. 








Paper Lanterns 
 A clever way to add both lighting and colour to your wedding decorations, paper lanterns have the added bonus of being cheap to buy. They can also be very visually striking when arranged in a large cluster. Use them to add interest and texture to the ceiling of a marquee. 

Image credits - from top: hitched.co.uk,  taragettingmarried.blogspot.com, adisplacedfloridian.blogspot.com. 

Fairy Lights

Great for both indoor and outdoor weddings, fairy lights can be hung from or wrapped round practically anything. They can create a range of moods, from rustic charm when wrapped round the beams of a barn, to contemporary elegance when used in a marquee or hotel. Just make sure all their wires are neatly tucked away! 

 

Image credits - from top: justthething.co.uk, helencarterweddings.co.uk, asianweddingideas.blogspot.com.

The main thing to consider when choosing lighting is the mood you are trying to create. An intimate, vintage-inspired wedding will require different lighting to a large, contemporary celebration. Your choice of venue will also dictate what lighting you can use. Some venues will not allow certain candles, for example, because of fire safety. The colours of the room and the time of day and season you are marrying in will also impact on lighting options. The images above, however, prove that lighting is a very effective way of creating atmosphere for your wedding, and will hopefully inspire you to think about what you can use ar your own celebration. 

For help with lighting, and all other aspects of venue styling, why not hire Strawberry Soufflé to create the wedding you've always dreamed of? Email info@strawberrysouffleweddings.com to arrange a free consultation. 

Tiny Cakes!

As an alternative to wedding favours, or just for fun, why not treat your guests to their very own individual cake? These mini wedding cakes can be decorated in a huge array of colours, and look like delightful little morsels of squidgy goodness. Take a look at the following examples and say yes to the tiny cake! 

 

 

Image credits - from top: perfect-wedding-day.com, julietstallwoodcakesandbiscuits.co.uk, londoncake.co.uk, primadonnabride.co.za, devinecakedesign.co.uk, hannicollection.com, ladyemilycakes.com, icemaidencakes.com.

The Do's and Don'ts of Bridesmaids

If you follow me on Twitter ( @StrawbSoufWed), you might have caught a few frustrated tweets over the Easter weekend, when I received an email from my last bridesmaid to say she was quitting. This was the woman who I'd been friends with for fourteen years, and now she wanted nothing more to do with me because we differed in our ideas of what made a good wedding. Despite sending several lengthy emails back, I never did get to the bottom of what was going on, but the stark fact was that both the people I'd originally picked to be my bridesmaids had now thrown in the towel, leaving me with a wedding party of exactly 0. 

I'll admit I found the experience rather hurtful. It's not pleasant to be told you don't merit support and companionship on your wedding day. I'm lucky to have a great relationship with my mum, and I know she will help me a lot on the wedding morning, but it would have been lovely to have my friend there too - not only to crack a joke and ease my nerves, but because I wanted to share the most special day of my life with her. The events of the past weekend got me thinking, though, about how we brides go about choosing our bridesmaids, and what the bridesmaid role itself entails. 

Traditionally, bridesmaids were needed to confuse evil spirits who might wish to curse or hurt the bride on the wedding day. This led to them wearing white so that the spirits might mistake one of them for the bride. They were usually chosen from unwed women of a marriageable age. The size of the wedding party would be carefully calculated to show off the family's wealth and status. Nowadays, of course, the bride can choose whomever she wants, but will usually pick her close friends, sisters, or future sisters-in-law. 

Besides the straightforward business of actually attending the wedding, what duties are bridesmaids expected to perform? Contrary to popular belief, there is no right or wrong answer to this question, and the role of the bridesmaid is as unique as the wedding she is a part of. However, the responsibilities of the role, and especially the associated costs, are the most common bone of contention amongst modern brides and their bridesmaids. At the most basic level, bridesmaids will need to support the bride on the wedding day, from helping her get ready in the morning to holding all those layers of wedding dress when she uses the loo, but beyond this the term "support" can mean all manner of things. It's no wonder that some bridesmaids approach the role with an aura of trepidation (we've all seen photos of truly hideous bridesmaids dresses), or decline the invitation altogether. 

In terms of what bridesmaids might be asked to wear, there is a lot more choice available now, which should banish fears of that maroon monstrosity that haunts most girls' nightmares. The Dessy Group, for example, have bridesmaid dresses in every colour and style imaginable. High street stores such as Monsson, Coast, or Next have great selections of formal gowns. The new service from Maids to Measure even lets your bridesmaids design their own dress! Even with all these options, you still might be presented with a dress that makes you cringe, and the following advice could be helpful. If the bride herself is paying for the bridesmaid dresses, it is courteous to just grin and bear the dress you're given, and remember that you can put her in something horrible at your own wedding. If the bride has asked you to pay for your own dress, however, you should be given more say in what you wear. It's still polite to try and find some common ground - perhaps the length of the dress could be changed, or the shade of colour altered a little. Most brides will appreciate if you voice your concerns in advance rather than refusing to wear the dress on the day itself, but ultimately you need to remember that the happiness of your friend or sister on her wedding day is more important than your opinion of a dress you'll only wear once.

Brides need to remember that the cost of some bridesmaid dress can run into the hundreds of pounds, and that not all of your bridesmaids will be able to afford this expense. It is possible to find some great budget-friendly dresses on the high street or via websites such as Girls of Elegance. An alternative might be to pick a colour palette and then ask your bridesmaids to choose their own dresses, allowing them to find styles and prices that suit. You could also consider splitting the cost of the dress, or paying for other things such as shoes or jewelry. Ultimately it's worth asking yourself if that £300 dress is more important than having your best friends with you on the day. 

Another cause of arguments between brides and bridesmaids are the number of pre-wedding events the bridesmaid might be asked to attend. Along with the hen night, there can be bridal dress shopping, spa days, rehearsal dinners, and general get-togethers or parties. Whilst these can undoubtedly be fun, the cost of attending can really pile up, especially if your bridesmaids live far away from the venue or are attending multiple weddings in the same year. Before organising such events, the bride should ask herself if she could afford to go were she to swop places with her maids. If your answer begins with "ummm", it's best to keep the pre-wedding events to a minimum. If your bridesmaids are planning your hen night, it's a good idea to tell them the sort of thing you would or wouldn't enjoy to avoid nasty surprises, and don't expect them to automatically book a lavish weekend in a different country.

I've read some interesting guides to picking your bridesmaids, where the bridesmaids' duties on the wedding day itself run for pages and pages. The main thing to remember about your wedding day is that, whilst your bridesmaids will want to help you, they are not your staff. Anyone invited to a wedding - including bridesmaids - will want to enjoy themselves, and they shouldn't keep having to check that things are running smoothly. If you really need someone to make sure the caterer has arrived or that the DJ plays your favourite song, it's a good idea to hire a wedding planner or co-ordinator for the day. If a bridesmaid offers to help by baking your wedding cake or making place cards, let her do so - it's her way of showing she cares, and will give a wonderful, personal touch to the decorations. Don't, however, give your maids huge tasks such as "find a photographer" - they won't know where to begin or what you would want, and will end up confused and resentful. 

On the other hand, a good bridesmaid will know to help the bride with her make-up or with getting into her dress on the morning, and know when to provide the friendly hug to allay those pre-wedding nerves. They'll know not to get drunk, or try and pull the best man. They'll understand that this is your wedding, not theirs, and you are allowed to make the day look and feel the way you want. They can be relied on to smile at all the right times, and to even give a reading during the ceremony. A good bridesmaid then, on your wedding day, is like a good friend during any other day; trustworthy and dependable. 

Weddings can sadly bring out the worst in people, and friendship-ending disagreements between bride and bridesmaid are more common that you might think. The secret to getting the best out of the relationship really comes down to compromise. Every bride will have things that are non-negotiable, but also things which are not so important. A bridesmaid disliking the length of her dress, for example, is a very different problem from one trying to change the whole style of your wedding. Picking the right people is obviously important, and most arguments can be solved with tact and a cup of tea, but some bridesmaids will turn out to be so unreliable that you'd be better off losing them altogether. As you can tell from the post above, there's no easy or firm guide to choosing bridesmaids or being one. The best way to handle the role is to, unlike my own bridesmaids, behave like an adult!

What is a Wedding Planner and why should I have one?

I thought I'd take some time to explain in more detail how a wedding planner can help you achieve the wedding you've always wanted. The popular view of wedding planners is that they're a luxury that only the rich and famous can afford, which is not true. Strawberry Soufflé extend the same level of service to all clients regardless of their budget or style of wedding. Part of my job, in fact, is to help you stay on budget, by searching for the best deals and negotiating with suppliers on your behalf. You can rest assured your budget is right at the forefront of everything I do for you, and I will never suggest suppliers or ideas that you can't afford.

Couples also worry that hiring a wedding planner will mean you get a wedding full of things somebody else likes, and this isn't true either! My goal is to plan you a wedding that reflects you as a couple and that incorporates everything you've told me is important to you. You're free to contact me as many times as you like to update me on things you want, and I promise not to book anything until I've got your complete approval. Of course, if you'd rather just give me a brief and then let me get on with it, that's fine too. Every wedding is as unique as the couple getting married, and I get a lot of enjoyment from helping you get the day you want. 

Strawberry Soufflé offer a range of services, from full wedding planning to on the day co-ordination and venue styling. This means you're in charge of how much of your wedding I plan. You might want help with just one aspect, or perhaps you'd like me to organise the entire event. People have busy lives, and it can sometimes take a colossal 250 hours to plan a wedding. My job is to take away all the stress and hassle that comes with wedding planning, and leave you to enjoy the fun part - getting married to the person you love!

If you'd like more information, or to arrange a free initial consultation, please contact me on 07930396203 or email info@strawberrysouffleweddings.com

Beth Philpot Bespoke Bridal Wear

If you've read my post about the National Wedding Show, then you'll know that finding your perfect wedding dress is not always the fun and exciting experience it's made out to be. For some of us, it's a slide into increasing desperation as we realise our perfect dress doesn't exist. The recent growth of the vintage and vintage-inspired bridal wear market helps to solve this dilemma for some, but for others the best solution is to have a bespoke dress designed and made specially. 

Beth Philpot is a Somerset based bespoke bridal wear specialist, who can design and make the dress you've always dreamed of. Having your dress made specially for you means you get to choose the style, fabrics and detailing, and perhaps have a period reproduction dress, or one made from Eco-friendly materials. All this without having to trawl round countless bridal shops trying to find the best compromise between what you really want and what's on offer. 

Beth has a background in making costumes for film and theatre - she even worked on Pirates of the Caribbean II and King Arthur - and she has a degree in costume design. As such you are ensured to receive the highest quality workmanship and not a dress that's been made somewhere in China. She prides herself on offering a personal and friendly service where you can be involved with the design process and truly happy with the end result.

The design process begins with a free initial consultation at a time that is convenient to you (including evenings and weekends), which allows Beth to get to know you and understand what you're looking for in your dress. With this input, she can produce some designs until you're happy you've found the perfect dress. You can choose from a huge array of fabrics in a variety of colours and, once happy with the quote Beth has provided, your measurements will be taken. This ensures the dress will fit you perfectly and compliment your body shape. 

Beth will arrange several fittings with you - including one to try on a toile cotton mock-up of the dress - to make sure you are happy with the dress and that it fits exactly, and details such as embroidery or embellishment will be added just before the final fitting. Prices are dependent on the type of fabric used and the style of dress, but start at £800, which is no more expensive than the vast majority of off-the-peg dresses sold in bridal shops. Having a bespoke dress made will, as I said before, ensure that you get the dress you really want, and not have to settle for something that's second best. It's also a great way to gain creative input into what you wear on your big day, and will definitely guarantee nobody will ever wear the same dress as you! 

Below are some examples of Beth's previous work. I particularly love the beautiful, delicate little butterflies on the third dress! Please take a look at her website at  http://www.bethphilpot.co.uk/index.htm for more information and to arrange an initial consultation.