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Patchwork’s Top 10 Wedding Gift Ideas

Whether you’re planning to ask for the items you might expect from a traditional wedding gift list, charitable donations or cash contributions (the most popular option for couples right now), just remember – whatever you do, don’t say, “No gifts!”

(Unless you’re going for the world record for the biggest collection of salad servers. In which case, you do you!)

We promise, your guests will want to treat you! It’s your wedding day, after all. So help them be sure they’re giving you something that’ll make you both happy, whether that’s helping you go on the honeymoon of a lifetime, put in that brand new kitchen you’ve been dreaming about or enjoy a year of date nights together. With a cash gift registry, you can ask for literally anything – and you have the freedom to spend your money when, where and how you want!

To help you get started, we asked the team over at Patchwork Gift Registry for their expert insight into the latest wedding gift trends and what they’re expecting couples to ask for in 2022/23.

Patchwork Gift Registry's template for "A Year of Dates" wedding gift list

1) It’s Date Night!

One of the biggest trends we saw in wedding gifting last year was couples asking guests to chip in for a “year of dates” instead of a traditional honeymoon – and it’s set to continue throughout 2022/23. With travel remaining tricky, many newlyweds are after some R&R a little closer to home. You might go for dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant, have a laugh at a comedy night, organise bike hire for a day’s cycling in the country or get away from it all for a night at a spa hotel. Whatever you do, this is the wedding gift that keeps giving for a whole year!

Setting up a cash gift list for date nights gives you flexibility in when, where and how you spend your wedding gift money. Not to mention, you’ll get to enjoy some super special time together thanks to the love of your friends and family!

Patchwork Gift Registry's template for "A Home of Our Own" wedding gift list

2) Home Sweet Home

While more and more couples are already living together when they tie the knot, many are still dreaming of owning their first home together. Every penny counts when it comes to saving up for the deposit on a first home – so why not let your guests help out?

Let your guests know your plans and what it would mean to have their support. You might want to break down your cash registry into smaller chunks so your loved ones can fund something specific: £500 towards the roof, £200 on the front door, £20 for a new door knocker…

You’ll have the keys in no time – and once you do, you can invite them all round for dinner so they can admire (and enjoy!) their gift too!

3) A Few of Our Favourite Things

Another trend popular among couples keen to stay closer to home is a gift list made up of all their favourite things to do together. What’s especially great about this option is everything on the list can be enjoyed anywhere, at any time. Plus, they’re the things we don’t usually treat ourselves to… and your wedding is the perfect time to indulge!

What are some of our top ideas for a “favourite things” gift registry? We love a subscription box, whether that’s for craft beer, local cheese, organic veg or beautiful flowers. You could also ask for a couple’s massage, a “spa at home” experience or even personal training sessions. Or, if you’re a couple with kids, there’s always the greatest luxury of all – babysitting!

Patchwork Gift Registry's template for "Our Roof Garden" wedding gift list

4) Get Green Fingered!

Why not make your dreams of a gorgeous garden come true? Instead of traditional gifts, consider asking your guests to give you plants, trees or bulbs to plant and enjoy for years to come.

To make things extra special, guests could choose plants that contain their name, hold a special meaning for them or are in some way a reminder of your relationship. Another idea we love is for guests to chip in for an entertaining area in your outside space. You could add options for guests to help fund garden furniture, a barbecue, a hammock or a fire pit. Or ask for donations of help in the garden from your more green-fingered friends for a gift list that isn’t just about physical gifts but sharing time and skills too!

5) Home and Away

If you can’t decide between a much-needed honeymoon and treating yourselves to some new homeware, why not combine the two in a “home and away” gift list? Give guests the option to choose between contributing to your far-flung adventures or buying you some fluffy new towels – or both, of course!

Opting for a combination of honeymoon and homeware is perfect for couples who aren’t sure when they’ll be able to get away for a honeymoon – but would love some home comforts while they plan!

6) The Wedding Day!

So you really do have it all? Well, if you’ve got everything you need and the only thing you want is to finally tie the knot, a “friend-funded” wedding could be the perfect solution!

Recent events have caused many couples to postpone their weddings once, twice or even more. With deposits lost or other unexpected financial difficulties, some couples have struggled to get their celebrations back on track. But there’s good news! We’ve seen thoughtful friends and family come together to set up wedding registries where the wedding day itself is the gift.

Guests might chip in towards venue hire, pay the cost of catering, help fund the photographer or even buy the wedding cake! This is a truly special gift that allows couples to have the day they’ve been dreaming of – while involving everyone in a really meaningful way. It’s a gift that can be enjoyed by everyone and a chance to come together to create memories that will last forever.

Patchwork Gift Registry's template for "National Trust Lifetime Membership" wedding gift list

7) A Lifetime Membership

This is a gift that literally lasts a lifetime – and does good too! National Trust or English Heritage membership is a gift that keeps giving, offering you the chance to enjoy endless days out together. It’s your ticket to a lifetime filled with stately homes, fairytale castles, country garden strolls and cream teas! And you’ll be helping protect unforgettable places for future generations – so you and your guests can feel extra good about this zero-waste, eco-friendly gift.

At £2130 for an English Heritage lifetime membership and £2160 for a National Trust lifetime membership (both for two people), these are easily doable with a cash gift registry, allowing your friends and family to chip in towards the membership. You might even have some money left over for some new walking boots… and a lifetime supply of tea and cake!

Patchwork Gift Registry's template for "Our Wedding Art Fund" wedding gift list

8) Get Artsy

If you’re not short of stuff but still want to add something special to your home, you might like this idea! Invite your loved ones to join forces to fund a unique painting or sculpture by your favourite artist.

Art is timeless, and this is a gift that will last forever and stay with you always. In years to come, you’ll be able to look at your beautiful artwork and think of the family and friends who made it happen, no matter where you are. It’s a wonderful way to remember the day you all spent together, celebrating your marriage.

9) Go Green

Over the past few years, we’ve definitely seen a trend for couples wanting more eco-friendly, sustainable and pre-loved vintage gifts. But these aren’t so easy to put on a traditional gift list. Instead, a cash wedding registry is the best way to make sure you have the freedom and flexibility to source the one-of-a-kind pieces you’ve got your heart set on.

From ethically-sourced furnishing fabrics to reclaimed wooden future and recycled cotton bedlinens to antique treasures, the options are endless. A cash gift list lets you collect the money, then enjoy some sustainable shopping at your local flea market or vintage store. Plus, you’ll be saving on transportation costs and packaging too – so it’s an even greener way to gift!

Patchwork Gift Registry's template for "Doing up the kitchen fund" wedding gift list

10) The Home Makeover

A popular alternative this year to registries for honeymoons or “stuff” is the home makeover registry. Whether it’s the bathroom reno of your dreams or a quick kitchen refresh, why not get your family and friends to contribute? They can chip in for everything from the taps to the tiles (and even the plumber!). Once you’ve collected their contributions, you’ll have your budget and you can get going designing and planning your home updates. Then, when your project is complete, invite everyone around to admire their gift!

One last thing! Whatever you ask your guests to treat you to, remember that with Patchwork, you’ll be protecting the planet too. They’re the only wedding registry that gives back to the planet, with 50% of their sign-up fee going directly to environmental organisations.

Check out more of Patchwork’s wedding gift ideas and honeymoon fund templates on their website.

This article was created in partnership with Patchwork Wedding Registry.

How to Ask for Money as a Wedding Gift…Nicely!

Every newly engaged couple has their goals and dreams, something they’re saving for and working towards. Your wedding day is the perfect time to share your dreams with your family and friends. Everyone will want to spoil you and send you off on your way to your new married life with love – so it’s the perfect time to share with them what will make you both happy.

Most engaged couples now live together before they get married – so those dreams are less likely to be about having more stuff to put in the cupboards and more about getting out there and making stuff happen! If that sounds like you, you’ve probably already decided that you’d most appreciate monetary gifts. Then you and your partner can choose how, when and where to make your dreams happen!

According to Patchwork Wedding Registry, most couples asking for cash instead of physical gifts want money to put towards their honeymoon. Also increasingly popular are cash gifts towards a deposit on a first home. And then there’s all the weird and wonderful things gift money can buy too! A work of art? A garden makeover? A vintage campervan? A year of date nights? A sailing boat? The world really is your oyster.

What Are Your Options?

One option is to ask guests to bring along cash gifts on your big day. You could set up a money box where guests can leave money, either by putting it in their wedding congratulations card or by popping it in an envelope.

While this has the advantage of being a simple, low-fi set up, it can throw up a few issues. Security is the main worry with this way of collecting cash. Sadly, it’s not uncommon for gift money to go missing at a wedding. It can also make things trickier for your guests. They have to remember to withdraw cash or bring along cheques on the day, and any overseas guests may struggle with currency conversions. Now, on top of the usual travel stresses, they’ve got something else to worry about! Plus, it’s extra admin for you. You’ll have to sort through all the cards and envelopes, noting down how much each guest gave so that you know who to thank for what in your thank you cards later down the line.

Of course, your other option is to go digital and just ask for bank transfers from your guests. Again, while this seems like an easy option, it can lead to an unsatisfying gifting experience for your friends and family. Transfers are by definition transactional and joyless! And what your family and friends really want to know is what their gift will mean to you. How will it spent? What joy will it bring you? While you can just print your bank details on your wedding invites and leave the rest up to them, it can end up being a bit awkward. Your guests have no idea where their gifted money will end up – and without any guidance from you, it’s hard for them to know how much is appropriate or expected, leaving them anxious, embarrassed and worried about how much to give. Remember, they want to treat you to the things you really want… Not end up paying your winter gas bill!

Wait, So Is Asking For Money Just A Bit Awkward?

Well, sure – it can be! But it definitely doesn’t have to be. Just remember – you’re not really asking for money… You’re asking for the power to make your dreams come true! So rather than leaving a money box by the door or putting your bank details on your invites, we’d recommend something else. By far the simplest, easiest and nicest way of asking for money as a wedding gift is via an online cash gift registry. For us here at Bridebook, Patchwork is one of the best we’ve seen. It’s a super innovative platform which wedding guests describe as “a creative and fun way to give money that wraps it up like a gift”.

How to Set Up A Cash Gift Registry

With Patchwork, you can show guests a “patchwork” of images (a bit like a Pinterest board) that represents your ideal honeymoon, home renovation project or anything else you’ve been dreaming about! Then you can share your unique URL with your friends so that they can choose which item or experience to treat you to according to their own interests – and budget!

All gift money goes directly to you and is not held at any time. Even better, Patchwork donates a generous 50% of their platform fee to three environmental charities, so not only can you ask your guests for the things you really want (and in a way that’s stylish and fun!), but you’ll be protecting the environment too.

With no vouchers or fixed travel fund, choosing a gift registry like Patchwork means that if you do change your plans or decide to scrap the honeymoon and spend it all on a new kitchen, you’re free to do so! Also, it’s worth knowing that some wedding registries allow cash gifts but then hold your funds for you, transferring them to you immediately after your wedding. Others, like Patchwork, allow the gift money to go immediately and directly to your chosen bank account, meaning you can start saving – or spending! – as soon as guests start giving.

When your friends and family gift you money in this way, they’ll really enjoy it too. They’re also more likely to be generous (30% more generous, in fact!) when they feel connected to you and your plans. As one guest have put it, “It’s lovely to see where your money is going, much better than sticking it in an envelope.” Another described it as “a brilliant way to personalise the mundane gift of money [and] highly recommended.”

How to Make Asking for Money More Personal

When setting up a cash gift registry, tell guests what each contribution will mean to you. Inject some personality and humour – talk about what your plans are and what their gift will mean to you both. Describe how it will make you both feel too. We all know that it’s much more fun to give gifts that are truly wanted and appreciated. A recent wedding guest said that using Patchwork felt like “putting money towards something tangible and that’s really wanted, rather than just giving cash!”

Think about it like this: your family aren’t just giving you £100 for your honeymoon… They’re giving you a romantic dinner for two on the beach with a sunset, rolling waves and the smell of frangipani trees and coconut oil. They’re not just giving you £50 towards a new sofa… They’re giving you time together for cosy movie nights, lazy Sunday morning snuggles and mornings spent with friends visiting for catch-ups.

Explaining Cash Gifts to Family and Friends

There’s still a bit of an idea around that asking for money needs to be apologised for – that it is, in itself, an embarrassing request. There’s an easy solution to that! If you have cash contributions “wrapped up” like a gift and you’re open about how much it means to you, there’s no reason to feel shy or awkward. In fact, you and your partner should be proud of your plans together – so let everyone know!

Of course, you can begin by saying that you don’t expect gifts and you already have all the “stuff” you need… But the fact is, people want to treat you – so you might as well let them enjoy the experience! Try something like this to introduce the idea of a honeymoon fund:

We’ve been asked what we’d like for a gift and our answer is simple: you, at our wedding, having a great time! We’re incredibly thankful that we already have everything we need. But if you insist, what we’d love is for you to help us create some new experiences to treasure together.

Or how about this, from a couple who asked for money to put towards a year of dates:

New plates and saucepans won’t help keep a marriage alive, but the gift of time will. We hope you enjoy looking through some of our ideas for special date nights together. All contributions large or small will mean so much to us – and we’ll cheers you when enjoying our night out!

And Finally…

Don’t forget to include a wide range of price points when setting up your cash gift registry. You’ll make guests feel more comfortable if you present them with an inclusive (but not overwhelming!) choice. For one thing, they’ll also be grateful to not have to make all the decisions. If £10 for sunset beers on a Mexican beach or £5 for a couple of ice creams in Italy would make you happy, tell them! When you give your guests really meaningful ways of gifting cash, they’ll appreciate it as much as you do. Plus, even those on smaller budgets can feel like their contribution is making a real difference to your happiness – and that’s a gift from you to them!

This article was created in partnership with Patchwork Wedding Registry.

15 Fun Ideas To Spice Up Your Bridal Shower Plans

How you can make your bridal shower as memorable and enjoyable as the big day itself.

Planning a wedding is tricky business, but fortunately, Bridebook has you covered there!

However, with all of the focus on the big day, it can be easy to forget about the bridal shower. Deciding on activities can sometimes seem a little overwhelming. But fear not! We have some dazzling ideas that will suit your bridal shower, whatever the style of event you are planning.

Let’s dive in and take a closer look at some of the top bridal shower games and ideas.

Take It Outside

With recent world events, safety is on everyone’s mind. So why not take your bridal shower outside and enjoy some fresh air? This could be as simple as erecting a small gazebo outside and decorating it to match your theme. Think fairy lights, outside games and dancing to get everyone in the party spirit – along with some nibbles and your favourite tipple of course!

Let’s get quizzical

Grab your besties and get quizzical! Disney nerd? Happy couple trivia? The options are endless with this bridal shower game and is one for guaranteed laughs. Simply appoint your quiz master beforehand, and watch out for everyone’s competitive streak. Our tip? Ask your guests to compile a few questions each for some extra fun. Make sure to stock up on prizes for the lucky winners, oh, and don’t forget a boobie prize!

Photo booth props

Everyone loves a photo shoot. Grab some props, a camera, your gal pals and snap the night away! You could theme your outfit choices for some great group shots or even add in some fun photo challenges, such as recreating famous portraits (we’ve tried this one and trust us, it can get wild!).

Provide old school disposable cameras or a Polaroid for guests to get snap happy with. A wonderful bonus of this type of bridal shower is the vast array of picture memories you’ll have to look back on after the event.

Create a date jar

Gather your guests and give them the chance to come up with their very own date ideas for your first year of marriage. A jar of any sort, paper and pens is all that’s needed to start this fun idea. After the wedding, you can enjoy some entertaining (and maybe a few risqué) date nights courtesy of your best pals.

Over or under game

A classic bridal shower game! Find out how well the guests know the Bride in the lead up to the wedding. Use statements like, ‘The couple met 5 years ago’ and decide if the correct answer is higher or lower. You might be surprised by some of the answers.

DIY cocktail bar

Of course you could have a cocktail making session in your local bar, but why not bring the fun back to yours? Get guests talking by devising all sorts of wild and wacky concoctions all in the name of you! Incorporate some friendly competition with games, such as a blind tasting contest or ‘bride’s favourite cocktail’.

If you want to encourage some more sensible activities, you could work together to come up with a great tasting signature cocktail to be served on the wedding day itself. Don’t drink alcohol? Not a problem! Mocktails can be just as fun for the whole squad.

Whose memory game

This is a fun one and a fabulous icebreaker to use at the beginning of any bridal shower, particularly if you have guests coming that may not know each other. Get everyone to write down a memory they have of the Bride. After picking them from a jar, the bride reads them out to the group and guests can take turns guessing whose memory it is. Get ready for some funny and cringe worthy stories from the past!

Make a balloon arch

If you want a modern day team building experience, invite over the girls and get ready for a night of balloon arch making. You would be surprised how easy and satisfying it is to create some spectacular creations from balloons in your own home that can then be used as a superb photo backdrop.

For added bridal shower fun once the Prosecco starts to flow, you could try your hand a bit of balloon modelling too. Balloon dog anyone?!

Tea party theme

High tea with sandwiches and desserts served on china with flowers

Add some sophistication to your bridal shower by taking on a delightful tea party theme. Think tea and cake, finger sandwiches and scones served alongside beautiful china and rustic country style bunting.

Make flower crowns

A beautifully creative way to spend your bridal shower is by making your own flower crowns. Bring in an expert to coach you through the how tos or invest in some real or artificial flowers and wire and get crafting. We have even seen brides who are planning a festival style wedding create their own headpieces to wear for the special day itself.

Take a class

Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn to sew, or get funky by learning a new dance routine. You could even spend your shower learning the art of life drawing (gulp!) whatever you decide on, taking a class surrounded by your friends is always a sure fire hit.

He said she said

Another bridal shower classic! Find out who said ‘I love you’ first or who is the better driver by getting your party to guess which half of the couple it is. Get the maid of honour to come up with the questions so the bride has to answer along with the guests too.

Karaoke queens

Smiling woman singing karaoke and laughing friend

Sing the night away next to your nearest and dearest with a spot of karaoke. This bridal shower idea is the ultimate girls’ night and is guaranteed to have everyone singing along by the end of the night.

DIY origami decorations

Get together and create some beautiful decorations to be used on your special day. You could use techniques like origami, calligraphy or needlework to create some super special decorations, favours and place cards. Not only will you save time and money by creating your own, your wedding day will be filled with even more reminders of the lead up to your wedding.

Happy planning!

While it’s easy to see how planning a bridal shower can be a little overwhelming at the start of your planning journey, these ideas make it easy to see how fun, budget friendly and inclusive your bridal shower can be with a little forward planning.

For more great wedding planning tips and all of the tools you need to plan your big day stress-free, download the free Bridebook app today.

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10 Questions To Ask Your Wedding Videographer

By David Christopher Photography

If you’ve decided you’re keen for a videographer, then let’s make sure you find one that is perfect for you. Like your photographer, they are going to be working in close proximity to you on one of the most important days of your life, so you want to make sure you like their style and them! Catching your wedding day on film is an amazing memento and one you will get teary over for years to come! Before you hire one, let’s make sure you ask the right questions and find the best one for you…

By Richard Skins Photography

1) How long have you been filming weddings?

You will want to make sure that the person you hire is experienced enough to convey the atmosphere and emotions of the day on film – creating something Oscar worthy!

2) How would you describe your style?

Styles primarily divide into documentary (filming as the day unfolds) or cinematic (weaving the episodes of your wedding into a story). Both are absolutely great to look at, so choose whichever style you like best! Also discuss whether your video will be music based or dispersed with speech and wooping from guests – again this is completely your preference!

3) Have you worked with our photographer before?

Would you be open to meeting with them if not? The photographer and videographer work very closely on the wedding day and therefore need to get along and know how the other operates.

4) Have you worked at our reception venue before? If not, would you be up for visiting it with us – would this cost extra?

If your videographer is familiar with your wedding venue, they will know the best angles to film from and the best lighting opportunities.

By Chris Giles Photography

5) What kind of equipment do you use?

This may seem like a silly question if you don’t know a lot about cameras, however, this will give you an idea about how large the video equipment is, how the microphones will work and what sort of lighting the videographer intends to use.

6) How long do we have to wait to see the final result?

While you can get the raw footage, or the highlights video fairly soon after the wedding, the full film may take up to six months in editing, so make sure you’re happy with this.

7) What will the final result be?

One 10 minute video? Or a feature length with all of the full length speeches?

8) Can I choose the music for the film?

Many videographers are more than happy to do that, so have a discussion with them and have a list of favourite tunes at the ready. If they can’t use your exact song selection they might come up with great alternatives along the same vibe.

9) Who will own the copyright?

This is important as any additional copy will have to be paid for separately.

10) How many copies of the film do I get? And how much does it cost if we want to buy extras?

If you want to distribute the video to all your relatives abroad, you may want to find out how much an extra video costs before you make any promises!

By Miki Photography

Happy Planning!

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How can I plan my wedding during lockdown? 8 things you can do to ensure you have the smoothest wedding planning experience.

Getting engaged is one of the most exciting moments of your life, tears of joy won’t stop streaming, and you can’t stop gazing at your newly bejeweled finger. But once this initial excitement begins to wear off, a sudden rush of “what now!?” begins to kick in. Don’t worry – Bridebook are here to help.

Wedding planning can be daunting even at the best of times, and the current government restrictions to curb the spread of Coronavirus may have you feeling you can’t get started with your planning. At Bridebook, we’d like to help you navigate this stressful time by discussing 8 things that you CAN do right now to ensure the smoothest wedding planning experience.

1. Designate a wedding planning day

Couple sitting in living room with laptop

It is time to get organised! Making decisions early is the best way to ensure the smoothest wedding planning process. Dedicating one day a week can be the perfect way to ensure that tasks get ticked off and other priorities (like Netflixin’ your favourite show!) do not get in the way.

Knowing where to begin with planning your big day can be overwhelming. Our personalised Wedding Planning Checklist is here to help guide you through the entire planning process. Based on your wedding date, your bespoke Checklist will let you know when to complete each task including pricing guides and suggestions along the way.

2. Reflection

It’s important to sit down with your partner and think about what you both want from your wedding. Will it be a small and intimate occasion or an extravagant party with hundreds of guests? Make sure you reflect and think hard about what is most important to the both of you, as a couple.

Start researching and looking for inspiration. You can then add any picture or ideas, from perfect playlists, to funny speech ideas to your Bridebook Scrapbook.

3. Budget

Once you have reflected on the kind of wedding you both want, you need to decide how much you are willing and able to spend. Let Bridebook do the hard work for you! With data from over 500,000 weddings, our super powerful Wedding Budget Tool helps you keep track right from the beginning. Simply enter your total budget and we will tell you how much you should spend on every expense from start to finish.

4. Guest List

Making decisions on your guest list can be a complicated process, from deciding who to invite, to keeping note of guest information along the way.

Bridebook’s Wedding Guest List Tool allows you to easily keep track of your invites, RSVPs and total attending guests. Your Guest List is split into two – one for you and one for your partner – but you can also create as many custom lists as you like! For example, ‘work friends’ or ‘childhood friends’. Your Guest List is ready to help you track all the nitty gritty details: you can track plus ones, dietary requirements, addresses and more.

5. Booking Your Venue

Finding the perfect wedding venue is one of the most important tasks on your checklist, and one which may seem near impossible in the midst of a global pandemic. However, thanks to the power of technology and innovative wedding venue teams, this is completely possible!

Bridebook has thousands of exceptional wedding venues with many of them offering virtual tours and show rounds. Get comfortable, open a bottle of wine and explore the delights of stunning venues across the country from your very own living room. When you enquire with venues, make sure to ask if they can offer a virtual show round – some are even using Facetime! We’d also advise you to keep an eye out for venues listing 360 tours.

6. Booking Suppliers

Again, this is something super fun which you can enjoy within the comfort of your own home. Keep reaching out to suppliers, as many are offering virtual services such as delivering tasting samples or pre-recorded videos – whilst unconventional, this can absolutely become a fun night-in with your partner.

Invite your friends and family to a Zoom call where you watch a number of wedding bands until you find your perfect match. How about ordering in some sample cake boxes for taste testing with your partner? Or even get creative and create your ideal wedding make-up, by following different tutorials available online.

7. The Little Things

Make the most of these dark cold months by getting on top of all the small tasks which will make your wedding wonderful. There are so many little things that you will need for your big day and now is the time to start a list. This might be thinking about gifts for your bridesmaids and page boys or wedding favours for guests. You could even get into some DIY and make some crafts yourself such as name cards, signs or photo boards for the day itself.

8. Enjoy your Engagement!

Weddings are incredibly special. It is important to enjoy this experience, together. Take some well deserved time off before you are rushed back to the speed of ‘normality’. Go for long walks, cook some delicious food, read a few books and most of all embrace having the love of your life by your side!

Looking for some more wedding planning tips? Check out our other wedding articles below.

How to plan your wedding remotely

Post-quarantine wedding trends

Why having a weekday wedding can be the best decision you make

Top tips for having a 15 person wedding (or ceremini)

Amazing deals and discounts for couples

Happy Planning!

Post-Quarantine Wedding Trends

After weeks of being inside, forced apart from our nearest and dearest, weddings seem like a lifetime away. And yet, the day will come when life will be full of loved ones, laughter and celebration once more. We can expect some significant effects on weddings to come later this year and into 2021.

The 2021 wedding season will not be without its challenges. With 64% of 2020 weddings expected to be pushed-back, 2021 is set to be a busy one. Couples will have to make quick decisions on dates, to get first dibs on the date they want. Guests can expect many more clashes, and midweek weddings than ever, making things a little more challenging. On the bright side, we’ll have a way to use up all of those saved holiday days…

Post-coronavirus, we can expect that weddings will be bigger, bolder, and even more full of meaning. Everyone is longing for the days of confetti, cake, and bubbly, and we have the scoop on the trends you can expect to see post-lockdown.

Digital Guests:

One thing that has come from this period of change and online socialising is the normalisation of online meeting services, such as zoom. Travel restrictions may persist for some time, and we expect two-thirds of weddings post-lockdown to have at least some guests attending virtually. For elderly relatives, as well as friends and family living in far-flung destinations, digital access will be a great way for them to still be able to attend these special moments, even if just remotely.

Courageous Fashion Choices:

After what feels like months of wearing the same pair of leggings and jumpers, everyone will be jumping at the chance to dress up and look their best. We can expect adventurous guest fashion, with brighter, more fashion-forward dresses and bolder jewellery choices.

It won’t just be guests making bold statements; we are seeing a 50% increase in the popularity of statement veils (probably thanks to Mrs. Bieber). We can expect to see many more brides making this trend their own, embroidering their veils with meaningful quotes or even initials. Alongside an increase in statement veils, we are also seeing a rise in catwalk-inspired statement sleeves and pearl-embellished dresses, seen at the likes of Dior and Chanel.

Classic Blue was announced as the Pantone colour of the year, so expect a great revival in the something blue, something borrowed tradition, featuring this beautiful shade. Think blue in newly trending hair barrettes, jewelry and even the bases of high heels!

Post-credit-crunch, boho brides were on the rise, and this trend is set to explode once more. Many 2021 brides will be going for the ethereal look, with wearable florals, and bridal crowns taking center stage.

Creative Wedding Decor:

If you thought wedding creativity had reached its peak, just you wait. With more time than ever to d think about wedding details, we can expect a move away from some more traditional elements to more creative and modern takes on decor. Some creative couples will be changing up the traditional seating charts, instead painting table lists on flower-filled glass boxes. Floral hoops have also been growing in popularity, with growing in popularity by 80% this year, alongside hanging floral decorations and flower-filled aisles.

Post quarantine, there will be a revival of the Do-it-yourself Bride and Groom. Around three-quarters of weddings will include some DIY elements, as couples cut costs where they can (and have more time on their hands!), with DIY-couples saving a combined £20million. We are looking forward to personalised table settings, wedding favours, and decor, such as photo displays.

Wedding Food Trends:

With so many couples caring more than ever about sustainability and the environment, it is no wonder that there has been a shift to a focus on menu seasonality, as well as plastic and waste reduction. With many couples aiming to create as little environmental impact as possible, the increase in zero-plastic and reduced-waste weddings could save more than 15,000 tonnes of wedding waste from ending up in landfills (that’s 100 blue whales!). From invitations made of recycled paper, vegan menus and leftover composting, we can safely assume that the sustainable wedding trend is here to stay and will explode in 2021. We imagine many couples will be donating leftover flowers to local hospitals and hospices, which hopefully will be a trend that will stick.

As for the sweet stuff, we predict a shift away from the traditional and pricy wedding cakes that often remain uneaten, to more exciting offerings. Unique grab and go dessert displays, such as doughnut walls will come into their own (there are almost 100,000 posts under the hashtag #donutwall on Instagram!).

Weddings are all about individuality and celebrating who the couple truly is. We are expecting food and drink that pay homage to the backgrounds of the couple, whether that is custom messages in fortune cookies or cocktails made with a type of Slovakian cherry liquor. More and more couples will be selecting super-personal menus, such as family favourite desserts, or cocktails named after people and places that mean something to the couple and their families.

Party Central:

After the storm of COVID, when weddings begin again, they are set to go on till the early hours. Where there is partying, there is midnight feasting. Guests can expect to be sustained with anything from sweet treat grazing tables, to late-night pasta pots to keep them dancing the night away.

Missing happy hour has become a national tragedy, and it’s coming back in a big way – think serve-yourself prosecco taps, experimental cocktails, and boozy popsicles like frozen rose, mimosas, and mojitos making their way onto a dancefloor near you.

It’s only natural that with happy hour, comes confidence in dance ability. Learning a Tiktok dance became a quarantine right of passage, and newly married couples will be eager to show off their new fancy footwork. Be prepared for some seriously questionable, but hilarious first dances.

Registry Remix:

Many couples feel that this period has put things into perspective, as well as made many questioning what gifts they can live without. Cutlery and crystal bowls are a nice memento, but lots of couples are forgoing the regular registry list, asking for experiences, not things. More will be asking for starter funds for a new home, a pet, or for their honeymoons. Charity registries will also become the norm, with more and more couples wanting to donate to a cause they feel passionate about.

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16 Green Wedding Ideas To Make Your Wedding Eco-Friendly

We love weddings. Like, really love them. (Can you tell?) But even we have to admit that they can be pretty wasteful affairs. Planning a sustainable wedding might sound daunting, but we promise it’s not as tricky as you might expect – so have a think about whether or not you can find a place for something green (and something borrowed!) alongside your something blue. Here are our top tips to get you started.

Bride walking in field wearing re-use wedding dress

Resell your wedding dress or suit

Of all the items of clothing you own, we bet that whatever you wear on your wedding day will have the most sentimental value. But if you can bear to part with it, consider selling it on or handing it down to someone else. It’s an easy way to make a little cash back while reducing your wedding’s impact.

Want 10% off when you sell your wedding dress? Head over to Stillwhite, the world’s largest second-hand wedding dress marketplace.

Opt for online invitations

Your wedding stationery is one aspect of your wedding you just can’t cut. At the end of the day, your guests need to know where to go! But there are loads of eco-friendly alternatives that don’t end up with piles of wasted paper. For example, there’s no reason that e-invites can’t be just as gorgeous as traditional stationery! Why not email your guests a link to a personalised video of you and your other half or set up an awesome wedding website?

Orsett Hall Hotel and Restaurant wedding venue

Choose a venue close to home

Having an eco-friendly wedding doesn’t necessarily mean getting married on a farm or in a field! Travel can be one of the most significant contributors to a wedding’s carbon footprint so if you want to go green, try to pick a venue that’s within easy reach of you and your guests. You might want to think about choosing somewhere that’s accessible by public transport too.

Organise a wedding coach for your guests

If lots of your guests are coming to your venue from the same place, you could organise a wedding coach to take them all there and back in one go. It’s an easy way to make sure everyone turns up on time too!

Set up carpooling

Encourage your guests to travel together where possible and help them sort out carpooling arrangements. Ask your guests to let you know if they’ll have a free spot in their car when they RSVP, then match them up with another guest in need of a lift. It’ll likely save your guests a little on fuel costs too!

Buy any clothing second-hand

Remember, it’s not just you and your other half who will be buying an outfit for the wedding. Everyone in the wedding party from the best man to the flower girl will most likely be wearing something special. A great way to be a little greener – and to save a few pennies! – is to opt for pre-loved items from a vintage boutique or charity shop. Another alternative is to explore hiring any dresses or suits needed for the wedding party. After all, they’ll probably only wear them once!

Avoid single-use items

Like your wedding invitations, little details like place cards and table numbers can quickly end up meaning mountains of paper, card and plastic left over after your big day. One easy option is to look for recyclable or biodegradable materials when choosing your designs. If you have a little more cash to spare, another idea we love is doubling up your place cards with your wedding favours so that your guests have a keepsake to take away with them, rather than something to be thrown away.

But our favourite idea? Edible place cards. Order cookies with your guests’ names written on them in icing. We can guarantee there’ll be nothing left at the end of your big day!

Make conscious jewellery choices

We know, we know – it’s hardly the most romantic thing to think about, but it’s important to be conscious of the impact your wedding and engagement rings can have on the planet and its people. Diamonds and other gems are often sourced unsustainably and unethically, as are many precious metals. To avoid participating in a potentially problematic trade, make sure to look for conflict-free materials, investigate vintage or recycled options or look into lab-grown options.

Celebrate by candlelight

Your electricity bill might be the last thing on your mind on your wedding day – and rightly so, in our opinion! – but considering energy-saving strategies is an easy way to make your big day a little more sustainable. Try turning off unnecessary lights and lighting your venue with candles instead. On top of being eco-friendly, it’ll create a gorgeous, romantic atmosphere! Just make sure you check that your venue’s happy with open flames.

Make up artist putting sustainable make up on bride to be on wedding day

Use sustainable makeup

Why not switch out some of your products for cruelty-free, zero-waste or locally produced alternatives? We’d never recommend trying something new for the first time on your wedding day so this is definitely one you’ll want to plan ahead. If you’re having your makeup done professionally, ask your makeup artist whether they use any sustainable products or quiz any makeup-loving friends on their cruelty-free recommendations.

Stay seasonal

Flowers play a big role in almost every wedding and aren’t something we’d ever recommend skipping out on! But they can have an undeniable impact on your wedding’s carbon footprint, whether that’s because of how they’re disposed of or how they’re imported. Our top tip is to prioritise flowers that are a) local and b) seasonal where possible. It’s a often fab way to save some pennies too as your flowers have less far to travel.

Vegetable and cheese tower served on table

Go veggie (or vegan!)

Whether you go completely vegan or just opt to reduce the number of meat dishes on offer, exploring eco-friendly options for your catering is an easy way to go green. And don’t worry – it’s not 2003! Going veggie doesn’t mean limiting yourself to mediocre mushroom risottos and sad stuffed peppers. Nowadays, there are loads of caterers offering fabulous vegan and veggie options. If you do still want to serve meat, try to prioritise local and organic produce where possible to decrease your wedding’s environmental impact.

Avoid flower foam

An easy eco win is to check if your florist uses flower foam in their designs. This foam is much like single-use plastic and can be harmful to humans and animals through prolonged contact, especially if it seeps into water supplies. Our advice would be to avoid flower foam where possible and look for eco-friendly alternatives.

Buy biodegradable

Buying decorations made out of biodegradable materials is an easy way to lower the environmental impact of your wedding. This is especially important when it comes to wedding staples like confetti, as well as balloons and lanterns.

Confetti is one of the biggest offenders when it comes to the environmental impact of weddings. Fortunately, there’s loads of biodegradable options out there, as well as more traditional eco-friendly options like rose petals or rice. For extra green points, you could even gather flowers from your own garden (or a friend’s) and dry the petals yourself.

And, as much as we love them, balloons and lanterns are potentially very harmful to the environment if not disposed of correctly. If you do want a lantern display, be careful to look for biodegradable materials and be careful of where you release them.

Amazing wedding decoration hired out in barn wedding venue

Hire what you can

Not only are wedding decorations often un-environmental, they’re also expensive! Why not hire your decorations? You can be sure they’ll be reused time and time again while also saving some cash yourself. Plus, hiring your decorations often means being able to afford higher quality pieces, adding a little luxury to your day!

People celebrating at wedding party with biodegradable confetti in the air

Go for gifts that keep giving!

While we always love a wedding favour, they’re not at all a necessity! Being invited to your wedding is gift enough for your guests! So why not think about making a charity donation with the money you save? If you really do want to buy favours, you could explore options that let your guests make a positive impact on the environment themselves. For example, you might gift them with a packet of seeds to grow their own flowers.

There you have it – some amazing green wedding ideas for a gorgeous, environmentally-friendly wedding!

Love Quotes to Inspire Your Wedding Vows

We have been told that love happens gradually, that falling in love is like listening to the tune of a lullaby or a slow song, tender and beautiful. We have been told that love is supposed to be there all along while you blindly engage in different pursuits.

But one day, you realize that you have been hit by love, the sudden urge to make somebody yours. The tune to your favourite song, the shade of your t-shirt, the colour of their skin; everything matches with the hues of your heart that cannot stop falling for them.

Love is bliss, and expressing it is heaven. Therefore, we bring you some romantic love quotes to let your partner know how deeply in head over heels you are smitten with them.

Beautiful Love quotes

“One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love.” -Sophocles.

“For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love.” – Carl Sagan.

“If I had a flower for every time I thought of you… I could walk through my garden forever.” – Alfred Tennyson.

“You know when you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” – Dr. Seuss.

“Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” – Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land.

“But the heart’s not like a box that gets filled up. It expands in size the more you love.” –’Her,’ the movie.

“There is no remedy for love, but to love more.” – Thoreau.

“There’s only one thing that cuts through all our realities, and that’s love—the bridge between all our differences.” – The L Word.

“Some love stories aren’t epic novels. Some are short stories, but that doesn’t make them any less filled with love.” – Sex and the City.

“All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.” – Leo Tolstoy, War, and Peace.

“Give in to love, or live in fear.” – Rent.

“Because through love, we feel the intensity of our connection to everything and everyone. And at the core, we are all the same. We’re all one.” – Loving Annabelle.

Married couple in love standing next to each other with sunset in background

Funny Love Quotes

“I love being married. It’s so great to find one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.” -Rita Rudner.

“Love is the same as like, except you feel sexier.” – Judith Viorst.

“Marriage is our last, best chance to grow up.” – Joseph Barth.

“Love is a two-way street constantly under construction.” – Carroll Bryant.

“Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra, and then suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath. At night, the ice weasels come.” – Matt Groening, The Big Book of Hell.

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” – Charles M. Schulz.

“I love being married. It’s so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.” – Rita Rudner.

“Love is something sent from heaven to worry the hell out of you.” – Dolly Parton.

“I just happened to be nowhere near your neighborhood.” – Singles.

“I’m afraid once your heart is involved, it all comes out in moron.” – Gilmore Girls.

“Falling in love is not at all the most stupid thing that people do, but gravitation cannot be held responsible for it.” – Albert Einstein.

“Real love amounts to withholding the truth, even when you’re offered the perfect opportunity to hurt someone’s feelings.” – David Sedaris.

Couple in love sitting in field laughing

Cute Love Quotes

“Love is a friendship set to music.” – Joseph Campbell.

“Love is a single soul inhabiting two bodies.” – Aristotle.

“I think I’d miss you even if we never met.” – The Wedding Date.

“When you’re a kid, you assume your parents are soulmates. My kids are going to be right about that.” – The Office.

“So excuse me forgetting but these things, I do you see, I’ve forgotten if they’re green or they’re blue. Anyway, the thing is, what I really mean yours are the sweetest eyes I’ve ever seen.” – Elton John, “Your Song.”

“Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold.”– Zelda Fitzgerald.

“Two people in love, alone, isolated from the world, that’s beautiful.” – Milan Kundera.

“True love stories never have endings.” – Richard Bach.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched—they must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller.

“Deep within us — no matter who we are — there lives a feeling of wanting to be lovable, of wanting to be the kind of person that others like to be with. And the greatest thing we can do is to let people know that they are loved and capable of loving.” – Fred Rogers

“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.” – Nat King Cole, “Nature Boy” lyrics.

Cute couple in love holding hands on date at restaurant

Quotes About Marriage

“A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.”- Mignon McLaughlin.

“The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along.” – Rumi

“To be fully seen by somebody, then, and be loved anyhow – this is a human offering that can border on miraculous.”– Elizabeth Gilbert, Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage.

“If I get married, I want to be very married.” – Audrey Hepburn.

“I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate than when I fall asleep your eyes close.” – Pablo Neruda, 100 Love Sonnets.

“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”– Maya Angelou.

“I am nothing special, of this, I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts, and I’ve led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me, and my name will soon be forgotten, but I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.”– Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook.

“If I had a flower for every time I thought of you… I could walk through my garden forever.”– Alfred Tennyson.

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”– Lao Tzu.

“We’re all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness – and call it love – true love.”– Robert Fulghum, True Love.

Married couple standing in field at sunset

Love Quotes from Literature

“Each time you happen to me all over again.” – The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton

“Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be.” Rabbi Ben Ezra – Robert Browning.

“I’ve never had a moment’s doubt. I love you. I believe in you completely; you are my dearest one. My reason for Life.” Atonement – Ian McEwan

“Who, being loved, is poor?” —Oscar Wilde, A Woman of No Importance

“Perhaps, after all, the romance did not come into one’s life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one’s side like an old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose until some sudden shaft of illumination flung athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music, perhaps… perhaps… love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath.” — Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea.

“To love or have loved, that is enough. Ask nothing further. There is no other pearl to be found in the dark folds of life.” —Victor Hugo, Les Misérables.

“When you love something, it loves you back in whatever way it has to love.” —John Knowles, A Separate Peace.

“A love story is not about those who lose their heart but about those who find that sullen inhabitant who, when it is stumbled upon, means the body can fool no one, can fool nothing— not the wisdom of sleep or the habit of social graces. It is a consuming of oneself and the past.” —Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient.

“We love the things we love for what they are.” —Robert Frost, Hyla Brook.

“The way her body existed only where he touched her. The rest of her was smoke.” —Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things.

“In love, there are two things—bodies and words.” —Joyce Carol Oates.

“I have learned not to worry about love; but to honor its coming with all my heart.” —Alice Walker.

“All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.” —Leo Tolstoy, War, and Peace.

Couple in love sitting together on blanket

The best thing that we can do in life is love. Love should come to humans as easy as breathing. Therefore, with these famous love quotes, let your partner know how much you mean to them. Which is your favourite quote on love?

Just started your wedding planning? Have a look at some free wedding planning tools that Bridebook offer:

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15 Wedding Decoration Ideas

Whether you’re newly engaged or only a few weeks from your big day, we’re sure you’re imagining what your big day will look like. And that means thinking about decorations! Now, there are thousands of wedding decoration ideas to choose from that transform your venue into a real show-stopper. Here’s fifteen of our favourites to get you started.

Wedding fairy lights and ceiling drapes decorations that have transformed beautiful barn wedding venue

1. Fairylights

Everyone loves fairylights – and for good reason! They’re an easy way to add a little atmosphere to your big day. Your venue will look even more enchanting, lit up with twinkling fairylights in jam jars or along the walls. You could even string them through trees to create an enchanted forest feel.

2. Floral Arches

Whether you go for a more rustic arch that’s full of greenery and wildflowers or an elaborate floral sculpture which is overflowing with fresh blossoms, flower arches make for a fantastic focal point at your wedding ceremony or reception. In our opinion, more is more when it comes to flowers!

Pink flowers wedding chair decorations on white chairs for stunning beach wedding outdoors

3. Chair Decorations

It’s easy to overlook but we promise, giving a little thought to how you’ll decorate your chairs makes a big difference to the overall look and feel of your ceremony. As they say, the devil’s in the details! Whether you’re stuck with ugly plastic seating or you’ve brought in some gorgeous antique chairs, adding ribbons, fabric or flowers is a great way to take your wedding decorations to the next level.

4. Photo Walls

While you and your partner are at the centre of your wedding, it’s also about your two families coming together. Pay tribute to your loved ones with a gallery wall displaying photographs of your nearest and dearest. You could even give your guests polaroid cameras and add to the wall during your reception!

Candles wedding decorations as centrepiece of wedding table

5. Candles

Candles are a classic way to add a little atmosphere to any wedding ceremony or reception, no matter what your chosen style or theme. The options are endless, from tealights and votives to pillar and taper candles. Whether you use them as table centerpieces or dot them around your venue, your guests will be enchanted. And if you choose fragranced candles, they’ll even add a signature scent to your wedding!

6. Mirror Decals

Why not put a twist on traditional wedding signs by opting for mirror decals instead? They’re fast becoming one of the most popular wedding decoration trends, with gorgeous calligraphy popping up on ornate framed mirrors across the country. And everyone loves a mirror selfie – so they make for great photo ops too!

Wedding chalkboard sign next to wedding aisle at outdoor wedding

7. Chalkboards

Take a leaf out of your favourite coffee shop’s book and add a chalkboard to your wedding venue. Chalkboards are a super easy, DIY wedding decoration idea – and they’re functional too! You can use them to welcome your guests, direct them to their seats or display your menu.

8. Giant Letters

These have been popping up at weddings more and more over the last few years – and they’re definitely here to stay! Whether you keep things simple with you and your partner’s initials or spell out a special message, giant letters are a fab way to personalise your big day. If you’re going for a more modern wedding, tarnished metal and exposed bulbs will give your decorations an industrial feel, while those of you having rustic barn weddings might want to consider distressed wood instead. You can even position the letters so that they define different areas – for example, separating the dance floor from a quieter area.

9. Table Lamps

An easy way to add atmosphere to any room? Turn off the overhead lights. Opting for the soft, diffused light of table lamps instead will instantly take your wedding venue to the next level. We especially love table lamps for intimate weddings – their warm glow creates a gorgeously cosy feel.

10. Bespoke Table Plans

Yes, they’re a necessity – but that doesn’t mean your table plan has to be strictly functional! After all, all your guests will stop and look at it – so get creative and make it part of your wedding decorations. If you’ve opted for bespoke wedding stationery, why not see if your designer will make you a table plan that ties in with it? Or roll your sleeves up and get DIYing!

11. Ceiling Drapes

Instantly transform any venue with ceiling drapes. Whatever your wedding colours, you’ll be able to find a fabric to match. For a formal wedding, you might want to go for an elegant brilliant white, while soft linens are perfect for a more relaxed, rustic vibe. Or opt for brightly coloured fabrics to create a joyful atmosphere and lift your guests’ spirits!

12. Flower Walls

Flowers are a must at any wedding – so why not take things one step further with a whole flower wall? Focus on flowers that tie in with your wedding colours to keep things cohesive and create a fab focal point for your venue. Your guests will be completely wowed by the extravagant display – and it’s a fantastic spot for photographs too!

Wooden wedding sign outdoors showing wedding guests where wedding is

13. Signage

We’re sure you’ll need at least one sign at your wedding (even if it’s just for the loos!) so why not spend a little time making them decorations that tie in with your wedding theme? You’ll need a few practical signs to let people know where to go – try mixing in some extra signs printed with cute sayings and funny expressions to keep things fun!

14. Neon Signs

A quick scroll through Instagram is proof enough that neon signs are here to stay! Whether you dot lots of smaller ones around your venue or place one statement piece in a key location, there are countless ways to incorporate neon signs into your wedding decorations.

15. Coloured Glassware

To take your tablescapes to the next level, consider coloured glassware. You can find coloured glassware to suit all wedding styles and themes, from glamourous vintage pieces to sleek modern designs.You could even choose glassware in your wedding colours to tie everything together.

There you go – fifteen fabulous wedding decoration ideas to transform your wedding venue. So what are you waiting for? Hit the shops or get DIYing and make your wedding venue a showstopper!

15 Rustic Wedding Ideas

Let’s talk wedding styles. Now, there are lots of different styles of weddings you could go for: classic, luxury, casual, modern… And the choice you make will act as a guide for all your other decisions, from your venue through to little details like your place cards. So think for a minute about what you want. How do you feel about something a little more laid back? Perhaps in the countryside? We’re thinking light-filled spaces, distressed wood, maybe even something outside… If that makes you giddy, a rustic wedding might be the one for you!

Now it’s time to get inspired with our top twelve rustic wedding ideas!

Happy couple getting married outdoors at Camp Katur Woodland Wedding Venue

1. An Outdoor Ceremony

It’s a little risky with the British weather, but we love an outdoor ceremony. You might decide to have a truly enchanting ceremony in a forest or go super rustic and opt to get married in a field. You and your guests might even camp nearby afterwards!

2. A Barn Venue

It’s an oldie but a goodie! We’re sure you’ve seen lots of photographs of wedding ceremonies in gorgeous rustic barns – and with good reason! They’re trendy for a reason. Think high ceilings, big windows and gorgeous linens. It could be the perfect setting for your big day.

3. Lawn Games

Something we love about rustic weddings is their laid-back vibe! Playing a few lawn games is a great way to keep your guests in high spirits. They’ll bring out everyone’s playful side and act as a bit of icebreaker for any guests who don’t know each other so well.

Rustic wooden seating at stunning outdoor woodland wedding venue

4. Wooden Seating

Forget chair covers, bows and sashes if you’re after a rustic style for your wedding. Instead, think vintage wooden chairs, decorated with greenery and other foliage. If you and your partner are splitting your guests onto separate sides, why not add distressed signs to let them know where to sit?

5. A Folk Band

When it comes to entertainment, there’s nothing better than a folk band at a rustic wedding. Folk bands tend to play tunes that are welcoming, warm and full of heart, and their acoustic or “unplugged” music creates the perfect atmosphere, especially for an intimate ceremony.

Married couple at amazing farm wedding venue surrounded by chickens

6. Animals

Any animal lovers out there? If you’re getting married near a farm, why not see if you can add their livestock into your wedding photographs? It’ll make for some super unique memories! Or bring your pets along to the ceremony to really get the whole family involved.

Bride with flower crown and groom celebrating their wedding outdoors with loved ones

7. Flower Crowns

Everyone loves a flower crown – and for good reason! They look gorgeous with any outfit. We especially love them paired with a boho wedding dress or an oversized suit.

8. Floral Wedding Arches

A rustic wedding arch is a great way to elevate your wedding. A floral arch makes for a gorgeous focal point – not to mention some fantastic photo ops!

9. Home Cooking

It’s not just about your decorations! Even your catering can have a rustic twist. One of our favourite rustic wedding ideas is serving your guests homemade cookies. You could even personalise them with your guests’ names!

10. Wooden Details

Consider using wooden logs for a rustic twist. They might come in handy as holders for place names or table numbers – or they can be used to display your wedding cake! Add some flowers and foliage to make it even more gorgeous. Try wooden table numbers to to keep everything on theme. You could even pop them into potted plants or watering cans filled with wildflowers to take things to the next level!

Married couple surrounded by wedding party with sparklers

11. Sparklers

Make the most of the great outdoors and dazzle your guests with sparklers and fireworks! Not only will your guests be excited to get involved, but we bet you’ll get some great photographs too.

12. Jam Jars

One super cute – and budget friendly! – idea that never goes out of style is repurposing jam jars as flower vases. Fill them with wildflowers – or, if you’re green fingered, you might even try planting herbs in them!

There you have it – twelve gorgeous ideas for to help create your dream rustic wedding.

An Autumnal Wedding with a Horse-Drawn Carriage in Northumberland

The bride and groom pet one of the horses that pulls the carriage.

Charlotte and Callum knew exactly what they wanted for their autumnal wedding in Chathill Northumberland: a gorgeous burgundy colour scheme, seasonal flowers… and a horse-drawn carriage!

What made their day even better? A venue that could offer them the whole weekend, not just a day. With its blend of traditional features and contemporary touches, Ellingham Hall offers a completely exclusive (and seriously stylish!) two-night wedding experience.

Carriage being pulled by two white horses.

The guests throw petals to the couple as they laugh.

Charlotte & Callum in Chathill, Northumberland (Autumnal + Burgundy)

One of the table tops shows the theme of the table to be Vietnam.

Another table top shows a candle display and the theme to be New Zealand.

The guest inside the building, which features a chandelier hanging from a wooden ceiling.

The groomsmen help the groom get dressed.

The tables set for dinner inside. Lots of lights in the ceiling.

The bride and groom kiss outside at night as the guests hold candles.

Congratulations, Charlotte and Callum, on your beautiful ceremony! And special thanks to Rachel Barlow, marketing and communications manager at Ellingham Hall, for providing us with the photographs of the happy couple’s big day.

Charlotte and Callum’s Suppliers

Florist & Decoration: Kat at The Whole Sch-bang
Videographer: Bennett Media
Dress: Gayle at Accent Original Bridal Newcastle
Bridesmaid Dresses: TFNC
Flower Girl Dresses: Next
Stationery: Above the Clouds
Hair: Leanne Hamilton at Getupandpinup and Rebecca Dixon
Makeup: Amanda Bell at MUA
Menswear: Most Suitable
Transport: North East Carriage Co LTD-Horse and Carriage
Photographers: Chris Randle and Fiona Saxton

How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Colour Scheme

Picking your wedding colour scheme is one of the first (and most fun!) steps you should take when planning your wedding. Choosing your colour palette early on will make picking out all your other details – from your flowers and your decorations to your invitations and your place cards – that much easier.

But are you and your fiancé a baby blue couple? Or would rich purples and golds suit you better? Will an autumnal red go with your venue? With so many options out there, it can be hard to know where to start! So here are our top tips for choosing the perfect wedding colour scheme.

Get Inspired

If you’re feeling lost for where to start, Pinterest is a great place to go for some initial inspo. We’d also recommend looking at real weddings to see what other couples have done. Still feeling stuck? Then it’s time to shut the laptop and get outside! Consider going for a wander through interiors and fabric shops. You’ll be able to find out what’s on trend right now, plus fabric designers have a knack for matching unlikely colours – so keep your eyes peeled for anything that stands out to you. And think outside the box! If lilies are your favourite flower, why not take inspiration from that and design a colour scheme incorporating crisp whites and fresh greens?

Location, Location, Location

Once you’re feeling inspired, the first thing to consider when choosing your colour scheme is your wedding location. If you’ve already chosen and booked your venue, what colours will you be working with already? What other colours will bring out your venue’s best features? Your venue might have wallpaper or carpets that could clash with certain other colours so it’s important to check that out before you commit to your wedding colour palette.

If you haven’t found your venue yet, keep your ideal colours in mind when looking round potential locations. The colours you choose don’t have to match perfectly, but you’ll want them to mesh well with your venue’s overall style at the very least. For example, if you’re getting married in a rustic barn, working with light-filled spaces and pale woods, sage green and cream could be beautiful choices. On the other hand, if your venue is more of a country house, full of cosy, oak-panelled rooms, deeper hues may well be a better fit.

Seasons Change

Another major factor to consider when choosing your wedding colour scheme is what will match the seasons. Our top tip is to take inspiration from good old Mother Nature! For an autumn wedding, go for rich reds, deep greens and warmer tones. Spring couples, on the other hand, might want to focus on pastels, greens and light neutral colours. For winter weddings, picture a white Christmas: all blues, silvers and creams (and perhaps a little sparkle too!). Finally, if your wedding is in the summer months, now’s your chance to incorporate more vibrant hues – think bright colours, jewel tones and perhaps a little gold.

Set the Mood

Don’t underestimate the power of colour! Your wedding colours play a key role in determining the whole vibe of your wedding, influencing everybody’s feelings and emotions on your special day. From classic and romantic to fun and creative, your chosen colours will have a huge impact on the atmosphere of your big day. If you want to amp up the drama, don’t choose a pastel colour scheme! You’ll want strong jewel tones instead – such as emerald greens, deep purples and golds – to set the mood. On the other hand, those very same pastels – think blush tones, creams and whites – are perfect for creating a more dreamy, romantic mood.

Think Texture

It’s not just about colour – texture plays an almost as important role in setting the mood of your wedding. In summer, linens and cottons bring a beautifully relaxed feel to any celebration, while velvets can be used to create a sense of opulence and luxury at a winter wedding. Different textures can complement your wedding colour scheme and add a little extra interest to your decor, especially if you decide to go for a more neutral palette.

Get Trendy

So you’ve spent hours scrolling Pinterest, stared at photographs of your venue for what feels like hours… and you’re still stuck for ideas? Then here’s one more tip! For many couples, an easy way to get inspired is to find out what colours are trending. Looking at the most popular colours of the year is a great place to start. Sage, cassis and cantaloupe aren’t just ingredients in a fancy fruit salad – they’re the perfect colours for bridesmaid dresses! A word to the wise, though – don’t get too caught up with what’s “on trend” if you’re not feeling it. At the end of the day, you should always go for the colours that really make you excited.

So there you have it: five ways to get started with your wedding colour scheme. Just remember: your wedding day is all about you, your partner and what you both love. As long as you pick a colour combination that makes you both happy, you’re onto a winner.

7 At-Home Date Ideas

We all love date night: It’s the getting ready in anticipation, looking up restaurant reviews, arguing over what film to see, and who’s booking the seats.

We know that you might be missing these special nights out, but in the age of social distancing it’s time to get a little bit more creative with your date nights at home.

There really is no better time than the present to shake things up and even save yourselves some serious dollar in the process. Lucky for you, we’ve come up with some quarantine-approved, stay-at-home date nights that you and your partner can try out. You are most welcome.

1. For the Cant-Sit-Still Couple

Have you been talking about taking those salsa lessons or tango classes for ages, but never managed to do it for fear of falling in the middle of a rumba? Well, now’s the perfect time to learn with zero fear of embarrassment. DanceDojo has free salsa lessons with video tutorials on salsa steps, turns, and combinations. This could be the perfect time to perfect that fancy footwork for the first dance at your wedding!

2. For the Aspiring Mixologists

Who said you can’t have an at-home happy hour? There’s no need to go to the shops for this one, why not see who can come up with the best cocktail from items you already have in the fridge. If winging it isn’t your style (or you don’t want to waste any precious liquor), the make me a cocktail website will tell you what classic cocktails you can make with what you already have.

3. For the Comfortable Couple:

No judgment from us if you don’t feel like changing out of your cosiest clothes (who can blame you). But why not make movie night a little more special, and camp out in your living room. Setting up a blanket fort will automatically make you feel like mischievous children, in the best possible way. Just grab some pillows, some extra blankets and you’ve got yourself a cozy hideaway. Bonus points for whoever brings the fairy lights and extra snacks.

4. For the Theatre-lovers:

For those of you missing out on theatre trips, Filmed on stage is bringing the theatre to you. Access hundreds of plays and musicals, from Comedies to Shakespeare, at your fingertips. You can even watch that sold-out National Theatre play you’ve been trying to get tickets to for months. Feel free to crack open an interval ice cream (and it won’t cost you £6!).

5. For the Jetsetters:

We know you might have had trips cancelled, but rather than setting your screensaver to that picturesque beach, why not have an around the world evening-in? Curb your wanderlust by bringing Tokyo to your living room by watching Lost in Translation, ordering sushi and singing out-of-tune karaoke. Or head to the Italian Riviera by watching a classic Italian film (Il Paradiso is our pick), making a delicious bolognese and drinking a bottle (or two) together.

6. For the Cultural Couple:

One of the perks of 2000 museums and galleries being online at Google Arts & Culture is that finally, they’re open 24 hours! So why not find your way to the Musée d’Orsay in Paris (without thousands of people blocking your view), or head to the Guggenheim in New York. Alongside art collections, there are tours of famous sites and landmarks such as the Taj Mahal, the Colosseum and the Bolshoi Theatre. Now is a better time than any to learn your Monet from your Manet and your Dalí from your Degas.

7. For Romantic Reminiscing:

We could all do with a little extra romance right now, so go back to the beginning of your relationship, when the words social distancing had never been uttered. Light some candles, look through your old photos together and go through the New York Times’ 36 questions to make you fall in love. We promise you will laugh, cry and remember things you had completely forgotten about each other. Take this time to slow down and be present with the person you love most.

What’s the Best Day to Get Married On?

When the time comes to sit down and properly start planning your wedding, one of the very first questions you’ll face is ‘what day of the week shall we get married?’ Your first instinct will likely be on a weekend – but, you’ll have to compete with thousands of couples who’ll have exactly the same thought process.

But, is a weekend the best time to have your wedding? What about midweek? And which month, or even season, would make for the best choice?

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer, but there may be a one-day-fits-budget answer that could make your decision a little easier.

In this post, we’re going to dive into the busy world of how to choose which day you should get married. We’ll explore the considerations to keep at the forefront of your mind, the most popular dates and days to have a wedding, and why a midweek wedding might just be the best decision you make.

What are the most popular dates to get married on?

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As discovered in our 2023 UK Wedding Report, the top 10 most popular dates to get married are:

19th August
26th August
9th September
16th September
23rd September
12th August
8th July
2nd September
20th May
7th October

As you can see, most of these dates are during the summer months, which is when you might expect the weather to behave itself – although this is in the UK after all, where nothing is guaranteed when it comes to the weather.

However, there is something that each of these dates has in common, which we’ll come on to next.

What’s the most popular day of the week to get married on?

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The most popular day of the week to get married is Saturday. Because of this, everything from venues and caterers to photographers and transport generally has higher rates on a Saturday than any other day of the week.

However, for the first time, less than half (48%) of weddings in 2023 took place on a Saturday, according to our 2024 Wedding Report. This is a continuation of the trend in recent years away from Saturday weddings.

Why is Saturday the most popular day of the week to get married on?

The most obvious reason why Saturday is still the most popular day couples choose for their wedding is because it’s when most of your guests will be free from work and school commitments. Around two-thirds of employees don’t work weekends, which means the majority of your guests won’t have to book annual leave to come to your big day. Plus, they’re more likely to let their hair down and enjoy themselves if they don’t have to get up early for work the next day – this goes double for any guests who may have travelled a long way to be there.

What’s the cheapest day to get married on?

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The cheapest day to get married on is a Tuesday, with the average Tuesday wedding costing £16,273, compared to the overall average of £20,775. This is also over £6,000 cheaper than the average Saturday wedding, which costs £22,290.

Despite being the cheapest, Tuesday is actually the least popular day to get married, with only 4% of couples tying the knot on the second day of the week.

For more tips and tricks on cutting wedding-related costs, read our comprehensive guide on how to save money on your wedding.

Why is Tuesday the cheapest day to get married?

Just like how Saturdays are the most popular day for a wedding because most of your guests are off work and school, Tuesdays are the least popular in part because the reverse of this is true. Unless they work shifts, your guests are likely to be at work or school on a Tuesday, and because it’s not on either side of the weekend like a Friday or Monday, guests might not be so keen to take a day’s annual leave. Then there’s the additional travel time for guests who don’t live close by, which might mean another day or two of holiday.

What’s the best season for a wedding?

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In 2023, just 7% of weddings took place during the first three months of the year. As the weather got warmer so did couples’ love for a wedding, with a fifth having their big day in April, May or June. Then another 41% had summer or early autumn weddings in July, August or September, and the final quarter tied the knot in October, November or December.

From this, it’s obvious that couples prefer to get married during the warmer spring, summer and autumn months, with more than two-thirds of all weddings taking place between April and September. Because of this, these months will be among the most expensive within which to get married. That said, autumn weddings are rising in popularity, with October especially now being sought-after (16% of weddings in 2023 took place in October).

What do superstitions say about the best and worst months for a wedding?

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If you believe in superstitions, there are some to consider before choosing your date, because some think that certain months are luckier to get married in than others.

When it comes to bad luck, there’s a rhyme that states, ‘Marry in May and you’ll rue the day’ which dates back to Pagan fertility rituals. Among its most famous believers was Queen Victoria, who supposedly banned her children from getting married in May. Clearly, not many modern couples believe this superstition, with May currently being the fourth most popular month for weddings.

If you’re seeking some good luck, here are some of our favourites to bear in mind:

Marry when the year is new and he’ll be loving, kind and true.

Marry in April when you can, and joy for maiden and for man.

Marry in September’s shrine, your living will be rich and fine.

What’s the luckiest day of the week for a wedding?

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Now that you know some of the superstitions surrounding months, what about the days of the week? Well, there are Gaelic superstitions that state:

Marry on Monday for wealth,

Tuesday for health,

Wednesday the best day of all,

Thursday for crosses,

Friday for losses,

and Saturday no day at all.

You may not be a big believer in superstitions, but even if you’re not, it can’t hurt to err on the side of caution, right? Besides, would a Tuesday wedding in September be so bad? It would certainly be cheaper, if nothing else.

Should you get married on an important date, like Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve?

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Christmas Day is the most popular day to get engaged on, followed by Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. But, what if you want to get married on a date like this and have a shared celebration with your friends and family?

The first thing to be aware of is that not all of the guests you invite will want to give up a special date, so don’t be surprised if you get a few Xs on your RSVPs. Travel and accommodation can also be tricky, not to mention expensive during holiday periods.

It can also be extremely expensive for you if you choose to have a Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve wedding. Staff may be paid double or triple rates, and this is already a popular date in the hospitality industry anyway, which means it might be difficult securing your chosen venue.

If you’re keen to have a wedding that falls on a holiday date, then there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this. But, just be prepared to pay a little more for the privilege.

What else should you bear in mind when booking your wedding date?

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While it will usually be cheaper to get married between October and March, we get that this might not always be an option. You might be tied to school holidays, weekends or other specific times of the year, which means you have a limited choice for when to book your wedding.

If this is you, then we recommend booking your venue as far in advance as possible to ensure you secure your chosen date. And when we say far in advance, we mean it – popular venues at busy times of the year can book up several years into the future, so get in there as soon as you can and throw down your deposit.

Browse our huge range of wedding venues to find your perfect venue, with many offering exclusive seasonal discounts.

8 reasons why you should consider having a midweek wedding

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If you’re still not sure about a midweek wedding, here are eight reasons why you should consider getting married on a school night.

1. You can get married sooner

As we already highlighted, Saturday is a popular day to get married. That means the most popular venues are booked up for weekend dates years in advance. It might also mean that you or your guests have already committed to attending someone else’s wedding on almost every Saturday this summer or next summer.

So if you want to get married in your dream venue and you want your best friend to make it, you might be looking at two or three years until the dates (and the stars) align for you to have a weekend wedding at your number one choice of venue.

But, if you book your wedding on a weekday, you’ll have far fewer availability worries to think about. No need for this to turn into a five-year engagement. Being more flexible with your date opens up a much wider variety of options, meaning you’re more likely to get your dream venue and avoid clashes with other weddings.

2. You can secure the best suppliers (and pay less)

Not only do venues get booked up early on weekends, but so do all your other suppliers. You’re much more likely to get your dream team with a weekday wedding. Many suppliers will also lower their prices during the week so you might even be able to push the boat out and get a truly top-notch photographer, caterer or florist that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford. With a weekday wedding, you’re much more likely to get exactly what you want and have a far smaller bill at the end of it.

3. You’ll save yourself from stress

Planning a wedding can sometimes be stressful – especially when things don’t go to plan, such as your favourite photographer or caterer becoming unavailable because another couple snapped them up. Because far fewer couples get married midweek, you’ll have less competition, which means you’ll save yourself from stressful planning-related scheduling conflicts.

4. You can have your loved ones there

Despite all the perks that can come with a weekday wedding, one concern that many couples have is that their loved ones won’t be able to make it. While this is a possibility, we’d always expect those most important to you to do everything they can to be there for your big day. After all, it’s only one day of holiday (or two if they have to travel).

That said, you should think about your guest list when making this decision. If you’re planning a weekday wedding and your parents are teachers, for example, you’ll want to prioritise school holidays to make sure they can make it. But at the end of the day, your nearest and dearest will want to show up for you – and a weekday wedding won’t stop them.

5. You can keep things intimate

If you don’t want a blowout bash, a weekday wedding can be a great opportunity for a more relaxed and intimate affair. Without the fuss that can come with a huge weekend do, you can just have your nearest and dearest around you and get to spend more time talking to the people you care about the most. If you know there are people you’ll have to invite but don’t really want to, a weekday wedding is also a cheeky way to make it less likely they’ll show up.

6. You can save your guests some money

While you might think a weekday wedding would make it harder for guests to attend, it can actually solve a lot of problems for them. By holding your wedding on a weekday, it means better availability for travel and cheaper accommodation for your guests.

7. You can keep the party going

Another benefit of a weekday wedding is you can spread the celebration out and extend the fun, particularly if you host your wedding on a Monday, Friday or around a bank holiday. After all, you only get married once – make the most of it. Organise a cocktail party the night before or a relaxed brunch the morning after.

You could even go old school and decide to jet off on your honeymoon straight after the wedding. Travelling midweek can mean huge savings on flights and accommodation, leaving you with more cash to splash elsewhere.

8. You’ll support local businesses

Because so few wedding vendors provide their services to midweek weddings, they may find themselves with empty calendars between Mondays and Thursdays. By planning something for the start of the week, you’re doing your part to support smaller local businesses.

Plan your dream wedding with Bridebook

Here at Bridebook, we have everything you need to plan your perfect wedding, whether midweek or not. Sign up today and start planning your big day!

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Happy Planning!

How to plan your wedding remotely

While we all continue to do our bit for the NHS by staying indoors, a lot of us are finding ourselves with a lot of spare time on our hands and with spirits that need some lifting.

If you’re recently engaged, now is the perfect time to start getting excited about planning for your big day.

Here at Bridebook, we know that it may seem a little daunting to plan your wedding from your living room, but with this expert guide, you’ll be getting started soon.

Getting started

Knowing where to start can be the trickiest part of planning a wedding, but with our handy wedding checklist, it couldn’t be easier. Simply start by working your way through the individual tasks and you’ll be rolling in no time!

Invite your partner to collaborate with you so that you can start assigning tasks to each other. At Bridebook, we strongly believe that wedding planning should be a joint effort, so get them involved if they aren’t already!

Feel free to start browsing for inspiration at this stage too. The hashtags #wedding and #weddinginspo on Pinterest and Instagram are particularly #stunning.

Agreeing your budget

It’s good to sit down with your partner and talk about what you both want from your wedding: a small and intimate affair with close friends and family or a lavish party with hundreds of guests?

Once you’ve worked out what you both want, you need to decide how much you are willing to spend for your big day. With that in mind, let Bridebook do the hard work for you! With data from the 500,000 weddings we’ve helped to plan, we’ll help crunch those numbers. Just enter your total budget and we’ll tell you how much you should be spending on each item, from your venue to your cake.

Booking your Venue

Beautiful barn wedding venue with tables and chairs set up

Booking your venue is often the most exciting part of the wedding planning process, but it might seem a bit tricky to do from your sofa. But don’t fret! There are now loads of ways that you can use modern technology to get a feel for your venue without the need to visit.

Use Bridebook’s search tool to browse through thousands of venues that meet your specific needs and quickly narrow down by shortlisting your favourites. Look through our extensive picture galleries and read the reviews from our previous couples to start getting a feel for the place.

Next, get brochures from your favourites and reach out to see what remote viewings they can offer. Lots of venues are now offering virtual tours or videos that can help you get a better picture of your perfect wedding: all from the comfort of your own home.

Booking your suppliers

Again, Bridebook’s search tool comes in handy here, allowing you to look through all of our wedding suppliers in your preferred area and explore their photos and reviews.

Your venue can also be a great help here too. They will often have a list of preferred suppliers for their venue, which can help you narrow down your choices. This way you can be sure that the supplier knows the space well and that the venue trusts them to do a great job.

Managing your guests

Deciding who to invite to your big day can be a challenge for any couple, but with Bridebook’s guestlist tool, it’ll be a breeze.

Add all of your potential guests (or import them straight from your contacts to make it even simpler!), then choose if they are coming for the day, evening, or on the waitlist for now.

Then use our Guest Info Collector to gather their email and physical addresses, so that you can send them their save the dates and keep them updated throughout the planning process.

Wedding invitations with flowers presented on a wooden table

Start building your gift list

Getting married is not just about throwing a party, it’s also about the rest of your life too and a gift list can be a great part of helping you prepare for that.

Start thinking about what you want from your gift list: a gift registry, a honeymoon fund, or perhaps asking your loved ones to contribute to a charitable cause that’s close to your heart.

Check out our comparison of the various gift list options to see what best suits your needs.

Then, start adding your dream gifts, knowing that they’ll be with you sooner than you think!

Enjoy it

Weddings are very special. There is no better reason on earth to throw an epic party than two people falling in love. And the world is certainly going to need some incredible parties soon… and you are going to be at the very centre of them.

Make sure to take stock and enjoy planning this amazing event with your loved one, your friends and your family (virtually) by your side.

11 Wedding Guest List Arguments All Couples Have (And How To Resolve Them)

Bridebook.co.uk Guests drinking champagne

Cutting down your wedding guest list can feel like you’re Hercules battling the Hydra – cut one person, and two more grow back in their place! But it has to be done, whether it’s because you need to save a few bucks or because they just! won’t! fit! in your venue. Remember, a bigger guest list means a bigger budget… or choosing between a champagne reception and serving your uncle’s homebrew!

The moment when you and your partner combine lists and discover the number is bigger than you ever imagined is always a dark day. To avoid disappointment for either of you – and the ruthless cull that has to follow – try using our Guest List Tool. It’ll do all the adding up, sorting and tracking, meaning you both stay on top of numbers.

Sadly, as brilliant as our Guest List Tool is, it can’t fight your battles for you. (Not yet, anyway. We wish!) So if you think your other half is being unreasonable (or maybe you just need to get something off your chest!), we’ve got some tips to help you navigate the tricky terrain of the wedding guest list.

“Your parents have a longer list… But they’re not paying as much as mine!”

Straight in at the deep end! We can almost guarantee that both sets of parents will want to invite a long list of their friends, regardless of whether or not you like them…or whether they can pay towards the extra cost. As a rule of thumb, we’d say that if they’re not immediate family or your other half hasn’t seen them in the past ten years, you have a right to question them.

**“I don’t want children!” (pause “At the wedding, not with you!”)**

Now, this is a decision that lots of couples struggle to make personally, never mind between the two of them. But if a child-free wedding is what you want, you should be reassured that you’re not a bad person for requesting this. You’re also not the only one – lots of couples do. Not only is it an easy way to cut costs and numbers (and, dare we say, stress levels), but it might even be more welcome among your guests than you’d expect! After all, it gives parents a proper night off to enjoy themselves.

“You don’t even like your work friends!”

Work friends are tricky. The key question to start with is whether they’re friends your partner happened to make through work…or if they really are work friends. Either way, it’s worth considering that not only can a blanket ban rub your fiancé up the wrong way, it might well make for an awkward office atmosphere for them post-honeymoon. Why not compromise and invite a handful of them to the drinks and dancing, if not the ceremony? That way, everyone’s happy… But you’re still not paying full whack!

“Why are you inviting your ex?”

We’d never want to make assumptions but this can be a ticking time bomb. Now, if you’re one of those lucky few who’s genuinely on good terms with their ex (and importantly, whose partner is on good terms with them too!), more power to you. Invite away! But there are no prizes for inviting an ex out of awkwardness or some kind of weird obligation – so if you don’t have a good reason to (e.g. you’re actually still close friends), we’d give it a miss. Remember, you’ll also be risking a fair few awkward conversations: “So, how do you know the happy couple?” “Oh, erm…” Our advice? Only invite exes in exceptional circumstances.

**“It doesn’t feel like our wedding anymore!”**

Managing a wedding can feel like a balancing act. Yes, you want the details to be perfect and to keep everyone happy… But you still need to think about the big picture (and vice versa!). This is never more apparent than when you’re putting together your guest list. Sure, maybe those extra six guests from Mum and Dad’s timeshare won’t actually feel like such a big deal on your big day… But if it’s overwhelming you right now, you need to let your parents know.

“Shall we just bloody elope?”

Every couple will have this moment… And you know what, some of you might decide you should! But take a minute and pour another glass of wine before making any hasty decisions. We promise that nine-and-a-half times out of ten, it’ll be worth it in the end!

“We’ll have to not invite some of your family.”

Chances are, one of you will have a significantly larger family than the other. To deal with this, try to assign rough portions of your guest list to each one of you early on so that you both know what you’re working with. You might do this equally and split the list into quarters: one for each of your families and one for each of your extras. Or you might decide to reflect on the size of your respective families: if your partner has a much bigger family than you (but is still close to them!), you could decide to give them a third for their relatives and yourself a quarter. Either way, your boundaries will be a bit more obvious – and so will overstepping them!

“We can’t not invite them – they’ve just got engaged.”

This is where you need to be firm with your decision. Lay down the law and stick to it – avoid any grey areas or sneaky exceptions. For example, many couples have a “No Ring, No Bling” policy, meaning a guest can only bring a plus one if they’re married or engaged. That said, given that many people choose not to marry nowadays, another way to keep your guest list a little leaner is by making decisions based on how long a couple have been together.

“Well, they invited us to their wedding…”

Look. Weddings aren’t tit for tat, and you should never feel obligated to invite someone to yours, just because they invited you to theirs. Planning a wedding is too hard (and too expensive!) for that. This is the bottom line: invite the people you want to spend the best day of your life with… And ideally, no one else!

“We’re treating our friends like they’re numbers!”

Maybe you are, but the reality is that this is what all couples have to do eventually. At one stage or another, you’ll start to feel like all your wedding guests have a pound sign hanging above their heads. Planning a wedding is a balancing act. Inevitably, you start to think about how one less guest means getting back their equivalent in booze, flowers or cake. But before you make any hasty decisions, think about how much that person means to you. This feeling won’t last forever – you’ll forget it as soon as they’re there at your big day. We promise, they’re worth every penny… But if you really don’t feel like they are, then it might be time to make a cut!

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“It’s still! Too! Big!”

If you feel like you’ve done everything you can and your guest list is still just too big, it’s time to get pragmatic. Sit down with your partner and split your guest list into the A List and the B List. Sound cruel? Not at all! Many couples even plan ahead and print two sets of RSVP cards with different dates: an earlier date for the A List and a later date for the B List (to be sent out after the A List have said they can’t make it). A word of warning though: try not to let the B List know they’re the B List. Cher might get away with it in ‘Clueless’… But there’s no guarantee that you will too!

Got another guest list dilemma you want solved? Check out our Instagram, TikTok and YouTube channels. We might have already answered your question – and if not, drop us a line in the comments. But we reckon once you’ve sorted out these ones, you’ll be pretty much good to go. Send those invitations out – and once your RSVPs come flooding in, keep track of them with our state-of-the-art Guest List Tool. Then it’s onto budget blow-outs…

Happy Planning!

6 Tips For Starting Your Guest List

Oh, the dreaded wedding guest list… Between long lost cousins three times removed and that actually kind of annoying friend you haven’t spoken to in months, even thinking about who to invite can be daunting.

Luckily for you, Bridebook has one of the simplest and most advanced Guest List Tools in the world – and it’s free! As soon as you’ve read these top tips, it’s time to get stuck in. Stressful guest list planning will be a thing of the past.

1. Keep an Eye on Your Budget

You might want everyone and their uncle to be invited to the celebration of the century (and we’re sure they’d want to come!), but you’ve got to think about your wedding budget. How many people can you actually afford? Remember, more guests means finding more space, more food, more favours… and more money. Stick to your budget. It’s as simple as this: if you know you can only afford to invite 100 people… Only invite 100 people!

2. Consider Your Wedding Location

When you choose where to get married, give some thought to your guest list. If your venue is located somewhere closer to home, then it’s more likely more people will be able to attend. If you’re thinking about getting married on the other side of the country (or in a different country altogether!), you’ll need to rethink who it’s realistic to expect at your big day. Will guests be able to afford to travel that far? Can they take the time off work? Will elderly family members still be able to make it? If you haven’t chosen your venue yet, this might be a factor in your decision. If you’re already set on a particular place, have a think about who will actually be able to make it before you invite the masses and potentially get let down.

3. Think About Capacity

After your budget, this is the next big one. At the end of the day, how many people will actually fit in your venue is a pretty hard and fast cap on the size of your guest list. If you’re still looking for your venue, you can use the filters on our Venue Search Tool to find venues that can house the capacity you want. When you visit potential venues and look round the space, double check what they say the capacity is – then reduce it. Remember, you won’t just have guests at your wedding. If the venue says you can fit up to 200 people in one space, consider what else you’ll require there. You might want space for a band, dining tables, etc. Take that into account when inviting guests. It’s all about finding a balance between a jam-packed crowd that can barely move and a half-empty venue that feels too big for a small number of guests.

4. Kids or No Kids?

It’s pretty likely that at least one of your friends or relatives will have children, so think carefully about whether you want to invite them or not. It’s absolutely fine if you don’t, but you do need to remember to politely mention it to the parents well in advance. It’s nothing to be nervous about – and they might even welcome the chance to have a proper night out! On the other hand, if you decide to have a child-friendly wedding, it does mean some extra work. Make sure to work out where children will sit (eg. do you want a kids’ table?) and whether there’ll be a separate kids’ menu. It’s always worth thinking about how you can keep them occupied throughout the day too. Keep them entertained and all will be well!

5. Make a Decision on Plus Ones

Oh, plus ones… The cause of endless headaches. After all, it’s obvious that if a close relative is part of the wedding party, their significant other will be welcome at the wedding. But what about that friend with a new partner you haven’t even met yet? When it comes to plus ones, our best advice is to decide your position and stick to it. For example, if a couple has been dating for over a year, the plus one is invited. No ifs, no buts, no exceptions – otherwise, you risk ending up in sticky situations when people realise they’ve been treated differently.

6. Assume Everyone Will Attend

We know, we know – the temptation to over-invite is real. But this isn’t a house party! There’s nothing worse than having too many people on your guest list and having to uninvite someone. By assuming everyone invited will attend, you leave it open for them to decide. You might not expect them to be able to attend (or they might never RSVP!) but they may actually be able to make it. If you’re still worried about numbers, why not create a backup guest list and order a separate set of invitations with a later RSVP date to send out if your numbers unexpectedly drop?

There you have it – our top tips for getting started with your guest list. Remember to head over to our Instagram, TikTok and YouTube channels for more tips, tricks and wedding inspiration. But for now, it’s time to sit down with your partner, figure out who to invite and start adding them to your Bridebook…

How to Choose Your Wedding Party

We won’t lie to you – choosing your wedding party can be a daunting task. How do you pick the right people – the people you actually want to pick – without offending others who thought they’d make the cut? You don’t want to end up with twenty bridesmaids, half of whom you don’t even know or like… But you also don’t want to insult your guests. We’re in tricky terrain – and navigating it requires the utmost tact and consideration. So let’s make it a little simpler for you. Here’s our guide to how to choose your wedding party – and how to let others down gently.

Put Yourself First!

The first thing to do is remember that your wedding day is about you and your fiancé – not your wedding party! Of course, you should want to keep your guests happy – but ultimately, who’s in your wedding party is up to you. Your wedding day only happens once, so you don’t want to regret having not chosen the people you really wanted. Make sure you and your partner are both happy with your choices as your wedding day is a memory you’ll cherish forever.

So our first piece of advice is to never choose someone for your wedding party purely out of obligation. At the same time, don’t be too harsh. Ruthlessly cutting people out is a sure way to lose friends, so give your decision the care and attention they deserve.

Family or Friends?

The next big decision is choosing between your family and your friends. It’s entirely possible that you’re closer to many of your friends than to your siblings – so you might find yourself wanting to fill your wedding party with friends rather than family. That’s absolutely fine! There’s no “right answer” to this question and the choice is completely up to you.

Our advice would be to do what feels right. It’s totally acceptable to only ask your friends – and many people do! But even if you’re not super close to your family, involving them can make your wedding day even more special. It also prevents you regretting not having asked them later down the line – especially if you’re not asking your sister right now because you had a minor tiff last Tuesday! For many people, their wedding is a celebration of two families coming together and of a new family being formed, so keeping the focus on family may well feel very natural.

Who Has Your Best Interests at Heart?

It’s super important to choose people who will truly be sharing your happiness on your wedding day. They should be happy you’re getting married, with no objections to your choice of fiancé. They also shouldn’t be jealous of you or have any negativity towards your big day in any way.

Now, it’s unfortunate but true that there are some people out there who might have these negative thoughts about your wedding. In some cases, you might still feel it’s important to have them in your wedding party. That’s okay! Just ask them with your best intentions and be led by what feels right to you throughout. Our advice here is just that – advice, not hard-and-fast instructions! When it comes to choosing your wedding party, the most important thing of all is this: follow your heart.

Even if you’re unable to choose the “perfect” wedding party, don’t worry about it too much or let it stress you out. We promise your wedding party isn’t what makes your wedding day the best day of your life – it’s just another ingredient in the recipe! Remember, no one bakes because they love the ingredients… They bake because they love the cake! You’re getting married to the love of your life – that’s what’s really important.

How to Let People Down Gently

Inevitably, there will be some people who expected to be part of your wedding party that won’t make the cut – and that means some potentially awkward conversations. Telling someone they didn’t make it into the final line up is never fun. If you do need to have those conversations, here’s a few tips on how to let them down gently:

Remind them that you could only choose a small number of people. That meant making difficult decisions.
Have your reasons ready for why you chose somebody else before them. You might have known them longer, gone through something important together, and so on. That said, while this can be appropriate or even necessary, our advice is to avoid giving reasons if at all possible.
The easiest way to soften the blow is to invite them to be involved in your wedding in another way. They might not be at the top table with you and your new spouse but you can still make them feel appreciated. Consider seating them at table one or inviting them to your dress fitting with you.
Be nice! This a situation that demands care and consideration – and a little kindness goes a long way.

At the end of the day, the number one thing to remember is that your wedding day is about you. At the same time, your wedding party isn’t the be-all and end-all of the day so the people in it don’t necessarily need to be your first choices. It’s about finding a balance between making yourself happy and not offending your friends and family. So the best advice we can give? Go with your heart.

Wedding Planning Stress? Here’s How To Beat It

Are you suffering from wedding planning stress? Struggling to motivate yourself to just… get on with it? We’ve all been there. There’s just too much to do – and you don’t want to do any of it! Or you do, but you just… kind of… can’t? Well, never fear. Here’s our guide to getting back on track.

The Two-Minute Rule

The two-minute rule is a productivity technique used by high-flyers everywhere. To put it simply: if it’ll take less than two minutes, do it now!

A big reason you might be procrastinating your wedding planning is because you’re overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the task at hand. And we get it! But the two-minute rule means you start with the easiest tasks first – and once you’ve gotten them out the way, it’ll be easier to continue. An object in motion stays in motion unless something stops it, according to Isaac Newton. So does a wedding planner! So once you’ve started, it’ll be easier to continue.

But enough physics. Let’s get back to weddings. Choose an easy task like responding to an email from a photographer or sending an enquiry to a venue (hint: it’s as easy as clicking a button on your Bridebook!) and get that done. Feel the rush of ticking a task off your to-do list… then do another one!

Don’t Wait For Motivation

Waiting for motivation to strike is a risky game to play. We often hear people (*cough* ourselves *cough*) say, “I just don’t feel motivated to – .” But do you think an athlete jumps out of bed every morning, delighted to lace up their running shoes at 5am? Are they beaming as they step out into the cold, knowing everyone else is still tucked up in bed? We’re pretty sure the answer is, “Absolutely not.” Some people are naturally more driven than others but nobody is motivated all the time.

So what’s the athlete’s secret? It’s not that they have motivation – it’s that they have a goal. They know what they need to do – and they do it, regardless of how they feel. No waiting for motivation to strike.

The same goes for you and your wedding planning. Think about your wedding day as the goal. You don’t need to wait for motivation – you’ve got a wedding to plan! These tasks need to be done and no one else is going to do them. In fact, you’re going to do them so well that if those tasks could look at themselves in the mirror, they’d feel foolish because of how well you’re going to do them! You’re going to boss them! You’re going to smash it! Those tasks won’t even know what hit them!

… You get the picture. We might have gotten a little carried away there. Motivation struck.

Little But Often

What’s that? You’re sitting down once a week to face down a forty-task-long to-do list, three pots of coffee and an entire Victoria sponge in hand? Okay, now we get why you don’t want to plan your wedding. But we’ve got a simple solution. Set aside thirty minutes each night. Just thirty minutes. That’s just one rerun of ‘How I Met Your Mother’ worth of planning. Now turn the TV off, get focused and dedicate yourself to your planning. Doesn’t that feel better?

Breaking your planning down into small chunks of time makes it much less daunting than trying to do it all in one mega planning session. Plus, doing it little and often makes it easier to stay on top of everything as you can remember what you did the day before, instead of having to cast your mind back a week or two. Get into a routine and stick to it. Once you see how much progress you’re making, you’ll be on a roll!

So there you have it: three easy ways to beat the wedding planning blues! We’re sure you’ll have blitzed through your to-do list in no time. And remember – you can always stay on track with your Bridebook checklist. It shows you exactly what you need to do and when you need to do it to have your dream day planned quicker than you can say, “I do!”

Curating Your Gift List – Where to Start?

It’s not just about toasters, tea sets and towels…the only thing that should limit your wedding gift list is your imagination. Bridebook went straight to the pros at Amazon.co.uk to get their essential tips in tackling your gift list, covering everything you need to know to start putting together the perfect wedding gift list!

www.bridebook.co.uk-amazon-wedding-list-feet

Start Early

Creating your gift list is an incredibly exciting part of planning for your future. The gifts you receive may well be with you for the rest of your life.

They will become a reminder of the day you started a new life together and also of each and every guest who wanted to commemorate that day so allow yourself plenty of time to carefully select and research everything you choose.

Think Variety

Always make your list longer than you need as your guest will value having a variety of items to choose from.

Amazon.co.uk has the world’s largest selection available for wedding gift lists; anything that is available on Amazon.co.uk can be added so make sure you select items that reflect your personality as a couple and will be things that you can enjoy together.

bridebook.co.uk blue bike from amazon — His and her bicycles are a wonderful addition to give your list a little variety to the traditional items

Price Range

It’s a good idea to have a wide range of gifts across various price points so that you are catering for all budgets. From photo frames and mugs to garden furniture and TVs, offer options across the price spectrum.

You can also add gift cards or incorporate charity donations into your list if you want to.

Go For What You Love

Don’t be constrained – whether you want design classics for the home, top-of-the-range cookware, luxury beauty and skincare products, a case of vintage champagne or a pair of bikes so you can kick start a new hobby together, do you research to ensure you’re getting the best of the best. With customer reviews you can make informed choices and read genuine customer feedback across all products.

And if there’s something specific you want from another online store and want truly endless options you can opt for the Universal Wish List Feature and add that to your list too!

bridebook.co.uk variety of items from amazon — Make sure you’re adding only the best of the best to your list by checking customer reviews

Eight Weeks in Advance

We recommend sharing your list with your guests eight weeks in advance of your wedding day. This gives them plenty of time to purchase the gifts and is short enough to avoid any products going out of stock.

It’s always a good idea to review your list a couple of weeks before the big day so that you can add extra items if necessary.

A Helping Hand

You are likely to have guests of all ages wanting to contribute to your day so make it as easy for them as possible. With an online gift list you can just share the link to your list and your guests can purchase at the click of a button, which will ensure you don’t receive duplicates.

Plus, there’s an extra bonus: as soon as your guests collectively spend £250 on gifts for your wedding, you will receive a £50 Amazon.co.uk gift card. (Ts and Cs apply)

Say Thank You

Once the wedding and honeymoon are over it’s easy to forget the all important thank you. People still appreciate a hand written thank you card and we provide a Thank You list which allows you to keep track of what has been purchased and by whom, so you can show your gratitude.

bridebook.co.uk amazon thank you note — Don’t forget the most important part – your thank yous!

Happy Planning!

Why not check out the amazing brand new Bridebook Store for some unique products!

1) It’s Date Night!

2) Home Sweet Home

3) A Few of Our Favourite Things

4) Get Green Fingered!

5) Home and Away

6) The Wedding Day!

7) A Lifetime Membership

8) Get Artsy

9) Go Green

10) The Home Makeover

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How to Set Up A Cash Gift Registry

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Explaining Cash Gifts to Family and Friends

And Finally…

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How you can make your bridal shower as memorable and enjoyable as the big day itself.

Take It Outside

Let’s get quizzical

Photo booth props

Create a date jar

Over or under game

DIY cocktail bar

Whose memory game

Make a balloon arch

Tea party theme

Make flower crowns

Take a class

He said she said

Karaoke queens

DIY origami decorations

Happy planning!

Get more wedding tips and tricks from Bridebook

Happy Planning!

1. Designate a wedding planning day

2. Reflection

3. Budget

4. Guest List

5. Booking Your Venue

6. Booking Suppliers

7. The Little Things

8. Enjoy your Engagement!

Digital Guests:

Courageous Fashion Choices:

Creative Wedding Decor:

Wedding Food Trends:

Party Central:

Registry Remix:

Resell your wedding dress or suit

Opt for online invitations

Choose a venue close to home

Organise a wedding coach for your guests

Set up carpooling

Buy any clothing second-hand

Avoid single-use items

Make conscious jewellery choices

Celebrate by candlelight

Use sustainable makeup

Stay seasonal

Go veggie (or vegan!)

Avoid flower foam

Buy biodegradable

Hire what you can

Go for gifts that keep giving!

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Beautiful Love quotes

Funny Love Quotes

Cute Love Quotes

Quotes About Marriage

Love Quotes from Literature

1. Fairylights

2. Floral Arches

3. Chair Decorations

4. Photo Walls

5. Candles

6. Mirror Decals

7. Chalkboards

8. Giant Letters