Beyond your World

The First Time Bridesmaids’ Guide to Hosting a Hen Party

The hen weekend is an event that the Bride-to-Be will cherish forever. However, as the Maid of Honour or Bridesmaid, the unenviable task of organising the weekend, falls upon your shoulders – and you’ve got to get it right. But, with eight easy steps – you’ll be ready to take on the world (or a group of women that have had far too many cocktails).

Get the Girls Together

First things first, you need to communicate. Organising a hen party can be stressful (to put it mildly), and there can be many clashing personalities – so talking is key. Start a group chat on Facebook, or an email, with logistics on the hen do ideas and, most importantly, the date. A group chat is also a great way to bounce different ideas off each other, get a feel for the group and introduce those who may not know each other. Your chat can even be put in use after the weekend, to share all of those embarrassing pictures that Facebook does not need to see… The possibilities are, quite literally, endless.

Remember the Hen

Whilst it may be easy to get caught in the whirlwind of strippers and Champagne; think of the hen before you do. It might be stating the obvious, but this weekend is dedicated to the Bride-to-Be, and exactly what she wants. If archery, rage buggies and the thought of a strip show are her idea of a nightmare – don’t do it. Forget the stereotypes of hen groups and focus on your hen. [Read more…] about The First Time Bridesmaids’ Guide to Hosting a Hen Party

Hey DJ, Don’t Play Me THAT Song…

By Sofia

I can’t personally attest to the stress and organization that must go into planning a wedding. Thankfully (and somewhat sad) I have yet to go down that road a marital pull-each-other’s-hair-out stress. I haven’t found that one girl that makes the thought of banging my head through a wall over the proper style of candle votive or the perfect combination of colors for the flower bouquets. THAT will be one hell of a woman!

Besides all of the shopping for decorations at places we guys never dare set foot in, like Michaels…blehhhh…and color coordinating that has to be considered when planning the “most important day of your life!” (At least for the bride. What? Come on…they start “hope-chests” when they are still in middle school..it’s a way bigger day for them than the groom, by default) there are a plethora of other things that must be considered also. We dudes are only concerned with scoring some smoke and talking about “that one time” and our awesome snowboard adventures at that age and really couldn’t be bothered with “the future Mrs. So-n-so”

Obviously you must consult with God. Having the right “Master of Ceremony” is crucial. He nearly gets as much face-time with your guests as you do, at least during the ceremony. Some, if not chosen well, might take advantage of this momentary spotlight to “soapbox” to your guests in mostly unwelcome, unwanted ways. I’ve been to some pretty awkward ceremonies where it was obvious that the very secular couple misjudged the minister and found out in real-time that he was much more of a conservative, Bible thumper than he let on to in your one-on-one meet and greets. 15-20 minutes after he has tried to win the souls of the congregation as though they were his own “Sunday Crew”, the bride is fuming and the groom is swaying and fidgeting, hoping it will stop sooner than it ever does.

But the selection of music a.k.a. the DJ is by far thee most important “hire” the bride and groom make. Hence the need to be thorough when choosing what “fun maker” you want dropping the beats on your Perfect Day! You could regret it very much if you aren’t…

You’ll Spin Me Right Round, Baby…(I hope)

Why is the DJ the most important instrument in the choir/your wedding? Because he literally has the ability to change the mood of your entire event. Even if everyone is already in great spirits (no hell-fire and damnation ceremony having just endured) he has the ability to push them through the frickin’ roof, or conversely, make them want to gouge their eyes out of their sockets with the complimentary “party favor/thank you” gift that the bride and groom so thoughtfully placed at each table position. [Read more…] about Hey DJ, Don’t Play Me THAT Song…

Always Get a ‘Tinted’ Limo…

By Sofia

You may Kiss the Bride…If you can see her!

Thanks God wedding season is coming to a close…ok, it’s never closed, I know. But I have been to so many weddings this Summer (probably why I’ve been missing in action here, truthfully! Ironic, right?) that I have perma-wedding hangover. At least the booze was free for the most part! Guess I’d rather get drunk for free at a raging wedding than having to spend my own money at a bar every weekend. I’m a jerk…I know.

Since the majority of weddings I’ve been to have been my sucker friends that finally gave in and took the plunge, that means that I’ve been in a lot of them. I have a lot of good friends. The one thing I don’t understand is why anyone would hire a limo service and get a vehicle that didn’t have a tint job on them…seriously?!

There are few things worse about an otherwise awesome wedding than a stretch Lincoln Navigator without tinted windows…I didn’t even know they existed!

You know how when you go into a bar in the middle of the day and the very few people that are actually there are mostly tucked away in the dark corners and recesses of the bar? Why do you think that is? It’s because we do naughty things when we are drinking and it is built within us to hide it from the world so as not to be publicly shamed! [Read more…] about Always Get a ‘Tinted’ Limo…

A Special Day, Without The Extreme Costs

By Sofia

Your wedding should be one of the happiest days of your life. Its something youll want to treasure and remember for years to come. For some people it seems that in order for this to be the case they need to spend an outrageous amount of money. In fact the average cost of a wedding is now over 20,000. As many couples are dealing with the economic hardship of the recession they are worried that they wont be able to get what they want. However, it doesn’t have to be that way and there are plenty of ways to get the best for much less.

Tips For Wedding Savings

In order for you to get what you want on a budget you need to have a plan. It doesn’t have to be a difficult or a stressful process; but it will require some tough choices and some creativity. Here are a few simple tips to help you plan a wedding on a budget:

– Make a budget – Get a realistic idea about how much you can spend on your wedding. Take the time to list all the costs that you think will be involved and see how the two match up. If you have a limit in your mind, commit to it and make sure you stay within it.

– Priorities – List all the different aspects of your wedding and then decide which are the ones that you simply cannot do without. This will help you to allocate your limited budget and to see where you need to be a bit more creative to get the added extras.

– Bargain for prices – Whilst some of the fees involved in the cost of the wedding might be fixed, such as the registry office fee, others can be negotiated. As part of the negotiations, where ever possible don’t tell them its for a wedding as many services know you will want the best for your special day and will therefore bump up the prices. [Read more…] about A Special Day, Without The Extreme Costs

How to organise a wedding on a budget

By Sofia

Every girl wants the wedding of her dreams and yet not everyone has the deep pockets they would like. This does not have to be the stumbling block that many see it as, since the wedding does not have to be limited by expectations created by movies and glamour magazines. And, while it does not have to be reduced to a meal at McDonalds, there are ways to limit the cost substantially and ensure that money will be left over for the day after.

Stay Away From The Wedding Industry

Companies involved in this sector are not there to keep the romantic dream alive. They are there to make huge amounts of money and charge an insane amount for their services. It is not unheard of for each element, like flowers, cakes and so forth, to cost a thousand pounds and this can quickly add up to the 20,000 figure thrown around as the average price of a wedding today.

A more cost-effective approach is to use friends and family and networks established in the real world to hunt down cheaper alternatives. Some even decide to use their close friends to design the wedding and carry out the many functions. This can provide a level of personality and individualism lacking in the majority of events organised by contracted wedding planners. [Read more…] about How to organise a wedding on a budget

Marketing tips for wedding planners

By Sofia

The wedding industry can be a very lucrative market to be involved with. The average wedding in the UK costs £20,000, and for many money is no object when it comes to their big day. This means that wedding planners can charge an amount of money for their service that people would normally not even begin to contemplate in other areas of their lives. With this profitability, however, comes an expectation that everything will be handled to a very high level.

Couples often come to wedding planners because they want the guarantee that the big day will finish without even the smallest mistake and they will consult various companies before making their decision. Competition here is fierce and one way that a wedding planner can get ahead of the rest is by devoting attention to their marketing strategy. Many will not have any experience of this whatsoever, but marketing is what gets people to contact specific companies and is the only way that wedding planners can ensure profitability. As such, here are some marketing techniques that are proven to be effective here. [Read more…] about Marketing tips for wedding planners

Footer

Recent Posts