In years gone by I used to make resolutions at New Year, the usual ones of wanting to lose weight, get fit, cut down on alcohol etc., it didn’t take me too long to realise however that these were doomed to fail at the first fence. You see, it’s my birthday on 3rd January, so cutting down on food and alcohol on the 1st just don’t work for me! Especially this coming birthday as I will be celebrating not just a milestone number but the fact that I’m still here to celebrate. As you may already know, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2012 so the first half of this year was spent undergoing and recovering from chemo and radiotherapy.
So, instead of New Year resolutions I tend to have hopes and plans for the coming year which are more realistic and tangible. I’ve already been working on my relaunched blog and that feels like an achievement after months of not having the energy mentally to tackle it. So I’m ahead of the game already 🙂 Can you help me out by letting me know what you’d like to see here? I’ve also been giving more attention to social media, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. I’m especially loving Pinterest and have spent lovely hours creating some wedding inspiration boards there. Are you on Pinterest? If not and you’d like to be then let me know and I’ll send you an invitation. It’s a great resource and tool for planning lots of different things from the look of a wedding to home decor, recipes and tutorials.
Mr Lilguys is home at the moment until after my birthday weekend which is lovely. He works away most weeks so we generally only get a few days a week together. It’s been lovely to spend some quality time together and to have a break from the norm, and having kind of lost my mojo earlier this month I can now feel the creativity coming back, which is something of a relief!
First on my To Do list is a revamp of my website to include a jewellery and gifts section. As well as handmade wedding stationery I also make sterling silver jewellery and other items such as letter openers. What sort of thing would you consider giving to someone getting married, or from you to your bridal party as gifts? I have a growing list if ideas but I’d love to hear yours!
Something quite rare is happening this New Year as we start off with a New Moon too, apparently the last time this happened was 19 years ago, so it feels like a very fresh start to the year. Â I’m feeling very positive that this will be a great year (lets’s face it, it could only really get better for me after 2013!) and I sincerely hope that it’s a brilliant year for you too.
Kim x
Described as ‘truly amazing’ and ‘simply awesome’ by customers, Simon delivers a unique and memorable performance which will get your party going and leave you with an unforgettable experience. He’ll have you and your guests up dancing and singing in no time.
Simon is an energetic and charismatic entertainer with an incredible ability to involve everybody without making anyone uncomfortable. Every performance is unique to the event and he makes sure that you get the music and evening of your choice.
Customers are always commenting upon how natural Simon is with people and how easily he guides the evening to give the best possible experience. He can mix with your guests and bring everyone together unlike many bands and discos. The music is never too loud and he ensures that all your guests, regardless of age, can enjoy the party.
If you’re looking for a true Professional and a first class Singer/Entertainer, book the one and only Simon Rees for your event. You won’t be disappointed.
Weddings
Your evening reception is one of the most important parts of your day.
It is a big part of what you and your guests will remember and is well worth investing in.
Simon’s aim is to work with you to create an evening filled with memorable moments and classic photo opportunities. He enjoys getting to know the characters in your wedding party and encourages you to choose songs which may have special meaning to your friends or family.
Simon always enjoys performing at wedding receptions as it is an extra special occasion and everybody is looking to enjoy themselves. He loves to involve the guests where possible, be it through serenading, dancing, or inviting them to sing, and the excitement and energy of the day really makes for a special show.
Simon will work together with you to make sure that the evening fits perfectly with the rest of your day. Couples often ask him to perform a selection of swing & easy listening numbers for the first set while guests are arriving and then a dancy/party set later in the evening to combine with a disco.
For your party you can now book Professional Singer Simon Rees and Raindance SW Discos as a complete entertainment package
Raindance Southwest Discos – DJ Jack loves his work and loves to entertain. It is all about the personal touch and Jack ensures that you get the music that you and your guests want for the evening. With the latest technology, a fabulous sound and light set up and a catalogue of over 70,000 songs you can have any music you desire.Â
It is all about creating the right atmosphere for your evening and we work closely together to ensure you get a memorable party!
You can view Simon’s impressive song list and contact Simon via his website, find him on Facebook, and follow him on Twitter.
Joe Blackman, Founding Director and CEO at Collection 26, a couture wedding and event planning company commented on this query:
“One of the most common issues busy people face when planning a wedding is time. We have planned many weddings for England and Wales international footballers, and the most common problem, even for people with jobs with more regular hours, is actually still making the time to actually spend quality time together without having to spend every free moment you have together negotiating contracts with venues, doing due-diligence on bands to ensure you have a really quality entertainment act turning up, ensuring caterers have communicated power requirements to venues, ensuring they have the relevant health and safety documentation and risk assessments… the list goes on! We generally are brought on board to ensure that all of the boring, but crucial parts of planning a wedding are executed to perfection, leaving couples to focus on all the exciting decisions and creative planning that they love – but without having to worry about ensuring one of your suppliers might go bankrupt!”
 
Blackman continues… “If people are planning weddings themselves, one of the most important things to consider are a lot of the things people forget. Have you really vetted your suppliers to ensure that they are in a strong financial position, just because someone has a nice website, this doesn’t tell you a lot about how credible they are. Try and ask for recommendations from wedding planners who have used them, as they generally are more experienced in comparing different types of supplier.”
 
Collection 26 have seen a significant shift in responsibilities between couples planning their wedding and would say about 20-30% of weddings see groom’s take the lead, or people divide responsibilities up.
“One person may be more focused on the creative and design elements of the wedding, with another focusing more on the planning. It’s a fantastic idea to share responsibilities, as both people then feel part of the day, and this generates an excitement with the involvement. You tend to find people enjoy/prefer managing elements that are more related to their day job, for example, if the bride is an accountant, it’s easy to guess what part of the wedding she will be most focused on”Joe Blackman – Founding Director, CEO.
After years of quietly and skilfully orchestrating unique, creative and utterly luxurious events, Collection 26 has decided to step into the limelight and share its portfolio of fabulous wedding celebrations and wealth of knowledge with the wedding world. Collection 26 have just released their new, fully re-branded website which reveals their portfolio of weddings for the first time, please visit their website to experience the Collection 26 way to get married. You can also find Collection 26 on Facebook and follow them on Twitter and Pinterest.
What are your views on this article? Please leave me a comment below!
For me DC Bouquets means gorgeous and glamorous bouquets made using brooches, but that’s not all she designs and makes.
Welcome to The Adagio Collection – nine stunning new headpieces and 22 pairs of earrings – by bridal accessories designer Debbie Carlisle.
Debbie’s new designs are inspired by the grace and beauty of the ballet and feature pieces ranging from simple, elegant hair combs and headbands to statement headpieces and unusual hair jewels and circlets that can be worn in many different ways.
For the first time Debbie has added a selection of bridal earrings – ranging from simply elegant studs to striking statement designs worthy of the red carpet – to her collection of accessories.
Debbie’s pieces all have a vintage-inspired style mixed with a more contemporary approach which suits brides looking for a unique way to accessorise their wedding gown. And with prices ranging from ÂŁ15 to ÂŁ85 for earrings and from ÂŁ30 to ÂŁ165 for headpieces the collection offers something for brides of all budgets.
Ophelia
Debbie said: “The Adagio collection includes some of my most versatile headpieces yet. In particular, the Ophelia and Darcey circlet halos are real-multi-taskers which can be worn on the crown of the head with the encrusted diamante embellishments resting on the forehead or at the side of the head – or pinned into place as a double-strand forehead band or looped at the back of the head over loose bohemian curls or under a high top knot bun.
Darcey
“Aurora is available either as an off-centre black satin headband with three flower and leaf elements which seem to float independently on the hair – or as separate combs which can be worn on their own or arranged in different groupings.
Aurora
“The Titania forehead jewel is a delicate droplet design made up of Swarovski crystals and pearls dangling from a slim sparkling gold or silver-plated chain which can be pinned into place across the forehead or at
the back or side of the head and can be worn with matching Titania gold or silver droplet earrings.
Titania
“For my wedding earrings collection I’ve come up with a selection of pieces that I think complement my headpieces and vintage jewellery bouquets and will appeal to brides who like my style. Whether brides are
looking for vintage style clip-on earrings, classic bridal studs or a statement pair of bridal earrings worthy of the red carpet – I hope they’ll find something they love in the collection.
Hattie
“There’s also a new take on my Lola garter design – a nude gathered tulle creation which features a gorgeous diamante and pearl droplet for the ultimate in luxury and decadence.
Lola
“While I’m always influenced by vintage styles and materials I wanted this collection to have quite a classic, contemporary and feminine feel and this led me to use the ballet as my inspiration. In ballet, Adagio refers to slow, fluid and graceful movement which I think really sums up the feel of the collection.”
Audrey
The entire collection is available to view and buy online now and you can also find DCBouquets on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.
The key to a successful themed wedding is consistency: the dress, the flowers, the food and yes, the music are all things to consider when creating a certain look or atmosphere. Expert wedding DJ, Mark van den Berg of Mighty Fine Entertainment is on hand to let us in on his top tips for creating the soundtrack to a themed wedding.
Consider whether themed music is viable all night:
Every couple is different and so every themed wedding is different. For example, if you’re having a goth wedding, it may be a bit of a stretch to expect your nan to go nuts for Marylin Manson for an entire evening. However, a sixties-themed wedding could easily lay the foundations for a playlist to bridge the generational gap and keep people on their feet all night.
Timing is everything:
A really great DJ will have a large music collection and the knowledge to match, and will undoubtedly be able to put together a themed playlist of any kind. However, while it’s important that the music is consistent with your theme to create the right ambiance, don’t lose sight of the fact that you’re throwing a party – and people will want to get up and dance to tunes that they know.
With that in mind, consider the timing of your themed music. For example, have your themed playlist set the mood for your drinks reception and dinner, and include aspects of it in your evening party while still playing the classics that people will want to jump out of their seats for.
Get people involved:
If you feel very strongly that you only want music from a certain theme or era at your wedding, bear in mind that it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. One way to get everyone involved could be to teach them a dance or have someone leading the dancing for that particular theme. For example, if you’re having a Jewish wedding, somebody could lead the circle dance (or “hora”), if you’re having a twenties-inspired wedding, bring in a dance teacher to show people how to do the Charleston. If your theme or music is very niche or is unfamiliar to some, then make the extra effort to get them up and dancing so nobody has an excuse to sit out.
Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want:
Your DJ is there to help create your dream day. Any experienced DJ will have had every request under the sun. For example, at Mighty Fine Entertainment, we’ve set up specific playlists for a huge variety of weddings, from a Cockney playlist for a London couple to specific 60s, 70s 80s and 90s lists as well as indie, old school house, 20s & 30s swing, reggae, and the list goes on. A great DJ will know just how to work with you to incorporate your themed music into the evening and still create a great party atmosphere, so do it your way and dance the night away.
About Mighty Fine Entertainment – Established in 2006 by internationally acclaimed DJ, Mark van den Berg (aka Mark Luvdup),  Mark – together with his team of hand-picked professional DJs, all of whom have more than 25 years’ experience – Mighty Fine Entertainment is the leading DJ hire and mobile disco provider in London and the South-East.
Mighty Fine Entertainment has won several prestigious awards including:
- “Best Wedding DJs in the UK” at the 2013 Wedding Industry Awards, by past client vote.
- Mark van den Berg (aka Mark Luvdup) has been voted one of the best 25 DJs in the world
Mighty Fine Entertainment operates throughout Greater London and the South-East, including Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Surrey, Kent, Essex and West Sussex.
You can contact Mighty Fine Entertainment through their website, find them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter.
Lilguy Weddings 