How to become less Wedding stressed in 6 easy steps
TIPS FROM ESSEX Wedding Planner
There are so many elements to overcome whilst planning a wedding and it’s meant to be one of the happiest times of your life, so why do you feel so stressed?!
I know fun and stress don’t usually go together but… I had so much fun talking about this subject. Make sure you catch up on my YouTube channel to find out how to become less wedding stressed HERE in just over 30 minutes!
If you don’t have time to watch or you just can’t stand my voice/face, here’s a real quick overview of the points!
There’s so much pressure from everyone about this being the most perfect day. It is, but there will also be many other ‘perfect days’. We put ourselves under a lot of stress and pressure (by the way, found a new name for this following a tongue tie… streshure - good right?!) and whether we accept that we feel that way is a different thing.
So, here’s how to avoid it.
1) Take a step back - easier said than done I know. Recently, I felt I was juggling a lot of plates having taken on a full time job during lockdown as well as running my own business, family, friends, course work, I was struggling. So take a bath, meditate, read, chill, whatever you need to do to relax.
2) Reassess - think about WHAT is stressing you out, what is causing these issues to escalate and become the catapult for making you feel that way. This is a journey you are taking, it’s a long ride so no wonder it can be tiresome. Fall back in love with your Wedding Planning.
3) Organise & Prioritise - If you are feeling like you are not organised, paperwork everywhere, everything out of date, this could be one of the catapults as to why you are feeling stressed. I have a budget planner you can request from me and it’s FREE! Prioritise everything, have a look at what you have and have not organised, there is a tendency to prioritise the ‘nice’ things to do. Treat it as a job and make sure you schedule in time to concentrate on planning for your wedding.
4) Set expectations - this is for you and others. Many couples make decisions based on peer pressure and this can come from outside sources, friends or family members? Whilst it may not be intentional, others have a vision on how they believe your wedding should look/be. By setting your own expectations, you will find it easier to manage other people.
5) Communicate - communication is key! If you are marrying someone who never gets involved with the planning (throughout the relationship), you have to have a level of acceptance of this. They won’t suddenly start planning when they are just not that way inclined. Sit down with your partner and have that discussion, set your expectations of each other. Have a plan of action and set out who is doing what.
5.1) (sorry, I snuck one in) - Do not argue. It’s not worth it.
6) Learn to say no - this happens a lot where you feel like you' can’t say no. I have an example, Mother in Law wanted to pay for the wedding cake, Bride and Groom helped choose the cake but the Mother In Law didn’t follow through and order the right colour. Turns out the Bride wasn’t happy about the MIL helping in the first place! So, learn to say no.
If you still want to talk, message me. I love to talk and apparently, I give really good advice!
Contact Hayley.
Postponing or planning your wedding during lockdown
You CAN still plan your wedding during the Corona lockdown.
It’s everywhere at the moment isn’t it? Literally. The horrid Corona Virus that is taking and changing lives all over the world. I genuinely fully empathise because of course, we are ALL affected by it in one way or another. It is an extremely tense and stressful time for all of you that have your wedding booked in 2020, especially in the forthcoming months. I’ve spent time speaking to couples due to get married towards the end of this year and understandably, they are just as worried as nobody knows how long this pandemic will last for. #stayhome #bogoffcorona!
My work (I hate calling it work because honestly, it feels more like a hobby) continues as normal and nothing changes there apart from not being able to run the actual wedding day itself, however, if anyone is up for a virtual wedding, I’m totally up for that! I have a contact that has the facility to live stream the wedding out to all your friends, pretty cool in my opinion (and kinder on the purse strings)!
Currently, I am spending a lot of time assisting and supporting couples all over the Country on video chat and it’s been super beneficial for both of us, however there are a lot of wedding mojos suffering at the moment, but, not on my watch! I will not let this beat us! I know there are a lot of social media posts about staying positive and appreciating the little things in life but it is so true, what’s the alternative? Submit yourself into a vicious circle of negativity, become a full time recluse whose closest trip outside is when you’re twitching at the curtains at people going past?… You’ll never get married at that rate. Stay positive and let’s get planning!
So, if you’ve already booked your big day, should you postpone your wedding?
If you are due to get married within the next few months, my personal advice is yes, yes you should postpone. I’m sure you have already but, if not, I’d also strongly suggest that you speak to your venue asap, we are due another update from the government next week about lock-down and whether it will be extended (it’s looking likely) so you also need to speak to the registrars or church to see where they stand. Find out what their contingency plan is if lock-down just keeps carrying over week on week. Of course the frustration may be ‘but what if we come out of isolation the week before my wedding is/was due to take place’ - honestly, do you want to take the risk?
If you have already booked your wedding and you’re looking to postpone, the sort of questions you should be going through with your venue should be:
Are there any fee’s to change the date during this time (I’d also strongly recommend obtaining 2 to 3 different dates available to you, will they hold them for free whilst you check with all of the suppliers for their availability?)
Do you get to re-sample the wedding menu if you have now booked a different season, will there be a charge for this?
Once you have new dates the below points should then apply to every supplier you speak to.
If you move to another date that was cheaper/more expensive, will you receive a refund / additional invoice for the difference or will they do this at the original cost?
Will you receive a new contract for the new date/agreement?
Worse case scenario, if the Corona Virus is still active on your re-booked date, are you able to reschedule to yet another date (again, will there be a cost?)(we hope this will not be the case but, you need to be prepared and ask these questions.
If you have not booked your wedding, can you do it from home? Absolutely! Lots of venues are now offering virtual show-rounds which means you can view a venue from the comfort of your home. Of course, it is not the same as seeing the venue ‘in the flesh’ but… it will give you a good idea of the layout and will also give you an opportunity to speak to the staff who work at the venue trust me, they will appreciate the opportunity to showcase their venue to you at this time.
Image by Tai’s Captures
The same applies for all suppliers related to your wedding, a high majority of wedding suppliers are self- employed and will welcome the opportunity to speak with you over video chat about your big day (or text if video chat just isn’t your thing). They can then send you some quotes so you can get your teeth into something whilst we’re in isolation. Don’t let this time dampen your mood or use it as a reason to back-off with the planning - now is the time to hype it up!
Or maybe you’ll be looking to organise a quickie wedding as soon as this is all over, in which case, I’ll be ready and waiting for your call to help you with this.
Keep your eyes peeled on my Instagram as I am hosting an Instagram LIVE with some top wedding industry professionals who will be offering their expertise and advice on what to look out for when booking for their specialism. This is super handy and can help you avoid having to call a number of different suppliers, wasting valuable time and money. I also have a real-life Bride coming on to talk about her experience with postponing their wedding so make sure you follow me on Instagram for further updates!
Now we must come together, to stay apart.
Contact Hayley
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Is it really the perfect venue?
How do you select the ‘right’ venue?
‘So what sort of venue do you envisage for your wedding/event?’ is one of the very first questions I will ask you. It’s one of THE biggest decisions you’ll need to make whether for your wedding or event - you cannot afford to get it wrong (literally).
In my years of experience, decisions are usually quite split with some of you looking for Manor Houses, Barns or Marquee’s. Some of you also know exactly what you’d like and stick with that (decisive, I like it!), others of you completely change your mind once you’ve seen a few venues and realise it’s not what you want (brilliant, means I get to shop around a bit more for you, I love shopping!).
@photosbylanty
Don’t get me wrong, it is extremely easy to fall in love with a venue, I know you’ve stalked them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn… you know all there is to know about it and you can actually visualise your wedding or event being held there (this is a GREAT thing by the way).
But… with the biggest chunk of your budget being spent on the venue, what should you look for other than beautiful aesthetics?
Location location! - is it easily accessible for you and your guests? Believe it or not, some guests will decide not to come simply because it is difficult to get to or the taxi would be too expensive. Either way, does it have parking for those guests that wish to drive?
Numbers - What are their minimum and maximum capacity numbers? Some venues have these minimum and maximum numbers so before you fall head over heels, check this out as it could massively affect your budget or shatter your dream when you realise it cannot house the numbers you want
Night before and night of - does the venue have accommodation? You may wish to stay the night before, especially if it’s for your wedding day. Similarly, it’s so much easier to spend the night at the same venue the night of your wedding or event, that way you can all enjoy breakfast together the next morning too!
Exclusivity - does the venue offer exclusivity for your event or is Fred the farmer going to pop in for a pint after his shift and gatecrash at the bar?
Catering - does the venue allow you to use your own caterers / bring your own alcohol or is it all in-house (this can push the cost up), are the kitchens on site or is the food brought in from a different location (yes, this happens and whilst there is nothing wrong with that, it’s something you might want to know about.)
Food tasting - does the venue offer you the opportunity to sample the food from the menu? This hugely ties in with number 3 - if you can’t have your own caterers, you at least need to be able to sample the food beforehand if you wish, even if you have to pay for it
Suppliers - are you able to use your own suppliers? Some venues will only permit you to use their recommended list, again, nothing wrong with this as long as they are reputable but, in my opinion, you should be able to use whomever you wish
Restrictions - what restrictions does the venue have in place (for example, what time can you access the property, do they allow fireworks, do they have music restrictions, can you have your own DJ) there are lot more questions to this part but hopefully this gives you an idea
Theme - if you already have a theme in mind, does the venue suit this? There’s no point booking a traditional manor house if your theme is rustic, it probably won’t look right
Budget - Ironically, none of the above matters if you can’t afford the venue. I like to work backwards, once you know your budget, work out costs for everything else (most people have a good idea which suppliers they want to use) then what is left, is for the venue. If it’s not much you know you have to sacrifice something (sorry!)
The other (easier) alternative is to hire a planner who will already know the best venues in the area or can do all of the research for you and probably save you money! WINNING!
For some venue inspiration, make sure you check out Country House Weddings who have 6 venues in the South of England, all absolutely stunning ranging from castles to country estates. Also make sure you check out some of the most beautiful venues in the country… Selected Venues - having worked for both groups, I can offer first hand information on how some of these venues run.
Contact Hayley
Wedding planning leaving you overwhelmed?
How do you stop getting so stressed out with your wedding planning?
Picture this, you are in a relationship. An amazing, happy, great relationship (despite their annoying habit of leaving the bathroom door open whilst they’re in there! - please tell me I’m not alone here…). You know you want to marry this lush human, because when you know, you know, right? You fantasize about your special day and have even set up a cheeky little private Pinterest board to start gathering ideas (and it looks sooooo pretty). Then one day, they pop the question! (Squeal!) Your dreams are becoming a reality and you can’t wait to get planning your big day! Everyone is so excited for you both!
So you google ‘How do I start planning my wedding’ and up pop 543,000,000 results. WHAT THE?! Each website tells you a different thing, one is telling you to buy your dress first, the other, sort the venue out. There’s a thousand downloadable spreadsheets so which one should you choose and you hear yourself saying ‘I’ve never done this before?!’. Then there’s the budget… you don’t have any money saved and have even talked about buying a house together recently so which one takes priority ?! (er, wedding btw) You start getting quotes and it all seem’s so expensive, how on earth are you going to afford this Pinterest perfect wedding day?! You don’t even know if you want to get married in this country, ah but Uncle Bob needs to be there and he doesn’t travel well and you won’t marry without him there, then the venue you’ve had your eye on won’t work because it doesn’t have a lift to accommodate your wheelchair bound cousin!! Your future mother-in-law keeps trying to convince you to up-cycle her wedding dress as it would' ‘mean so much’ to her but that’s not what you want, you’ve already got your eye on that Stella York dress you’ve fallen in love with (can’t she just BACK OFF, you mutter under your breath… this is OUR wedding day!).
Work is getting more and more demanding, social commitments are increasing, you’ve got an endless to-do list and it’s just relentless. Then comes the question from your friends (every SINGLE time you speak) ‘So, how’s the wedding planning going!?!’. You say calmly ‘Yeah fine, still a bit to sort but we’re getting there’ in reality, you’ve checked 7 of the 543,000,000 google search result, confirmed zero suppliers and actually the thought of sitting down and sorting something seems miles away and not something you envisage doing any time soon. Your other half is losing their patience as all you do is talk ‘wedding’ and now you’re getting frustrated with them because their not taking an interest in your beautiful, special and romantic day. Still, you smile and pretend everything is okay but you don’t want to be seen as ‘stressed out’ or unreasonable.
Ok firstly… stay calm. I’ve got you. It’s not your fault for getting overwhelmed, you’ve probably not done this before so if I asked you to go and do something you have no experience in, of course it’s going to be stressful, this is why we hire professionals to do the things we can’t do well ourselves, beauticians, chefs, pilots (a bit extreme but hey, I know I certainly can’t fly a plane!). Wedding Planning is NO different.
Here’s 5 quick tips to help you remain calm:
Respect the fact that some things are out of your control, don’t stress over it. Find a solution and move on
Take regular breaks with the planning process when you do start, it’s easy to spend a whole lunch break simply googling a local photographer (then you realise you didn’t eat your food and the stress starts all over again!)
Stop trying to appease everyone else. If you want someone’s opinion, you’ll ask for it (and don’t be afraid to tell them that, in a non aggressive way of course)
Don’t over stretch your budget. If the money is not there, it is not there. Unless you’re planning on getting a second job to help fund the wedding, don’t spend money you don’t have
Hire a wedding planner, easy solution, extremely effective problem solver and could even save you money!
After checking my testimonials, have a look at my services (aka problem solvers!) and let’s sit down, over a coffee and I’ll guide you through what you should and should’t be doing to ensure you have a blissful wedding planning adventure!! It really doesn’t need to be stressful, I promise.
Photo: D&A Photography
Contact Hayley
Grooms matter too
What importance does a Groom have on a wedding day?
Men. Let’s face it, like it or not, Brides tend to get the spotlight when it comes to the big day, and if you ask me, I don’t think it’s fair (sorry ladies). If a marriage is seen as an equal partnership, then so should your journey be in the lead up to it and on the day itself (and of course afterwards).
Now I totally get it, some men are happy to not get involved and are satisfied with whatever the Bride wants, I’ve heard it a million times ‘as long as she is happy, then I am happy’.
Believe it or not, there is an increase in the number of Grooms taking the steering wheel when it comes to the planning and plenty of brides’s taking the back seat. But, what if you are in a same sex relationship where you’re both a groom, or the Groom of a Bride who does actually want to get involved with the planning?…
To get a couples opinion on the matter, I spoke to the wonderful couple Jay and Liam who got engaged on Christmas day, and I’ve loved following their wedding planning journey. Whilst their Instagram page is no longer active, their old blogs are so funny to read so make sure you check them out here, they’ve also featured on the ultimate wedding guide for LGBTQ+ couples G Wedding Directory…
“On Christmas morning, I said yes to my new Fiance, Liam, and now we are two grooms planning our wedding together. We’ve found that the wedding industry is geared towards the bride, and the grooms are very often secondary. That’s obviously in response to the fact that it is usually the bride attending the wedding fairs and doing the planning - but we don’t have a bride. So we’re sharing the planning reigns... and thankfully we have very similar preferences and ideas! I enjoy the wedding fairs and the brochures, so Liam leaves it to me to collate the ideas and gather the options. Then we work through and decide what we like best. We’ll both be viewing our venue choices and making all of the decisions together, though Liam is in charge of the ceremony and the music and I’m in charge of the decorations and the finer details. So that’s our plan; two grooms sharing the responsibilities and decision making. In our case, only the grooms matter!”
So Grooms, do you want to be involved in the Wedding Planning process?
Grab a pen and paper (or iPad if you’re not old school like me!)
Take an interest - sit down with a bottle (or glass if you don’t drink as much as I do!) of wine one night, no social media, no radio, no TV… go through the plans and ideas so far, don’t fake being interested, your Fiancé will be able to tell!
Get involved - express an interest in whatever element of the day that you would like to manage, it could be you want the responsibility of sourcing the entertainment, flowers or building something for the day (drinks station, welcome signs etc)
Take initiative - if your Fiancé comes across like he has it all in hand, I can assure you it will still be stressful at times for them and they would appreciate some help, especially from you. Do some research and offer to gather some quotes.
Compromise - You are not going to agree on every detail for the big day but it’s important you both compromise, the day is about you BOTH.
Be happy - if you don’t want to get involved but your Fiancé wants your assistance, just put a smile on your face, nothing ruins the happy engagement bubble like a groom-to-be with a face like a slapped fish!.
On the flip side, if you really don’t want to be involved and are sincerely, genuinely happy for your Fiancé to plan everything, just make sure you’re ready for whatever turns up on the wedding day, like a pink Unicorn dressed horse and a ‘Cinderella’ carriage to drive you around in whilst blasting out Celine Dion’s My Heart will Go On (unless you’re into that sort of thing…)
Let me know how you get on with your planning!
Contact Hayley
The not so easy task of choosing a supplier
How do you choose a supplier for your wedding or event?
Whether you are getting married or hosting an event, one of the first questions you will put on social media will be along the lines of ‘can anyone recommend a good photographer/cake maker/band’ etc. Queue the influx of messages with conflicting information and over 50 suggestions of who you should use. Then your best friend messages recommending the amazing photographer she used for her wedding. You double check the pictures and yes, they are out of this world and they come into budget (winning!) so if your best friend likes them and the pictures are wonderful, they must be good, right? No.
Whichever supplier you are using, they come with their own personality, style, vibe and attitude, much like yourself. I cannot stress how important it is for you to see eye to eye with your supplier. You are going to be spending a lot of money with them, and in some cases, time. If you don’t really gel, how do you expect them to have the same visions as you? The same goes in reversal, a good supplier will ensure they get to know you prior to agreeing to taking on any work, after all, they want to provide you with the best possible standard that reflects their style and if they don’t feel they can offer you that, will gladly refer you onto another supplier who they feel can deliver what you envisage.
If you have booked a venue where they provide you with a list of their recommended suppliers (regardless of whether you can ONLY use these suppliers or not) make sure you do your own research. Some suppliers will have paid to be part of the preferred suppliers list and actually the venue does not know much about them, simply that they have attended a number of times there. Of course this is not the same for all venues which is why I say, do your research first.
Using a wedding or events planner means we will have worked with our recommended suppliers over and over and over, we will have tested their integrity, attitude, reliability, standards, feedback, the works! The same as they will have done with us.
One thing I promise at Amae Weddings & Events is that if I recommend a supplier to work with, I would trust them with my own wedding or event. You are in safe hands.
Contact Hayley
You don't NEED a Wedding/Event Planner
but how does a wedding or event planner organise your event?
You are absolutely right, you certainly don’t NEED a planner, thousands of people plan their wedding or event without a hitch, but… what I’m going to talk you about is why you should WANT a planner; your time is precious
I’m going to give you a scenario; when I was younger and I wanted to book a holiday, I’d go into a local Travel Agents and they would do it all for me (or I’d check Teletext holidays!) it was easy, they knew what they were doing, they’d even been to some of the locations I wanted to visit and were able to give first hand information on the location - perfect! They even made sure I got the best price and stuck to my budget. Then in came the DIY holiday packages, now don’t get me wrong, these are amazing, I love sitting there for hours and hours planning my own holiday, researching where to go and what to do, where to avoid and for some reason, I always like to research what the locals wear (don’t ask!)
But… this all comes at a cost, my precious time, my money, my patience, sometimes even my sanity. The worst thing is, I’ve travelled to some places and then discovered when I got home that someone I know had already visited and could have recommended the BEST restaurant on the island (that I ironically did not visit!).
My point is this, anyone with organisational skills can plan a wedding or event but wouldn’t you feel so much more comfortable hiring a professional who has unlimited experience managing weddings and events and can recommend the best ways to run the celebration, minus the stress. After all, we’ve experienced the hiccups, the power cuts, the suppliers not turning up, the family arguments… and luckily for you, we know exactly how to handle them.
“If I cry at my wedding it’s because I’m overjoyed that the planning is finally over”
Planners are extremely useful if you are planning a last minute wedding or event, trying to fit it all in is just too much and actually, not everyone is good at planning or event wants to plan their own event. There are also times when there are family conflicts and the thought of making decisions with fear of backlash is just daunting. Hiring a planner gives you the ability to ‘pass the buck’ - we don’t mind having difficult conversations with family/friends if we know something is important to you.
Bringing a planner in from the very start of your planning process means you get to work closely with them, they will get to know you and they will get to know what you like and don’t like. We are all extremely busy people and it is very difficult setting time aside to plan your wedding or event to perfection, the reality is you won’t understand how much time, effort and money goes into planning an event, especially if this is your first time, that is why I am here to support you. Make sure you check my amazing testimonials!
Regularly working with the best suppliers in the area means I am able to negotiate on costs for you, so if I am able to save you money, I will - this could then be put towards the costs of my services.
Specifically your wedding day should exude peace, love, calm and romance (oh and lots of FUN!), just don’t take the risk of things going wrong, get in touch for a FREE consultation and I can get to know you better and understand your vision and goals, I can’t wait! Let’s get planning!
Contact Hayley
Goodbye 2019, it's been emotional
What are the 2020 wedding trends?
Wow! What a year 2019 has been… the biggest (and proudest) change saw me leave my career in Wedding Venue Management and embark on my own setting up Amae Weddings & Events (pronounced am-may). What a fun rollercoaster I am on and I cannot even tell you how excited I am, I can’t wait to work with couples under my own business name, there’s going to be a lot more flexibility with what we can achieve working with a variety of venues and suppliers. The biggest thing I want to bring to couples weddings is a sense of fun, I want to make each day unforgettable but it will always be done with huge smiles on our faces
2019 has without doubt been my favourite year to date, I feel so lucky to have done the things I’ve done this year…
It started with me meeting my great Nephew, what a cutie he is! I hate seeing him grow up through pictures and facetime but as he is in Wales, it’s difficult to get home often. Maybe I’ll get a chance to organise a Welsh Wedding or event and then I can pop home!
I love a concert and have seen my fair share but my favourites this year have been Boyz ll Men and Backstreet Boys (don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!)
Richard and I took a trip to Lake Garda for his birthday, if you have not been, I suggest you pop it on your list, it’s breathtaking there and unlike any holiday I’ve been on before
I organised Richards parents 50th Wedding Anniversary party, it made a nice change from organising weddings in that I was able to see the happiness and love for one another 50 years down the line (so cute!)
Then came the big 40 (shhhh), I was so so so lucky to get to travel to Mauritius at the start of November, then at the end, a surprise trip to NYC - literally the luckiest girl alive! My birthday was definitely one to remember and I have taken a tonne of memories away from 2019 - best year EVER!
So, what else happened in 2019 and which celebs tied the knot?
2019 expected to see wedding couples choosing a more boho chic style, there was a huge uptake of people wishing to be more eco-friendly and conscientious with the choices made for their big days - a great step forward in my opinion!
2019 saw a huge number of weddings, to name but a few - Jennifer Lawrence & Cooke Maroney, Zoë Kravitz and Karl Glusman, Hailey Baldwin and Justin Bieber, Ellie Goulding and Caspar Jopling, Sabrina Dhowre Elba and Idris Elba, Marc Jacobs and Charly Defrancesco,
Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner and singer/actor Joe Jonas married in May at a surprise Vegas wedding at the infamous The Little White Chapel, only a select few were invited including his brothers and their wives. So to ensure everyone could celebrate, they didn’t stop there and they held another party at a lavish chateau in the South of France at the end of June and opted for chic white flower décor with glass encased candles (I LOVE candles!) to create a gorgeous backdrop to their nuptials.
June saw the Californian wedding of Avengers star Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger (yes, Arnie’s daughter), they married on a 500 acre ranch surrounded by tonnes of greenery, it was an intimate affair with all the food sourced locally for the Wedding Breakfast. Katherine wore a stunning traditional lace Armani dress with a beautiful long train, however Katherine changed into yet another elegant ivory dress for the evening - and why not! Lots of brides change in the evening to something less restrictive when busting out some dance moves!
My personal favourite however, in August, Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) married his sweetheart Lauren Hashian in an intimate ceremony in Hawaii, both wore white for this stunning celebration of their marriage. Their goal was for complete privacy and everything they had on the day was created by hand by the wedding staff or family only - what a perfect and relaxed day it looked too!
Sneaking in right at the end of the year, Hilary Duff married Matthew Koma in yet another low key wedding in their backyard in LA. Wearing the unmistakable Jenny Packham, Hilary looked absolutely stunning in her ivory, custom made dress. Hilary stated she felt ‘Really comfortable’ and that it was ‘everything I’ve dreamed of’ - that’s what it’s all about right?
With 2020 literally just around the corner, what can we expect to see with forecasted wedding trends? Believe it or not, the more traditional wedding trends are quickly being thrown out of the window, things like receiving lines, bouquet throws and even cutting of the cake are reported as ‘so last year’. So what is it being replaced with? This is the beauty of it, couples can do what they like and put their own touch on traditions (if they want to of course), let me give you an example; I was Wedding Planner for a couple who didn’t want to stick to traditions of cake cutting (they didn’t even have a cake!) and so one of my suggestions was that they plant a seed in a pot after the ceremony and the plan was to plant it in their back garden and watch it grow over the years in their family home. Not only is this highly eco-friendly, it steps away from the alternatives of balloon / lantern / dove releases etc which are not great for the environment or animal welfare in my opinion.
Other 2020 trends are seeing things like statement veils, sustainable weddings from things like vintage rings, flowers, dresses, the list goes on. It’s great to have so many contacts in the wedding industry and I would love to organise an eco-friendly/vegan wedding.
On the subject of Veils, I spoke to the wonderful Heather from Sash and Veil, a local artisan veil maker, she has a store in London and also one here in lovely Colchester - her items are just out of this world so make sure you check her out! She said:
“The trend for individuality in bridal wear continues to gain momentum into the new decade and is carried though into the bride’s choice of accessories, including the veil. I have noticed an increase in demand for bespoke veils across this year and this will continue with brides more keen to bring their individuality into their look. Embroidered initials, special dates and meaningful quotations have all found their way onto wedding veils I will be making for 2020. In terms of silhouette, the soft draping boho veil will share the aisle with more structured 1980s-inspired designs and our appetite for sustainability and conscious choices will mean brides will increasingly look at upcycling heirloom veils, reworking an existing veil to make it their own.”
So what now? Well with the website launched I have received a few enquiries for 2020 weddings, couples are considering the 2020 Panatone colour - classic blue 19-4052. Often confused for representing the cold, classic blue offers a timeless and calm vibe. It fits in well with so many other colours and shades that it’s adaptability is proving to be extremely popular heading into the New Year. What colours are you choosing in 2020?
Finally, whatever you are up to tonight, have an absolutely amazing night, stay safe and have fun! See you in 2020.
Goodbye 2019, it’s been emotional!
Contact Hayley