Wedding: Tips on Getting the Guest List Sorted

Planning a Wedding can be hard especially when you are trying to get your guest list to a reasonable amount or you are working with maximum numbers for a venue you have fallen in love with. 

There are a few ways you can do this without creating too much drama! Here are our hints and tips

Know Your Number

Does your venue have a maximum guest number? Does your budget only cater for 50 people? Know your number and stick with it!

Keep It Private

When you start showing your guest list around to friends and family before it's finalised they may come back with people to add on that you've not added. Work on the guest list with your Fiance first, and then if you have a lower number than expected see who you may have missed.

Highlight the VIP

If you list seems never-ending, grab a highlighter, and highlight the people that must be there to see you get married. This is the list you really need to work with.

Adults Only

One way to make your Wedding numbers instantly lower is to make it adults only, especially if you don't have children of your own. Whilst it may be a popular choice with some parents, some others may not be happy.

Plus One

If you have single friends and they know other people going to a Wedding, don't give them a plus-one. You are going to have someone at your Wedding that you've possibly never met before! However, if they're in a relationship and it looks like its going somewhere, then think about inviting them. The choice is yours.

People You Don't Speak To

Don't feel obligated to invite people that you've not spoken to for years. It doesn't matter whether or not they are family. It is your Wedding and it is a Wedding Celebration with the people you want to be part of it.

Work Friends

If you work with someone and they're not super close with them then don't feel that they have to be invited to the day reception. Invite them to the evening instead unless you are limited on numbers for this too.

They Invited Me

Don't feel that just because you are getting married now that you have to invite people that invited you to their Wedding. Unless you are still good friends there is no obligation to invite them.

Remember, its YOUR day!

Wedding: A Navy & Gold Dream at Waterton Park, Lisa & Reuben get married

On Saturday I had the pleasure of photographing Lisa and Reuben's Wedding at Waterton Park Hotel. My second Wedding of the year and the first at Waterton Park for 2017.

I started with Lisa, her mum and bridesmaids who were getting ready. Lots of laughs, stories, nerves and some tears were had before Lisa was finally ready to marry Reuben.

Lisa and Reuben's Wedding Ceremony was held in the Waterton Suite upstairs at Walton Hall, with music played by Alexandra the Violinist and the room decorated in beautiful creams and golds by Cushty Chair Covers and West End Florist.

Reuben was a little nervous waiting for his beautiful bride to be, although, she did have to keep him waiting a little while.

Lisa's Bridesmaids entered the room first before Lisa followed in with her Dad. The ceremony was a lovely ceremony with an emotional reading by Lisa's sister. I am sure you will admit they all looked gorgeous!

After some mingling and listening to Alexandra some more we headed outside for some group photographs.

Lisa & Reuben had just over 40 of their close family and friends at the Wedding Ceremony and for the Wedding Breakfast so along with well-behaved guests we were able to get the group shots done quite quickly.

Considered it was February, it wasn't that cold either!

I then had some quiet time with Lisa and Reuben to get some photographs of the brand new Mr and Mrs Jones.

Waterton Park Hotel is such a lovely venue for this with having lots of choice within such a small walking distance on the island.

How gorgeous do they look!

We headed upstairs for them to check the room over before their receiving line to greet their guests before sitting down to eat. Speeches were held after dinner and then everyone had a quick rest before partying the night away.

Thank you to Mr and Mrs Jones for letting me share and capture your special day.

This beautiful cake was done by The Vintage Cake Fairy

Random Act of Kindness Day

Have you heard of the term "Random Act of Kindness" and wondered really what its all about?

A random act of kindness is a non-premeditated, inconsistent action designed to offer kindness towards the outside world. The phrase "practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty" was written by Anne Herbert on a place mat in Sausalito, California in 1982.

Basically its all about doing something nice - to make people feel happier without any come back on who did it - or why.

So I've researched some ideas, some for free, some that aren't on things that we can all do to spread a little kindness.

Things that cost nothing

• Wash a neighbor’s car
• Visit a pet shelter and spend some time loving on the animals (you may need training for this. Call ahead.)
• If you have a friend/neighbor with small children, offer to take them to the park for an hour to give your neighbor/friend a breather!
• Clean up trash on the side of a local road or park.
• Walk your friend’s dog.
• Give a compliment about your waiter / waitress to his / her manager.
• Let someone jump the queue at the bank.
• Give up your seat for someone, not just an elderly person.
• Talk to a homeless person and have a “normal” conversation.
• Recommend a competitor to a potential client.
• Spend a day at a homeless shelter
• Make a family member breakfast in bed
• Write a kind or encouraging message on a napkin
• Instead of posting negativity online, spread some encouragement
• Sit with someone who is eating alone.
• Let someone go in front of you at the till.
• Tweet or Facebook message a genuine compliment to three people right now.
• Write a nice comment on your friend’s blog.
• Leave coupons on items at the grocery store for others to use.
• Start couponing so that you can donate items at no cost to you.

Things that cost a little

• Write thoughtful cards with inspirational or uplifting quotes and place them on random cars in a local parking lot.
• Buy a lottery ticket for a stranger.
• Buy a coffee for the man on the high street selling The Big Issue magazine.
• Pay for the drinks on the next table at a café.
• Treat a friend to the movies for no reason.
• Give a piece of fruit to a delivery person.
• Leave a copy of an interesting book on a train / bus.
• Buy an inspirational book for a friend.
• By flowers to hand out on the street
• Buy a movie ticket for the person behind you
• Write letters to soldiers
• Bring in donuts for your coworkers
• Give someone a gift card that you don’t intend to use
• Pay for someone’s morning coffee
• Send coloring books to sick kids in the hospital
• Donate your hair after a haircut
• Buy your waiter/waitress dessert
• Plan a holiday for your parents.
• Make an anonymous donation to your friend’s favorite charity in their name.

Never underestimate the impact of a single act of kindness.

Wedding: What happens if it rains?

One of most people's big worries when they are getting married - what if it rains! The weather is one thing that no-one can control so sometimes its best to be prepared just in case. You have your beautiful venue and planning your gorgeous day - don't let the rain spoil it!
You cannot fight the rain so you might as well embrace it.

Get some beautiful umbrellas.

Buy umbrellas. Make them go with your colour scheme and use them to get a beautiful photo opportunity. Make sure you get something different and super special for you and your partner too.

Speak to your hairdresser

Have a specific style you want your hair then speak with your hairdresser to discuss in further detail about how your hair will hold up if it rains. They will be able to give you hints and tips to help fight the frizz or discuss an option to change that is a little more weather friendly.

Don't worry too much about your dress.

Your Wedding Dress can be one of the most expensive items of clothing that you have ever worn and you can be precious about not wanting to ruin it - of course, no-one wants to ruin their dress. However, think about your venue and your Wedding and what you want from your Wedding Photographs. If you are wearing a hoop or your dress bustles then doing this early on in the day will stop it dragging too much on the floor collecting water or dirt. Come the night time when you are dancing away - you won't care!

What about your footwear?

You've got your beautiful pair of bridal shoes with stiletto heels but they're not going to work on wet grass and will just sink. If it's raining on the day, or the day before, have a contingency plan of what footwear to wear. Whether it's a pair of wellies, wedges or flat shoes, you won't have to worry about ruining your pretty shoes.

What is your photographer's plan B

Have a chat with your photographer about the plan B if its a rainy day. Discuss what is expected of them, and what they expect of you. Does your venue have the space to do photographs inside? Can it accommodate big groups or just little smaller groups? Which shots are truly important?

Don't worry.

Whether you are faced with rain or not - don't panic. It is your special day and it will be just as special with or without the rain. Embrace it because you cannot control it. 

Behind The Scenes: I DO Magazine Exhibition Leeds

The first big Wedding Fayre that I attend was on Sunday at Centenary Pavilion, Leeds so I thought I’d show some behind the scenes shots of what exhibitors actually get up to.

Luckily this year we were able to set up the night before, its not always the case as a lot depends on whether or not Leeds United are playing at home. If they’re at home we have to set up on the morning of the show which makes it a super long day!

These shows are run by I Do Magazine, and are shell schemed meaning we don’t just have a table and a banner but a lot of work goes in to dressing these to make yourself stand out and show the best of YOU.

Each Shell starts out blank and its up to you to put your own stamp on it. We have our vinyl banner drops which were custom made to the shell scheme with us doing Leeds, Doncaster and Sheffield with I Do Magazine. Some people wallpaper the shell, like we used to, and other people dress it with material or photographs.

The back panels go up first and you can see how the shell scheme just starts to be transformed! 

And the final stand, when everything is in place. As you can see from the background there were a few suppliers who were setting up but a lot of people chose to set up the morning of the show! We turned up at 9am before the show opened at 10am, fresh as a daisy and ready to chat to everyone!

Here is a few other bits of the things that we also had on our stall. Thank you to everyone who came to see us it was great to speak to so many wonderful couples on their Wedding Planning Journey.