Wedding Tips

Some very helpful hints on planning your wedding day

Wedding Venues on a Budget

Picking a venue for your wedding is one of the most important parts of the planning process. Not only does the venue need to be big enough to accommodate all of your guests, it needs to accessible, fit your theme and, most importantly, be to yours and your partner’s liking. However, with some venues costing in excess of thousands, picking the right one has become more about finding the cheapest in cost and not about what the bride and groom actually want for their big day. Here are some wedding venues that will fit into even the smallest of budgets, allowing for the rest of the money to go elsewhere on other aspects of the wedding so that your day is everything you want it to be.

Home is where the heart is

If you and your partner – or someone you know – happen to have a stunning garden that you enjoy spending time in, why not have your wedding reception there? Although many would cringe at the idea of having a wedding reception in their own home, many are turning to this method as a way to cut costs on their wedding day, and with the right decorations and arrangements, it can be a stunning, quaint reception venue. Additionally, friends and family are likely to live nearby, saving on travel expenses; for those who don’t live nearby, make arrangements in advance where they can stay, whether this is at your home, a close friend or family member’s home, or a nearby hotel.

Other steps you can take to make sure your home wedding reception is spectacular are:

·         ensure the garden is tidy – weed and groom it ahead of time

·         plant extra flowers

·         hire a marquee

·         purchase plenty of food and alcohol

·         invite neighbours or warn those in the surrounding area that there’s a wedding reception taking place in case of noise complaints.

Please note that although having the reception at home is a cost effective way to celebrate your marriage, holding the wedding itself at home, unless one of you is seriously ill, is illegal.

Saving money at the venue

If you choose to allocate a portion of your budget to venue hire, there are still a number of ways to cut the overall costs. For example, purchase or make your own unique wedding altar; ensure the colours match your chosen colour scheme and style fits yours and your future spouse’s personality. Ask members of the wedding party to help so that they feel part of the experience. You can then keep the altar forever so that you have a lifelong souvenir from your big day.

Call in favours from your family and friends in regards to food. Have each couple bring in a dish of their choosing. This way everyone will have contributed and your wedding will have an eclectic buffet with manageable food that people can pick at, with something for everyone so that no one goes hungry.

Some Ideas and Inspiration

Wedding Theme Ideas And Inspiration

It’s a new year, and what a better way to start it than by planning your wedding. However, before you can start planning for your big day, you need to know what kind of wedding you want. You need to consider all aspects, such as colour scheme and running themes, and before you can decide what these will be you’ll want to put together a folder of ideas and inspiration. By making different collages of images cut out from magazines and print outs, you can easily see all the different styles and themes you like. Once you’ve got a collection of collages with ideas and inspiration, you can decide for yourself how you’ll want your wedding to look and all the little details that will be included. The following ideas will hopefully inspire you and could even be added to some of your collages. For more information, wedding ideas and inspirational moodboards, visit: http://www.hitched.com.au/

Colour Schemes

Lots of brides already have a favourite colour that they want to have as their colour scheme at their wedding, or perhaps you have a dream venue in mind that might influence your colour scheme. However, here are some popular choices of wedding colour schemes and what they represent:

Blush Pink

Blush or dusty pink is a popular choice amongst brides who want a subtle sweet and feminine touch to their special day. Flowers in pink shades are Sweet Peas, Siam Tulips, Ranunculus and Roses.

Orange

Orange colour schemes can vary from a soft autumn tone to a spicy orange. Orange themes are trendy, boisterous and quirky, and can even be perfected with orange flowers, such as orange Gerbera or Ranunculus.

Yellow

The colour yellow has strong connotation with happiness, calmness and sunshine, making it a great colour scheme for an outdoors wedding. It has also been interpreted as the colour that is linked to enlightenment, which means it perfectly suits the day of matrimony.

Alternative Centerpiece Ideas

Rather than the same old flowers on the table, young brides and grooms are being more creative with their centerpiece ideas and coming up with more alternative table decorations.

Little Wedding Cakes

Instead of having the conventional tiered wedding cake, why not put a single wedding cake on each table as the centerpiece, which means each table have their own cake and can cut it themselves. Each colour or design might be slightly altered in order to differ from each other, or perhaps the table number or name could be printed onto the cake. This is an upcoming new trend this year, and is already gaining popularity with young and adventurous couples.

Food Centerpiece

Socialised catering is on the uprise, and instead of individual food orders, couples are ridding of centerpieces altogether and having banquet styled food platters put out as replacements for centerpieces. This simple yet ingenious idea is like a buffet that comes to you, and is looking to be increasingly popular in the upcoming year.

Creative Table Numbers

Rather than having an ordinary table number, creative brides are creating table numbers out of different materials and placing them into a flower arrangement making a popular idea into a unique detail. The 3D number itself could be make from twister wire, beads, painted wood or coloured foam.

Decoration Ideas

First Impressions

The entrance to your venue should be impressive since it will be the first thing your guests experience. Make a good impression by welcoming people into the venue with signposts inviting them inside, or even put up posts like a timeline about how you met. This could include photos and dates and could be chalked onto blackboards which could be displayed along the path leading into the venue or dotted around inside for guests to find.

Decorate The Bar

People tend to spend a fair amount of time at the at weddings, which means you’ll want it to be attractive. You could personalise it by putting up photos of you and your partner when you first met, or displaying funny facts or moments that have happened to you both that you can share with your guests. Or you can simply make it prettier by adding tea lights or mini flower displays.

Glam Up The Bathroom

Your female guests will be trying out the bathroom in hope of fancy hand soap and soft towels, so don’t disappoint! Dot around some scented candles and perhaps some rose petals along the back of the sinks. You could include mini flower arrangements and pretty soap and hand lotion, and you can be sure that your lady guests will appreciate.

Maid of Honor Duties

Weddings are hard work, and it falls to the maid of honor to help handle some important details. She's the go-to person for the bride when it comes to guidance, a fresh perspective and, well, some of the heavy lifting. Being tapped as an honor attendant can be a chore, but it's also a tremendous compliment and a lot of fun. If you're on the lookout for fresh information you can use for your own wedding, participating in a friend's arrangements can be an eye opener that may save you time and some potential gotcha moments later, too.

Helping the Bride

The temperament of the bride and the scope of the wedding will have a big impact on how much or how little of the planning and organization the maid of honor will be responsible for. When assisting the bride, the maid of honor may be part facilitator, secretary, delivery person, counselor, decorator, or just about anything else. This partial list will give you an idea of some helpful ways you may be pressed into service:

• Scout wedding locations.
• Select invitations and help with invitation prep.
• Explore floral options and other decorative choices.
• Help the bride shop for her wedding dress and choose bridesmaids' dresses.
• Oversee delivery of the dresses, monitor fittings and assist with other wardrobe functions.
• Encourage the bride to register for gifts, spread the word about where the bride is registered and answer any gift questions that may arise.
• Help with honeymoon planning.
• Help with seating chart details.
• Attend the cake tasting and make recommendations.
• Attend the catering meetings or tastings and make recommendations.
• Host the bridal shower.
• Host the bachelorette party.
• Maintain timetables and be of general assistance to keep things moving forward.
• Attend the rehearsal dinner.
• Keep a list of gifts received.

Maid of Honor Duties for the Big Day

The maid of honor also has some specific wedding day duties beyond wearing a big smile and keeping the bride happy:

• Help the bride dress and deal with her hair, jewelry and the unavoidable wedding day jitters.
• Check the last minute details, like instructions for the photographer and deliveries to the hall.
• Act as a messenger between the bride and groom (and various and sundry family members).
• Handle dress and veil issues. Maneuverability could be important here, even in the restroom, so this is an important and sometimes unexpected duty involving lifting, fluffing, arranging and rearranging.
• Hold and protect the groom's ring.
• Hold the bride's bouquet for the duration of the wedding ceremony.
• Witness the marriage license signing.
• Be part of the receiving line at the reception or act as a greeter.
• Toast the bride and groom.
• Participate in the first dance at a formal reception (partnered with the best man).

If the bride has help from family members, the groom or lots of bridesmaids who want to pitch in, the maid of honor's responsibilities could be limited to wedding day ceremonial functions and a few other helpful contributions.

The dynamic between the bride and the maid of honor will impact how the planning process unfolds. It's a sure bet, though, that if you're a maid of honor it couldn't hurt to have a sympathetic ear, limitless patience a day planner and a sense of humor.

Did You Know?

The maid of honor's role isn't gender-specific anymore. Honor attendants can be men as well as women, and it isn't unheard of to have more than one honor attendant sharing the privilege of serving as the bride's trusted confidante and aide. Actually, this is a great way to split the labor and bestow the honor on more than one trusted friend or relative.

Christmas Weddings

Christmas is  the most wonderful time of the year, your family is gathered around you, and the church is already decorated. Why not have a Christmas wedding? Here are ideas and tips to have a fantastic Christmas wedding with all the trimmings.

Wedding Colors:

Red and green are natural colors for a Christmas wedding – It is likely that your church or reception site will already be decorated in red and green for other events and holiday parties. But don't feel limited to this palate. Other possibilities, which will work with existing decorations, include:

• silver and white
• silver and light blue
• burgundy, forest green, and gold (as long as the existing decorations aren't too primary)
• gold and cream

Christmas Wedding Invitations:

You'll want to reflect the season and your theme, but you won't want it to look like a holiday card. The solution? Forgo a folded card, opting for the traditional thick white card, with a border and engraved or thermo-graphed text. You can highlight the Christmas wedding theme in the border with white snowflakes, an elegant holly trim, or a drawing of a poinsettia. 

Since people make plans for the holidays early, and often have many parties and events to attend at this time of year, you'll want to send your invitations a little bit early – about 12 weeks before the event. You might also consider "save the date" cards in addition to the invitations, which will ensure that those most important to you will be able to attend.

Wedding Cake:

Having each tier look like an individually wrapped package is a popular look that is perfect for a Christmas wedding. You might also do a take on a buche noel or yule log, with a tiered chocolate cake that has holly – either real or made of gum paste – cascading down the side. Use marzipan, an almond paste used in many holiday desserts, as a filling.

Bridesmaids Attire for a Christmas Wedding:

My favorite bridesmaid look for a Christmas wedding is long dresses with shrugs or capelets and a big faux-fur muff. But you can dress them in your wedding colors, give them long wraps or sparkly accessories, all of which will help evoke your theme.

And the Bride Wore:

A Christmas wedding dress needn't be that different from any other kind. Wear the one that flatters you most, and top it off with a long red velvet cape. Or embrace the trend of color in wedding dresses by adding a beautiful red silk sash to the waist of your gown. You could also seek a dress with lots of sparkly beads and sequins to evoke the snowiness of the season. And of course, a faux-fur wrap and muff are always fun.

Flowers and Décor:

Since flowers can be more expensive at this time of year, think creatively. A mirrored platter with pillar candles and sprigs of holly is both elegant and romantic. Buy ornaments in bulk on-line, and create centerpieces of bowls or vases of ornaments. For a simple but elegant look, put pots of poinsettia with a ribbon trim in the center of each table. Fake snow used to be tacky, but there are now very good products available. Set candles or small flower arrangements in the middle of snow. And for my favorite touch, use fake snow instead of an aisle runner. Or, you can always hire a snow-making machine to really make your Christmas wedding a winter wonderland.

Choose your Wedding Flowers...

"How to choose your Wedding Flowers" 

Among all the other details you have to plan, choosing your wedding flowers is one of the most important decisions you are going to make.  They carry your own personal theme through, from fragrance & colour, to mood and style, and finally to precious memories in your photographs.

Your wedding bouquet is the finishing touch to your gorgeous gown, and a well designed, beautiful bouquet will enhance your dress, and bring out your best features and compliment your bridesmaids.

It can seem overwhelming to begin with, so here are some tips from your local florist, to help make choosing your wedding flowers a little easier.

It will save you time, and make you feel a lot more confident talking to your professional florist, if you do a little bit of homework before your consultation.  Google Images, wedding blogs (Click here to go to our portfolio of photos of real wedding flowers), bridal magazines and photos from other weddings are a great source of ideas and inspiration.  Take along any pictures of bouquet styles, special flowers, accessories, or anything else that catches your eye.

Think about if your wedding has a theme, and how you feel flowers will carry that through.   I.e. including shells in the bouquet for a Wedding on the beach is perfect!   A popular look for Waitakere Weddings is to include Paua or ferns and palms to bring through the Waitakere bush and beach feeling.

Have a swatch of your bridesmaids' fabric for colour matching of flowers and ribbons.

Pick at least one or two types of special flowers that you would like to feature if they are in season.  Blooms may be included because of their special meaning or they could hold personal memories to the bride and groom.  For more information on the meanings of flowers click here for our meaning of flowers page.

Work within the seasons.  Although many popular flowers like roses, lilies, Singapore orchids etc are white hydrangea bouquets with mauve bridesmaids dresses available all-year round, many other flowers are seasonal, so prices fluctuate depending on which month you are getting married in.  Flowers can be imported, however this becomes very costly, so it is better to be in-tune with nature and plan your wedding bouquets around the season you are marrying in.

And, PLEASE remember that Valentines Day, although romantic, is a very expensive time of year for flowers!

Know your budget.  It can be extremely helpful to the florist if you are armed with a budget.  This allows you both to discuss the best way for you to get the best value for your money.  We have more information on prices for bridal bouquets and wedding flower budgets here.

Don't skimp on the bride's bouquet – it is your special day and you are worth it!

-But you can certainly be creative with the bridesmaids' flowers – a popular trend today is 3 or 4 showy large blooms like gorgeous lilies or gerberas, which gives you real bloom-for-your–buck!  We have lots of suggestions of ways to stretch your budget and to give you WOW wedding flowers.

You can also consider doing the reception table flowers yourself – armed with a team of willing helpers and some champagne of course!    A glass bowl with floating rose heads, or a single Singapore orchid in a bud vase is a lovely effect and certainly achievable for the novice floral artist, however do be aware, that doing their own flowers often takes a lot longer than many brides anticipate, and adds a huge amount of pressure and stress to the last days before the wedding - let alone the damage to your fresh manicure! Think about it - Is it really worth it?

Your professional florist is a real asset to you on your big day, and you should feel confident when booking with them, that they understand you, your needs, and can help turn your dreams into reality, to create that magic you are looking for.

Melbourne Cup Carnival 2013: Race Day Fashion Explained

OCTOBER 31, 2013, 3:59 PM

With Melbourne Cup Carnival just around the corner, it's time to start planning our best race day outfits. We give you some racewear dos and don'ts to help you get by this season fashion faux pas free.

The Melbourne Cup Carnival is made up of four key race days at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne.

Each day has its own style with specific days designed to appeal to ladies, racing enthusiasts, socialites, families and more, providing a wide range of hospitality options, exciting entertainment and activities both on and off the track.

Here's a breakdown of each race day. Plus, Melbournian Fashion Blogger Lauren Brain (mastermind behind the fabulous style blog, The Cut & Paste shares her top tips on what to wear, and where to shop for your ultimate racing look.

AAMI Victoria Derby Day – Saturday 2 November

The first day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival is considered one of the most prestigious days of racing in Australia. It is the oldest classic race on the Victorian calendar – it was first contested in 1855, six years before the Melbourne Cup.

Style: Derby Day fashion calls for classical elegance with a traditional black and white colour scheme.

Flower: Blue cornflower 

"On Derby Day you really want to stick as close to the traditional black and white dress code as you can. This year there’s sure to be plenty of white-on-white looks at Flemington, as it’s one of the biggest overall trends for spring. Hopefully you can keep it looking clean and crisp all day!"

Emirates Melbourne Cup – Tuesday 5 November

Australia’s most famous race is always run on the first Tuesday in November over a distance of 3200m (2 miles) at Flemington Racecourse. It is the Southern Hemisphere’s richest race ($6.2 million) drawing international competition and more than 100,000 people to the track. Australia’s master trainer Bart Cummings holds the record for the number of Melbourne Cup winners currently sitting at 12.

Style: With its celebratory air, Melbourne Cup is the day for a strong fashion statement, from bold colours to striking design and detail. Hats are customary.

Flower: Yellow rose.

Melbourne Cup is one big party. It’s a public holiday in Melbourne, and the celebration mood really carries into the outfits you see at the track. If there’s one day you want to have fun with colour and print, Cup is the day to do it.

Crown Oaks Day – Thursday 7 November

Crown Oaks is Victoria’s premier event for three-year-old fillies. It’s also regarded as ladies day, when women dress in their most feminine ensemble. The winner of Fashions on the Field, the national fashion competition of Australian department store Myer, is also announced on this day.

Style: Romantic, feminine looks and delicate fabrics.

Flower: Pink rose.

Take the chance to dress like a real lady on Oaks Day, in feminine colours and styles. Pastels and florals are always great on ladies day, just keep it chic and simple.

Emirates Stakes Day – Saturday 9 November

The Melbourne Cup Carnival finishes with Emirates Stakes, the premier mile race in Victoria. Stakes Day is known for its relaxed, garden party atmosphere and is recognised as the Carnival’s Family Day, a highlight being the children’s Fashions on the Field where the young ones have the chance to to parade their race day fashions.

Style: Something more relaxed but still festive.

Flower: Red rose.

It’s the end of the carnival, and ‘family day’ at Flemington, so the kids are dressed up adorably and things are generally a bit more relaxed. Feel free to go with something a bit more contemporary or edgy on Stakes Day, and if you’ve been every day so far – the ladies will want to wear their most comfortable shoes!!

Plan your wedding...

13 Step Guide 

Sitting down and planning and coordinating your wedding can be both stressful and fun for you and your partner, which is why hitched.com.au is here to help you through every step. Our step-by step guide has been designed in a way to make the planning part both fun and easy. We wish you all the best for your forth coming marriage.

1. Step 1: Plan Your Budget

   If your current budget doesn’t quite add up you may want to consider speaking to one of the high street banks or the parents? However small or large your budget, you can be sure that there are services available that can fit within you budget and suit your needs. Visit our wedding diary planneron the hitched.com.au website for budget planning tips plus advice on how to allocate your spending.

2. Step 2: Find Your Venue

   Firstly we assume that you have a rough idea of the date you would like to get married. Choosing the perfect venue will almost dictate the actual date of the big day, unless you plan the date years in advance. Choosing the most suitable venue will take most of your time, but with our useful venue finder on the hitched.com.au website. There are hundreds of venues to browse through and we are sure you’ll find your perfect location for your wedding day. Once the venue and the ceremony have been arranged, the rest of the day planning will fall into place. One other important factor to consider when looking at venues is where you will spend your first night together as a married couple, as not all reception venues can act as a hotel, so it best to plan consider when viewing venues.

3. Step 3: Get Some Insurance

   An Insurance policy may not be the first thing on your mind when planning your wedding, however with the average wedding costing $30,000, it is important to consider the unfortunate mishaps that could cost you dearly? For instance, the venue could be cancelled at the last minute or poor health could mean you have to postpone. If you have purchased wedding insurance you can relax knowing full well for the sake of $200-$500 you do not have to worry about these situations. A complete list of insurance detailscan be reviewed on hitched.com.au.

4. Step 4: Select Your Rings

   Once you have purchased insurance and have the date locked in you can really start to spend. We all marry because we are in love, but aren’t we just as excited about the beautiful piece of jewellery on our finger? The traditions of a wedding are reported to come from the fact that a vein runs directly from your wedding finger to your heart, connecting the two continually. When selecting your ringyou are taking a step towards bonding yourselves together forever.

5. Step 5: Your Guest List

   Here comes the fun bit! Where do you begin with your guest list? The fact is that you have probably already had some thoughts about it. When you planned step 1 of our guide on your budget you presumably now have a budget decided and so it is safe to assume an idea of the size of your wedding party. To begin with our advice is always to keep it simple and start with the people closest to you, the family members, best man, bridesmaids, etc. Get the key players down on a large piece of paper and at the top write your names and in a sort of friends and family tree style work downwards in rows starting with the most important people and working until you have included everyone you can think of. This maybe a fairly long list, but don’t worry about the total number of guests you have written down, but think more about not overlooking anyone. Once you are sure you have everyone included, you can start discussing with you partner about grouping them into daytime, evening or crossing people off. Remember that it is after all your very special day so if there is somebody there will make it special for you, stand firm!

6. Step 6: Choosing The Dress

   Choosing the dress is traditionally one of the most fun and exciting parts of the wedding preparation process. On hitched.com.au there is huge number of dresses to be found in the bridal wear section, and many accessories to complete the fairy princess look. The Grooms wear, ushers, bridesmaids, pageboys and every other member of the wedding party also needed to be thought through to make sure that all key roles of the wedding party are coordinated.

7. Step 7: Order The Stationery

   Many of your close friends and family will be aware of your up and coming special day; it is now time to make it official. The invitations must be sent out well in advance so, while it may still be a little early, it is important to at least begin investigating designs and colours. If you want to ensure your guests save the date in their diaries send out some card now just to say when the day is. The stationery order can be themed by the colours in the rest of the day and is customarily sent out by the bride’s parents. The complete stationery order can include everything from order of service cards, save the date cards, place cards and invitations. Placing your order with one single supplier may save you some money and get a common theme throughout. The hitched.com.au website contains many stationery suppliers to get the ideal set for your special day.

8. Step 8: The Honeymoon

   After dealing with months of planning and trying to make the most important day of your life just right, you will need a holiday. Your honeymoon is the first few weeks as a married couple so it will be an exciting time for both of you. Researching online or popping down to your local travel agent early will avoid stress and ensure you have a relaxing break after the Wedding day. Don’t forget to check that you have at least 6 months validity on your passport before you travel, if not order a new one well in advance. If you are planning a trip to an exotic island, be sure to check any medical requirements before you leave and to check the visa situation. A little planning will ensure the holiday goes without a hitch.

9. Step 9: Arrange The Photographer

   There will be many wonderful memories throughout your wedding day that you will want to never forget. By hiring a quality photographer/videographer you can be sure you will capture all of these moments and reminisce over and over again. At this stage we also recommend you book yourwedding car and decide on the right colour coordinated and meaningful flowers to complement your day. The important and essential cake to eat during the evening, along with entertainment and music need to be thought about now. Our directory at hitched.com.au contains loads of professional and reliable professional services to help you organise and add the finishing touches to your special day.

10. Step 10: Your Wedding Gift List

    The reason for getting married is for love, however one special benefit is all the wonderful presents you receive from friends and relatives and as a bonus, you and your partner are able to choose the gifts! It is a real treat to be able to go into a store or online and choose anything you want. Creating a gift list is a good idea for couples who are already living together and have many items for the home and also will avoid you receiving three of the same item.Wedding gift lists can be arranged at any leading department stores and even easier with a number of easy to use online guides. For more detailed information on creating your own gift list, use the Wedding List Ideas section on the hitched.com.au site.

11. Step 11: Send Out Your Invitiations

    If you have sent out ‘save the date’ cards to your guests then they should be aware of when the wedding is and will be standing by for the official invitation in their letter box. We recommend that you send out your invitations a minimum of 8 weeks before your wedding. If you are planning to invite overseas guests then it would be advisable to send the invitations earlier in order for the replies to come back. It could take a while before you have all your replies back to you so it is a good idea to have a reserve list of people that you would like to invite.

12. Step 12: The Buck's and Hen's Nights

    Your last night of freedom to really let yourself go wild is the stag or hen night. This night is all about you and should get you in the mood for your wedding. The responsibility of organising this lies with the bridesmaids and best man and they are usually big nights and a lot of fun. Stag and Henparties are now turning into weekend events.

13. Step 13: The Finishing Touches

    Each and every wedding is unique to the individual so it is difficult to pin point exactly what the final touches are that you will need to think about. Some things you may want to consider are speeches, readings, rehearsals, seating plans, order of service, first night accommodation, returning hired suits, thank you cards, etc. If you still need more advice and help, please look through the rest of hitched.com.au wedding site and for specific guidance from other wedding planners, check out the wedding planning forum.

Wedding Check List

Planning a Wedding...so much to think of....

Planning a wedding can be an incredibly overwhelming task for someone who has never planned one before. So much planning and so many details are involved in a wedding that it is difficult to know where to start. Rather than diving into the whole affair without a plan, make time to put together a wedding checklist so you know what you have to do.

To begin, sit down with a pen and paper and make a list of everything you need to do. The first step to maintaining wedding planning sanity is to draw out the plans for everything you will need. This includes coordinating details ranging from the bride’s dress to bridesmaids gowns, tuxedos, location of both the wedding and reception, officials, decorations, reception food and entertainment and much more.

Step one on the wedding checklist should be to have a clear understanding of what your vision is for your special day. A good place to start is finalizing colours for both the wedding and the reception.

Once the overall vision for the affair is settled and a date is nailed down, it’s time to move on to step two on the wedding checklist: the venue. Before you can plan decorations or anything else involving the ceremony or reception, you have to know where both will be held. With the date, call around to some possible places, including country clubs, reception halls, parks and more. The possibilities are nearly endless depending on your vision for the day. Enlist the help of the bridesmaids in checking out a variety of reception venues. 

After a venue is chosen, plan the decour. If it’s just the venue for the ceremony, plan how you will decorate or plan seating options, the aisle itself, the altar and more. The decorations can be as extravagant as you – and again the budget – dictate, or simple. Flowers are a must, regardless of the size of the affair, and for this you will need to once again coordinate with a florist who can make that dream come true. 

 

The florist will come into play again in planning the reception’s decor. All receptions have flowers, whether they are just on the registration table or make up centrepieces on each and every table as well as decor around the room. Make sure the bride likes the arrangements, and that they are elegant and do not in any way prohibit guests from getting around the room and conversing easily.

The reception will also involve food, and you must coordinate with the venue, if it provides menu options, or a caterer. You may choose to simply have finger food and drinks while others wish for full meals. Make sure the invitations, which you must also keep tabs on, dictate which will be available. Entertainment at the reception is also a must, since this a celebration of the couple’s new life together. Choose either a DJ to spin records or a live band in whatever genre is appropriate.

 Overall, your job is made significantly easier by simply following the wedding checklist. It will enable you to fulfill all of your wants while at the same time ensuring you stick within your budget. This entire process can become overwhelming for anyone, and if this happens there is no shame in suggesting the bride employ a wedding planner. A wedding planner is experienced in providing perfect days for couples, and can pick up where you left off and finish the task with excellent results. After all, the best part of the day will be knowing that the bride and groom had the wedding of their dreams, regardless of who planned the affair.

A Candy Buffett for your wedding

 

INSPIRE, CELEBRATE AND SHARE WITH BIGLOLLY.COM.AU

A LOLLY LOVERS DREAM FOR YOUR WEDDING

 

 

July 2013

 

Now you really can feel like a kid in a Candy store, with BigLolly.com.au, the ultimate lolly lover’s virtual destination. Just launched, BigLolly.com.au is a website dedicated to everything in confection. A place where you can buy all you need for a stunning candy buffet, wedding favours, children’s party, or seasonal occasions such as Halloween, Easter or Christmas. Big Lolly brings you premium quality lollies, chocolate and candies, but not premium prices.

 

Imagine a place where all your childhood fantasy’s come to life, a one stop destination for everything in sweets. With over 500 different lolly lines available, there is something to please every candy lover’s dreams.

 

BigLolly.com.au has all your traditional favourites, such as Strawberry Clouds, Aussie Drops, Snakes and Sours as well as exciting imported lollies from Fini in Europe, Oakleaf in Canada, Sixlets and Pearls from the US and even Maria Sharapova’s Sugarpova range. There are Jawbreakers in unbelievable flavours, such as ‘red hots’ and ‘time bomb explosive sour’, delicious Super Sours, Crazy Hearts, Skulls and Bones and Stars. Over 25 flavours of gum, including Sprinkles, Black Cherry and Blue Berry, Soda Fountain, Ice Cream Sundae, Beach Ball Mix and Spooky eyes and these are just a small sample of the truly scrumptious flavours to try.

 

Inspire, with BigLolly’s unbelievable range of delectable mouth-watering delights, hundreds of cake decorating and baking ideas, the possibilities are endless. Shop by theme or by colour with everything you need to create breathtaking party tables, tempting candy bars, goody bags, and parties, to wow, excite and inspire.

 

Celebrate, with confectionery for every occasion. Love hearts and Sugared Almonds for weddings, themed and colour collection party packs can be tailored just for your celebration. There are single colour ranges in sixlets, pearls, jellybeans, lollypops and bubble gum for a truly colourful candy buffet or colour coded party. You can shop for a massive event with 10kg boxes, or for a small tea party, with a few bags of your classic favourites.

 

Share, the fun with delightful, tasty treats, everything from Sours and Gummies, chocolate, lollies, candies and bubble gum, the finest range of imported candies from around the world and even a Gluten Free section. Everything you could possibly want for the most elaborate event or intimate soiree. Every sweet-tooth’s desire is on BigLolly.com.au and with so much choice it is hard to decide what to order.

 

At BigLolly.com.au there is no minimum order, which can be as small as 25g bags to massive 10kg bags to cater for any event. The prices will leave you feeling sweet too. At Big Lolly you cut out the middleman and go direct to the supplier, without compromising on quality. The range is 15% to 25% cheaper than the major supermarkets private label lollies and leading Australian confectionery brands. And with free shipping to anywhere in Australia on all orders over $60, BigLolly.com.au is the most cost effective way to buy confectionery for your event, party or pantry.

 

Make any occasions a Big Lolly occasion, with memorable sweet ideas to wow and excite.

For more information visit: www.biglolly.com.au

 

Remember, sweets are treats, so everything in moderation.