Style Guide Christmas Special

DIY Christmas Special E-LookBook

WEDDING STYLE GUIDE MAGAZINE·WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 20165 Reads

With Christmas just around the corner we have come up with some great recipes for food and drinks and generally styling your day your way with stress free levels.!!!

Christmas is a special time to spend with family and friends so why not download our NEW DIY Christmas Special E-Lookbook and let us become your new best friends !!! http://ow.ly/cQcK3076GkY. Click on our link and purchase your copy hot off the press!!!!

Wedding Style Guide Magazine http://ow.ly/lBmj3076G8m

Our ethos at Style Guide is very practical, our magazines are totally dedicated to helping our readers with styling the whole occassion to help make the experience fabulous and stress free! We focus on directional design and decoration and show the most fashionable trends and concepts to make every event styling unique, as it should be.

Our tema has worked with hundreds of different stylists, organised and styled unforgettable events and our E-LookBooks and DIY magazines will give you the secrets. Our stylists are even doing the shopping for you, finding the prettiest, most unusual and decoartive accessories for maximum effect.

Our hands-on experience means we have seen it all, so our readers will get an insight into the nuts and bolts that hold an even/daytogether, a stress-free event/day is all in the planning. We will always let you in on the stylist’s secrets be it with the latest table setting trends, latest recipes or latest DIY ideas including adding a personal touch to all your stationery and NOW we offer recipes on how to create exciting drinks !!!

At Style Guide we would like to become your new best friends, showing you the most wonderful options for every detail, your perfect styling is sure to be found on our pages in every issue. Visit www.styleguide.com.au and let us help you style your day your way . Purchase your copy of our DIY Christmas Specdial E-LookBook today and make this festive season special. Your friends will be so impressed !!!!

WEDDING ETIQUETTE – THE WEDDING SEATING PLAN

Organising the seating plan can often be a dreaded task for brides and grooms. Your Auntie Maude and his Grandma Helen can't stand each other, your friend Diego speaks Spanish only and your pregnant sister needs easy access to the bathroom and on top of all of this there seems a minefield of do's and don'ts! But don't panic! We've got a few tips to guide you through who sits where + with our Seating Planner tool it's super easy!

• Don't split up couples
• Put people with others whom they already know and get on well with.
• Place guests who don't know anyone next to people who are friendly and easy to talk to.
• Don't worry about sticking religiously to male-female, male-female. The most important thing is that guests sit next to people whose company they enjoy.
• Allocate an area for young children and babies if they are going to be at your wedding. This area should be equipped with highchairs perhaps some colouring books and crayons.
• Consider special circumstances like family members or divorced couples who don't get along and make sure they are not seated close to each other.
• If parents have been divorced and remarried, they should be seated next to their new partners.
• The closer people are seated to the bridal table, the more they are honoured. i.e. the closer a relative, the nearer they should be seated to the bridal table.
• If the reception is informal, you can let guests decide where they will sit. Another alternative is to decide who sits at which table but not designate specific seating arrangements at that table. People can then sit next to whom they choose at their table.
• Don't get stressed or fight over the seating plan. Accept that you will not be able to please everyone.

The bridal table is always at the centre of attention. Everybody wants to catch a glimpse of the happy couple. Traditionally the parents of both the bride and groom sat with them on the bridal table along with the best man and chief bridesmaid. Below are examples of bridal table arrangements that include parents

Most couples these days opt to have a parents' table and seat only the bride, groom and bridal party at the bridal table. Below are examples of this.

As with most wedding traditions, these are not set in stone and you can totally disregard these arrangements. It's best to select an arrangement that will make you and those around you happy, whatever that may be!

Great Ideas

The Cutlery Commission Australia

In 2011, on the hunt for a unique gift and struggling for inspiration, Katie Dobson found herself at her favourite car boot sale knee deep in boxes of chipped china. This is where she found it…’it’ being a rather sad looking silver spoon, which unbeknown to her was soon to become the inspiration for what is now The Cutlery Commission!  Using her old steel letters (tired remnants from Katie's silversmithing days) and a hammer, she stamped the words ‘HEY SUGAR’ onto the spoon and there and then…fell a little bit in love. It’s been a cutlery love affair ever since!

Soon after the ‘HEY SUGAR’ epiphany, and with Katie's creative passion reignited, she started sourcing silver cutlery to stamp and give as special gifts to friends and family. Amazingly word spread and within months she went from a part time crafter to ‘The High Commissioner’ of The Cutlery Commission working with a team of six ‘Spoonettes’!  Just four short years later The Cutlery Commission is now sold in Liberty & John Lewis, two leading retailers in the UK as well as a number of smaller boutiques.   

On September 1st 2015, The Cutlery Commission launched in Australia.  As dedicated tea drinkers,  friends and business partners Jo Coles and Laurie Creasy have joined Katie in her quest to spread the love via her hand-stamped spoons 17,000 kilometres away in Sydney.   They hope you fall in love with the story and the spoons,  just as much as they did.  

The Cutlery CommissionAustralia - Jo Coles & Laurie Creasy
Having both had corporate careers before kids, Jo Coles and Laurie Creasy began their own boutique PR agency in 2009. Fast forward 6 years, 2 more little ones, another on the way and one interstate move, Lily Blue Communications is running well and they are excited to have taken a leap of faith once more, with their latest business venture - The Cutlery Commission Australia! 

It all began when Laurie's best friend Lizzie sent her a gorgeous hand-stamped cake slice for her Wedding in 2014. Instantly falling in love with her hand crafted gift, she started to follow The Cutlery Commission on Instagram.  After sourcing 20 personalised tea spoons for a Beauty Media Press Kit and sending a teaspoon/cake fork/Pimm's stirrer to anyone celebrating anything, she watched the stream of delight flow from one recipient to the next and wondered if the spirited super mamma on the other side of the water might consider her as a distributor.  

Originally founded in the Cotswolds England in 2012, Katie Dobson is the brainchild behind The Cutlery Commission, also known as The High Commissioner.  She is without doubt an innate entrepreneur and lover of all things lifestyle .  Katie lives in The Cotswolds, a beautiful part of South Central England - just around the corner from Laurie's friend Lizzie (small world… connection of dots! ) 

There's something about a cup of tea, something very comforting and almost calming about a sip or slurp of your favourite brew.  Perhaps it's part of their Brit DNA or that fact that Jo and Laurie just love a good cuppa?  Whatever it is, they are thrilled to be launching a brand that stems from the lifestyle of lady that seems to mirror much of their own, a mere 17,000 kilometres away, back in the Motherland.

And here they are...a few months in with a talented group of local Spoonettes hammer ready, spreading the love via bespoke butter knives and other silver -plated mementos launching The Cutlery Commission in Australia. 

Summer is here!!

ESSENTIAL DOS AND DON'TS FOR SUMMER WEDDINGS

Nothing is as magnificent as a summer wedding

Image via: Floridian Weddings

DO

SERVE LIGHT FOOD

Heat and heavy food don’t mix. Stick to the farm-to-table trend and go for a seasonal menu that includes local fresh produce and grilled entrees. Choose grilled fruit skewers and Gazpacho shooters for appetizers and tarts and fruit pies for dessert. You can also add festive touches like frozen cocktails and popsicles.

Summer wedding tips – Keep heat and pests away!

Image via: Wedding Trends

PROVIDE HEAT RELIEF

You and your better half may love the sun, but don’t assume all your guests do. Make sure you provide heat relief in one way or another. If your wedding is outdoors, offer some shade or portable air-conditioning systems. You can also have ushers pass out cold hand towels across the rows before the ceremony starts. Scattering decorative tubs or baskets filled with water bottles near the ceremony site is also a great idea.

Provide heat relief for your wedding guests

Image via: The Wedding Chicks

SEND SAVE-THE-DATES

Most people vacation in summer especially families with school-going kids. You should therefore send save-the-dates early enough to ensure people mark their calendars early.

DON’T

OVERLOOK SUN PROTECTION

Sunburn can give a whole new meaning to “the blushing bride.” Prior to getting dressed, apply sunscreen to areas of your body that will be exposed and tell your bridal party to do the same.

Summer brides should wear foundation and moisturizers with SPF. However, they should try them out beforehand to ensure they don’t cause allergies.

FORGET THE BUGS

Keep bugs away with citronella candles

Arrange for citronella candles to ensure your guests aren’t disturbed by bugs as they eat or interact. Summer brings with it a lot of bugs that can get in the way of your celebrations. Talk to the person in charge of the venue in advance to ensure bugs won’t be a problem.

Summer wedding planning is fun and interesting. Keep these tips in mind and make your wedding stand out from all other summer weddings.

DIY e-lookbook

DIY e-lookbooks 

We are thrilled to announce our very first in a series of DIY e-lookbooks.

We have searched through our archives and know that you will find everything you need to make your wedding unforgettable. 

If you do decide to go ahead and DIY:

- Plan ahead and make sure you have time to make everything you need whilst simultaneously planning the rest of your wedding.

- Be selective about what you DIY, choose your projects wisely and play to your strengths.

- Research how to do your project(s) – there are lots of online tutorials, books and blogs.

- Do trial runs and mock-ups first as it could save time and money in the long run.

- Mix and match DIY items with professional services; for example, you could get a friend to design your stationery but then get it professionally printed before you add decorative touches and pack it all together with your own finishing flourish.

- Research our online  DIY stationery.

- Don’t leave too much to do close to your actual wedding day, where possible do it in advance so that you’re not tying ribbon around favour bags on the morning of your wedding.

DIY should be fun, something to look back on and remember fondly. These simple touches can often be the most meaningful to your guests, but don’t forget that no one is expecting you to make your whole wedding! You should only undertake DIY projects if you’ll actually enjoy it, otherwise it’s pointless. There’s a reason that there is a professional industry who do these things all the time and that’s to save you from doing it!

Wise words as always from Wedding Style Guide

Let us know if you have any DIY dilemmas or wedding planning questions – we’re happy to help!

Our ethos at Wedding Style Guide is very practical, our magazine is totally dedicated to helping our readers with the whole occasion, to make the wedding experience fabulous. We focus on directional design and decoration and show the most fashionable trends and concepts to make every wedding unique, as it should be. Our team has worked with hundreds of brides, organised unforgettable weddings and our magazine will give you the secrets. Our stylists are even doing the shopping for you, finding the prettiest, most unusual and decorative accessories for maximum effect.
Our hands-on experience means we have seen it all, so our readers will get an insight into the nuts and bolts that hold a wedding together, a stress-free wedding is all in the planning.  We will always let you in on the stylist’s secrets.
We would like to be your new best friends, showing you the most wonderful options for every detail, your perfect wedding is sure to be found on our pages in every issue.

Visit our website www.weddingstyleguide.com.au and download some of our favourite things.

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.

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.

Mother of the Groom

Responsibilities of the Mother of the Groom

The mother of the groom is often at a loss as to exactly what role she plays in the marriage of her son. This is even more true when she has not participated previously in a wedding for a daughter or other sibling. The following rules of etiquette are shared to increase the joy and fulfil the traditional responsibilities of the mother of the groom.     

Her responsibilities include:

•The first rule of etiquette to be followed upon receiving news of the impending nuptials  is to initiate contact between the families.  Introducing herself and her husband to the bride's parents is her first responsibility.  This may be as simple as making a call to the bride's mother and telling her how happy she is about the engagement or an informal invitation to dinner at their home.  If preferred, dinner at a nice restaurant is always in order.  This may be with or without the couple in attendance.

 If the parents live far away, a friendly letter is appropriate.  A snapshot of the family and maybe even one of her son as a small child is always welcomed by the bride's mother and is a kind gesture.

•The importance of providing an accurate and timely guest list can neither be over emphasized, nor the importance of sticking to the guidelines given her as to the number of guests she many invite.  Remember to include zip codes.

•It is the bride's mother who will first select a dress for her daughters wedding. A gown of  complimentary colour and similar styling is then chosen by the mother of the groom.  She must wear long if the bride's mother wears long or short if she wears short.  The colour should not match the bridesmaids, nor the brides' mother, but compliment both. 

•Reservations for out-of-town guests, invited by the groom's family, are the responsibility of the mother of the groom. It will be much more convenient if a block of rooms are reserved at a nearby hotel, which is near her home. 

•It is the responsibility of the groom's parents to host the rehearsal dinner.  This can be as simple as a salad potluck with paper plates in the backyard or as elaborate as an exotic dinner with live entertainment in the finest restaurant.  Everyone who takes a part in the ceremony is invited to the dinner.  It is proper etiquette to invite the spouse or significant other of those participating, and the parents of children in the wedding. 

•Scheduled family photographs, prior to the wedding, will dictate the groom's parents time of arrival. If photos are not scheduled to be taken before the ceremony, the arrival should be no less than one hour before the appointed time

•As the wedding begins, the groom's mother will be escorted down the aisle, to the first pew, right-hand side, by the head usher or a groomsman who is a family member.  A nice touch includes the groom escorting his mother down the aisle.  As the groom's mother is escorted to her seat, her husband will follow along behind.  However, if the parents are divorced, the father of the groom will have been seated previously, two pews behind the mother. 

•The role as mother of the groom, in the ceremony, may include lighting the family candle on the altar, along with the mother of the bride.  Family candles are lit after the candle lighters have left the altar area, and prior to the entrance of the wedding party.

•The first official duty of the mother of the groom, during the reception is to stand in the receiving line greeting guests and introducing her friends and family to the bride and her family.    Traditionally she stands between the bride and her mother.  If the fathers of the couple choose to stand in the line, she will stand between them.

•Be familiar with the responsibilities of the Maid of Honour.  You may want to have a conversation with the Maid of Honour to coordinate and avoid stepping on each other's toes.

Colour schemes...

5 Best Wedding Colour Schemes

Are you planning to do your wedding any time soon? If the answer is affirmative, then you should ensure that the event stands out. The big question is: How do you make your wedding special? Well, this demands a lot of creativity and attention to detail. You need to ensure that everything fits perfectly in its rightful place. It is also important to keep in mind the fact that wedding ceremonies require proper planning. At times you may be required to hire an experienced wedding organizer to plan your event. When it comes to planning a wedding ceremony, there are several important factors you have to take into account. One of them is the perfect colour scheme.

Colour plays a very significant role in determining the appearance and ambience of your wedding. It is therefore ideal to ensure that you take your time to pick the best colour schemes for this special day. Since there are so many colours to choose from, it is good to evaluate the suitability of each of them before deciding on the one you wish to use. Thankfully, there are numerous sources of information that you can turn to for advice. Here are some of the most common and effective wedding colour schemes that you could consider for your own wedding:

Tangerine Tango

According to many event organizers, tangerine tango is one of the brightest and encouraging colours. As such, it’s considered to be a perfect colour scheme for any wedding. However, it is rather overwhelming to use this colour alone. Therefore, it is advised that you try to calm it a bit by adding other effective colours. Shades such as pink are the perfect match for this scheme. Pink has proved to be very effective in adding softness to other colours. It is a good idea to ensure that the bride maid’s bouquet is made up of a perfect combination of tangerine tango and pink roses. You may also include some yellow flowers to make it more fun and eclectic.

Blue Willow And White

The good thing about this colour scheme is that it flatters literally everyone. It will surely make your wedding more memorable. You may also use it to create accessories for your groom’s men. Blues are suitable for men and woman alike. Once more, you can find amazing center pieces and decorations that have this colour incorporated into it.

White Colour Schemes

The significant role that white colour schemes play in a wedding can never be overstated. This pallet offers unparalleled beauty to any wedding. There are many ways to make this scheme work for you. For instance, you can incorporate different colours of white in the wedding décor to make it look more striking. Some white shades come with bluish undertones that make them cool and natural. Others have brown undertones which make them warm and wholesome.

 

Red and Pink

Although this may seem a bit brash, there are various ways to blend red and pink shades to make them attractive. However, you have to exercise caution when you are picking your red and pink shades. You should consider having hot pink, hot red, pale pink combined with red. Having a larger mix of colours can help to disperse the colours more evenly.

Sweet Margarita

This colour can be combined with Lilac to give a better approach to the purple. To add to that, it allows you to be more innovative when creating your bride maid’s bouquets. Lilac shades look good on virtually everything regardless of their complexion.