Wedding help and advice from Tineke
Wedding help and advice from Tineke floral designs and friends...
Hello! We hope the sun is shining where you are, we are in full swing here at Tineke, busy creating lots of beautiful blooms for all the wonderful spring weddings coming up! You may have seen that our very own Kerry & Andy have recently got engaged WOOHOO! We are totally over the moon for them both. It got us thinking, wouldn't it be nice to share what it's like when you're planning a wedding when you work in the industry?
Over the next few months we'll be sharing tips, advice and good old checklists about the different stages of planning a wedding and we'll even be throwing in some industry insider knowledge and experiences too! One thought on everyone's mind we're sure are 'Kerry's flowers!' We'll definitely be covering those too, along with discussing: venues, guest lists, THE DRESS, choosing your bridal party, catering and much more. If there's anything you'd like to see us cover, just let us know!
Today, we're going to start right at the beginning! The engagement and what on earth do you think about first?
Source: Etsy
First things first where's that champagne!? Celebrate just the two of you, this a really special moment, and ladies, whether you knew it was coming or not, nothing can prepare you for the most amazing feeling when you say 'yes!' and there's a little sparkle on your finger! Chances are that wearing your engagement ring will take some getting used to and all of a sudden you'll be flamboyantly taking with your hands! Which leads us on to the next little tip.
Get those hands and nails looking fabulous. We're not sure you need an excuse to go out and buy some new nail polish or a luxurious hand cream but what are you waiting for? Everyone is going to want to see your beautiful ring, so why not show it off? How about a lovely French manicure or your fave nail colour with your ring finger a different colour?
Source: Brooke Images
Next up it's time to tell your close friends and family, and what a great moment this will be. Prepare to be overwhelmed by everyone's happiness for you and your cheeks will be aching from all the smiling! Whether you choose to have lots of intimate moments, throw a big bash or send out surprise 'We're Engaged Cards' make sure you treasure this experience.
Source: Southern Weddings
So now you've celebrated, you've let everyone know, you're still getting used to saying Fiancé but it's starting to sink in! What's next?
"The weird thing is, I help with so many weddings, but feel totally lost about budget!" Kerry.
There's nothing like the talk of money to bring you back down to earth, we know it's boring and practical but it's a necessary part of your wedding planning. Nothing has to be final at this stage but having an idea of your budget and expectations will make things a lot easier. Try thinking about how much you can realistically save up, the length of engagement you'd like and it's good to know if any family members will be contributing to the wedding fund also.
Source: Temptation Gifts
Hand in hand with the budget come the ideas. What sort of wedding do you want? Small and intimate, a grand affair or a jet setting destination wedding? Begin with a little research and find out what's important to you both, what you styles you like and DON'T and who needs an excuse to get pinning!?
Being in the industry we often use Pinterest for inspiration and to keep up to date with current wedding trends but nothing beats starting your own pin board full of beautiful things that could become a reality. A little word of warning! It's totally addictive and easy to wind up creating a whole host of different styled weddings. Stay true to yourselves and use it as a guide, we'd also recommend having a read of wedding blogs. Seeing how real brides and grooms planned their wedding day can be a huge inspiration and you may even find suppliers you like the look of.
Finally and perhaps most importantly, enjoy it, relax, take your time to remember special moments and fall wholeheartedly in love with being engaged!
A little word from Tineke & Friends
"I am absolutely loving being engaged and cannot wait to be a Bride as I thought it would never happen! We have been together for over 12 years - Andy is my best friend, and always so supportive of me and the business! We are thinking about Italy for the venue, so far that’s a bit of a minefield!" Bride to be Kerry @ Tineke Floral Designs!
And in case you were wondering about the picture of the Converse shoes... this is where Andy hid THE ring for 2 weeks!
Over to the lovely Karen, our friend and business associate at Darby and Joan Vintage...
Your wedding day should be a reflection of you and your other half. That is what we do best at Darby & Joan. We have spent the last three years creating relaxed weddings that add personality and heart.
As a wedding supplier myself, I can't stress enough the importance of you finding people and companies who understand you and get where you are going with your plans. I spend hours and hours with my couples: meetings, venue visits, telephone calls, endless emails and a couple of days setting up and delivering on the day itself. You will be spending a whole lot of time with these people and you should like them! Whether we are talking about a florist, a photographer, a wedding planner or a caterer you should come away from your meetings with them feeling confident in their abilities and on top of the world that you have found someone who you trust to bring something special to the wedding. Of course personal recommendations and checking out their portfolio of previous weddings and events are important too and their communication with you during the whole process will be a good indicator of their ethics and commitment to you - and this all comes down to trust. How a supplier makes you feel in those first couple of hours of meeting is ridiculously important. We won the Best National Venue Stylist Award for the National Wedding Industry Awards 2014 recently and one of the reasons was our customer service. We won the award because of our commitment to each event and because we really are rather good at it!
If you want to have an all out themed wedding where every inch of it has been planned and executed to perfection, then do it. You may lose a little sleep during the process but that is where a wedding planner or stylist can come to your rescue and pull your ideas together and execute it all for you on the day.
It is so worth sitting down in the early days to address how much you can afford to spend. Decide what are the most important aspects to you guys. Is it a show stopping venue? A dress to die for? A photographer to capture every minute or do you want to spoil your guests with a fabulous meal and entertainment to wow? It is your day and you should spend your money on areas that YOU revel in and get excited about - it shouldn't be about a subconscious competition with a friend who got married last year and certainly shouldn't be about outside pressures from family to follow traditions that don't reflect you as a couple.
Getting creative - a little research on Etsy can pay dividends if you are a relatively creative bride who wants to add a touch of personality to their day. It is an on-line market-place bursting at the seams with wedding day ideas, accessories, fashion and now they even have their own wedding gift list.
So, my wedding day? We skipped tradition and got married in Las Vegas. A two week holiday with both sets of parents where we spent a week in Vegas then hopped over to San Francisco for a week's honeymoon with the parents in tow. A white trouser suit and a pair of Jimmy Choo sparkly sandals. We did it our way and we wouldn't have it any other way.