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You and I are all aware that on 29th April 2011 there will be a special British, spring time Royal wedding! Trying to imagine what Prince William and Kate’s wedding will be like leaves you with countless possibilities, I would love to meet with them and listen to all the ideas they may have as a couple! Though I wonder how many of those ideas will be censored and other ideas politely ‘suggested’ to them?
A few of my thoughts so far…
British pride
British suppliers will be used wherever possible in order to showcase the best of British designer gowns and suits, home grown flowers, regionally sourced and seasonal food and perhaps some wine from English vineyards too!
Spring with style
Kate has a classic elegant style so she may go for an in season and fragrant bouquet of Lily of the Valley, which was also the flower used by the Queen Mother for her wedding bouquet, to go with a timeless wedding dress with graceful lines to accentuate her slender figure.
Classic with a twist
Kate has been seen wearing a whole range of hats in different colours, shapes and sizes, so maybe she will decide to wear a birdcage veil rather than a traditional Cathedral or even longer length veil.
Royal Blue
Perhaps Kate and William will have Royal Blue as their main colour to match the stunning heirloom sapphire engagement ring, with the wonderful colours of spring being brought in through their choice of flowers as a contrast.
Union Jack place setting: Guardian Word of Mouth Blog
Lily of the Valley: Red Loft Studios
Birdcage veil: Two Olives Events Blog
Royal Blue wedding shoes: simplewedding blog
Tags: Birdcage veil, British, Lily of the Valley, Royal Blue, Seasonal
A freelance journalist wrote this editorial and I wanted to share it with you as I thought it was a well written piece, putting aside the fact that it’s about Cherry Topped! 
As a couple our wedding is one of the most important days of our lives. It is the one day where all attention will be on us and the day that we have created to celebrate our love for one another. We want it to be perfect and we want to make sure that everything runs smoothly… However, with so much to envision, plan, organise, maintain and should a problem arise; resolve – it is often a good idea to call in an expert.
The role of a Wedding Planner is often seen as a celebrity only acquisition, it is a perception that our featured Wedding Specialist Stacey-Marie of Cherry Topped is looking to change. Stacey-Marie explains to us; “When I planned our wedding I realised just how much there was to do. I was planning, designing, sourcing suppliers, meeting with them, comparing them, negotiating with them – it was a lot to do alongside a busy work and social life!” It is this overwhelming amount of organisation and planning that can often lead to a couple feeling anxious and stressed in the lead up to the wedding and of course that is the very last thing you want! Stacey-Marie explains; “You want to concentrate on treasuring every moment in the lead up to your wedding day and focus on what is most important; the life-long commitment you are making to each other.”
It was for this very reason that Stacey-Marie formed ‘Cherry Topped’. She quickly realised how her natural creative flair and her experience in purchasing could allow a couple to really focus on enjoying the build up whilst she worked on the more difficult and time consuming aspects. She explains; “After our wedding I returned to the corporate world of purchasing and realised I missed the creativity that comes with wedding planning. I had the chance of planning a friend’s wedding and of course I loved absolutely every minute of it! The whole experience, even thriving on the wedding day itself, further cemented the idea of setting up Cherry Topped.”
After such a successful wedding Stacey-Marie went into full business planning mode and after extensive research and training with some of the most experienced industry experts in the country from the UK Alliance of Wedding Planners; Cherry Topped bespoke weddings was born in order to plan and coordinate memorable and beautiful weddings, bespoke to their clients! Quickly she was contracted for her second wedding and enquiries are already flooding in for next year over the phone and through her fantastic website; www.cherrytopped.co.uk.
Of course every couple Stacey-Marie works with is different and for that reason she has decided to offer a flexible approach to wedding planning where she can provide as much or as little as you require. The Full Wedding Planning service is the most comprehensive of course, the Bringing It All Together service is for those who have already started, but realise time is against them or need help in finalising the plans, and the Cherry Pick service offers a set list of modular wedding planning services such as budget monitoring, researching options and design ideas, supplier sourcing, venue searching, coordinating with suppliers on the wedding day to name but a few!
It is certainly evident after having spoken to Stacey-Marie that she has a real passion and desire to bring to couples that perfect wedding day. She explained to us that when it comes to hiring a wedding planner it is all about choosing the person who shares your vision and has a personality that you can relate to and work with. Although you will of course need to meet Stacey-Marie to decide whether or not she is the person you choose to make your day truly memorable, at the very least you’ll leave inspired by her creativity and organisational skills!
by Marc Aplin
Does a wedding planner implement their style or your style? Wedding planners should be able to adapt according to their clients’ style and implement that style in the best possible way. In some cases we may be required to have a larger input with regards to styling and design of a wedding, in which case we find out as much as we can about the couple: their likes, dislikes, style at home, favourite colours, their careers, hobbies, the proposal, what they enjoy together, where they have lived and travelled etc. As a result we then consider styles which would suit them and propose suitable options. Some ideas clients may love and others they may not be so sure on.
Couples will have their own style, it is the wedding planner’s job, where required, to bring out that style through the design and details of the wedding.
What sort of styles are there? The list is endless, the many wonderful wedding blogs featuring all the beautiful real weddings that go on almost every day of the year show just how many different styles there are. Below are just a small selection of these wedding styles, for which I’ve included an image to give an idea, but I’ll dig deeper into these individually in future blog posts! There are just so many styles and ideas to make your wedding day unique! What’s your wedding style going to be!?
Vintage Romance
Rock ‘n’ Roll Vibrance
Classic & Contemporary
City Chic
Traditional Fairy Tale
Country Charm
Themed – By the Seaside
Themed – Afternoon Tea
Glamorous Opulence
Banner photo from: coco+kelley
The first two style photos from: Love My Dress
The last seven style photos from: Rock My Wedding
Tags: Afternoon Tea, City Chic, Classic, Contemporary, Country Charm, Fairy Tale, Glamorous, Rock and Roll, Seaside, Vintage Romance, Wedding design, Wedding planning, Wedding style
Early this morning I took a walk to the local newsagents, eager to buy my copy of the Surrey Mirror and get home to flick through the pages to find my first editorial piece and advert in print!
Here it is!
Do you have 250 hours to plan your wedding?
Advertisement
Banner photo from: US National Archives
Clare and Adrian wished for an eclectic, but stylish wedding! The requirements were country, romantic, subtle elements of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and a hint of tartan to reflect Adrian’s heritage. It provided for an imaginative wedding planning experience!
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland touches
Guests found “Throw Me”, “Eat Me”, “Drink Me”, “Hide Me, Find Me” tags on confetti, wine and mini eggs. Were treated to “Everybody has won and all must have prizes” homemade cupcakes for dessert. The Madhatter’s tea party was subtly reflected through the vintage tea cups and saucers containing mini eggs and vintage teapots containing flowers for table centres. The evening frivolities were kicked off with a fun guest book with a “Through the looking glass” frame, over-sized Madhatter and White Rabbit hats and a teapot for props.
A touch of tartan
Biodegradable tartan confetti showered Clare and Adrian. Tartan ribbons were found around the bouquets and the jam jar tealight holders on the tables. Tartan covered buttons were wired into the men’s buttonholes.
Country and Romantic touches
Guests found the table plan hanging on rustic wire hearts, the table names supported by ornate table name holders and their place names pegged to their wine glasses with little vintage material covered pegs. They enjoyed a wholesome hog roast with all the trimmings whilst listening to live jazz music in the warm ambiance of the beautiful country barn. Birdcages adorned with baroque painted birds. The Belle rose in the arrangement was a personal touch by the bride’s sister as it shares the name she calls Clare by.
The fab supplier team:
- Venue: Upwaltham Barns
- Caterer: Nibbles to Nosh
- Flowers: Ushers the Florist
- Photographer: Lucky Dog Photography
- Makeup: A Bride Needs
- Hair: Caroline Kearney
- Jazz and Soul Band: Soul City
- String Quartet: Le Violon Vert
- Table Name Holders: Wedding Day Hire
- Vintage crockery: Idyllic Days
- Stationery & Cupcakes: Homemade by Clare and her sister
- Confetti, pegs, frame and other little pretty items: purchased from a range of places such as ebay and Cox & Cox
