The Bridesmaid Dress Debate

There are endless articles covering the negative side of buying bridesmaid dresses from China and from websites where designer copies are made for a fraction of the price.

So what do you do when you are on a budget and the average bridesmaid dress retails around the £200 mark?

I would like to make clear that I do not agree with people coping designers work and passing it off as a genuine piece and I also think that designer copies are disrespectful to the craftsmanship, skill and attention to detail that goes into each designer gown.

Everyday sites are shut down and brides are left out of pocket with alteration fee's to try and make the best out of what they have purchased or in the worst cases having to buy new dresses meaning they are paying full price plus the cost of the wasted dresses.

So what are the other options?

There are high street shops that sell a fantastic selection of bridesmaids dresses. 

Here is a selection from BHS Their dresses range from £36 for children up to around £120 for adults.

It is also a good idea to keep an eye out for bridal sample sales especially if you only have 1 or 2 bridesmaids.

When I was looking for dresses I kept getting tempted by sights such as 'lightinthebox' but was also scared off by reviews stating escalating postage costs and poorly fitting dresses. I ended up researching dress makers that rather than selling designer copies sold a small selection of there own bridesmaids dresses. I came across a business called 'littlepridebride' on ebay. All of the reviews were positive and I was able to both speak to the lady that fronted the business via telephone and frequent email conversation. 

The amount of communication and help I received put my mind at ease and I felt completely confident processing my order. 

The Order for 6 Bridesmaids dresses took around 5 weeks from start to finish. I was really happy with the quality and how the dresses looked. They had a heavy weight to them and were beautifully lined. There wasn't a wonky seam in sight. I also didn't have to worry about escalating postage costs as they were shipped to the UK office before being sent to me. My dresses averages out at £45 per dress.  

Here are the photo's of my Bridesmaids in their dresses.

Picture taken by Alex Lawrence Photography
http://alexlawrencephotography.com/

Here are some tips for if you're looking to buy your dresses online.

1) Do your research! review, review, review. 

2) Measure three times

3) Match your measurements to the nearest dress size rather than buying custom dresses. This will make them easier to alter. The only thing that I customised was the length for the taller ladies.

4) Factor in alteration costs 

5) If you have any doubts or niggles then DO NOT ORDER!

Decoration - To buy or to hire?

In the last few posts we have talked about where to buy wedding decoration and looking at the DIY options and if it's better to buy or to hire.
In this post I will go through how I decorated our hall and how much I spent on creating the final look. 

here's a few of my lovely helpers that made my vision a reality:)

We hired Chalton Village Hall for our wedding reception. Village Halls tend to be quite reasonable and cost as little as £15 per hour. Due to the low cost we decided to hire the hall the day before the wedding to give us plenty of time to make everything perfect.

I chose to purchase most of the decoration and hired just the tables and the wine coolers.

I really enjoyed setting up the hall the day before the wedding. It was fun seeing it all come together and I got to spend time and build memories with family and friends. I also have a lot of respect for the people that do this for a profession. 

I feel that picking a venue where I had to plan and organise every detail was both the most brave and refreshing thing that I could have done. The venue dictated the theme which was in-keeping with my original ideas. I started looking for inspiration and shopping around for key pieces around a year before the wedding. I had no idea whether I wanted to hire a decoration company or do it alone. I had never planned a wedding or even a party before so this was a new experience for me. 

I knew how many guests we were having which helped me to be able to plan how many tables we needed and how best to position them. We had 100 gusts and our hall was fairly small. We went for two long rows of trestle tables to allow clean lines and clear walking routes.

I now had the template to draw out my table plan inspiration. I knew I wanted vintage birdcages and that's where I started my research and found these...

I came across them in B&M and they only cost £2.97 each. To decorate them I used ribbon and Hessian string £1 each from Tiger and paper roses hand crafted in Thailand £1.85 for 50 eBay. I sold 12 of the 15 centrepieces for the same price as I paid. The remaining cages went into my memory box.

the most costly and time consuming item to purchase were the chair covers. I wanted Ivory cotton covers which worked out around £2-£3 each to hire. After lots of bidding and just missing out, I purchased 165 covers for £175 and went on to sell them for the same price! But be warned laundering 165 chair covers is a time consuming job and does add to the cost.

I managed to purchase 18 tablecloths for £46 which works out £2.55 per table cloth, which is half the price of the average selling price. I sold these for the same price.

I purchased my chair sashes from a higher company for £45 for 115 sashes. I then sold these for £35.

As you can see I saved quite a lot of money from buying and selling on. the preparation and set did take a lot of time, so do make sure you consider that when booking your hall and planning your final few days before your wedding. 

Here is the breakdown of my costs 
Chair covers        £175
Chair sashes        £45
Tablecloths         £46
Centre pieces       £50
Large Centre pieces £22
Burgundy Napkins    £40

Table hire          £57
Wine cooler hire    £9.50             Total amount £444.50 

Money from selling on items  £336.00 

The total spent on wedding decoration came to £108.50 

The hire company that I used and would highly recommend were Jaspers Luton. 

    


  

My visit to White Horse Weddings

 Today I went to White Horse Weddings to see how the venue is set up, watch the finishing touches being put together and meet a few of the team that put the beauty into each and every wedding.
The Sun was shining and the birds were singing. It was a beautiful day for a wedding. Spring was certainly in the air and it was difficult to believe that we are only half way through March.

The White Horse is surrounded by beautiful county side views. The country side appears endless creating a beautiful background for wedding photographs.
As I was walking around my imagination was going crazy with the endless possibilities and fun you could have with creating a look that was personal to you. Natural and rustic, vintage.. you could even go for the extreme and quirky!

 

 The whole surrounding area is full of beauty and everything from the drive in to the view from the venue is stunning. There is also lots of parking and a great children's adventure playground which will keep the little lovelies entertained.

 As I walked into the venue the team were hard at work perfecting the finishing touches. You could see the amount of detail that goes into each wedding and the care that is taken to ensure every personal touch is perfect.

The venue looked delightful. The flowers and decoration were stunning and the attention to detail was spot on.
I was very impressed with how personal the wedding felt and excited that there was nothing generic. You could see that the time and care had been taken to make the wedding personal to the couple. 

I love these little love heart favours. They double up as place settings too. The fabric used on the jar lids is also used in the bunting and the flowers pick out each of the colours creating a perfect Spring look.

My favourite part of the day was meeting the team. They all have so much passion for what they do and you can tell that by the atmosphere that they create and the way that everyone works. Every single team member was full of enthusiasm and energy and had lots of pride. It was lovely to see.

Firstly I got to meet Laura who is one of the events coordinators. Laura has worked for the venue for over 2 years and has a wonderfully varied role where she gets to see events through from start to finish. Laura works closely with the events manager Jon and has a hands on approach with venue decoration, running the bar and ensuring that every event is run as it should be.

It wasn't long before we were having a good chat about the weddings that had taken place and the ones that stood out. Laura said that Jon has a lot of inspiration for weddings and she really likes it when Brides and Grooms 'to be' bring a selection of ideas with them so that the team can get creative. Her Favourite personal touch was when a couple had LOVE spelt out in Grass letters for their photos. Laura also enjoys that she can call out random dates to Jon and he knows the Bride and Groom that are getting married on that date "Every wedding is personal and a lot of time is spent with each couple so that their wedding is true to them."  Laura would love to go a little outrageous on her wedding day with some wonderful little details that I will keep secret :)

I then got to meet Alex who is the Events supervisor. He loves seeing the enjoyment of each couple planning their wedding and enjoying their Big day and helping the Bride and Groom bring their ideas to life. Alex has had a variety of roles and has worked for The White Horse for 4 years so has seen the wedding side grow into what it is today. We talked about how they had a smaller Marquee to begin with that Jon and Alex worked together to put up and then a year later they got a bigger one. Alex has seen a variety of weddings at the venue including the wedding of his Auntie. His favourite finishing touches are the old fashioned sweet carts but then said with weddings its mainly down to the Bride (I totally agree!! very wise words Alex)

Here's the Chefs!

Today they were cooking for 200 people.

I got to speak to Jason who has been a chef for over 12 years. Jason Knows exactly how to deliver a perfect meal and explains that planning and preparation is the key to success. 

Today they are cooking a chicken pate starter followed by a lamb roast and chocolate fudge cake for dessert. They are also creating an evening buffet. Sounds delicious!!

And Last but certainly not least Jon.
Jon brought the White Horse in 2009 as he saw the potential for the small country pub to be something to suit customers from all demographics - business, family, young couples, offering a fresh product in contemporary settings.
Jon quickly established that he needed to create an identity for the pub and worked hard promoting and creating the brand The White Horse - Tea Green.
Jon used all forms of media including their own website, social media, and advertising to share and promote the new look and what they had to offer.
During this time there was a downturn in the economy which brought many challenges for the pub sector where as many as 50 pubs a week were closing.
After analysing the business and the local area they decided that a small events company would bring additional revenue and provide the community with a place to host birthdays, christenings and even sadder events such as funeral receptions.
In 2011 they were asked to host their first wedding. This is when Jon realised that there was a niche to provide quality magical weddings without couples having to re-mortgage their house to achieve their ideal day and from then on White Horse Weddings was established.
Since then The White Horse has increased the size of the marquee to accommodate larger weddings and have added a list of strong suppliers to their inventory including DJ's, chair covers, florists, decorators and stationers with the sole aim of providing the Bride and Groom with the best package all tailor made to their requirements sticking firmly to their policy of “Quality, Value and Fun” 

To finish off I wanted to find out what Jon's favourite part of his role is and I must say that This is exactly what I first noticed about White Horse Weddings.

"My favourite part of the job is meeting with the couples and their parents and building a great relationship. We are proud to be flexible in our approach to our couples big days and want to achieve THEIR perfect day and not be: “you have to have this”, “you must do it that way” etc like so many of the larger wedding venues can be. Also seeing the brides face when she sees the marquee dressed on the day makes all the hard work worthwhile"  
    
I really enjoyed my time at The White Horse - Tea Green and felt very welcomed. The atmosphere was full of pride and the work that goes into each wedding is unique and beautiful. It is so nice to see a venue going away from the set expectations and assisting the Bride and Groom to create their day, their way...
I also had a wonderful time sitting in the garden taking notes and listening to peoples reactions to the venue that were very complimentary..

Take a look at the website and don't forget to give them a follow on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with offers and events.

http://www.whitehorseteagreen.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/White-Horse-Tea-Green

https://twitter.com/TheWhiteHorseTG

   

On The Road - Wedding Ring Shopping

Yesterday was my 6 year anniversary. To celebrate we went shopping for our wedding rings.
We both went with a clear idea of what we wanted. I wanted a white gold wedding band quite plain and engraved. My Fiancé also wanted a plain wedding band engraved.
I really liked the idea of matching rings and I wanted mine to be quite classic.
We went to a large town centre that had a wide range of jewellery shops so we could have a look at as many different options as possible. We decided not to rule anywhere out and to just wonder into every jewellers that we passed.
We started by going to F Hinds. The majority of the stock was displayed in the window so you had to shop from outside.
We walked into the store and asked to take a look at the wedding rings as we had trouble spotting them. The response from the sales assistant was welcoming but lacking any kind of service. She explained that the rings were on the bottom row... We gave up and moved onto the next jewellery shop.
The next Jewellery shop was Goldsmiths. We had a warm welcome and the team member gave us her full attention. She encouraged us to try on different styles and suggested different rings that would sit nicely with my engagement ring. They had a really good product range on display and catered for a wide range of budgets.I enjoyed the experience but wanted to visit other places so we said thank you and went carried on shopping.
The next shop we went to was H Samuel. A team member introduced herself and showed us the range of rings on offer. They had a good selection from lower budget to premium rings, which is something that I was not expecting. I used to visit H Samuel for little stud earrings when I first got my ears pierced and wrongly associated it with just that. 
The service was very informative and I liked that the team member had enough confidence and product knowledge to give her own opinions. This was my favourite experience so far and we both left feeling really happy.
On to the next shop... Ernst Jones. My approach was delayed and the service I received was very minimal... I feel that even if my dream ring was there I would of thought twice about buying it as the experience and care was not what I expected...
We looked across the way and there was another H Samuel which was a lot larger than the other one so we popped in to take a look at the product range. We were greeted and given a warm welcome. The lady took us over to the wedding rings and asked lots of questions to try and see what it was that we wanted. She was full of suggestions and ideas and you could tell she really enjoyed her job and the products. We tried on a lot more rings on and finalised our ideals. The lady was really friendly and the whole process was a really happy experience.. I would recommend them to anyone looking for wedding rings as they really do cater for all budgets from the very small to premium and the personal touches can be introduced along the way.

When you are shopping for rings be sure to set your budget before you go and stick to it.. It is very easy to get caught up in the moment and over spend.
We had a 10 minute break after visiting each store to make sure that we discussing our options and had some time to reflect.
Consider what look you are going for, what metal your engagement ring is, what shape your engagement ring is and any engravings or personal touches you would like to add.
Have a look at each retailer on-line so that you have an idea of what each store stocks and the price ranges they cover.  
Do not panic if the ring you want in your mind doesn't look right in reality... I wanted a plain white gold band and ended up getting a completely different ring which is also the exact opposite to my fiancés. I would compare the feeling to wedding dress shopping... you will try on a ring, fall in love and then you will stop looking!! Just keep looking until you get that feeling.
Make a day out of ring shopping. It's a personal day and should just be about the two of you. 

Please share you wedding ring experience below. It would be lovely to hear a few more stories.

Have a nice day 

The Wedding Assistant x    
   

On the road - White Horse Weddings Tea Green

The Wedding Assistant On The Road..

White Horse Weddings

Location: Tea Green

Capacity: Holds up to 120 guests for dining 

price range: Packages start from £3995

As I drove to visit The White Horse I couldn't help but notice how picturesque the journey was. Little county roads, fields and trees. I could imagine how lovely it would be travelling from a wedding to the reception venue.

  

There are fields surrounding the venue which would create a lovely backdrop for photos and there are great facilities including a children's play area, parking and a marquee which can be decorated to make your wedding day experience unique to you. 

  

I love how the marquee is decorated in this photo. The colour range and the mixture of fabrics make the marquee feel extra special and unique.

The venue is very well loved and you can see that a lot of care goes into the business. There are  range of packages on offer that can be tailored to suit your needs and requirements.

When I was looking for a venue the flexibility factor was very important to me. I wanted to create a personal wedding and add details that would make the day my own and this venue allows you to do just that :) 

I also like that there are no hidden costs... There is nothing worse than finding a venue that fits your requirements and your budget and then being told that there are extra charges.

You can take a look at the packages on offer by clicking on the links below.

http://whitehorseteagreen.co.uk/images/wedding2014.pdf

http://whitehorseteagreen.co.uk/images/weddings_2015.pdf

I had a wonderful time viewing the venue and meeting Jon who owns White Horse Weddings. I have even been invited back to the venue to meet the team and see how they set up and prepare for a wedding and the attention to detail that goes in to making the day run smoothly.

I cant wait to go and see first hand how a big day is put together. If you have any questions you can contact the venue directly by calling 01582 722855 - or you can email INFO@WHITEHORSETEAGREEN.CO.UK 

If you have any questions please comment below and I can take them with me to be answered.

Have a nice day - The Wedding Assistant