Following the success of its January Wedding Fayre, Lagan Valley Island will hold a second Wedding Fayre this year. Couples planning their big day are being asked to save this date for Sunday 23rd September 2012, from 2.00pm to 5.00pm.The upcoming Wedding Fayre will be organised by Perfect Bliss Wedding Events and promises to be bigger and better than ever with a wide choice of innovative wedding suppliers on hand to help couples design their dream wedding.  There will be live performances from wedding bands and a catwalk extravaganza to enjoy.

Not only will couples attending the show enjoy free entry and free car parking, but they will also be entered into a free prize draw. Winners will be chosen at 4.45pm on the day.  The Catwalk Show is not to be missed and is scheduled to take place at 4.00pm with the very best in bridal fashion, as well as outfits to inspire the whole wedding party.  Prepare to be spoiled for choice as the professionally choreographed models take to the catwalk. The Wedding Fayre also offers couples the opportunity to view the stunning wedding facilities available for both ceremonies and wedding receptions of up to 250 guests at Lagan Valley Island.  Set within the heart of Lisburn City, the venue offers a truly romantic setting; with the River Lagan on one side and the lovingly restored canal locks on the other.

Those in attendance can meet with Lagan Valley Island’s experienced registrars, wedding co–ordinators and catering team to take the first steps towards planning that special day. Wedding menus start from just £17.95 per person. Check out www.laganvalleyisland.co.uk for more information on holding your wedding at Lagan Valley Island.

Speaking about the Wedding Fayre, Councillor Stephen Martin, Chairman of the Council’s Corporate Service Committee, said: “Building on the success of previous years, the Wedding Fayre will now be a biannual event taking place every January and September. The show is a great opportunity for couples to talk to different companies about what they can offer, compare package prices and get expert advice. Those couples, who have not booked their venue, can use the event to view the stunning wedding facilities and competitive packages on offer at Lagan Valley Island. It will be a great day not to be missed.“As a forthcoming groom myself I know that events like our Wedding Fayre really help to provide choice and insight into what is involved in planning a wedding as there is really an awful lot to consider,” he said.

For more information on attending or to book a stand at the Wedding Fayre, contact Perfect Bliss Wedding Events on 07845 357339 or email: info@perfectblissweddingevents.com

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Just the Two of You: Are You Tempted to Opt for a Small Wedding?

We hear a lot nowadays about huge weddings that cost thousands of pounds and have hundreds of people in attendance. But some people still go to the opposite end of the scale and get married in secret with no one but two witnesses there to see the happy moment. The trick is to know which type of wedding would suit you best.

Of course if you want to sneak off and get married in secret there is always the chance you will offend someone in the family who would love to see the marriage take place. But you have to decide what you both want, and if a small and quiet wedding between the two of you is what you desire, go for it. You can let people know when you get back from your honeymoon that it wasn’t just a regular holiday.

Another reason for being tempted into a small wedding is cost. Many people are finding it difficult to make ends meet nowadays, and that’s before you consider the repercussions of an expensive wedding. Even if family members are going to chip in towards the cost it can still spiral out of control.

Other people simply want to have a wedding with the one person they love the most – the person they are going to marry. There is nothing to say you have to have a large wedding with everyone you know there. In addition if you have family problems it can sometimes be easier to get married secretly rather than to try and decide who to invite and who to leave out.

The main thing to remember is to ensure that whatever decision you make, you are both happy with it. This is the acid test so make sure you pass.

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Traditional or Modern: Which Way Will Your Wedding Cake Go?

The traditional wedding cake consists of several layers with a bride and groom standing at the top. The cake has white icing and probably piped flowers on it as well. It is a picture we all know very well indeed.

Then there are the very modern wedding cakes, which are as elaborate, colourful and eye catching as you can imagine. Some of these are still made from various tiers, and each tier can be made from a different type of cake. So for example you could have plain sponge with buttercream in one tier, chocolate cake for another tier and red velvet sponge for a third tier.

Many people decide to have completely different wedding cakes that are designed especially for them. If you’ve seen some of the cake decorating programmes that have been popular on television in recent years, you’ll know the kind of thing we mean. Couples can have cakes made in all shapes and sizes so they are based on something that means a lot to them. For instance if you have a pet dog you both love, you might get your wedding cake made to look like the dog so they can attend your wedding too!

Most couples find it quite easy to decide whether they want a traditional or modern wedding cake. The design itself is a little harder to decide on. Most options can be put together in one way or another. But the best way to know whether your idea for a cake can be made into reality is to get the advice of an expert wedding cake designer near you. This provides a good opportunity to get an idea of price as well, so you can factor it into your overall wedding budget.

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The Wedding Dress: Sleeves or No Sleeves?

Your wedding dress is one of the most important parts of your entire wedding day. It doesn’t matter whether you will be walking up the aisle or into a registry office: everyone will be looking at you and you want to be sure you look and feel as good as you possibly can as you prepare to marry your groom.

Of course wedding dresses have changed remarkably over the years. The huge puffball dress with its long train is often thought of as too over the top now. The 21st century has come to view elegance and simplicity as the most stunning option to go for.

But how do sleeves fit into this picture? Is it better to opt for a wedding dress with or without sleeves?

In truth the answer has little to do with fashion and more to do with practicalities. Some women simply do not look good nor feel comfortable in sleeveless dresses. If you fall into this group you are hardly likely to opt to wear one for your wedding day. Conversely if you really love these dresses, see if you can find one that fits your figure and looks perfect for your big day.

You should also consider the time of year you are getting married. A sleeveless dress in the middle of winter wouldn’t be the best choice. But it might be ideal in the summer, providing you haven’t got any tan lines you’d be showing off!

As you can see there are lots of different things to think about when it comes to choosing your wedding dress. In the end you must pick the one you feel most comfortable and confident in, and that flatters your figure. This is far more important than whether or not it has sleeves.

Speak to our wedding dress specialists Reflections Bridal Studio. Visit here for more information.

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How to Choose a Wedding Photographer

While your big day is always going to remain in your mind for many years to come, you’ll want to sit down and look through the photos in your wedding album as well. For this to be possible you will need to find and book an experienced wedding photographer to handle your wedding.

Choosing a wedding photographer is not an easy task. If you know couples who have got married recently, ask them for advice on this. They can let you know the name of the photographer they used and how happy they were with the service they received. Always plan to meet the photographer in advance so you can see some of their previous photography. Not all wedding photographers are the same: they all have their own style and appeal and some go for a traditional look while others opt for more modern photographic styles. Whoever you choose, you should always make sure your style of photography is the same as theirs. This will ensure you get the best results on your big day.

Make sure you know what you will get for your money too. Wedding photography is not cheap so it pays to ensure you know exactly where every penny is going. This is another reason why recommendations are a good move.

Of course you can also get your friends and family to take lots of digital photos so you can pick the best of the bunch there as well. Casual photos can be just as good on occasion as the professional ones, and it is nice to have a mix of all of them.

Photography is an essential part of any wedding, and the more work you put into choosing the best photographer for your big day, the easier it will be to get the best results.

Lisburn for Weddings can recommend its two experienced photographers Frazer Smyth and Frank Higginson.

Frank Higginson is a qualified professional photographer specialising in wedding photography and portraiture and a leader in the field of creative wedding photography. Find out more here.

Frazer Smyth Photography based in Lisburn, Northern Ireland is a leading wedding  photographer specialising in beautiful, timeless wedding photography that will last you a lifetime. You can view some of his work on the Lisburn for weddings website or find out more here.

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Wedding Planners – To Have or Not to Have?

Planning a wedding is no small task. There are plenty of different things you need to think about and you have to make sure you focus on each one at exactly the right time if you want everything to come together perfectly. It’s no small wonder many brides and grooms end up rather stressed just before they walk down the aisle as man and wife!

But not every couple takes everything on by themselves. In some cases they hire a wedding planner to do everything for them. The question is whether or not this would prove to be the best idea for you.

It can largely depend on whether you are happy to let someone you don’t know plan your wedding for you. Of course a good wedding planner will liaise with you at every stage so you will always know exactly what is going on. But not everyone is suited to letting someone else handle everything on their behalf. Discuss this with your partner before you decide whether or not to go down this route.

However there are many good reasons why a wedding planner can be a smart idea. For starters they are generally very experienced in their work. They will have planned many other weddings before planning yours, so they will know exactly what needs to be done and when. This could be invaluable, as is the degree of knowledge they have in every aspect of the job.

If you are thinking of hiring a planner, make sure you meet with them in advance of making your final decision. Ideally you should meet with several so you can pick the one you get along with best. This is by far the best route to success if you decide a wedding planner is the ideal way to go.

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How to Choose Your Wedding Reception Venue

When it comes to planning the celebrations after the wedding ceremony, there are a thousand and one things you could do, and just as many locations to celebrate in. If you are faced with this task at the moment, the first step is to decide where your wedding is going to be. Ideally you shouldn’t go too far away from where the ceremony is held otherwise it involves a lot of travelling for those who are attending. Sometimes you can book into a venue that can handle the wedding service as well as the reception, so once people arrive for the service they can stay there all day.

It’s also worth thinking about the kind of reception you want to have. Some people like a very formal reception with a wedding breakfast, decorated tables and all the trimmings. Others prefer a more fun and entertaining day, with a buffet instead of a sit down meal. So think about the different options you have available and decide which ones best suit your needs and desires, not to mention your budget of course.

Whatever you decide to opt for, you will normally be charged a price per head for the services provided. When you are narrowing down your options, make a note of how much each venue charges per head and what they provide for that money. This will help you to work out whether you also need to pay for additional services and whether the total cost will be within your budget. Make sure you don’t go over your agreed amount – the costs for a wedding can go spiralling upwards very easy if you let them.

Once you have a shortlist you can visit each venue and make your final decision. Then you just have to look forward to the big day.

Lisburn for Weddings has two members that offer wedding venues:

Brook Hall –  is surrounded by the truly romantic estate grounds, which includes, the secret garden, a fantastic fountain, Brookhall lake, the ancient well and acres of beautiful farm and parkland, all of which represent idyllic photographic opportunities for that special day.  

The restored church building is stone built and provides that intimate and romantic setting second to none.

Web: www.brookhallweddings.com

Lagan Valley Island – Set on The Island in the heart of Lisburn City, Lagan Valley Island offers a stunning riverside setting for the wedding of your dreams.  Prepare yourself for red carpet treatment from the moment you arrive until your special day draws to a close.

Dedicated to making your wedding day one you will remember forever, Lagan Valley Island is the perfect venue to create the wedding of your dreams.
Find out more.

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How to Write a Great Wedding Speech

Wedding speeches can be tricky to write. What do you say? Perhaps more importantly, what do you leave out? And how long should your speech be? After all you don’t want to bore the people you are talking to.

Perhaps the best piece of advice to remember is not to leave it until the last minute to write it. Doing this invariably leads to more panic and worry, because you don’t have enough time to do a good job of it. Give yourself as much time as possible and research some good speech tips online so you have a rough plan you can follow.

Start by jotting down some points you must include. For example, which people need to be thanked during the speech? Do you need to include some stories? If so, which ones will be crowd friendly and not too personal, while still giving an idea of the person involved?

Another point to remember is not to write the whole speech down word for word. If you do this you will end up with your head buried in the paper for the entire duration. As you flesh out your speech simply come up with a series of bullet points or words that will remind you of what you need to say.

Another way to ensure your speech is a good one is to practise it out loud. You may find that as you do this, other things will occur to you that will flesh out the speech and make it even better. Practice really does make perfect, and it will help you to slow down and not rush the speech when the day comes to do it for real too. You don’t have to be a roaring success: you just need to make the best effort you can.

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Choosing Your Ideal Wedding Flowers

From the bride’s bouquet to the buttonholes worn by key members of the wedding party – you cannot underestimate the importance of wedding flowers. But before you can appreciate the attractiveness of the blooms, you must first choose which ones will be best for your wedding.

You can be inspired in a couple of different ways if you are looking for ideas. Firstly if you are planning your wedding around a particular theme, think about whether there are any particular flowers that would fit in with that theme. You also need to bear in mind the time of year your wedding will be taking place, as this will affect which blooms are available to choose from.

You may also be able to choose your flowers based on the ones that are most special to you. Some people like to include one or two flowers that remind them of family members who are long since departed. This can be a nice reminder of a parent on a wedding day. Think about mixing two or three different flowers in with one another as well, as this can give you a nice idea for a bouquet. One of the flowers can then be used as a buttonhole as well.

If you are in any doubt over which flowers to use or how many different ones to use, make sure you speak with your local florist. They will be experienced in providing bouquets and flower arrangements for weddings, and they will be more than happy to advise you.

Remember that you will also have to consider your table arrangements for the wedding reception, not to mention any other arrangements you wish to have. But whatever you choose to do, always make sure you keep with the same few types of flowers throughout the wedding so the whole thing gels together beautifully.

For professional advice and assistance with choosing your wedding flowers visit Floral Boutique, Castle Street Lisburn.

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Wedding Traditions: Will You Abide By Them or Ditch Them?

There are numerous traditions that surface around weddings. There is the idea of the wedding breakfast after the service for example, and the speeches that go along with it. There is the wedding cake and the wedding dress, and the idea of having a best man and bridesmaids.

But are you the type of person who loves tradition, or would you rather strike out and make a statement by doing things a little differently?

Whatever way you decide to go, the most important thing is to ensure that you and your partner both agree on the degree of tradition you are opting for. Some couples are eager to get as far away from tradition as possible, saying their vows while skydiving from a plane or even scuba diving underwater. Others prefer to stick with every single tradition that has ever been associated with weddings. The trick is to know where your beliefs fall.

Of course there is no reason why you should stick with every tradition or ditch them all if you don’t want to. You can find a happy medium somewhere in between. If you want to keep the wedding breakfast but get rid of the long boring speeches, do it. This is your wedding and no one else’s, so you get to decide which bits you would like to do and which bits you wouldn’t.

You should always plan each detail in advance though. Don’t leave it until the day to plan an unusual first dance together that involves your favourite Nineties pop tune. Plan it in advance and keep it to yourselves! Planning is the cornerstone of every wedding and that goes for the traditions or lack of them as well. Which traditions will make the cut for you?

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How to Manage Pre–Wedding Nerves

Getting married is a huge day. It’s one of the most exciting and happy days you’ll ever have in your life. But it is not unusual to feel nervous too. You are going to walk up the aisle (or enter the registry office) with all eyes on you. You’re leaving your single life behind and entering a whole new one with your partner. It’s not surprising that you’re feeling nervous; in fact, it would be more surprising if you didn’t feel any nerves at all!

The good news is that there are ways you can reduce the nerves you feel and cope with them in a far better way. Firstly, find a friend you can talk to about your feelings. This is especially good if the person you confide in is already married. They’ll be able to share how they felt on their big day. You might find that simply talking about it defuses your nerves.

Secondly remember that on the day you will be focusing on only one person – the person you are marrying. You will probably find that no matter where you marry or how many people are there, everyone and everything else will fall away and you will only have eyes for your partner.

Lots of people get nervous about getting their vows right. But you don’t have to remember them because they will be said for you in stages, so all you have to do is repeat what is said by the person taking the ceremony. Remember to speak slowly rather than rushing to get the words out. Take a breath before you begin and you will find it easier to say everything correctly.

Pre–wedding nerves are extremely common. But if you practise some relaxation techniques you might find many of them simply melt away, leaving you free to enjoy your big day.

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Do You Want to Lose Weight Before Your Wedding?

Everyone wants to look great on their wedding day. In fact many brides will be looking to lose a few pounds so they feel their very best for when all eyes in the room will be on them.

If you are considering losing a few pounds before your big day, make sure you start well in advance. Don’t be tempted to go on a crash diet to get the job done; it isn’t healthy or advisable and it is likely to leave you feeling weak and ill as well. As soon as you arrange the date for the wedding with your groom to be, work out how many weeks you have until the big day and then aim to lose between one and two pounds per week until you reach your goal – or the big day, whichever comes first. Don’t aim to lose more than this or you will be setting yourself up for disappointment. If you have more to lose than you have time to lose it in, just remember that losing a certain amount is going to make you feel better than if you stayed at the size you are now.

When you go for a wedding dress fitting, do mention that you are trying to lose weight before you get married. They may wish to fit in an extra appointment or two closer to the date so they can be sure of getting the dress just the right size.

Finally don’t be too hard on yourself if you stray from your diet plan. Organising a wedding is stressful and when you are the bride it can be more stressful still. So don’t worry if you indulge a little more on occasion than you planned for. Just get back on the straight and narrow the following day and no harm will be done.

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Superb Ideas for Wedding Favours

Wedding favours are a traditional part of many weddings. They are normally added to the wedding tables so the guests can open them either before or after they eat their meal.

If you are stuck for ideas and you want to avoid the usual sugared almonds in organza bags, start by thinking about whether you want to buy separate gifts for men and women. You might also want to include something different for any children who will attend your wedding. This will help you determine whether you need to find just one type of gift or two or three.

Great ideas for wedding favours include other foodie items such as personalised chocolate bars. These often have the names of the bride and groom plus the date of the wedding on the wrapper. Other similar alternatives include boxes of mints or boiled sweets.

Of course you don’t have to follow the food theme to get an impressive array of wedding favours to choose from. If you are having a themed wedding you might like to continue the theme through your wedding favours. If your wedding is taking place during the winter you could get snowflake themed wedding favours for example. Small snowflake candles could be a good idea, or perhaps a snowflake themed bookmark.

When you are looking for ideas for your wedding favours make sure you have a budget in mind per person. This will allow you to narrow down your search and to find something suitable for everyone in attendance.

If you decide to get different gifts for the men and women attending your celebrations, try and keep the cost the same if you can. Many sites selling these wedding favours have separate sections for gifts for men and women, so you will find it even easier to choose the most appropriate ones for your needs.

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Choosing a Theme for Your Wedding

Themed weddings are becoming more and more popular nowadays as people try to set their wedding apart from everyone else’s. But there are so many themes available to choose from that it can be difficult to decide which one will be right for you.

You could start by thinking about the time of year you will be getting married in. A winter wedding could give you lots of ideas for themed decorations and celebrations; it doesn’t have to be around Christmas time either. Conversely, how about holding a beach themed wedding in the middle of summer? Even if you are nowhere near an actual beach, you could create one of your own at your chosen venue.

Another way to theme a wedding is to find inspiration in a particular era. For example if you and your husband to be grew up in the Eighties, take this as your theme. Or pick another decade which appeals to you in some way. Another method is to pick a certain type of music that harks back to a particular era, such as rock and roll or pop music. This is particularly good to do if there is a certain type of music that you and your fiancée share a love for.

But whichever theme you decide on, it’s best to start with a shortlist so you can narrow it down to the one you will eventually use. And of course the final point to remember is that you should both agree on the theme you end up with. There is always room for manoeuvre when it comes to how you will make the theme happen. For instance are you going to ask everyone to arrive in fancy dress for a Fifties themed party, or will it just be Fifties music and decor? Whatever you choose, you should both love the very thought of it.

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