29th December 2011

Wedding Costs - How much is enough?

Industry sources state that the average cost of a wedding in the UK has fallen to its lowest level since it peaked at over £20k in 2008 and is now estimated to be £15,541 (that includes £3k for a honeymoon)

You don't have to spend a fortune though to have the wedding you want, many get wed for much less than £10,000k and we have met brides who did it for £5K! Get our new fact sheet titled 101 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding, costs just £3.99 plus 50p post and packing. Send an email to lynne@wedding-whispers.co.uk to order your copy today stating '101 Ways Please' in the subject line.

The mere fact of contemplating a wedding with all its unknown and associated costs, can be enough to put the idea on hold and that would be a shame, but when we started Wedding Whispers in 2005 we knew then, as we do now, that many of you were getting wed for much less with the help of careful planning, family and friends and of course a bit of guidance from Wedding Whispers! So we know that you can have the day you want without breaking the bank.

As couples get savvy with their cash, it is often not always discounts they are looking for, but a bit of guidance, a few tips and hints on what to do, and what is the 'norm' these days? The truth is anything goes these days and we have found that there's no set figure and it's a question of priorities, but as more couples now pay for their own wedding it can be useful to know how the costs can stack up and what you can do about it? There are simple areas where savings can be made, and no-one need even notice!

The vast majority of the cost of a wedding is spent on food and drink and the hire of the wedding venue. The easiest areas to cut costs are to reduce the number of guests and to take advantage of late deals offered by venues. But there's more! Read all you need to know on how to save money on all aspects of your wedding without compromising on what you want, from the venue, food and drink ideas and much more with our wedding costs fact sheet 101 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding available now for £3.99 plus 50p p&p when you email lynne@wedding-whispers.co.uk. Orders take 7-10 days.

It's so much easier with Wedding Whispers!

3rd June 2011

Planning a Guest List

The guest list is a dilemma; deciding who to invite from the respective families and friends is a common problem for many couples. If there is a large family on both sides, the number of friends may have to be reduced, however when the couple are paying for their own wedding, they may prefer to have more friends than family especially when these have not been seen since childhood. The number of guests you plan to have will influence the choice of venue and can mean that the country house you had in mind is no longer suitable. It is fine to ask friends to the evening reception instead and limit the day to family and close friends. You should not however ask guests to the wedding ceremony and not to the reception afterwards.

If costs are an important factor and mostly they are, we suggest that you start with a per head figure of £50 and work up or down from this. Include anything that has to be ordered for each guest such as food, welcome drinks and canapes, table settings (if you need to hire these in) and chair covers. Most venues and caterers work on a cost per head for these items though some venues offer all inclusive packages based on a set number of guests.This will give you an idea of costs and if money is tight, will define your priority guest list. A back up list can be used when the priority guests cannot attend. Send out invitations at least 8 weeks before so you have time to finalise the numbers and invite guests on your back up list. Emailing a wedding invitation is not appropriate and neither is listing it as an event on Facebook!

A neat idea to cut catering costs, is to have the ceremony later in the day with one large forked buffet where everyone can be invited. See more ideas here. Planning a wedding in modern times can be helped by the definitive guide to modern wedding etiquette at Debrett's Wedding Guide.

22nd February 2011

Shopping for your Dress!

Shopping for your wedding dress is now so much easier with Wedding Whispers. For some time now we have led the way by listing the price range and bridal collections for each of the bridal shops featured in our wedding service directory. Brides worry about the dress more than anything else and don't want to try on a dress that is outside their budget. So shop with confidence and consult the price and collection guide for each shop on page 4 of the spring issue. You can research the bridal collections for each store online but the prices for the dresses aren't usually shown, unless the dress is a sale item, so consult our guide and head for the right shop! To find out more just visit our featured bridal shops in the wedding service directory or get the information on page 4 of the new spring issue of Wedding Whispers online. It's so much easier with Wedding Whispers!

7th October 2010

The new season unveiled

Last month the new season bridal collections were unveiled at the Harrogate International Bridal Show. The Somerset bridal shops were were there catching up with the new trends and selecting styles to show to their brides for the coming season. Every bridal shop has its own style and experience so the collections they choose will reflect this. Wedding Whispers went along to see just what all the fuss was about and what goes on behind the scenes. In the autumn winter issue, we'll be revealing what the bridal shops in Somerset decided to stock and why. It's all in the new issue of Wedding Whispers which will be out and online shortly. 

17th August 2010

Tried and Tested!

If you are looking for something fun and a bit different for a girly/hen weekend get together or a thank you for a hardworking bridesmaid or Mum, have a go at a cup cake workshop at Poppy Greens. I paid them a visit at the weekend and came away with a new set of cake decorating skills that I didn't know I had and some very pretty cup cakes. A very well organised and productive morning in Lesley's scrumptious cottage in Meare near Glastonbury. We'll be featuring more about this in the autumn winter issue of Wedding Whispers, but in the meantime you can see my cup cake creations here To find out more about Lesley's cup cake workshops go to her website www.poppygreens.co.uk. Wedding cup cakes are on trend at the moment and this workshop will equip you with the skills to make your own like a pro!

8th July 2010

Shopping for your Wedding Dress.

There's been a lot of fuss in the media recently about some bridal shops charging for appointments to try on wedding dresses, as much as £25 in some cases.There's several reasons for this; some bridal shops charge to qualify their potential clients, do it to reduce time spent with ladies who are just wanting to look, to avoid no shows on busy days, or to ensure that the client does not go elsewhere. It is usual for a bride to be to visit a few shops before the decision on the right dress is made, so it could be an expensive shopping trip if all shops charged. The charge is though often refunded against a sale. Shopping for your wedding dress is a time consuming process but one to be enjoyed. None of the bridal shops featured in Wedding Whispers operates a charging policy for appointments and some provide the comfort of convenient evening time slots for brides to be that work during the day. We know the bridal shops like to give you a personal service and individual attention and most will prefer you to make an appointment. It is after all a pleasure you won't want to rush! Ask the shop how long you will need and we suggest that you limit the number of shops you visit in a day so you don't rush what should be an enjoyable experience. But if you must see several shops on the same day, go on a day other than a Saturday. To find a bridal shop, the collections they stock plus a price guide for each shop, see the featured list on Wedding Whispers here

2nd April 2010

Wedding Bells in Wells

We like to keep in touch with the bridal services we feature on the Wedding Whispers website and magazine and also love to see to visit the services in action! So last weekend we were in Wells, in beautiful Somerset and dropped in to see Jo Christoforides in her new shop on the High Street. There is always something lovely to see in Jo's shop and on Saturday there was a gorgeous bespoke gown on Jo's workstation in the early stages of creation. Jo is one of Somerset's leading bridal designers, has more than 25 years experience in the business and is still being commissioned for individually designed bespoke gowns. Also in store, are collections by Ritva Westensius, Charlotte Balbier and Jenny Packham. To find out more about Jo's shop on the High Steet in Wells and about all the collections in store, visit her website at www.jochristoforides.co.uk or just call into the shop.

We then wandered up to the Swan Hotel on Sadler Street to try their lunch menu and their tranquil new front garden overlooking the Cathredral Green and right in the heart of the town. It was all so civilised! the service was excellent and so was the food. The Swan Hotel are able to hold the marriage ceremony and have very pleasant facilities for your daytime and evening function. Find out more about the Swan Hotel Wells on their website www.swanhotelwells.co.uk Almost next door (so very handy if you are getting married at the Swan Hotel) is Eric Purchase Photography. The business is over 30 years old and the photographic studio is now managed by Debbie, a capable and professional wedding photographer with an excellent reputation. To find out more about Eric Purchase Photography visit their website at www.epphoto.co.uk

10th March 2010

Tea at Poppy Greens

Like most women I love afternoon tea and at the moment Poppy Greens is the place to go. Tea is served in pretty vintage china cups with one or two! rather scrumptious cup cakes. Last time I dropped by, Lesley had been experimenting with some new shortbread biscuit shapes decorated with sugar flowers and icing. They were a huge hit at the Powderham Castle Show in Devon last weekend and where brides confirmed my view that the biscuits made ideal little table gifts for wedding guests. Don't just take our word for it though, go and have a look for yourself at www.poppygreens.co.uk or see Poppy Greens in the main hall at The Wedding and Fine Events Show on 27th and 28th March 2010 at the Royal Bath and West Showground. PS the biscuits were rather nice!

22nd February 2010

Spring at Last!

Spring is here and the new issue of Wedding Whispers is now online, featuring the Wedding and Fine Events Show at the Royal Bath and West Showground on 27th and 28th March 2010. Visit the show website for 2 for 1 tickets as stocks are now limited www.weddingandfineeventsshow.co.uk

Wedding Whispers is the informed choice for busy working women with a wedding to organise. Our website is updated on a regular basis with details and website links for our selected wedding services so it's easier for you to find what you are looking for. You can register online for free and have a regular free copy sent by post, or if you prefer, you can simply download the current issue onto your desktop. Features in the spring issue include; your style for your wedding abroad, why you should resist temptation when looking to buy your wedding dress online? Have confidence about your own wedding style and discover some entertaining ideas, plus all the best loved and regular services in the magazine and online. Did you know that we have put together a style gallery online so you can get some ideas for your wedding?  Visit it here There's so much more to Wedding Whispers!

22nd January 2010

Making a Start

Your wedding is this year and you are too busy to even think about it or you've done the show rounds, gone home with all the goody bags but still don't know where to start. We know all this because we've had years of experience just talking to brides and grooms to be. We talk, you do the planning! Unlike most wedding magazines, we are actually out there on a Sunday talking to couples at shows, finding out about their own wedding experiences and pointing them in the right direction. Last Sunday we were at the 'excellent' Marriott Hotel on College Green, Bristol and one bride to be was worrying about when she should order her wedding dress for this summer!!? Lead times will vary depending on the label but 16 to 20 weeks is about right but do allow time and additional money for dress fittings. If you have left it a bit late don't worry we have a list of bridal shops where you can try and buy your dress off the rail at a substantial discount. For 2010 collections, find a shop from our list here.

Whilst we were talking! nearly all the remaining copies of the Wedding Whispers autumn winter issue were snapped up, along with lots of money off tickets for the Wedding and Fine Events Show in March. You can buy your tickets now and there is a buy one get one free ticket offer on the show website. The next issue of Wedding Whispers will feature the show which is the only 2 day event in Somerset and will include some special offers and discounts from some of the exhibitors. You'll soon be able to read the spring 2010 issue of Wedding Whispers online and you can now order back issues of Wedding Whispers when you visit the archive here.