This time of year is always very busy with wedding stationery orders. These days the average timescale for sending out invitations is 12 weeks. Although traditionally 6 weeks is the date given, I think the world has become a busy place and so brides tend to give much more notice.
Either way, as long as your guests have enough notice to plan time off work or book flights and accommodation then it really doesn’t matter when you send them.

Invitations are one of the most important elements for any wedding – after the dress and the venue really. It is the ‘first impression’ of your big day. It reveals to your guests, the style, colour scheme and details of your wedding.

 Many budget concious brides these days are opting to make their own invites which is a great cost saving idea but it does bring with it lots of hard work and stress. Most of our brides want us to create something unique that reflects their own personality and style which they then carry through to the Big Day.

Our two most recent orders couldn’t  be more different.

The first, is from our ‘Vintage’ collection and is quite a formal invitation. The brief from the bride was ‘country garden chic but nothing too flouncy.’ Think simple, pretty and declicate floral. It is a pocketfold style with 3 insert cards, an addressed RSVP, Directions and Accommodation card. The brides parents are the hosts and the invitation wording reflects this.

The second invitation is from our new ‘CariCouture’ collection and is a destination wedding so everything about it is much less formal. The brief for this one was ‘something fun and quirky to reflect our personality’. It is a Z-fold style with a personal poem from the bride and groom.

Well, it’s that big day of the year again! The one day where we get to be all googly-eyed and loved up and profess our deepest feelings for the one we love. Or as some people prefer to believe, it’s the over-commercialised, money making racket of a day that makes singletons feel even worse than normal!

Either way, it’s a day focused on love and romance and for me I can’t think of a better excuse to go over the top with all things red

Oddly enough, valentines day is not always a particlarly busy day for us. We tend to get lots of new enquiries in the weeks after Valentines as the boys definitely tend to pop the big question on Feb 14th but not many couples tend to marry on this day. We did however get a number of orders for ’2 covers & red sashes” from some our lovely customers who want to create a romantic meal for two in the comfort of their own homes. Of course you can order these from our website www.theweddingbreakfast.co.uk

So, for those of you that want to go with the ‘red romantic valentines day’ theme, have a look at our photo collage below to give you some inspiration!K xxxx

Every bride wants to have the perfect wedding day but unfortunately sometimes budgets get in the way. A lot of our brides come to us with a very tight budget and still want to achieve a fabulous transformation for their venue and so we have to be very careful with how we help them. Lot’s of unlucky couples go down the route of finding the cheapest supplier for everything but unfortunately that often ends with tears. I’ve heard stories of blurred photos, dirty chair covers and mismatched sashes, tatty hair styles and I even had to step in one day with one of our brides and offer my own wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses as the seamstress they had used really did a botched job!

Photo Credit David Fenwick

So, what can a couple do these days to save on cost but not on quality (well at least when it comes to decor)? Do It Yourself! DIY is fast becoming the new trend for the modern couple with many opting to set up their own reception rooms, make their own favours and invites and even their own tiaras and jewelery.

• Always use great quality products ie: chair covers and sashes from The Wedding Breakfast
• Create a list of duties for your bridesmaids, groomsmen and family so everyone has a job to do
• Always allow yourself plenty of time to set up especially if you are doing it the morning of the wedding. A typical table of 10 chair covers with sashes should take one person 15-20mins so work out how many people you need and how much time – add an extra half hour to account for any delays
• Pack a box/bag  with all the contents for each table ie: Table 1 box – table name/number card, 10 x placecards, 10 x favours, 1 pack scatter crystals, 1 pack petals, 1 table runner, 1 disposable camera, 2 menus etc
• Print off a few copies of your table plan and give to your team of helpers
• If making your own centerpieces then keep it simple and ALWAYS make one spare
• Be organised, be prepared and stay calm – maybe bring a glas of bubbly too
• Enjoy!

K xx

So where do I start? I guess I’ll just tell you a bit about me….
I’m a mama of a little 2 year old boy, a wifey and the owner of my wedding venue styling company ‘The Wedding Breakfast’. I have been running my business for almost four years now and still loving every minute of it. We specialise in venue decoration, supplying chair covers and sashes, table decorations, centerpieces, wedding invitations, fairylight backdrops, favours and much, much more. The list is endless really.
As an industry professional, I find myself indulging in long conversations with 100′s of brides about their weddings and giving lots of advise, hints and tips. I often get referred to as a little wedding fairy (hence the blog name) who whizzes in and out of venues sprinkling my fairy dust to transform them into something spectacular. So, I guess that’s why I find myself here. I thought it was time I put those tips to work and started to spread the word and share a snippet of my life as a mum working in such a fabulous industry.
I hope you enjoy my blog and feel inspired for your big day.
Feel free to fire any questions my way
Katrina xxx
www.theweddingbreakfast.co.uk