The Bridal Experience

On Sunday I shall be putting on my music hat and providing some gorgeous live music for a select group of brides to be at The Ivy Hill in Margaretting. This is an invitation only event organised by The Essex Events Company.

As a professional musician in Essex as well as a full time wedding planner in Essex I have been asked to provide two different options suitable for a cermeony, drinks reception or wedding breakfast. We are having a solo saxophone for the drinks reception as the brides arrive, followed by an acoustic set, with Essex acoustic duo, Acoustic Grooves part of wedding band, One Foot in the Groove.

Unlike a wedding fayre, this event is invite only and the brides will get a chance to really chat to suppliers, listen to talks about make up and hair and get some ideas about planning their wedding. The whole event is a great idea and much more intimate than your traditional wedding fayre. I'm looking forward to meeting some suppliers that I haven't worked with previously and of course meeting some lovely brides to be.

How do you cut corners with costs and not style?

Following on from our last post about saving money on your wedding without compromising on the style of your day

3. Cake for dessert

Over the years I have been working as a wedding planner in Essex and London I have always noticed that few guests finish their dessert or the guests don't eat all the cake at the evening buffet. Save yourself some money and choose a more dessert like cake and serve it after the main course. You still get to maike a big fuss of the cutting of the cake but then that is served to your guests as dessert after the wedding breakfast. What's left can go our with the evening buffet.

4. Buffet, BBQ or hog roast ? not a sit down meal.

If you are getting married in the Summer for example why not have an informal hog roast for the main course or a buffet, which can still be hot, instead of a plated meal. A sit down plated meal will   always be the most expensive option. A hog roast in the Summer can give a real relaxed feel to a wedding and save you an awful lot of money. This still works well for weddings out of season as there is something warm and comforting about a hog roast.

If you'd like to receive some more cost saving tips why not consider hiring EC Wedding Design, wedding planners in Essex for a planning workshop. We charge £150 for a 3 hour session with a professional wedding planner in London. This workshop is a perfect and inexpensive way to get you started planning your wedding. You ask the things you want and need to know and we will impart our professional knowledge to help you. If you then decide to go on and hire E C Wedding design to plan your day, this fee is deducted from your final bill.

How do you cut corners with costs and not style?

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In the climate we live in budgets for weddings are being cut all the time, not for everyone but for many. How do you work to a tight budget whilst still having thewedding of your dreams?

Here are a couple of things that might help when you come to planning your big day. I have many more money saving tips, without compromising on style. If you want to learn more think about a no obligation consultation with a qualified wedding planner in Essex or Hertfordshire to help you.

1. Numbers

Why not think about keeping numbers for the daytime lower. It would be lovely to have 150 people but you could be paying around £50 per head for them. Sit down together and each draw up a list of guests, then compare. If there are names you agree on then put them on the final list. Always remember on your weding day you want to look around the room and be surrounded by the most important people in your life. Not your third cousin twice removed who you last saw three years ago

2. what time you eat

If you plan your day so that you sit down to eat the wedding breakfast at about 6pm as opposed to late afternoon,you can avoid having to pay for an evening buffet because the wedding breakfast becomes dinner. This works for so many reasons, not just cost. It means the meal and speeches end at about 8.30pm and then dancing starts at about 9pm. Believe it or not this is the perfect time to start the party. Guests have had a few drinks, its dark outside and all of this makes for a better party atmosphere. If you want to invite some more friends in the evening you can, all you need to do is put on their invitations, please join us for a drink to celebrate our marriage. This makes it clear there won't be addittional food. If you do want to offer more food then do a cheese board for everyone.

Happy planning 

The Bridal Experience

For any brides in the Essex or Hertfordshire area that would like to come along to the Bridal expereince do get in touch. This is going to be a lovely afternoon where you can meet suppliers, listen to talks about wedding planning in Essex and listen to some great live music from Essex wedding band, One Foot in the Groove.

It is an invitation only event, it is not a wedding fayre, but a chance for brides to enjoy a little pampering, enjoy afternoon tea and chat one to one with some hand picked wedding suppliers in Essex.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-essex-events-company/bridal-experience-25-nov-2012/475289675868540?ref=notif&notif_t=like

Bridal Experience - 25 Nov 2012

An experience for brides to be and their guest - Invitation Only...

by: The Essex Events Company

Essex Wedding Band shortlisted for Awards

You may or may not know but my involement in the wedding industry started ten years ago when I launched my wedding band in Essex, One Foot in the Groove. Over the years we have literally played at hundreds of weddings and have built up an enviable reputation. Whilst I continue to work closely with my brides on all aspects of their wedding planning I also continue to run and sing with the band.

All of this expert knowledge on the industry I bring to all of my couples when planning their big day. I'm delighted to say this year Essex wedding band One Foot in the Groove have been shortlisted for The Wedding Industry Awards 2013, the second year in a row and we are finalists in The Essex Wedding Awards 2012. Fingers crossed that the band win an award for all of their hard work in providing fantastic live music week in and week out across the South East.