Keep the war out of Weddings with these fun and pretty products
Okay, so the family plans didn’t quite go as expected. The life dream of growing up, going to university, having a career, getting married, going on holiday twice a year and having two perfect children at the right time and a wonderful relationship with Mr Original and forever didn’t quite go in that order. Life is never simple and neither is catering for it at weddings.
Step children, wedding dresses altered each trimester, and getting through the family speech without a punch up from the in-laws or children are now just part and parcel of the big day. Here are some fun and pretty products to keep everyone happy and amused.
Two Little Boys
Something to keep you happy when the grown ups are being really boring at the dinner table book
Suitable for ages 3-12
£6
http://www.2littleboys.co.uk/index.php?p=product&id=8&parent=0
This is my Day as a Bridesmaid Camera Playpack
£17
http://www.2littleboys.co.uk/index.php?p=product&id=30&parent=3
TWF Thumble
TWF: Thumb Wrestling Federation range of toys from Sambro International, are liked by children and adults alike.
From £1.49
ASDA, Toys R Us, WH Smiths, Factory Shop
Wedding party favours for children, girls, boys or unisex. Inclues games, toys and sweets.
£5
www.partyfavourz.com
It’s your Story specialise in photo-personalised books which incorporate a child’s face into a story illustrations.
£19.99
Blush Fashions
Rose Ballet Baby Shoe
This soft leather baby shoe is available for babies aged from birth to 24 months. Avaialble in pink, lilac or white.
£16.00
Fairytale Princess Ivory Dress
This pretty ivory fress has a sequin elasticated bodice for close fit and full length layered net skit.
From £42.95
Machine washable aged 3 – 10 years
Anamalz – Tiger Eco Friendly Kids Toys
£4.99
Enironmentally friendly wooden Tiger-Anamalz toy
Faith Bear- Christening Teddy Bear
£5.99GBP
Cuddly plush teddy is ideal for weddings or Christenings where faith is an important aspect of the day.
Betty’s Bureau
Knitted Odd-Bod Bunch
Create your own family of Odd-Bods with a few simple stiches. This book shows you how with weird and wonderful knitted creatureds created by Donna Wilson.
£12.99
Super-cute Crochet
This book will take you through creating these fun and cute crochet creatures with clear instructions and techniques.
£12.99
www.bettysbureau.co.uk
Crown champagne bowl
http://www.spottygiftboxes.co.uk/Wine-Buff/Large-Crown-Champagne-Chiller/p-43-318/
£69.99
Wedding Memory Box
For Keeping safe all your keepsakes of the big day
£16.99
www.bettysbureau.co.uk
Simple and elegant is the theme behind these beautiful John Lewis wedding decorations. Ditch the expert planner and stick to budget without resorting to pound shop chic.
Four wedding cake tea lights
£5.00
Crate of 24 white roses
£15.00
Scented heart rose candle
£5.00
White rose wreath
£20.00
www.johnlewis.com
Tree2mydoor.com is a sustainable eco-friendly gift website that delivers trees to people’s doors all over the UK.
Lemon tree
£49.99
www.tree2mydoor.com
Be a Beautiful Bride
Hamlyn
Published March 2009
£12.99
This brilliant book acts as the bride’s personal image consultant when it comes to choosing the best dress for the big day. Its step-by-step approach to clothing cuts and the human body allow you to identfy which basic dress shape will look good on you.
It really takes the hassle out of finding the perfect dress. If you are shopping for vintage dresses in Oxfam, chasing up a second hand bargain in Trade-it, or going for the credit crunch option in a high street store, this book will tell you how to get the right look for your body shape, face shape and colouring and the other members of your important wedding party. Essentially, it deals with disguising problem areas and how to make the best of your bad bits.
Even if you have your own style consultant, this is a book every bride-to-be needs no matter how many times they marry and how much of a sense of humour the sales assistant at the shop has.
The book is produced with colour me beautiful, a personal and corporate image consultancy. The authors, Veronique Henderson the creative director, and Pat Henshaw the senior trainer have over 40 years of colour me beautiful experience between them.
For sexy maternity lingerie AA Lingerie
Hotmilk Cherry Bomb Chic bra: 30A to 36A £32.95
Hotmilk Cherry Bomb Chick French French Knicker: s/m/l/xl £15.95
Hotmilk Silhouette of a secret nursing bra: 30A to 36A £32.95
Hotmilk Silhouette of a secret string: s/m/l/xl £13.95
www.aalingerie.com
For comfortable wedding feet for the bride and guests, Kiwi Smiling Feet ball of foot cushions is perfect for helping prevent the burning pain associated with high heels.
Specialsts in footwear products for 100 years, Kiwi has some handy tips to make your feet at their best on the big day:
The perfect wedding shoes will need to be a lot of things, but mostly, they have to be comfortable. Follow these tips to ensure you look and feel great:
If you are not a practiced heel wearer, your wedding day is not the day to start! This change of style will send your feet into shock, instead opt for a low kitten heel or satin ballerina pumps are very on trend.
If you would like a little added height but cannot face skinny stilettos think about platform heels, the concealed platform sole will provide you with height and place less pressure on the balls of your feet.
Don’t leave it until the last minute. The height of your heel is very important and your dress will be hemmed accordingly so ensure you have them in time for your dress fitting.
If your dress is embellished make sure you choose a plain shoe or coordinate choice of gems/embroidery with your dress.
When buying your bridal shoes, shop towards the end of the day. Your feet swell over the course of the day so try them on when your feet are at their largest. If you plan to wear hosiery on your wedding day be sure to wear them whilst trying on your shoes.
It is essential that whichever style shoe you decide to go for you must break them in. Start wearing your bridal footwear around the house a few weeks before your wedding day. Slowly increase the amount of time you spend in them and try to stand a lot until you feel that you can wear them comfortably for at least four or five hours.
Kiwi Smiling Feet ball of foot cushions £3.29 rrsp
http://www.kiwicare.co.uk
But what if the wedding is abroad? Children don’t have to be left at home, according to Tuscan wedding organiser Erica Bellini.
With the majority of wedding parties over the age of 30 it is almost guaranteed that some children will be present on your big day. A lot of couples would feel rude excluding children from the occasion, especially when a lot of newlyweds have babies themselves before they are even married.
Some guests may choose to leave them at home with a grandparent or nanny, but what happens when the wedding you are invited to is abroad? Most parents would not want to leave their little ones for long periods so why not use it as an excuse for a family holiday?
Tuscan wedding organiser Erica Bellini, who has been planning weddings in Italy for 10 years, thinks children can easily be catered for during your day. She said: “At previous weddings we have arranged for a group of specialists ranging from baby sitters for the tiny ones to entertainers for the older children. It means children of guests can be part of the day too. ”
Erica recently organised a wedding at one of their popular locations, Villa Gambassi, for a couple called Vicki and Tony who had a 3 month old baby girl. She said. “They really wanted baby Francesca around and in each photo throughout the day so they brought along a baby sitter. This meant they still had time to themselves and to be with their guests. They wanted her to be able to enjoy this unique day in her life as much as they did.”
Erica says. “Obviously keeping the children busy and happy became an issue that was at the top of the list throughout the planning. In fact, the organisation of the children at Vicki and Tony’s wedding was discussed with me before anything else was decided.”
With the help of professional baby sitters and entertainers children can safely play outside in the warm Tuscan sunshine, allowing parents to enjoy the day without worrying. Villa Gambassi is a perfect location for a large party with children. Guest accommodation is situated opposite the villa and the fact of not having to use transport to get to it makes its a lot easier for parents, knowing that their little ones are comfortably asleep in their room only a few metres away.
Here and some more tips from Tuscan Dreams to organise a wedding with children in mind:
Buy boxes of toys and non-messy creative items to help keep them quietly amused.
Don’t save on baby sitting/entertainers. Make sure you use professionals especially if 1 baby sitter/entertainer will look after more than 1 child.
Arrange for the entertainers to be close enough to the parents but also far away enough so that they don’t rush to the parents every time they fancy. An idea is to have the children on a lawn on a sunny day to get plenty of exercise as well.
Make sure the entertainers and baby sitters are specialised for the different age groups of the children.