Don’t Blame The Wedding Industry

August 27th, 2010

There has been quite a debate sparked since a slot on Radio 4’s Today programme in their ‘thought for the day’ slot. Do let us have your views on this controversial subject, as discussed in the article below in the Guardian.

Rebecca Mead says she agrees with the Rev Dr Giles Fraser, who claimed on Radio 4’s Thought for The Day that weddings have become “overblown, narcissistic productions” and that such ceremonies have “become a threat to marriage itself” (Princess for a day, 7 August).

Mead uses Chelsea Clinton as an example to back up her argument. However, I thought Chelsea looked beautiful: she’s the ex-US president’s daughter, so of course her wedding was going to be over the top! Yes, some brides do put themselves under undue pressure to look their best, to have the most talked-about wedding, to have the most expensive venue. But when that same bride has a baby, or moves house, she’ll be equally obsessive about which buggy brand to buy, or which kitchen to have fitted.

In the past, brides had no say in their wedding, as it was generally paid for and organised by her parents. Nowadays, with the average bride and groom being 29 and 31 respectively, the couple are already financially and socially independent, and therefore want greater control over the most important day of their lives.

Here I agree with Mead, who says: “With the transition into marriage meaning so much less than it once did, weddings must be made to mean so much more.” I edit Brides magazine, and with more than 90% of our readers living with their partner before their wedding day, the wedding night is no longer the first night of intimacy. Now, of course, modern couples split the bills, and many have already lived alone at university; the main shift from being engaged to marriage for a lot of couples I speak to is “just a lovely feeling of feeling more secure and committed”.

The reality of marriage often hits later, but it is ridiculous for Mead to say that “the notion that the idealised moment of a wedding day has anything to do with the messy, lived-in reality of marriage is something that the wedding industry has an astonishing capacity to gloss over”. Would she prefer that wedding shops posted recent divorce rates in their windows, or that vicars handed out warnings that marriage can be bad for your ego and bank balance?

Would anyone get married if they truly knew the emotional compromise, hard work, family pressures and financial worries a long-term marriage really requires? It’s unlikely. And why dampen the happiness of a couple who go into their union with excitement and belief that they’ve met their lifelong partner?

Finally, Mead blames the wedding industry for the ills of marriage, claiming “the fact that [a wedding] has been turned into an extended shopping opportunity amounts, inevitably to a degradation of its larger significance”. As someone who wholeheartedly embraced what the industry had to offer for my own wedding, I simply don’t agree. We live in a consumer society. To suggest that weddings are somehow above this is naive. The demand is there before the supply. Our readers are desperate for ideas, images of dresses, great honeymoon destinations.

Who says that just because you want to celebrate in style – with a show-stopping dress, fabulous Louboutins, “freeze-dried rose petals [and] butterfly-release kits” – you’re not taking your marriage vows seriously? Princess for a day? Sign me up.

Articles from http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/aug/25/wedding-industry-celebrate-in-style

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Crystal Wedding Favours

August 5th, 2010

One of our most popular lines are the beautiful crystal wedding favours that we have stocked for some time now. Brides love that these are a functional present that guests can keep long after the wedding. With this in mind we have recently added the crystal heart place card holders that are already proving popular. Not only will these look fabulous decorating your wedding tables but your guest will be able to use them as photo holders when they take them home. I’ve attached the link and picture so you can go to the website and order yours now.
http://www.verbenastationery.co.uk/unique-wedding-favours/crystal-heart-place-card-holders/Keep checking the website as we have lots more new products to add over the coming weeks.
Until next time
Kate

General, Uncategorized, Wedding Favours

Wedding Invitations Competition

July 19th, 2010

Thank you to everyone who entered our competition to win £200 worth of wedding invitations. We are delighted to announce that the winner is Katie Brennan who can choose any of the Verbena designs for her wedding invitations. As a thank you to everyone for entering we would like to off you all free shipping for the rest of July 2010. To claim your free shipping simply enter code JULY2010 into the coupon code box at the shopping cart.

We will be doing another competition draw in six months time for those of you who would like to try your luck again, please visit the homepage for further details, www.verbenastationery.co.uk

This year seems to be flying by, we can’t believe that we are already halfway through July and wedding season is in full swing. I hope that your planning is coming along and good luck to all of you getting married this Summer.

Until next time
Kate

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Trends for Wedding Favours in 2010

July 6th, 2010

If you’re planning your wedding for later this year and haven’t yet purchased your wedding favours don’t worry, help is at hand. Below are some ideas of the trends that have appeared so far this year in the world of wedding favours.

Personalised favours have been extremely popular this year. Including the name of the happy couple and the date of the wedding on your favour boxes is a lovely touch and is sure to remind your guests of your wedding for years to come. It is not just boxes that can be personalised, wine bottle labels, stickers, gift tags are just a few of the items that can be printed on. Get creative and present your guests with something truly memorable.

Practical favours are a must around your wedding table this year. The Love Birds salt & pepper shaker is our best selling favour this year. It’s not only practical but is a true symbol of the meaning of your big day. Bottle stoppers often follow this theme as well, the heart bottle stopper has sold extremely well this year.

Another practical theme that has shone through is to combine place card holders that can also be used as a photo frame for your guests to use at home. There are lots of small frames on the market that you can use for your place card holders. You could even include a photo of yourselves for your guests to keep as a beautiful reminder of your special day. Again, these have been extremely popular in 2010.

The wedding CD is proving to be a new trend this year. Couples are choosing to create a CD with their favourite songs included to give out to their guests as a gift. This is a relatively cheap and truly personalised.

Another emerging trend is to have environmentally friendly wedding favours. Beautiful handmade paper favours that have been scattered with wildflower seeds can be purchased for your guests to plant. These look beautiful on your wedding tables and might even product some beautiful flowers. Pot plants, beeswax candles are also ever popular as wedding favours this year.

If you pick one of these ideas, you will not only be on-trend but you will also send your guests home with a long lasting memory of your big day.

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New Sunflower Wedding Invitation

June 10th, 2010

We have just added a new invitation to the site which is proving to be a great hit for summer weddings. We have often been asked about adding a sunflower invitation to the range so here it is in all it’s glory. We love adding new items to the range and hearing your feedback about them so do drop us a line and let us know what you think. If you would like to see a sample of the new design do drop me an e-mail and we will get one in the post to you.

Now that we are in the middle of wedding season I hope you are not getting too stressed with wedding planning. I hope your plans are coming together and that the weather in the UK starts improving for those of you getting married in the next few weeks.

Until next time
Kate

General, Wedding Invitations

Choosing the Right Mix of Music for Your Wedding

May 28th, 2010

Today we have a guest author who has written a piece for the blog. I hope you find it of interest.

A wedding day is one of the most special days in your life. With all the planning and preparation that goes into throwing this party of all parties, you want to make sure that everyone has a great time. As with any party, the music played at a wedding is vital to making it as memorable to the guests as it is to you. Picking the right music for your wedding is essential  
 
When choosing your wedding music, it’s important to keep a few things in mind. Most likely your guests will be of all ages, and so the music should reflect the different tastes that will reflect a variety of time periods. The list of songs to be played should vary in tempo, giving dancers of all styles a chance for a turn on the dance floor. Keep in mind that certain songs that may be special to you may be obscure to your guests, so keep those to a minimum. You want to include music that everyone will know. Here are some suggestions: 
 
Romantic songs are perfect for a wedding. Traditional artists like Frank Sinatra, Patsy Cline, and Tony Bennett will be sure to bring couples of all ages on to the floor. Newer artists like Celine Dion, Michael Buble, Mariah Carey and a myriad of others will add the younger set to the crowd.  
 
Of course, no wedding party music would be memorable without some rip roaring fun on the dance floor. There are a great many selections, both classic and modern, that’ll get your guests jumping in and having a great time. Party music standards, from Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” to the B-52’s “Love Shack” will have the whole party singing and dancing all evening long.  
 
Finding the right mix of romantic and party tunes is an indispensable part of planning your wedding. Keep your guests in mind when picking the music for your wedding and it’ll be sure to be a hit!

From Freak Music wedding band experts!

General, Recommended Suppliers

Date For Your Diary

May 28th, 2010

Verbena will be showcasing a huge selection of their beautiful wedding favours and wedding invitations at the National Wedding Show at the NEC from 8th-10th October 2010. Do come along and meet the team to see the designs and discuss your requirements. We are looking forward to meeting lots of brides and helping make their big day extra special.
More information can be found at www.nationalweddingshow.co.uk

I’ll be reminding you of the dates nearer the time and hoping to meet some of our loyal blog readers at the show.
Until next time
Kate

General, Uncategorized, Wedding Favours, Wedding Invitations , ,

Details of a New App For the Busy Bride

May 17th, 2010

If following or writing wedding blogs isn’t enough, the truly wedding-obsessed can make use of yet another new iPhone app, iBride. Available for 50 North American cities, the application allows busy brides-to-be to connect with vendors of everything from flowers and rings to tuxedos and guest favours.

The iBride app also includes a personal wedding checklist, a guest-list planner, product and service reviews and an instant appointment-maker.

There will be more than 150,000 weddings in Canada this year, with the average couple spending about $22,000 on the big event, according to iBride Inc.

iBride for iPhone and iPod touch is available now as a free download on Apple’s App Store.

Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/life/busy+bride+looking+help+there+just/3026971/story.html#ixzz0oBrS9mfD

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Wedding Guests Spend ‘£290′ on Attending a Marriage

May 7th, 2010

Another reason to make your wedding as special as possible for your guests who are spending more and more to attend a wedding.
Guests will spend an average of more than £290 on attending weddings this year, according to research.

The figure is a rise from last year’s average of £280.

Expenses such as accommodation, transport, a new outfit and a gift, drive up costs for guests, the poll for Direct Line found.

Of those who attended a wedding in the last year or expect to this year, 78% said there was either some or a lot of pressure to spend money.

As well as the preparation, there are also many costs on the day.

Rachel Southwood, editorial director of Wedding Ideas magazine, said couples were cutting corners and expecting more from their guests.

“Guests are expected to contribute more and more. For example transport used to be provided to take people between venues, but now they have to make their own way,” she said.

“Free bars are less common, with more guests having to fork out for drinks. It all adds up.”
The online survey of 2,017 people revealed wedding guests are expected to spend an average of £293.69 on attending weddings this year, compared with £279.47 last year.

However, the poll showed that people are cutting back on spending on gifts.

Guests are paying an average of £78.67 on presents, a drop from last year’s £86.51.

Some 44% said they would spend less on a gift if they were short of cash, while just over half said they would cut costs by not buying a new outfit.

Of those polled, 17% would consider not attending the wedding and making up an excuse if they were stumped for cash.

The research also revealed that many people found stag and hen parties to be expensive. Some 72% said they felt financial pressure when attending these events.

Article taken from BBC news website – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news

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Icelandic Volcano: Stranded Couple Have Wedding Ceremony On Skype

April 19th, 2010

The Icelandic volcano is causing horrendous chaos at the moment. Here is one sorry tale published at www.metro.co.uk

Sean Murtagh, 24, originally from west London, and his new wife Natalie, a 30-year-old Australian, were supposed to be flying back to the UK from their home in Brisbane for Sunday’s ceremony.

The couple married at a civil ceremony in Brisbane three weeks ago and had planned to hold a humanist ceremony for family and friends in the UK at the weekend.

Sean’s parents and Natalie’s mother managed to make it from Australia to London in time – but the newlyweds themselves ended up stranded when they changed planes at Dubai on Thursday.

It seemed like the ceremony would have to be called off – until the couple decided to go ahead with the ceremony in the hotel’s lobby using Skype to connect with their guests in Ealing, west London.
Hotel staff volunteered to became the couple’s impromptu wedding planners. ‘They have decorated the lobby of the hotel. They made us a three tier wedding cake, set up a laptop with Skype and a projector,’ said Mr Murtagh.

‘It’s spellbinding the amount they have done for us. It’s been an incredible day. We were never going to forget it anyway but we certainly won’t forget it now.’

Humanist celebrant Caroline Black, who conducted the ceremony from a sports club in Ealing, said: ‘I’ve done lots of humanist weddings but not one like this at all. It was absolutely brilliant. It was just like any other wedding except the bride and groom weren’t there.’

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