A day in the life of an event planner - Asian Pre wedding Celebration

This evening I thought it would be fun to share with you one of my recent events, its always nice to give people an insight into what is involved being a wedding and event planner.

Recently I have become involved with a local venue Forum Northallerton , I will go into more detail about this fabulous venue at a later date. Now those who know me will know what I mean when I say I just have to keep busy, sometimes my mind is soooooooo busy which is great until my body decides actually it cannot really keep up lol.

This weekend I was involved in the organisation of an Asian Pre - wedding celebration. We had several meetings along with the manager to discuss arrangements and I knew from the start that it would be a long day. 176 people were due to arrive so we had to get the room set up with the appropriate number of tables in a horseshoe arrangement with a main table for the bridal party. Sometimes it looks easy when it is on paper but when you actually come to put the plan into action you often find you have to tweak things a little, so that people can get around and have the freedom they need to move.
The caterers then arrived, they had a very slick operation and worked very professionally and got things organised and tables laid out. 

Next we got the seating plan mounted on a display board and organised a location in the entrance for Ganesh, it looked great.

At the request of the family I dressed in a Sari, I had never put one on myself before so did not really know where to start, But one of the kind family members took me aside and dressed me. I lost count of the amount of compliments I received that day, it made me think that maybe I should wear one more often! I have never seen such a display of colour. So I stationed myself in the foyer ready to welcome the guests along with the official photographer of the day.

Once everyone had arrived my next task was to get everyone seated for the entrance of the bride and bridegroom. To do this I was asked to announce it, now I am not often asked to be master of ceremonies so it is a new challenge for me. It was rather daunting to be up on stage in front of so many people with a microphone. There I stood, making the first announcement, only for the people at the back to point out they could not hear me, so with my trusty assistant who knows more about the technical side, turned the volume up, so take two..... but this time as soon as I opened my mouth BOOM! you could say it went from one extreme to another. By the time we got to the 4th announcement I had just about managed to get into the stride of things.

After the starters had been served it was time for some entertainment, there was some wonderful dancing on the stage, performed by family members at the request of the bride and bridegroom. Some of the family were still recovering from the dancing the night before, as most people will know where Asian weddings are concerned celebrations often go on for several days.

The food was a typical feast of Indian food, served buffet style, the family and friends really went out of the way to make sure we were all looked after with meals too. So nice of them.

After the meal and dancing it was time for the guests to leave, I think everyone had come over at some point to say thank you, passing on their appreciation for our hard work during the day - its the simplest things that make such a difference. I can't wait now until the next function.

Wedding Industry Experts Winner

Best Wedding Planner in York

Just a quick thank you to all that voted, I cannot believe some of the lovely comments and reviews that I get from people whom I have previously or are in the process of assisting. Weddings as any other events are often stressful so it is so nice to know that my hard work supporting and working with brides is appreciated. Things have been very busy over the previous few months and I have a lot to tell everyone. So I apologise for being a little behind with my blogs, but stay with us as there are some coming soon. 
Thank you again for your support!

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Fitting Send Off for Wedding Pair

The owners of a local engineering firm who waited 25 years before tying the knot were given a steamy send-off at the White Horse Lodge Hotel last weekend, with a little help from their friends.

Wendy and Cyril Bainbridge said it was apt being given a send-off by the 14mph top-speed “Yorkshire Belle” steam traction engine, having taken their own relationship slowly and steadily.

 The couple, from Cold Kirby, whose business, Bainbridge Engineering, makes handling equipment for the farming community, said they were delighted when customers, Alan and Peter Turner from Thomanby, turned up with their recently restored 1916 traction engine.

 Wendy and Cyril held their wedding reception at the White Horse Lodge Hotel on Sutton Road, Thirsk.  The hotel is well placed to cater for local events and benefits from ample car parking and splendid views.  The couple were married earlier in the day at Laskill Country House at Hawnby, near Helmsley.

So for all you local brides who are looking for a beautiful location for your wedding reception check out the White Horse Lodge Hotel  Website

Working in partnership with the Hotel Jules Kelly of  White Rose Weddings, Celebrations and Events is organising a wedding fair on Sunday 19th May 11-3.30pm where lots of local exhibitors will be present, along with a bridal show at 12.00 and 2.30pm as well as live music.

for more information or to register for your bridal goody bag  please visit our event website http://wednorthyorksweddingfair.eventbrite.co.uk/

Destination Weddings

If you are thinking of planning a destination wedding it can feel very daunting and send  visions of ££££ signs dancing around your head. That may not actually be true depending on where you decide to hold the wedding, you could end up saving money. Often, the cheaper price tag has to do with the fact that you will most likely have a much smaller guest list when you plan to get married abroad.

The truth is that you will probably find that you will be spending less money in some areas (such as types of flowers and quantity and more in others (airfare will be the main area and accommodation)

Everybody has different ideas where there destination wedding is concerned so here are a few points that you may find helpful

 Family

Planning a destination wedding might not be exactly the wedding your family (and more specifically, your parents) had in mind for you, especially if it means lots of friends and family can’t come. Ultimately your wedding should take whatever form makes you happy, but you might want to keep that in mind when you tell them this is what you’re thinking of doing. A good compromise is to have another celebration upon your return. Their first concern will probably be cost and if it is affordable for them to be present on your big day.

 Budget

Just as it is for any wedding, but even more so for a destination wedding, it is important you set a budget. Prices can vary greatly from place to place so you really need to know how much money you have got to work with, trying your best to  stick to that budget. If your parents are involved with contributions towards the cost then it might be best to try and involve them in the planning, it will give them an opportunity to discuss any concerns they have.

The Official Bit

Get your marriage paperwork figured out ahead of time. Some countries require you to stay there for a certain amount of time before you can be legally wed there. If you’re into the idea, consider getting legally hitched in your hometown before jetting off to have the ceremony, that way you’ll be certain everything is legit, and you’ll save on fees for lawyers, officiants and paperwork in other countries.

Hire A Wedding Planner / Travel agent

You might want to factor in the cost of working with a travel agent and a wedding planner. While it’s possible to make all the arrangements yourself, these people can save you a ton of time and, in the end, may even end up saving you a lot of cash, too. Wedding planners who specialize in the place where you are considering getting hitched will have insight into the best hotels, deals and options (which is even more important if you can’t afford to/don’t have the time to visit the destination ahead of the wedding), and travel agents can help score your guests the best deals on travel.

 Honeymoon

To save some cash, you might consider having your honeymoon at the same destination as the wedding. You can always switch hotels after your guests leave to make it feel more special.

 Your Bridal Party

Consider keeping your bridal party small and intimate. Asking too many people makes them feel like they should come, even if they can’t afford it. If you can afford to cover the cost of your bridal party then even better but tread carefully. It may be a good idea to give them plenty of notice too, it gives them chance to save up for longer which in turn will make things less stressful.

Those details

With a destination wedding it means that you might not be able to plan everything down to the very last detail. Make sure you discuss ahead of time with your wedding planner or the hotel how much you can be involved with picking those things, and how much extra it will cost to pick things that are “outside the box.”

Weather & Seasons 

When picking the date, keep weather in mind. After all you don't want to be in Florida for Hurricane season.Also, keep high travel seasons in mind. Getting married during off-peak travel seasons will mean better deals on travel for your guests.

 Your Dress

When planning a destination wedding its important to consider your dress and how it will travel.  Try and pick something lightweight and in a wrinkle free fabric

 Your Guests

Your guests will already be travelling in some form to your wedding, so pick a place with easy access for visitors (think big cities or places within a short driving distance from big airports).

Save the Date … Early

Send out your save-the-dates as soon as you have the date and place in mind so people have ample time to save up if they’d like to come. 

 Gifts

I know, I know. A big part of the fun of getting married is all the stuff you get! Still, if you’re married abroad and people are spending a lot of money just to make it, consider letting people know that just being at your wedding is enough.

Hopefully I have helped you clear up a few of your questions regarding getting married abroad. If you would like any more help, just leave me a message!