Tried and Tested Ways to Entertain Children at a Wedding

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There are lots of reasons to include kids at your wedding. Children give a playful, excited mood to the proceedings and after all, kids are often a big part of a marriage. Just make sure you keep them entertained throughout the day or they might just run riot!

Entertainment for Different Ages 
What entertains a child is vastly different from what entertains adults. You also need to consider that 12-year-old children are unlikely to find much in common with two-year-old toddlers. You also want the parents to have a good time at your wedding. Let them have a bit of downtime where they can chat and catch up with old friends and family, without having a bored child tugging at their skirts or trouser legs.

If you’re having a long wedding day then you’re definitely going to have to have some back-up plans for your youngsters. Just so the little ones don’t end up tired and emotional in the evening, when party starts.

We think it’s best to split the day into various sections for children, so they don’t have time to get bored.

Entertain the Little Ones 
Little children always like to have a job to do. So why don’t you get an usher to hand them cones of petals as they leave the ceremony. They can then shower the new bride and groom as they leave the venue.

At place settings, you can give goody bags for the kids as their favours. You can seat children at their own table, in their own age groups. If you can afford it, you can have a nanny at the table to supervise the fun.

The age of your guests will determine what goes into their goody bags. Young children will enjoy colouring books and Playdough, but be careful when choosing edible treats.


Big Kid Entertainment Plans
For the over fives, a disposable camera will provide hours of activity. Create a photo scavenger hunt and at each place setting and provide a list of shots you’d like each child to capture. They could be things like the bride kissing the groom, somebody dancing, a particular tree in the garden, a certain flower. Make sure you give each child a prize for taking part, we wouldn’t want any arguments over who’s best.

Instead of giving children a formal sit-down dinner with three courses, maybe alter the menu slightly to give them food they want – pasta or maybe nibbly food on the table – carrot sticks, sandwiches, plates of chips, young children are great grazers.


Outdoor Ideas
If you’re getting married in the summer, have some outdoor games in place for the children so they
can go and play while the speeches are going on. Believe us, they are not going to find these as
interesting as you will. Giant Jenga is a favourite for all ages. You could have a supervised bouncy
castle, which you could possibly put up indoors if your venue has a large enough room, just make
sure you don’t have little kids on it as the same time as older ones.

Face painting also goes down a storm for younger children and is pretty easy to organize, and while a
children’s entertainer isn’t particularly cheap, a room of entranced children watching a magician
intently will give the parents some much-needed respite. If you’ve had young bridesmaids and
pageboys, get the entertainer to make a bit of a fuss of them by getting them involved in helping
with the magic tricks so they get to take centre stage for a while.

If you’re getting married in the countryside and there’s a paddock nearby, how about organizing
some pony rides for the little children? They’ll queue up happily for quite a while waiting their turn.


Time to Chill Out
Finally, it’s also worth having a chill-out room for kids if you have space. Make sure there are a couple of TVs in each room and put on a DVD. At some stage, kids who’ve been running around all day will enjoy some quiet time and teenagers can just hang out together and chat.
 
Think about the kids and their ages and ask the parents what they enjoy doing and pop on some
entertainment for them. You’ll enjoy yourself more knowing they are having a good time and they’ll
remember your wedding as being fun, fun, fun!
 
Source : www.weddingideasmag.com

6 Must-Take Wedding Pictures

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The last thing you want is a gorgeous wedding day and then to look at your photographs and say, ‘Oh I wish we’d taken a picture of…’ Because it will be too late! At Wedding Ideas we’re here to help you through every stage of your wedding planning, so we’ve compiled a handy list of six photographs that you really, really need to have taken on the big day.


A Photograph With Your Mum 
She’s looked after you all your life and today you’re flying the nest. Although you’re both excited, it’s all a bit poignant as you start sharing your life with someone new. 

Have some photographs taken with your mum when you’re getting ready – maybe of her expression as she sees you in your beautiful dress? Or a photograph of you both before the ceremony? Think about it because it’s going to be an image you’ll treasure forever. Your dad will be walking you down the aisle so he’ll get his time in the limelight – just don’t forget your mum. 

Wedding Reception Details 
We know you would have spent a lot of time getting your wedding details just right, so don’t forget to take a picture of them! The thing is, you’ll probably be so busy on your day you’re not going to have time to take it all in and see how things finally look before your guests descend. So get the photographer to take some gorgeous shots of your reception details before everyone arrives, so you can enjoy all the hard work you’ve done.


Your friends
One of the wonderful things about your wedding day is that you’ll have gathered together far-flung
friends and family, many of whom you may not see very often. It’s important that you take the time
to be photographed together.

Maybe you need a shot with your best friend from childhood or the person who originally introduced
you to your groom-to-be? Tell them you want a special picture taken and make sure the
photographer knows who they are, so that they can get you all organised.


Jewelry Shots
Weddings often equal lots of bling. Your groom may have presented you with a special piece to wear
for the big day or you may have picked out a beautiful tiara. And, of course, you’re going to have
a shiny new wedding ring alongside your engagement ring (and your groom may well be wearing a
ring, too), so make sure your photographer documents all these important details of your outfit.
 
Don’t forget the photograph of you and your groom wearing your wedding rings, with your hands
entwined. That’s a real classic not to be missed.


Walking Into Your Ceremony
This is often one of the most emotional moments of the day – when you walk down the aisle and
catch sight of your groom or he takes a sneaky peak behind and sees his beautiful new bride
approaching – think of Prince William and Kate Middleton on their wedding day.

It’s bound to be a moment when emotion is written all over your faces so make sure it’s captured on
camera so you can enjoy it forever. Also, remember to capture the groom’s reaction to you walking
in. This is just as important as the shot of you and your dad.


The Little Ones 
Your younger wedding attendants are probably going to look very cute in the outfits you’ve chosen for them. While you may have some more formal shots taken with them in a line-up, sometimes the best ones are when they are just playing naturally after the ceremony and don’t realize their photographs are being taken. Ask your photographer to keep an eye on what they’re up to and keep their camera primed for action. When the little ones are grown up, they’ll smile to see how they once were on your special day… And so will you.

These are just a few ideas for wedding photographs that we know brides are always glad to have, but you’re probably going to have some thoughts of your own. So take a little time, have a think and make sure your photographer knows what you want to capture. It’s one little part of the wedding planning that’s really important and you’ll be able to relax on your wedding day knowing that all those important moments will be captured forever.
 
Source : www.weddingideasmag.com

How to Plan a Christmas Themed Wedding

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If you are planning your wedding for December and if you love Christmas then why not combine the two and have a sumptuous Christmas themed wedding?
Most people associate red and green colours with Christmas but with a little imagination and good design you can incorporate a much subtler pallet for your theme, as stationery expert Kate Lewis explains.

If you like a little sparkle then snowflakes should be a key theme element as they can work really well with soft greys and blue colours mixed with the traditional white and can transform your wedding into a classy Christmas themed affair. Using some sparkly glitter or crystals to you invitations you can set the scene of your winter wonderland wedding without being over the top.

On your big day continue this theme with crystals and silver sprinkles on your tables. Maybe you could even use some silver Christmas baubles as place card holders!

For a more rustic Christmas theme try mixing dark reds with rustic browns and creams. You don’t have to stick with the traditional Christmas elements; if you like butterflies, have butterflies! I’ve added a touch of raffia and some stars to these butterfly invitations which instantly transforms them to fit this theme perfectly!

To bring the rustic feel indoors why not use pine cones on your table and slot in your place cards! Use holly as simple but very festive table decorations, even better if you can find some growing in your garden!

8 Amazing Wedding Accessories You’ve Never Thought Of!

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Think beyond the traditional tiara, shoes and bracelets and take your wedding accessories to the next level with these cool, contemporary ideas.


Birdcage veil
When you think of a wedding veil, you’re probably thinking of a long, tulle number – so what if you don’t like the idea of a traditional veil but want to wear a bridal headpiece? The birdcage veil might be for you! This stylish piece is perfect for brides having a retro vintage-themed wedding, but looks equally chic when paired with a classic gown as with a cute tea-length dress. Just add a sparkling comb or clip and you’re good to go!
 
 
Trainers
Cringing at the idea of wearing skyscraper stilettos on your wedding day? Then don’t! Heels aren’t a wedding essential, and if you’re the kind of girl who spends all her time in her favourite comfy Converse, why not inject a bit of personality into your wedding look and wear them on the day? If your bridesmaids are up for it, you can get the whole wedding party involved too – it’ll mean no sore feet on the dance floor! 
 
 
Parasol
If you’re marrying in the summer and it looks like you’re going to have a heatwave on the big day – or you’re lucky enough to be getting married abroad – why not consider a wedding parasol? There are loads of styles available, including cute lace and heart-shaped designs, and it’ll look sweet as a photo prop. Even if you don’t use them in the photographs, consider having parasols to hand for you and your bridesmaids if it truly is boiling, as they’ll keep the sun off you and stop you overheating.
 
  
Glasses
If you think your face doesn’t look like your own without glasses, then please wear them on your wedding day! Many brides choose to get contacts for the day, or even go without and risk blurry  eyesight than ‘spoil’ their bridal ensemble with specs, but the last thing you want is to look back on your wedding photos and not recognise yourself. If you’ve always worn your glasses, then wear them proudly on the big day – and don’t forget to send us photos!  
  
Coloured petticoat
Adding a petticoat to a 1950s-style tea-length dress is the perfect way to add volume to the skirt, but why settle for white when you could add an exciting pop of colour to your look? We love it when vintage-inspired retro brides pair a bright red petticoat with a classic red lip! You could also opt for rainbow colours or pretty pastels – just check out this flirty 50s photoshoot for inspiration.  

 


Faux fur coat
If you’re marrying in the autumn, winter or early spring, then you might be worried about keeping warm on the big day. The faux fur coat is the perfect solution – not only does it look super chic and sophisticated, it’s much more heavy duty than a pashmina or lace jacket! You could also opt for a faux fur stole or wrap, rather than the full coat, but we think that all of these options look gorgeous. 
 
 


Feathers
We’ve been in love with feathers as a bridal hair accessory ever since Carrie Bradshaw wore a bird on her head in the Sex and the City film. If you want the same unique look but don’t want to end up looking like part of the Natural History Museum, there are loads of gorgeous feathered hair clips or headbands to choose from.  
 


Daisy chains
Floral crowns are super popular this year, but if you’re looking for something a little different, why not try the more subtle daisy chain? It’ll give your look a pretty bohemian touch without overwhelming your dress or other accessories, and would look fantastic on bridesmaids and flower girls too.