Customised M&M's!

This site certainly made us smile!  Put your own words and a photo onto an M&M!  What a fun idea for a candy inspired wedding.  Dot around in glass bowls at the reception or pop into little jam jars for a unique wedding favour.  Go on, give it a try!




http://www.mymms.com/utility.aspx?src=

Quintessentially British

With two Royal weddings soon to be upon us, what better reason is there to dust off the bunting and wave those Union Jack flags?

We’ve come over all patriotic with our latest mood board.  Let the best of British inspire your big day!

Credits

Union Jack clutch by Alexander McQueen

Union Jack bunting by www.devonbeardesigns.com

London Bus image from pollymagoo.blogspot.com

Tea and scones image from www.food.com

Shoes by Christian Louboutin (Not British but beautiful!)

White chocolate fish and chips by Candy House

Bear by www.bearsami.com

Suit by www.tweed-jacket.com

Flower image from flowermagician.blogspot.com

Dress by Suzanne Neville

Union Jack stationary by www.dottiecreations.com

Mini image from www.japimports.com.au

'Child-friendly' wedding ideas

Ideas for ‘Child-friendly’ Weddings

Children can add a sense of fun at your wedding but the prospect of whingeing, whining children during the service or running wild during the reception isn’t an appealing thought when planning your wedding.  Many people decide to enrol the help of a children’s entertainer or crèche or simply not invite them at all.  Here are a few suggestions to amuse the little ones throughout the day!

An alternative to party bags placed at the table with activities for the children throughout the meal.  Either make these yourself and personalise them or buy them ready made.  www.eventsmiles.co.uk

www.busybags.co.uk Activity books at the table with word searches, spot the difference or colouring activities. 

Weather permitting, you could set up some garden games outside – jenga, connect 4 or snakes and ladders are popular with children.  If the budget allows, a bouncy castle can give hours of fund for both the children and the adults!  A treasure hunt with some clues scattered around the grounds will ensure children stretch their legs and get rid of some of their energy.

Set up a room separate to the reception with a Wii or playstation and a selection of games for older children.

Children’s entertainers can provide a welcome distraction if the budget allows.  Face painting, balloon artists or magicians are always popular.

You may decide to have a separate table set up for the children towards the back of the room.  If this suits the children you have invited, it could be set up with child friendly crockery and activities.  Have a separate menu for the children that will appeal to them.  Pizza, sausages, or anything simple.  Cups with lids or cartons of drink will also avoid those accidents

Have child friendly snacks available throughout the day.  Often children can become cranky just because they are hungry!  Cookies, raisins, vegetable or bread sticks should keep hunger at bay without spoiling their appetite too much!

Asking the DJ to play a ‘Children’s only’ dance in the evening can not only provide entertainment, but also a great photo opportunity!

Try to set up a room for children during the evening with mats and blankets for exhausted little ones to fall asleep in the evening.

 

Enjoy your dress after the event!

You have spent hours finding your perfect dress and spent weeks waiting to actually wear it.  So,  what do you do with this beautiful creation when it's all over?  Of course you can have it cleaned and packed away beautifully, but, if you have the room, why not enjoy it for a few more weeks and display it on a dress makers mannequin.  Mannequins most definitely don't have to be boring either!

By http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/



By www.meggymoos.co.uk



Also by www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk

Klass Act's latest feature in Belle Amour!

This week we were lucky enough to be featured on www.belleamour.co.uk.  Huge thanks to Debs for her fabulous feature on Klass Act where she gave us the opportunity to share some of our own inspiration!

Please see the full feature on http://www.belleamour.co.uk/tag/event-planners/

Below is a sneeky peek at one of our mood boards featured on Belle Amour!

Criss Cross ribbed lanterns by Beau Coup

Vintage chic wedding cupcakes by Cupcakes and Cartwheels

Flowers by www.debbieoneill.com

Peony wedding invitations by Dottie Creations

Union Jack Door stop, wedding sign and striped canopy by Cox and Cox

Bunting by www.vintageweddingsandhome.co.uk

Crockery by www.theenglishteaparty.co.uk

Wedding dress by Candy Anthony

Klass Act features on English Wedding!

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Claire at http://english-wedding.com/  for writing a fabulous feature about Klass Act on her Blog.

Please enjoy the full feature at http://english-wedding.com/2010/12/klass-act-wedding-planner-launch/

Kate and Karen x

Klass Act’s Interview with Toastmaster, Peter West.

This week we were lucky enough to speak to Peter West, The Chiltern Toastmaster about his role and how he works with couples leading up to their big day.

Peter West   www.chilterntoastmaster.co.uk

Thank you for taking the time to speak to us Peter.  Many couples choose to hire a toastmaster on their big day, so can you tell us a little more about your role?

Delighted to have the opportunity. One thing my role is not – that’s to make the occasion unnecessarily formal or stuffy! I suggest to my clients that they think of me as their General Manager for the day and I meet the couple a month beforehand to go through their wishes for the day, and set out the options for ceremonial touches which they may like to include – the Cake-cutting Ceremony, for example. Or the Receiving Line – will it be formal or informal?

Most couples are surprised to discover just how much preparation there has to be on the day : to give structure to the occasion somebody has to co-ordinate the amount of time which has to be given to photographs – how many are there to be? Who will be getting the Top Table party together to welcome all the guests? Some announcements will be required – who will make those? Who is to introduce the speeches?

At the meeting we agree a detailed ‘timeline running-order’ to make sure that we know what is to happen and when – that becomes my planner. Perhaps we have included some special ceremonial items. I will know who is delivering flowers, I will have a number for the string quartet. I know who is to be in charge of operations for the venue; I have the names of those making speeches; I have a copy of the list of photographs that the couple have requested so that I can get the groups together to save time for the photographer.  I have decided where the gifts that they plan to present to the mums, bridesmaids and others are to be stored.......and so on.....

Behind the scenes on the day, I liaise with the caterers, musicians and any other suppliers so that we all know who is responsible for what and when it is to happen. Front of house on the day, I am greeting the bridal party and guests, making all the announcements, ensuring that the bride and bridegroom are comfortable and relaxed,  everyone else with a part to play is prepared. I am ticking-off each stage of the celebration and I conduct the proceedings, reassuring the couple that all is under control. I will ensure that everything happens – and happens on time!

Do you have to have any qualifications in order to be a toastmaster?

Yes, the National Association of Toastmasters sets high standards and students are not allowed to officiate until they have completed at least the first stage of study and passed their first examination. This covers a range of theory and, of course, the all-important uniform code. It normally takes at least three years to complete the training and only fully-prepared Professional Toastmasters can be invited to attend at important State and Royal occasions.    

Do you only attend weddings, or are there other events that you have been part of?

Weddings represent about 70% of what I do – but I attend at conferences, awards ceremonies, sporting events, club dinners and private parties. In the past two years I have travelled to Hong Kong, to Cape Town, to the Channel Islands, to Northern Ireland and to Scotland. Each has required quite different planning but all have been rewarding and I expect to be invited to attend each of the annual events again in 2011. Two weeks ago I was at The Grosvenor House in the company of Sarah, Duchess of York, Simon Cowell and Kate Garraway – a glittering occasion. 

What are the main benefits of having a toastmaster on the day?

A good toastmaster stage-manages the whole occasion – he should not be over-bearing nor is he playing a starring role! Mainly it’s conducting the occasion working to the timing, co-ordination and announcements - to keep everyone informed about what’s happening next. Often when I meet couples for the first time they seem to think because they have arranged all the major items – the ring, the dress, the cars and so on, that everything else will simply fall into place. But when I ask them how their guests will know where to assemble for the photographs or when to form the queue to be received, it is obvious that they have not given these matters any thought. They assume that their guests will somehow do the right thing – or that the best man and ushers will take charge. Perhaps the venue staff will step in (in fact the staff are always delighted when a Professional Toastmaster is appointed).

It’s frequently said that the toastmaster’s best friend is the bride’s mother: often she is the one to worry about the timing of the meal, or the photographer’s role, the non-arrival of the flowers, the safe storage of the gifts, or, will the speeches begin on time, does everyone know what they are supposed to be doing .........and so on.

When I am on hand, her worries become my worries – it is my job to know what is happen next, the resources that will be needed and how to keep all the arrangements co-ordinated.      

Have you any advice for a couple planning their day?

Yes....don’t just think about the basics of the day – drinks reception, meal, speeches and First Dance. To make the day truly memorable, make it a real ceremony – but not too pretentious! A good toastmaster will help you decide about little touches which will suit you. Some couples want a party – but others may want a quieter affair with more formality.  

Debrett will help them decide upon pieces of ceremony that will suit them – they can make the occasion just as formal or informal as they think appropriate. But I can offer more practical advice!  

To what extent do you work with the bride and groom before the day?

The ‘at home’ meeting is essential. Together we go through the Questionnaire which I have e-mailed to them. It takes an hour or so to discuss all of the options for my ‘Time-line Running Order’.   

Can you be booked for a full day only, or a half day?  What do you advise?

I set aside at least eight hours for a wedding – I cannot imagine anything less.

What’s the funniest or strangest experience you have had at a wedding?

I was attending at a wedding in the West Country about a year ago. In uniform and with the guests assembled in the Cocktail Lounge, notes safely tucked into my pocket, I was standing at the top of the driveway of the beautiful King’s Head Hotel, awaiting the arrival of the bride and bridegroom from the church ceremony five miles away.  Right on cue, my mobile bleeped - the Best Man calling to tell me that the couple were on their way. 

So, I was mildly surprised when only a minute later, coming up the drive was a silver Rolls Royce bedecked with ribbons and flowers – the Wedding Car!  With Glenn, the photographer, at my shoulder I stepped forward and opened the door to greet the couple. They looked confused and my greeting caught in my throat. Glenn broke the silence.“It’s not them!” he whispered, and I could see that these were not the bride and bridegroom with whom I had had my meeting just three weeks earlier!

I managed to ask them to hold on – “Don’t move!” I said, and turning to face the driver, I asked him where he thought he was delivering his bride and bridegroom. “The Crown Hotel, of course!” he replied.

It took five seconds to explain the mistake before the driver was back in his seat, gunning the Rolls toward the gateway, spraying gravel left and right as he went, with his passengers being thrown from side to side. As they turned out of the entrance, a silver Rolls Royce turned in, the driver flicked his lights discreetly at me and a perfectly-planned day began.........

It must be a fine line being both authoritative, without being overbearing!  How do you manage this on the day?

Well it’s a careful balance. The uniform helps of course. The red coat – ‘hunting pink’ in fact – has been the garb for toastmasters for more than 200 years, and was always intended to convey the impression that the wearer was ‘in charge’.

Nowadays, I wear red (unless in the City where I must wear black – but that’s another story!) to be a focal point. Just a signal that I will be the one telling everyone what is to happen next. I introduce myself and invite anyone with any queries to ask me for assistance. Very soon people are relaxed with this and they understand that the toastmaster has a degree of authority to co-ordinate all of the arrangements – he’s acting on behalf of the bride and bridegroom, of course. But I never order people around!

If the bride and groom have separated parents, how would you advise them to organise seating at the top table?

There are several variations – the normal of course, is that the Top Table is arranged going from left to right facing the table, like this  - 

Chief Bridesmaid

Bridegroom’s Father

Bride’s Mother

Bridegroom

Bride

Bride’s Father

Bridegroom’s Mother

Best Man

This will suit parents who do not wish to sit together, of course. But according to everyone’s wishes, we can have more than 8 at the Top Table.  Where parents have new partners, we can have a layout which accommodates 10 (where one of the parents has a new partner) or even 12 where each of the parents has a new partner. A lot depends upon the present state of the relationships – perhaps they can be friendly for the sake of the occasion. Sometimes it is wise to have one or two members of the extended family seated at another table. It’s a difficult area but whenever there is a problem about who is to sit alongside whom, I always stress discreetly that the day is primarily for the couple - and everyone else has to be mature and think firstly of them.   

What alternatives are there to the traditional receiving line?

Firstly, there are two forms of the Receiving Line - the formal and the informal. The first is where I ask everyone for a name by which they care to be introduced – and I announce them to the line accordingly.  Or – I can invite the guests to form a queue and then file along the Receiving Line introducing themselves. There are good reasons for either being appropriate, according to the circumstances.

Of course we can dispense with the Receiving Line altogether: I can call for everyone simply to take their places (having consulted the Table Plan) before escorting the Bride and Bridegroom in for the Grand Entrance.

What’s the best part of the wedding day for you?

Generally the happy and relaxed mood of the day increases throughout the day and by the end of the Wedding Breakfast, everybody will be feeling such happiness for the couple. My special part of the day comes when I lead them onto the dance-floor for their First Dance together as husband and wife. I remind everyone – by now the Evening Guests will have arrived - that we are about to witness their first dance. I then announce their choice of music and that always heralds a unique moment............

May we say a huge thanks to Peter for giving up his time to speak to us!  If you would like to book Peter as a toastmaster for your special event, please contact him on:

                                      Telephone:  0845 226 5899 or 07908 692708 

                       Or visit his website: www.chilterntoastmaster.co.uk for further details.

Champagne with a delicious twist!

What better excuse to crack open some bubbly!  The little flower sits in the bottom of the glass, all the bubbles stream off and subtly unfurl the flower, at the end of the drink you can eat the flower which has a delicious raspberry & rhubarb flavour.   Why not offer your wedding guests a beautiful and delicious treat!

 Visit: http://www.wildhibiscus.com/

Christmas is coming!

With Christmas well and truly approaching, here are some ideas for a festive wedding!



Serve mulled wine to your guests



 and send home the spices as a treat!

 



Or quaint jars of mincemeat?

With Christmas tea?

Wedding gifts hidden in a cracker

Replace tiered cup cakes with mince pies!

or invite Santa to the party to entertain the children!







To be short or not to be short... that is the question!

Maybe you are searching for that touch of individuality, maybe you want a dress with that 1950’s feel, maybe you want to be able to dance the night away, or perhaps it’s a way of showing off those gorgeous wedding shoes!  Whatever it is, shorter wedding dresses are becoming ever more popular with today’s bride, and there are a range of beautiful styles to choose from.



The unmistakable Candy Anthony dress.  www.candyanthony.com

Fancy formal by Ouma

Jacqueline wedding dress by Lyn Ashworth 

White as snow dress by Sarah Seven

Short Antoinette by Suzanne Neville

The Beverly Hills by Dolly Couture





Dido by Jenny Packham



Shoes, fabulous shoes!

As shorter style wedding dresses become increasingly popular, what better reason is there to make a statement with some beautiful footwear. 

Why not try a dramatic bold colour to fit in with your overall scheme or enhance those ivory or white shoes with a bit of sparkle. You can even wear them again after the big day!



Pretty in pink!



Why not complement a pink and black theme with statement footwear?



Perfectly vintage!



What shoe feature would be complete without a mention to Christian Louboutin!



Louboutin does it again!

Sex and the city style by Manolo Blahnik

For the bride who likes to be noticed.

And why not really take the plunge!

Happy shoe hunting x