Tips For Easily Creating Your Seating Arrangements

I've discussed why a seating arrangement is so important in a previous blog. But making a seating arrangement and chart for your wedding reception can be difficult. How do you meet everyone's wishes, while keeping your sanity??? Here are several tips that can make your task of creating your wedding seating arrangements easier!

1) Make or get a drawn out lay-out of the reception space with the tables where they will be on the wedding night. Many venues can provide this for you.

2) Make a list of all the guests who will be at your wedding. This way you can mark each guest once they are assigned a seat. Use pencil so you can un-mark any guests if you need to make rearrangements!

3) Number each table so that you will be able to stay organized. Make a seperate sheet of paper where you list the tables and can write down the names of guests at each table.

4) First assign all seats at the head table, or bridal party table.

5) Next, start by seating those with special needs. Elderly guests will appreciate be seated away from the DJ, close to facilities, and away from children. Disabled guests should be seated near ramps, exit points, and disability-friendly restrooms.

6) Close family should be kept near the head table.

7) If you are having kids at your reception, consider having a kids' table. Keep this table near the dance floor so that kids can burn off energy.

8) A mix of singles and couples will help make sure no one feels like they are being singled out.

9) When using long tables, couples should be seated across from each other, and alternate male and female on each side of the table. For round tables, couples should be seated next to each other.

10) Make sure all your guests are seated by someone they know and are comforatable with.

11) If possible, group people together based on common interests.

12) Once you have finished deciding where all guests will be seated, make a chart of all the guests in alphabetical order according to their last names. Next to each name, list the table number where they will be sitting. Have this printed on a large board so guests can easily and quickly find their name and table number.

13) For your vendors, make a list according to table numbers so they can easily figure out where to put the place cards.

Of course, making a seating arrangement is time-consuming and can be frustrating. But after all the work, you can relax knowing that all your guests will be comfortable and will truly be able to appreciate the beauty of your wedding!

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Bridal Trend Alert: Fascinators!

The latest trend in bridal accessories takes a cue from the new princess-to-be Kate Middleton: fascinators! These headpieces allow brides a new way to personalize their wedding-day look.

Here is Kate wearing a few beautiful non-bridal fascinators:

And Kate isn't the only celebrity using fascinators to make a statement.

Of course Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica-Parker has this trend in her fashion repertoire.

Eva Mendes looks glamorous with a black feather fascinator.

Here are some of my favorite bridal fascinators:

These last two are from Till Death Designs by Tiffany:

If you want to incorporate fascinators into your wedding day look, check out the many pieces from local designer Till Death Designs by Tiffany. You will even find pieces appropraite for your bridesmaids! And all her beautiful pieces are affordable!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/tilldeathdesigns

Love this wedding idea? "Like" Power Wedding Planning on facebook to get more ideas!

www.powerweddingplanning.com

The Wedding Affair 1950's Dior Inspired 'Shoot the Shoot'

We love doing photoshoots - I mean really love doing them. And so far, we've worked with incredibly talented photographers who have either taken what's in our heads and brought the vision to life - or who have had come up with a theme that has quite literally blown us away with the end result.

The photographers we work with aren't the only incredibly talented people though - don't forget the hair and make-up artists, florists, dress and suit suppliers, jewellery designers and of course the gorgeous models, to name a few. We couldn't put the shoots together without them and as a result, we felt it would be great to once again share a 'Shoot the Shoot' this time from The Wedding Affair 1950's Dior Inspired day.

Whilst the fabulous Cat Hepple directed the shoot and pointed the lens at the models, the equally fantastic Joe Dodsworth quietly and unobtrusively captured what was happening behind the scenes. In all honesty, I often love these photographs as much as the posed shots, as those natural pictures open a window into our world..... and it's lovely to share it with you!

A huge Wedding Affair thank you to all the people involved in this shoot and, on this occasion, special thanks to Joe Dodsworth Photography www.joedodsworth.co.uk - all the pictures you see in this blog are his work.

Also to the following :

Clare and Mark Oglesby, Goldsborough Hall - www.goldsboroughhall.com
Cat Hepple Photography - www.cathepplephotography.com
Alison of Beauty Call - www.beautycall.co.uk
Hayley, The Harrogate Wedding Lounge - www.theharrogateweddinglounge.com
Jane, HF Couture - www.hfcouture.co.uk
Joanna, Twisted Willow Floristry - www.twistedwillowfloristry.co.uk
Models provided by The Model Experience - www.themodelexperienceuk.com


As always, these are only a sample of the pictures and the remainder will be on our website www.theweddingaffair.co.uk very soon.

Now we're back to working on the next photoshoot and we hope you will love this one just as much.

The Wedding Affair Network at Goldsborough Hall - For Your Eyes Only.....

Most people readily confess that they hate networking.

Let's be honest, standing in a room full of strangers making painfully slow conversation isn't everyone's idea of fun and it's not ours either. When we first decided to launch The Wedding Affair Network we knew that we wanted things to be different.... and judging by last night we definitely achieved it!

Goldsborough Hall was our choice of venue for this event - for a number of reasons. Firstly - it's just gorgeous and we love being there. Secondly - we are fast approaching THE Wedding of the Year and in honour we wanted to host a networking session 'By Royal Appointment' (very tongue in cheek of course!). Goldsborough Hall was the former home of Princess Mary and therefore could not have been more fitting. Thirdly - it was the Queen's birthday yesterday so once again, the perfect location and date. Fourthly (and finally) we have The Wedding Affair at Goldsborough Hall on Sunday 12th June and we wanted to showcase this beautiful home to our suppliers.

And so we did what we always do.... pulled together some of the best suppliers in the industry to entertain our guests working with a James Bond 'Quintessentially British' theme. We like to have fun at our events and if we are having a great time, then everyone else should be too!

We would therefore like to say a huge Wedding Affair thank you to all those involved in entertaining our guests - Mark Oglesby for his witty and interesting insight into the history of Goldsborough Hall, Richard 'Swing' Daniels for his fabulous singing, Miss Deal Fun Casino for allowing everyone to release their inner gambling demons and Mark Waddington for being THE magic man!!

And last, but definitely not least, thank you to Booth Revolution for keeping us laughing all evening long. There is so much to tell you about them that it's a whole different blog altogether!

We know you won't believe us, but this is work! A very warm welcome went out and huge thanks go to our guests for joining us at Goldsborough Hall for our fourth Networking event. We feel that networking should take place in a fun, relaxed and friendly atmosphere and our events are getting a bit of a reputation for it now! We're not sure how to raise the bar for the next session but as it will be our 2nd birthday celebration, we can guarantee it will be a party not to be missed!

A huge thank you also to Chris Milner for taking all the fabulous shots you see in this blog. The full portfolio from the night is available on our website www.theweddingaffair.co.uk

Here's the official roll call for all those fabulous people involved in making last night the resounding success that it was including Alison of Beauty Call who very kindly treated Lisa, Clare Oglesby and myself to a make-up and hair session prior to everyone arriving. Much Wedding Affair love to all of you....

Mark and Clare Oglesby, Goldsborough Hall - www.goldsboroughhall.com
Chris Milner Photography - www.chris-milner.com
Peter and Susie, Booth Revolution - www.boothrevolution.com
Richard Daniels, Swing Singer - www.swingdaniels.co.uk
Mark Waddington, Magician - www.yorkshireweddingmagician.co.uk
Michelle, Miss Deal Fun Casino - www.missdealfuncasinohire.co.uk
Alison, Beauty Call - www.beautycall.co.uk

So if you would like to join us for our next Wedding Affair Network then keep your eyes peeled, the date and location will be announced very soon.

We'd love to see you there!

Please feel free to tell us how you would like to network in the future to make it different and exciting. If there are any venues of interest to you, do let us know.

Website Wednesday

Every Wednesday The Wedding Affair Blog will have a nugget of website advice.

Is your website working for you or against you?

Have you heard the age old saying “you only get one chance to make a first impression”?

Often the first impression your customer will get of you is your website, as more and more people use the internet to find wedding suppliers you need to ensure you don’t get overlooked.

Just take a moment to look at your website and answer the following questions…

Do we look like a company that our potential clients would spend their money with?

Do we look professional & show knowledge of our product?

Do we stand out against our rivals?

If you’re not sure, why not give us a call, we will take a look for you and give you an honest opinion of our first impression.

We can also help you improve your existing website or design you a new website to make that first impression.

One of our suppliers "The Occasional Table" is an excellent example please take a look at their websites.  

Who would you choose?

The Old Website

The New Website 

It is also possible to design your own website but remember the golden rules if you cannot answer yes to the above questions perhaps it’s time to bite the bullet and get The Wedding Affair to build you a new first impression.

Reception Seating

Are you hesitating to use assigned seating at your wedding reception? No one enjoys creating a seating chart, but it is well worth the effort.

According to advice given in the April 2011 edition of Brides magazine (pg. 196) "You won't regret making a seating plan. It's an easy way to avoid the awkwardness of looking up from your first table to see a table of strangers trying gamely to make conversation...and failing. ... Bear in mind, too, that people will probably feel comfortable getting up and mingling after the meal without any prodding from you."

I spoke to an usher who was in charge of seating guests a wedding reception just last year. He said, "It was such a pain. I didn't get to enjoy myself at all during the entire reception." Do you really want to make your guy friends or family miss out on the fun of your reception?

One bride stated that she doubted she would get many RSVP's back to even know who is and isn't coming to her wedding. The people you invite to your wedding are friends and family. There should be no problem calling anyone who did not send back their reply card by the requested date.

Plus, once you have all replies counted, you can give your caterer an accurate head count and possibly save yourself money on meals that won't be needed.

Embrace the seating arrangement. After all, you can create a beautiful seating chart to match your decor and even enhance the look of your wedding.

Happy seat-chart making!!!!

www.powerweddingplanning.com

Music for Your Wedding

The music you play at your wedding and reception should reflect your personality. If you love classical music, then play it! Same goes for any other kind of music you love.

If you love rock, rap, or hip-hop music, but aren't sure if it would bother some of your guests, try a twist on your faves. Have a band do instrumental versions of your must-have songs.

Not having a band? No problem! Vitamin String Quartet does instrumental covers of many songs. Listen to their songs on myspace here: http://www.myspace.com/search/Music?q=Vitamin%20String%20Quartet

Just one of their many album covers.

The Harrogate Wedding Lounge Accessories Evening

We are always keen to support those suppliers that we work closely with (and we admit we are usually quite easily swayed by the offer of a glass of bubbly!) Therefore on Wednesday the 20th April, you will find The Wedding Affair ladies at The Harrogate Wedding Lounge.....

Hayley is holding an accessories evening between 6pm - 9pm. There is no appointment required, you can just pop along and be welcomed with Fizz & cupcakes as well as the lovely Debonnesse giving mini hair trials to show how you could wear your accessories. There will also be an amazing 10% off every item on the night (which is a fantastic bargain!) Items include Veils, Tiaras, Headbands, Jewellery, Shoes and Garters. Leading designer collections will be available to view and purchase, from Chez Bec, Richard Designs, Madeline Issac James, Rainbow Couture & more.

Please do come along and check out Hayley's fabulous shop full of all things gorgeous, sparkly and stunning - it can be found at 38 Forest Lane Head, Harrogate, HG2 7TF. We'll see you there!

The Wedding Affair 1950's Dior Inspired Photoshoot at Goldsborough Hall

We have been known to organise the odd photoshoot, allowing us to get some stunning photographs of the venues we work with, and giving us an extra opportunity to showcase some of the fabulous suppliers that attend our fairs. A photograph from the previous 'Rule Britannia' photoshoot has just been used in the latest edition of Vogue Magazine.

If you haven't already seen them, we produce gorgeous A5 colour invitations which are sent to brides by post before each fair, and whilst Lisa was preparing one for The Wedding Affair at Goldsborough Hall we hit upon organising another photoshoot.

 
We had wanted to work with Cat Hepple, an amazing photographer, for some time and as she will be exhibiting at this event it seemed ideal that she be behind the camera at the shoot. In fact, it was her idea to use the 1950's and Dior as inspiration and we were bowled over with this. As a result, we yet again brought together a fabulous team of people to bring this idea to life and we are sure you will not be disappointed with the results.

We'd like to give a shoutout and a huge Wedding Affair thank you to all the fantastically talented people who helped to make this happen:

Cat Hepple Photography - www.cathepplephotography.com
The Harrogate Wedding Lounge (Bridalwear) - www.theharrogateweddinglounge.com
Beauty Call (Hair and Make-Up) - www.beautycall.co.uk
HF Couture (Headdresses) - www.hfcouture.co.uk
Twisted Willow Floristry - www.twistedwillowfloristry.co.uk
Dior at Browns of York (Perfume and props) - www.brownsofyork.co.uk
Models Matt, Sean, Abby and Amy provided by The Model Experience - www.themodelexperienceuk.com

Last but not least we must of course thank Clare and Mark Oglesby and their team at Goldsborough Hall for allowing us to descend en masse and fill this stunning venue with gorgeous models, sparkly dresses, beautiful flowers and lots of laughter!

In all honesty, there is little else we can say about these photographs as each picture speaks a thousand words. They are stunning, beautiful, breathtaking and just wow and we know that we will want to use them again and again.

We're onto planning the next photoshoot at another fabulous venue now but the question on all our lips is:- 'How on earth are we going to make it as good as this one?'......