RS Wedding Designs

Earlier in the year Rachyeta featured us on her lovely Shaadiesque blog and we are very proud to be featured in her Supplier Lounge there, so I am very pleased to be able to share with you news of her exciting new planning packages.

Think you can’t afford a wedding planner? Think again! RS WeddingDesigns  is offering pick-n-mix planning from just £280 with their Theme Design packages.

“No bride wants a cookie cutter wedding but all too often weddings try to foist a package wedding onto them that really doesn’t reflect their personality,” says Rachyeta Singh. “With a Theme Design package, it’s a small outlay that can really open your eyes to what else is out there.”

“It’s your opportunity to do something different and make your big day stand out.”

The package starts at £280 for design ideas, rising to just £395 if you would like RS Wedding Designs to recommend suppliers as well.

The idea for the Theme Design package came from customer demand. Rachyeta often updates her blog with gorgeous reception decor ideas and her eye for colour and attention to detail can turn a dreary hotel package wedding into something rather wonderful.

One bride who avoided a cookie cutter wedding, but ordered some gorgeous cookies, is Catherine, who booked a Theme Design package with Rachyeta.

“The theme Rachyeta chose for us was a paradise dream theme, because our love story was something out of a dream,” Catherine says.

“The place names were little puffy clouds, the set up was a light blue and pink infusion. Our favours were a mix of a thermometer shaped ginger biscuits and an aeroplane shaped biscuit, as I am a doctor and my husband is a pilot.”

“Her venue suggestion was spot on and everyone had a blast.”

So how does RS Wedding Designs come up with these special touches? The company takes an innovative approach to wedding planning, building up an online directory of preferred suppliers to add to the creative flair of Rachyeta and her team. As such, RS Wedding Designs brides not only get great ideas, they also get great discounts.

“Brides use Google a lot nowadays to research wedding ideas but it’s a real shot in the dark,” Rachyeta says. “You may find the supplier of a product you want, but how can you be assured of quality? There has to be a degree of trust and nothing beats a recommendation from those within the industry.

“Our suppliers are people who will deliver. There is a great deal of vetting going on before they are added to our directory. We want to get to know the company behind the business logo - and, in the wedding industry, the photographer behind the camera.”

You can contact Rachyeta through her website, follow her on Twitter and get gorgeous inspiration from her Shaadiesque blog and her Bridal Street, rs1 blog.

Little Wedding Ideas

It's almost the end of 2011, where has it gone?! I hope that it's been a good year for everyone? It's certainly been a busy one here at LG HQ and has flown by! So what's new for 2012? Apart from lots of lovely weddings there is of course going to be the London Olympics. Our guest blogger this week is Grace from Little Wedding Ideas, who supplies unique and innovative wedding favours and for the sports fans of you there are some additions to her ranges that will no doubt interest you!

The whole nation are in anticipation of a huge summer of sport next year.  We have Euro 2012 in the football calendar and the usual Wimbledon season to look forward to, but the excitement really lies in the Olympics 2012.  Here at Little Wedding Ideas we have already found that our personalised cricket balls and mini rugby balls have become a popular choice as wedding favours for couples passionate about their sport.  Summer 2012 is going to accentuate this even further, with the whole country going a bit sports mad!

We have a great selection of sports themed products.  We have leather cricket balls, mini and foam rugby balls, regular and mini footballs, volleyballs and tennis balls, to name a few.  However, we also have sports themed confectionery, name place holders, key rings and accessories to compliment the theme.

Examples of our products:

Printed mini rugby ball - Authentic in appearance to a full-sized ball, but only 17cm in diameter. It can be printed with the couple’s name and wedding date to make a great favour or save-the-date announcement.  £3.45 each. 

Printed cricket ball – A personalised full size cricket ball makes a fantastic wedding favour.  The ball is made from high grade leather and the official weight used in the sport.  These balls can also be colour matched to compliment your wedding theme at an additional cost.  £3.85 each.

Printed beach volleyball – An authentic beach volleyball which can be printed in up to four colours would make a great addition to a beach themed wedding.  £6.50 each.

Printed tennis ball- A printed tennis ball makes a great summer themed wedding favour.  Printed with your own words in a colour of your choice.  £2.40 each.

We have plenty more ideas for sports themed parties and weddings on our website.

You can also find Grace on Facebook and follow her on Twitter. Even if you're not a sports fan, there are plenty of other great favour ideas on the website so pop over and have a look!

Stunning Photography by Dinendra Haria

This weeks guest blogger is Dinendra Haria, an Asian Wedding Photographer based in London who has a passion for photographing weddings of all cultures.  Dinendra specialises in Asian/Indian Weddings covering the Hindu wedding ceremony, Gujarati wedding ceremony, Sikh wedding ceremony and Muslim wedding ceremony and also photographs English weddings.  In his blog, Dinendra shares with us some of the stunning photos that were taken during a traditional Hindu wedding and an English Civil Ceremony for a lovely couple.

"Minal and Gavin's wedding was the perfect demonstration of the joining of two cultures - they had a traditional Hindu wedding followed by an English Civil Ceremony, at Manor of Grove, Hertfordshire. The day started dramatically with a few rumbles of thunder and rain, and then it got warmer and the sun shone in all the right places. Minal and Gavin chose beautifully co-ordinated Indian wedding clothes for the Hindu ceremony, which included the 'Jaimala" where they exchanged flower garlands and 'Kanyadaan' the most important ritual where Minal's hand was given to Gavin as his bride.

The families from both sides had a role to play in the ceremonies and Minal's brothers and cousins were on hand to wish the couple happiness as they completed the 'Mangalpheras' or circling of the sacred fire, the 'Havan'.

The couple changed into romantically understated and chic English outfits for the civil ceremony. Minal's bridesmaids also wore stunning dresses throughout the day, and the colour schemes for the outfits and the surrounding decor were altogether quite mesmerising."

You can contact Dinendra on his Website, Blog, Facebook, or catch him on Twitter.

Buttercup Bus

Since the Surrey Networking Tweet Up a couple of weeks ago the Wedding Industry Awards Regional Winners have been announced. Having met so many wonderful people at the Tweet Up I looked with interest to see who the regional winners were. On the list, amongst the people I have heard of but not actually had the privilege to meet, I was thrilled to see the name of one person I had met and with a delightful and unusual business! Mr LG has a huge soft spot for VW Campers, having spent months living in one travelling across Australia many years ago - in fact he still has the VW badge from the front of the van tucked away with all the photos from the trip. My parents bought a VW Camper when I was a teenager, a rather fetching two tone orange and cream (well, it was the late 70's!), with a pop top roof where two people could sleep.

Nathalie, who runs Buttercup Bus VW Campers is passionate about restoring these vehicles which I'm sure feature in the memories of many of us .......

 Mini-mooners with a sense of adventure!

I was delighted to be invited to write a blog entry for the lovely Kim at Lil Guys. (We met a couple of weeks ago at the weddings in Surrey Tweet Up, exchanging stories about our mischievous puppies!). I wanted to write a blog about something that seems to be a current trend I have identified, and also something very close to my own heart as a lady passionate about the outdoors...

Over the past three years, surveys have reported a decrease in wedding budgets of around £5k. The honeymoon is starting to make way for the new “mini moon”, as couples become increasingly cost-conscious with wedding plans. These “mini moon” breaks can lead to people coming up with inspirational ideas on how to spend a blissful short break with their loved ones, whilst often avoiding the stress of busy airports, long haul flights and not forgetting the passport shenanigans with maiden name changes.

Giving up the traditional two week holiday on a tropical island need not be a sacrifice with some of the ideas I have seen floating around on the UK wedding forums. As a wedding supplier myself, I spend considerable time on these forums, keeping tabs on changes in wedding trends. I wanted to share with you my top UK mini moon ideas, taken from real bride’s recommendations combined with my love for the British countryside and camping with a luxurious twist...

Having lived a large proportion of my life on the Hertfordshire / Essex border, this  little find was rather close to my heart- BOUNCERS FARM CAMPSITE.  The cute little gypsy caravan traditional bowtop wagons are adorable, and ooze with romantic charm... imagine sitting together in front of the log burner with a glass of red wine, enjoying each other’s company...  Set in an orchard, this campsite is a must, if you are getting marries in the first week of May – think of all that blossom! If you are planning a trip later in the year, October would be ideal for the orchard harvests! For those of you with a real sense of adventure, the farm land can be used for horse riding, and there are even carriage trips available. At £50-60 / night, this little gem is a viable option for those on mini moon!

Gypsy Caravan at Bouncers Farm

For those of you looking to sleep under canvas, but without the stress of putting up tent poles, or carting all you camping equipment down with you, why not try Glamping Holiday  based on the Surrey / Sussex Boarder. Bell tents decked out with everything from bedding to chandeliers guarantee a camping trip that offers something special...not to mention the welcome breakfast pack on your arrival containing eggs, bacon, bread, butter, jam, milk and even marshmallows.

Glamping Bell Tent

If a holiday isn’t really a proper trip unless you have crossed the sea, then what about The Isle Of Weight? The Really Green Holiday Company offer 16ft fully furnished Yurts... and you can even hire one complete with four poster bed! There are plenty of tourist attractions in the area, and in the evenings, you can watch the stars in each others company – or go to the communal “dome” and meet other couples as a “Mr and Mrs” to enjoy a drink and a chat!

Really Green Yurt

One place that I have always wanted to go to (but never been able to get availability) is The Treehouse at Kinlochlaich House in Scotland. Yes, this octagonal shaped accommodation is up in the branches, with an oak, spiralling staircase, winding round the central tree... I don’t think that I would want to leave, all snug, looking out at the fantastic views. Short breaks are available out of peak season, at around £360 from Friday to Monday. Prime time August for a full week comes in at £605. Just remember to book well in advance for this hidden treasure.

The Treehouse

For the magpies out  there that are attracted to bright and shiny things, there is no accommodation that sparkles more than an airstream. We love one campsite in East Dorset near the popular New Forest and wonderful sandy beaches, that hires out these vintage Airstream caravans. Happy Days RetroVacations offer Mobile fire pits can be rented from reception so you can enjoy toasting marshmallows with a glass of local cider by the fire as the sun goes down. A fish and chip van visits on a Saturday night in high season and an ice cream van visits frequently too.

Airstream

Looking for accomodations reflective of history a little further back in time? Shepherd’s Huts were built in the 19^th century to provide living quarters for shepherds who were away from home during the lambing season. Today, many of these huts are being restored to a high specification, to include sofas, double beds, kitchen and shower room.  The Rose and Applewood Shepherds Huts in Butley, close to the Suffolk coast, are situated in a lovely garden, deep in the countryside. Guests will enjoy a wonderful experience, with a pre-war atmosphere, while every practical consideration has been taken care of... Friday to Monday short breaks come it at £318 during August, with a full week costing £505.

Shepherds Hut

Last, but certainly not least, how could I miss out an adventure very close to my own heart... the vintage VW Camper. As the owner of Buttercup Bus VW Campers - a Croydon (South London and Surrey Border) based VW Camper hire company, one of the perks of the job is to regularly go out on little breaks – the Sussex countryside being one of my favourites. The campervan provides you with the freedom to hit the open road, the flexibility to visit as many destinations as you want, and brings a certain vintage charm to your trip, which will turn people’s heads and make them smile. We love to go to the WoWo campsite in Uckfield with our buses. This campsite is based in the Sussex countryside, and has a brook that runs through it, allows open fires and offers communal soup gatherings. There is a yurt and a Tipi on offer to hire, as well as ample space for campervans and tents alike. They will even allow musicians to stay for free if you are willing to share your musical skills with the campsite. Prices start at £60 per pitch for a long weekend at Wowo. Buttercupbus campervan hire starts at £325 for a long weekend. Book early to get your places secured!

Nathalie with a Buttercup Bus!

Whatever your preference, the blanket term “glamping” used to describe holidays that embrace  humble (and sometimes quirky) outdoor living combined with the modern luxuries any newly weds would desire, is certainly becoming increasingly attractive as a mini moon choice.

Nathalie | Buttercup Bus VW Campers Website | Twitter | Facebook | Buttercup Bus Blog

I'm very definitely a country girl but glamping is much more my thing than the traditional wet week in a Welsh field with the loo block half a mile away! I'm seriously considering looking into the Isle of Wight option, not because I have to feel that I'm 'abroad' but because I heard on the radio the other day that Springsteen & The E Street Band are headlining the closing day at Bestival 2012 - would love to go but not keen on a tiny tent and queuing for a smelly portaloo at night! 

Lastly, and this is purely indulgent, I have to post pics of Nathalie's Yorkie and my LGs!

Nathalie's cheeky chappy - not sure why the photo's
refusing to stay upright!

Bingo's trying to persuade Betsie to help him
find the squirrel he saw......

Betsie prefers exploring rabbit warrens though!

So Bingo has another go himself .......

Bingo & Monty enjoying a walk on the River Adur

More photos of the LGs on our Facebook Page, why not come and join us?