The famous wedding speech: the curse of the groom, best man and father of the bride (and also the guests if they are forced to sit through 20 minutes of bad jokes and boring anecdotes).

If you have been called upon to give a wedding speech, fear not: wedding speeches are fun, relaxed affairs that even the world’s worst public speaker can master with a few simple tips.

Best Audience

Always remember with a wedding speech that this is the best audience you are ever likely to get for a speech. They will be in the mood to laugh and get emotional, especially if they’ve already had a few drinks. Just keep them happy and your speech will be remembered fondly.

Here’s a brief guide to the main speeches for the groom, the father of the bride and the best man. Remember that all the speeches should be funny, relaxed, with a few jokes thrown in and a few more sincere moments as well. Never go over 10 minutes, but try to keep it to between five and seven minutes if possible.

The Father of the Bride’s Speech

The father of the bride’s speech is normally the first of the wedding speeches because, as far as tradition goes, he is paying for the wedding.

Firstly, make sure to welcome everyone, especially welcoming the groom’s parents into the family, and say how pleased you are that your daughter has found such a great groom. Thanks is usually expressed to the organisers, caterers and anyone involved in the day.

The speech is then usually focused mainly on the bride, and should include a bit of a joke and a story about the bride’s past, as long as it is not too embarrassing. Jokes can focus around married life, but it is usually also a sincere speech as the father gives his daughter away.

You should then finish by proposing a toast to the bride and groom, and then introducing the groom (unless you have a master of ceremonies to do it for you) for his speech.

The Groom’s Speech

The groom’s speech is the second of the wedding speeches, and he is responsible for thanking all those who have played a part in organising the wedding, especially those who have made a special effort. Traditionally you then thank the bride’s parents for granting you her hand in marriage, but it is now more common to simply congratulate them for raising such a wonderful daughter.

The speech should include some kind words about the bride, and a few stories about how you first met, as well as a few funny anecdotes from the last few months or years of the relationship. It is then the groom’s responsibility to propose a toast to the bridesmaids and to thank the best man for coming. A few words about the best man then follow, leading onto the introduction of the best man’s speech.

Best Man’s Speech

This is the last of the wedding speeches, and it is usually the funniest. It is also focused mainly on the groom. Start by responding on behalf of the bridesmaids, and also thank the groom for choosing you for such a distinguished role.

The speech should contain a lot of jokes and a few funny stories about the groom. A bit of gentle ribbing is good, but try not to go too far and spoil his day. A nice word about the bride always goes down well too.

It is the best man’s responsibility to read out the ‘telegrams’, which are usually cards these days, from people who couldn’t make it. You can then propose another toast to the bride and groom if you wish, but this is not customary.

Finish by wishing everyone an enjoyable meal or day, or direct them to the next activity which could be the cutting of the cake.

Do it Your Way

Wedding speeches involve a number of protocols, but remember that these can all be changed. Find out from the wedding couple what formula the speeches are to take, but they may simply tell you to do what you want. As long as you keep the speech short, funny and sincere you will be well thanked for it.

Photos courtesty of CKP Weddings and David Pullum

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You can’t go about planning a wedding without somewhere to keep track of your costs, and this is what we’d like to achieve with this wedding budget spreadsheet. It also doubles as a wedding checklist to ensure that there aren’t any pertinent costs/items that have slipped your mind.

We’re aware that each wedding has its own unique facets but we’ve tried as much as possible to ensure that this spreadsheet works for the majority of you. We’ll also be constantly tweaking the spreadsheet to ensure it’s the most comprehensive, useful and simply the best wedding budget calculator around, so do give us your comments, feedback and suggestions for improvement and we look forward to incorporating them in our next update!

Download our Wedding Budget Spreadsheet v2.0.

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1. Planning a Wedding on a Budget

Getting married can be very expensive and the whole idea can be daunting. But there are many things you can do to cut down the cost and still have the most stylish and beautiful wedding of your dreams. Here are some tips to consider:

1. Wedding Venue – This is one of the biggest costs in your wedding budget but you will be happy to know that there are ways to bring down the cost:

a. Pick a wedding venue where you can hold both wedding ceremony and wedding reception in one roof. This will save you money in transporting guests and wedding vendors.

b.Find a venue without up-front hire charges. Venues with all-inclusive packages including food and beverage can often work out cheaper.

c. Pick a wedding venue that does not require a lot of wedding decoration for it to be beautiful so you can immediately save money on that front.

d. If you have the space, perhaps you can also consider getting married in your own back garden – this can be very romantic!

2. Wedding Date - Many wedding venues offer a slightly lower hire fee if you choose to get married on a weekday or during an off-peak season.

3. Wedding Guests – One of the quickest ways to cut down the cost of your wedding is by limiting the number of people you invite on your wedding day.

4. Lunch Wedding Reception – The packages you get for lunch are typically cheaper than dinner and you can save a lot of money by opting to have your wedding reception in the afternoon.

5. Wedding Dress – Find a talented up and coming bridal designer whose prices are more affordable compared to the big names in the industry.

6. Wedding Stationery – Creating your own wedding stationery is becoming more popular amongst brides these days – it’s fun and adds a personal touch to your wedding.

7. Wedding Music – Consider making do without a live band or DJ on your special day. Here are some things you can consider doing:

a. Ask one of your friends or relatives who are musically inclined to play a beautiful piece as you walk down the aisle.

b. compile some of your favourite music onto your ipod and use that to provide background music as well as dance music in the evening. Or get one of your bridesmaids/groomsmen to arrange this.

8. Wedding Cake – You will be surprised to know how costly wedding cakes can be. But here are some ways to help you save a bit:

a. Sugar icing flowers/decorations are difficult to make and can be expensive. Fresh flowers are usually a cheaper and arguably more beautiful alternative.

b. After the ceremony, consider using your bridal bouquet and bridesmaids’ bouquets to help decorate the wedding cake table.

c. Let your wedding cake be your scrumptious dessert, so you can avoid paying extra for dessert. Or use the cake as wedding favors, which I am sure they will enjoy eating the next day.

9. Wedding Flowers – Wedding flowers can be costly but there are  ways to save and still have the most elegant wedding flowers on your special day:

a. Pick flowers that are in season and are locally produced.

b. Stick to fewer types of flowers instead of a large variety

c. Use more foliage

d. Consider using cheaper flowers that still go with your wedding theme. For instance, Calla lilies are cheaper than Phaelenopsis orchids

e. Recycle your ceremony flowers and re-use them for the reception tables or elsewhere.

10. Wedding Videographer – In an ideal world, you’d have both a wedding photographer and a wedding videographer. But if your budget is tight, I’d recommend skipping the wedding videos and invest on hiring a really good wedding photographer to capture all the beautiful memories of your wedding day. From my experience, unless you pay top dollar for a videographer, the quality of the editing can be fairly amateurish and I’ve known many brides & grooms who’ve been disappointed by what they get. Hence an alternative might be just to get someone with a camcorder to capture some key moments during the day, and you can in the future pay for a good editor to create some special video clips for you.

Photo courtesy of Andy Le Gresley of CKP Weddings

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2. Wedding Planning Checklist
3. Choosing a Wedding Venue

1. A Romantic Walk in the Park – this is always a sure winner!!  The picturesque setting is just ideal for the most romantic proposal that you will both love and enjoy. It is perfect any time of the year plus it doesn’t cost you a single penny so it is a place you can go back to again and again for many years to come. A romantic walk in Hyde Park next to the Serpentine lake is just way too ROMANTIC for me and I love the whole idea!

2. The Pet Lover – this is on top of my fav list. I like the idea of involving her beloved pet in the whole set up. The idea is that you tie a beautiful engagement ring onto her pet’s collar and she’ll be so surpised when she sees it and I know for sure that it will bring tears to her eyes.

3. Love Journal – be imaginative and create a journal or comic strip to tell your love story. Each page will bring a lot of laughter, memories and it will really set the romantic mood. Place an engagement ring on the last page of the book and slowly go down on one knee as she turns the page.

4. Treasure Hunt – prepare romantic clues for her to see that will lead up to the big moment. Reading messages, following clues and going from one part of the house to another leading her to to you and the beautiful ring will surely give her butterflies in her tummy and a night full of excitement and passion.

5. On Top of the World – Like the outdoors? Consider arranging a climb up Mount Kilimanjaro or some other peak in your vicinity and propose to her when you reach the summit. Stunning views, great experience and a memorable proposal! You will both be on top of the world when she says “YES”!

6. Roses and candles – welcome her home with beautiful flowers and scented candles all over the flat. This is a perfect combination she will love! The finale will be the absolute best, a beautiful ring, a loving husband-to-be and a colourful marriage to look forward to together.

7. Valentine’s Day Dinner – home cooked dinner for two with beautiful background music to serenade you both as you wait for the perfect moment to ask the big question “Will you marry me?” She will surely love the effort and enjoy being spoilt by you.

8. Weekend Getaway – Valentine’s day this year falls on a Sunday so you can easily book a long weekend break in the country or in Europe. Stay in a romantic hotel where you two can enjoy a peaceful scenery, superb dining and be pampered by the hotel staff from the moment you enter their doors.

9. Football Stadium – this is one fabulous idea you will love if you are both football lovers. Make arrangements and get approval before the match for your proposal to appear on the score board. Make sure she sees it and be specific by writing her full name “Leona, will you marry me?!”, then get down on one knee and propose to her, in front of the whole crowd.

10. Mr. Sentimental – prepare items that are meaningful to you that will highlight different things you love about her. You can do this in many ways but my version will be to hang photographs on the ceiling with images of meaningful items about her or your relationship and write a short note to share with her what each one symbolizes. The last item will be a beautiful engagement ring and you kneeling down on one knee as you ask the words “Will you marry me?”

A Valentine’s Day proposal will definitely make it the most memorable Valentine’s Day for you both so savour the moment together. Another tip: if you can, it’s always more romantic to propose with an engagement ring in hand! So long as you’re confident you can pick something she’ll like and she’s not hinted otherwise! Buying an engagement ring is of course an entire new topic in itself – but I’ll leave you with one final tip: online stores like Blue Nile can offer some very attractive prices, I’d recommend you at least visit the site so you can get an idea of what you can get for your budget.

Good luck with the planning and when you get engaged, we look forward to help inspire you both in planning your wedding day.

Photos courtesy of Julie Kim and Jane Packer

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1. Waterpoor mascara – make sure you use a waterproof mascara and to keep this in your bag for touch-ups. This will prevent mascara smudges when you dry those tears away.
2. Lip Gloss – it will be great if you can bring all three lip esentials – your lip liner, lipstick and lip gloss. But if space is an issue, then just have a neutral colour lip gloss for that gorgeous pouty look.
3. Blusher – keep the rosy glow on your face all day by applying this whenever you feel the need to.
4. Concealer – brighten up those eyes with a concealer pen whenever you retouch and don’t forget to dab it with some loose powder for a more natural look.
5. Blotting paper – you may not always have the chance to go to the ladies to retouch with your loose powder so a blotting paper will come in handy to keep you looking fresh
6. Perfume – smell good all day and bring with you a small perfume.
7. Make-up remover swab – it is the most emotional day of your life so it is understandable to have an overflow of tears and even waterproof mascara might not work. And if that happens this will come in pretty handy.
8. Mini toothbrush– do not ruin all your wedding photos with stained teeth from the red wine so bring a mini toothbrush with you to keep that bridal smile all day and night. Bring two for you and hubby.

Here are some products many brides have sworn by, loved and can’t go without even after their big day! Some are award winners and some are just great products to have! We particularly love the Laura Mercier lip glace as it comes in small sizes so it is really ideal for your wedding make-up essential kit!

1^st row – Laura Mercier Mineral Translucent Finishing £25.00, Bobbi Brown long-wear gel eyeliner £15.00 , Christian Dior Show £18.00

2^nd row -Laura Mercier Mini Lip Glacé Set £30.00, Nars Orgasm Blusher £18.50, YSL Touche Eclat £20.00, L’occitane matifying papers £6.50

3^rd row – L’Occitane perfume balm £6.50, Jane Iredale make-up swab £18.00, Muji travel toothbrush £2.95 each

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I am sure many brides-to-be will love this new revolutionary technology pioneered by Jan Marini called Marini Lash.  It is a miracle product that promises all you ladies out there beautiful and longer eye lashes in just three months.  Celebrities like Penelope Cruz is said to be a big fan of this product and I am seriously curiouos to try it myself. I thought I’d share this product to all our readers and maybe this is one product you can put on your to-buy list so you get to try it out and see what the results are. Guess it won’t hurt to try something new and if the results are good, then you can have gorgeous and longer eyelashes on your wedding day without having to use fake eyelashes.

Marini Lash is sold in the market at £99.00. It is a bit pricey but if the results are great, then i guess it is worth the money compared to your monthly eyelashes extension renewal.

Where to find Jan Marini in London:-

JMSR Europe

Email: info (a)jmseurope.com
Tel +44 208 868 4411

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• One Year and counting….

Start a beauty regimen as early as possible. This will also allow you to try different beauty products, and find what works well for your skin.

• Six months and counting…..

Go for skin facials with your husband-to-be or girl friends. A beauty therapist can access your skin and recommend good skin treatments that will ensure you look your best even without make-up.

• Three months and counting….

Are you drinking enough water? You can buy all the beauty product cults available in the market, spend money on facials, and the like but all these won’t be as effective if you do not re-examine your water consumption. Get in to the habit of drinking 8 glasses of water a day. This will help remove all the toxins in your system, and guarantee you a skin more luminous and clearer as ever.

• One month and counting….

Invest in a good skin exfoliator and skin mask for the extra skin boost one month before your big day. Gently exfoliate your skin leaving it clearer, softer and more refined. Pair it with a mask to stimulate, uplift you skin especially during this busy time of wedding planning, you will see great results.

• Two-weeks and counting….

Improve the blood circulation on your face to help brighten your eyes, soften your skin make it firmer and more radiant by going for a facial acupuncture.

• Morning of your wedding….

Have a warm bath with drops of lavender, and rose essential oil to help calm your mind, body, and soul. This simple yet natural care will invigorate, refresh and leave you feeling your best. When you are calm from the inside, it will beautifully glow on the outside. This is sure to work wonder on your special day.

You deserve all these beauty treats for all the hard work you are doing with all the wedding planning. So enjoy, relax and indulge yourself as much as you can, these are just some of the perks of being engaged and soon to be married!

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I went to the Designer Wedding Show this year and I met the wonderful staff in charge of the Give in Celebration booth. I love the idea and I am happy to share it to all our readers. Give in Celebration is a positive and unique way of celebrating a special occasion while supporting Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work. All the monies they will receive from you or your guests will help scientists find new ways of preventing and treating cancer. This is definitely a great way to celebrate an occasion with an impact and like many others who have used this services, I am sure you too will love the feeling of being able to share your special day with other people in a positive way.

At a Glance

• Instead of registering for a wedding registry to receive at your wedding, you can ask guests to make a donation to the charity.
• For a minimum of £1 you can have a Cancer Research badge to give away to your guests as wedding favours. This is a definitely a unique way of thanking guests and at the same time making a difference.

Wedding Gift Registry : Give in Celebration

Give in Celebration

Cancer Research UK

Tel +44 20 7121 6698

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Here is an article to all our Ferran Adria fans. The Spanish super-chef behind the world’s best restaurant El Bulli in Barcelona came up with his own cutlery collection that is innovative, chic and stylish. The Baroque cutlery as shown on the photo is sold in Harrods at £169 for 18 pieces. The set has a beautiful twist of modernity with elegant patterns and curves that every home chef enthusiast will love. If his designs pass your sophisticated taste, then perhaps it is something you can add on your wedding registry.

Harrods
87-135 Brompton Road
Knightsbridge
London
SW1X 7XL

Tel. 020 7730 1234

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Maybe it is just me getting older and my taste changing but I personally really love the classic and traditional look in my silverware and cutlery collection. In UK, there are plenty of really good, talented and luxury English cutlery designer that I like and will certainly have a lot to mention in the next articles under wedding registry.

I will start it off with Arthur Price. It is a family owned business that started in1902 and has been the country’s leading cutlery brand. They make the most elegant pieces of cutlery with a quality, style, and innovation that is second to. Their classic and luxury collection are just so beautiful and I love all of them. Compared to the other brands available in the market, theirs is a little bit more affordable.

In terms of wedding registry, I also love the fact that they can offer bespoke services. So if you want to request for gold plating, application of family crest, monograms, wedding date or to engrave both your names on certain pieces, then they can do that for you without any problem. Of course, you will have to pay a little extra but it is just nice to have that option should you have any special requests like that in mind.

1st row – Royal Pearl and Ritz

2nd row – Kings and Dubarry

3rd row – Chester and Harley

Wedding Registry – Arthur Price

Arthur Price

Tel +44 1543 257775

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