Thinking of what might be a good alternative for a wedding guest book and something that you could display in your home to remind you of your special day.  A gorgeous and unique idea, I thought anyway lol, was large wooden upright letters that standalone.  Currently initials and ampersands are a new trend at weddings at the moment and they look great painted to your wedding theme colour and signed with black permanent markers.

If your having a lot of guests at your wedding you could use both the book and the letters, but keeping the letters for your closest of family.

We can supply the letters at various sizes starting from 8cm - 50cm.

Table seating plan or unnasigned seating?

Unassigned seating sounds great in theory and it is certainly one less job for the organizer. Unfortunately it rarely works out so well in practice.

There may be a rush for the ‘good’ seats.

It will take a lot longer to get guests seated. They may still be milling about while the food is being served.

Your beautiful decor will be spoilt by people leaving their coats on chairs to reserve them.

The last few guests end up walking around looking for seats, a bit like the unpopular kid at school lunch.

Couples can get split up. It is not unknown for guests to end up eating outside the venue because they couldn’t get a seat together at the same table.

Elderly relatives may end up seated where they can’t hear or see anything.

If people turn up uninvited (common in some cultures) they may take seats intended for your invited guests.

So what you will need is a table seating plan for all to see and there is no confusion;

I have created an easy to read table seating board which will cost you hardly next to nothing and can be created larger or smaller dependant on how many guests and tables you have;

• Firstly I purchased a plank of wood, I wanted a nice thick one, approx 18mm thick and I cut it down into the sizes that I required.
• I then stuck all the pieces side by side using PVA glue.
• Once the planks were dry, I painted it.
• Then I painted 9 wooden clothes pegs and glued one handmade mulberry rose to each peg, covering the metal bar.
• I measured out each peg and then added my manilla luggage labels and laid them onto my wooden board, to get an idea where to put each peg and if it had enough room etc, before I stuck the peg.
• Then I stuck the pegs and hand wrote the table no. and guests onto the label.
• And this is the end result.

BRIDES WEDDING CHECK LIST

9 - 12 MONTHS

• Announce Engagement
• Select Wedding Date
• Hire wedding consultant/coordinator
• Determine type of wedding: location, theme, # of guests, formality, time of day
• Determine budget & how expenses will be shared
• Buy a daytimer to keep track of appointments & events
• Develop a record keeping system for payments
• Create an approximate # guest list
• Decide if you will be inviting children or not
• Select and reserve ceremony site
• Select and book Officiant/Priest/Minister/Rabbi
• Select and book reception location
• Select and order bridal gown
• Determine colour scheme
• If ceremony or reception is at a home, arrange for any home improvements
• Obtain, passports, visas, birth certificates, any documents need for travel and/or marriage licenses

6 - 9 MONTHS

• Select and book caterer, if needed
• Select and book photographer
• Select wedding party
• Give wedding party a list of their responsibilities
• Select and buy attire or bridesmaids & flower girl
• Select and buy attire for mothers of the bride and groom
• Select and book ceremony musicians
• Select and book live band or DJ for reception
• Select and book videography
• Select and book florist
• Register for your wedding gifts (this can be done sooner)

4 - 6 MONTHS

• Schedule fittings for custom made bridesmaids gowns
• Arrange marriage prep-courses, if necessary
• Reserve rental items
• Select and book decorator
• Finalize an A and B list of guests
• Select and order invitations and other wedding stationary
• Set date, time and location for rehearsal dinner
• Select and book honeymoon night suite
• Arrange accommodations for out-of-town guests
• Start planning your honeymoon
• Shop for your wedding gifts to each other
• Shop for your wedding gifts to your wedding party
• Shop for your wedding gifts to your parents
• Buy shoes, lingerie and accessories for the bride
• Buy shoes and accessories for the bridesmaids
• Select and order wedding bands

2 - 4 MONTHS

• Take formal engagement picture
• Select and order wedding cake
• Order party favours/bombonniere
• Select and order decorations
• Purchase honeymoon attire and luggage
• Select and book wedding day transportation
• Start addressing your invitations
• Plan activities for out-of-town guests (optional)
• Go on trials and book wedding day hair and makeup. Bring your headpiece and wear a white shirt
• Obtain marriage license (expires in 3 months)
• Send out your invitations
• Select ceremony readers
• Select ushers to seat your guests
• Select guest book attendant
• Select your MC
• Mail invitations to shower
• Get photography permit, if needed

6 - 8 WEEKS

• Maintain a record of RSVP's and early wedding gifts
• Maintain a record of shower gifts and send thank you's
• Purchase all ceremony and reception accessories: guest book, toasting glasses, garter, ring pillow, etc.
• Select and reserve wedding attire for all gentlemen
• Mail invitations to rehearsal dinner
• Plan bridesmaid luncheon
• Select your something old, new, borrowed, blue

2 - 6 WEEKS

• Finalize all food and beverages for wedding
• Finalize all ceremony details with Officiant
• Finalize all rehearsal arrangements
• Finalize all floral arrangements
• Final fittings for yourself and bridesmaids
• Make a wedding day itinerary
• Give a copy of the itinerary to your wedding party and vendors
• Finalize all details with all your vendors
• Decide order of receiving line and head table setting
• Contact guest that haven't replied
• Pick up wedding rings
• Give photographer a photo checklist
• Visit reception site for floor plan
• Create reception seating plan
• Give musicians a list of your music selection
• Inform attendants when and where to pick up attire
• Determine VIP seating for ceremony seating
• Print out seating cards
• Pick up honeymoon tickets

1 WEEK

• Give caterer/reception venue final tally of guests
• Pack of your honeymoon
• Wrap reception flavours/bombonniere
• Arrange mail collection while you are on honeymoon

DAY OF REHERSAL DINNER

• Drop all wedding accessories and decor off at ceremony and reception locations
• Make sure you bring all gifts that will be handed out at dinner
• Make sure you have all final payments in envelopes for wedding day
• Pack over night bag for honeymoon suite
• Make sure wedding party has their itinerary
• Make sure gentlemen have black socks
• Go to church for rehearsal
• Review VIP seating with ushers at ceremony location

WEDDING DAY

• Most of the details will be on your wedding day itinerary
• Eat breakfast
• Pack anything remaining on your "To Bring" list in cars
• Make sure Maid of Honour has groom's ring and Best Man has bride's ring
• Make sure you have your marriage license, photo permit and Special Occasions Permit, if needed
• Put your engagement ring on your right hand
• Use your wedding day itinerary to get you through the day on some sort of trouble
• Remember to look around and soak in the views of the day you planned so long and hard for.

Favours, favours, favours, what to get?

Well I suppose its kind of easy for childrens parties as we all know that sweets and a pen will probably do the trick, maybe throw in the odd bouncy ball and a yo-yo too, but when it comes to adults and different sexes it gets a bit tricky.  I have searched over a lot of wedding suppliers and there are a lot of wedding favours out there, but who really buys crystal cut glass coasters for men.  I appreciate that your more VIP guests will receive something of more value, but what will you get the masses.

A lot of companies sell chocolate bars as favours with a printed label with your wording on and I think its a great idea, surely everyone loves chocolate?  Its certainly better than sugared almonds, at least you wont worry about anyone breaking their teeth on your chocolate and then having a law suit on your hands, lol.

I happened to be in Asda the other day and thought I would try out their own brand chocolate for 30p a bar (as at 01.08.12), well what a shocker, it was DELISH, they have milk and dark chocolate too. I had to buy 3 bars of course, 2 plain and 1 milk, just to confirm that the taste was as good as I thought it was and also to use one as my template, which may I say was very hard to keep safe and untouched.

Well whilst watching the olympics I had a little crafty moment and no I dont mean eating the chocolate all sneeky like so I didnt have to offer any around, what I mean is a creative moment and I thought OI OI, I could create my own packaging for these bars and use them as favours for parties or just as a lovely gift, you can write your own message on it too, so how special is that.  Here are 2 examples that i was able to create before I scoffed the last bar, so now it seems that if I have anymore ideas for the packaging I will have to buy some more chocolate, OH DEAR WHAT A CHORE, lol nom nom nom, lol xxX

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Here is an example of a hanging heart created for a teacher - this is also a test - thank you.

Here is my latest pair of wedding cake toppers for a lovely couple getting married in August

Many couples like to include their pets and Jemma wanted her black Labrador, her fiance also plays in a band and was an extra special touch adding his guitar.