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wedding

What’s the Best Wedding Entertainment Ever?

by Ismay Ozga December 12, 2018

No matter what kind of wedding you’re planning, whether it’s a glam formal affair or an intimate gathering, it’s good form to keep your guests entertained. And there are SO many ways to do so – whatever the mood. Here’s some of our favourite wedding entertainment, from music to massage.

Capturing your guests

We’ve all been at a wedding with a photobooth and we all know how much fun they are. But have you ever had your portrait drawn at a wedding? Amy of The Portrait Machine does exactly that. She sits in her little booth, you put a ticket in a slot and she draws a super charming doodle of you through a peephole. It only takes a minute or so to do each portrait and you can chat to her in her booth in the meantime, which is surreal and brilliant. Along the same lines as Amy are the magical Roving Artists – Charles or Michael will wander amongst your guests, stopping to cut amazingly accurate silhouettes of them while they enjoy themselves – as Charles says “each group greets me with initial surprise and reluctance, followed by delight and astonishment at the silhouette.” Another wonderful idea for capturing some of the love and joy on your wedding day is to hire the Big Red Box – an iconic British telephone box that serves as an audio guest book. Your guests can go inside the box and record heartfelt (or hilarious) messages for you in privacy – then a few weeks after your wedding you’ll receive a little red box with a USB stick containing all of your lovely messages.

Wedding entertainment, kids at weddings, amazing art cart,

Wedding entertainment, kids at weddings, little top,

For the kids

If you’re having kids at your wedding, it’s a great idea to have some entertainment tailored to them, like the Amazing Art Cart – run by Dawn and her gang of artists and designers, this little cart will keep children of all ages busy cutting, sticking, drawing and making. Thanks to Dawn’s background in design, the cart is so colourful and fun-looking it’s bound to attract the kids’ attention. If you want to go all out and know the kids will be taken care of while the adults dance the night away, the Little Top is an excellent option. As wedding childcare specialists, they will set up their little tent area and fill it with everything your guests’ kids could want – toys, games, dressing up stuff, art and craft activities. Susie even offers a sleepover option where they’ll set up a wedding creche with a story time area, blankets, fairy lights, a film, popcorn, hot chocolate and of course trained child carers. Then your guests can collect the kids on their way home after they’ve partied the night away.

Wedding entertainment, karaoke, Rockaoke

Wedding entertainment, wedding smashers, music, DJ, Brass Junkies, brass band

Bring the noise

Why not bring a carnival atmosphere to your big day with a New Orleans-style brass band? Form a procession through the streets from your ceremony to your reception venue with the Brass Junkies leading the way. Or have them light up the dancefloor later in the night – whatever and wherever they’re playing, you can be certain that their high-energy, good-time music will bring all the joy. Another idea that is unusual (but so much fun) is to do karaoke – but not just any karaoke – live band karaoke. Your guests can get up on stage with a full rock band and belt out one of 200 songs in the band’s repertoire. The Rockaoke crew will make your guests feel like proper rock stars, even if they don’t quite sound like one. Of course, if what you really want is a brilliant DJ that will play a load of absolute bangers and keep your guests dancing all night long, then we highly recommend The Wedding Smashers. Wedding Smashers formed in 2010 when a shared love of Fleetwood Mac, 90’s Pop and UK Garage bonded Max, Lucy and Noah. The crew includes a hand-picked selection of London’s finest DJs, all united in their mission to play the tunes that will get you moving your feet and shaking your hips.

Wedding entertainment, bio glitter, temporary tattoo, ecostardust, hello doris loves

Wedding entertainment, massage, Helisa therapies, holistic

Feel good, look good

If you ask us, weddings are the ideal time to sport a glitter beard. Agree? Hire an eco glitter bar like ecostardust and they will send their artists to your reception to add some sparkle wherever it’s needed! Or if sparkles aren’t your thing, you can always toughen your guests up with some (temporary) tattoos from Hello Doris Loves. They’ll bring a tattoo station to your reception venue and adorn your guests with their fun designs. Want to make sure your guests feel good as well as looking their best? Get Kate of Heilsa Therapies to show up and treat your friends and family to her relaxing massage and reflexology treatments, either from her bespoke therapy trailer or in a cosy spot of your choice.

Think outside the box

When it comes to wedding entertainment, think about what kind of theme you want to go for (we’re not talking about whether you go for lilac or blue napkins – more what kind of vibe you want to achieve). If you want to give your wedding a festival/fairground feel, you could always hire funfair rides so your guests can squeal the night away! There are plenty of companies that do ride hire, such as Chippa. Get some stilt walkers to wander among your guests – in the right setting this will be incredible. And never, ever underestimate the appeal of donkey rides – hire some gorgeous donkeys to take the kids up and down – they’re guaranteed to love it. If you’re going for a South American vibe, swap your donkeys for a llama, like our gorgeous couple Alex & Sam! Think outside of the box so you can really surprise your lovely friends and family.

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Wedding Planning

Thoroughly Modern Marriage at the Ace Hotel | Competition Winner

by Ismay Ozga September 27, 2018

written by Ismay Ozga

Hello and a big thank you to everyone we met at the Thoroughly Modern Marriage event at the Ace Hotel last weekend. And an extra thank you if you entered our competition to win £100 towards your wedding registry/honeymoon fund. We had such a great time.

Big congratulations to `Laura & Elliot’. Your entry of ‘coffee making course and espresso machine to make our own coffee’ won!

You have won £100 towards your patchwork. All you need to do to claim your prize is create your patchwork and get in touch!

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Patchwork Couples

Patchwork Couple: Steph & Jon’s Alternative Registry

by Ismay Ozga September 26, 2017

written by Ismay Ozga

‘Reformed lawyer’ Steph and musician Jon knew they didn’t want a traditional wedding, or a traditional wedding list for that matter. They asked their friends and family to contribute towards their upcoming move to Catalonia, where they’re living totally ‘off the grid’. Luckily, we managed to get hold of Steph for long enough to ask her all about their wedding day and what came after.

How did you get engaged?

On top of a hill fort in the west coast of Scotland, overlooking a Loch (where Jon’s family used to live). It was a hard slog to the top but worth it for the views and the proposal. We love the west coast!

What kind of wedding did you plan?

It was somewhere between a garden party, a village fete, and a festival, I guess. We had the ceremony in a garden, followed by tea and cake and games on the lawn, then we had cabaret, a dance class and ceilidh. We didn’t want any of the formality you often get at weddings – just for people to be able to relax and enjoy each other’s company (and our favourite things!)

What was your first dance?

We had one planned but I got glass in my foot the morning of the wedding so we couldn’t do it. We did a first song instead: Jackson by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash.

What was your favourite part of the day?

The ceremony. We’d spent a lot of time working on it with our vicar, and some dear friends had written pieces for it. The cabaret was ace too!

What made Patchwork the best alternative wedding registry?

We were looking for something that would fit with our next steps – we didn’t need a lot of traditional stuff, but we didn’t want to just ask people for money. Patchwork was a really nicely presented way of asking for useful things! And we loved the fact that people didn’t have to spend money – they could pledge to visit or write to us.

We called our patchwork our Catalonian adventure – we have just moved to an off grid hill farm in Catalonia, so needed help getting off the ground. We asked friends to chip in for everything, from solar panels and storm kettles to sheep!

How did you feel when you set off for your new house in Spain knowing everyone had chipped in?

Well, calling it a house is a bit ambitious… We live in a yurt, actually! It’s great knowing that people are invested in the adventure with us, and feel they’ve helped us in a really direct way. Also, they did some incredible pun work on our gift page.

What was the best bit about using Patchwork?

Ooh, tricky. Having so much control over the final thing – not just what we were asking for, but how we made the page look. I spent hours playing with layout. It almost made the chainsaw and beekeeper outfits feel beautiful!

Our friends and family loved it, no one had heard of Patchwork before so they had a lot of fun exploring the site. But also they liked being asked to contribute in different ways.

And are you happy you’ve made your move?

100 percent. It’s a total change of pace and lifestyle, but we wake up every morning to spectacular landscapes and fall asleep under stunning skies, and we are learning so much every day.

Thank you Steph & Jon for sharing your patchwork story with us. And a huge congratulations from Team Patchwork!

If this has inspired you to make your own patchwork, just customise one of our readymade patchworks or create one from scratch.

Wedding photography by Joshua Wyborn Photographic

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Wedding Planning

Your Non-Drinking Wedding Guests

by Ismay Ozga August 9, 2017

written by Ismay Ozga

If you’re abstaining from alcohol for one reason or another, weddings can be a slightly daunting affair. No one wants to be stuck with a tap water in their hand while everyone cheers with elegant champagne glasses. Today we’re chatting to Laura, Co-Founder of the Mindful Drinking Festival, about what we can do to improve the way we cater for non-drinking wedding guests.

Alcohol can play a pretty big part in a wedding, can’t it?

Yes. Traditionally in the UK, weddings are pretty boozy occasions. There are many moments in the day when alcohol is expected. What’s more, they seem to be growing in number, from the Buck’s Fizz for breakfast to the speech-giving toasts. By the end of the day the free bar may have been maxed out and things can get a bit messy.

Do you think we tend to forget about non-drinking wedding guests?

We can do. One in five of your guests are likely to be trying to take it easy on the booze.

It is easy to forget that you will have some guests who are not drinking, or trying not to drink much. They may be driving, have caring responsibilities, or just not feeling like drinking.

Are we making people feel left out by not catering to them?

Well, members of Club Soda, the mindful drinking movement, often share the need to sneak in alcohol-free drinks for themselves to big weddings and events. They can’t quite manage on sweet sticky lemonade for the whole day, and water gets a bit boring after a while. Also their members who are brides and grooms-to-be are anxious about not getting too smashed on their big day. They want drinks that look the part to intermingle or totally replace the alcohol they are expected to drink. After all, they want to enjoy the day as much as they can, and keep all those lovely memories.

So both for yourself, and for all your guests, it’s good to make sure that there are enough nice non-alcoholic drinks options throughout the day.

What are your top tips for making sure everyone feels loved at your party?

Plan your non-alcoholic drinks.

First of all, do a bit of planning (always the place to start!). At what times and at what occasions will there be alcohol served? Welcome drinks, champagne toasts, wine with the meal, and so on? Are there non-alcoholic options for each of those? And are they drinks that people actually enjoy? Imagine how a sober person will feel, holding a tumbler of orange juice, when everyone else is making a toast with an elegant champagne flute in their hands…

If you already know your non-alcoholic drinks, great! You should have no trouble putting together an excellent drinks menu for your party. If you’re not so sure, take some time to do a bit of research. Club Soda does regular reviews and tastings of non-alcoholic drinks.

And if you are in London you can even come to the Mindful Drinking Festival. It’s in August and you can sample all the best options out there. Tesco is the best supermarket at the moment for their non-alcoholic drinks range, and great for ideas.

What are the options?

If you are looking for alternatives to champagne, then consider Eisberg alcohol-free sparkling wine or Botonique. Both look the part in a champagne glass. You can find other options in the online Alcohol-Free Shop.

Heineken® 0.0 tastes just like the real thing. No one will know if your guests have switched in order to pace themselves. For your craft beer lovers, Big Drop Brew has some highly acclaimed beers that will look very sexy on your wedding bar.

Craft sodas work for all ages, and Fentimans pink grapefruit or botanicals tonic work as a mixer for the gin lovers, but also taste great on their own. Their wild elderflower bubbly will also work for toasts or as a nice pick-me-up on a hot and busy afternoon.

Make sure the caterers know this is important

It’s good to talk to your caterers (if you use one) early on. Unless you ask, they will most likely just offer you their standard package. Which may not be great. We have spoken to a few of them, and they are always happy to talk about more exciting options. And if they are as good as they say they are, they can get you almost any drinks you want.

And if for some reason you really struggle to provide the non-alcoholic drink you’d like, there is always one last resort. Most non-drinking people already know what they like, and where to get it. You can ask the venue if it’s ok for your guests to bring their own bottles. And you can be prepared to pay a corkage fee. That way, all your guests will come to your special day safe in the knowledge that they will have something nice to drink. And you will have one less thing to worry about.

Thanks so much Laura. When’s the mindful drinking festival on?

The Club Soda Mindful Drinking Festival is on 20th July, from 11am to 5pm, at Spitalfields Market, London E1 6AA. Entry is free, but you can RSVP online at mindfuldrinkingfestival.com

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Patchwork Couples

Patchwork Couple: Dream Honeymoon to Mexico & New Orleans

by Ismay Ozga July 18, 2017

written by Ismay Ozga

Amelia and Lee are proper childhood sweethearts. They’ve been together since they were 14 and 15, when Lee was in a band at school and Amelia was a loyal groupie. She’d wait for him at the bus stop every morning and they’d walk to school together. They even spent their days writing little notes and letters to each other. See – proper childhood sweethearts. They were smitten with each other, and they still are. On the day they married they’d been together for 11 years, 1 month, 1 week and 1 day. We asked Lee lots of nosy questions about their wedding and their Patchworked New Orleans and Mexico honeymoon registry…

How did you get engaged?

We got engaged on our 10 year anniversary, in bed. I presented Amelia with a photo album of our ten years together and once she had finished looking at the book I proposed with my Nan’s engagement ring. The ring had been passed down to me – adjusted to Amelia’s size secretly by my mum years before.

What kind of wedding did you plan?

Amelia planned what some have described as ‘relaxed’, ‘not traditional’, ‘intimate’ and ‘romantic’ wedding. Our ceremony was in the church next to our school where Amelia’s parents were married. Our reception was at ‘Poplars Hall’ – a beautiful old orphanage in Brentwood, Essex.

We had a buffet style dinner, in which we had our friends cater in the style of a jerk-pan BBQ, some meats and beautiful salads. Myself and my best man served our guests. Amelia had arranged benches for people to sit at with no seating plans. This encouraged a free and easy system where guests could move around and mingle easily. Our cake table was made up of home baked cakes from family members. There were two wedding cakes made by Amelia and her bridesmaid Joanna. Amelia made the decorations herself with the help of friends and family and the flowers were also all arranged ourselves the day before the wedding.

What was your first dance?

Our first dance was ‘Leon bridges – Coming Home’ – this was a last minute decision. We were actually set on only having a ‘last dance’ as something Amelia had really wanted, which was ‘St Vincent – Stars Aligned’.

What was your favourite part of the day?

My favourite part of the day – (obviously this is a difficult one) – was our ceremony, when it sunk in that we were actually married! I was crying, laughing, jumping in the air – it was pretty overwhelming.
Amelia’s – Our first dance, it was lots of fun especially as I was so against people watching me badly dance until a few days before! We made sure we had 30 seconds of planned dancing before everyone ran onto the dance floor to join us!

Why was Patchwork the best wedding registry for you?

We had previously used Patchwork a couple of years before for Amelia’s brothers wedding gifts. We had found it such a fun and easy way to give people exactly what they want!

What did you decide to ask your wedding guests for?

We wanted to fund our honeymoon – an incredible trip to Mexico and New Orleans. Amelia and I hadn’t been on a holiday together for what seems like such a long time! So we planned a ridiculous adventure which included paradise beaches and street parties.

It was so fun to create the patchwork and actually really helped in planning our honeymoon, finding all the fun things we could experience on our trip! It’s so so easy to use, I loved that you can even adjust it after it goes live, we didn’t realise items would ‘sell out’ so fast so it was ideal that it only took a few moments to up the quantities people could buy. It’s also great that you can look back to see who got what when writing thank you cards!
We had really positive feedback from our guests about how easy and fun it was to use! I have recommended it to so many people since.

How did you feel setting off on your honeymoon?

We felt so lucky and so special that people had been supportive of our gift selection, and extremely excited to go off and actually experience the things we had planned. The Patchwork was a great way for people to visualise our holiday and we mixed up the prices so much so that people could buy us something small and fun like 1 donut, or part of a flight!

Our honeymoon was absolutely incredible! We were so lucky to be able to go to 2 places, we went to Mexico in October which is known as off season however this meant we had the whole of Tulum beach to ourselves! It was incredibly hot so we were so so lucky it felt like a private paradise! New Orleans is the most amazing city we’ve been to, it’s southern hospitality at its finest! It’s so fun and vibrant, we didn’t want to leave, the food and cultures of both places are amazing and we couldn’t recommend them enough.

Thank you Lee & Amelia for sharing your patchwork story with us. And congratulations from Team Patchwork!

All wedding photography by threeflowersphotography.co.uk

If this has inspired you to make your own patchwork, just customise one of our readymade patchworks or create one from scratch.

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Wedding Planning

The Only Wedding Checklist You’ll Need – We Promise

by Ismay Ozga June 14, 2017

written by Ismay Ozga

Wedding planning can feel a little bit overwhelming at times and that little niggling feeling of forgetting something can start to haunt you. Well don’t worry, we’ve come up with the ultimate wedding checklist, so that you can keep track of every little thing you need to do in the coming months. Sorted. Ps. skip to the end to download a printable PDF wedding checklist.

Newly engaged wedding checklist:

+ Drink champagne/beer/apple juice and cheers to each other

+ Tell your loved ones, shout it from the rooftops if you like

+ Enjoy this time together – soak up all those warm fuzzy feelings

+ Decide what kind of wedding you both want – what aspects of the day are most important to you? Try to start off on the same page

+ Decide if you want to elope – if so, ignore the rest of this list

white man and woman in wedding outfits in front of light blue wall — Joanna Bongard

11- 12 months before your wedding:

+ Buy a wedding notebook, or just open a brand new Google doc for all of your wedding checklist items

+ Make your wedding Pinterest board (and follow ours here) – it’s the most fun way to collect ideas (but don’t get overwhelmed by all the ‘stuff’)

+ Take a first stab at your guest list

+ Set your wedding budget (be realistic)

+ Pick a date!

+ Research venues, visit your favourites and book the one

+ Find your wedding photographer, set up a meeting and book them

9-10 months before your wedding

+ Choose your wedding party and ask them to do the honours

+ Start shopping for wedding outfits – don’t feel obliged to stick to wedding boutiques, there are plenty of other options around if you’re not keen – you can rent, or buy secondhand

+ Decide what to do about food – plan self catering or book a caterer

+ Start making your wedding website if you’re having one (they are handy for your guests to see all information in one place!)

+ Have a think about what kind of cake you’d like (a 3 tier lemon cake or a ‘bake off’ style dessert table? The possibilities are endless..)

+ Design and send your save the dates

+ Research your wedding invitations

+ Decide what to do about music – are you going to hire a band/book a DJ or create your own playlist?

+ Make a honeymoon Pinterest board and follow ours here.

A black woman in a white strapless vera wang wedding dress with a veil holds hands with a white man in a beige double breasted blazer, they are standing in front of some large metal tanks — The Chamberlins

5-7 months before your wedding

+ Book or ask a friend to be your wedding day MC – it will be super useful on the day to have someone telling everyone what’s happening and when

+ Book your DJ or band if you’ve gone down that route

+ Book your florist

+ Reserve hotel rooms for your wedding guests

+ Decide if you’re going to do your own hair and makeup, or if you’d like a professional to do it – research stylists in your area

+ If your wedding party are wearing suits, decide whether to rent or buy them

+ Have a think about wedding rings and decide on some styles

+ Schedule your hair and makeup trials if you’re using a professional

+ Book your wedding night accommodation (unless you’re heading home, in which case buy some extra special bedding so you can have a blissful first lie-in as a married couple)

Two white people smile while hugging with their noses touching, one is wearing a dress covered in applique shapes and a veil attached to a little red hat, the other has short hair and is wearing a red suit and a crown of leaves — Joanna Bongard

4 months before your wedding

+ Start your online honeymoon registry or create your cash gift list with Patchwork

+ Check your passports – you’re going to need them to be up to date if you’re going abroad for your honeymoon

+ Buy your wedding rings

+ Book your wedding transportation if needed

a graphic with a line drawing of an ipad which contains a screenshot of a patchwork honeymoon registry - the text at the top of the screen reads 'Our Honeymoon Registry' and there are images of different honeymoon experiences below it

3 months before your wedding

+ Send your wedding invitations, including a link to your Patchwork registry

+ If you need any dress/suit fittings, get them scheduled in

+ Start any of your DIY jobs, invite friends round to help (ply them with wine)

2 months before your wedding

+ If you’re writing your own wedding vows, start working on them now

+ If you’ve decided to make a speech, start jotting down ideas for that too

+ Do a bit of honeymoon planning – need a new swimsuit? Get that sorted now

+ Start wearing your wedding shoes around the house to make sure they’re comfy for the big day

A white man in a linen wedding suit holding hands with white woman in white wedding dress holding a bouquet of flowers, the couple are laughing and there is confetti in the air — Wolf & Co

6 weeks before your wedding

+ Make final decisions or alterations to your wedding outfits

+ Finalise your vows and speeches

+ Make sure your food is sorted – finalise menus with caterers

1 month before your wedding

+ Put together your seating chart – post-its come in very handy at this point

+ If you’re having any hair or beauty treatments, book those appointments now

+ Making a wedding playlist? Get started on that now! Pick your favourite dancing songs, and maybe some chilled ones to play while your guests are waiting for you to enter the ceremony

+ Finalise any vendor payments

+ Plan the timeline for the day itself, so you know exactly what’s happening and when

+ Tell your wedding party any information they need to know ahead of the day – timings etc

+ Check your outfit fits!

+ Confirm any prop/furniture/suit hire

+ Go and get your marriage license

A white woman in a shimmery white long-sleeved wedding dress with a flower crown in her hair smiles widely on a street in front of a brick wall while holding a bouquet of dried flowers — Lisa Jane

2 weeks before your wedding

+ Confirm your final guest list

+ Give your photographer a list of shots you’d like on the day – want to get a picture with grandma? Make sure your photographer knows

+ Confirm delivery details with anyone dropping stuff off on the day (flowers, hired furniture, etc.)

+ Make sure you have a plan in place for the wedding venue setup and breakdown

1 week before your wedding

+ If you’re having a manicure, get it done now. And don’t do any washing up after.

+ Give your florist, caterers etc a contact number in case of emergencies – not your own. Maid of honour is usually a good call.

+ Make a little wedding day kit for emergencies – include make up, cotton wool buds, safety pins, a needle and thread, painkillers, plasters, hair grips and mints.

+ Pick up your dress/outfit if you need to

+ Try your whole outfit on (and do a little excited dance)

A black woman in a white wedding dress with a long train holding a white bouquet stands close to a black man in a white suit with a gold bow tie in front of a panelled wooden semi circular bench area — September Pics

1 day before your wedding

+ If you’re heading off for honeymoon straight after the wedding, make sure you have your transportation organised

+ Print your vows/speech

+ Take a few deep breaths and try and get an early night

On your wedding day

+ Be in the moment – with a lot going on you can get swept away, but make sure you take it all in

+ GET MARRIED!

A woman with bright orange hair wears a white off the shoulder wedding dress and holds hands with a person in a relaxed suit with a t-shirt. They stand among shipping containers — We Heart Pictures

After the wedding

+ Have a Buck’s Fizz for breakfast and toast to your marriage

+ Make sure vendors have been paid in full

+ Follow up with your photographer to check when you’ll get your wedding photos back

+ Ensure everything you hired has been returned

+ Send out thank you notes to people who helped with the wedding

+ Send personalised thank yous via Patchwork with pictures of you enjoying your gifts

Heading to the wedding? Don’t forget these things:

Rings
Outfit
Vows – if you’ve written them
Speech
Umbrella – just in case!
Marriage license
Wedding playlist
Underwear
Shoes
Comfy shoes for evening
Emergency kit
Wallet
Cash
Passport (if you’re leaving for honeymoon!)

Downloadable wedding checklist:

For a printable version of this wedding checklist just click here.

First image by Leesha Williams.

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Patchwork Couples

Patchwork Couple: Sam & Charlotte’s Whitstable Wedding and Sri Lankan Honeymoon

by Ismay Ozga May 5, 2017

written by Ismay Ozga

Sam and Charlotte had known each other for years – Sam went to school with Charlotte’s brother and sister. According to Charlotte he was a prolific flirt (actually, she called him a tart!) and she even used to warn her friends not to get involved with him. Years later, they bumped into each other while they were both visiting family in the Easter holidays. Sam asked Charlotte to go for a drink, Charlotte said no. He asked again, and she thought about it. Eventually, they went out. And the rest, as they say, is history!

How did you get engaged?

Sam took me to Paris for my 30th birthday. Having never been before, Sam took me round all the typical touristy spots so I could tick them off my list. That evening, the last stop was the Eiffel tower before dinner. As we were crossing the road by the Trocadero, he made me walk right into the middle of the road to take a photo of the tower lit up ‘so I would get a clear shot’. After taking the photo – I turned round and Sam was stood with a ring in his hands. I was so taken by surprise, I can’t remember a word of what he said. Thinking he was taking the piss, I very unromantically asked, ‘is this a f**king joke?!’… Before obviously saying Yes!

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We both knew we wanted a wedding that felt more like a giant party than a formal occasion, and so traditional wedding venues were never going to fit the bill for us. We found the amazing East Quay venue in Whitstable, Kent which was right on the beach and happened to be a place we would visit when we first started dating. It was a former sea food restaurant that had been converted into a venue – it was quirky and fun and the perfect setting to celebrate with our loved ones. It was the first place we visited and we booked it immediately!

The inspiration for the rest of our wedding would be the venue itself – it has a real industrial feel to it and we wanted everything to feel relaxed. To reflect the industrial look, we decided to trawl junk shops and antique fairs in order to find props to decorate. We then asked our florist to offset all the junky bits and pieces with some vibrant rich flowers spilling out of everything! We spent ages personalising all the little details of the day to reflect each other and our guests.

What was your first dance?

All of me – John Legend.

We struggled to find a song for our first dance as we both have quite different music tastes. We settled on this because of the lyrics; ‘you’re crazy, and I’m out of my mind’.

What was your favourite part of the day?

We loved every minute of the day – but I think we’d both agree that the ceremony surprised us by being our favourite. For such a short part of the day, the excitement and anticipation of that moment when we first saw each other was hard to beat. From that point onwards the day continued to be so much fun – such a strange word to describe your wedding, but we both laughed and enjoyed every minute.

Why was Patchwork the best choice for your honeymoon fund?

Having lived together for a while, we didn’t feel like we wanted traditional wedding gifts – but we really wanted to treat ourselves to an amazing honeymoon. I found Patchwork as I was googling honeymoon fund websites and loved the whole concept!

What did you decide to fund?

We really wanted to go to Sri Lanka for our honeymoon and didn’t want to hold back on things we could do when we were there because we were saving money. Using the patchwork to fund different trips and activities on our travels meant that we could do everything we planned to without worrying about over spending – everything we did felt like a special treat because it was a gift from someone.

I remember sitting in the airport before we flew, writing a list of all the things people had bought us to do while we were away. We couldn’t believe how generous people had been and we could finally start plotting the various things we wanted to do. We bought a camera at the airport so we could take some amazing photos of everything we did to send to the people that had treated us to them! We’d have never done half the things we did had people not contributed to our honeymoon, which enabled us to have the holiday of a lifetime.

Our friends and family loved the convenience of the website – and give me someone that doesn’t enjoy a bit of online shopping? They loved getting a bit of a say in shaping our honeymoon and the things we did.

And finally would you recommend your trip to other honeymooners?

Sri Lanka is quite possibly the most beautiful place to visit – the people, the wildlife, not least the food and the weather!! It was a holiday of a lifetime and we couldn’t recommend it highly enough! Who knows – maybe we’ll return for a special anniversary in the future?

Thank you Charlotte & Sam for sharing your lovely wedding and honeymoon with us. And a huge congratulations from Team Patchwork.

Wedding photography by Ross Hurley: www.rosshurley.com

If this has inspired you to make your own patchwork, just customise one of our readymade patchworks or create one from scratch.

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Patchwork Couples

Tanya & Stephen’s Dream Honeymoon

by Ismay Ozga April 3, 2017

written by Ismay Ozga

Tanya and Stephen met online three and a half years ago and had a beautiful countryside wedding last year with all of their friends and family. They were planning the honeymoon of a lifetime when they found out they were expecting another little member of the family (who’s on her way next month!) so their plans had to change. We asked Tanya all about what they decided to do for their honeymoon and how their big day went.

How did you get engaged?

We got engaged on the rooftop terrace of our hotel in Venice. It was freezing as it was November, but the sunset was electric pink and it couldn’t have been more perfect. Steve did very well!

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We wanted an informal, personal countryside wedding. We wrote our ceremony ourselves, had a big sharing-style meal, and lots of cocktails to keep the party going.

What was your first dance?

We did the Jewish Hora with all our guests – neither of us could face doing a dance just the two of us!

What made Patchwork the best wedding registry for you?

A friend had used it for their wedding and I’d thought it was a great idea when I gave them a gift. Plus we knew there was nothing we really needed for our home, and that we couldn’t really afford a honeymoon ourselves.

So you decided to create a honeymoon fund?

Yes, for our dream honeymoon – a trip to the Maldives and Sri Lanka. We had the whole thing planned out and were so excited, but then I fell pregnant and couldn’t go to the Maldives due to the Zika virus or to Sri Lanka due to vaccines. So we had to scrap it last minute and rebook to go to Mauritius – which we figured was next best from the Maldives. We really liked knowing that all of our friends had helped to give us an amazing experience, rather than a set of towels or saucepans. And they were happy to contribute towards something fun.

Would you recommend your trip to other honeymooners?

Yes. Mauritius was a fantastic holiday – direct flight, hardly any jet-lag, stunning lush greenery with amazing beaches, delicious food, peace and quiet, and our accommodation was all we could have hoped for – total luxury.

Thank you Tanya and Stephen for sharing your lovely story with us. And a huge congratulations from Team Patchwork.

Wedding photography by Catherine Mead – photographybycatherine.co.uk

If this has inspired you to make your own patchwork, just customise one of our readymade patchworks or create one from scratch.

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Wedding Planning

£6k Wedding Budget: 6 Amazing Wedding Concepts

by Ismay Ozga March 24, 2017

written by Ismay Ozga

Want to plan a stylish wedding on a super tight budget? Good news – you can. In fact, when it comes to event planning, unlimited cash and too many ideas can be a disaster. But having a strict budget and a clear vision actually makes planning less stressful, naturally more creative and almost always more impactful. Just stick to our four core planning principles, choose one of our six fully-costed wedding concepts (complete with superstar suppliers) for under £6000, then enjoy making your dream wedding a reality.

The four steps to success:

1. Don’t be trapped by tradition.

Don’t feel pressured into adhering to costly wedding traditions and etiquette if they don’t feel meaningful to you. Just start from scratch. Plan a wedding that celebrates your love and life together and includes the people you want to involve in whatever way works for you.

2. Think about numbers and make your decisions accordingly.

If you really want 200 people at your wedding, you can have them for £6000, but your wedding will look and feel very different if you choose to spend the same amount planning a wedding for just 50 people.

3. Don’t compromise on everything. Be clear what you’re prepared to sacrifice.

You don’t want to plan a wedding where you’ve had to scrimp on everything. Decide what’s important to you both and prioritise. For £6000 you can have a wedding abroad, a champagne reception, a Michelin star meal, a designer dress or a huge party. But you can’t have it all.

4. Agree your budget and concept. Then stick to it.

All the best planners know that any successful event has to start with a strict budget and a clear concept. These two unmovable facts then act as a filter for all the decisions you need to make. A clear concept enables you to save money by cutting away everything that is excess to requirements, it helps removes the stress of decision making and sharpens your ideas for maximum impact.

To get you started here are six super cool wedding concepts for under £6,000. Whether you’re dreaming of a chic city ceremony, a wedding abroad or a festival in a field; whether you want two, twenty or two hundred people to witness your wedding; we’ve got a range of creative concepts to help you identify the right approach, explore essential elements of the experience and use your budget most effectively.

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Wedding Planning

£6k Wedding Budget: City Ceremony, Honeymoon, then Party

by Ismay Ozga March 24, 2017

written by Ismay Ozga

Want to get married in style on a super tight budget? Our £6k wedding series is here to help. We’ve got six fully-costed wedding concepts (complete with superstar suppliers) for under £6000 for you to choose from.

To plan a sophisticated city ceremony, European honeymoon and fabulous party on your return, read on…

Who is this wedding perfect for?

This super-cool city wedding is for sophisticated urban couples who want to celebrate their wedding day in style with a select guest list. Inspired by the stars of the 50s, it starts with a ceremony in an iconic registry office. This is followed by a long, late lunch in a luxury restaurant with those you love the most. At the end of the meal you both jump in a taxi to the airport. Your friends and family wave goodbye as you jet off on honeymoon to the ridiculously glamorous French Riviera.

City wedding – The approach:

This decadent yet laid-back wedding is designed to feel spontaneous, but the details do in fact require meticulous planning. For a relaxed and memorable day make sure you organise everything in advance. It is also important to hire a fabulous reportage photographer to capture all the magic moments throughout the day.

Preparation:

Start your day with your mum, sisters or best friend in your favourite city salon getting your hair and nails done. Sip champagne and have your first photos taken. Then jump in a taxi to the registry office with your wedding outfit and honeymoon luggage. Stop at a florist to pick a bunch of seasonal flowers for an instant bouquet. Be sure to have your photographer taking beautiful black and white shots along the way.

The venue:

Find a venue in a central location so you get to appreciate the sites of the city. And if possible choose one of the many UK registry offices located in an old Town Hall building to give your wedding an appropriate sense of grandeur.

In London, Marylebone registry office (the old Westminster Town Hall) is an impressive building with stone steps and columns on the outside and marble floors, wood panelled walls, gold mirrors and chandeliers within. Allow plenty of time to arrive at the registry office so you can use a dressing room to get ready in before your guests arrive.

Your outfits:

This wedding is all about indulging in the finest things in life and that means investing in your outfits. Avoid traditional wedding dresses and instead buy a dress from a designer you love, that will look and feel amazing all day. 16Arlington’s Hollywood glam mini dress topped with feathers will feel so fun and chic for your city wedding and will be perfect for dinner on the Riviera. Wear your favourite designer shoes as your ‘something old’ and raid your friends’ wardrobes for a beautiful clutch bag for your ‘something borrowed’. Then rather than paying for a professional artist, treat yourself to some new make-up and do your own.

For super-stylish yet quality suits starting at £740 head to Beggar’s Run and encourage your partner to polish a pair of favourite brogues rather than paying for new ones.

The ceremony:

People often underestimate the significance and magic of the ‘marriage bit’. Yet seeing each other for the first time in your gorgeous wedding outfits, standing together in a stunning room surrounded by all your most important people to declare your love is without doubt the most intensely intimate and amazing feeling. Ever. Although civil ceremonies offer a relatively short and functional service you can personalise your vows and invite family to share a special poem or reading. And it’s actually the formal bits like exchanging the rings, signing the register and officially being asked to kiss that are the most emotional and whoop-worthy moments.

As you leave your service, arrange for your guests to head outside first so they can stand on the steps and cheer as you leave the building. Make sure your two chosen witnesses have tons of confetti so your photographer can capture you being showered with love as you begin your lives together as newlyweds.

Transport:

Head off in your finery to the nearest tube or bus stop to enjoy a very public journey to your chosen restaurant. Make sure you’ve bought tickets in advance to hand out to your guests so there’s no queuing at machines. Then just enjoy the kindness of strangers and cheering well-wishers as you travel through your beloved city.

If you’re thinking of getting married in the Capital, riding the Bakerloo line from Marylebone is one of the most romantic journeys for London lovers. And getting out at Embankment gives you a chance to admire the city’s iconic skyline as you walk along the Thames towards your chosen restaurant on The Strand or in Covent Garden.

Lunch:

With a select guest-list it’s relatively easy to organise private dining in a five-star restaurant. If you’re looking for somewhere to seat under 25 people in West Central London, The Delaunay is perfect. Entering this classic brasserie with its black and white tiled floor, dark wood booths, white tablecloths and silverware is like stepping back in time whilst enjoying the best in contemporary European cuisine.

Having your own private dining room feels extra luxurious and decadent meaning you can relax, drink too much champagne and enjoy drunk wedding speeches away from the crowd. And it doesn’t have to be expensive. The minimum spend at the Delaunay is only £200 for lunch which you’ll reach easily, with set menus ranging from £50-£80. Organise and pay for three bottles of champagne on arrival and then ask everyone to pay for their own lunch rather than bringing gifts. Your closest friends and family will be honoured to be invited and, as long as you give plenty of warning, everyone will be happy to split the bill.

Honeymoon:

Once you’ve enjoyed your long, lazy lunch, hail a black taxi, ask if you can tie some ribbon to the cab, and get your photographer to take a few final shots of your friends and family waving goodbye as you head off on your honeymoon.
Getting married midweek and leaving for your honeymoon on the same day means your flights will also be cheaper. So you can afford to book an upgrade and travel in comfort with extra legroom and speedy boarding. Investing in some luxury carry-on luggage is not only a special treat for your wedding day (and an investment for life) but means you can avoid check-in and baggage reclaim, travelling in style and arriving stress-free.

Having a city wedding in the summer will hopefully guarantee good weather in the UK and means you won’t have to fly far to enjoy the heat of a European beach honeymoon. For a love-filled seaside escape head to The Hotel Amour in Nice and enjoy a romantic meal as the sun sets on your wedding day. To stick within your budget stay for a weekend of pampering, then find an Airbnb near the beach if you want to stay longer.

Party:

After your iconic wedding and sophisticated honeymoon, return to your beloved city for a party in a traditional pub. In the City of London pubs are quieter on the weekend so landlords within the Square Mile are grateful for an event that will guarantee a full house. This means they’ll rent out function rooms for free if you meet a minimum spend at the bar, which is super helpful if you’re on a budget.

Start the party at 8pm so your friends can eat before they arrive. Then just warn them that it’s a cash bar and make sure you have budget to pay the difference if the minimum spend isn’t reached (unlikely at a wedding). If the venue doesn’t have an AV setup make sure you hire everything in advance so you can show photos from your wedding and honeymoon on a screen as people arrive. If you want to do speeches you’ll need a mic. Then just make sure the decks are set up and you’ve got some mates willing to DJ. Finally, set aside budget for a photo booth to capture photos of all your friends celebrating your marriage with you.

City wedding – The budget breakdown:

Invites FREE:

Choose one of the beautiful free templates from Paperless Post to email invites to friends and family. It’s a budget friendly option that also makes it easy to keep track of RSVPs.

Photographer £800:

This intimate ceremony and lunch doesn’t necessarily require a traditional wedding photographer. Look for a portrait, fashion or press photographer whose style you love and ask if they’d be happy to chart the journey through your wedding day.

Hair £48:

Avoid a last minute wedding blow-dry by booking into your town’s best dry bar and deciding on your style well in advance. DryBy has gorgeous styles with prices starting from £48.

New Make-up £50:

If you know how to do your own make-up or have a friend who could help out, don’t pay for someone to come and do it for you. Head to your nearest department store and treat yourself to some new make-up instead. If you want to test out new products and pick up some new tricks book in for a make-over at your nearest NARS Cosmetics counter.

Bouquet £30:

Check that you’ve got a decent flower shop en route from the salon to the registry office, have an idea of the seasonal flowers available and call ahead if you like. Just don’t mention the word wedding or bouquet. This wedding is all about spontaneous city glamour so stopping off for a simple bunch of fresh flowers is not only cheap but part of the fun.

Taxi £20:

Being late to your own wedding is not cool. Avoid unnecessary stress and book a taxi to the venue in advance.

Dress £1245:

This 1960s inspired city wedding requires a dress that will make you feel like a star – think short, sexy and super cool. This glam dress by 16Arlington is a great Hollywood-glamour piece for £1245.

Suit £740:

Beggar’s Run have an excellent range of stylish suits made in London. This navy cotton drill suit is perfect for a city summer wedding, will be comfortable on the plane and look great for dinner at your hotel.

Rings £418:

For two classic white gold wedding bands visit Astrid & Miyu.

Luggage £485:

To feel like a true jet setter, plan your honeymoon wardrobe in advance, pack light and invest in some seriously good looking luggage.

Registry office room hire and service £565:

Prices depend on the size of the room and the day of the week. But as a guide Marylebone registry office costs £565 for a room that holds 20 people.

Confetti £5:

Check out these biodegradable confetti cannons from Ginger Ray. White confetti will keep things looking super chic.

Tube tickets £50:

Public transport is cheap, allows you to see the sites and feel the love as strangers wish you well on your wedding day. Budget £50 for 25 people.

Lunch £100:

Check out the private dining options in your area and enquire about the minimum spend. The minimum spend for lunch in a private room at The Delaunay is £200 and the set menu ranges from £50-£80. With everyone splitting the bill you’ll just need to budget £100 for the two of you.

Champagne £165:

A bottle of champagne at The Delaunay costs £55 and three bottles will fill 24 glasses for your toast.

Taxi to airport £50:

Research local prices but £50 should get you from the centre of most major UK cities to your closest airport.

Decorations for taxi £5:

A simple roll of white ribbon or crepe will look lovely on the bonnet of a traditional black taxi.

Flights £200:

If you’re happy to fly off-peak, on weekdays and during term time you’ll find the best bargains. Then book early. It’s always less stressful and usually cheaper than last minute. As an example you can get return flights from Heathrow to Nice at the end of May for £96.

the pink entrance to the Hotel Amour in Nice — Hotel Amour Nice

Honeymoon hotel £400:

Budget £400 for a couple of nights in a luxury hotel and book in well in advance to get the best deals. You can stay at The Hotel Amour in Nice midweek for just under £400.

Party venue:

There are plenty of City of London pubs serving excellent craft beer and classic pub dishes. Just check if they are happy to extend their license if you want a proper London knees up. Most central venues will want you to agree to a £2000 minimum spend on a Saturday night.

Photobooth £150:

For £150 My Fun Photobooth is a brilliant budget option. The simple, DIY photobooth not only looks great but being compact it works in any venue and can be delivered in an Uber.

Gifts:

As your guests are paying for their own drinks you might want to help to keep their costs down by saying ‘no gifts’. But beware, you might just end up with unwanted surprise presents. For those who’d like to give you something, why not suggest a contribution to your honeymoon fund. Patchworkit.com have a readymade template for a Cote D’azur honeymoon. Just customise the patchwork and link it to your bank to collect cash contributions to spend on your trip.

TOTAL COST: £5726

COST TO GUESTS: £50 – £100

The guests you invite to your ceremony and lunch will need to budget £100. Extended friends and family will just need to pay for their drinks at the party and contribute to your honeymoon fund if they wish.

See the rest of the wedding concepts in our £6k wedding series here.

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