What'll they think of next?!

I just found this fantastic wedding invitation idea.

'i do' wedding tea towels have come up with a great new idea for sending your save the dates and wedding invitations. And not only is it a unique idea, but it's environmentally friendly as well, and your guests will always have something to remember the special occasion! Interested? Check them out!

idoweddingteatowels.com.au

Chocolate Wedding Inspiration

I was just doing a random Google search and happened upon this wonderful and unique idea I thought I would share with you all. Thanks to http://coloroflovebouquets.multiply.com for their inspiration


If you have any unique bouquet ideas, please feel free to share them here!

 
 

A Grecian theme

My latest assignment is to design and cost a marquee wedding with a Grecian theme. I put together this mood board to help communicate my ideas to my tutor/client.

I'd love to hear what you think.

Hanging vines twist and turn their way around majestic Greek columns, and wildflowers poke their heads out to meet the sun, as you are led down a cobblestone path into the vibrant blues and greens of a Grecian utopia.

The early evening air is light and a gentle breeze passes under the canopy of your open marquee wedding, and your guests mingle over Grecian Dream cocktails and stuffed vine leaves, watching the sun set.

As night falls, the feast begins, tables laden with Greek delicacies, and the wine flowing freely.  The combination of candles and the starry night sky create a magical light as you dine and dance the night away with family and friends,  the full moon watches over the proceedings.

And here's a few other images that inspired me

Till next time

Bel

DIY Cupcake stands

I didn't realise just how long it had been since I've made a post! I've been busying myself with assignments and have neglected my little side project, but I have lots of things to share with you!

First, I stumbled upon this wonderful DIY idea. Cupcake towers are very popular at the moment, but cupcake stands can be incredibly expensive! Instead, why not try out one of these neat little DIY stands? All you need is some imagination and you could have any kind of cupcake stand you want!

Tutorial
http://cakejournal.com/tutorials/how-to-make-a-cake-stand-for-cupcakes-or-mini-cakes/

Try this one with different shaped cake boards and see what you can come up with.

Tutorial
http://www.designsponge.com/2008/05/diy-project-kates-recycled-cakestands.html

Mix and match your plates and vases for a truly unique design.




Until next time,
Bel

Canberra Wedding Fair

I went to my first wedding fair today as a "student of wedding planning". It was quite an interesting experience and I got a number of different responses from numerous vendors. Most were quite surprised, when I said "I'm studying wedding planning" a couple said "That's a thing?" Others were quite encouraging and supportive and were more than happy to have a chat with me, some were quite unique in the services they provided, such as the "free wedding photography" booth, and I noticed a real trend toward Do It Yourself (DIY) weddings which is quite exciting being a fan of DIY myself.

I heard that there are a few wedding planners in the Canberra region, but my concept of catering to themed weddings is a real niche market and not something that is being targeted by anyone. I also got some great advice from a decorator, who suggested that when looking at vendors to work with, I should really make sure that they can also cater to that niche so, for example, if I'm going to create themed weddings, I need a decorator who can source decorations for those themes, not just throw together something from what they've already got and say 'good enough.'

One thing that did surprise me, is that none of the wedding planners were on display at the fair, so that's definitely something to look into for the future!

Over all, I had a great day (though next time I think I'll reconsider wearing heels!) and I've come away with a great insight into the industry from the perspective of a supplier and over the next few weeks, I hope to share with you some of the vendors I met with who really impressed me. I'll also be posting about some vendors who cater to the ACT region that I have found through my research on-line.

As always, if you have any questions, or if you would like me to write a post about anything specific, just leave me a comment  and I'll get right one it!

Until next time,
Bel

Something Special

Part of starting a wedding planning business is deciding exactly what you want your business to be, who you want as clients, how you will relate to them, and what you can offer them that no one else can, that something special that makes you unique.

One of my passions in wedding planning is planning to a theme, to make people feel like they have been transported from their everyday lives into a completely different time, place, or world. The unique service that I want to offer to my clients is to create a world that is exactly what they want it to be, from roses to regency, or perhaps the colour green or the Flintstones is more your style?

My own wedding had a medieval/fantasy theme, and seeing it all come together was the most amazing experience! As a wedding planner, my inspiration comes from sharing this experience with brides and grooms as they prepare for their special day, and helping their dream become a reality.

If you'd like a themed wedding, but need some help getting from the concept to the real thing, I'd  be more than happy to offer what advice I can, so leave a comment and I will respond!

Here's a couple of theme ideas I've put together that inspire me and that I would love to have the opportunity to design a wedding around. Maybe they'll inspire you too!

Pirates

Lego

Alice in Wonderland

Wedding favours

It's hard to decide what to write about for your first post! But today I thought I'd write about wedding favours, because I just love them! So I did some looking into the history of the wedding favour and found out some interesting facts.

One of the earliest accounts of a wedding favour goes all the way back to 16th century England! The Bride and Groom would give each of their guests a 'love knot' which was tied from lace and ribbon, to symbolise the couples bond of love.

Another gift that from centuries ago was the bomboniere, given by European aristocrats to their guests at celebratory occasions such as birthdays and weddings. These bombonieres were elaborate trinket boxes made from crystal, precious stones, metal or porcelain and were filled with sugary confections, a symbol of wealth and royalty, as sugar was then a precious commodity. It seems it was from these gifts that the wedding favour as we know it today was derived.

Eventually sugar decreased in value over the centuries and became more accessible to the general public,  meaning that a Bride and Groom of modest means could shower their guests with sugary goodness. A wedding was considered a lucky occasion back in the day, and the wedding favour was a way for the Bride and Groom to bestow some of their luck on the guests. As confectioners began making candied almonds by dipping them in sugar or some other sweet coating this became a popular option to give as a 'lucky gift'. Traditionally, five almonds were given to each guests, representing the five wedding wishes of fertility, wealth, health, happiness and longevity.

These days, the wedding favour has moved from candied almonds to almost any gift you could possibly imagine, and the question on most couples minds is whether or not they have to give a wedding favour and if so, what?You can be as creative as you want, from the traditional candied almonds, to tins of your favourite flavoured tea, home made jams, or engraved champagne glasses. There's so many choices!

But there are a number of things to consider when making this decision as well. Things like your budget, your style, what your guests might like, and whether or not you want to stick to tradition, but while you're trying to answer all those questions, here's a few original wedding favour ideas I've found in my journeys to help inspire you, as well as a few on line resources!

Unitl next time,
Bel

• Wedding Favours
• 50 handmade wedding favour ideas
• Pink Frosting - Australian #1 party and wedding shop
• Your Wedding Bomboniere
• Favour Perfect - Gifts to Treasure Forever

Welcome!

To the first post on Wedding Belle, and thanks for reading!

I am Isobel Majewski and I am currently a student a the Australian Academy of Wedding and Event Planning (AAWEP), studying Wedding Planning, Styling and Design.

As part of my study I am always looking at wedding blogs and it has inspired me to start my own, to showcase my own ideas and concepts that I have come up with during my study, and to share with you the things that inspire me along my path toward starting my own business as a wedding planner. I also hope to share hints and tips I come across that may help any readers out there who are planning their own weddings.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my study so far and look forward to sharing my journey with you. If you have any curly questions about wedding for me, I'd love to hear them! So leave a comment and I'll get back to you with an answer as soon as I can.

Sincerely,
Bel