Columns/ Opinion

Columns/ Opinion, Engagement, Feature, Know How

How to propose to your girlfriend: The good, the bad and the ugly…

By Elisabeth Edvardsen on March 28th, 2012
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Last weekend I was enjoying a lovely Saturday afternoon luncheon with good friends on London’s Primrose Hill, looking out over the hazy city skyline. We were chatting birthdays (mine), travels, and life as we soaked up the sun on the glorious March day.

Primrose Hill, with all its surrounding beauty, is also a popular date destination for couples, old and new – often seen snuggled up oblivious to the crowds around. This particular day one couple in particular grabbed our attention.

The guy – in his twenties – put on a wonderful picnic spread for the object of his affection, a cute girl also in her twenties. There was Laurent Perrier Champagne, real glasses (in a park you notice this) and some well thought out nibbles. Apart from perhaps being one of their first dates, my friends and I started to wonder if he was going to propose – or as one called it: Primosing (that’s proposing on Primrose if you wondered). It all turned very exciting when he presented her with a box…

This got me thinking about proposals and what is the best way to pop the question. While being proposed to on Primrose Hill as the capital looks on could be some girl’s dream, it could be some other girl’s nightmare. But what are the good, the bad and the downright ugly ways of proposing?

The ugly proposals

In this category fall the cheesy, unimaginative and downright boring proposals. Asking someone to marry you through the means of a big screen at a sporting event springs to mind. Not only are you putting yourself up for potential humiliation in front of several thousands of people, you are also putting the girl in a horrible position. There they find themselves on the screen, totally taken by surprise. Regardless of what they may say, girls care about what they look like and to have your face blown up to insane proportions with everyone watching is simply not on.

Valentine’s Day-engagement-ring-in-the-champagne-glass proposals also fall into this section.

The bad proposals

Going all Romeo, spitting out poem after poem to your chosen one isn’t the best way forward.  Even though poetry can be beautiful, the girls really just want to hear what is in your heart. So speak from it!

If your girl is a covert (or fully outed) geek, she might find a social media proposal charming, but best to do it in person and rather announce it through the web I’d say.

I’d also put any proposals that entail hiding the ring in any form of food. Not only do you risk the girl accidentally swallowing the ring, she probably doesn’t want her bling covered in cake.

The good proposals

Now for the good ways to propose! These are the ones that show you truly know the person you’re asking to marry you or are unique. What this is only you know, but to give you some inspiration they could include bringing her to the first place you kissed or said ‘I love you’. In other words, any place that is special to you and that will bring back those memories. Hey she might even be more inclined to say yes simply because of this.

Alternatively, get creative and plan a proposal to sweep her off her feet. Remember the musical marriage proposal on the Euston train? It wasn’t the most romantic of places, but it sure was memorable! Adam had enlisted his choir to serenade his then girlfriend Lucy. Aww…

There was also the guy who had made a movie trailer for his proposal which culminated with him entering the cinema screen to pop the question. Brilliant! Or the one that organised for his girlfriend to go on a StumbleUpon adventure. Cute!

You can see videos of both of the proposals below. But what is in your opinion the good or the bad way to propose?

Now back to the guy and the girl on Primrose Hill. As I mentioned, he did bring out a box to present to the girl. And it was a very recognisable one…

It was the iconic white box of Apple’s new iPad. She didn’t seem too fussed, but all of us girls concurred this was one box we’d like our boyfriends to give us… at least for now.

*The above opinions are my own and not intended to offend anyone. In the end what is right for you is the best way. And anyone proposing to me should read the above…



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Columns/ Opinion, Wedding Trends

Leap year proposals: An out of date tradition?

By Elisabeth Edvardsen on February 29th, 2012
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Today is Leap Year Day, a day than comes around once every fourth year to ensure the calendar is rejigged to fit in with the seasons and the earth’s rotation around the sun. It is also a day where tradition has it women can propose to their heart’s chosen one.

A recent survey has revealed that 10% of British women plan to pop the question today, so there are definitely some of you out there who are following tradition and taking this day to ensure you get that rock on your finger.

Now proposals and tradition are wonderful things, but is this one that is just a bit out of date?

The tradition dates back to before the 19th century, when most women had a very different role in society. But in modern days, after equal rights protests and burning of bras, surely a girl should be able to ask ‘will you marry me?’ to her guy if she wants to, Leap Day or no Leap Day, without it feeling unnatural? You would think so, yet still women’s proposals are quite rare and perhaps seen out of place.

Come to think of it, the whole dating game is all a bit old school, with most girls thinking they ought to let the man make the first move as not to seem too eager…

In reality, life would be so much simpler if both women and men threw out the rule book and just followed their hearts. Yes you might find out that he doesn’t want to marry you, but you might also just discover that he’s delighted to have had the pressure taken off him.

Did you ask your man to marry you? Share your story in the comments below.

Image: Etsy.com



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Celebrity Weddings, Columns/ Opinion

Do we need ‘Nick and Vanessa’s Dream Wedding’?

By Elisabeth Edvardsen on June 22nd, 2011
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Photo: AP Photo/Dan Steinberg

Once a reality TV star, always a reality TV star.

Nick Lachey – famous for once being in one of those boybands, marrying Jessica Simpson, starring in a TV show about their awesome married life, then becoming ex Mrs Simpson – is getting married to Vanessa Minnillo and has revealed the wedding will be televised.

Nick and Vanessa will now feature in ‘Nick and Vanessa’s Dream Wedding’ on TLC a few weeks after the nuptials.

The official statement reads: “We’re lucky to have such passionate and loving fans, and we thought partnering with TLC on this special would be the best way to share the exciting journey we’re on with all the people that support us and our relationship.”

Basically this attention hungry couple is going to give people a chance to have an exclusive look into their wedding planning: Vanessa finding the dress, their joint wedding showers, the wedding, and married life afterwards. So it’s not for the extra attention now that Nick is moving further down the A-Z of celebrity names and they might need the extra cash the programme producers no-doubt are paying them…

Please can someone pass me a bucket as I think I’m going to be sick.

I love seeing photos of beautiful people in the gorgeous dresses and so on, but I so wish some of these so-called celebs would come to their senses and treat their wedding day as it should be: THEIR special day, and not the world’s (or however many will bother to watch the show) and share it with those they care about and love.

Reality TV shows is a guilty pleasure for many of us but do we need to follow them on their wedding day? Is it good entertainment and wonderful for the fans or is this just a slap in the face of what is a beautiful experience for two people in love?



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Beauty - Hair & Makeup, Columns/ Opinion, Feature, Promotions

Review: Bridal hair emergency – let Lisa Shepherd London help you. Get 30% off your first visit!

By Elisabeth Edvardsen on June 13th, 2011
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Photo: Lisa Shepherd London

Most women will agree that good hair can make or break the day. This is particularly true when it comes to a wedding, more precisely your wedding! It’s never advisable to leave colouring your hair until just a few days before the big day, nor is making a drastic change as you never know what could happen – as I learned the hard way a few weeks ago.

Wanting to update my dip-dye roots to a full blonde look, I booked myself in for a simple colouring appointment at Vannoli Hair, a place near my work. Cheap and cheerful I thought, how wrong could it go…

Having opted for a light ash blonde shade, my Drew Barrymore inspired locks ended up looking like more Madam Mim than Daryl Hannah and had to be stripped for the unsightly grey, leaving a horrible yellowish tint. Needless to say but after sitting through three colours in less than four hours, my scalp was burning – there were even some painful sores – and I was in shock as I left the salon. Now I wasn’t getting married within the next week nor had I anywhere special to go that evening but I was horrified: How can someone who is a trained hairdresser mess up so royally?!

Waking up to a yellow scarecrow look, I sent out a desperate cry for help on Twitter the next morning. Luckily the wonderful Wahanda and Lisa Shepherd London replied within minutes, so in I went for a consultation with Director Jason Cocking and before I knew it I was booked in for a rescue hair colouring session the very next day.

On the sunny Saturday morning, Jason and his team welcomed me with smiles and a calm atmosphere – the salon recently won Salon Interior of the Year – that immediately made me less stressed. After talking me through the process, Jason mixed the Swartzkopf colour and applied it on my already over-treated roots – it offered a wonderful cooling sensation on my still burning scalp.

Photo: Lisa Shepherd London

After 30 minutes of relaxing in the ‘break out’ area with a cold drink and magazines – Jason checked in regularly to see how the colour was coming along – the rinse and blow-dry was skilfully done and the result: sheer perfection!

In between the colour, rise and blow-dry I picked Jason’s brain about what the bridal trends for 2011 are. Jason believes one bridal trend this year will be plaits that incorporate the bride’s dress colour, for example sample material from the dress that is intertwined into the hair to create a romantic side pleat. This adds soft texture and will make an amazing catwalk look for any bride walking down the aisle.

He also thinks a classic look – the French roll – will make a comeback this year, again with a romantic feel that uses hair wavers to create a romantic feel rather than the sleek and shiny looks seen in previous years.

For bridesmaids, Jason thinks a good look is using rope plaits to create a half-up, half-down look, as recently seen on Pippa Middleton. This pulls the hair off the face and is suitable for all face shapes.

So what does Jason make of all the celebrity weddings this year? With Kate Moss, Lily Allen and Mark Ronson tying the knot this summer, he thinks “the hair will be undressed as these celebrities follow vintage trends.” We can’t agree more Jason.

And if you’re interested, here is the result of my colouring rescue!

Photo: Elisabeth Edvardsen 2011

To celebrate that summer is here the wonderful Lisa Shepherd London has kindly offered a 30% discount to all Bridalwave readers on their first visit. To take advantage of this amazing offer, simply quote ‘Bridalwave’ when booking your appointment.

Lisa Shepherd London
24 Mortimer Street
London
W1T 3JP

For appointments call: 0207 467 9560 or email london@lisashepherd.co.uk

And if you’re considering changing your hair colour ahead of your wedding day check out Lisa Shepherd’s tips on choosing the right colour and tone for you:







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Columns/ Opinion, Wedding Answers, Wedding Etiquette

Reconciling with estranged family members ahead of your wedding

By Elisabeth Edvardsen on June 6th, 2011
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Relationships are never easy. It is a constant process of give and take, keeping the balance right. One wrong turn at it can all go a bit sour. Now I’m not only talking about relationships between two partners, but also family relationships.

It is seemingly easy to fall out and then be too stubborn to not speak to each other for a while. And as time passes it becomes more and more difficult to pick up the phone and talk things through.

Former Oasis star Noel Gallagher famously had a huge bust-up with his brother Liam in 2009 and haven’t spoken since. However, now that Noel is getting married he’s extending an olive branch to his sibling.

Despite calling Liam a “tit” – hey it’s rock ‘n’ roll – Noel spoke about his brother during his London pub crawl stag do (that sounds like fun!) and admitted that he would want him there.

Weddings are a time of celebration, where friends and family come together to celebrate the happy couple, so even if ill words have been spoken it could be a good time to reconnect a relationship that has dwindled.

That said, you do not want to invite that person if you think he or she will cause a scene and ruin what is meant to be the happiest day of your life. If you believe they can’t bury the hatchet for one day, then it is best to not issue an invite and instead send them a card to express your sentiments and tell them you hope you can meet some other time. This way you haven’t ignored them completely, you’ve reached out in an attempt to reconcile and you can continue with your wedding planning – and most importantly, if you’re remotely interested in patching things up you haven’t made it worse. But the best thing would of course be to invite them to you wedding.

Have you had this dilemma? What did you end up doing?



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Columns/ Opinion, News

Eva Mendez thinks marriage is archaic

By Elisabeth Edvardsen on May 31st, 2011
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While some celebs get married several times over actress Eva Mendes spoke at a US talk show how she has an aversion to tying the knot because she thinks the institution is “archaic” and not a romantic thing to do. Eva has been dating Peruvian filmmaker George Augusto for nearly a decade, so she’s not some bitter, single lady.

Eva said: “It’s not personal. There are all these wedding shows and it’s so over-the-top, it’s so not about what it should be about.”

“I’m not like anti-marriage or the institution for other people. I love the idea of a union, that’s very beautiful. I just don’t think it should be a piece of paper because society tells me to. It’s a very old fashioned archaic kind of thing. We did it for land originally, how unromantic is that?”

Now we do love spending our time looking at pretty invites, decorations, and dresses here at Bridalwave HQ. But we do agree with Eva to an extent, as tying the knot with someone – wishing to spend the future with that special person – should be because you desire to do so not because you feel it is what should be done. While it ought to be a romantic and personal experience perhaps many couples get caught up in the theatricals of weddings – possibly going a bit OTT –not stopping to think what the union really means.

Personally I’d always said I would have a small, intimate wedding if getting married as I would want it to be just about the man next to me and myself and the adventure we’re embarking on. That, a huge engagement ring and a lavish party! Must celebrate in some way after all…



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Celebrity Weddings, Columns/ Opinion, News

Both Ginnifer and Fearne call off their engagements

By Elisabeth Edvardsen on May 23rd, 2011
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Photo: (L) Yui Mok/PA Wire, (R) Chris Pizzello/AP/Press Association Images

We normally like to ignore the sad stories, focusing more on the happy, shiny and sparkly news and ideas on wedding dresses, bridal shoes and jewellery.

But after hearing over the weekend that two well-known ladies have recently called off their engagements, we thought this was something to look into.

Actress Ginnifer Goodwin and her fiancé Joey Kern – who she got engaged to in December after almost two years of dating – reportedly broke up a few weeks ago, but plan to remain friends.

Also calling time on her relationship last month is Radio 1 DJ Fearne Cotton who called off her engagement to US skateboarder Jesse Jenkins. The couple started dating in 2006 and have since had an on-off relationship before getting engaged last September on Fearne’s 29th birthday.

While both couples have released statements saying their “relationship came to a mutual end”, we still think it’s sad when this happens. It’s never easy to be in love with someone, but perhaps realise that it isn’t going to work in the future.

Then again, other times a little time and space for both parts to re-focus on their lives may just make them realise that the love they had was precious and worth saving, ending up with a stronger relationship than before.

We’d like to know what your experience is: have you ever called time on an engagement only to find back to your fiancé again, or did you move on to new adventures with someone else?



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Columns/ Opinion, Gowns, wedding dresses

Bridal dress designer Vera Wang says she’s an equal-opportunity shopper

By Elisabeth Edvardsen on May 13th, 2011
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Photo: AP Photo/Evan Agostini

News just in: fashion designer Vera Wang is an ‘equal-opportunity shopper.’

The designer who is known for her intricate and stunning wedding dress creations has told WWD she loves hitting the shops wherever she is and doesn’t mind what outlets they are. Right…

Vera preciously worked as a senior fashion editor for Vogue magazine for sixteen years before embarking on her own wedding gown emporium and has since expanded her brand to include jewellery, fragrance, shoes, eyewear and a home collection. Nothing stopping Vera! Well perhaps Sarah Burton will knock her off the Queen of Bridal Gowns throne following Sarah’s remarkable job as dress designer of Duchess Kate’s vintage inspired Alexander McQueen gown for her wedding to Prince William.

Considering that most of Vera’s dresses range between £1,200 to £4,300 (that’s $2,000 to $7,000 for our American readers) and some even costing as much as £7,000 or more ($12,000 plus), we’re not sure how much we believe this statement.

Vera Wang surely has a comfortable living so why would she shop in common shopping centre stores when she can have her cake and eat it too?



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Columns/ Opinion

Wedding guest list nightmares – who to invite? Not Sarah Ferguson for one!

By Elisabeth Edvardsen on May 12th, 2011
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Photo: AP Photo/Seth Wenig

If you’ve ever tried to put together a guest list for a wedding – or any major event for that matter – you know what nightmare it can be, even if you don’t have many frenemies or awkward old uncles that can’t hold their drink. But who do you invite and what do you say to those that don’t make the list?

Last night, Sarah Ferguson (the former wife of Prince Andrew, mother of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and aunt-through-marriage to Prince William) spoke for the first time about her disappointment of not being invited to Prince William and Kate Middleton’s royal wedding. Her chosen platform. Oprah of course. Where else would it be better to share a royal sob story than on the show of the queen of US talk shows…

Fergie, as most people know her as, spoke of the rejection being “so difficult, because I wanted to be there with my girls… to be getting them dressed and to go as a family.”

Errr… Why the sad face Fergie? You are the ex-aunt of the newlywed Prince William, and while you might be the mother of his cousins you also tried to sell stories about your ex-husband to the press – and got caught might I add. You don’t think Queenie liked that stunt do you? She probably put her royal foot down and grandson Wills agreed.

So William choose not to invite his not so media shy ex-aunt – giving her yet another sob story to head to the media with – and celebrate his and Kate’s wedding ceremony with 1,900 others. But what I want to know is: how do YOU decide who to invite to YOUR wedding?

Whenever I hear someone talking about a ‘small, intimate ceremony’ I always ask, “So how many have you invited then?” And more often than not, the number is far greater than what I would personally classify as a small event.

Usually what happens is that the happy couple start by inviting their nearest family – parents, siblings with their other halves and offspring, grannies and so on – and then closest friends. But before they know it, Ben from accounting has got an invite because he helped them with a tax return four years ago and they’re finding themselves adding names left, right and centre.

I’m not going to tell you who you can and cannot invite to your own wedding – that would just be cruel and conceited – but I’m curious about how you’re handling the guest list. Just close friends and family or as many as the church/reception room can fit?

Guess the rule is – unless you are the royal couple – to really think about who you want to share this special, emotional and very private moment with… Will you remember Ben in ten years’ time?



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Columns/ Opinion, News

Carrie Underwood wants to have second honeymoon but have ulterior motives

By Elisabeth Edvardsen on May 12th, 2011
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American country singer Carrie Underwood – who married professional ice holey player Mike Fisher in July 2010 – want to head off to Hawaii for a second honeymoon. While she wishes for a romantic sunshine break in Hawaii with her hubby that’s not all Carrie’s hoping for – she’s also hoping the break will lead the couple to conceive their first child.

According to National Enquirer magazine, Carrie has told pals: “I’m planning a romantic second honeymoon in Hawaii very soon. Mike and I hope to make a baby under those tropical stars.”

While Carrie is apparently anxious to have a baby, I’m wondering what Mr Underwood has got to say to this. Mike recently got transferred to Nashville-based hockey team, the Nashville Predators, which means the couple will be living year round under the same roof. Hang on a minute?! They have NEVER really lived under the same roof at the same time before??

Apparently Mike also recently sent the 28-year-old singer a text while out with some of his friends and their kids which read, “Watching my friend’s kids… let’s wait a while.” Did you take note of that Carrie? Probably not since you’re now looking to start a family with your man.

Carrie, perhaps you should just enjoy the being newly married and ensure that you’re happy living together before you start planning having a toddler running around… It’s not that I have kids myself, but I hear from trusted sources that things do change A LOT when babies arrive.



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Columns/ Opinion, Feature, Gallery, Picture Wall, The Royal Wedding, The Royal Wedding Photos

Royal fashion off: Duchess Kate vs Princess Diana

By Elisabeth Edvardsen on May 9th, 2011
3 comments

Marrying into any royal family, let alone the British Royal family is certain to make the world follow your every move and fashion fancy. And Kate Middleton is no exception, as Diana was before her.

Britain finally got a new Princess in the form of Mrs Prince William, Catherine the Duchess of Cambridge, née Kate Middleton, who wed her prince on Friday 29 April 2011. Almost thirty years to the date, 29 June 1981, Charles, the Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales (née Lady Diana Spencer) received the nation’s cheer as they tied the knot.

Since very early on in their relationship Kate has had to endure being compared to her boyfriend and now husband’s late mother Diana. But how do they compare, fashion wise?

As a royal bride Diana came into the limelight at the young age of 20, when you are just finding out who you are. This does no doubt also has an effect on what you wear. We appreciate that this was the 80s, known for its somewhat dubious fashion trends. Think big knitted jumpers and lots of colours. Got to love it! But Diana also bore signs of her aristocratic English family history, going for the long demure skirts and tops instead of something fashion forward. Guess we can safely say that Diana grew into her sartorial style as she became more accustomed to being in the spotlight.

But what about Kate? Having met Prince William while studying at the University of St Andrew’s in 2001, Kate’s romantic relationship with the second in line for the throne was allowed to blossom over years. A girl of modern times, Kate is an advocate for high street fashion – she’s often spotted in designs from more affordable labels such as Issa, Zara and LK Bennett. Also having being connected to the royal family for around eight years before making it official, Kate has had longer time to become used the spotlight and has been allowed to develop her own fashion style before being thrown into official engagements and royal duties. With her partner in crime sister Pippa Middleton, it’s apparent that at 29 Kate is a girl that dresses her own age.

Whereas Princess Diana looked kind of frumpy and middle-aged at only 20 (again could have been the 80s!), Kate shows that she knows her fashion and isn’t afraid to try things. Then again Kate did a stint in fashion – working for UK fashion chain Jigsaw – before marrying her prince, while Diana left her job as a kindergarten teacher to join the Firm.

Already admired for her beauty and fashion flair, it will be interesting to follow Kate as she now takes on her royal duties and new-found fashion darling.

Kate Middleton tries the western look

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Kate Middleton tries the western look
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Kate Middleton, girlfriend of Prince William, attends the second day of the Gatcombe Park Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park near Tetbury, England. Photo: Anwar Hussein/allactiondigital.com/PA



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Columns/ Opinion

Bride-to-be #Binkie becomes latest Twitter fad

By Elisabeth Edvardsen on February 23rd, 2011
1 comment

“Binkie West, 27, met Charlie Peacock, 28, on the Pony Club circuit when she was 14. They are due to get married at Chavanage House in Gloucestershire, two weeks before the Royal Wedding.”


We’re sure sweet faced 27 year old Binkie West (her real name is apparently Bianca) didn’t dream of trending on Twitter by the evening when she woke up this morning… or did she? A quick search on Facebook reveals that her account has already been removed  pointing to that Binkie, bless her, only wanted to share her happiness and wedding plans with The Telegraph‘s readers as part of the newspaper’s Kate and William Royal Wedding Countdown.

“As a young girl I had a vision of being a bride with lovely flowing hair, much like Kate Middleton’s, so I booked myself in to get hair extensions at Salon Name, London. I don’t want to look like a complete Barbie doll, so I’ve gone for Product Name which is real hair – a very natural look – just something to make my hair thicker and longer. Getting married you want perfection, and I think long hair is rather lovely.”

By 6pm #Binkie, who has already been honoured with a faux Twitter account @BinkieWest, had turned into tonight’s conversation topic on Twitter, as the story of the bride-to-be spread like wildfire. Some users of the information network are wondering if the whole story is a hoax; reading the column I was left with the same feeling I had after watching Britney Spears’ new music video, which was scattered with product placements left, right and center; others express a sense of disbelief, while a selected few offer Binkie their support – but it could be that irony is lost in Twitter translation:

@jonathand Who said the old bourgeois and class structures were dead! In steps #binkie to piss all over the proletariat

@bexlectric Was having a stressful day until I found out #binkie ‘s hair extensions were alright. Phew

@pinkypinkymoon I’m sure #Binkie is a perfectly nice human being, it’s just that her articles show how divided this ‘big’ society is & how deluded some are.

“Having left my job at Sotheby’s, I’m relieved to have so much more time on my hands. Not only are there appointments to fit in, but there is also the ongoing admin.”

When I first read the column earlier today as it appeared on my Google Alerts, the five comments it had received were of a very negative nature and have since been removed. Perhaps that was a good thing… But as The Telegraph and Binkie have discovered, the might of Twitter cannot be silenced. We’re not sure what Binkie’s thoughts on the turn of events are, but we do wish her all the best for her forthcoming nuptials to Charlie and hope they live happily ever after in their converted barn in Surrey.

If you haven’t read it yet, follow the link for Binkie’s wedding planning story.

Image: The Telegraph



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Columns/ Opinion, Know How

Name your tables on the big day

By Andrea Petrou on August 28th, 2009
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Table_plan.jpgTable plans can be a bit of a pain, first you have to decide where you want everyone to sit, making sure cousin Mavis doesn’t sit anywhere cousin Mable, as they don’t talk.

Then you have to design the table plan to make it look appealing and pretty to guests as they come in.

Some brides will do this by adding coloured butterflies, confetti and other decoration to this, while others may opt for something that little bit different, and that’s giving tables names instead of numbers.

I’ve only been to one wedding, where the bride and groom decided to do this. They chose a “Country” theme giving each table the name of the Country where most of the guests sitting on it were from.

I was on the “Greek” table but the couple sitting next to me were from South Africa, which was a great way to break the ice and learn a little bit about each other.
So I’ve had a little think and come up with some ideas. As always please let us know what you think and tell us your idea.

Romantic cities
This fits in nicely with the wedding and romance theme. Chose from the cities you have been to as a couple, and if he proposed abroad use this as the name for the top table. Not only will this get guests talking amongst each other about where they have been, it could encourage a few more romantic proposals in cities amongst your guests.

Romantic films
If you fancy a bit of a Dirty Dancing, Before Sunrise or Love Actually theme then this is a perfect way to go about it. Just remember, your friends might not appreciate being sat on a Bridget Jones table, unless of course Mark Darcy himself is there.

Birds
I actually got this idea from a friend who was thinking about doing this for her big day. She had lovely ideas, for example the top table would be the Love birds, and the older generation would be the Owls. However, her main reason for doing this was because her groom to be had invited a group of friends which she wasn’t too keen on, so what did she decide to call that table? Think the male version of a hen and you get the idea.

Famous couples
Posh and Becks, Heidi Klum and Seal and Chris Martin and Gwenyth Paltrow, all make nice table names. However, keep reading those celebrity magazines right up to the big day, you never know what will happen. If you don’t want the hassle of having to change your celebrity couples then you could always opt for famous screen couples instead. At least we know they won’t split up.

Football teams
Brave brides could create a little bit of friendly rivalry and keep their groom interested in the planning of the day with this idea. However, make sure you don’t sit the Spurs and Arsenal tables too close, you don’t want jeering on your day unless it’s at Best man while he’s doing his speech. ‘

Flowers
A nice and simple way to add a personal touch to your day. Go an extra mile here by decorating each table with the chosen flower. Keeping them in the same colours and styles of the different tables will also mean the decoration won’t look silly.

Designer Handbags
If you are a handbag queen then this may be a perfect way to finish your day and add your personality to the day. However, you may need to plead your case very strongly to your future hubby if you want to get away with this.



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Columns/ Opinion

Want your friend to conduct your marriage ceremony? It’s not all black and white

By Andrea Petrou on August 27th, 2009
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stressed bride.jpgWe’ve all seen the episode of Friends, where Joey is asked by Monica and Chandler to carry out the marriage ceremony on their big day.

This is of course followed by scenes of Joey getting online and signing up for a package to become a legally ordained minister.

Last week I was going to write up a feature giving you some advice on how this could be done over here.

After all some couples would love to get their friends involved like this on their big day, well as long as the mate in question could string together a nice ceremony message, and not stick to Joey’s three words of “loving and giving and receiving.”

Funny for a sitcom but not so thrilling if you have to listen to that on your real wedding day.

And now for the serious message.

Researching for online packages to get a friend ordained over here proved fruitless.

There were countless American packages offered by church groups, legal firms and even wedding gift shops, all claiming to be 100% legal.

All you have to do is hand over your credit card number, put in some personal details and Bob’s your uncle, you’re a monk (well sort of) without having to go through the years of celibacy and teachings.

Sound too good to be true, well unfortunately it is. Yes there these American packages say they are legal for UK use, but I got a little bit concerned when I couldn’t see UK sites offering the same things, so I called up a few people to get to the bottom of it.

Georgina Solomou, a solicitor at Charles Ross told me: “The only people that have the power and authority in the UK to marry a couple legally is a registrar.”

She said this was because they were part of the General Registry Office. This Government department oversees UK marriage certificates, which are a legal requirement for a valid marriage.

“You’re marriage will be void if you do not have one of these,” she added.

She also pointed out that religious ceremonies without a registrar wouldn’t count.

I also spoke to the General Registry Office, who confirmed Georgina’s points. Stan Rogers, a spokesman for the Government department said: “A marriage is not legal unless a registrar is present. You can’t have a friend do this over here.”

He said anyone paying for a US package in the UK would only be able to conduct American weddings for American citizens (yes I know what you were thinking).

So although it may seem easy to get a friend ordained for your big day, it’s not.

If (and I’m sure you do) want your marriage to be legal then stick to procedure.

Your friend can always say a few nice words at the reception, as long as “giving and receiving and loving” don’t come into the equation.

Now I’m currently waiting to find out if there are alternatives to this, and we’ll hopefully be speaking to a bride who is getting married with another friend presiding. I’ll give you updates as soon as possible.



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Alternative hen weekends, Columns/ Opinion

Alternative hen weekends: The festival.

By Andrea Petrou on August 24th, 2009
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V festival
A hen night has grown from a quiet night in, to a full on girls night out party, which can last just the eve, if it’s dinner and a club, or the whole week if you decide to grab the girls and head abroad.

Then there are other brides who like to take it that little bit more easy choosing a relaxing spa break in the lead up to their wedding.

However, there are always some that may want to go that little bit further, looking for something that little bit more different. In this new series we look at alternative hen nights, starting with festivals.

Read on after the jump.

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