Simply a fabulously fun wedding! (It has a wonderful peacock theme too!)

What are your first names?

Anna and Craig

 

Where and when did you get engaged?

Coral Bay in Cyprus in September 2012

 

What was your wedding date?

22^nd March 2014

 

Where did you get married?

Ellingham Hall, Northumberland

 

Why did you choose your venue?

 We wanted somewhere we could have for the whole weekend and that wouldn’t have any other guests there.  Also because there were two different rooms for the wedding ceremony and the reception and both rooms were a brilliant size fir the number of guests we had.  Ok, there was an adventure playground outside too and we knew our photos there could be really fun!

 

Did you have a “theme”?

Yes, there are peacocks in the grounds of the venue so we made everything peacock colours and textures including feathers!

 

What was your wedding colour scheme?

Lime green, blue and a hint of orange – peacock colours!

 

Why did you choose Simply Bows and Chair Covers and what were they like to work with?

The choice of fabrics and colours was fantastic and when we went to see Janine she took the time to help us plan exactly which fabrics would work to give the effect we were looking for and supported all the changes I made throughout the planning stages!

 

What sort of dress did you choose and where from?

Ian Stuart’s Frederique dress with a bespoke jacket made from additional material.  Bought from Wild Brides in Sunderland

 

What did your bridesmaids wear?

Ronald Joyce  dresses in indigo and my 2 year old flower girl wore a beautiful white dress from Next.

 

Who was your photographer?

Scott Spock

Who was your florist?

 Lily Starbright in Gateshead – she made our wedding perfect as her ability to translate my vision into a reality was amazing.

 How did you arrive at the church/ registry office?

Stayed the night before in the venue so just walked down the stairs!!

 

What “special touches” did you add to your day?

My surname was Jonas so I had my singer sing me down the aisle to “Have you met Miss Jonas”.   We didn’t have a first dance we had a first song.  My husband (who doesn’t sing a note normally) and I surprised our guests by taking to the microphone and singing “Beyond The Sea” – appropriate as he used to be in the Royal Navy .  All our table decorations and so on ran with the peacock theme including a birdcage for cards, birdcage candles and favours in a birdcage with mini eggs inside.  We also did our own sweetshop which my 5 year old page boy took great delight in “running”!

 

What was your favourite part of the day?

Our first song and the rest of the night time celebrations.  We had always wanted our wedding to be a huge party and with a swing singer after the reception then a band from 8.30pm we had an amazing time.

 

Where did you go on honeymoon?

Sri Lanka and the Maldives. A week touring in Sri Lanka then a week and a half doing nothing on a perfect beach – our videographer (Absolute Media) even sent us a two minute preview of our wedding video while we were on honeymoon so we could relive parts of the day again, it was really special!

 

What would be your top tip for another bride to be?

Take time to go and look at your room set up before your guests go in if you can.  You worked so hard to plan it and make sure it was perfect so take in how it looks and pat yourself on the back.  The planning and hard work is worth it in the end, mine took my breath away.  Also, everyone wants something different from their wedding day, don’t let anyone tell you your ideas are wrong or your thoughts should be changed...  it’s about you and what you want, if you can translate your ideas to the day with the help of the right professionals  there is no better feeling than the comments on the day.  It’s your wedding, do it your way.

Simply thrilled to be providing great linen and great service for a great venue!

Simply Bows & Chair Covers Essex is proud to be included in wedding packages at listed manor house, Greenwoods Hotel & Spa Retreat!

The beautiful 17^th century wedding venue is set within extensive landscaped grounds and situated in the rural village of Stock in Essex. Under new management with refurbishments currently taking place, it’s an exciting time for everyone involved.

Greenwoods can cater for small intimate weddings in the Manor House or larger receptions in the Royal Garden Marquee and will ensure that each wedding is planned to perfection.

 

Wedding packages offer couples everything required for a perfect wedding day such as chair covers, photographers and florists so it takes the stress away from organising it themselves.

Kimberley is thrilled to be working at Greenwoods alongside Wedding Co-ordinator Kelly to ensure couples receive quality chair covers, table linen and accessories for their wedding day.

For further information contact Kimberley http://www.simplybowsandchaircovers.co.uk/essex/ or

Kelly at http://www.greenwoodshotel.com/weddings.php

Simply Bows & Chair Covers Real Life Bride Fiona and her fabulous Dundee wedding!

What are your first names?

Fiona & Ally

 

Where and when did you get engaged?

On my 30^th birthday, 1^st October on Elie Beach in Fife at sunset, before going for a lovely meal in Sangsters to celebrate (no he didn’t get down on one knee, it was raining and windy and there were lots of dog walkers to keep us company, so not the most private).  Ally chose my ring which is a white gold diamond solitate, the boy done good!

What was your wedding date?

Sunday the 6^th of April 2014

 

Where did you get married?

Forbes of Kingennie, near Dundee

Why did you choose your venue?

It had a lovely country relaxed feel with beautiful surroundings and we could have the ceremony there too.

Did you have a “theme”?

No, I wasn’t into the idea of having as theme as I felt it could be limiting

What was your wedding colour scheme?

Although the bridesmaids wore dark blue, the colour scheme was more silver and ivory.  I had not settled on a colour for the bridesmaid’s dresses - where I expected to take the theme from, but decided silver would be nice in its own right. Sometimes if one colour dominates it can be quite overpowering. The groom and grooms men ties were silver,and many of the decorations were silver.

 

Why did you choose Simply Bows and Chair Covers and what were they like to work with?

A recommendation form the venue and I had seen their work and met with them at a wedding fayre.  I was advised that they are perfectionists, and deliver high standards.  When you can’t see the finished article until the day of your wedding it is important that you have trust and good dialog with your suppliers.  Simply bows and chairs were very easy to work with, always contacting me each step of the way. 

 

On the wedding day itself the chairs were set for the ceremony and looked great, better than I had expected.  It was not until before the wedding breakfast when the groom and I were taken to the function room alone did I see the full effect of the work Simply Bows and Chair Covers had accomplished as the tables were all set out and you could really see the full effect.  I was delighted.

What sort of dress did you choose and where from?

I chose a classic A line Benjamin Roberts ‘Tia’ gown as it was the best shape form my hourglass figure. Initially I did not want a big dress but once I tried it on I knew it was the shape to suit me.  I chose a dress with straps as I wanted the dress and not my bust to be the main feature, and wanted to feel secure and did not want to be pulling the dress up all day. The dress was from Brides Delight in Aberdeen and alternations were made by Sandy Jolly ( Sew Jolly, Wellbank) to change the zip back to corset back so we could synch in my waist a bit more. It was a big dress but I loved it!

What did your bridesmaids wear?

I didn’t mind what they wore as long as my 3 bridesmaids were happy. After running into several problems ( 3 bridesmaids of different heights, shapes and sizes and one who is also  breastfeeding make for an interesting and difficult task of finding dresses to suit all) and a false start ( don’t ask! Lets just say Christmas excesses were involved) my bridesmaids wore dark blue knee length Monsoon dresses which actually complemented my dress – similar A line shape, straps and netting to add volume to the skirt. Everyone was happy, or pretended to be which was just fine by me. This was the single most stressful part of the wedding planning.

Who was your photographer?

Karen Jackson from Adore Studios on South Tay Street Dundee. I met her at a wedding fayre and she was very easy to talk to, understood my wishes that the photographs were to be mainly candid as I wanted to spend as much time with my guests as possible, but still delivered amazing pictures.

*All images used in this blog article are provided by Karen Jackson

 

Who was your florist?

The Rosebud on Perth Road in Dundee.  I had set up a few meetings with florists, but after discussing ideas with Dilly, I cancelled other appointments. She understood exactly what I had in mind and her confidence inspired my trust. The flowers were beautiful. Even the groom commented.

How did you arrive at the church/ registry office?

I was staying in Forbes of Kingennie with my parents before the wedding and they sent a car to collect the bridal party.

What “special touches” did you add to your day?

We decided to have a Humanist wedding and the celebrant Gary Smith suggested making the ceremony personal by writing parts of it ourselves. We separately and secretly wrote our own parts and gave it to Gary who edited them together to make our ceremony.  It was very personal – not slushy as were are not a slushy couple but funny, and it was lovely to hear what Ally had said about me and us on the day.

We had invited a lot of children to our wedding so were mindful to incorporate entertainment for them.  We had a caricaturist (Dierdre Varley) who was loved by both adults and kids, sweetie trees (my little sweet tree) and I made activity packs for each child, adding individual toys to suit the child, bubbles, crayons and an activity book (downloaded and printed from etsy) and neon glowsticks for the evening.  We also hired a string trio who played during the ceremony and at the champagne reception.  My sister’s boyfriend also played the bagpipes and piped me into the ceremony and to the top table which was lovely. I added some decorations o the room, over the beams and such were glass love hearts from Paula’s in Brechin.

What was your favourite part of the day?

I honestly couldn’t choose one, it was fantastic – I just decided to relax, enjoy and take it all in and I did!

           

Simply a Franchise in Focus.... Kimberley runs our Essex office

Introduce yourself, name, age, which region/ venues you cover...

I’m Kimberley, I’m 39 and I cover the Essex region. This includes venues such as Hylands House, Greenwoods Spa and Hotel Retreat, Channels and Little Channels, Bury Lodge, The Rayleigh Club, The Manor Hotel & Restaurant, Orsett Hall Hotel and many, many more.

What is your background?

I have an HND and a degree in Journalism. I have lived and travelled in North America and Australia which I really enjoyed. I have worked for a leading children’s charity. I am now married and have two children – Toby aged 12 and Sophie aged 10.

Why did you take a franchise with Simply Bows and Chair Covers?

I worked for a leading children’s charity for 14 years until the office was relocated. At this point I knew I wanted to do something different that could work for myself and my family. I have always wanted to do a job that enables me to be creative in some way but wasn’t sure how I could make this a reality. After reading an article about Sarah, I liked the sound of what the job entailed as being a part of the wedding industry is quite special. I got in touch as was interested in taking a franchise and the rest fell into place fairly quickly which instinctively told me it was the right thing to do!

Why do you love working for yourself?

It offers me the freedom of being my own boss and controlling my time in a way that fits around busy home life. I think it’s such a positive thing for the children to see – mum running her own business and all the challenges that this brings. It teaches them about hard work, taking risks but also seeing the bigger picture to build a great work life balance and secure future.

Why do you love being a Simply Bows and Chair Covers franchisee?

I love being a part of Simply Bows and Chair Covers because it gives me the chance to do something creative as well as being part of a highly successful business. Helping people get what they want for their special day in terms of finishing touches is really special and it’s great to be a part of this. I enjoy the social aspect of being a franchisee as I am meeting people all the time. The products speak for themselves as the quality is high and all aspects of the business reflect this (strong messages from the central website, good social media presence etc). I love the fact that Simply Bows and Chair Covers is an award winning company that continues to grow, develop and is innovative in a fast changing market. It’s a great team to be a part of and I love it!

Where do you see you, and your franchise in 1 years’ time and also 3 years’ time?

In one years’ time I would like my franchise to be running well with credibility and a fabulous reputation in the Essex area. I would like to be supplying a number of venues top class products and a top class service.

In three years’ time I would like my franchise to be providing the same top class products and service with a strong presence in the Essex area. My aim is to become sole supplier exclusively to a select number of high profile wedding venues in the county.

Simply Bows and Chair Covers Real Life Bride Charlotte and her Chocolate themed wedding

What are your first names?

Simon and Charlotte

Where and when did you get engaged?

We got engaged on the 25^th August 2013, at my parents house in Somerset. We’d been joking about it for ages as we knew we’d get married one day and after being together nearly ten years and having a daughter together, it was about time. We were staying at my parents for a long weekend and I woke in the morning to find a ring on my finger, then Simon got down on one knee.

What was your wedding date?

13^th April 2014

 

 

Where did you get married?

Ufton Court, Berkshire.

Why did you choose your venue?

We wanted a really informal, laid back wedding, and wanted to do it our own way. The barn at Ufton Court allowed us to do this and was the perfect setting!

 

 

Did you have a “theme”?

We kind of had a chocolate theme going on, with chocolate favours, chocolate cake and a chocolate fountain in the evening. It was the weekend before Easter after all!

 What was your wedding colour scheme?

Chocolate brown, champagne and ivory.

Why did you choose Simply Bows and Chair Covers and what were they like to work with?

We saw some of Michaela's chair ‘creations’ at a wedding fair and fell in love with them. We didn’t want the ordinary chair covers and sashes, so the chair hoods with flower, pearl and ribbon detail were perfect. Michaela was great – she brought colour samples over to our house, shared ideas and best of all she did everything we asked within our small budget!

 

What sort of dress did you choose and where from?

My dress was an ivory, strapless satin Eternity Bridal dress from Elderberry Brides in Basingstoke. It was much bigger than I had first planned with a long train. I loved the bling around the top!

 

What did your bridesmaids wear?

Strapless knee length vintage gold dress from House of Fraser. They looked amazing.

 

Who was your photographer?

Our photographer was my Dad! He does photography semi-professionally and has done a number of weddings previously, so we were keen for him to do our wedding photos! There were obviously slight complications involved as my Dad had to be in some of the photos too, so we roped in another friend to help as well. The photos have turned out great!

What “special touches” did you add to your day?

My favourite was our singer/guitarist, Tim Bone, who played throughout the reception drinks. The sun was shining so we had the drinks outside and with the music in the background the atmosphere was fantastic. We also had an amazing chocolate cake made by another very talented friend, a chocolate fountain, and a delicious barbecue for our wedding breakfast.

 

What was your favourite part of the day?

My favourite part was the ceremony as it was so lovely and what the day was really all about! I also loved the speeches as for me they were the one bit id had no part in, so it was a lovely surprise to see what my Dad, Simon, and Rob (best man) had written. They all did a great job!

Where did you go on honeymoon?

We haven’t been on honeymoon yet, but we are going to Marrakech in September!

What would be your top tip for another bride to be?

Just relax and enjoy your day!

Wedding Planning ... What to do and when!

Wedding Magazine recently shared this helpful tick list of what to do, when and we thought it may be useful for our lovely brides to be too....

Do it now...

•  Tell friends and relatives you’re engaged. 
•  Decide on your wedding date. 
•  Choose what type of ceremony you want, and the number of people you want to invite. 
•  Visit potential venues and check availability- book!
•  Set your budget and decide who’s paying for what.
•  Organise your wedding insurance.
•  Open a dedicated wedding savings account.
•  Choose your best man, ushers and bridesmaids. 

 
6–12 months to go

•  Check your date with your minister/priest/rabbi or book the register office.
•  Make a first draft of your guest list.
•  Send out save-the-date cards.
•  Start a wedding scrapbook filled with ideas torn out from the pages of Wedding and Wedding Flowers & Accessories. Get browsing on Pinterest for ideas!
•  Book your chair cover supplier (look no further!)
•  Look at sample menus and book your caterer.
•  Book your photographer and videographer.
•  Book your wedding cars.
•  Order your invitations and other stationery.
•  Start looking for your cake maker.
•  Make appointments to try on dresses.
•  Choose your florist and discuss ideas.
•  Book your reception entertainment.
•  Begin a health and beauty regime.

 
4–6 months to go

•  If your wedding isn’t in a Church of England, give notice of the marriage to the superintendent registrar at your local register office.
•  Prompt your groom to start looking for suits for himself, his best man and the ushers.
•  Order your wedding cake.
•  Set up your wedding gift list.
•  Choose and buy your wedding rings.
•  Choose or start making your wedding day favours.
•  Book accommodation for any guests who need it.
•  Arrange a menu tasting with a caterer.
•  Have your first dress fitting with lingerie and shoes.
•  Choose your bridesmaid dresses.
•  Find and book your hairdresser and make-up artist.
•  Plan and book your honeymoon.

 
2–4 months to go
 

•  Select any readings and music, and confirm your choices with your minister/registrar.
•  Send out your invitations, together with details of your gift list and any other essential information.
•  Confirm your booking if you’re marrying in a register office.
•  Finalise your honeymoon plans, ensuring you have any necessary visas, inoculations and travel insurance.
•  Have order-of-service sheets printed.
•  Write your personalised wedding vows, if necessary.
•  Buy a guestbook.
•  Try out various hair and make-up looks.
•  Plan your hen and stag parties.
•  Book your first-night hotel.
•  Contact local or national newspapers if you want to publish your wedding announcement.

 
1–2 months to go
 

•  Chase all unanswered invitations.
•  Draw up a final guest list.
•  Finalise your seating plan.
•  Give the final number of guests to your caterer.
•  Buy your marriage licence from the registrar.
•  Have your final dress fitting and confirm the collection date.
•  Choose gifts for your wedding party. 
•  Book your final hair appointment.
•  Finalise transport.
•  As people start to buy presents from your gift list, make a start on your thank-you notes.
•  Give your fiancé, father and best man a gentle nudge to start working on their speeches.
•  Find out where your guests are staying if you plan to deliver gifts or welcome notes to their rooms.
•  Hold your hen and stag parties.

 
2 weeks to go
 

•  Hold a wedding rehearsal with all key members of the wedding party.
•  Write out your placecards or send them to be printed.
•  Type up a list of must-take shots for your photographer.
•  Confirm timings with all your key wedding suppliers, including photographer, florist, cake maker and band/DJ.
•  Plan your honeymoon wardrobe.
•  Remind your fiancé to have a haircut.

 
1 week to go
 

•  Have a final hair and make-up practice. Arrange for the cake to be delivered to your reception venue.
•  Reconfirm final numbers with your caterer.
•  Double-check your outfit and accessories.
•  Make sure the best man has arranged for the hired outfits to be returned on time after the wedding.
•  Wear in your wedding shoes around the house.

 
The day before
 

•  Help to decorate the venue, if necessary.
•  Have a manicure and pedicure.
•  Have your honeymoon luggage sent to your first-night hotel.
•  Eat a light meal, take a bath with lots of bubbles, have an early night – and try to relax!