Happy New Year to all of our lovely Mrs2Be Members

Emma and I would both like to wish all of our lovely Mrs2Be members a very happy, healthy & exciting 2010!

A special wish goes out to all of our New Years Eve and New Years Day brides! May the future be all that you wish it to be - and more!

With our love

Nicky & Emma
Mrs2Be x

Take Two!

If you really can't decide between 2 beautiful wedding dresses, and your budget can manage it - why not go for them both!

This works particularly well if the 2 dresses in question are completely different, so for example if you went for a big romantic wedding dress during the day - something that you would never be able to wear again. Hollywood Dreams are particularly well known for their 'big' gone with the wind style wedding dresses, or maybe something from the Ian Stuart Bridal collection which is very theatrical and dramatic.

Then for the evening, slipped into something svelte and elegant such as a beautiful dress from Amanda Wyatt's collections or perhaps an evening dress from a non-bridal designer.

The Retro Wedding Theme

The popularity of the Retro Wedding Theme in 2009 is set to continue through 2010. Not to be confused with Vintage themes, the Retro theme is one of fun and frivolity.

From 50's styled ice-cream vans, 30's style wedding dresses to the funky colour schemes of the 1980's - there is so much scope and so much to choose from!

To help you to come up with your own retro ideas, Emma has put together an article for you to guide you on your retro way:

So what is a retro wedding? A retro wedding is bright, fun and funky. From the ice cream served from a real ice cream van at the reception to the jelly beans as table centrepieces and the pink Cadillac wedding car, a retro wedding is all about fun. After all, the sixties were all about peace and understanding! A retro wedding doesn't have to be totally informal however; in fact it tends to be more about the fashions and trends of day's gone by than the overall mood. Read More.....

Christmas Engagements- Congratulations

Christmas is a very popular time of year to get engaged - we should know! So we would like to wish all our new Christmas 2009 Mrs2Be's warm congratulations!

Once the euphoria has settled down and the realisation of the exciting task ahead has fully dawned, we will be here to help you and guide you along the wedding planning path.

So - come and register with Mrs2Be.com and let us help you to plan the wedding of your dreams!

Happy Planning!

Emma & Nicky

The VAT rise & your wedding

There is no escaping it - the rate of VAT is set to go back up to 17.5% on the 1st of January 2010 and if you have had quotations from VAT registered suppliers in the last 12 months then they will have been at the rate of 15% VAT and suppliers may not have informed you of the rise come the New Year.

To top it off, there is quite a bit of confusion regarding when they are to apply the 17.5% rate rather than keeping the 15% rate applied.

The answer is this:

If you have booked and paid a deposit during the last 12 months you will have paid VAT at 15%. However, any balance paid after 1st January 2010 will cost you an additional 2.5%.

Here is what we would advice you to do:

1. Check all of your quotations and look at those suppliers who are VAT registered. If their quotation does not breakdown the VAT separately then look at the letter head for any sign of a VAT registration number. If you are still in doubt, ring them.
2. Then work out how much extra 2.5% is going to put on your bill.
3. If you are in a position to pay your balance prior to the 31st of December 2009 without putting yourselves under extra financial pressure, then it may be worth doing so.
4. However, if your wedding is still some way off, you may want to pay by credit card in the first instance and then use your cash to pay your card. This way you should be insured should your supplier go into liquidation before the big day. Alternatively, take out some wedding insurance - Mrs2Be recommends E&L Insurance.
5. If there are bills you are unable to pay prior to the 1st of January, work out how much extra you will have to pay and adjust your Mrs2Be wedding budget planner accordingly.

Hopefully by doing this, you will avoid any nasty surprises!

White Wedding Trends

When it comes to weddings, it comes as no surprise to most of us that white is more or less the one fail safe colour that doesn't date. Once again this season, white is 'bang on trend' so here is an article detailing how you can successfully incorporate a white wedding theme into your wedding.

Read Article

Happy Planning!

The Mrs2Be Team x

Wedding Fashion Show at Brynkinalt Hall - a Dazzling Success!

The wedding fashion show at Brynkinalt Hall last night was a dazzling success. The Bridal Gowns were all beautiful and some of the top designers were featured including:

Charlotte Balbier

Ian Stuart

Hollywood Dreams

Jenny Packham

Maggie Sottero

Pronovias

The outstanding feature of all of them was Crystals! There were beautiful Swarovski crystals on nearly every design. That and the fact that big is most definitely beautiful as the full skirted wedding dress is very much en vogue right now. As the young lady sitting next to me said "If I am going to wear a wedding dress just once I am going to make sure it is a big one!".

To go with the fashion show, there were some suppliers on hand including the bridal boutiques themselves. Canapes by Heathcotes, champagne by Love Champagne and a dazzling marquee by Outback Marquees all beautifully lit and decorated with the simple but elegant colour scheme of white.

The show itself was organised by Xuberance Events who did a stirling job and we look forward to many more to come at venues as beautiful as this one!

Eco Wedding Favors

With more and more couples conscious of green issues, we thought you might appreciate some Eco wedding favor tips.


Donate to a green charity - Rather than physical wedding favors for the guests, why not instead donate a sum of money to a charity close to your heart. Simply leave cards on the tables to let the guests know that you have done this without having to state the value of your donation.


Give Eco gifts - Why not hand out Eco gifts rather than favors. These don't need to look pretty, for example you could try a bag for life or a recycled item. If you do want to give a treat, opt for fair trade chocolate or if you can't resist, get the bags stamped with a special message for a fairly low cost.


Give a green reminder of your day - Why not opt for small plants or even seeds that will grow into a long lasting memory of your special day, perfect for all seasons as well.


For a whole host of other ideas, keep your eyes peeled on our website for a fuller article and some great Eco ideas coming soon to our new online shop!


Happy planning



The Mrs2Be Team x

New Website Tools!

We are pleased to announce that we have just released some new wedding planning tools to the new look Mrs2Be website!


You can now use our planning checklist to see what needs to be done for the big day and tick items off as you complete them. If you want to add tasks of your own or save items to your favourites you can now do this as well.


We can now get back to work at adding even more wedding suppliers and designer collections and are also now working on an online shop!


If you have any suggestions for items you would like to see in the shop or questions for us about anything else, feel free to contact us.


Log in or register now at http://www.mrs2be.com/ and see the new tools for yourself and if you need help, just give us a shout through the forum.


Happy Planning!


The Mrs2Be Team

Designer Wedding Fashion Show Evening

Mrs2Be has been instrumental in helping to organise a wedding fashion show by Xuberance Events at the beautiful stately home of the Trevor Family, Brynkinalt Hall, Chirk, near to Wrexham.

The fashion show takes place on the evening of Thursday 3rd of December 2009 and will feature designs by:

• Charlotte Balbier
• Maggie Sottero
• Kate Sherford
• Nicola Anne
• Forget me Not
• Blue Bridal
• Ian Stuart Bridal

Grooms wear by Groom of Chester, Warrington & Liverpool

Mother of the Bride and Trousseau by Alizari of Chester

Come and join us - meet the bridal houses involved, along with other suppliers including:

Ecclestons Bakery

Fotografy

Heathcotes Outside Catering

Love Champagne

KMK Jewellery

And visit a fully dressed marquee by Outback Marquees and chat to the team.

With a free glass of fizz on arrival and the chance to win a beautiful Fortnum & Mason hamper - why not buy a ticket for just £10 and have an enjoyable evening with us.

For more information visit www.Mrs2Be.com/xuberance.php

But hurry - tickets are limited!

Winter Wedding Ideas

With the long nights drawing in and the 2010 winter brides already hot on the heels of planning their big day, the Mrs2Be office have been thinking about winter weddings. Here are some of our tips:


Use pine cones as place cards. Spray them white or silver or even glitter and insert card with the name of each guest into the cones. We love this one as a really cheap alternative as well!


Create a magical atmosphere by hanging fairy lights in the trees at your venue. You can also use these as cheap centrepieces for your wedding breakfast as they look fab in vases big or small.


Add some winter warmth to the menu with a soup, a hog roast or a hot pot and offer mulled wine or hot chocolate to guests as they hang around for the photos. This is a great way to keep the cockles warmed and the patience running high!


Decorations for winter wedding tables needn't be expensive . White is a great classic look and combines with reds or golds creates a striking look. Use bright red berries in a bowl, twigs or floating candles to add to the outdoor feel.


Marshmallows are a must at a winter wedding. Either go the whole hog and order a chocolate fountain with marshmallows, roast them at an open fire at the venue or simply float them on the after dinner coffee.


When it comes to a winter wedding, think royal colours - reds and blues and if you can incorporate velvet suits and fur wraps all the better!


Crystal decorations are popular for a winter wedding. They not only look stunning but create a magical feel linking in to the overall winter snow and ice theme.


Candles are a must at a winter wedding and there's no place that they can't be used (venue permitting of course!). Candles in a church add to the atmosphere, especially during the darker winter days. Used at your venue candles will add romance, especially if used into the evening.


If your budget allows, why not book a choir and if your wedding is close to Christmas have them singing carols either at the church or as guests arrive at the reception.


Sprayed branches make excellent decoration at a winter wedding and are another cheaper alternative to extras such as bay trees. Use these as centrepieces or as decoration around the church or the venue to add winter sparkle.



Happy Planning!

Wedding Facts

With all the stresses of planning leaving some of our brides on the forum feeling frazzled, we thought we would share a few light hearted wedding facts with you....



Prior to 1840 when Queen Victoria started the trend, women would marry in their best dress rather than a wedding dress.



Britney Spears holds the record for the shortest celebrity wedding. Her marriage to Jason Alexander lasted just 56 hours.



Macaulay Culkin and Rachel Minor are amongst the youngest celebrities to marry, they were aged just 17.



Catherine Zeta -Jones and Michael Douglas are said to have spent £500 per guest for the food at their wedding.



The average age for a couple to marry is now early thirties, compared with mid to late twenties back in 2000.



Getting married in the winter can be 50% cheaper than the summer.



And our favourite by far...... 1 in 5 women are said to be stashing away money for their forthcoming wedding....despite not yet having found their groom!



Chat to other the brides to be on the Mrs2Be forum http://forum.mrs2be.com/forum.htm



Happy Planning!

Do you Mark, Take That, I mean Take Emma......

Ahhh Mark Owen of Take That fame has finally tied the knot with the mother of his 2 children, Emma Ferguson and a very small and intimate service by candlelight near Inverness.

The couple chose to marry in private without any media presence so there will be no "Hello" or "OK" photos I'm afraid.

The bride wore a tight fitting 'V' kneck lace sheath dress with a beautiful antique lace vale. Mark wore a purple velvet morning suit - but come on Mark, you could have tucked yourself in! Really!

All the Mrs2Be team wish both Mark & Emma a long and happy marriage!

NEW! Mrs2Be Forum

We have finally launched our NEW Mrs2Be forum and we'd love for you to come on in and chat to us!

It may be quiet at first - that's the nature of a new forum, but hopefully over time and with your support we will become a busy little wedding chatting community!

So come on over to the New Mrs2Be Wedding Planning Forum and say hello!

Winter Wedding - What To Wear?!

The Mrs2Be team have been receiving a number of requests for tips on what to wear for a winter wedding. We can only assume that with winter weddings becoming more popular over recent years that you brides to be have weddings to attend as well as your own to organise. Either that or you are being ever so helpful in assisting your guests with their winter wardrobe dilemmas!



Whichever it is, here are some tips from us....



Go for something stylish and chic but overall something warm. Never assume that you can survive freezing outside for the photos for the sake of looking good. You will end up looking ridiculous, frozen half to death and unable to hold your champagne! Opt for something mid length and with a good warm wrap or even a jacket or cape. Trench coats are great for a winter wedding where scarves are also acceptable, as are stylish gloves and sometimes even a hat of the winter woolly variety!



Stay away from bright colours, reserve these for the summer and instead opt for autumnal or Christmasy shades. Green, blue and yellow are the colours for this season. Fake tan and headpieces are out, opt instead for a natural look with a birdcage veiled hat.



Avoid too much of a heel for fear of landing head first after falling on the ice and consider a dress with sleeves for extra warmth! Forget the min dress and instead choose long or mid length. Incorporating a feature floral piece or a dress with some florals in will create a talking point and much better it be this than your nosedive on the ice or your goosebumps and chattering teeth being the main topic of the best man's speech!



It is more common for guests to change for the evening reception at a winter wedding. If you don't want to do this but you can't see the glam in the long sleeves then layering is the key! Adding a bolero under wraps, coats and cloaks is acceptable at a winter wedding. Simply layer up and remove once you are comfortable.



The Mrs2Be Team

Fish & Chips Anyone?!

In celebration of his forthcoming 10th wedding anniversary, it is reported that Take That's Gary Barlow will be celebrating in style with none other than a fish and chip supper! Apparently Gary and his wife Dawn will host a £250,000 party at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Knightsbridge, London. The pair met when she worked as a backing dancer for Take That many years ago and after a four year courtship, they married in the Caribbean back in 2000.

Guests are expected to include his fellow bandsmen and the bash is said to require a glamorous dress code despite the fairly simple menu. Dancing and bingo are also said to be on the agenda for the evening as is plenty of champagne.

We love this idea and we love the way that despite Gary's fame, when it comes down to it, he really is a true boy next door type. With the guest list expected to include 100 of his friends, we at the Mrs2Be office wonder if we might be one of this 100?!

Happy anniversary Mr & Mrs Barlow!

Becoming Bridezilla

Having recently commented to my husband of 2 and a half years that a very close friend of mine is turning into psycho bride, I am now told that the 6 page letter of instruction that I wrote to our venue before our wedding day was just one of the contributing factors to my being far and above many a psycho bride. So having now been officially labeled Bridezilla, this got me wondering just what is it that makes us otherwise rational beings turn? One minute engaged and over the moon, the next a stressed out, snappy 'bride to be' snapping orders at anyone who will listen as well as those who won't?

You can be pretty sure that none of us actually set out to become Bridezilla but what we do set out to do is have a bummin fantastic day - OUR day, the way WE want it, with all of OUR wishes granted so God help anyone who puts a foot wrong! According to our research, the average bride spends over 100 hours planning her big day. Add to that the countless hours spent dreaming about it and reading about it and no wonder we get so het up!

Believe it or not, planning a wedding can and should be an enjoyable process, andd there are many ways to make sure that you not only enjoy the big day but that you make planning it an enjoyable experience as well. A good place to start is the Mrs2Be forum where you can chat with other brides to be and gain invaluable advice from our Mrs2Be Team. We will also soon add a full article with tips on how to cope with 'becoming Bridezilla' and how to thank those around you while you flip your lid left, right and centre.


Visit the Mrs2Be forum at http://forum.mrs2be.com/forum.htm


Happy Planning and watch this space for hints on how to control the Bridezilla in you!



The Mrs2Be Team

2010 Bridesmaid Dress Trends

As usual during wedding planning season, the Mrs2Be office has been out at the bridal fayres over the weekend. We were interested to find out more about the latest in bridesmaid dress fashion and we love what we saw!

As we said last week, the latest trend in bridesmaids is dresses that match in colour only. In fact, in some cases the dresses don't actually have to match in colour. For example, if your wedding colours are red and black, it is acceptable this season to go for a combination of these colours for the bridesmaids. So if you have bridesmaids that suit different styles or...dare we say it, bridesmaids that are hard to please this may just be a saving grace! Simply pick your wedding colours and let them choose their own style and colour variation!

Bridesmaid dresses this season are bright and short and lighter in fabric than we have seen for a while. Expect to see everything from tutu netting to chiffon, it's out with the satin and in with something lighter and easier to move in. When it comes to length, again less is more. Forget long formal gowns as these will look too ordinary this season. Shorter length dresses are back and the trend is simple straight edges with embellishments.

As we know already, pink is still in this season so think girly. Bright statement colours such as shocking pink and blazing orange will turn heads on the catwalk this season. Bridesmaids are there to be seen and like it or not are about to get sexier than ever!

Happy Planning

2010 Trends

The Mrs2Be team has been out and about at wedding fayres across the UK checking out some of the hot trends for 2010 this weekend. Some we like, some we are not yet convinced about but here are some of our favourites...

Birdcage veils - We just love these vintage trends! Look out for feathers, jewels and netting across the face. The birdcage veil combines the traditional with a touch of glamour and there are so many around to choose from!

Bridesmaid dresses that match (in colour only!) - Simply pick the colour and let them pick whichever style they want, even if this differs dramatically from one bridesmaid to another. This is a trend that we love as this gives your bridesmaids an instant feel good factor and takes a lot of the hassle away from the bride!

Pink wedding dresses - Be these pastel, baby or bright be prepared for another season of pink! Check out the Mrs2Be pink wedding dresses tab for some fab ideas on this trend. If you don't want to go the whole hog with pink, look out for some fab gowns with just a hint of pink or cleaver pink trim.

Orange weddings - We have seen the orange theme starting to creep in over recent months, so be prepared to be dazzled in 2010 as this trend really hots up. From stationery and seat covers to flowers and even dresses, think bright and bold!

Off the shoulder dresses - be these feminine or raunchy you will see these everywhere in the coming months. Spaghetti straps will also feature again in the 2010 collections so get the fake tan at the ready!

Costume Jewelry - As a cheaper option to diamonds and pearls, costume jewelry will again make an appearance during 2010. We love costume jewelry for more reasons than one, it allows you to remain fashionable, it comes in a range of colours, you can usually get away with wearing it after the big day AND it's a lot less expensive than the real thing!

Look out for more highlights of the forthcoming trends as well as hints as to where to shop on the Mrs2Be website over the coming weeks.


Happy Planning!

Happy Anniversary Mr President!

Congratulations to the first couple who have just celebrated seventeen years of marriage!

President Obama and his wife Michelle married on 3rd October 1992 in a Chicago church. They celebrated their first anniversary as residents of the White House last night by dining out in the capital. The president wore a smart black suit and his wife opted for a black knee length dress.

Here's to seventeen years and more for the rest of us!

Candy Buffets!

If you thought that chocolate fountains were amazing, we would agree, but have you heard of a candy buffet?!





Our Mrs2Be office bride to be has been looking for unique additions to her day and has stumbled upon this amazing new trend. Not only can you now order an amazing buffet of your favourite sweets and chocolates but you can also now theme these AND incorporate your wedding colour scheme as well!





For monochrome themed weddings try mint imperials, everton mints fluffy white flumps and swirly liquorice, for pink fairytale themed weddings choose strawberry jellies, big pink lollipops and Candy floss and so on! We at the Mrs2Be office can't contain our excitement, in fact we have ordered one in to try this afternoon! We've been to a few wedding fayres recently and seen this for ourselves and we can't recommend enough that you get yourself to your local fayres to check these out. Alternatively search google 'wedding candy buffet' for a whole host of treats that your eyes will not believe!




Watch this space for news of what we thought of ours!

How Well Would Your Other Half Do?

Having watched the TV programme "Don't Tell The Bride" last night there were a few things that made me wonder how well my own hubby of 19 years would have done if he had been told he had to organise our wedding all on his lonesome!

There were a few points that struck me during last night's programme. A very sweet young Essex couple,Luke and Lauren, decided to hand over their big day to the BBC by signing a legal document stating that the Groom2Be, Luke would be the only one to be involved in the planning of their big day, in return for £12,000 to pay for it!

Young Lauren scooped up her baby, Poppy and her best mate and hot footed it off to Italy to visualise the Italian style wedding she had always dreamt of. This wedding which would have taken place in an Italian Catholic Church, followed by a small and intimate reception in an authentic Italian restaurant with her dressed in a simple fitted and very plain wedding dress.

Meanwhile Luke was desperately trying to get permission to marry in the local Catholic church that Lauren attended regularly but was having to line up plan B which was to have a Civil Ceremony in a very English stately home hotel!!

My heart was in my mouth as the camera cut back to Lauren who was getting very emotional in the Italian Chapel, describing how her faith is what got her through her baby's early days of lying in an incubator on a Special Care Baby Unit having been born 5 weeks prematurely! The thought of this poor (very teary) girl coming home only to find out she was to be wed in a civil ceremony was almost too much to bear!

Luke then went on to choose her wedding dress - a dress that was - well everything she said she hated in a dress! All except for the fitted bit anyway!

Her Hen Night was to be held in the centre of London (she was a Southend Girl), and she and her hens were to be dressed in skimpy shorts, leotards, leg warmers etc (think Eric Prinz). Of course this left her feeling very vulnerable and uncomfortable and so she and her hens hopped straight back onto their fun bus and set off back to Southend to finish off their night on familiar territory!

So, what started out as a young bride who's expectations were way off target, a young Groom who didn't seem to know what was really important to his wife turned out to be a very successful wedding with Lauren getting the all important Catholic wedding and she even loved the wedding dress he picked out for her!

Phew!

The Role of the Groom

In the age of the modern man, we are seeing more and more Grooms to be that actually want to be involved with the wedding planning. This is sometimes a welcome relief for the Bride to be as traditionally the finer detail has been left to the her. Nice as this sometimes unexpected involvement is however, we know that sometimes us women actually prefer to take on the entire wedding planning on our own. And yes we do sometimes also like to moan about the lack of involvement on the part of the Groom to be, even if he has actually offered to help and we have refused! So what exactly does the traditional role of the groom entail?

Firstly the Groom to be is responsible for picking the best man and of course picking wisely. They may want someone who can organise a mean stag party but they also need someone who can ease their nerves on the day, deliver a decent speech and help to organise friends and family on the day. So their task here is fairly simple, avoid the first choice that enters their head unless this person can fulfil not just one but all of these roles!

The groom is responsible for organising his suit and sometimes the suits for the other men of the wedding party. In many cases however, the bride will choose to take control of this aspect of the planning herself, especially as she will usually be looking to colour match the cravats with the bridesmaid dresses and it is a known fact that colour blindness is more common in men!

The Groom's speech is one of the more obvious responsibilities. The speech comes after the Father of the Bride’s but before the Best Man. The Groom must be sure to mention that the bride looks wonderful and how lucky he is to have found her, thank the wedding guests, the best man, the bridesmaids and anyone else he can think of and distribute the gifts not forgetting to once again mention just how wonderful his new wife is!

So there you have it, when it comes to it there isn’t really a great deal for the Groom to be to think about, unless he wants to that is. Over recent years however, we have heard from some of you that your Groom has been keen to become a lot more involved and we don’t just mean helping out with tasting food and wine. We know of examples where right down to the final details such as choosing fabrics and flowers, your Groom has had his say. Heck we even know of one case where a Hubby to be visited the florist and drew various versions of how in his view the flowers should look!

If your Groom has volunteered to help but doesn’t really know where to start, there are many ways to hep him out. Buy him a Groom’s guide from your local Waterstones, drag him along to a few wedding fayres and delegate a few of the tasks to him. As a good money saving tip, why not even split the wedding budget and challenge each other as to who can find the best deals and save the bigger portion of their budget!

Of course, you may prefer to manage the entire planning yourself. If this is the case and your Hubby to be won’t take no for an answer then try and get him searching for the most impossible of items to find or researching online while you go ahead and organise everything else. Failing this try overdosing him on wedding fayres until he will never want to see another venue or wedding brochure again! After all girls, it’s your day so you must decide, do you want their help or not?

Post your comments on the Mrs2Be blog and let us know just how involved your Hubby to be will get!

Happy Planning

Why Old, New, Borrowed and Blue?

When it comes to weddings whether traditional or not, most of us are suspicious enough to adhere to the well known saying 'somethings old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. It is a less known fact that this rhyme also goes on to say 'and a silver sixpence in your shoe'! This rhyme dates back to Victorian times and each line has a meaning as follows:



Something old - The reason for something old is that by incorporating something old, the bride is said to be representing a link with her family and her old life. There are many ways in which to incorporate something old, the most popular being an item of jewelery but sometimes even a wedding dress that was worn previously by a member of the bride's family!



Something new - By wearing something new, it is said that the bride will enjoy good fortune and success in her new life. This is probably the easiest tradition to follow as more often than not, the bride has a new dress (and new underwear of course!) for her wedding day.



Something borrowed - The tradition of having something borrowed actually requires the bride to choose something that has already been worn by a happy bride at her wedding. Jewelery is popular again as well as items such as handkerchiefs or hair decoration.



Something blue - This tradition dates back to biblical days when blue was considered to represent purity and fidelity. Often the bride will wear a garter trimmed in blue or a hidden blue band around her leg.



So why the silver sixpence? A silver sixpence placed into a brides left shoes is said to bring a bride wealth, joy and happiness throughout her married life.



Happy hunting for those all important items!

Large Rise in Prenuptial Agreements

The solicitors group, Resolution, is reporting a tenfold increase in the number of prenuptial agreements being drawn up in the UK. However, prenuptial agreements are currently only enforceable in Scotland but not in England and Wales though the courts will take them into account when deciding on divorce settlements.

However, this may all change soon as the Law Commission has said that they will be consulting on their use in England and Wales and The Conservative party have made it known that they would like them to become legally binding as the are in many other countries in Europe.

With the 45% of marriages now ending in divorce, is a prenuptial agreement on your agenda?

Who Pays?!

Believe it or not, a simple civil wedding ceremony can cost less than fifty pounds, yet the average cost of a wedding in the UK today is said to be between fifteen and twenty thousand pounds! So who is expected to pay for what? Well, there is no magic formula but things have certainly moved on since the days when a Bride's family were expected to foot the majority of the bill.


Mrs2Be has conducted fairly extensive research into this over recent years and we have found that despite wedding etiquette proclaiming that it is the responsibility of the Bride's Father to foot the majority of the bill, it really does fluctuate quite dramatically from couple to couple. These days, it is more common for both sets of parents to chip in and for the Bride and Groom themselves to contribute. In fact we have found that in a lot of cases, the Bride and Groom actually pay for a bigger chunk of the wedding than anyone and in some cases prefer to foot the entire bill themselves!


If this doesn't appeal to you then decide how to approach this with your parents. If they are aware of this shift in balance you probably already know about it and you might even have been lucky enough for them to bring the subject up and offer a sum of money already. If not however, the advice that we and the Brides in our research give is simply to approach the subject sooner rather than later. This also avoids uneasy conversations later down the line, especially if you have gone ahead and incorrectly assumed one way or the other.


Getting a clear idea of who will pay for what upfront should help you to avoid finding yourself unable to pay for something that you booked in the hope that one set of parents or other would one day hand you some cash! Who knows, you may even find when you ask that you are better off than you thought. One word of warning however, we do know of one bride whose parents offered to foot the bill, however she chose not to divulge this to her Hubby to be and chose instead to allow both him and his parents to plough money in to the pot and to SPEND the cash that she was given from her parents on a few too shopping sprees!!!!. Needless to say, this ended in complete disaster and so it should have!


Happy Planning! x

Anniversary Gifts

As a nice distraction from wedding planning, we thought you might appreciate a handy list of the traditional wedding anniversary gifts and the modern alternatives that you will have to look forward to for years to come. It might be that you print this list and sellotape it to the inside wardrobe door of your hubby to be, or it might be that you simply want to use it to warn him that your gift expectations do not fall in line with tradition!



We at the Mrs2Be office have decided that we prefer the modern gift alternatives and definitely prefer years 15 onwards We do wonder though if it is about time that someone reversed the traditional order of things and brought the platinum year forward!






Traditional/Modern


Year 1 Paper/Clocks

Year 2 Cotton/China

Year 3 Leather /Crystal

Year 4 Fruit/Flowers Appliances

Year 5 Wood /Silver wear

Year 6 Iron/ Wood

Year 7 Wool or Copper /Desk Sets

Year 8 Bronze Linen/Lace

Year 9 Willow or pottery /Leather

Year 10 Tin or aluminium/ Jewellery

Year 11 Steel /Fashion Jewellery

Year 12 Silk or linen/ Pearls or Gems

Year 13 Lace /Textiles

Year 14 Ivory/ Gold

Year 15 Crystal /Watches

Year 20 China /Platinum

Year 25 Silver /Silver

Year 30 Pearl/ Diamond

Year 35 Coral /Jade

Year 40 Ruby /Ruby

Year 45 Sapphire /Sapphire

Year 50 Gold/ Gold

Year 55 Emerald /Emerald

Year 60 Diamond /Diamond


Happy Planning Ahead!

Perfect Planning

With wedding planning season now in full swing, we wanted to remind you to check out your local wedding fairs. Do as much research as possible before booking a supplier, remember to compare quality, cost and most importantly make sure that you click with the supplier that you are thinking of booking.

Over the next few months, venues across the country will be host to some fabulous wedding fairs and we don't just mean the biggies. Keep your eyes peeled in the local press and outside hotels for details of forth coning fairs. Remember that organisers also generally list the fairs with on the Internet, so keep an eye on the Mrs2Be Bridal Fairs tab on our left hand menu!

If you find that there are two fairs clashing on a certain day and you can't make both, try and find out which seems to be most worth attending. If you are more interested in some items more than others, it's worth knowing that some will have fashion shows, hair and make up demonstrations and even samples of the entertainment and food, where as others will simply have a number of stands where exhibitors will show samples of their work.

This information should be readily available on the fair organisers website or even included in their adverts and is crucial research to make sure that you get the most out of your trip, especially if you have dragged hubby to be along as well. If you need to do some gentle persuading to get him to come along, then pick a fair that will have something of interest to him. As well as the run of the mill menswear stands, some fairs now feature specific stands for the groom such as stag night or men's grooming.



Happy Planning!

Mrs2Be Competes to Save Money!

We are excited to say that we have had some recent engagement news in the office! With our Mrs2Be bride gathering her wedding quotes already, we couldn’t resist a bit of competition in the office and have been out and about this week to see just how much we could save her on a number of wedding ‘essentials’.

You will be pleased to hear that in total, we managed to save over two thousand pound on her initial quotes and we didn’t even mention Mrs2Be once! So where did our savings come from…..?

Firstly venue decoration, our bride’s best quote for the seat covers that she wanted was £3.95. We had quotes ranging from £2.50 to £4.50 so we checked them out and found that in our view the particular style of cover on offer at £2.50 was a bit cheap looking. We preferred the poly cotton version which we were quoted £3.90 per cover for from one supplier but managed to find the same quality cover at just £3.25 from another. This is the type that our bride was looking for so based on 100 guests (our office bride to be is having rather a large bash!) we bagged a saving of £65 here. We also managed to get matching favors and place cards from the same supplier again making a saving from an initial price quoted of £1.50 per favour to just £1.20 and from £1.10 per place card to just £90p! A total saving of £115 on our venue decoration for a start!

When it came to the photographs, even we admit that this was a bit more complicated to decipher. There are so many packages on offer that it can be hard to compare so we chose a CD only option as this is what our bride was looking for. She had been quoted £650 which seemed to be the average price. The quotes that we got ranged from £300 to £750 and we eventually settled for a package in the middle at £550 managing to also negotiate to just £500, a saving of £150 on the average price. We tried to compare like for like and thought it was important to mention that the quality of the photographers seemed to range hugely. We found that some of the cheaper CD options didn’t seem to have the image range and the photographers themselves didn’t seem to have worked on as many weddings, however there were a few exceptions.

At the more expensive end of the market, the photographers seemed to have a larger portfolio and had been in the industry a lot longer. Our advice here is that unless the photographer comes highly recommended to research, research, research. There’s nothing to say that a photographer charging £300 is any less qualified than one charging £500, but do your research and ensure that you are comfortable with the choice that you make. Don’t skimp on quality for the sake of a cost saving as this is one of the most important items and one that will be with you forever!

When we looked into transport, we had to compare like for like again. We found that the average cost of a car was now at around £350 and a horse and carriage around £650. We based our needs on our bride who will be having a horse and carriage for herself as well as a car for her bridesmaids. We shopped around and played a few companies off against each other coming out with a saving of £50 on the car and £60 on the horse and carriage, a combined saving of £110.

Our bride had chosen a specific gown so we called around to obtain a price, we were able to save £40 by shopping around and found many two for one deals offering the grooms suit for free when the gown was purchased from a particular store. Realistically you may not want to travel far for your gown, however check prices at local bridal houses and keep your eyes peeled for the two for one offers. We also found savings of between £15 and £25 per bridesmaid dress at certain bridal houses when two or more dresses were ordered. With our bride having 4 bridesmaids, we managed to save £100 on the bridesmaid dresses as well as the £40 on the bridal gown, giving us a total saving of £140.

Conscious that she had quite a large number of guests for the wedding breakfast our bride was concerned about the quote that she had received at £50 per head. We spoke to a number of local venues and found that if she didn’t mind a buffet style meal rather than a 3 course formal affair, she could save on average £15 per head. This was music to her ears, as this would allow her to splash out on her honeymoon shopping trip. This gives her a saving of £1500 and is where in this case the biggest proportion of the saving is to be made.

As with all employees of the Mrs2Be office, our bride loves chocolate, so insisted on a chocolate fountain. Having initially been quoted £350 for a 150 person fountain; we found a like for like offer for just £275! This time we didn’t switch supplier as we wanted to stick to a local supplier (to be able to go out and sample the chocolate again of course!) but we did manage to knock the original supplier down to the same price giving us a saving of £75.00.

Initially our bride wanted lots of flowers in her table centrepieces, until she was given a cost of £25 per centrepiece that is! With eleven tables she agreed to compromise with some simple displays with just 3-4 flowers in each. In our view this added elegance and style and cost just £15 per centrepiece saving another £110 here. We also saved on the flowers for the top table by having these transferred from the arrangements at the church, another £40 saving here, giving us a saving total of £150 on the flowers!

We found that the best quote we had for a DJ was £180 and this was the same price that our bride to be had been quoted. We felt that for 5 hours, this was reasonable and were wary of cheaper quotes that we were given as they didn’t seem to be of the same quality so in this instance we stuck to the original quote.

As our bride wanted a toastmaster, she had been told by her preferred venue that she had to have the hotel recommended toastmaster at a cost of £200. This is where it gets interesting as we recently reported on this very issue of hotels demanding that their own suppliers are used for certain items! We found a great local toastmaster at a cost of £150 so now it’s up to our bride to decide for definite on her venue as her other options had no preference. If she does go for this venue then we are sure we will be able to twist their arm and bag another saving of £50!

And for now, our fun comes to an end, although with the bash that our bride is going for, we are sure that in time there will be many more occasions where we can stick our nose for a bargain in! For now our message is simply that there are clearly many ways to save money on your big day but the main thing is to ensure that the quality of goods is not compromised when doing so. Set a wedding budget and have fun seeing just how much you can save on one thing then either save this or splash out on another more expensive item or something you didn’t think you would be able to afford – like the shopping trip!

Happy Planning x

Katie Price To Wed Again

The news that has us all talking in the Mrs2Be office today is recent claims in the press that Katie Price is to marry again this Christmas following her quickie divorce from Peter Andre earlier this week. Katie apparently celebrated her divorce by drinking pink champagne with her Mum and inviting her celebrity friends to a divorce party.

Now apparently due to marry cage fighter Alex Reid this December, Katie was recently spotted with what looked like yet another huge rock on her finger. Add to this the fact that she is also apparently talking of having another child and it really does seem as if Katie has moved on.

When she married Peter in that fantastic pink dress four years ago, Mrs2Be was amazed at the number of Katie and Peter style weddings that sprang up, so we can't wait to see what she comes up with this time!

Keep your eyes peeled for a new trend this December ladies..........

A Warm Mrs2Be Welcome to Pear Tree Pictures

Mrs2Be welcomes Pear Tree Pictures! Pear Tree Pictures are wedding photographers who work throughout the UK but predominantly throughout London, Kent, Essex, Hertfordshire, Surrey, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire and the South-East.

Their reportage style photography is simply beautiful - why not see some of our Pear Tree Pictures Real Life Brides and judge for yourselves!

Cake!

At auction today is none other than a slice of Prince Charles and Camilla's wedding cake!

Following the sale of a piece of cake from Charles and Diana's wedding which went for £1,000 at auction last year, we will be interested to see how much today's piece makes!

The cake will go on sale today at Hampshire auctions in Andover. It is estimated that it will sell for a lot less at around £60 - £80, the cake is ironically being sold by a lady by the name of Diana.

Watch this space for the result of the auction!

Uma Thurman To Wed At Kensington Palace!

Uma Thurman has apparently rented Kensington Palace for her wedding to Arpad Busson next year. It is expected that the wedding will take place in June with Uma planning a fairytale affair. Already well on her way to feeling like a princess with her eight carat diamond ring, all Uma needs now is the palace!

It costs around £11,000 to hire the room for the ceremony and the venue however Uma has apparently also hired the rest of the palace to ensure her privacy. It is expected that close friends Sir Elton John, Claudier Schiffer and Sting will all attend the ceremony.

We will be keeping our eyes peeled for news of her wedding plans!

09-09-09

It is the ninth day of the ninth month of the year 2009 and don't we know it in the wedding industry! After the fever surrounding the seventh of the seventh two thousand and seven weddings, once again wedding venues across the globe have been inundated with requests for couples to marry on this date. Las Vegas has once again been at the centre of wedding chaos as couples queue to wed with many being turned down due to numbers.

Couples across the world have not only picked today's actual date for all the nines but have really gone to town and are also fighting for 9am and 9pm slots at nine minutes past the hour, with 9 or 99 guests and in some cases with almost everything they can think of being related back in some way to the number 9!

So why such craziness over these quirky dates? Couples quite simply love the symbolism and the symmetry of these dates and the fact that the next time the date will come along will be in another century. Some feel that the date spells good luck, while others are purposely avoiding the date saying that it is too closely related to 666. Some even say that they picked this date simply because it will be easier to remember future anniversaries! Whatever the reason, there are simply tens of thousands of couples opting for today's date ...... ah how romantic!

Who Recommended Your Suppliers?

We know here at Mrs2Be just what a minefield it can be when choosing suppliers for your very special day. Often when a couple visit their wedding venue, their venue will provide them with recommended suppliers, but are your venue always best placed to recommend a supplier to you?

There are certainly advantages to working with suppliers who know your wedding venue and how the work, but many suppliers are used to working with different venues.

Our concern is that there are occasions when a Wedding Venue has a vested interest for you to use their recommended suppliers as it has come to our attention here in the Mrs2Be office, that some unscrupulous members of staff are taking - hmmm - let's say "a monetary gift" from certain suppliers in order to ensure they are the supplier that is recommended.

We are not happy about this at all and we are pretty sure our lovely couples would not be either! Let's face it, this is them recommending the best person for them - not the best person for YOU! This is YOUR day, and you deserve the best YOUR money can buy!

So here are our top tips:

1. By all means, listen to what your venue has to say with regard to suppliers.
2. Speak to friends and relatives who have got married recently, think about weddings you have been to where you particularly admired something such as flowers, table decorations etc.
3. Visit local bridal fayres and collect some information from them too.
4. Make a shortlist of say 3 x suppliers and make appointments to go and visit them.
5. Pick someone you can work with, someone who gets back to you in a timely fashion and does what they say they are going to do, and of course, someone whose work you have seen for yourself and you admire.

There are many wedding venues who will happily recommend suppliers and have absolutely no vested interest at all, but the safe bet would be for you to add them to your shortlist and follow the same tip tips above - just to be sure they are the right supplier for YOU and not for your venue!

Football's Mr Nice Gary Lineker has wed!

Football's 'Mr Nice' - Gary Lineker has wed his beautiful girlfriend of 2 years, Danielle Bux, in a very private ceremony in Italy.

The service is reported to have cost them just £400 and took place in Ravello Town Hall with just two witnesses present. The Groom wore an outfit without a tie and the bride wore a simple cream dress.

The couple then celebrated with family and friends in true celebrity style, throwing a party reported to have cost in the region of £250,000 at the Hotel Caruso!

On this occasion the Groom was fully suited and booted! And the bride wore a beautiful wedding gown by Suzanne Neville which we think is from the 2009/2010 Royal Collection!

More details and photos can be found here.

The team at Mrs2Be wish them all the very best for the future.

I Do(omed)

If ever there was a story to highlight the importance of taking out Wedding Insurance, then this is it!

Kenneth & Karen Porter spent more than a year planning their big day which eventually went out without a hitch but not before:

• The groom's trousers were made in the wrong size
• The wedding dress shop supplying the bridesmaid dresses went into liquidation
• The airline and travel agent they used to book their honeymoon closed down
• The wedding reception venue went into administration 10 days before the big day
  

And to top it all off the couple had splashed out on a pair of tickets to see Michael Jackson in concert.

Phew - I think even the most laid back of Brides to be would have reaching for the bach flower remedy on this occasion.

Thankfully - they did manage to find alternatives and even had some good luck along the way when the bridal shop where Karen bought her wedding dress was broken into but her dress remained untouched.

So please, if there is one thing that goes at the top of your wedding budget list - let it be Wedding Insurance - it doesn't cost much but can save you a whole lot of cash and headache should the need arise which hopefully it wont!

Mrs2Be recommends E&L Wedding Insurance who are offering a 25% discount if you buy online!

Vintage Wedding Dresses

Vintage wedding dresses such as this beautiful Jenny Packham design, are still very strong this season but what exactly is Vintage? Well, you may be surprised to know that as far as fashion is concerned, "Vintage" spans from the 1920s and the 1980s.

There is so much choice so we have written an article specifically to help you when it comes to choosing a vintage style wedding dress whether you plan to go for an original or a modern day vintage feel design.

We'd love to hear your thoughts so why not leave us a comment?

Read the article here!

From Miss Right to Mrs Wong

Here's one to make your eyes water - if not with emotion, then with pain at the sheer thought of giving birth to 10 children in 12 years!

Rachel Savory and Jay Wong became engaged and set an original wedding date of June 1996, but due to the fact that Rachel was almost in a permanent state of pregnancy for 12 years, they only tied the knot once another knot had been tied - for good too, if you know what I mean!

So after 14 years of being engaged, the couple finally got married on 20th June 2009 on Merseyside! With their beautiful children (all 10 of them) in tow the couple are now pronounced Husband and Wife!

What is even more amazing is that Rachel dropped 4 dress sizes from a size 20 to a size 12 AND they managed to organise the whole day on a budget of £2,500!

Congratulations Rachel & Jay Wong! You are the Mrs2Be newly wedded couple of the Summer!!

For more of their story head here.

Has the current climate crunched your wedding budget?

All this talk about the "credit crunch" cannot go unnoticed and with the average cost of a wedding now being between £17k - £21K there is a lot to crunch!

What we here at team Mrs2Be would like to know is:

a) has the credit crunch had a direct affect on your wedding budget?

b) if so, in what way?

Or, if you are a wedding supplier, what affect, if any are you experiencing from your brides? Are they slower to commit? Are they cutting back on non-essentials? Are they doing more themselves?

Dec Donnelly - Is Marriage on the cards?

Following a recent sighting of Declan Donnelly (think (Ant & Dec) and his beautiful girlfriend Sky Sports presenter Georgie Thompson, the rumours are flying .................... are they? Are they not? About to tie the knot?

Dec who is 33 years old, has not had a long term love interest since dating actress Clare Buckfield. Sadly their union dissolved in 2003. But following reports by the Daily Mail, that the pair were seen the "all loved up" in a restaurant in London - Mrs2Be for one are hoping wedding bells may be on the cards!

Dec's TV partner Ant married his long term girlfriend Lisa Armstrong in July 2006. They chose to do so in a very non-celeb fashion with just close family and friends.

Dec was Ant's best man - maybe it is time for Ant to return the favour! What do you think?

Fab New Website

Mrs2Be is excited to say that we are nearly done with our wish list for our new site but even so, there's still one thing missing.....you!

We have some great new free tools coming your way as well as some more discounts and special offers from suppliers across the UK. We would still love to hear from you with ideas and in fact with YOUR wish list of what you would like to see on the new site and any tools that you would like us to consider adding.

Please get in touch with your ideas over the next week or so and we will see what we can do.

Happy Planning!

The Mrs2Be Team x

Donna Salado Collection - Featured on Mrs2Be.com

Mrs2Be is delighted to announce that we are now featuring Donna Salado's beautiful wedding dresses on our sister site shelaghm.co.uk

Donna, who has been nominated four times for "Designer of the Year" has turned her passion into a career which coupled with that ever so slightly 'risky' element of her personality is stamped firmly on the designs.

We will hopefully be able to bring you Donna Salado's stockists in the very near future too but in the meantime visit http://www.donnasalado.com/ for more information.

This beautiful wedding wedding dress featured here is Camrie from the Donna Salado Couture Collection.

Ahhh How Tweet!

Suzy Perry of Channel Five's The Gadget Show has become the first celebrity to post her wedding photos on Twitter!

Suzi and her hubby Bastien Boosten (who she met during the filming of one of The Gadget Show series!) shunned the traditional wedding album route in favour of a more high tech approach befitting of a high-tech gal!

It seems that the excitement of her friends and family being able to "Tweet" back within minutes of the photos being posted, was too much to resist!

Suzy chose to marry in Las Vegas last week. She thought this option would be less stressful than a traditional wedding! She has obviously not heard of Mrs2Be!!!

For more photos of Suzy and Bastien's big day go to http://twitter.com/suziPerry

Charlotte Balbier - New Wedding Dresses Added

The Mrs2Be team is a huge fan of wedding gown designer Charlotte Balbier and so we are always delighted when Charlotte's look book lands on our desk!

Charlotte's designs are the epitomy of femininity and romance. We have added to the online gallery of Charlotte's beautiful wedding dresses on our sister site, www.shelaghm.co.uk so why not take a peep.

Charlotte's collection includes a few calf length gowns which we always like to see, as well as some vintage feel designs. My personal favourite has to be "Carrie" a pale pink, mid length gown which is the ultimate in contemporary, feminine design.

Which is your favourite?

Honeymoon, Minimoon or Staycation? What's it to be?

Gone are the days when it was a simple choice between to honeymoon or not to honeymoon (I was the latter!) oh no, nothing is THAT simple these days!

Now you have it's a multiple choice - you can:

A) Honeymoon in the traditional sense. Generally somewhere exotic, "holiday of a lifetime" type approach such as the Maldives or Mauritius

B) Minimoon which would involve a short break of 4-7 days somewhere a little closer to home. Maybe Europe or somewhere such as Egypt or Cyprus just outside of the EU.

C) Staycation - a short break here in good ole Blighty! Hey, if it's good enough for Joe Cole and Carly Zucker - it's good enough for us!

And the decision is not all necessarily down to cost - many couples are stating that they are unable to take 2-3 weeks holidays off work right now, and many would not want to in the particular economic climate!

So - what's it to be for you? Have your say by voting in our poll in the right hand menu - we'd love to know - we are nosey like that!

Happy planning!

Mrs2Be Supplier of the Month July 2009

The Mrs2Be Supplier of the Month for 2009 is Covers and Bows of Ellesmere Port. Read all about how they can work their magic on your wedding venue!

They really have got it covered!!

Biker Wedding Brings Town to a Standstill!

Wrexham town centre was brought to a standstill last saturday when a local couple tied the knot in The Parish Church.

Between 40 and 50 members of a North Wales bike club called "The Chopper Club" along with members of other clubs across the country decended on St Giles' Parish Church, Wrexham to celebrate the marriage of local couple Ron and Jayne Adams, of Hightown.

For more info and photos click here.

July's Wedding Theme of the Month!

Mrs2Be is delighted to announce a new "Wedding Theme of the Month" feature. July's wedding theme is "Magnificent Monochrome"

We love Monochrome as a wedding theme here in the Mrs2Be office because it is so contemporary, chic and yet so easy to do.

Why not check out the article for yourself and leave us a comment!

If you have any wedding theme's you'd like us to cover - drop us a line and we will do our best! We area always up for a challenge!

A Bridal Fair With a Difference!

Are you getting tired of the same old bridal fair routine and fancy something with a bit of a kick? If so, then the forthcoming bridal fair at Cranage Hall may be right up your street!

When we received the details of this event into the Mrs2Be office which is due to take place on June 26th we were really excited.

Red carpet entrance, paparazzi photos, professionally choreographed catwalk shows, a variety of wedding entertainers, a delicious Bar-B-Q and Hog Roast as well as a firework display!

Cranage Hall Hotel is situated two miles from the M6 motorway on the A50 between Holmes Chapel and Knutsford.

Tickets cost just £7.00 each.

For more information see the Mrs2Be Bridal Fairs page.

We will be there for a nosey too! Enjoy!

New Real Life Bride

Jodie & Stevie from Kingston Upon Thames finally tied the knot after being together for 16 years!

Check out their Real Life Wedding and others HERE!

Do you fancy being a Mrs2Be Real Life Bride? If so, drop us a line!

Love Is In The Air - at 20,000 feet!

Budget airline Easyjet have announced that is is applying for a wedding licence which would enable Pilots to officiate marriages whilst in the air!

It is a fact that many brides and grooms are looking for more and more unusual places to tie the knot so it really was just a matter of time before such an application was made.

Of course, there are a number of rules and regulations governing wedding ceremonies so it is not yet know what format this would take place if it were to be approved.

So, "Tying the Knot" could soon become "Flying the Knot!!" - we will keep you posted!

Exclusive Sarah Houston Designer Weekend May 2009

May 23-24 2009 London

Meet international bridal designer Sarah Houston at this exclusive Designer Weekend. Sarah will persdonally showcase her complete 2009 collection and preview some of her exciting new 2010 gowns. All dresses will be available to try on and purchase - ask about our special purchase incentive. Brides often describe the feeling of wearing a Sarah Houston wedding dress as being “immersed in liquid gold”.

For tickets or more information please Call 01926 858835 or email

Mrs2Be Registration Page is Fixed!

Our sincere apologies for the problems some people have encountered with registering on Mrs2Be.com. It has now been fixed thanks to techy John!

If you do experience any further problems, please do not hesitate to contact us here at Mrs2Be!

Happy Planning!

New Bridal Fair Facility

It is now even easier to add your Bridal Fair to Mrs2Be.com. All you need to do is:

1. Go to www.Mrs2Be.com/bridal-fairs.php



2. Click on the "Add your bridal fair" text link or banner



3. Add your event



4. Submit

Your event will then be reviewed by our administrator and you will receive notification of it becoming live on our website.

It's that simple, and best of all - it is FREE of charge! So, if you are planning a Wedding Fair or you know of an event taking place near you please do pop along and let us all know about it!

A Fresh Take on Wedding Stationery by Cheshire Stationery Designer

Sticky Snail Design is a Cheshire based company run by Lucy Boyle who's impressive CV includes having provided title sequences and content graphics to prestigeous programmes such as Coronation Street, Tonight with Trevor McDonald, Cracker and Queer As Folk.

Lucy's creative talents have now lead her into the wedding industry designing unique, contemporary wedding stationery that is of superior quality, using the finest Italian papers, whilst remaining affordable.

You can see some more examples of Lucy's work on her website http://www.stickysnaildesign.co.uk where you can also order samples.

Or, you can visit Lucy at the following wedding fayres where she will be exhibiting in the coming months:

• Trafford Centre Debenhams on the 31st of January and 1st of February



• The Rhinewood Hotel in Glazebrook, Warrington on the 22nd February



• The Paddington House Hotel in Warrington on the 15th March

Sarah Houston Couture Bridal Collection

Mrs2Be is proud to present the couture bridal collection of US newcomer Sarah Houston. Sarah's collection was launched at the British Bridal Exhibition in Harrogate in September 08. The collection is now to be showcased at select stores around the UK. A list of Sarah Houston designer days can be found at HERE.

The collection will be available from hand selected bridal outlets throughout the UK in the coming months.

The gowns themselves are beautifully designed to provide a perfect blend of "spirit of old world charm to the essence of the modern day".

Sarah custom designs all her own laces to create a signature look that is truly authentic & original and captures the essence and individuality of each gown.

This collection is so romantic and timeless as she combines lush satin crepes with silk chiffons and organzas each immersed in textures designed to flow.

But take a look for yourselves and see what you think as the collection can be viewed online HERE.