Yesterday I shared a ‘berry’ lovely winter wedding inspiration shoot by Hannah from Lifeline Photography. Today’s post is a quickie — something to cut out and keep!

Wedding inspiration: winter berries with images by Lifeline Photography

I made a wedding inspiration board for you with Hannah’s lovely images and all the little accessories and decorations from the day. So if you’re looking to make lots of things for your wedding, and you’ve got a little red riding hood costume knocking around that you don’t really need… this is perfect for you!

 With help from some wonderful wedding suppliers

• Hannah from Lifeline Photography — http://lifelinephotography.co.uk

• Styling & DIY elements: Chloe at Adore By Chloe — www.adorebychloe.co.uk
• Stationery & Fingerprint Tree : Sara Bodinar at Monty Manatee — www.montymanatee.co.uk
• Cake: Danielle Gotheridge at Your Unique Day — www.youruniqueday.com
• Frocks & veils: Grace Couture in West Bridgford, Notts — www.gracecouture.co.uk
• Jewellery & headpieces: Melissa at Pearls For Lily — www.pearlsforlily.com
• Hair: Kelly at KB Wedding Hair Specialist — www.kbweddinghairspecialist.co.uk
• Make-up: Laura Harrison — www.lauraharrisonmakeup.co.uk
• Venue: Thrumpton Hall on the banks of the River Trent in Nottinghamshire — www.thrumptonhall.com

Photo credit: http://mybigdayphotos.co.uk via Rock My Wedding

I’m sure if you’ve got something really important to finish it can wait five minutes. There’s an hour or two left before home time after all. You deserve a break, it’s Friday afternoon! We’re into weekend time already if you ask me

Course, if you like this little lot you can while away the time until 4 or 5 just blog-hopping and enjoying lots of wedding inspiration. I should apologise to brides and grooms who aren’t bloggers by the way: I’ve been reading a lot about blogging this week so there’s a bit of advice in here too.

Enjoy! (and next time you look at the clock it might just be home-time…)

Real weddings

Photo credit: www.jackibruniquel.com via Green Wedding Shoes

• A beautiful English wedding
• Bride holds fish…
• I couldn’t mention fish without bicycles
• Belle Epoque wedding
• Bride designs her own dress
• Wedding video of the week!

Be different

Photo credit: www.alexbeadonphotography.com

• Brilliant to see a top wedding blogger donate her wedding dress to Oxfam
• Inspiration (and a promise of more!) Cherish the Dress — icons
• I love how Alex Beadon thinks
• 2012 wedding trends — details
• Fashion for grooms (Hallelujah!)
• It’s a leap year… and this wonderfully researched and illustrated blog post is a must-read!
• Anneli gets inspiring — go on, smile…

Think creative

Photo credit: http://petalsandposy.com/ via Beyond Beyond

• Handmade wedding
• Rustic bunting
• I love Amma’s post (and the title) Great Ball of Papier
• Personal Projects on Rock n Roll Bride
• Heart-Shaped Escort Cards
• Shiny things to admire
• How creative businesses do it…
• Which flowers are in season?
• 2012 wedding trend — Pinterest for creativity

Have an opinion!

Credit: Hindsight Bride via Your Dream Dress 4 Less

• Has this kind of thing happened to you? The poor grooms
• Hurray for curves: Bridal Gowns To Suit Your Size And Shape
• Is this a big problem? (genuine question) When Guests Don’t Reply To Their Wedding Invitation…
• What do you think? Are two dresses better than one?
• Applause: Cheap Wedding Dress Reviews
• Standing ovation: Anatomy of a Chinese-Made Wedding Gown
• Please share your own tips — Finding a wedding photographer
• Google scared me this week with its “Social Media Juggernaut”
• Marketing goes social: 30 Brilliant Tips
• Does it? 25 Reasons Why Google Hates Your Blog

’til next week — have a gorgeous weekend everyone xxx

I’ve been waiting so long for a cold snap. I pictured myself blogging all wrapped up and toasty, with glistening icicles outside and this winter berries wedding inspiration shoot on my screen, next to a mug of steaming hot chocolate…

Well there’s no snow outside (yet). I give up!!! But it’s chilly. It’s been frosty… and the sparkles on the pavement in the morning say it’s time to blog this lovely wedding inspiration shoot!

Two posts — all about the shoot today, and an inspiration board to share with you tomorrow. If you’re having a winter wedding, think of sparkly frost and crystals, red berries all shiny and light with a little snow on top… a little bit of white (fake) fur, and plenty of gorgeous sparkle. Hannah Webster (of Lifeline Photography) and friends are here to show you how!

Enjoy x

Wedding Inspiration: winter berries — the details

The shoot was photographed by Hannah from Lifeline Photography. “The more weddings I shoot, the more I fall in love with the little hand crafted details that make things feel so personal.

Back when my sister got hitched a few years ago, we spent hours making the invitations, jewellery, table decorations and favours. They looked amazing, my sister’s designs were incredible, but more importantly, the process of making them will stay with me forever. Thinking about the time and love that we poured into turning my sister’s ideas into reality never fails to make me smile. The blisters, however, I am happy to forget.

Anyway, after a summer of shooting weddings where one or two cute little crafty details made all the difference, I thought it would be worth putting together a wedding inspiration shoot highlighting some simple DIY ideas that could easily be incorporated into almost any style of wedding to add a lovely personal touch without breaking the bank. Because, let’s face it, pretty details usually come with a not so pretty price tag. But with a little bit of imagination and ideally help from your friends, you can easily add stylish finishing touches and end up with the same proud feeling that I have when I think back to my sister’s big day.

Much as I’d love to be able to say that I am a crafting queen, it’s sadly not the case. I do try though. I made a boutonniere using berries, twigs and feathers from my mum’s potpourri bowl (seriously) tied together with some gingham ribbon (I love a bit of gingham ribbon, me); I sewed some simple red & white bunting using an old halloween costume that I figured I’d never need again (Red Riding Hood really didn’t suit my personality); and I made berry topped cupcakes and ribbon tied candy jars to pretty up the sweet table…but whilst I can follow through on a few good ideas, I’m not so great when it comes to putting them all together. So I called in some local creatives to help me out. And a mighty talented lot they turned out to be, too.

My good friend Sara of Monty Manatee Designs is a Cornish artist living here in Nottingham who designs quirky, colourful wedding stationery. She put pen to paper and came up with a cute design based on our winter berry theme and our gorgeous venue in my home village, Thrumpton Hall. She also talked two of her lovely friends into modeling for us. Susie and Tom aren’t even a couple — but they were so sweet together on the day. I couldn’t have asked for a nicer pair to work with and Susie looked absolutely gorgeous in the frocks we were loaned by Grace Couture, West Bridgford’s friendliest bridal boutique. I was desperate to try one on for myself, but sadly we didn’t have time. Ahem.

We borrowed a decadent chocolate cake from yumminess designer Danielle Gotheridge of Your Unique Day based in Nottingham’s trendy Hockley Village, hand crafted jewellery and headpieces came from the little bundle of cuteness that is Melissa of Pearls For Lily, Kelly B sculpted Susie’s locks and Laura Harrison made her up to perfection.

Wedding inspiration shoot — winter berries: the bride and groom

And then there was Chloe. Lovely Chloe Addlington of Adore By Chloe is a wedding stylist and a hand-crafter extraordinaire. She worked her magic on our various props, made flowers for the tables and bouquet out of cupcake cases (and posted a tutorial here: http://www.adorebychloe.co.uk/adoreblog/category/topics/diy-projects/) and made the whole thing look absolutely beautiful. I seriously couldn’t have done it without her.

And if any brides out there need some inspiration for personalising their wedding, ways of adding cheap and cheerful DIY elements that make the day all about you and not just about the wedding industry, I highly recommend you take a peek at her site. She is utterly fab at what she does…from suggesting little additions that compliment your theme to hand crafting items herself for you — because, let’s face it, we don’t all have the time or indeed the talent for such things *points at self*.

• Styling & DIY elements: Chloe at Adore By Chloe — www.adorebychloe.co.uk
• Stationery & Fingerprint Tree : Sara Bodinar at Monty Manatee — www.montymanatee.co.uk
• Cake: Danielle Gotheridge at Your Unique Day — www.youruniqueday.com
• Frocks & veils: Grace Couture in West Bridgford, Notts — www.gracecouture.co.uk
• Jewellery & headpieces: Melissa at Pearls For Lily — www.pearlsforlily.com
• Hair: Kelly at KB Wedding Hair Specialist — www.kbweddinghairspecialist.co.uk
• Make-up: Laura Harrison — www.lauraharrisonmakeup.co.uk
• Venue: Thrumpton Hall on the banks of the River Trent in Nottinghamshire — www.thrumptonhall.com

… there’s an inspiration board coming up tomorrow for all you creative brides and grooms who are itching to get your hands inside the pot pourri jars and rip up your red riding hood costumes. Don’t miss it — on English Wedding blog in the morning!

Allister Freeman is a top UK reportage wedding photographer & photojournalist — his photography has a tranquility and a tenderness to it which for me is unrivalled in the industry. I’m thrilled to share Allister’s insightful interview as part of The Elite on English Wedding blog today.

Allister Freeman cares deeply about weddings, his clients and the industry he inspires — that’s clear to see from his work and from his wedding photography blog. His real wedding blog posts are personal and generous; his thoughts on wedding photography and advice posts are considerate, useful and compelling.

The Elite: Allister Freeman — an interview

Allister, for me you provide the very definition of fine art documentary wedding photography. Was it an active choice for you to master this style, capturing the naturally beautiful moments of a wedding day rather than staging key images?

“For me, long-lasting wedding photography must be powerful and emotive and more than just a set of pretty pictures. In order to create images that evoke a strong emotional reaction viewers need to be able to connect with the moment and so images need to be believable.

“I always strive to create authentic and honest photographs — I just don’t believe in fairytale weddings. What I do believe in is that this is one of the biggest moments in a family’s history and therefore it’s a wedding photographer’s responsibility to record this momentous occasion accurately and with taste. I’m just not into setting people up, I find it unnecessary and a bit naff, when it’s done well it’s a true art form but sadly I rarely see this in today’s staged wedding photography.”

I’ve admired your work for years, but never been able to put my finger on just what makes your images stand out so far from the crowd. Can you help me?

“They’re imperfect. I don’t over process, I don’t crop to a point where the composition becomes unbelievable, I only look to create images in the camera rather than relying on post production. I read a photographer’s bio page recently which stated “taking the photograph is only 20% of my process, the rest I perfect on the computer”. This process totally misses the point of photography.

“I also work quite close to the action, or what would seem very close to many. This proximity gives my work a more personal feel as I’m often shooting over shoulders and through crowds, I’m also much more in-tune with the day as I can hear what’s going on, which can only help more to anticipate moments. My main objective is to recreate the event in pictures, the very definition of the term documentary or reportage. Something that simply wouldn’t be possible if I spent my time staging photographs.”

Who do you admire in the wedding industry?

“My associate photographers, who have worked incredibly hard over these last couple of years. I also admire photographers that don’t succumb to trends, gimmicks and fads and focus only on mastering their own unique style.”

Who are your heroes? Who inspires your creativity and passion?

“The inspiration behind each image really comes down to the subjects involved, once people are used to you being there they really start to show their true colours. For me it’s about capturing this unique character and it’s quirks that really pushes the creative aspect of my work. I also like environments — be it a vast beach or an inner-city street scape, I always try and involve the wider environment in my portraiture, this often results in particularly creative compositions and perspectives. In terms of photographers that inspire me? The work of street photographer Matt Stuart is pretty inspirational.”

For further information: www.allisterfreeman.co.uk

For more subtly beautiful wedding photography by Allister Freeman: www.allisterfreeman.co.uk/blog

More of the UK wedding industry’s Elite on English Wedding blog

Everyone wants to know who will photograph a wedding photographer’s wedding. I featured Alice and Jamie’s wedding on the blog yesterday, with pictures by lovely Jean-Luc Benazet.

I can’t quite remember how I found out about Jean-Luc’s own wedding to the beautiful Liza, but I was delighted to see they’d chosen Geoff Reardon to be their wedding photographer.
Jean-Luc and Liza have written their wedding report to share with you, and the images of their wedding day are breathtaking — so I’ll leave you in their capable hands to enjoy today’s wedding blog.

Cambridge College wedding blog: Liza and Jean-Luc Benazet

Liza had two beautiful dresses for the distinct parts of the wedding day. In the morning she wore this Monsoon Fusion summer dress with Irregular Choice shoes from Schuh. For the afternoon blessing & reception she wore Victoria Jane by Ronald Joyce (Sable 17014 ivory) bought from Karen Forte in Bassingbourn with shoes from Monsoon, a bracelet and hair accessories from Accessorize and necklace from Ernest Jones.

Jean-Luc wore a Cerruti black suit, ivory waistcoat and cravat, Ted Baker shoes, plain white shirt bought from Savoy Taylors — and Arsenal cuff links!
The day began at 10AM with a small civil ceremony at Cambridge register office with immediate family and close friends. We had spent the previous night apart, Liza at the hotel and JL at home, we arrived with our respective families and Liza was given away by her Dad, we purposefully kept this ceremony small & simple which turned out to be very special.



We then went our separate ways to get ready for the blessing to be held at St Benet’s church in Cambridge at 2PM. Liza back to Hotel du Vin, Cambridge with the bridesmaids and JL to his family’s hotel. The French contingent (22 people) had taken over a whole B&B: Warkworth house in Cambridge.
The second part of the day was very different from the first part. With over 80 guests, the ceremony itself was quite short but exactly what we wanted. We entered the church the same way as it is done in France: First JL with his Mum, followed by the two flower girls, followed by Liza and her Dad, followed by the bridesmaids. We had three readings as well as our favourite hymn, Jerusalem. It was packed with emotional moments that we will remember forever. At the end of the blessing we had organised bell ringing, which helped to send us off in style.
Everything was perfect, the weather, the venue, the music, the champagne cocktails (Hedgerow Fizz), the canapés, and above all having all our friends and family in one place. We felt very special that people had travelled so far to spend our big day with us.

As our vintage Rover 10 car came to pick us up, we decided to walk around the corner in the sunshine (in the middle of a busy Saturday in Cambridge city centre, surprised by the number of passers by who stopped to wish us good luck) to the college where the reception was to take place: Corpus Christi college.

We were greeted at the gate by our master of ceremony who then led us to the Master’s Garden, we felt very privileged to be able to host our drink reception there as we were not associated with the college.


At about 5PM, we were then called into the magnificent dining hall for the wedding breakfast, which looked out of this world, with an amazing arrangement of vintage flowers. Although we did not have a particular theme for the day, we tried to incorporate both French and English elements, with a slight vintage glamour touch.

Jean-Luc and Liza’s most memorable wedding moments

* Greeting most of our French and British guests the evening before in a pub (The Old Spring, Cambridge), and observing how some of them used hands to communicate… Not understanding a word they were saying to each other!

* JL not being able to utter his vows, after becoming emotional as he saw his bride arrive.

* Liza walking in the ceremony room with her dad, nerves disappearing when she saw her husband to be.

* Coming out of the Register office… married! Even before everything else got started!

* The atmosphere in the hotel room, as (the blessing) preparations unfolded…

* Liza and her Dad being totally surprised when they arrived at the church in the car, being cheered by the whole crowd in the street, and people hanging out of the pub windows opposite (The Eagle).

* A friend included a reference to our cat in her reading of The Owl and The Pussycat, which brought much laughter.

* Having our organ player adapt then play one of our favourite songs as we left the church: La Ritournelle by Sebastien Tellier.

* Enjoying spending some time alone whilst having photos done and pinching ourselves that we are now married.

* Liza’s Dad jiving on the dance floor like a 16 year old.

Wedding day advice

* Don’t beat yourself up about not spending loads of time with everybody. If you work it out, 80 guests = no more than 5 minutes per person!

* Enjoy every minute as the day goes very quickly.

* Have a back up CD of the songs needed for your ceremony as the registrar snapped ours in half minutes before Liza was due to make her entrance!

* Don’t be afraid to plan the day as you want. In the week leading up to the wedding, we suddenly worried that having two parts to the day would mean that things would not flow as well as they would have if everything had happened in one place. In fact, doing it that way made it even more special for us!

The meal itself was perfect as commented by all our guests, but the “crème de la crème” had to be our traditional French wedding cake: a Croquembouche!
The party continued into the evening, with extra guests arriving and a live band playing our favourite tunes, including “Feeling Good” by Muse for our first dance. Our photographer set up a photo booth in one of the rooms which was a hit with our guests.

We ended the day sober and very happy and strolled back to our hotel…

Recommended wedding suppliers

* Photographers: Geoff Reardon — www.geoffreardon.com and assistant photographer Charlie — Very professional & friendly. Geoff came up with great ideas. We were very happy with the final images, and so were our guests. www.facebook.com/GeoffReardonPhoto

* Florist: The Flower Boutique — www.theflowerboutique.co.uk — Very happy with Leen flexibility and her vintage style theme.

* Cake: Michelle Gillot @ Chocoshells — http://chocolateshells1.com — Michelle can create any cake from scratch, just ask her!

* Pianist: Ben Cork — www.youtube.com/BenedictMusic — Ben was very pro and amicable, great at playing and singing. Book him!

* Band: Happy Daze — www.functioncentral.co.uk/acts/happy_daze

* Venue: Corpus Christi College, Cambridge — www.corpus.cam.ac.uk

* Make-Up & Hair: Ashley Kay Gifford — www.primppowderpout.com — Great make-up, she was very flexible and brought assistants with her, to be able to look after the bride, bridesmaids, flower girls, and some family members.

* Car: Brooks Vintage Car Hire — www.brooksvintagecarhire.co.uk

There’s nothing like a real love story to brighten up a cold morning… and Alice and Jamie’s story is a lovely one. Both living in London now, they went back to their childhood home of Wales to get married last year. Alice has written her own story of the wedding day which is as enchanting as the images of the wedding. And she looks so incredibly beautiful in lace and pearls…

All the photographs are by Cambridge wedding photographer Jean-Luc Benazet. I have something very special to tell you about Jean-Luc at the end of this wedding blog, but for now I’ll leave you to read Alice and Jamie’s wedding story.

Enjoy!

Bryngwyn Hall wedding: Alice and Jamie

“Even though Jamie and I live in London, we are both from the same area in Mid Wales (we met at primary school!) and knew we wanted to get married back there.

The weather on the day was perfect! We were so lucky, particularly at that time of the year. The morning was spent with respective families, getting ready. We had my two nephews (age 4) as page boys and my two nieces (age 2) as flower girls with my other older niece as bridesmaid.

The church service was beautiful. The vicar was very personable and patient — particularly when, halfway through my vows, I was feeling very emotional and found it difficult to get my words out. We had the hymns ‘Make me a channel of your peace’, ‘All things bright and beautiful’ and ‘Cym Rhondda  –Bread of Heaven’. A friend played ‘Blackbird’ on his guitar during the signing of the register.

Jamie’s suit, including tie, handkerchief and waistcoat were from Favourbrooks, Jermyn st, London. His shoes were from Loakes, and his shirt from Emma Willis.

My shoes were my very first wedding purchase! I saw them in a magazine and knew they were the ones-whatever my style of dress was going to be! The brand is ‘Irregular Choice’ from Schu online.

My earrings were pearl and diamond from John Lewis, my hair accessory was borrowed from my lovely friend Laura, who had purchased and worn it for her own wedding (it’s a hairband but my hairdresser, Bonnie, managed to cleverly place it in my hair like a clip). Jamie bought me the pearl necklace as a wedding present. The pearl bracelet (my Mum’s) was a last-minute addition about half an hour before going to church! My ‘something blue’ was a sapphire ring that belonged to my Nanna.

My wedding dress: Jim Hjelm 507 from Blackburn Bridals in Blackheath, London. Found after much searching! Cape over dress was from Phase Eight, Debenhams. Because of the unusual dress material, I found it really hard to find something to complement it. The cape was a lucky find and only tried it on on my final dress fitting– a week before the wedding. I was pleased that it worked!

My local church-2 minutes from my parents’ house– was our first choice for the service but it was more difficult to find a reception venue. We just wanted a marquee in a field somewhere to throw a good party! We realised quite soon that this wasn’t that practical and so when Bryngwyn Hall was mentioned to us, we knew we had found the perfect place! Beautiful grounds in which to put up a marque but knew we wanted something a bit different… Then we found our beautiful teepees with Papakata.

As we drove up to the venue, we knew it was going to be a very special day. The tepees looked amazing against the backdrop of the hall and the countryside, the sun was shining, jazz music was playing and the champagne was already flowing. It was great to see the guests’ faces as they arrived at the teepees, as we had kept the choice of venue secret.

We were lucky with the weather to be able to have our photos taken outside. Following on from that, we joined our guests at the teepees and sat down about an hour later to a gorgeous meal.

The florists, Jenni and Val, had done such an amazing job; with all the flowers, but particularly the table centrepieces with the lanterns were beautiful.

We wanted to have a welsh touch somewhere and the heart welsh cake favours, made by my mum and sister, were perfect!

Wedding day advice:

A clichéd one but enjoy every moment. For us, that included the planning itself. I loved researching, finding and making (with help from friends and family). The day itself goes by so quickly and we tried to savour every moment.

Also, try not to get stressed about it all. We both agreed, that if anything on the day wasn’t running exactly as we had planned, then it shouldn’t affect the enjoyment of the day. And it didn’t!

Memorable wedding day moments:

Having my nieces and nephews walking down the aisle with me, all dressed up and looking gorgeous. A very special moment.

Saying our vows – a very over-whelming and emotional moment.

Our first dance and being joined by family and friends on the dancefloor at the end of the song.

One of the ushers dressing up and dancing as Beyonce later on in the evening! On my hen night, my friends had dressed me up as Beyonce (though not in the glamorous sense!) and my sister thought it would be great for Beyonce to make an appearance at the wedding party!

Our first dance was ‘One day like this’ by Elbow. We had taken a couple of dance classes in the weeks beforehand, but ended up forgetting most of it on the evening and just doing it freestyle – it actually worked out better and didn’t involve too much shuffling! Everyone came onto the dance floor for the end of the song. A really lovely, emotional moment.

The band and DJ were fantastic and got everyone onto the dance floor. I couldn’t believe it when the music ended at the end of the night – the evening had just flown by!

A very special memorable day shared with very special people.

Alice and Jamie’s recommended wedding suppliers:

Jean Luc Benazet Photography www.jeanlucbenazet.com After seeing the photos taken at a relative’s wedding, by Jean Luc, we booked him for his amazing shots and his calm manner.

‘PapaKåta’ www.papakata.co.uk Amazing tents from a friendly, professional team.

The Soul Jets band www.thesouljets.co.uk Fantastic music from a band that gets everyone up on their feet.

Roslin Catering www.roslincatering.co.uk Gorgeous food and great service

Tim’s Tipples www.tipplesbar.co.uk very good slick service. The bar staff and catering team worked with each other to ensure everything ran smoothly.

Blackburn Bridal blackburnbridal.co.uk A place where I was made to feel very special. And where I found my beautiful dress!

Bryngwyn Hall (our wonderful venue) www.bryngwyn.com

Wedding car www.classicjags.fsnet.co.uk Our driver, Frank, was a lovely guy.

Jenni and Val Florists (details on request) – Two very lovely ladies who spent a lot of time and effort, to ensure that everything was just right.

On English Wedding blog tomorrow

I promised to tell you something special about Alice and Jamie’s wedding photographer Jean-Luc Benazet — and I’m very excited to be sharing his own wedding on the blog tomorrow! It’s always great to see who a wedding photographer chooses for his or her own wedding photography… but you’ll have to wait for the morning to find out.

“The First Dance” Photo credit: Geoff Reardon (click to see Jean-Luc & Liza’s wedding)

For some couples even the thought of the ‘first dance’ induces a state of blind panic whilst for others the whole world’s a stage. Of course the majority of couples fall somewhere in between but whatever your attitude to this time-honoured tradition may be, a little planning in advance can go a long way.

1. Choosing the first dance song that’s right for you

You may already have a favourite song – perhaps one that was playing when you first met – or it may be that neither of you have a clue which song you’re going to choose. If so, don’t worry – all you have to do is Google ‘first dance songs’ and you’ll find plenty of suggestions. One word of warning though — be sure to check the lyrics before reaching a final decision. The song ‘Every Breath You Take’ by The Police sounds like ideal first dance material – until, that is, you realise it’s about a stalker! Give some thought also to the kind of tempo you’ll feel comfortable with. If you’re both competent dancers then you probably won’t mind whether it’s a foxtrot, a rumba or a waltz – but if you’re not too clever on your pins, or your partner has two left feet, then a slow song may be your safest option.

Photo credit: TwentyFour Seven wedding band

2. To choreograph or not to choreograph – that is the question

Some couples hate the idea of learning a specific routine for their first dance whilst others welcome the chance to put on a bit of a show a la Strictly Come Dancing. At the very least it makes sense to have a practice at home. You may be surprised at just how long the average song lasts and no-one wants to look (or feel) awkward during their first dance.

Should you wish to wow your guests with a stunning display then there are plenty of dance teachers out there who can help you to develop and practise a properly choreographed routine. Again, Google is the place to head.

3. Liaising with your wedding band or DJ

If you’ve booked a band to play at your reception then you’ll need to check whether they’re able to play a live version of your chosen first dance. Because modern pop songs are often produced solely within a computer it can sometimes be hard for a band to do the song justice, particularly where the band’s line-up in terms of instrumentation doesn’t lend itself to the song in question. In which case the band may suggest that they play the song via their CD player instead — or you may prefer to pick a song from the band’s existing set-list.

Bear in mind also that the first dance song you’ve chosen may have been covered by a number of different artists — so it’s worth checking with your band or DJ that they’ll be playing your favourite version.

Photo credit: TwentyFour Seven wedding band

4. First dance timings and lighting

There’s nothing wedding guests like more than taking pictures of the happy couple during the first dance. So make sure you know in advance exactly who will be announcing your first dance and at what time. Often it will be the band or DJ as they’ll be the one’s responsible for playing the music but alternatively it could be your Toastmaster (if you’ve hired one) or the father of the bride. Either way your guests will need to be given sufficient time to gather round with their cameras. Give some thought also as to whether you want your band or DJ to encourage your guests to join in – perhaps half way through.

Don’t forget to liaise with your photographer too – he or she will need to be ready to capture your special moment and may also want to speak in advance with the band, DJ and/or venue to get the right lighting.

5. Don’t forget to enjoy it!

After all that organising it’s important not to lose sight of what your first dance is all about — a celebration of your feelings for each other. This is yours and your partner’s special moment at your Reception so make sure you enjoy it to the max. You never know, you might even get a perfect 10 from Craig Revel Horwood darling!

The author is a member of 24–7, one of the leading party bands & wedding bands in Kent. If you’ve got a spare 5 mins head over to their website to find out more about them, read their FAQs and discover some of the extras they offer.

Photo credit: TwentyFour Seven wedding band

I’m delighted to be adding new types of wedding suppliers to my sponsors. Today I’m introducing wedding planner Helena Rose — based in Sussex and trained by the UKAWP, Helena Rose plans inspiring weddings that set trends rather than follow them.

Now that’s what I love to hear!

A little more about Helena Rose Weddings

Helena Rose is making a splash with her new wedding planning business, and I’m so pleased she’s joined English Wedding Blog! Read more: The Sussex Newspaper interviews Helena Rose. Helena is also to be found on Whimsical Wonderland Wedding blog — with a fabulous competition for brides in Sussex, London and the South East.

Helena Rose on the English Wedding Showcase

Please visit Helena Rose’s English Wedding Showcase Page to find out more.

Helena Rose Sussex wedding planner