Bristol Wedding News would like to introduce one of our new sponsors, local Bristol wedding band Three Scots and a Barman.



Three Scots and a Barman are a four piece wedding band based in the city of Bristol. Their repertoire covers everything from 50′s rock’n roll to current day chart topping hits.

They say "If you’re looking for some fun packed, energetic, floor filling entertainment for your wedding, party or function, you’ve come to the right place. We are all seasoned musicians with years of experience under our belt, so we know a thing or two about entertaining a crowd. The different personalities and skills of our band members allow us to perform an eclectic mix of Pop, Rock, Soul, RNB, Blues, Reggae and Folk music."

They also pride themselves on being extremely flexible and accommodating saying "we can set up when you want, play when you want, for as long as you want and deal with song requests as best we can."


The band has an extensive song list to choose from and they can also perform as an acoustic duo for ceremonies and receptions as well as offering DJ sets, lighting and additional music.

Visit their website here for more information or you can listen to some examples here

Fireworks displays have become a huge part of modern weddings. We looked at how to plan a fireworks display for your wedding day, ensuring that it fits in with any budget and theme requirements that you likely already have.

Professional Displays

The first thing to do is to find a professional display business who can take care of everything for you, including liaising with your venue, setting up, and dealing with any other issues. That way, you can get onto worrying about the rest of your wedding.

A fireworks display team will be able to easily deal with all safety considerations that are linked with your venue, although it will be worth checking that displays are permitted first, to save you time and money.

With that put to bed, you can start thinking about the more detailed pieces of your display.

Budget

Many people think that fireworks are going to cost you a fortune, but the reality does not have to be the case at all. A memorable display can be organised for as little as £750, although naturally the higher your spend, the wider range of fireworks there will be available for you and your wedding guests to enjoy.

This decision will ultimately come down to your overall budget, and if you are only just starting to plan your wedding day, ensure you factor the need for fireworks into your thinking.




How Long and When?

While we would love to stand outside for long periods of time enjoying a fireworks display, we need to be realistic in terms of the weather and how many people there will be attending. One way around inclement weather is to book somewhere with a glass fronted function room if possible, so that fireworks can be viewed from the inside.

Your display does not need to last for long to get people talking and anywhere between five and ten minutes would represent the typical length of a demonstration, although this will again be dependent on your budget.

Traditionally, fireworks displays occur at the end of the evening, particularly in the summer when it is dark so they will be much more visible. However, if there are young children attending who would be excited by fireworks, there is nothing wrong with having a display earlier in the evening, or even during the main reception.

Organising a fireworks display for a wedding is easier than ever. The wisest way is often to deal with your budget first, and everything else will flow naturally from this starting point.

Author Bio: Fireworks Crazy has some of the finest fireworks available to buy, from roman candles to Catherine wheels.

Image Credits: www.freegreatpicture.com

Today we take a look at some top wedding trends for 2013 with the help of local Bristol Wedding Planner Steph Allison.

Ribbon Backdrops and Decor

Ribbons have been growing in popularity as cheap and effective way to decorate your venue. Many couples are opting for ribbon canopies or tying them to chair backs to make a colourful and stylish statement. Ribbon backdrops can be used behind candy buffets, as a location for photos or to say I Do in front of. This pretty chair is by Elizabeth Ann Designs



                                           


                                           


Furniture Hire

Instead of hiring white chair covers and sashes to cover ugly maroon banqueting chairs, many people are realising you can hire the chairs of your choice for a similar price whether it's elegant chiavari, lime washed or traditional church chairs.

As well as chairs, many suppliers hire gorgeous vintage dressers for your cake or candy buffet. The Little Wedding Helper has lots of items to hire such as furniture, vintage suitcases and chairs.


                              


Colour Pop

Pastels have ruled the world of weddings for the past few years but colour pop will be big in 2013. Paper lanterns are a great way to add colour as are flowers, glassware and ribbon. These gorgeous flowers featured on Style Me Pretty are a great example of how colour pop can still be very pretty and feminine.


                                            

These pretty flowers shown on Green Wedding Shoes also show how coloured glass and bright blooms can add some wow to your wedding decor.


                               

            
Vintage Glamour

Vintage is still going strong but 2013 will be a move from shabby chic to vintage glamour with lots of sparkle and embelishments. Think vintage diamond and pearl brooches, roses, lace, chandeliers and strings of pearls. This pretty image is from Indulgy.com



                                              



Ruffle Cakes & Fondant Fancies

While the cupcake is still popular, people want something new in 2013 and due to shows like the Great British Bake Off, Fondant Fancies have made a comeback. They are perfectly pretty bite sized treats for weddings and can make perfect favours too (Image credit).


                         

       

Cakes will be used less on their own and be incorporated more into dessert tables and candy buffets as a centre piece. Ruffle cakes will be top of the list for those wanting someting pretty and a bit different (Image Credit Tumblr).



                                            


If you need any help planning your 2013 wedding, Steph is happy to offer complimentary consultations to any couples seeking inspiration. She is launching her brand new website www.sweetandpretty.co.uk on Valentine's Day.

Take a look at Steph's boards on Pinterest for some more theme ideas and wedding inspiration

Today we have a great guest post from Voice Gift to explain how you can make a truly original gift for your loved one.

Naomi Thomas began working as a self employed wedding planner in 2005, but after only four years pursuing her dream career and only three months with her fiancé Graham, Naomi’s world was turned upside down as, at just 26 years old, she was given the devastating news that she had Breast Cancer.

‘It was terrifying,” she says. “Your world just falls apart, especially thinking of my loved ones. When I was diagnosed I had to deal with all sorts of difficult issues, but it was just as tough for Graham. How partners cope with a breast cancer diagnosis and the rollercoaster of emotions that follow is often overlooked.’

                                  
After a gruelling series of treatments including an operation, chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy, Naomi had hoped she had beaten the disease and looked to the future with Graham. Both were delighted when in early 2010, aged 27, Naomi discovered she was pregnant and expecting their first child. Sadly shortly after the birth, she discovered the cancer had returned and this time it was terminal.

‘You forget it’s happening to you,’ says Naomi. ‘All I know is I won’t survive this and I just enjoy every day as it comes. Over time I’ve come to terms with it. It’s the people you leave behind I feel for’ she explains.

 Naomi had to cancel her wedding day due to the financial impact of cancer. Her extraordinary story caught the attention of local Wedding Planner Sam Williams and through the enormous generosity of Sam, the local community and from complete strangers, a dream wedding was arranged with donations from wedding suppliers.

  
So, in early 2012, Naomi decided to try to help others to get married just as she had been helped. The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation was born. She says, ‘When I began the foundation I wanted to help as many people with terminal illnesses or life threatening conditions have the wedding day they could only have dreamt of and I want this to continue. The foundation will be my legacy and that makes me a very proud woman.’



                     


Local Bristol Wedding Planner Jo Robbins was so moved by the work of the Wishing Well Foundation she has organised a wedding fair at Bakers and Cutler Hall at Brasserie Blanc in Cabot Circus. Jo already has a great line up of top wedding suppliers eager to exhibit and support the foundation. She is also looking for help from those who have already tied the knot.


Jo says " If anyone would like to donate their pre-loved wedding dress/suit/accessories/children's dresses and suits, then on the day of the event we will be collecting them for Naomi to offer to brides or to sell to raise funds for the foundation."


The wedding fair takes place on Sunday 3rd March from 11am to 4:30pm.


Find out more on the website www.weddingwishingwellfoundation.org

On Wednesday night many of the UK's top wedding suppliers headed to London for the National Wedding Industry Awards which reward excellence in the Wedding Industry. The national winners were chosen by a panel of expert wedding industry judges and it was a fantastic night for Bristol, with four national winners based here.

Kirsten Butler, The Little Wedding Helper (below) won the Best Special Touch Category for her fabulous Venue Styling. Kirsten attended the awards ceremony at the Bloomsbury Ballroom and collected her award on stage to a rapturous reception.

                    


Michele Jetzer also won Best Wedding Coordinator at a venue for the second year running for her work at the Riverstation. The Riverstation said "Michele works hard with couples to ensure that each wedding is unique, meticulously planned and flawlessly executed. Michele has been working at riverstation for almost four years and this award is a testament to her tireless commitment and professionalism. Congratulations Michele!"


                                          

Michele looked stunning on the evening in a gorgeous Jenny Packham gown from The Mews of Clifton.

Hermione Harbutt also won her category for best Wedding Accessory. She said "We are delighted to announce that we have won the award for Best Wedding Accessories in the UK at The Wedding Industry Awards, the highest accolade! Thank you to all our wonderful brides!"

Congratulations also to Bramble and Wild www.brambleandwild.com, who won Highly Commended in the Best Wedding Florist category.

The Best Wedding Entertainment category was won by local magician Darren Campbell www.darrencampbellmagic.co.uk. A huge congratulations to all of the Bristol based winners.



Learn more about the awards here.

On Friday the long anticipated film version of the long running west end musical Les Miserables hits UK cinemas, from the director of the King's Speech and starring a huge list of Hollywood stars from Hugh Jackman to Anne Hathaway (who is strongly tipped for an Oscar) and Russel Crowe.

If you are a fan of musicals or Les Mis in particular then why not add a little musical glitz to your reception. The video is described on Youtube as the "perfect wedding surprise for the musical-loving newlyweds Susanne and Sune Vibæk Svanekier". They married on May 26 2012 at the Workers' Museum in Copenhagen.

It seems the couple's friends and family decided to spice up the speeches and do something fun and different and the happy couple clearly love it. If you're dreading dull speeches at your wedding then show this to your Best Man and who knows what he might come up with, though you'd need a fair few good singers on board to pull this one off.

   

Happy New Year to all of our readers. To celebrate the new year Bristol Wedding News has had a little makeover. I will be busy amending twitter and Facebook to match over the next few days and updating and reorganising some of the pages.

Regular posts will start from the 7th January with new content posted 3 times per week. Please remember to send in any news, real weddings and feature ideas to [email protected]

If you are planning a Wedding for 2013 then wedding fairs are a great place to meet suppliers and get ideas for your wedding.


                                      
This Sunday, 27th January, Wedding World takes place at the Bristol Marriott Hotel (City centre, near Cabot Circus). This is one of Bristol biggest wedding shows with 100 stands and it also features two fashion shows at 12:30pm and 3:00pm. Those attending will also receive free Wedding magazines, and a complimentary glass of wine.