5 top details to include on your invites

I have come across a fair few invites in my time that have missed some crucial (but easily missed) information. So much thought and attention tends to go into the design that the actual content becomes rushed.

To make it easy for you - here are my top 5 things to include,

plus a free downloadable wording guide

1. Date, time, location.

So maybe this is 3 in 1, but these are the basics. If you don’t tell them when and where, you may end up with no guests or a lot of questions on the run up to your special day! I find it helpful to add the day of the week when it comes to the date, not only is it useful if they need to book it off, it also looks good. Make sure to consider the different start times during your day for example; if you’re having different invites for day and evening guests. The name and address of the venues is crucial for your guests, not only to know where to go, but also how to get there and where to stay.

2. Details

Not everyone will know the area you’re getting married in, so it’s worth providing some details of local accommodation, whether or not you’ve got any reserved rooms available or a discount at a hotel nearby. Do the venues have parking, public transport nearby or is it in an area where hailing a taxi isn’t an option so your guests may need to pre book. Are you having a dress code? Do you want hats to be worn? Or have you got lots of grass or gravel that might not be ideal for those stilettos? It’s worth letting guests know this on your invites to prevent all the questions closer to the day. I love adding a personalised map with key tourist spots or your venue to give people a sense of the area and to make a weekend out of it!

3. Gifts

Your guests will likely want to know what to give you (if anything). This is the time - if you’ve got a gift list registered somewhere, give them the link, or if you’ve set up a honeymoon registration that people can buy you an experience or cocktail at sunset then share it. You may simply want to ask people to refrain or donate to a charity instead! There are lots of ways to ask for gifts through poems and phrases, take a look at my wording guide for a few ideas.

4. RSVP

Keep it simple!

Make sure it’s easy for your guests to respond. It may seem tedious but ensuring their names are already on it can save a lot of time in the long run. Give them easy tick boxes for attendance and menu options, as well as space to add in notes on dietary requirements or song requests for the dance floor later in the evening! Always include the address you want it returned to too.

My go to design is a postcard style RSVP that they simply post back, you can be generous and even add a stamp! Make sure to include a time frame so there are no unexpected last minute guests.

5. People

Who is and isn't invited to the wedding may be obvious to you but not your guests. Make sure it’s clear on your invites, envelopes and/or your RSVP. Your budget is not endless and it is absolutely ok not to invite your friend's new boyfriend of 5 days; equally you might not be fussed and think the bigger the better! Consider whether you would like to include children to all or some of your wedding day or limit them to immediate family only. This might not be an easy decision to make but if you pop it into your invites it will deter from those awkward conversations we all know and hate!

Take a look at my wording guide for more ideas about how to phrase and set out your invites, hopefully this will help make your day run smoothly and extra special!

invitation-wording-guide-hunter-gatherin

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Download • 19.14MB

Good luck as always if you have any questions, send me a message!

Love Fran xxx

Winter wedding luxe

Typically when people describe a Winter wedding, the mind draws in on Christmas but there is so much more.

Ranging from December to February, winter is a beautiful time of year and is becoming a more popular choice when it comes to planning and creating stunning, inspired weddings. There are plenty of ways you can embrace seasonal touches, through a range of elegant and stylish on the day details.

I was fortunate to be asked to be part of this beautiful shoot, which was to encompass winter in a pure and magical way. Think frosty evergreens, warm metallics and soft textures.

We used a crisp colour palette of gold, green and white throughout; from the stationery and styling, to the cake and flowers. This created a clean and modern look to the day with subtle touches of elegance. All set in the most stunning countryside venue - Coombe Lodge

Stationery

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This is often the first glimpse your guests will get of your day and what will tie everything together. Small details make all the difference and the stationery I create, set the scene for your day. This simple, refined bespoke stationery combines floaty fonts, with trending sage and gold accents to add those perfect finishing touches. The script-like font was reflected on the day at the hot chocolate bar and blanket station using warm wood backdrops. The mix of textures contrasted beautifully with the styling of faux fur, matte metallics and foliage.

Styling

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Aiming to capture a luxe, wintery tablescape Leanne, from Leanne Elizabeth Weddings used a combination of textures and colours to create a modern, sophisticated look. With a subtle nod to winter through gold pine cones, deep green candles and faux fur. Using elements at different heights brings depth and interest to your tablescapes.

Florals

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Florals and foliage are a great way to build depth and introduce colour to your venue. Flowers can be paired and enhanced with layers of greenery, which can be hung as garlands around stairs, fireplaces and focal points of your venue. Louise from Loubee Bloom really emphasised the venues striking features and made blooms which could be moved around during the day to get the most out of them. Also consider the array of scents you find in winter, how can you incorporate these into your day?

Outfits

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Dressing for the occasion is something to consider and have fun with as this time of year allows for layering. There are so many outfits on offer, which can be easily added too to keep you cosy, yet stylish. This dress from Sassi Holford with long sleeves, intricate V - back and delicate details is perfect for a crisp winters day. Combined with a Nina hair vine from Abigail Grace bridal accessories, which adds sparkle to any hairstyle.

Cake

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And last but by no means least – the cake and snowballs continued the simple and clean style, with an emphasis on gold leaf for detail, it is so striking and crisp and not to mention delicious!

I hope this gives you some inspiration for your Winter wedding day – enjoy your planning!

Love Fran xxx

Full list of suppliers in the shoot:

Venue: Coombe Lodge @coombelodgeblagdon

Photography: James and Kerrie Photography @jamesandkerriephotography Dress: Sassi Holford Taunton @sassiholfordtaunton Hair/makeup: Leanna Biggs Make up and hair @lbmakeupandhair Stylist: Leanna Elizabeth Weddings @leannaelizabethweddings Florist: Loubee Blooms Floral designs @loubeebloomsfloraldesign Accessories: Abigail Grace Bridal Accessories @abigailgracebridalaccessories Stationery: Hunter Gatherings @hunter_gatherings Cake: Cake My Day Bristol @cakemydaybristol Bride: @emilyanna_m Groom: @tomhughes395 Suit: Harrimans Menswear

Newly engaged but unsure of where to start?

Here are a few of my top tips for newly engaged couples.

Firstly congratulations, even in these very strange times, it’s an exciting new chapter for you both. Make sure to embrace and enjoy this time, share your news with loved ones (whether that's in person, on the phone or via zoom); pop open the bubbles, and show off that smile and ring.

So where to start? It might feel a little overwhelming; a lot of my couples often feel like this. Especially with the variety of wonderful Pinterest possibilities out there, but I’m here to help with a few tips to ease you into it all.

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1.Make the most of being engaged.

As I’ve already said embrace being engaged, take time as a couple to enjoy each other’s company. Even if you’ve been together for years it will feel different and exciting to be now planning a wedding. Talk about what you both want from your wedding. Are you on the same wavelength? Write a list of all the things that pop into your head no matter how big or small or silly they might sound. (You can edit this list later down the line.)

Think back to weddings or events you’ve been to in the past. What did you like or enjoy? What stood out to you or made a mark on your memory?

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2. Create a wedding email address.

It may sound cheesy and unnecessary, but believe me you will be talking with various people over this time, suppliers, venues and businesses alike. Keep it organised - having everything to hand and in one place will make things easier in the long run (and if you need to delegate to someone else). Once the hard bits are out the way you can use the same address for RSVPs.

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3. Count the numbers

In this case we are not talking about the pennies, we are talking people! Get an idea of the number of guests you may want – this might seem a little crazy so early on but it will help for 2 reasons.

1. Gives you an idea for your budget

2. A lot of suppliers will need this to give an accurate quote

Think about how much you can realistically afford, what you want to spend and what things cost. It’s a good idea to talk about this so you can start saving and have things in mind when you’re researching ideas.

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4. Get researching

There is a lot of information out there. It can seem a little daunting at first. Especially as there are lots of things to think about, so it’s a good idea to do your research, find a team of expert suppliers to work with and start putting your ideas onto paper. There are a number of places to start:

Pinterest – an online pinboard which you can ‘pin’ all your ideas to, with different boards, sections and links. This is one of my favourite tools to use to find inspiration so why not check out my profile.

Instagram – a place for you to find a showcase of suppliers, real life weddings, venues and recommendations. You can save posts easily to come back to and set up a wedding hashtag for the big day.

Wedding blogs – there are some great blogs out there, with real life weddings, styled shoots, directories, DIY’s, top tips and more. Some great ones to check out are; Want that Wedding, Love my Dress, The English Wedding Blog, Whimsical Wedding Wonderland, Botanical Weddings UK and Junebug Weddings.

Wedding magazines – there are national magazines which are more generic or use local ones to find suppliers and small businesses within your area. Check out Bristol and Somerset weddings for local inspiration.

Wedding fairs – these are great to actually speak to people, see and sample products and get a feel for the industry. Although sadly these aren’t running at the moment, there have been a number of virtual ones on instagram/facebook and via venues websites. Keep an eye on my profiles for upcoming events.

Venues – when you decide on a venue they often have a list of recommended suppliers that can help you create the wedding you’re looking for.

Google – use local keywords to search for wedding suppliers in your area, check out reviews.

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5. Most importantly - Be yourselves

You will likely find yourselves going off track whilst you embark on this journey. There will most certainly be ups (I’m a sucker for losing hours to pinterest) and downs. Try to make sure you choose the things that are important to you both as a couple, that have meaning to you and meet your values (bit deep, sorry). You will also find yourself doing things that you maybe never even thought about, or have been suggested to do by someone else but make sure you do you! At the end of the day your wedding is for you as a couple and making the decision to spend the rest of your lives together, not for anyone else.

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To help you with continuing your planning journey I have put together a checklist of all the things to consider, time frames, ideas, top tips and my love list of local suppliers.

To get hold of this checklist just click here.

Good luck with your planning, feel free to drop me a message if you have any questions.

Love Fran xxx