Giving Wedding Gifts: Expectations?Posted by Kim Rix on April 20th, 2010

Dear Bride and Groom,

As your big day draws ever closer both you and your guests will be thinking about wedding gifts. Even 6 – 8 months in advance you might find people asking if you have any idea what you would like.

I was recently asked when giving a bridal consultation about what happens when guests are only invited to the reception and not the full day. Are they expected to bring a gift? Should you send them information of any registered lists that you have?

Being honest, there are no particular rules on gift giving. Generally speaking I would not send my evening invite guests information of any gift registers. But there are a few exceptions eg:

- the wedding ceremony itself is a very small affair (perhaps due to venue restrictions) and the majority of guests are only invited to the wedding reception

- the wedding itself is abroad and this is a 2^nd celebration which all guests are invited to.

In most cases I would expect no more than a card from evening guests although you will find that many will give you a small gift or cash to go alongside it. If I was attending an evening wedding reception then I suppose I would make my choice based on how well I know the couple. For example, if I am invited as a friend of the parents of the bride or groom then a card is probably adequate. If I am invited as a long-term acquaintance then I would most likely give a monetary token, gift voucher or a small but thoughtful gift.

As the Bride and Groom, you can let guests know simply if you would not like to receive any gifts. Just add a little line to your invite stating that you only need the gift of their presence.

As guests, you probably have an idea of the couple’s personality and what they might expect from you. With this you just have to go with your gut!

Kind regards,

Kim Rix

Your London Wedding Planner

“Freeing up your time“

The Master of CeremoniesPosted by Kim Rix on April 13th, 2010

Dear Bride and Groom,

When you are starting to think more about the schedule of your wedding day you may be asked whether you would like the services of a Master Of Ceremonies.

In most cases the hotel or venue that you are holding your reception will have someone on staff that they offer up as the Master Of Ceremonies. I have seen some wonderful examples of Masters…and some pretty awful ones too, so do have a think about the following before you make a decision.

The Master Of Ceremonies is the person who will be leading you and your guests through your wedding day from the front end. (This is different to the wedding planner/coordinator who will be dealing with the scheduling behind the scenes).

They will usually announce you into dinner, announce the speeches, act as guest liaison and announce the cutting of the cake and first dance. They are the front line personality of your wedding. This person will be seen as the main contact for any guests with a query or special request.

Your Master Of Ceremonies should have a good command of the space, a welcoming a friendly demeanor, excellent customer services skills…and a cheerful personality.

When a venue provides a Master Of Ceremonies they are usually excellent at accommodating guests, keeping everything running along nicely and informing everyone about what is happening but they may lack a little confidence if they are not a natural public speaker.

You could choose an alternative, independent Master Of Ceremonies – they are available to hire and I would always advise an ‘interview’ process to find your match.

The other place to look is within your family and friends. Is there anyone that you think you would be able to manage the challenge of guiding everyone through the day, charm your aunties and answer your granddad’s awkward questions? If so then they could be your man – or woman!

Kind regards,

Kim Rix, Your London Wedding Planner

Freeing up your time and delivering the personal service

Thoughts About Wedding StatisticsPosted by Kim Rix on April 6th, 2010

Dear Bride and Groom,

You may have read recently about the latest wedding stats showing that marriages in England and Wales are at their lowest point since records began in 1862. I found this quite astonishing. I’m sure, like me, you always seem to know someone who is getting married – in fact I know a number of people who plan their holidays purely around their friend’s or family weddings each year! On the other hand I suppose I do know a large number of couples who co-habit and haven’t thought about, or just don’t want to get married. Thirty years ago this would have seemed unusual, but now it is becoming commonplace.

Although there have been peaks and troughs in the number of marriages since 1862 the drastic decline since 1985 is unprecedented. What was a rather jagged spiky zigzag has turned into a straight line heading south.

The other really interesting thing is at the same time the number of divorces is at its lowest in 29 years. So less people are getting married, but they are staying together. Thinking about it in this way is quite warming. When people decide they want to commit to each other and get married they are entering into it very seriously and they are making it work.

It is hard to know what to take from these statistics. Of course, I believe that marriage is a beautiful and important commitment to your partner. The couples that I see get married are happy and loving and they see it as a way to show the other person their true feelings. I also see more couples resisting the idea of marriage and I wonder if we need to rethink how we ‘sell’ it to people now. What is it that is putting people off of the idea and what would make them change their mind?

It will be interesting to see if any more research will be done into this topic.

And if you are reading this and wondering about whether you should get married…perhaps the question is, why not?

Kind regards,

Kim Rix

Your London Wedding Planner