Top Tips: How to Prolong the life of your Wedding FlowersPosted by Kim Rix on July 14th, 2010

Dear Bride & Groom,

A couple of weeks ago I coordinated a fabulous wedding reception event in East London.  If you’re a Londoner or here on holiday, you’ll know that the weather has been absolutely sizzling for the last few weeks – not your typical UK Summer temperatures, as last experienced in July 2006. So, when I was informed that the wedding flowers were being collected from Covent Garden Flower Market more than 36 hours in advance of the wedding event, I felt somewhat uneasy. So I decided to ask Elizabeth Marsh, an award-winning florist, what she advises Brides about “how to prolong the life of your flowers and make sure they are at their best for your wedding or special event”.  Here’s her response:

“A gas called ethylene, which is colourless and odourless, is produced by the old flowers and vegetables, amongst others, and can significantly reduce the life of your flowers.  It is important therefore to keep flowers away from fruit and vegetables (eg the fruit bowl might be out of bounds), smoke in the atmosphere etc and make sure that storage areas for the flowers are well ventilated.  It also helps to keep them cool, as this reduces their sensitivity to ethylene.

Insects and disease can also affect flowers, especially an infection called ‘gray mould’ which can result if the flowers become wet, for example if too many flowers are crammed into one bucket on a hot day and the flowers sweat and so become damp.  If the flowers are left in a box, eg for transportation purposes, and that box is left in the heat at all, once it cools down the condensed moisture could well result in spoilage. Finally, storing flowers for too long even under the correct conditions can also leave the flowers susceptible to gray mould.  One other factor that renders flowers prone to infection is damage when conditioning them.  For this reason always use a sharp knife to cut the stems, handle the heads as little as possible, and be careful not to hold them too tightly.

As cut flowers are removed from the source of food that has sustained them so far, adding a little sugar to the water whilst conditioning them will help to boost them, although after a few hours it might be best to remove them from the sugar solution and put them in plain water.  The addition of sugar can enable the buds to develop properly, attain larger sizes and last longer.  However be careful not add too much sugar as this can damage the foliage on some flowers. 

Some flowers, especially some tropical varieties can sustain chilling damage if refrigerated, so be careful with anthuriums, gerberas, heliconias bouvardia, orchids, birds of paradise etc– these might be better left out of the fridge (if you have one).

Finally, dirty water in the vase or the bucket will produce algae which are sucked up the flower stem and cause blockages so that the flower cannot drink water any more.  To keep the water clean, change it daily, recut the stems each time to remove the initial stages of rot from the tips and possibly add a little bleach.

These are just a few of the things you can do to ensure you have perfect flowers for your special occasion.”

Source: Dr J. N. Sacalis: commercial floral design

Your London Wedding Planner

Freeing up your time and delivering the personal service

What do you do when the dream wedding all goes wrong?Posted by Kim Rix on June 18th, 2010

Dear Bride and Groom,

So what if it goes all wrong? What if the caterers mess up your food, or the cake doesn’t arrive? What if the DJ is awful and your photographer gets sick? What if the weather is awful and your guests are soaked during the garden ceremony and to top it all of there is a massive family argument??

First of all. Breathe.

 Second of all. This, most likely will not happen to you.

Thirdly. If anything does happen, you can handle it. And this is how:

Cool as a cucumber

You may want to throw a big hissy fit or burst into tears but that is not going to help and it only makes you look bad! So if you hear any bad news the first thing to do is take a moment, process it, say ‘ok’ and follow it up with ‘how do we solve this?’.

The bearer of the bad news has probably come up with several solutions on their way to find you. Listen to them all, ask your bridesmaid or best man for their opinion and let them get on with it!

People will respect and admire your amazing calm head and ability to take it in their stride. It’s also more likely to come to a pleasing solution quicker than if you have a screaming match!

Turn It On Its Head

Ok, so your guests are soaked through. It’s not pleasant but its now the huge talking point of your big day so document it!! Ask your photographer to get as many photos as they can while people are still outside and willing to pose, get them to do something wacky and let loose. There is also the potential for a lovely series of warming up and drying out shots. Beautiful, personal portraiture or people wrapped in towels or fixing themselves.

I was once at a wedding in a hotel where the fire alarm went off and the whole place had to be evacuated just as the evening reception was getting underway. The fire engines arrived and it was thankfully a false alarm. While waiting to get back into the hotel the Groom took some initiative and asked one of the firemen if they would turn on the engine lights and the couple had a romantic, silent first dance in the glow of the dancing lights. They also have a cracking photo of his mother in law with one of the fireman. Totally unforgettable.

Any disaster can be handled coolly, turned on its head and made into something truly unique and exciting about your wedding. Focus on your guests having fun and your family being happy. The rest will fall into place.

Kind regards,

Kim Rix

Your London Wedding Planner

Saving you time and delivering the personal service

Wedding Etiquette: When Your Parents Are DivorcedPosted by Kim Rix on May 27th, 2010

Dear Bride and Groom,

I have been asked on a few occasions for advice surrounding what you should do if your parents are divorced and you are getting married. For some people this isn’t an issue at all but for others it can be really troubling.

The first thing to decide is if you want both of your parents (and their new partners if they have them) there at all. If you haven’t had much of a relationship with one of your parents since the divorce (especially if you were a child at the time) then you shouldn’t feel pressured into inviting them for the full day. If you want to invite them to the evening only, then that is what you should do.

I understand that these decisions can be difficult and you should take your time over them. Remember that this day is about your happiness and enjoyment and if you are going to be distracted or on edge then you should avoid it.

If you get on well with both of your parents and they are both coming to your wedding then there may be a few more things to consider. Will you be having a top table? And if so are both of your parents (and potentially new partners) going to be sitting there. You can always opt for a ‘sweetheart’ table for just the bride and groom if you think this may be difficult.

If your parents are not on the best of terms and you want to try and keep them occupied and apart at all times then I would usually suggest that you assign one of your friends (preferably not family) to keep an eye on them and intercept at any moments they feel may be appropriate. You can feel safe in knowing that someone is looking out and it takes the pressure off of you.

There are no real answers or correct things to do. You have to go with your instincts as much as possible and what will make your day the least stressful and the most fun that it can be.

I hope that helps.

Kind regards,

Kim Rix

Your London Wedding Planner

About The UK Wedding LicensePosted by Kim Rix on March 9th, 2010

Dear Bride and Groom,

The most important thing you need to remember for your wedding day (apart from turning up of course) is the wedding license (marriage license). Without this document your marriage cannot go ahead or be seen as legal in the eyes of the law.

Obtaining a wedding license is not difficult. Although it may seem like there is a lot to it, it is actually very simple and easy to do.

Depending on where you live in the UK the formalities of obtaining your wedding license are slightly different. So although I am going to give you a basic outline please check http://www.direct.gov.uk for up to date information and links to your area.

In order to obtain a wedding license you must first give notice of your intention to wed. In England you must give notice in the registry office of the district that you live in – and you must have been living there for at least 7 days. If you live in a different area to your partner then you will still give notice to the registry that is local to you, even if you are not getting married there. (In Scotland you give notice in the district where you will be married and you do not need to be a resident)

The minimum notice period is 15 days before your wedding and the notice itself is valid for one year from submission. To complete the notice you will be required to provide your name, age (bring a birth certificate if you can), address, nationality, occupation, current marital status and the venue for your marriage. It is advisable to take any supporting documentation that you can to prove you are who you say you are!

Registering a marriage in the Church of England or Wales operates slightly differently again so it is always best to speak to your local registrar or officiant, or conduct research online before making any assumptions!

Kind regards,

Kim Rix

Your London Wedding Planner

The Importance of the Wedding Checklist and TimelinePosted by Kim Rix on March 3rd, 2010

Dear Bride and Groom,

So, how soon is it until your big day? Years? Months? DAYS!?

Do you know everything that you have to get done before then? And when it has to be done by?

Even if you feel like you are in control and on top of everything, I can promise you that the closer you get to your wedding, the more likely you are to drop the ball and miss something. There is a lot to consider, a lot to book and a lot to check.

I had an awful call one time from a bride who had suddenly realised they had forgotten to submit the Marriage Notice Forms to the registrar in time and were now in danger of not being able to be married at all! You would be surprised how often this does happen. 

This is why I cannot stress to you enough the important of creating (and sticking to!) a checklist and timeline for all aspects of your wedding. You can create this as far in advance as possible and just amend as you go. It also means if you have friends and family helping, they can have copies and make sure they are fulfilling their tasks in time, and support you in anything that you need. And that might just be a gentle reminder about setting an appointment or paying a second instalment etc.

How you create, or where you create your checklist is up to you! You might want to make an excel spreadsheet, perhaps you are happy logging tasks into your computer calendar or maybe it’s a paper diary, but you need something!

When you are putting in your tasks you want to work backwards from your wedding date (and even give yourself an extra week in there for breathing room). There are plenty of resources, calendars and advice available in books or online that can prompt you for things you might want to add. And don’t forget that friends or parents that have been through this have plenty of advice to give you – and you should listen to it too!

Kind regards,

Kim Rix

Your London Wedding Planner

Delivering the personal service

Matchmaking The Bride To The VendorsPosted by Kim Rix on February 24th, 2010

Dear Bride and Groom,

Have you ever had that experience when you are engaging someone to carry out some work for you – whether its fitting a bathroom, servicing your car or excavating your garden – that you have a ‘feeling’ you are not going to get on with them?

That is not you being picky. That’s just your common sense kicking in highlighting that in some way your personalities clash. It could be something small and it may not affect the job at all, but you hesitate nonetheless. I’m not necessarily talking about trust here, but about the way you can communicate.

When you are engaging someone to provide a product or service for your wedding I think it’s important that your personalities match. Why? Because you are probably going to have to speak to them a lot – and during some times when you are fairly stressed out!

I would always advise my brides (or grooms) to ‘interview’ at least 3 different vendors before making a decision. A simple conversation can be enough and usually your gut instinct will tell you who you should work with.

Let me give you an example.

I was working with a fairly successful, strong-willed and organized bride about 6 months ago. We were visiting a number of florists that day and I had picked 2 for the morning that I thought she might like.

The first florist was a local vendor, fairly new to the area having just branched out on her own, but very experienced in wedding flowers. She talked through all the ideas with the bride, explained different options and showed examples. She then talked through how she would sketch out designs and send email them to her for approval so they could discuss changes without having to see each other face to face. Everything was very detailed, clear and the florist seemed totally in control.

The second florist, also a local vendor, but more established with a number of awards under her belt was much more informal. She asked about colours and flower types, took an address and said she’d be happy to send on a quote. She offered a few books to look at and point out anything that the bride liked. The whole encounter was very informal, chatty and pleasant.

Can you guess which florist my bride chose? Of course, the first! Although she thought the second florist seemed great she realized that her laid back personality would just send her into a panic. She felt the first had a reassuring business-like quality that she could relate to.

Don’t worry about judging people. They completely understand! And remember its just as hard for them to do their job if your personalities are clashing!

Kind regards,

Kim Rix

Your London Wedding Planner

Luxury Weddings in London, South East and the UK

The role of a Wedding PlannerPosted by Kim Rix on February 18th, 2010

Dear Bride and Groom,

You may have been reading this blog for a little while, or perhaps this is your first visit but you may have noticed that I offer up a lot of advice to you here. I imagined that you were perhaps starting to wonder what you could use me for if I’m giving you all my tips! Well here are a few things to demonstrate exactly what a wedding planner does for you.

Where has the time gone?

Whether you have 2 years or 2 months to plan your wedding, you never have enough time. If one or both of you are working it is even harder to find the time to call venues, suppliers etc to organize meetings, check details etc – especially when most of them are working the same hours as you are!

As a wedding planner I have the time to get information, check details, call, meet, negotiate and secure all the services you need. Believe me, it’s a lot of work and you don’t want to feel like you are making decisions in a rush!

Delegate Delegate Delegate

If you are planning a wedding on your own it is most likely that you will delegate some tasks out to friends and family to help you. But when and how do you check up on them? And what if they haven’t completed what they asked you to? Or it’s not the way you would like it to be?

If I were helping you to plan your wedding you would know every detail would be catered for and every request met, at a timetable to suit you!

Idea Generator

It can be difficult to think or be imaginative about what you want your wedding to be like when you are under pressure to get dates set, write guest lists etc. Maybe you have an idea but you have no idea how to make it a reality.

I would be at your side to translate your ideas into reality. You tell me what you are looking for, I research some ideas for you and all you have to do is choose! I can pick up on all the little details that will make it extra special for you. And you can focus on that invite list!

Contracts and Negotiation

As I have a good reputation with many suppliers, contractors and venues I can secure you great rates, excellent service and the best in the business. Negotiating can be nerve wracking and time consuming. I can take that swiftly off of your hands!

The Day

The Big Day, is your day. You should be able to enjoy it. If you are stressing about timetables, deliveries, schedules etc you will not be concentrating on enjoying yourself!

As your wedding planner I will be there to ensure that everything runs perfectly smoothly. I am your go to person, so if you have a question or request you just need to whisper in my ear and its done!

And the beauty of it is your guests won’t have a clue – they’ll just be having a wonderful time!

Kind regards,

Kim Rix

Your London Wedding Planner

Delivering the Personal Service