 The Year 2020
A Year full of Love, Celebration and Excitement Now a Year of Worry, Anxiety, Disappointment & Stress for so many people. I don’t think anyone could have ever imagined back in March that we would be going through a World Pandemic this year. For me, it came as quite a shock at the beginning and with no real understanding. I don’t know if it was me trying to put it at the back of my mind and hope for the best but I thought by June / July Weddings would be back up and running and that I would be in full wedding mode these days. Things have changed and we are now in what we know as our “new normal” Its been 138 days since my last wedding, 4 long months. Right around this time of year I am normally racing around looking at table plans, printing menus, confirming the last details with couples, rolling out the red carpet, fixing buttonholes on the bridal party, collecting sand for ceremonies but instead I am sitting in my office doing admin, taking calls with couples, postponing weddings, talking about regulations and what our “new normal” is for Weddings. It’s a strange time, its also a very sad time. You countdown a day with your couples and look forward to the excitement and now you are trying to fight back tears as you talk to them on the phone as they move their dates to 2021/ 2022. You feel like you are letting them down and that its your fault that their special day cannot go ahead. They look for answers and we simply don’t have them but its still lovely to be there for them, be that support. Sometimes its good to talk it out, look at options and get a clearer picture. So if you are in doubt, if you have worries pick up that phone and call your wedding coordinator for the chats and believe me you will feel so much better after releasing all the emotion and thoughts with someone else. Not only do I feel for each couple planning their wedding, I also feel for all the wedding suppliers out there, The Photographers, The Videographers, The Bands & Musicians, The Florists, The Car Companies, The Photobooths, The Suit Hire Companies, The Dress Shops, The Make Up Artists, The Hairdressers and the many many more who contribute to a special Wedding Day. We are all in this together and each of these amazing suppliers have devoted so much time and effort into each of their bookings. These Suppliers have lost bookings, got bookings cancelled or postponed. They have worked tirelessly to accommodate all their couples and I want anyone who reads this to take a moment to appreciate their suppliers. The Wedding Industry might be their only income. It might be a family run business, it might be a couple who work together and their income has been reduced to nothing and they may not know when they will have another income until their next wedding. It is a hard time for all these people so please be kind, be nice and be understanding to all your suppliers. Think back to when you booked them at the beginning and the excitement of securing them for your date, the joy and happiness and of course your suppliers where just as happy as you to be apart of your day. So don’t forget about that when you are dealing with them now. For now, there are lots of questions but not many answers. Some couples ask me “Why is it so difficult to get married?” And really it should be so simply but for now things are hard for couples right now who are in the planning for their special day in 2020. They all want answers: How many guests can they have? What restrictions will be in place? will it still be two metre distancing? Any updates on numbers? And to be honest – no one knows. We do not have the answers and really its true to say no one really knows what Ireland will be like in 2 months time. The future lies solely on us, the whole island of Ireland. We need to focus on following guidelines and restrictions so that we can get the rate down and move forward. We need to work together, unite and be conscious of everything we do. I recall when we were in lock down and we appreciated everything around us, the sound of birds singing, the beauty of our daily walks, our own gardens, our little villages and towns but now since we have come out of lock down I think people have been blind sighted and need a reminder to open up your eyes and take time to appreciate what is around us again. So tonight, in my parting thoughts Be Nice Be Kind Be Thoughtful Keep Positive Be Grateful for What you have Good Night and God Bless Grainne
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 BÁN Bridal is a beautifully designed bridal boutique in the heart of Limerick City. They stock a range of bridal dresses, bridesmaid dresses and accessories in store with a huge selection of designers from all around the world. Ailish is the most lovely woman who has a huge passion for weddings. Her caring gentle and personal approach make every visit super special and unique for every customer. When planning her own wedding 5 years ago she struggled to find the dress that she wanted. She found so many dress designers that weren't accessible to brides in Ireland and it was after this that she decided to open BÁN Bridal. Some of the Designers that BÁN Bridal stock are listed below
Some Top Tips from Ailish for Shopping for the Dream Dress
There is an online booking system on www.banbridal.com to book your appointments. For more inspiration check out BÁN Bridal on their social media below BÁN Bridal Arthurs Quay Patrick Street, Limerick City Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/banbridal/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ban_bridal_limerick/ The Morning of the Wedding is a time to enjoy with your nearest and dearest. Its a time to switch off the phone, put on some music, pop some bubbles and have some fun !! All the planning has been done so now its time for you to switch off so my advise is to write up an Emergency Contact List. This list should be given to all your family members, all your wedding suppliers, any friends or family that have jobs or roles on the day and it should be pinned up around the house or place where you are getting married. This list is to make sure that no one anoys you on the day and that everyone has a contact for what they need !! So Who Should be on the List ?Maid of Honor
Bridesmaids Flower Girl Parents Best Man Groomsmen Parents of Bride Parents of Groom Sisters and Partners Brothers and Partners Make Up Contact Hairdresser Contact Barber Morning PA Wedding Planner Florist Breakfast Delivery Company Car Driver/ Company / Person who owns the cars Bus Company Photographer Videographer Ceremony Decor Ceremony Musicians Celebrant / Priest Readers at Mass Prayers of Faithful Reflection Person to remove flowers from Church to Venue Band DJ Drinks Reception Entertainment Cake Performers / Other Entertainment Wedding Co Ordinator Wedding Venue Selfie Mirror Photobooth Other eg Ice Cream Van, Prosecco Van All the Above Should have names, numbers and roles on the day. Its a lifesaver on the day and relieves so much stress from the couple. Remember If its an emergency don't contact the couple use the list !! Are you Recently Engaged ................... well my TOP tip for all couples starting to even talk about weddings is To set up a new wedding email. Yes you can thank me at the end !!! Its so vital to keep all wedding emails together, you can track back on deposits paid, you can get yours guests to rsvp and your own personal emails wont be clogged up with all things wedding related !! So TOP tip this week is get your wedding account set up, even if you are in the early stages of planning its still not too late so get going on this today !!   Tonight I had the pleasure of having the amazing Deborah from Cakes by Deborah on our #asktheexperts segment. Deborah always had a love and an interest in baking and pastry. Her love of cakes began 25 Years ago when she was on a mission to make her own wedding cake for her wedding day. This wasn't going to be any simple three tier wedding cake. She went on a sugar craft course in Limerick with Mary Ryan and that began her craft and her skill and her own wedding cake ended up having 100 Pink Rose Buds all made by herself for her day !! And as they the rest is history, Deborah later got her Master in PME in Sugarcraft and since has been making lots of amazing creations. Tonight we got an insight into cake making and asked her about some different trends and tips. Here are some top tips I took from our conversation Most Popular Flavour's
Can you have different flavours in each tier
Your All Time Favourite Cake Flavour :
If your venue are making your cake as part of the package any tips
Should I have a tier of fruit cake to keep the older generation happy ?
Dietary requirements - Should I consider the Gluten Free Guests when choosing the cake flavours and ingredients Its not vital but if you want to consider them you can have a small cake on the side for them or have little cupcakes that are gluten free. Deborah made a really good point to make sure to alert your venue that you have a gluten free tier or cupcakes when they are serving them so that they don't get mixed up. Where do couples get inspiration for their cakes? Some couples will have very fixed ideas and others won't know where to start but that's what the consultation is for. Deborah normally meets the couples before the wedding to get to know you a little better and run through some ideas with you and also to TASTE some yummy flavours.
Opinions on Fake Tiers and Cutting Cakes ?
If the Cake Table needs decor? Is this something you look after or should the couple provide items for it ? Deborah always sets up her own cakes, she will set it up, set up the table with the couples items, add any toppers or any fresh flowers that the florist leaves. Deborah is a little obsessive when it comes to setting up the cake but she is a perfectionist at the end of the day and we would expect nothing less !! Deborah sometimes works with Decor Companies aswell for example : @graceevents or @kittureweddings and she would liaise with them in the lead up to the big day. Fresh Flowers for the Wedding Cake - Who gets these ? Deborah will always contact your wedding florist and liaise with her on the flowers and Deborah will add these to the cake. The Doughnut Wall - Give me some info on this This is a really popular addition to a drinks reception. We provide the board and the 100 doughnuts and people can enjoy with a cuppa tea or coffee or a glass of bubbles. Trends for 2020/2021 The Dessert Tables are a huge trend at the moment and will be for the next year or more. There is so many options available and people love the idea of going up to pick what they want themselves and they look stunning. You don't need a lot of everything, there is more variety 200 People at a Wedding, How many tiers should we order ? There are lots to factor in for this and its up to the couple, the budget & if you are having a post wedding party as this is where people get a lot of value for their Cake when people use it for their post wedding party. Buy a Cake Topper or get one made? Depends on what you want !! The Acrylic Toppers are the most popular at the moment and are approx €25 each to personalize. The Figurine Toppers are approx €150 made with resin or claydough - quite expensive but you can keep them as keepsake. The Icing Models are more expensive as they take a lot more time. When should people book their cake? As soon as they have their wedding date confirmed with their venue - as dates are filled very very quickly !! Who are you favourite cake people to follow ? @emerhock @niamhlarkinpastry @xptorne @dominiqueanse For More Information on all things Cake Contact Deborah on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cakesbydeborahguerin/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cakesbydeborah/  Tonight we had the one and only DJ Paudie Walsh on with us. He is a well known name in the Wedding Industry and has an array of awards over the past few years and is a great entertainer for any wedding. Paudie is a DJ and offers lots of packages for your wedding day. He interacts with the crowd and judges the floor to make sure the dancefloor doesn't empty !! He joined me tonight for some chats and below are some tips that he recommended:
For More Information you can contact Paudie on https://paudiewalshmusic.ie/ Instagram : @paudiewalsh_dj I was so excited to welcome on the amazing David & Laurie from Awake & Dreaming Photography tonight to #asktheexperts. Photography is such a big part of the wedding day and in the end the photographs are what you have when all is done and what you can look back on the day fondly with. We had a great chat with them both and they offered some great advise. They too are in the wedding planning process and are a couple affected by COVID 19 and had to postpone their special day so it was nice to hear their personal side to the wedding plans aswell as all their amazing tips, some of which I have noted below
Huge Thank You to David & Laurie for taking the time out to chat to us tonight. Lots of tips and advise throughout and again if you have any queries or want to check out some of their work you can connect with them on the below http://awakeanddreamingweddings.com/ @_awakeanddreaming_ I was delighted to welcome the amazing Deirdre from Body Treats Beauty Salon in Ennistymon on tonight for the very first live instagram on #asktheexperts. Deirdre has a wealth of knowledge on all things beauty but specifically Bridal Make Up is her passion so it was great to get some tips and advise from her. Body Treats Beauty is led by Deirdre but she has a fantastic team backing her, Camille, Orla, Noelle & Ellie. The Joy of having a talented team behind you means that there is alot of offerings under one roof and of course that more than one make up artist can be with you on the morning of the wedding so it makes things a little easier and quicker for larger wedding parties. They have an array of awards and actually where meant to be attending the Hi Style Awards recently but this had to be postponed due to Covid19. Camille was nominated in the "Best Beauty Therapist Category", Orla was nominated for "Best Brow Artist" and The Bodytreats Team were also nominated for "Best Wedding Make Up Artists". So you are definitely in good hands with this team on a wedding day !!
So some pointers and tips I have noted from Deirdre's Chat with me are listed below Skincare
Waxing and Tanning
Trials
On the Day
A Huge Thank You to Deirdre for coming on and for all the tips and advise. You were an absolute pleasure. For anyone looking for more information you can contact Deirdre on the below http://www.bodytreats.ie/ You can also give them a follow on instagram @bodytreats_bridal @bodytreatsbeautysalon Today we reached 1000 Followers on Instagram and I cant quite believe it. I remember when I started the page as a bit of fun. I was in training to be a celebrant and wanted to share my tips and advise from all the weddings I was planning each week.
I remember when I reached 100 and thought "o my gosh that is so many people" but now it just keeps growing more and more. Each follower I am so grateful for and I love when they message me and I get to hear about their day and what they have planned. Some DM me for Supplier Advise and others for Advise on the COVID 19 pandemic. Its nice to be there for people, to be someone they can talk to and just have on their side. Its all private but in a way I feel like we have our own little community ! A community that absolutely loves weddings and all things around wedding. Its also so nice to see some of my past couples add me, each one of them mean so much to me and its lovely to keep in touch. So to all of you who are following me on Instagram a HUGE Thank you We went into Lockdown in Ireland this weekend. Its time to start working from home and boy am I glad I went on a shopping trip last month to buy a desk and a book shelf. My office has never looked so good now to actually start doing some work !
Its very strange not being in the hotel. Not having your work colleagues around you. Normally mid week we work on the admin and catch up on emails after a busy weekend on the floor with couples on their special days. Its days like today where we are normally printing menus, getting table plans and work plans ready for the next wedding. But for now we don't know when that might be. But today I have said enough is enough time to start the ball rolling and get motivated so I reached out to some service providers about doing a segment on Instagram called #asktheexperts. Its going to be a Live Instagram where I interview leading Suppliers (experts in their own fields) and give all the couples who follow me an opportunity to ask questions and get their worries answered. There is a lot of uncertainty about dress shopping, honeymoons etc so now I can use Instagram as a platform to get these questions answers and keep everyone motivated because this is a prime time now when people are at home to keep the planning going and get jobs done now for the wedding that you might not get done when things get back to normality. |
Grainne Mc GibneyAfter 7 years of Wedding Planning its time to start writing down some ideas and stories from it and sharing some thoughts with you all. Archives
July 2020
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