Hammond weddings

Hammond Weddings Ltd Bridal Gowns & Gentlemen’s Formal Wear 88 & 94 Bromham Road Bedford MK40 2QH T: 01234 353033 or 01234 364930

THE KEEP BEDFORD ROAD KEMPSTON MK42 8AJ

TAKE A LOOK AT THE KEEP FOR YOUR WEDDING RECEPTION From the moment you arrive through the historical archway you and your guests will appreciate this unique building.

Ample Free parking and entrances to Function Rooms via stairs or ramp and lift.

Greet your guests in THE STUART LOUNGE which has a fully licensed bar.

Welcome drinks can be arranged and bar prices displayed.

The INGLEFIELD ROOM is a large spacious function room for dining.

A well established family catering business has the exclusive contract to provide for all functions at The Keep. You will be able to discuss your Menu choices directly with them.

We know you will be surprised at the comfortable function areas within this majestic 140 year old building.

For an appointment to view:-

TELEPHONE 01234 355600 WEBSITE WWW.THEKEEPKEMPSTON.CO.UK

Hammond Weddings Ltd Bridal Gowns & Gentlemen’s Formal Wear

Rachael and Phil Hammond started their bridal and gentlemen’s wear retail business 35 years ago therefore are able to give brides and grooms the benefit of this experience when choosing their wedding outfits. Hammond Weddings Limited has a reputation for professional friendly service with a very large selection of styles and colours to suit all tastes.

Brides We stock designs from all around the world including the UK, Australia and America, from designers Maggie Sottero, Mori Lee, Venus, Label by G, Verise, Ellis and Sottero Midgley. Over 500 brides gowns are always in stock in sizes 8 to 32 with a price range from £200 to £3,000 in satin, tulle, organza, silk or Thai silk. Boleros, short or long jackets, stoles and wraps to individual choice can be made by our seamstress. A very large selection of headdresses, veils, necklaces, earrings and bracelets are stocked many of which are designed to match the brides dress. We also have an in house team of specialist seamstresses to ensure your dress fits to your liking.

Bridesmaids To ensure continuity of design and theme with the brides dress we have selected over 200 designs with a huge range of colours from specialist Verise, Mori Lee, Venus, Label by G, Alexia and Ebony Rose. The sizes available in matching styles and fabrics are from 2 year olds through the teenager range up to adult size 32. Matching accessories are available.

Menswear Most Grooms like to hire their wedding outfit and perhaps buy a waistcoat or cufflinks as a memento of the big day which can be worn on wedding anniversaries. Our range starts with lounge suits, tails, dinner suits, Edwardian short or long frockcoats, Prince Albert styles and Nehru/Mandarin jackets.

Certain styles are in velvet or brocade and available in black, navy, grey, blue, green, brown, ivory, gold or oyster. Waistcoats, ties and cravats are selected to match some of the brides and bridesmaids colour schemes to ensure continuity of the wedding theme. Quality shoes from English shoemakers Loake Brothers and John White Ltd are available to buy at sensible prices.

Boys outfits are available to hire from 2 years upwards.

ADVICE TO ALL! IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TO ORDER YOUR OUTFIT. WE CAN HELP YOU IF YOUR WEDDING IS IN TWO WEEKS OR TWO YEARS AHEAD. Remember you have a lot to organise and time will be your enemy. It will be easier if after reserving your wedding venues you choose the brides dress which will set the theme and complementary styles and colours will be much easier to choose.

Hammond Weddings Ltd

88 & 94 Bromham Road, Bedford MK40 2QH Telephone: 01234 353033 or 364930

Elegantly Tailored Lovingly Created

Tina warmly welcomes you to Elegance by TLC, designed to meet your every need.

Find solace whilst under the nurturing care of our highly skilled team who will assist you to achieve a look that is uniquely designed for you.

w Bridesmaids w Mothers of Bride & Groom w Wedding Guests w All welcome Bride 30 minute free consultation for Bride - 15 minutes free consultation for Bridesmaids

offer a mobile

We will guide and support throughout your wedding journey, where on hand assistance is available to you even out of salon hours.

We will accommodate you and your party either within the salon, or we do offer a mobile service to your venue or home.

Pricing on consultation for your individual requirements, for further information call us on 01234 270080 109 Brickhill Drive, Bedford, MK41 7QF www.elegancebytlc.co.uk

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Planning Your Special Day

The Wedding Timetable First Steps The first thing you will plan for your wedding is the budget.

Talk between yourselves and your respective parents about the kind of service you would like. You will find that your parents will be of enormous help to you in discussing the budget. On your very special day you will want the best of everything, so plan carefully the style and tone of the day.

When you have decided, visit your Vicar/Priest or Registrar and make arrangements for your marriage ceremony. They will be of great help to you both, and explain everything you will need to know about walking up the aisle and saying ‘I do’. If you wish, a rehearsal can be arranged to set your minds at ease and to assure you that it will all be perfect on your wedding day. Take this opportunity to apply for a marriage licence if necessary.

Now might also be the ideal time to decide on who you will ask to be ‘Chief Bridesmaid’ and ‘Best Man’.

The Wedding Countdown 18-12 Months

Other important things to be arr anged now are as follows: 1. Book the photographer and

videographer

2. Book the transport 3. Order the flowers 4. Decide on the number of 5. Order the invitations

guests and make a list

6. Book the honeymoon and 7. Decide on the bridesmaids

apply for passports and ushers

8. Order the wedding cake 9. Book the toastmaster if req uired You have now put in place an excellent framework for the build up to your big day . Hopefully, you now have a team of professionals all wo rking towards making sure it is a day to remember, and for all the right reasons.

6 Months Time for some fun! Lets organise a wedding present list.

(Don’t forget that a lot of stores will now help you with this.)

Having already organised your dress you will probably have a colour scheme in mind for the bridesmaids’ dresses. Now is the time to be co-ordinating these as well.

Once you have decided the date and place of your wedding, it is important to remember the following points. In descending order your family and friends will generally remember the following:

Once the colour scheme is decided it is probably time to start ordering the flowers for bouquets, church, and reception if required.

1. How beautiful the bride looked.

Other items to arrange now are:

2. How wonderful the ceremony was.

1. Hire of the suits for the bridegroom, best man, fathers and ushers.

3. The reception.

2. Initial fitting of the dress.

Think about it. Now is certainly the time to be choosing carefully both your wedding dress and your reception venue.

3. Choosing the wedding rings.

While you’re on the phone, now might be the ideal time to organise appointments with your hairdresser and beauty salon, to make sure you look at your most beautiful on the big day.

Planning Your Special Day

The Wedding Timetable 3 Months Now is the time to be sending out the wedding invitations.

This would also be the ideal time to be escorting the ‘mums’ into town to organise their outfits (Don’t forget the hats!)

Also:1. Choose the hymns and choice of music.

2. Arrange for the ‘Order of Service’ sheets to be printed.

6 Weeks You should now be fairly well organised and in the envious position of sitting back and relaxing for a couple of weeks in the full knowledge that there are a whole host of people out there worrying on your behalf. However, on your one weekend off between now and the big day, it might be an excellent idea to nip out and choose some presents for the bridesmaids, and perhaps some flowers for the mums.

4 Weeks

One Day to Go Try and delegate as much work as possible. Have your beauty treatment, finish off any packing that still remains to be done for the honeymoon, lay out your wedding and going away ensemble, relax and put your feet up.

The pace is starting to hot up now. It’s time to see whether everyone else has been as organised as you.

1. Confirm the reception venue booking, and numbers attending.

2. Confirm details with the photographer.

3. Confirm the wedding cars.

4. Confirm details with the florist and give final numbers for buttonholes.

5. Confirm travel and hotel bookings for the honeymoon. N.B. Check passport.

10 to 7 Days If you haven’t organised a rehearsal of the ceremony now might be a good time to meet with the best man, bridesmaids and ushers to finalise arrangements and responsibilities.

1. Practise your make-up.

The Wedding Day Assuming a 2pm Wedding, the bride’s timetable will run something like this:8.00 8.30 9.00 9.30 11.00 11.30 12.00 12.30 1.00 1.30

2. Take the headdress to your hairdresser.

3. Give the ‘Order of Service’ sheets to the vicar.

And, perhaps most importantly of all...

START PACKING FOR THE HONEYMOON.

1.45 1.58 2.00

Have a shower or relaxing bath Have a good breakfast Polish your nails Hairdressers Best man arrives to collect the luggage/greetings cards/telegrams The Bridesmaids/pageboys arrive Make-up The Bride and Bridesmaids dress The photographer arrives The first car takes the mother and the bridesmaids to the church. The bridesmaids then wait in the church entrance The second car takes the bride and her father to the church Wait in church entrance and line bridesmaids up behind you. The verger will greet you The Ceremony. GOOD LUCK

We take classic and beautiful images of your special day, offering much more than a friendly, affordable and reliable service. Memories can fade but every detail is captured for you to keep those memories vibrant for always.

Telephone: 01234 765158 Find us on Facebook - echophotographyuk

Past, Present and Future, Echo's last a lifetime

Flowers with Flair

Image taken at Moggerhanger House

Our wedding flowers are made to suit individual couples.

We cater for small to large weddings and deliver the flowers, decorate the venue, organise balloons and do all that you need to make your day perfect.

Free quotations are available, so please give us a call. We can visit you in your home and go through your ideas and turn them into reality.

Oering more of a personal service to make sure your happy - we work with you to make your wedding day unique to you.

100b Dunstable St, Ampthill, Bedfordshire mk45 2jp T: 01525 838140 E: upton.taylor@ntlworld.com www.flowerswithflair.org

Planning Your Special Day

Wedding Etiquette The tradition and conventions of wedding etiquette will not suit everyone but it is important to be aware of them.

This explanation of who does what in the preparations and ceremony aims to enable you to make an informed decision on the best way to run your wedding day.

The Chief Bridesmaid The chief bridesmaid is chosen by the bride to assist her during the preparations. On the day itself, it is her job to make sure that all the other attendants are in their places. She will arrange the bride’s dress and veil when she arrives, ready for her entry into the church. During the service, she holds the bride’s bouquet. The chief bridesmaid also signs the register, along with the best man.

She is then escorted by the best man, and will be on hand all day to assist the bride.

The Bride

Ushers

The bride traditionally selects the type of service. She oversees all the preparations, which include choosing the date and the church, who her attendants will be, her own dress and accessories, as well as those of the bridemaids. She will choose the flowers, help with the guest list and seating arrangements, and attend to the many small details which will contribute to her perfect day.

The ushers greet the guests as they arrive at the church. They will distribute the service sheets and show people to their seats. If it is raining they will help escort the guests and bridal party from their cars to the church under umbrellas.

The Groom The groom has to arrange transport for himself, the bride and the wedding party, as well as hiring the church and booking the honeymoon. However, this will be done with direction from his future wife. The groom chooses his best man and ushers, of which it is traditional to have three, and is conventionally given responsibility for little else! However, in reality, the bride and groom discuss most aspects of the day as it is, after all, ‘their’ wedding.

At the reception, the groom will reply to the bride’s father’s speech, thanking the bride’s parents and guests, and proposing a toast to the bridesmaids.

The Best Man Traditionally, the best man is responsible for his own dress and that of the groom. He sees that transport to the church for them both is arranged, and also organises the ‘Stag Night’, preferably several days or even weeks in advance, if he is to successfully fulfil his duty of escorting the groom to the church on time.

On the day, the best man has to ensure that the whole day runs smoothly, primarily ensuring safe keeping of the rings. After the ceremony, he is responsible for transportation of all the guests to the reception. The best man will speak at the reception, replying to the groom’s toast to the bridesmaids, and will read out a few cards and telegrams from guests unable to attend. His final responsibility of the day is to ensure that the bride and groom leave the reception in good time, and that their transport is arranged.

The Bride’s Father Much of the bride’s father’s responsibility lies with the financial aspect of the event, as traditionally, he pays the bulk of the costs.

Nowadays, though, it is likely that the bride and groom will meet some of the expenses themselves and also a possibility that the groom’s family will make some contribution.

On the day, the bride will be accompanied to the church by her father, who will escort her up the aisle and give her away during the ceremony. The bride’s father will sit next to the bride on the top table during the wedding breakfast, and will make the first speech, in which he proposes a toast to the bride and groom.

The Bride’s Mother The bride’s mother will help her daughter with the wedding arrangements and may have a major role in the decisions taken, especially if she is contributing financially. She will compile the guest list, in consultation with the groom and his parents. She may organise the sending of invitations, and the display of the wedding gifts.

The bride’s mother will not only stand proudly watching her daughter on this special day, but is there to oversee all the arrangements, as well as to stand in line to greet the guests, along with her husband.

The Groom’s Parents There is no specific traditional role for the groom’s parents, but it is important that they do not feel neglected. Today, it is not unusual for the groom’s parents to make a considerable contribution to organisation and payment. It is only good manners, on the part of the bride, to ask their advice and approval and ensure they are included as much as possible in the preparations.

Fittings And Dress Details The most important decision for any Bride when planning her wedding is made when choosing her dress. Like every Bride you will want to wear the most beautiful dress you have ever seen. It is best to go shopping with someone whose opinion you value, but don’t let them push you into a decision you may regret later.

Our advice is that you should fall in love with your dress as you did with your husband to be. When you find your dress you will know instinctively it is the one for you.

Please ensure you have your lingerie and shoes with you for all fittings. Below we have provided space for you to keep a record of your fitting times:

Fitting .............................................................................................................................................. Date .......................... Time .......................

Notes ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Fitting .............................................................................................................................................. Date .......................... Time .......................

Notes ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Fitting .............................................................................................................................................. Date .......................... Time .......................

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Bespoke Wedding Cakes

Our cakes are individually made to suit your specific requirements.

We are creative with flavours and design and always use fresh produce.

We offer private consultations and cake sampling sessions for brides and grooms to be.

07546 711 747 info@trudyscrumptiouscakes.com www.trudyscrumptiouscakes.com www.facebook.com/ardencakes

Dry Cleaners

Specialist Wedding Dress Cleaning At Brights Dry Cleaners, we don’t just deal with your day-to-day dry cleaning requirements.

Our cleaning technician has over 20 years experience in the industry.

No obligation quotes for any service including wedding dress and curtain and upholstery cleaning.

We provide a wide range of services including: Dry Cleaning, Repairs and Alterations, Curtain and Upholstery Covers Cleaned, Duvets and Bedding Cleaned, Laundry and Service Washes, Pressing and Ironing Services.

58, Tavistock Street, Bedford MK40 2RD 01234 405106 www.brightsdrycleaners.co.uk

Have a dazzling smile on your wedding day!

Established in Bedford over 50 years ago, 5 De Parys Dental Care has dedicated itself to caring for the local community by providing a high level of dental care.

We have created our Practice to provide a full range of dental treatments.

Let us bring out the best in your smile

General dentistry

We complement this with an exciting new range of Skin and Beauty treatments.

Cosmetic dentistry

Skin and beauty

Our philosophy The Practice has a philosophy which is two-fold and practiced by the whole dental team. l l

Our aim is to always provide you with care to the highest possible standards Dentistry should be a comfortable experience

Pleasant, gentle dentistry is what we practice, ensuring our patients are happy, relaxed and comfortable.

Our tailored approach to providing you and your family with the dentistry you need means you can all enjoy good quality dentistry and a welcoming atmosphere to ensure long term oral health.

We are committed to ensuring that as a Practice, we provide you with the latest techniques and materials. All members of our team regularly attend further learning and post graduate courses.

INTEREST FREE CREDIT AVAILABLE

5 De Parys Avenue, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK40 2TX

01234 352069 info@5deparysdental.co.uk www.5deparysdental.co.uk

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