Wedding Scrapbook by Sophie Marsden

Liverpoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only free wedding magazine

The Wedding Scrapbook the spring issue

Inspiration

Asian Vintage Country Nautical

D.I.Y wedding creations

Liverpool's best wedding venues

The perfect age to get married...?

Your +

the

engagement stories female proposal

A note from the editor...

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: EDITOR’S LETTER

Welcome to the spring issue of the Wedding Scrapbook, Liverpool’s only free wedding magazine. Photo © Sophie Marsden

b Planning a spring/summer wedding? Then this issue is perfect for you. We've built the issue around spring trends and topical content to get you in the marrying mood.

to create D.I.Y guest books, invites and thank you cards to save on unecessary expenses. The results are pretty impressive if we say so ourselves!

After receiving lots of requests for Liverpool wedding venue information in our next issue, we have been visiting venues across the city.

We have tried our best to include some content aimed at grooms, after a few stories from brides who have caught their husbands-to-be having a sneaky read of our magazine.

We’ve also scouted out some very unique wedding themes to give you the inspiration you need to choose a theme and plan your wedding. We have everything from Bollywood, to a countryside haven, to quirky vintage weddings. We have even sacrificed our office being covered in glue, papers and sequins to show you lovely readers how

Our feature pages in this issue are pretty exciting too, addressing controversial and topical issues such as gay marriage and the right age to get married. We hope you enjoy reading!

Sophie Marsden

b D facebook/weddingscrapbook E @weddingscrapbookmag

b b b b b 1

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: CONTENTS

Contents 3-4:

Asian Wedding

5-8:

Vintage Inspiration

9-10:

the country wedding

11-12:

The Nautical theme

13-14:

The perfect age to get married

15-16:

The Legalisation of Gay Marriage

17-18:

Customise your wedding (D.I.Y)

19:

High street wedding steals

20:

Where to go... for wedding cakes

21-22:

Wedding dresses to suit your body

23:

Blushing bridesmaids

24:

BEST MAN Inspiration

25:

The wedding checklist

26:

the value of marriage

27-28:

wILL YOU MARRY ME? YOUR STORIES

29-30:

Liverpoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top 4 wedding venues

31:

The Female proposal

32:

Weddingstagram

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: THEMES

Traditonal Asian Wedding Mohsin Daoud Aziz (25) & Farzana Aziz (24) Date: 27th August, 2013 Location: Thornton Manor, Cheshire Guests: 100 guests each at the Baraat (wedding) Food: An array of kebabs, chicken pieces, fish pieces, biryani, chicken dish, lamb dish and vegetarian. Outfits: 3 outfits each - rough spend £7,000 Mohsin works as a Conveyance Manager and Farzana is a Nursery Manager. The young couple decided to share the story of their religious wedding with Wedding Scrapbook. Mohsin told Wedding Scrap-

book: “Our wedding was held in various stages. In Asian weddings we tend to have 3 stages of our wedding the Mehndi, Baraat and Walima. The Mehndi is a ceremony which usually takes before the actual wedding day. The Baraat is the actual wedding day and the Walima is the celebration party thrown by the groom to family and friends to say that the couple have successfully entered into marriage and to introduce my wife.” Both Mohsin and Farzana organised the three different parts of their wedding with help from their family and close friends. The newly wed couple both agreed what their favourite part of the day was. Farzana said: “We would have to say that every event was brilliant but what stands out is the first dance at Walima. A live signer called Hussnain was organised and he sang a beautiful song called ‘Teri Meri’ from the film Bodyguard. As we were danc-

Photo’s © Suraj - Digital Weddings Manchester

ing rose petals fell from the roof of the wall which was magical.” The couple have been engaged for a year, which gave them plenty of chance to save up and plan their wedding without rushing the details. As there are three stages to the wedding, asian weddings take a lot more planning and are usually quite a big event with lots of guests. Farzana also gave some tips for other couples planning an asian wedding: “Save up and take your time. You need to have funds available to finance the wedding. Weddings are expensive, however if you research what you like and you get an idea of the price, you can work towards that target. That’s what we both did to ensure that we had the wedding which we wanted. Also ensuring that you have time provides you with the chance to shop around for the ideal venue, clothes, jewellery etc.”

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: THEMES

The order of events at a traditional Asian wedding Mehndi •Entrance •Mehndi (henna) is applied •People come greet you and feed you either fruit or Asian sweets •Everyone’s food is served •People that you have allocated do their dance routine •Everyone dances

Baraat

Mohsin & Farzana told Wedding Scrapbook about the differences between traditional Asian and English weddings.... “Brides in each case are presented with gifts (a dowry for the Muslim brides and an engagement ring for English ones). Each side will get really dressed up and wrapped up in the occasion. In an Asian wedding parts from our holy book are read by an Imam. The couples are given their blessings. The women are given in marriage by their fathers or another close relative. Each wedding is followed by a reception. In Asian weddings (Muslim) alcohol would not be available. In both types of weddings friends and family wish them well and frequently give gifts. In Christian weddings it is traditional for the bride’s father to pay for the wedding; in Muslim ones, the groom should pay. A lot of aspects are quite similar to English weddings.”

•Bride arrives with her guests •Groom arrives and makes his entrance •Imam carries out Nikkah with bride once confirmed •Imam carries out Nikkah with groom •People congratulate the groom •Bride is brought out •Photos are taken with bride and groom •Food is served •More photos are taken •Rukhsati takes place •Bride is taken to groom’s house where they play traditional Asian wedding games

Walima •Guests arrive •Husband and wife arrive •Photos are taken •Food is served •Cake is cut •Dancing and entertainment takes place

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: THEMES

Vintage

Inspiration

Photo © Sophie Marsden

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: THEMES

exhibitors 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

Pillbox Vintage Little Red Vintage Jacky Rowland/Doyle Christine Clarke Vintage Pamper Box So Coco Rouge Craft Creative China Blossom Vintage Wonderland Cheshire Hat Co Ruthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vintage Sparkle Alayna Ellis Ceramics Tatty Lashes Michelle Dalton imaging Karolina Skorek studio The Big Booth Gingers Emporium Lah Di Dah Ladies Myriad Travel Saving Face Jewellery Off my Cake Delicious Cakes Evies Candies Wedding Jam Barbie Shop Sense of Sound Scott S Russell Dotted Crotchets Passion for Flowers Childwall Tables

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: THEMES

All Vintage Wedding Fair Photo’s © Sophie Marsden

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: THEMES Q+A with the creator of liverpool’s first vintage wedding fair... Katy Moussada - founder of pillbox vintage & the vintage wedding festival 1. How successful have the vintage wedding fairs been so far?

VINSPIRATION The very British love for all things vintage has spread to weddings, leading to an increase in vintage shops and fairs all over Liverpool. Bold Street has become the hidden gem for vintage shops, with three new openings in the past year. There is always someone, somewhere that will cater for all of your outlandish requests, whether this be cakes in the shape of hot-dogs or a bouquet of flowers sprouting out of a battered old vintage suitcase (see pictures left). The Vintage Wedding Festival, in association with Camp + Furnace and Pillbox Vintage, has all the vintage you could possibly need for your big day, so we went to see what all the fuss was about. The wedding festival is new to 2013, and the huge outdoor space at Camp + Furnace is the perfect venue to fit a double decker vintage wedding bus and a vintage ice-cream van in. Good news - the Vintage Wedding Festival is here to stay, and is currently being held every three months. Pillbox Vintage also hold Retro Sundays; a vintage fair at Leaf on Bold Street every last sunday of the month. For more information on the vintage wedding fair or to contact exhibitors, visit: http://www.pillboxvintage.com/ or http://www.campandfurnace.com/. The Wedding Scrapbook interviewed organiser Katy Moussada to find out more about the vintage wedding craze.

K: We have only run two – both at Camp and Furnace, our first venture into Wedding Festivals. Both have been successful in terms of numbers attending and positive feedback from visitors and exhibitors alike. 2. Would you say vintage themed weddings are on the rise? K: Yes because people are looking to make their ‘Big Day’ more and more individual/different and also having a vintage theme does give a sense of romance and occasion. 3. How did you first get into the vintage fair industry, and why have you decided to expand into weddings? K: Pillbox Vintage have been running Vintage Fairs for over four years, starting their first one at Leaf on Parliament St as there were no regular Vintage Fairs being held in the city and then just expanding through word of mouth and recommendations. We have always had a passion for vintage so it is great to combine that with also offering great fairs to vintage lovers in the city and area. 4. What’s your favourite piece of vintage wedding advice? K: Don’t get hung up on ‘everything must be just perfect’, the day should be fun and enjoyable for all, not a big stress out. 5. Do you think it’s possible to have your dream wedding without spending thousands? K: Of course as long as you are not open minded and not too set on your ideas. It’s not about the money you spend, it’s about having a fun fabulous day and enjoying it rather than stressing that every flower is in the correct place etc etc. 8. What does a vintage wedding say about a couple? K: Well some people will choose a vintage wedding because that is their style and they love the fashion, design, concept and whole era. Some will do it because it is a trend.

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: THEMES

The Great Outdoors When Carolyn and Grant met, it wasn’t the most romantic of occasions. On a night out in their local town, they bumped into eachother, and Grant asked for Carolyn’s number. After giving him the wrong one, she went back and carried on the night with a close group of female friends. Next time they saw each other out, Grant had realised he had been fooled, so went to try his luck for a second time. This time, Carolyn gave him her number, and they arranged to go on a date. After five years of dating, and introducing their children to eachother, Grant proposed to Carolyn on a mini-break in Prague. Carolyn and Grant Mills got married on the 6th June last year. They had chosen a country theme. because of their love for the outdoors. We spoke to the new Mrs Mills about her wedding and the country theme that was chosen for her big day. “Having grown up in the Country, it felt like the natural thing to do, We are lovers of the great outdoors and love going out walking. We embraced the idea of keeping in touch with nature. After 18 months of planning, and £5000.00 later, the big day arrived. There were 40 guests at the wedding reception and

75 at the evening celebrations. Carolyn shared her secrets of sticking to a budget and keeping costs low: “We were determined to stick to a budget as we had both been married before, and didn’t feel it was necessary to spend a fortune. I was keen to prove that we could be creative and incorporate D.I.Y and handmade creations into the day.” Carolyn’s dress was individually designed by one of her best friends; Jane Holmes, who happens to be a dressmaker.

“Having grown up in the country it felt like the natural thing to do.” Grant’s suit was from the Wedding House in Liverpool centre. The couple arrived in style and were picked up in a white Mercedes, donated and driven by a close friend for the day. After a successful wedding ceremony at Thornton Hall Spa on the Wirral, some photographs were taken in the grounds of the venue, followed by a three-course sit down meal for all the guests. The guests

had several options of what to choose before the wedding day, and had to send their choice in with their RSVP card. There was a three tier cupcake stand instead of a cake. In the evening the ceremony progressed to the bar area, with live music, dancing and a gourmet buffet. This was a chance to invite more friends, including work colleauges and anyone not invited to the wedding during the day. The bride discussed the highlight of her day: “It was just being surrounded by my close friends and family, and seeing all the plans fall into place. The day went exactly as we had planned and the photographs taken in the grounds of Thornton Manor were beautiful. They really reflected the country and outdoor theme. The only negative part of the day was how tiring it all was. By the time the evening came, all we wanted to do was put our feet up and relax.” The wedding finished with a two week honeymoon to Marrakech, in Morocco. On their honeymoon, they visited the Yves Saint Laurent gardens, visited the beach in nearby city Algadir and weaved their way in and out of the souks (lots of small and narrow streets with hundreds of shops/stalls selling jewellery, leather, herbs and soaps.

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: THEMES

Grant & Carolyn

Photo © Sophie Marsden

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: THEMES

Nautical Theme Wedding Scrapbook’s Q & A with the bride Natalie Marie Gilligan & Stephen Phillip Kirby 1. Where was your wedding ceremony and reception held? “Wedding and reception were held at Langdale Chase, Windermere (on Lake Windermere)” 2. How many guests attended? “40 of us in total at the wedding.” 3. Who planned the wedding, and how long did it take? “We've been together for about 9 years and we got engaged in June 2012. We knew we didn’t want to wait too long to get married after we got engaged so we started planning straight away. It was only a small occasion so it wasn't too complicated and we planned it all ourselves. I had lots of help from my bridesmaids for different things like decorating the favours, getting the bridesmaid dresses made at short notice, general advice and just bouncing ideas off them.” 4. What was the highlight of the day for both of you and why? “Ste says there were loads of highlights like saying our vows (we were both giggling) & seeing me for the first time but the ones that stand out are either the little bit of time we got on our own right after the ceremony when we were walking to the boat alone or his other favourite bit was telling everyone that we had a surprise boat trip for them. Mine I think was walking down the staircase and looking over everyone’s heads to see Ste with a big beaming smile looking at me. It was also nice that we had a few snow flurries on the day, confetti from heaven!” 5. Did anything go wrong or not run as smoothly as it could have? “Plenty went wrong. The main thing I think was that I'd ordered the bridesmaids dresses off the internet from a bridal shop, but when they arrived they were like a bag of rags on the girls. One of my bridesmaids had recently had a baby and was losing weight and another was pregnant and was growing so I wanted them to feel comfortable in their dresses. We ended up getting them made by a local dressmaker with about 6 weeks to go! Luckily they turned out lovely and suited everyone.” 6. Where did the inspiration and theme come from? “I think the main thing was I wanted it to be a relaxed day for everyone so we deliberately kept it low key. I didn’t want a big white wedding or a big huge fuss. My mum passed away a couple of years ago and it would have been such a big occasion for her, it didn't feel right having a big wedding without her. For that reason we didn't have any speeches or anything as I knew everyone would get too emotional and we didn't want everyone to get bummed out! It’s meant to be a happy day! “We were in a countryside/lakeside location so it naturally had a country garden feel to it. For example my flowers were a relaxed arrangement with lots of green foliage rather than

a structured symmetrical one. I had the same flowers in my bouquet as my mum had in hers. My dress was ivory with embroidered lace, the girls dresses were pale green and the gent’s suits were brown so the whole thing lent itself to an earthy, vintage feel.” 7. What food was served at the wedding? “We had afternoon tea on the boat which was sandwiches and scones with cream and jam. Plenty of tea and coffee and there was a bar on board so guests could get themselves a different drink or a snack if they wanted. “For the sit down meal, the venue was great set our own menu for the guests to choose their We made sure there was a bit of everything; and chicken, plenty of vegetarian options and kids menu.

in that we own meal. lamb, beef a separate

“We decided to have cupcakes as our cake. we knew we were eating quite late on and while I wanted a traditional cake, I didn’t want it to go to waste if everyone was full up. The cupcakes were a mixture of flavours; carrot, lemon and chocolate and the top tier was Bailey's flavour. We invited everyone to take a cake and gave them little boxes to put them in if they didn’t want to eat them right away. We kept the top tier for ourselves.” 8. Where were the Bride & Grooms outfits from? “My dress was from Natalie Ann Brides in Huyton. The men’s outfits were from Attire, in Aintree.” 9. What personal touches did you put on the wedding? “I think the biggest one was the boat trip with afternoon tea. We hoped it would be something different and a treat for everyone. I also decorated all of our favours boxes & made the table plan. We had a box of locally made chocolates and a thank you card for the guests in their rooms when they checked in.” 11. What did you use as wedding favours for guests and why? “We had Grasmere Gingerbread in heart shaped boxes as favours. Gingerbread is a traditional wedding favour and Grasmere Gingerbread is made the traditional way in Grasmere. It’s really delicious! We decorated the boxes ourselves and used them as the place cards as well. “We also had a church ceremony (a blessing) at our local church on the wirral on the 6th April. It was just an informal arrangement although I got to wear my dress again. I got to get ready at mum and dad’s house and walk down the aisle of my church with my dad to the wedding which was amazing. The actual wedding was amazing and was such a

grand occasion but the blessing was much more emotional."

k WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: FEATURE

What is the perfect age to get married? There is much debate about the ‘perfect’ age to get married, with dividing opinion amongst the public. Some say if you find the right person, no matter what age, don’t wait around. Others say there’s no point in getting married until you have a career, a family and can afford the extravagance that is marriage. The Wedding Scrapbook wanted to investigate and find out whether there really was a perfect age to get married. Our Editor Sophie Marsden scoured the streets of Liverpool to find out people’s opinions on the perfect age to get married, and hopefully to find out exactly what this perfect age was. We asked exactly 100 people in the city centre their opinions on the matter, and as anticipated, the results were extremely mixed. We can say with confidence, that the majority of people we asked, voted the random age of 27 as the perfect age to get married. Most justified this decision with this being an age where you still look young and beautiful, you have a career, and possibly a family, and many of you even chose this age so your parents didn’t have to wait too long to watch their beloved children get married. 35% of you chose 27 as your perfect marrying age. What’s difficult to believe is that the next most popular age, was not 26, or

Photo © Sophie Marsden

even 28, but in fact 23. Many members of Liverpool’s public thought that getting married young was good, and encouraged stability in your lfie. Many of you also said that you would prefer to be married before having children, and wanted to have children young. At the opposite end of the spectrum, there was only 2% of you that thought getting married over 50 was a good idea. Many people we spoke to said they had been married twice, and had got married in their forties or fifties, but that this wasn’t something they would have expected to do, and wouldn’t recommend it to the younger generations. The twenties age region in general was by far the most popular option, with thirties following closely behind and then yes... you guessed it; forties just after. Only 5% of people thought that getting married under 20 was a good idea. A lot of the older generations we spoke to, told us that they got married at quite a young age, and wished they had waited till their late twenties as they felt too young and inexperienced to get married. So there you have it, 27 has been voted by our lovely people of Liverpool as the ‘perfect’ age to get married. We photographed and noted down the quotes of some of the people who participated in our street survey below.

21 35

47 62 38

David Parker, 52

Amy Firth, 21

“I think 30 is a good age to get married. I got married at about 32 and then again at 50. I never expected to get re-married but life doesn’t always go as planned.”

“For some reason I’ve always thought 27 is a good age. You’re still young, but old enough to know what you want in life, and be in a stable job and good position to get married.” Photo © Sophie Marsden

k WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: FEATURE

27? 27? 27? 27?

Photo by Sophie Marsden

Tom Bold, 57

Annie Wild, 23

“25 or 26, I got married at 28. If we got married younger, you’ve still got the energy to look after your kids when they are born. I wouldn’t want to get married old.”

“I don’t think there should be a perfect age. It’s more about when you’re ready, and if you meet the right person. Putting an age on it would only put pressure on.” Photo © Sophie Marsden

Photo © Sophie Marsden

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: FEATURE

GAY MARRIAGE... “It's only the younger generation who have been brought up with a completely different attitude.“ Gay rights activists have been fighting for their equal rights for many years, and it has only recently gone politically mainstream. It would seem that there has been a u-turn in gay marriage rights in the UK. As the government and party-leaders in the UK review current laws, many have spoken out to offer their support or opposition to the plans. Current laws allow same-sex couples to be legally bound into a civil partnership, which gives these couples the same rights as heterosexual couples in a civil-marriage. The problem is, civil-partnership unions are regarded nowhere near as highly as marriage. Parliament has submitted a bill to make provision for the legal marriage of same sex couples in England and Wales. This news has had mixed reviews from the public and from the Church of England. Their response wasn’t quite so supportive or enthusiastic, stating that: “The Church of England cannot support the proposal to enable all couples, regardless of their gender, to have a civil marriage ceremony.” There are many members of the public who have admitted to agreeing with the Church of England on the topic. But there are also many who disagree, and have vowed to continue to fight for gay marriage rights. New Zealand has become the most recent country to legalise gay marriage, and it would seem that many other countries will follow in their footsteps. Ireland have recently announced their plans to hold a

Photo © Fibonaccia Blue/Flickr

gay marriage referendum. Many other countries, and states in America have legalised same-sex marriage in the past few years, which only paves the way for more countries to follow in their footsteps. Only last week, there was a huge protest against the legalisation of gay marriage which took place in France. Many LGBT couples (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) argue that marriage is a basic human right, and by refusing them the right to marriage, it makes them feel and be viewed by other people as inadequate. Many people would agree and support the LGBT community in their right to gay marriage, but there are also a large number of people that don’t. Some of this is down to keeping old traditions alive, and some of it is just personal opinion. Paving the way for gay marriage is not going to be an easy one, with so much opposition, but this doesn’t deter couples from fighting for their rights.

Gay marriage: THE FACTS The Netherlands was the first country to legalise gay marriage in 2001 other countries where gay marriage is legal include south africa, belgium, sweden, canada, spain, norway, iceland, argentina and portugal and eight US states. The Civil Partnership Act 2004, was introduced to provide same-sex couples the ability to legally recognise their relationship. Amendments to this act were made in 2011 which removed the prohibition on religious premises registering civil partnerships. In February 2013, the UK House of Commons voted in favour of the marriage bill for same-sex couples, meaning the bill will now proceed to parliament.

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: FEATURE It’s all well hearing MP’s and Vicars speak in depth about their views on legalising gay marriage, but we wanted to hear from a real gay couple. After all, they are the ones who will be affected by the outcome. Elliot Thompson (20) and Ashley Lund (22) are a young gay couple from Liverpool with particularly strong

views to support gay marriage. Ashley is a trainee teacher and Elliot is a student at the Northern School for Contemporary Dance. They have been a couple for two years. Although they have no plans to get married anytime soon, they do hope to in the future. Elliott said: “I’ve never really thought about marriage because it’s not yet legal. I don’t feel that it would affect my relationship in the future as no matter what, I would still love my partner the same. I think the change of law would benefit us as we could be much more open about our feelings in public and receive general respect from society as a couple.” Both men share the view that the legalisation in the UK would make being gay in general would

become more of a normal thing. Although they still see civil-partnership as a binding of love, Ashley thinks there is a big difference between that and marriage: “A civil-partnership is just an agreement rather than a commitment in my eyes, and that portrays us as ‘different’. The couple are very familiar with receiving negative judgement on their relationship, and notice a definite sense of hostile from some people, particularly those of older age. Elliott hit-back at critics of his personal relationship and the gay community in general: “A lot of progression has happened with the LGBT community, such as it was only in 1990 when being gay wasn’t classified as a mental disorder by the World Health Organisation. Therefore, this shows we just need to wait for people to change their thinking, and with people still around that were brought up in this time of strong thought that gay people were mentally ill. It’s only the younger generation who have been brought up with a completely different attitude. Times have changed and people need to realise that.” The couple hope to move in together in the near future after their studies have finished. They are also completely backing the gay marriage legislation, and hope it is enforced as soon as possible in a bid to modernise society and break old views and traditions.

Photo © Sophie Marsden

TWEET YOUR VIEWS @ginblossom So gay marriage will shortly become legal in New Zealand. Great, now even my gay friends will get married before

me..

#marriageequality

@BlessedTeen I’m against gay marriage and abortion. The bible says homosexuality is wrong, and says don’t murder. I’m not afraid to stand for my beliefs

@Whatsherface33 When I see you guys posting pro gay marriage tweets I get excited that one day I may be able to “legally” marry my soulmate. Thank you

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: D.I.Y

Customise your wedding At Wedding Scrapbook, we know that weddings can be costly, and we wanted to show you a few ways to save money by doing some wedding D.I.Y. At Wedding Scrapbook HQ, we’ve been rolling our sleeves up and getting creative to show you what can be created using a bit of arts and crafts. The pictures below will teach you how to make a homemade guest book, a wedding invitation and some thankyou cards. This is a good way to personalise your wedding and save some money at the same time!

Guest Book 3.

The equipment for this guest book came in a wedding kit, which included a range of materials and colour schemes. Step 1: Choose a decorated design for the centre, cut it out and stick it between the two layers of the cover. Step 2: Select some stickers, jewels or anything else you want to use to make it look pretty , and decorate the front with them. Step 3: Wait for it to dry and admire you’re finished masterpiece, including the bride and grooms name would be the perfect finishing touch. The creation to the left, is a homemade wedding invitation. All you need is a piece of card, a computer, and some mini-decorations which you can find at most arts and crafts shops. Firstly, using Microsoft Word, set your page to A6 or whatever size invite you would prefer. Then choose whether you would prefer it to be portrait or landscape. Enter your text, and then save it and print it out. After giving it a read to make sure it makes sense, and checking the spelling and details, you can then decorate it using your wedding colour scheme or however you would like it to appear. This wedding invite, has been kept quite simple, with two heart shaped balloons, and a jewel to add some sparkle.

Wedding Invite

All D.I.Y Photo’s © Sophie Marsden

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: D.I.Y

Thankyou cards 1.

2. Thankyou cards are something that can be costly, especially if you had a lot of guests at your wedding, but this is a really simple, easy and cheap way to say thankyou in style. The card is bought from an arts and crafts shop. The card is already split down the middle, ready to fold over. The centerpiece for the card, is handmade, but similar readymade ones can be bought which work out a little more expensivve, but will save you a bit of money. To make it yourself, all you need is to cut out a rectangle shape using crinkly patterned paper, and then glue a smaller rectangle shape using a different colour paper on top. The miniature flowers come in packs of ten, carefully glue one of these in the centre, and stick a little bow on top. Finally, add two paper confetti hearts as a finishing touch. When it’s dry, glue the finished centerpiece onto the card, and leave it to dry. The white and silver colour scheme was chosen because it fitted in with the weddding theme, but any colours or decorations can be used, and are easy to source at any craft shop.

1. 2.

This thankyou card is a lot more fiddly than the previous one, but it’s also really simple, really personal and looks beautiful. First of all, similar to above, purchase a multi-pack of cards, which are ready to fold. These shouldn’t cost more than a few pounds and will be available in a range of colours. The one used above is white metallic, so it has a little sheen to it. The jewels we used to make our heart, were just ones we had laying at the bottom of our craft kit, but things like this can be bought either individually or in bulk. For the left side of the heart, we used a string of tiny pearls, which we just shaped into half a heart, and glued onto the centre of the page. For the other side, we chose silver beads, sequins and jewels, and started to glue them as symmetrically as possible to create the other side of the heart. We added the blue and gold to make the heart stand out a bit more. After gluing the beads and jems into position, leave it to dry for ten minutes. Then to make sure everything has stuck down properly, stand the card up and shake it a bit. We used prit-stick but if you’re sending these cards in the post, it might be a good idea to use superglue, to make sure the heart stays in place.

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: INSPIRATION

High street wedding steals New Look High street store new look has launched its very own ‘bridal boutique’. the collection is aimed at stylish women on a budget for their big day. the range features shoes, bags and headwear all ranging between £5-£35.00. the collection doesn’t include any dresses, and instead focuses on the wedding accessory market, which can be costly for brides to be.

£24.99

£29.99

£14.99

House of Fraser House of Fraser is a mid-range priced high street store. It mixes high-street with luxury brands so there’s something for everyone. This is the perfect place to go for wedding accessories and make-up. It’s known for its beauty counters, whose helpful staff offer free make-up tips and makeovers to prepare you for your big day. There’s also a wedding accessory range. available.

£18.00

£69.99

Phase Eight Phase Eight has received praise for its highstreet wedding gown collection. The cost of the dresses still sits in the hundreds mark, but this is a reasonable price for a wedding dress. The dresses range from full lengthwith intricate embellishments to simple and elegant styles. Prices range from £200-750.00.

Photo’s © PR Shots

£250.00

£495.00

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: INSPIRATION

Wonderful wedding cakes

Camp Cupcake

Liverpool Cake Fairy

Photo © Camp Cupcake/Facebook

Camp Cupcake is a cake and cupcake shop located on Smithdown Road. They offer a hand delivery service and also offer cupcake decorating parties for special occasions. www.campcupcake.co.uk

Photo © Liverpool Cake Fairy/Facebook

The Liverpool Cake Fairy specialises in bespoke cakes and cupcakes for all occasions. The cake business has a 5 star rating from Environmental Health and boasts cakes to suit any budget. www. theliverpoolcakefairy.co.uk

The Cake Shop is situated in Liverpool Central Station shopping centre. The shop was awarded Celebration Cake Maker of the year in 2010, and makes no secret of its high-profile clientelle. www.cakeshopliverpool.co.uk

The Cake Shop

Photo © The Cake Shop/Facebook

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: FEATURE

Wedding dresses to s The slipdress looks great on women with rectangular and hourglass shaped figures. For rectangular body shapes, it pulls you in at the waist, giving the illusion of curves. For hourglass shapes, this dress enhances an already curvy frame.

The dress is really flattering for plump or rounder women, particularly with large breasts. The sleeves cover the tops of the arms, and the bow around the waist pulls in any unflattering bulges. The short knee length style shows off your legs and most importantly your shoes. Photo ÂŠ Sophie Marsden

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: FEATURE

suit your body shape The ballgown is one for the ‘pear’ shaped figure, for those who have a small upper body and larger bum and thigh areas. This dress will disguise the larger areas underneath the tutu style skirt.

The backless dress is our favourite at Wedding Scrapbook. This dress suits two bodyshapes; the petite, and the hourglass figures. It is very tight fitting and the backless style means you’re forced to go braless.

Trail dresses are perfect for petite and small framed women as they give the illusion that the wearer is much taller than they actually are. Trail dresses are usually tight fitting to make the trail appear bigger. This dress is perfect for sizes 6-8.

The fishtail is the perfect dress for the slim but curvy girl, also known as ‘the hourglass’ figure. The shape of the dress naturally tucks in at the waist and curves out at the breast and bottom area. Fishtail dresses are tight on the legs but flair out at the bottom in a ‘fishtail’ shape.

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: INSPIRATION

Blushing Bridesmaids 3.

6. 5.

7. 8.

9. 11.

10.

1. Orange jewel earrings - what’s about town: £19.95 2. pink floral dress - phase eight: £140.00 3. orange maxi dress - asos: £75.00 4. pink & gold clutch - marisota: £25.00 5. pale blue maxi dress - monsoon: £229.00 6. green teardrop earrings - what’s about town?: £14.95 7. yellow dress with bow - eucalyptus: £84.00 8. Nude strap courts - la redoute: £49.00 9. white leather clutch - jaeger: £150.00 10. Lilac earrings - Martin Wester: £57.00 11. jewel necklace - Asos: £85.00

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: INSPIRATION

1. Grey suit jacket - Jacamo: £125.00 2. Blue & Yellow Tie - Marks & Spencers: £19.50 3. Savile Row inspired suit - Marks & Spencers: £299.00 4. Yellow shirt - matalan: £16.00 5. pink shirtmatalan: £16.00 6. Navy double-breasted suit jacket - River Island: £60.00 7. Blue Leather brogues - Dune: £115.00 8. Brown Mix Shoes - Goodshaw: £90.00 9. white Trousers- Marks & Spencers: £99.00 10. Red Herring tie - Debenhams: £9.50

9. 7.

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Best man

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: CHECKLIST

The Wedding Checklista At the Wedding Scrapbook, we have heard stories from hundreds of brides about their big days. The biggest worry for a bride-to-be, is remembering everything and planning ahead so the day goes perfect. So we’ve kindly created a checklist, with everything on that you need to remember (or at least we hope!).

Wedding Dress Wedding Shoes Jewellery tiara/veil Underwear Bridesmaid Dresses Bridesmaid Accessories Groom’s Suit Best Man’s Suit Usher’s suits Groom’s Shoes Bride’s flowers Bridesmaid’s Flowers Reception Flowers Confetti Corsages Groom’s pin-on flowers Save-the date cards Invitations rsvp cards Thank you cards Hen party invites Stag night invites Hen Party plan Stag party plan table name cards wedding favours

venue night-venue musician/band Table decorations chair decorations caterer (sit-down meal) wedding cake buffet/food- night do chair decorations Table centerpiece Transport Guest Book Entertainment marriage license hotel photography Confetti make-up hairdresser’s manicure/pedicure engagement rings wedding rings Honeymoon Speeches flower girl gift list

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: ARTICLE

The rising cost of marriage In 2013, the cost of getting married in a church is £440, and that figure is set to rise again next year. The UK national average wedding spend is approximately £20,000. That’s nearly five hundred pounds before you’ve even considered the dresses, suits, venue, transport, food, photographer, cake, rings; and the list goes on. The average wedding costs more than a family car, but this is not putting couples off getting married. Last year there were just as many weddings as previous years, if not more. Traditionally, the bride’s parents are supposed to foot the bill, but in modern times, this tradition seems to be fizzling out almost as quickly as cheap weddings. These days, it’s often the couples themselves who save up and pay for their own weddings. The Wedding Scrapbook spoke to Helen Burns, owner of Liverpool wedding planning company Bespoken Dreams. The wedding business was set up by Helen in May 2011 after she trained with the UK Alliance of Wedding Planners and also gained a wedding planner diploma with ICS Learn. Helen told us about the rising cost of marriage: “Because of the current climate we are in, brides are looking to regain more control on research and planning themselves.” “There seems to be a greater understanding that there are no rules to conform to. Couples are planning the day they want and not the day that is expected of them. Helen informed us of some new rules for marrying: “Since October 2012, couples in England and Wales are able to marry at any time of day and night. Previously marriages could only be registered between 8am and 6pm; however, new regulations state that services can be conducted outside of normal hours to allow couples to make their day more unique. It also allows costs to be minimised, for example marrying at 7pm could cut catering costs of a traditional three course wedding breakfast to that of a buffet/hog roast/BBQ, or indeed marrying even later into the evening, couples may want to serve canapés and get on with the dancing!” There are always ways for couples to cut the costs of their weddings, but understandably many brides see their wedding as the biggest day of their lives. Doing a dream wedding on a budget, is simply not an option for some. Bespoken Dreams offers wedding planning and wedding design . Visit the website at http://www.bespokendreams.co.uk/ or Twitter @BespokenDreams.

Helen's tips for keeping costs down * Buy off the peg on the high street for your wedding party * Wed out of season * Contact local institutes of performing arts for up and coming musicians, singers and bands willing to perform at a reduced price * Don’t ask for wedding gift vouchers. With recent news of high street businesses going bust, do not request gift vouchers on your wedding list. Cash is king!

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: FEATURE

How did you...

Liz Lowe & Grant Queen

Kayla Shaw & Jordan Farnworth

The date grant proposed was 13th of dec 2011. We were on holiday in Tenerife with his parents and our 6 month old son Harry. Apparently two weeks before he went up to my parents house to ask for my hand in marriage and my Mum said because we were on holiday when it was her birthday, would he ask me on it. So that’s the reason why he asked me on the 13th. So on the night, Grants parents babysat Harry. We walked on the pool side and finally came to a bridge that went over the pool so there grant got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! And I said yesh!

We were on holiday together, it was our birthdays! (Yes, same birthday, ha) But it was my 21st, so he’d done everything to make it a really special day and evening. We had a meal in a gorgeous restaurant and a walk on the beach, and when we got back to the hotel he invited me onto our balcony which had a great view of the sea. So we were stood at the balcony looking at the sea, and he asked me how much I loved him, and when I looked at him he had got down on one knee and popped the question on the balcony on my 21st birthday!

Laura Mackintosh & Matt Baker

Andrew Petty & Jayne Smith

For our 7 year anniversary, Matt whisked me away on a surprise trip to Barcelona. After checking in to a five star hotel suite (he pulled out all the stops) we wondered around Barcelona and went back to get ready for dinner. I took ages getting ready as girls do and that is when Matt started pacing, asking me to hurry up. I was finally ready and Matt came up behind me and started to say how much I meant to him and as I turned around he produced a Tiffany box and got down on one knee to ask me to marry him. In a state of shock I said yes and now I am planning the wedding for May next year.

We bought a house together in ‘95 and I proposed to Jayne at Christmas 1996, when I was 27 and Jayne 24. I had a pretty good idea on the sort of ring she might like, and bought the one she had enthused most about from Ernest Jones in Leeds. I wasn’t sure about the traditional ‘going down on one knee’, so I decided I would wrap it up as a Christmas present. I nestled the present in the branches of the Christmas tree and it was the last one she spotted. Jayne cried when she opened it, and I must have got something in my eyes because they both started watering also.

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: FEATURE

pop the question?

Danielle Vaughan & Alex Hellend

Sharna cross & Doug Dennison

We had been together two years, and were just shopping in Liverpool. We went into a posh jewellery shop and he said he would buy me something I picked out. I chose some diamond earrings, and when the lady in the shop brought them out, she opened the box and there was a gorgeous diamond white gold ring inside. He got down on one knee in front of everyone in the shop and I knew what was going to happen. He asked me to marry him and we both burst into teara while everyone in the shop began to clap. It was such a surprise and really romantic.

After we lost lukas I wanted to get away to clear our heads from everything. I decided to surprise Doug and take him to Barcelona for valentines day. I managed to keep it a secret until the airport and he was thrilled when he found out. On our second night I could tell Doug was really nervous as he kept insisting we walked to a really nice restaurant. We sat down and I asked him what was wrong. It was a massive surprise when he pulled a box out of his pocket, and asked me to marry him. We had always talked about getting married. I obviously very gladly said yes,

Sopphire Wallace & Tom Baines

Georgia Horrocks & George Cowen

We went on holiday to Egypt in summer for two weeks. On our last night we went out for a candlelit dinner on the beach and then got a private boat ride. When I got on to the boat there were candles lit all over the place, and Tom had put loads of effort in. I kind of knew it was coming, he got down on one knee and proposed. He had gone all out, and had it planned for months. The ring was perfect. When we got home our friends had organised an engagement party, and all our family and friends were there to congratulate us and welcome us home.

Ever since me and George met, he’s been taking me to Leeds United games and I am now a fully converted fan (I used to support Halifax town). At half time we were just talking when George pointed to the big screen that shows the score, and it said ‘Georgia I love you, marry me’. He got down on one knee and asked me himself and I was crying hysterically, but I managed to get a yes out. Everyone around us was cheering and Leeds won so it was just a perfect day. I’m glad it wasn’t a traditional proposal and it really took me by surprise.

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: WEDDING SCRAPBOOK’S PICK

Wedding Scra Liverpool's top 4

WS fave!

Hard Days Night Hotel

www.harddaysnighthotel.com events@harddaysnighthotel.com 0151 236 1964 We were invited to attend the open evening at the Hard Days Night Hotel, and were impressed with the range of themes and colour schemes available, and the Beatles inspired theme running throughout the Hotel. The Hard Day’s Night Hotel is set within a classical 1880’s building in a city centre location. The Beatles inspired hotel has a wedding suite called ‘Two of Us’ available for hire, which holds up to 75 guests. The range of wedding packages available range from £69 - £109.00 per person. There are also a range of evening wedding reception packages available.

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: WEDDING SCRAPBOOK’S PICK

apbooks pick: wedding venues Philharmonic Dining Rooms

www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/thephilharmonicdiningrooms events@harddaysnighthotel.com 0151 707 2837 The Philharmonic Dining Rooms is renowned for its intricate architecture and grand interior decorations. The venue offers both wedding reception and evening hire depending on your preferences.

h 62 Castle Street www.62castlest.com enquiries@62castlest.com 0151 702 7898 62 Castle Street offer exclusivity of the entire hotel for your special wedding. The venue can accommodate for up to 150 people, and an all inclusive wedding package costs £3,900.

The Bluecoat

www.thebluecoat.org.uk weddings@thebluecoat.org.uk 0151 702 5324 The Bluecoat is Liverpool’s oldest building, and boasts UNESCO world heritage status. The site features a range of rooms with the option of traditional or modern themes, styles and features. There is a garden and courtyard, which makes it the perfect setting for a spring or summer wedding. On-site wedding planners are provided to help you get involved and tailor your wedding to suit your tastes. The Bluecoat offers wedding, civil partnerships and receptions.

WEDDING SCRAPBOOK: FEATURE

Girl Power: The female proposal On February 29th each leap year (every 4 years) women around the world can follow ancient traditions and propose to their men. Wedding Scrapbook’s editor spoke to one bride-to-be who decided to do just that. Selina Simpson and Rob Bratherton had been together for seven years before they became engaged; Selina is a Project Manager for an Osteoporosis research group, while Rob is a Construction Manager for an International Construction and Civil Engineering firm. The couple bought a house together a few years ago and since then, had both been thinking about taking their relationship to the next level. Selina was fascinated by leap year as a child, and the idea that leap day equates to an extra day in a year, meaning we get 366 days instead of the usual 365. Selina knew she wanted to get married in the near future, and had joked the previous year that she would propose if Rob hadn’t within the next year. Selina said: “Christmas and New Year came and went and still no proposal, so in January I decided I’d stick to my guns and propose to him! I like to do things that are against the norm/ expected and I’m also quite stubborn so once I’d decided I knew I would go ahead with it.

“One of the best things about me proposing to him was that I got to choose my own engagement ring.“ A few days before the day I text his Dad to ask his permission to marry Rob, I got a lovely message back saying that he would be privileged to have me as a daughter-in-law and at that point I knew that I would definitely have to go through with it.” After the blessing from Rob’s father, there was nothing left to do but actually propose. When February 29th, 2012 came around, Selina was feeling quite nervous beforehand. She took a day off work to relax and prepare herself before proposing. She was quite confident he would say yes, but nervous all the same. Selina described how she proposed: “I cooked Rob his favourite tea (chicken and rice!). He

always needs to have a bit of chill out time when he gets in from work so I left him to potter around for a while. After a while I snook upstairs to get his gift - a watch that he had had his eye on for a few years so I presented him with it, told him that I loved him and wanted to spend the rest of my life with him and asked if he’d marry me.” Rob’s reaction was a mixture between shock, excitement and happiness, and he had check that Selina was being serious before he celebrated. Selina’s emotions after Rob said yes were similar, but also mixed with a huge sense of relief. Selina and Rob were both excited about sharing the news with their families, but of course Rob’s father already knew. Selina said: “When I told Rob that I’d asked his dads permission and showed him the text, we both got quite emotional. We then let our closest friends and family know and then started to look for engagement rings.” Selina and Rob are planning to marry in September surrounded by family and close friends.

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The Wedding House

Based in the iconic gothic building next to the imposing Anglican Cathedral we are home to over 30 companies , that are all here to help make your day as special as you.

Photoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ÂŠ Sophie Marsden

Everything for your special occasion at the Wedding House Absolute Lighting & Events-All Sweet Treats-Beauty Box-Becky Brooks-Bentleys 1-Butterfly Wedding Choreography-Calidad Canvas-Calidad Jewellery-Chair Style-Chocolate CellarClassic Video Productions-Cloud 9 Bridal-Andrew Coleman Wedding Singer -Designer Travel-Ellis Bridals-Enchanting Charms-Escapade Bars-Fun Casino Royale-Groom -Go Cruise-Half Dozen Design-Herve Photography-Ian Stuart Bridal-Kay Nelson-Kelsey Rose Bridesmaids-Lou Lou Bridal-Match a Print Stationery -Miss Bouquet-Mister Sax-My Sexy Butler-Mother Of The Bride Coming Soon-People To Places-Rocks for Frocks-Romantica Bridal-Tatty Lashes Stationery-Toastmaster - Dave

Telephone 0151 709 8283 - Email enquiries@theweddinghouse.co.uk The Wedding House, 3-4 Great George Place, Liverpool, L1 7AG