Choosing Your Wedding Band Part 1

When it comes to our individual jewellery styles, we all have our personal tastes. Whether you’re minimalist, traditional or a little eccentric. At times this can be hard to navigate as there are so many options to consider, different metals, profiles, widths and finishes. So, I have decided to share a few tips to make your purchase that much easier!

Tip Number 1: Timing is everything! - Many couples make the mistake of waiting too late to purchase their wedding bands.

• They overlook production times and don’t give themselves enough time to have their ring completed.

• Generally, allow about 3-4 weeks to have your rings sized and ready.

Recommendation: Begin to search for wedding bands 3-4 months before the wedding date as this gives you ample amount of time to try several rings and market research before making the final decision.

Bonus tip: If you are having your wedding rings custom made, allow even more time. Certain styles can take longer, and retailers may require about 3-6 weeks to custom make your wedding bands.

Tip Number 2: Budget, Budget, Budget! - Wedding bands are not only a symbol of love, but also an investment.

• On average most couples spend between 3-5% of their wedding budget on their wedding bands.

• Depending on the style and quality of the band, the prices for a band can range from £100 to £3000+

• Prices will vary depending on the style and weight of metal you choose so consider this when discussing your initial budget.

Tip Number 3: Finding a Trusted Jeweller - After saving all that money, a way to ensure that you are getting a quality band, is to purchase your rings from a trusted jeweller.

• Buying from a trusted jeweller doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune to get a quality ring.

• Look for a jeweller that offers a certificate of authenticity with your purchase, as this is a sign that they are a reputable business and that the product you are purchasing is of good quality. Also try to find one that offers conflict-free diamonds and has an easy and hassle-free return policy in place.
  

Tip Number 4: When Choosing Your Wedding Band Keep Your Lifestyle In Mind - Your wedding band should be something you can wear everyday, so the goal is to choose a ring that suits you, for instance:

• If you play sports or an instrument, a slimmer ring with rounded edges (appropriately called the “comfort fit") may be the most suitable.

• If you work with your hands, you may want to search for a simple, solid metal ring and avoid gemstones that can come loose or carvings, which can trap dirt.

• If you're super active, go for platinum, which is extra durable (when scratched, the metal is merely displaced and doesn't actually wear away).

Bonus Point: Consider Maintenance - To keep a wedding band with stones, clean and sparkling, you'll need to wash and soak it in warm sudsy water, then gently brush it with a soft toothbrush or eyebrow brush (too much pressure can loosen the stones from their setting), rinse it and pat it dry with a soft lint-free cloth. If this seems too much, you may want to opt for a fuss-free gold or platinum ring—simply rub it with a soft, lint-free cloth and you're good to go.

I hope you’ve found these few tips useful, and I can't wait to share the second part with you next month.

Stay Safe x

Mannuela

Choosing Your Wedding Date.

With all the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and the lock down being extended for another 3 weeks, many couples had to make the difficult decision to postpone or cancel their 2020 wedding and as stressful as it is, we want you to be rest assured that this too shall pass, and that you will get the opportunity to celebrate with your family and loved ones very soon.

If you have decided to postpone your wedding, this is the best time to go through your numbers and think about all the details. Whether bigger or smaller, let the next couple of weeks give you a headstart on your planning journey. As we are bringing this blog series to a close, today we want to talk about your wedding date and how to make the right decision for your big day. Once you get engaged the first thing everybody wants to know is ‘Have you set the date?’. This piece of information is pivotal to the planning process as it will determine the budget, schedule of yourselves and loved ones and the most important: VENUE AVAILABILITY.

A good question to ask yourselves is which season will best capture your vision of what your wedding should look like. Is it outside and warm, or is it cold and cosy?

Peak Seasons:

Different seasons offer different atmospheres and natural colours that can enhance the overall tone of the day. Summer and spring weddings are notorious for being very expensive and due to the high demand, in-season vendor rates will be significantly more expensive (think April-August) than less popular wedding dates (like November-February). During peak season competition is rife in terms of booking favourite venues and vendors since it is such a popular time to get married. Please be aware that you may not get your first choice in all areas of your wedding and with the number of events and other weddings during that season some of your guests may not be able to attend.

Bonus Tip: When choosing your wedding theme really think about the budget, are you willing to pay double, maybe triple the amount for the same wedding in the summer than in the winter.

Wedding Attire:

• In terms of weather, if the dress you envisioned yourself wearing is a contemporary lightweight strapless gown would you be able to brave the cold in the winter months or if your husband and his groomsmen are wearing three piece suits will they be able to manage the heat during the summer. These are important factors to think about as compromising on comfort can have a huge impact on your mood on your wedding day.

Floral availability:

• If you are adamant on the type of floral arrangement you desire, you will need to choose a date when these are in season. Especially if you are using fresh flowers as they are more expensive than faux flowers. But more importantly, you risk paying double, even triple if they are not in season.

• Depending on the season, certain colours are not as easy to find, orange, yellow and reds are warm autumn/winter colours, while pastels are more spring/summer.

• With that in mind, purple and blue flowers all year round are difficult to find. For instance, lily of the valley (Megan Markle's wedding flowers) bloom for only 3-4 weeks in the whole year.

Question to ask yourself: How important is the type of flower and its colours? Will it dictate the season in which you choose to marry? If so, is that something that you are okay with?

Theme Colour:

• If you love pastel tones, like peaches and sages setting your wedding during the warmer months would accentuate that airy and whimsical ambience that is created with these tones.

• Whereas, if you prefer darker and warmer tones like oranges, rich shades of purple and burgundy then setting your wedding during the colder months would be best.
  

Wedding venue

Your wedding venue will determine the amount of guests you can invite, the location of your wedding and of course the theme and styling too. This will take a big chunk out of your wedding budget; therefore the last thing you want is for it to clash with the wedding theme.

Bonus Tip: If possible, try to create a rough estimate of who you're inviting to your wedding and a realistic figure of how many guests you expect to attend. This will let you know the size of the venue that is required and how much you will be paying per head.

• Since the venue plays a huge role in setting the tone and overall aesthetic for the day, really pay attention to its features and the mood that it gives off, look at the lighting, flooring, carpet colours, the use of space, colour of the walls.

• Begin to envision whether your theme could really work in this environment and how much work would be needed in order for it to be all that you hope for it to be.

• Take a look at what the venue is willing to provide, such as tables, crockery, chairs, table cloths etc. As well as any decorative restrictions they may have.

  • Asking questions about what is included as well as any restrictions will make you aware of any decorative limitations that may be fundamental to your chosen theme (e.g. romantic wedding with rose petals and candles may not be possible in certain venues due to health and safety reasons).

• Please be aware that your wedding date will probably depend on when the venue is available. If you’re more flexible and can get married in a few different locations, you have more freedom here to pick and choose.

• But if your dream venue is only available on certain days of the year, would you be willing to be flexible?

• Many popular places get booked up years in advance, so it’s definitely something to consider if you have your heart set on a dream location.

So, when it comes to choosing your theme, finding inspiration is key, but transitioning an idea into a reality is looking beyond the colours and styles. It’s seeing how these choices can be accommodated by your season, venue and budget preference.

So keep safe and see you in our next blog post.

x

Mannuela

Your Wedding Theme and Your Budget

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

And just like that we have started a new decade, it's time for us to get ready for another busy wedding season!

If you didn’t catch up in our previous blog, we've started a new series enabling and empowering brides with the tools to confidently identify and choose their perfect style for their wedding day, so be sure to read our previous posts on how to find your wedding theme.

Setting a theme is more than just adding a few accessories to a room, every element plays a critical role

in enhancing and accentuating the atmosphere of the day. Yet, time and time again I see brides with beautiful visions compromise their ideas by not paying enough attention to their season, budget and venue choice. These factors tend to be overlooked when planning a wedding, resulting in inconsistencies in the fluidity and style of the day.

So, in today’s post we will discuss and explore the influence that budget has on your wedding colour, style and overall theme.

Tip Number One: BUDGET

IMPORTANT: When planning make sure you figure out how much you can afford and how much you are happy to spend, as soon as possible.

With the average wedding costing around £30 000 in London, I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a budget when planning your wedding. This should be the first thing you discuss with your spouse once you have announced your engagement.

Knowing how much you are willing to spend on your wedding day gives you the opportunity to allocate your budget accordingly. Your allocated budget will be the main factor to determine how elaborate your wedding will be, so please be realistic when choosing a style for your big day as certain elements and designs will cost more money than others.

Once you know how much you are willing to spend on your wedding, take off 10-15% as a decent contingency plan for unexpected costs that may arise during the planning process.

Decide on your priorities by making a list of the things that are most important to you for your wedding, whether it's the decoration, the photographer, the food or whatever is non-negotiable for you. Try to limit it to six or seven elements at most.

Example: If you know that food and music are most important, choose a simple decorative design with flowers in season to reduce cost, that way you are able to prioritise on what matters to you without completely compromising on style. It's also wise to make a note of the elements that don't really matter to you so that you can allocated a bit more money to certain elements and opt for less expensive items for things that are not that important.

Keeping to this list will enable you to prioritise what is truly important to you as it is very easy to get blown away with insignificant elements when planning.

Finally, if you are getting any contribution from parents or relatives, be sure to ask them to be clear about their expectations and what they are. The last thing you want during the planning process is a misunderstanding or having to compromise on your style because your mum wants you to wear a certain style of dress or use a specific type of flower that will clash with your wedding theme or colour.

Happy new year once again and I cannot wait to share a bit more on our next blog post.

Stay tuned!

x