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wedding timeline

Lauren & Matt's Wedding Planning Blog - Part 4

WeddingsSarah MarshComment

I can’t believe that in March, when it was 6 months until Matt & I get married, we were out in knee deep snow! The mile stone we have been working towards was the 6 month mark and now it’s been and gone and things have really started to get moving!

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I had my hen weekend at the start of April, where we stayed in a lodge in Cheddar, Tor Farm, relaxing with spa treatments and a hot tub and catching up with some of the closest people involved in the wedding. We have also met again with our incredible florist, Amy from Blossom Parlour based is Weston-Super-Mare. She is just brilliant, as I said before I think the most important thing when looking for a supplier is to work with someone who when they are talking about an idea it’s pretty much what you were going to say! Amy has literally taken the ideas out of Matt & my minds and made it real and really understood what we wanted – including an incredible floral feature called a ‘moon gate’, look this up! It will be the back drop behind Matt & me for the wedding breakfast.

I have also seen my dress again at Bridal Boutique in Street. It had been a few months since I last tried it on, so my memory was a bit sketchy on how it looked. But trying it on again was just lovely and I am so pleased with my decision. For my veil I have what was originally my auntie’s cathedral length veil, which my mum then wore to her wedding – which I am now wearing! It is so beautiful and I remember being little and wearing it and thinking how much I wanted to get married – it’s also my something old and something borrowed! I couldn’t believe just how perfectly it went with the dress and it means so much to have something which holds so many memories.

Everything slowly is starting to come together now, the wedding room is full of all the things we have been collecting and have been given by family (the incredible handmade post box!) and is still growing. I have really enjoyed making things for the wedding – entirely fuelled by my Pinterest account, somethings have worked really well, others not so well but it’s all been part of the experience. The next few months I think will be filled with appointments with our suppliers and sorting out the details of the day which I am so excited about, the more people we meet the more real it all feels. Also the more our ideas grow and develop, when we look back at how we thought the day would be to now it has evolved so much and we just can’t wait for it to come together.

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The biggest thing I think when you start to plan a wedding especially with over a year of planning, is to understand that things do change and ideas will grow and develop. But I would say that from the start have the things in mind which are your core ideas which are essential to you and build around them, ours were; church, family, tradition and our day has grown around these key points, so we know when we look back we can say it was exactly what we wanted.

The next mile stone will be July, which leaves only 3 months and I know everything will start to move even quicker with final appointments, fittings and getting bills settled! We also have Matt’s birthday in July to celebrate and are off to see Ed Sheeran, which will speed up the time even more with lots of exciting things to look forward to whilst we wait for September 1st 2018!

I will keep you posted

 

Lauren x

A Chat with Clare Kinchin Photography

Sarah MarshComment

How would you describe your business?

I am a creative photographic storyteller, capturing weddings, events and people in a unique and individual way.  

What is your favourite thing about being involved in the wedding industry?

CREATIVITY…I feel so inspired by my friends in the wedding industry, either by other awesome photographers or stationers, dress designers and stylists. Its wonderful being surrounded by creative people it adds to my own work and passion to explore new ideas.

Can you describe Coombe Trenchard in three words?

Quirky

Artsy

Relaxed Elegance    Erk thats 4 sorry!   

What spaces do you find particularly enjoyable to photograph at Coombe Trenchard

I'm an outdoors girl so the wooded area of Coombe Trenchard is a natural draw for me.  The dining area with the buffalo skin covered walls is an incredibly sumptuous and interesting backdrop for bridal portraits.

What advise would you offer to couples when choosing their photographer?

Think about your own personal style and choose a photographer that you think could best reflect that, I find a lot of my clients are similar to me, so we click! 

My couples often laugh and say they have been stalking my work for the last year. GREAT….do your research.

Try not to make a decision based on budget alone….I know thats tricky as everyone has a budget, but your photographs are with you for a lifetime and longer not just for the day its definitely worth investing. 

Arrange a meeting or SKYPE meeting to say hello to your photographer.

Look at complete weddings not just the edited good stuff from a selection of weddings.

Go with your gut feeling its usually right.

Do you recommend having an engagement shoot, and if so, why?

YES,YES, YES, an engagement shoot is such a valuable exercise. Most couples are nervous about being in front of the camera, this is a great way to meet your photographer and find out how it all works, most of my couples actually enjoy the experience and love the photos. I treat engagement shoots a little mini adventures, we head out to a pre planned location and get to know each other and take some pictures at the same time.  It leaves you with one less thing to worry about on the day.

What do you feel is important when capturing a wedding day?

Weddings are filled with all sorts of emotions and thats what I look for first and for most. Relationships between couples, family members and friends are amazing to capture and are so important in the storytelling. I love photographing the couple the most but I also work really hard to get an amazing record of your guests enjoying themselves, the details, the venue the environment and your family.

Finally, what excites you most about your job?

Meeting and connecting with people…clients often feel like friends and its actually quite sad when the wedding is over and the albums have been delivered. Im a big believer in PEOPLE and while my industry and its technology is insanely brilliant, I am a people person and being able to deliver images that make my clients cry (in a good way) is the most rewarding part of my job.

We implore you to take a look at some more of Clare's beautiful work on her website here.

Timing Considerations for Your Big Day

WeddingsSarah MarshComment

Here at Coombe Trenchard, we are very fond of a spreadsheet. Wedding days have so much detail, components and contributors that we find it infinitely useful to see the day take shape in clear, concise lines; something we begin compiling from the very first meeting. Most brides want a relaxed day, and the very best way to ensure this is to plan your day in detail, meaning everything has been thought of, decided on and magically taken care of by Coombe Trenchard: total relaxation ensues.

When compiling these wondrous lists of wedding day glory, we often get asked about what time things ‘should’ be done, how long parts of the day generally take and what we would recommend. And, when planning a wedding for the first time, it’s likely you won’t have a clue how to pace and plan the precise timings of your special day. So, combining our experience and pure delight in making things easier for our bride and grooms, we thought we’d write a blog post about it.

Getting Ready

We asked the wonderful Elle Hitchens for her top make-up tips for brides to be, which you can read here, and she estimates that your make-up will take around an hour, with final touches taking place just before the ceremony. Consider when you will need to get up, plan a leisurely breakfast of your favourite foods (Sarah will be happy to discuss!) and ensure plenty of time to get ready without a rush. Your preparation time will depend on your bridal squad numbers and how intricate your bridal look is, but we recommend ensuring at least 3 hours of preening and excitement before even thinking of putting your dress on.

 

Eclection Photography

Eclection Photography

Ceremony

When deciding on the time of your ceremony, it is worth giving consideration to feeding your guests. If the ceremony is before 2pm, guests may not have had lunch before coming to your wedding, and so you would need to think about food being available after the ceremony (we would highly recommend one of Coombe Trenchard’s famous high teas!). Any time after 2pm, and guests will likely have eaten before arriving, and you can simply think about your wedding breakfast later in the afternoon (possibly with canapé during your drinks reception).

You can find out more about the legalities of getting married here, but if you are having a civil ceremony  at Coombe Trenchard, it will last around 20-25 minutes (depending on readings). A confetti shot under the clock tower takes another ten minutes, and so approximately 35 minutes after the start of your ceremony, you can be planning your drinks reception.

 

 

Drinks Reception

The standard time for a drinks reception is 2 hours. This gives time for you to mingle with your guests, sneak away for some photographs within Coombe Trenchard’s incredible grounds and soak up the elation that comes from being pronounced husband and wife. It’s also a great time to make use of Coombe Trenchard’s lawn games, including croquet & Jenga!

 

Speeches

Speeches can be short, or last for a very long time! It can be worth giving speakers a guide, perhaps allocating approximately 10 minutes per speech so that you know how much time to plan for this part of your day. Speeches no longer need to happen in a strict order during/after dinner. We have bridal couples using the Main Hall’s Minstrels’ Gallery to enjoy afternoon speeches (groom’s do like to get this part out of the way!) or couples deciding to spread the speeches out over the course of the day. The choice is yours and we are happy to discuss ways in which to make your speeches less nerve-wracking as well as utilising our beautiful spaces.

 

Wedding Breakfast

Your wedding breakfast will take longer than you think. Of course, a three-course meal will take longer than say a picnic, or hogroast to be served, but it’s worth allowing extra time to savour, chatter and, of course, enjoy coffee afterwards! Depending on whether you have provided food after the ceremony, and the timing of your Mr & Mrs moment, your wedding breakfast can be served anywhere between 4pm-7pm. Discuss timings with your caterer in more detail, and we will liaise with them to ensure guests are where they need to be, and food is served promptly.

 

 

 

 

Evening Food

Most couples like to serve evening food at around 9pm, depending on when your wedding breakfast finished. This can be anything from a Coombe Trenchard Treat Table to pizzas or cheeseboards. Ensure food is available for a decent length of time, guests will be enjoying themselves so much it may take some time for everyone to snack sufficiently.

Lucy Wallace Photography

Lucy Wallace Photography

Whilst this general guide is intended as a starting point when approaching your wedding day timeline, we work closely with all of our bridal couples to create a bespoke and enjoyable timeline for their day: all part of the renowned Coombe Trenchard service.  

Happy Planning!