RW Smith WeddingWise Event Planning

02/08/2023

Wedding trends are always changing and evolving. Patterns are one of those trends and this includes table settings, invites and other decorations.
Pick a pattern that you can use/incorporate from start to end for your big day. However, do not over do it regarding patterns.

Pictures courtesy of pexels

24/04/2023

26/03/2023

Wedding trends are always changing and evolving. In 2023, the trends that we can see are:

• More colours and this includes brides opting for colourful wedding dresses, mixed matched bridemaids and decor. This allows the colours to be bold, fun, creative, statement pieces and sophisticated.

• Maximalist wedding is becoming a big trend for 2023. It is about over the top and luxurious details. This could be the result of having wedding limitations during covid lockdowns.

• Custom made dance floors. Anything these days can be made into a dance floor.

• A private last dance for the happy couple. This is a trend that is becoming more and more popular

• Turning regular aisle into a statement piece. This allows the bride and groom to get as creative and think outside of the regular aisle options.

• Sustainability is a big trend with environmental friendly products/materials locations and transportation

08/01/2023

Thinking of a destination wedding in New Zealand? At Lake Tekapo, The Good Shepherd Church is absolutely stunning with beautiful views perfect for your special day.
I took these photos on my phone this evening as my husband and I arrived in Lake Tekapo yesterday for a few nights stay.

13/08/2022

Try checking out your local flower markets for some of the following reasons:
• Great place for inspiration
• Can compare prices between suppliers
• See what is in season
• Many suppliers already have flowers set up in a multi flower bouquets

Some handy hints about flower markets
• Make sure you take cash as they charge a surcharge to use cards even a debit card.
• Make sure you take a basket, box or a carry bag to carry your flowers in.
• Please check the operating times as every flower market is different.
• Take in consideration costs of paid parking just incase where you go charges for parking.

19/06/2022

Today I networked at the wedding expo held today at Castle Hill.
I got married in 2020, and I must admit that this was my second bridal expo.
A lot of inspirations for the happy couples today.

23/05/2022

Confetti at weddings or any other events has been around for decades. However, these day many venues ban confetti because it can harm the environment and it is also time consuming to clean up.

If your venue does allow confetti, look at your environmentally friendly options. A way of making confetti environmentally friendly confetti is by making your own confetti from leaves. Yes, it is time consuming but if you use leaves you collect around your backyard or from fallen leaves from the street or local park, it is extremely cost effective. All you will need is a double or a single holepunch or even a heart shaped holepunch, a container or something to place them in until the big day. If you are worried that it is time consuming, get your family and/or friends to help you.

I know that there are companies out there that sells leaf confetti for a fortune but if you are up for the challenge of doing it yourself, do it as it not only will save you money but it will also be better for the environment.

06/04/2022

Remember this is just an average cost. You don't have to spend that amount.

28/03/2022

A quick checklist of flowers you may want. Just remember it is your day and you can have any type of arrangements that you want.

23/03/2022

Apart for deciding on your wedding date, venues and wedding dress, deciding on your colour palette is an important decision. Over the years, wedding colour palettes have changed and in 2022, the on trend colour palettes consists of:

1. Different shades of green
For example green foliage décor, emerald green as it can give a fairytale romance illusion, sage for a rustic earthy feel; mint for a pastel look, jade for sophisticated look or you have lime or olive colour choices.

2. Different shades of purple
For example plum works well with grey and gold, violet works well with shades of blue and green. Mauve is usually paired with natural earthy tones, whilst amethyst is a bold colour is paired with black deep grey usually and finally lavender which is often used in spring for its softness and elegance.

3. Black
Using black within your colour palette can set a very bold, elegant, dramatic and moody tone for the wedding. Black can be paired with other deep, muted colours, such as navy, burgundy and mauve to achieve a gorgeous and edgy look.

4. Dusty rose
For a very soft complementary look pairing with the dusty rose palette, try pairing with neutral colours, apricot, blush pink or light grey. Gold decorations and centrepieces are a good choice to be paired with dusty rose as it brings out the elegance and look glamour look.

5. Different shades of blue
For example sky blue is used mostly in autumn and summer weddings. It can be paired with soft yellow and white tones. Navy works well with a rustic style wedding and can be paired with burgundy, green, metallic gold, grey, mint and warmer colours. Royal blue is good for winter weddings and is very elegant and sophisticated, turquoise is good when paired with mango colour, burnt orange and olive; dusty blue is soft and romantic, teal can be paired with warmer tones such as brown which will create a fresh and fun feeling.

6. Mustard yellow
This colour palette goes well with the Boho Chic style. This colour is modern and is great for autumn weddings. Mustard yellow is generally paired with brown, grey or navy. It can also be paired with foliage to give it a sense of botanical celebration.

7. Rustic colours
Burnt orange, teal, burgundy, navy, brown, mustard yellow, rust, emerald, lavender, terracotta and sage colours fall under this the rustic colour palette.

Photos obtained from the website Pexels

03/03/2022

Your wedding day is meant to be the happiest day of your life because you get to marry the one you love. However, it can also be one of the most wasteful days too in regards to paper, food and flowers. There are alternative ways you can achieve what you want that will have a reduced impact on the environment.

Eco – friendly is a trend that is growing in popularity but in reality, it has always been around. Eco – friendly can consist of:

• Finding a wedding venue that is completely outdoors or offer an outdoor space as it will help cut down not only on decorations but also energy costs.
• From farm to table food options and source local food
• Recycled paper for invitations or digital invites
• Reusable glasses
• Chalkboard signage
• Instead of favours/bombardiers choose to donate to charities or get your guest to donate to a charity of your choosing instead of giving you a gift.
• Try and find a venue that has build in decor
• Recycled materials from the garbage
• Buy or borrow items from your family or friends who have been married
• Shopping locally
• Wedding venues that support composting and recycling
• Bird seeds or flower petals confetti
• Car pooling or hiring a mini bus for the guests
• Reducing carbon emissions as much as you can as it has a major effect on human activities.

09/02/2022

Wedding trends are always changes and due to the pandemic, there has been an increase of uncertainty around planning weddings. Due to these uncertainties, there is an increase in digital invitations. Digital invitations I hear you say. Yes digital invitations.
Digital invitations are becoming ever so popular and there is a high degree of uncertainty with planning a wedding during a pandemic. If any of your wedding plans change, it is easy to change a digital invite then pay for invitation to be reprinted with the updated information.

Some digital invitations websites are:

GreenVelop https://www.greenvelope.com/?
This website allows you to create invites, keep track of the guest list, address validations, track RSVPS and daily reminders. However, this service does cost money. Depending on how many people are on your guest list, determines how much your pay. There is a single mailing or a yearly membership option.

Greeting Island https://www.greetingsisland.com/
This website allows you to create invites not only wedding invites but all invites associated with weddings, track RSVPS, reminders and upload maps, gift registry and so forth. You can have a free account or a premium account if you want more services. It costs as low as $2.95 a month and you can cancel at anytime.

14/01/2022

February 13th 2022 at Royal Randwick Racecourse for full of inspiration, hints, giveaways and discounts

Our Randwick Wedding Expo is a favourite bridal event of the Eastern Suburbs and Inner City Sydney region. With over 100 of the most prestigious wedding and bridal suppliers and vendors. We love the welcoming, cute, modern vibe that our Randwick Racecourse Wedding Expo brings. Full of colour, inspir...

28/12/2021

Favours/bombardiers can be costly for the the wedding couple and as a result are becoming optional. If you are set on still having favours/bombardiers at your wedding, try making something for each guest.

For Christmas, I made different chocolate varieties that were given as part of Christmas presents. I used silicone moulds and then put coloured foil around the individual chocolates they were set.

Not only did I find it relaxing, it was rewarding because it was the personal touch to the gift.

Just an alternative option for not only your wedding but gifts in general.

06/12/2021

Wedding photography

Trying to find a wedding photographer that not only fits within your budget but also completely understands your wedding style choice, their professionalism, what they can offer you, how you need to get along with them and their adaptability if weddings plans changes can be hard. Wedding photos are a lifetime of memories that can be past down through generations and it is also a beautiful way to remember your day. You 100% want to be happy with who you choose.

Alexis Walton was the photographer for my September wedding last year. My husband and I loved Alexis’s professionalism, friendliness, understanding when some of our plans changed due to covid – 19 restrictions, handy hints and guidance. I must admit, meeting Alexis for the first time, my husband and I were a tad nervous. Those nerves went away as soon as we started talking to Alexis. Alexis asked about our story to get some insight into who we were and we did the same with her.

When we booked Alexis, it was mid 2019, pre - covid – 19, pre border changes and pre - life changes. When covid hit and restrictions were put on weddings and so forth, Alexis was always at the end of the phone or email with the latest ideas for the wedding. Nothing was an issue with Alexis as the three of us came up with alternative ways. We even discussed possible alternative wedding dates just in-case we had to postpone but we didn’t have to.

Alexis captured our wedding day beautifully and we could not have asked for anything more. Alexis’s enthusiasm, friendliness, kindness, professionalism and rawness also made our wedding day special. Nothing was never a drama for her.

Alexis is not just a wedding photographer, she also does family, couples, maternity, motherhood mini Easter and Christmas photo shoots. Let me just say she is very talented.

If you are looking for a photographer, please check out Alexis Walton at:
https://alexiswaltonphotography.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/alexiswaltonphotography/
https://www.instagram.com/alexis_walton_photography

Professional Photography Services.

18/11/2021

Image found on Espresso Dave's Speciality Catering Pinterest page

17/11/2021

Honeymoon/Minimoon Destinations and Costings

When you can take your honeymoon:
Honeymoons can start the day after the wedding, a few days, weeks or even a month or two after. It is up to the bride and groom to decide when they take their honeymoon. Newlyweds may even decide to skip their honeymoon altogether.

The average honeymoon length:
The average length of a honeymoon is 2 weeks long however, the newlyweds may decide to extend it out. The length all depends on the couples budget, destination, time of year and how much time they can get off work.

Honeymoon costs:
• Many people view the costs of the honeymoon or minimoon as the cost of the wedding and other couples view it is a separate budget expense.
• Honeymoon costs variers from where the bride and groom decides to go and also the budget that is decided. The average cost is $8000 but if you are looking at going to Europe for example you can look at up to $25,000. If the happy couple wants a more luxury experience, you are looking at $35,000.
• With your honeymoon budget, you also have to take into consideration the exchange rate as that will play an important part in your decision making.

Locations of honeymoons:
• Honeymoons and Minimoons can be whatever you want it to be. They can be romantic, adventurous, relaxing, ecotourism, tours, self drive and so forth. However, trying to decide over a destination that you both agree on can be easy or hard. If you have a few places in mind, do a pro and cons list of each destination especially look at what they offer and what is value for money.
• Honeymoons locations particular over the last two years due to Covid – 19 have changed. People are travelling within their own state or country due to not being able to fly internationally.
Popular honeymoon destinations within Australia are:
- Belligen, New South Wales
- Hunter Valley, New South Wales
- Narooma, New South Wales
- Uluru, Northern Territory
- Whitsundays, Queensland
- Port Douglas, Queensland
- Hamilton Island, Queensland
- Barossa Valley, South Australia
- Kangaroo Island, South Australia
- Bay of Fires, Tasmania
- Bruny Island, Tasmania
- Broome, Western Australia

Popular international honeymoon destinations are:
- Australia
- Bali
- Bora Bora
- Canada
- Fiji
- France
- Greece
- Hawaii
- Ireland
- Italy
- Maldives
- Morocco
- New Zealand

What is a minimoon:
A minimoon is an inexpensive honeymoon that keeps you close to home but far enough away that it feels like a holiday. A minimoon offers the happy couple still a dreamy getaway with the length being 2 – 3 nights.

Photo supplied by Pexels

14/11/2021

My husband and I chose this Bible verse for one of our ceremony readings.

11/11/2021

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them
~Lest We Forget~

09/11/2021

Do you stick with traditional and/or modern vows or write your own vows? No matter what you decide, it is a very intimate because you are baring your heart and soul to your best friend, the love of your life in front of your family and friends.

Vows tell a story no matter what type of vows you decide on for your special day. Here are a few handy tips on writing your wedding vows as it can look harder then you originally though.

• Over time, gradually make a list of thought or memories that come to mind

• Do not leave it to the last minute.

• Write several drafts.

• Make sure you have some laughter moments and not make it all serious.

• You and your partner would have done a lot over your time together so do not include everything.

• Vows are meant to be only two or three minutes long, so you need to agree on a word limit with your partner.

• Time yourself by reading your vows alone out loud so you can see if you need to change wording or make the vows shorter.

• Make sure your vows are written on a piece of paper or even typed up.

Picture is from Pexels

08/11/2021

Wedding Budgets

Finances and budgets are always a tough topic to discuss at anytime but when you are planning your wedding, it is always important. The reason being is that when people hear the word wedding, prices skyrocket through the roof. You do not want to want to make yourself go crazy over how much you can or can not afford.
The Wedding Budget Breakdown Graph is what people tend to spend on a typical wedding. I know the percentage figures look scary but it doesn’t happen to be that way. Also, always keep a spreadsheet on the wedding budget.

There are many ways you can cut costs including the following:
• Instead of a live band, DJ or a musician, create a Spotify playlist and allocate one of your gets to look after it. All it will cost is $11.99 a month. However, if you do not have premium Spotify, you can start the trial 1 day before your wedding so you can get the 30 day free trial. After your wedding is over, you can cancel your premium membership and you can just have a normal Spotify account.

• Forgo favours/gifts for the guests. The reason I say that is because people tend to leave them behind at the end of the night and the second reason is that they cost money that you could allocate somewhere else.

• Wedding cakes does not necessarily need to be cakes. These days it can be anything you want. For example cupcakes, macaron tower, croquembouche, candy bar or even a cheese cake.

• If you are wanting a wedding cake, if you do not want to make it yourself, look for local businesses that operate from their home or order it from a bakery but do not say it is for a wedding.

• DIY invitations even if you use templates and download them and print them yourself or even if you design them on Microsoft word and print them on nice paper.

• If you are wanting use jars on the tables as vases, I would suggest to start collecting coffee, jam and sauce jars early. Even ask your family and friends to collect them for you. Another great place is to collect them from your workplace. With you collecting them yourselves, will save money and you purchasing them yourself.

• If you live near a flower market, they usually do bouquets arrangements all done up and are cheaper. However, some flower markets only operate on weekends

05/11/2021

I must admit this happened to me when I was planning my own wedding. Quote supplied by https://www.confetti.co.uk/

01/11/2021

What Does A Wedding Mood Board/Design Board Consist Of:

For my wedding, I made several mood board/design boards for different topics by just placing pictures I liked which I then placed into Microsoft Word. Wedding mood board/design boards can consist of anything you want. For example but not limited to:

• Photography
• Dress and suit designs
• Colour palettes
• Invitation designs
• Locations
• Bridal cars
• Hairstyles
• Jewellery
• Favours
• Decorations
• Textures
• Flowers
• Wedding cakes
• Descriptive words

The boards are designed to get a sense of what your wedding vision and the direction the bride and groom would like to achieve.
It is also a simple way to eliminate items once you see them together on paper. I know it is easier said than done but believe me, it will make a difference.

Just remember, you don not have to spend a lot on money on things like this. A simple Microsoft Word document, Microsoft PowerPoint or even a mood board/design board made on a blank piece of paper and cut outs from magazines and placed on it. You do not necessarily need to use a special software programs to make these boards.

I created the mood board attached but all pictures are from the website Pexels.

31/10/2021

Wedding expos provide a lot of inspiration. Below is a link for the upcoming wedding expos near you

Australia’s Favourite Wedding and Bridal Expos. Wedding Expos Australia have been coordinating bridal fairs since 2005 and love all things ‘wedding’. Our bridal expos feature free admission and brides take home a complimentary exclusive ‘I’m Getting Married’ Bridal Bag.