Christmas, to me is about celebrating with friends and making time to appreciate each other. So we get some of our favorites together, and have a Christmas soiree. This year we hosted an afternoon tea.
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 It can be worthwhile to tailor your wedding exactly how you and your partner like it. If you cherish the day, who’s to say you’ve made a decision that’s wrong, simply because others in your family might not have chosen it for themselves? Weddings are often momentous formal occasions, but they can also be times of great passion and coming-together if you let it. They can help families bond, and for the presence of you all to be celebrated with joy.
While this will often happen naturally, there are methods you can take to ensure the entire process is well taken care of. No matter who you are, a little effort in this direction can be novel when figuring out your wedding plans. You might consider: A Photo Booth A wedding photo booth can help you capture all of the silly social fun that happens after-hours, after the wedding service is done and the catering have completed their excellent job. This is the time where the wine flows, and the party begins. All weddings are different, but most are jovial and a fun, slowly growing informal time, particularly if there’s a free bar. With a novelty photo booth, you may come back from your honeymoon vacation with a list of hilarious shots you didn’t even know took place. If a wedding photographer is there to capture the full extent of the love between two people and families, the wedding booth is there to help the lighthearted fun of the event truly show itself. Specific Catering Specific catering can be very worthwhile, depending on your needs and wants. However, sometimes choosing a novelty can be a great idea. Instead of the four course meal at the local restaurant or event hall, you may decide to have something a little more your tastes. Bringing in a pitmaster for the best barbecue you have ever eaten, or perhaps something more culturally appropriate such as seeing sushi made in front of you, or maybe even asking your chef relative to put a large spread on for you can all have that personal touch, which can sometimes feel much more welcoming than simply selecting a range of options on a sheet. The Free Bar The less said about a free bar, the better. You likely know what you’re getting into. Is it a novelty? Surely. An Alternate Reception An alternate reception could be a great idea to give your wedding that unique spin. No matter how traditional or untraditional your main wedding service was, it can be truly worthwhile to find something more appropriate to you when everyone congregates. If your parents have some land, why not hire a marquee and set of large tents to have a more home-spun occasion, instead of hiring out an event hall? If your family is filled with athletic surfers, why not have a wonderful summer beach surf? Something highly personal to you and your family will often have the most impact, so don’t feel constrained to only a few options, as your true inner wants might be more than applicable. With these tips, you’re sure to find novelty in all of your wedding applications. 
For last years Christmas tablescape I really tried to challenge myself not to use pink. Pink is my absolute all time favorite color and I naturally just reach for it no matter what i'm doing.
That said, I also really like to change things up and make things look completely different. After all life is too short to do the same tablescape twice! When you’re planning your wedding, the ceremony is all about you and your partner. It’s your time to declare your love for one another and make the promises of marriage. But the reception is the time to celebrate with all of your family and friends and so you want to make it special for them. The reception is the time when you can have a bit of fun with your wedding and do something interesting for your guests so your wedding is one to remember. These are some great fun ideas for a memorable wedding reception.  Think About Your Seating Arrangement
When you’re planning a wedding, the seating arrangement is one of the most important things you have to do, but a lot of people don’t think about it as much as they should. The seating arrangement can actually have a big effect on how much fun people have so make sure that you spend some time with it. Seat people with people that they get on with and maybe take the opportunity to seat old friends that don’t see each other often together. It’ll be a lovely surprise for them when they get to their seat and get the chance to catch up with an old friend. You’ve also got to be careful about any guests that don’t get on particularly well because nobody is going to have a good time if they’re sat next to somebody they hate all night. Keep people far away from one another if they don’t get along so there aren’t any issues. A Photo Booth Chances are you'll have a professional photographer there to take all of the professional pictures of the big day, but why not have a little fun with it as well? You can hire a photo booth for your wedding with all sorts of fun costumes and filters so your guests can get in there and take lots of their own fun pictures. Imagine how fun it will be looking through them all after the big day and they’re be something different than the typical pictures that you get done by a photographer. Plan Something For Kids Many people decide not to invite kids to their wedding which is fine, but if you are going to let people bring their children, its a great idea to plan something for them. Your guests aren’t going to have a great time if they can’t let loose so why not have a kids area and hire a babysitter. They can keep the kids entertained and play games with them so they’re not getting bored and the parents have a chance to have a bit of fun of their own. Interactive Food Bar People are more than likely going to get hungry later on in the evening so it’s always good to put some food options for later in the evening . You can make things a bit more fun with interactive food stations where people can make their own meals. You could put all of the ingredients out for people to make tacos or even have a sushi rolling station. It’s a great way to make sure everybody gets fed and has fun while they’re doing it. These are all great ways to make your wedding reception more fun so that your guests remember it for years to come. Belle xox  The average wedding in the USA costs in the region of $35,329. Once that figure has sunk in, you may be thinking of ways to cut the costs down on your wedding to make sure you are not paying for it for the rest of yours and your partner's life. Without sounding too cliche, marriage is supposed to be about, love, commitment, and loyalty. Which this post aims to cut some of the more significant costs of running a wedding so that following the big day you can actually get on with spending money on the next milestones of your lives together. Such as a holiday, starting a family or building a home together.
The VenueWhat venue you choose to hire for your wedding is vital as it could have a massive impact on your budget. Before you look at places to view, first of all figuring out how many guests you want to invite is vital, as this will denote the kind of space you need to hire and the number of people you need to cater for. Once you have a list of potential guests, you can begin calling venues to ask if they provide room for this amount and to give you a rough price range to check whether it’s in the budget. Here are a few ideas for you to consider to help reduce the cost of your venue.
If you’re quite happy with the prospect of a small intimate affair, outside of the realms of a conventional wedding, eloping could be the best option for you, your partner and your budget. For the adventurous amongst you, businesses such as S Photography elopement provide packages for you and your guests, by sourcing an exciting location, providing photography and handling the boring parts such as the licensing. Wedding DressChoosing what you will wear for the day is incredibly important to ensure you are comfortable, but also feel and look beautiful on your big day. If the bride is choosing to wear a wedding dress, this can rack up an unreasonable cost if you decide to source a brand new gown from a wedding dress shop. On average a new dress can cost around $1,500. Thankfully, there are alternative options that are better for your pocket such as;
Bear in mind, the second-hand dresses for sale have most likely only been worn for one day. So it is unlikely to be in poor condition. Buying second hand is also an excellent way to bag a designer dress for far less than purchasing it new. Do take into account, if you’re particular about the dress fitting you in a certain way, you will need to hire a seamstress who can adapt the dress for you, this will come at an additional cost. In a bid to have the perfect wedding without breaking the bank, the tips above should provide you with a few ideas of how to get a great venue and dress for less. Belle 
Seeing all of you're favourite people at Christmas can be really hard as everyone is so busy shopping, decorating and visiting family as well as living life in general. If you're not careful you can miss out on time with your closest friends. This is why I always try to plan a brunch or a lunch so I don't miss out on time with my favourites at such a special time.
Last year I invited some of my girlfriends from Spain to a very pink and girly afternoon.  After a super productive day Christmas shopping in the beautiful city of Edinburgh, (if you haven't been shopping there you should definitely check it out) we headed to the Christmas markets. Because is it even Christmas if you haven't been to the Christmas markets...
 During our festive trip to Edinburgh, we stopped by The Balmoral hotel for afternoon tea at the Palm court. Festive afternoon teas are a tradition for for us and we are always looking to try new one's. This would be my first Scottish afternoon tea... how exciting!
If you have a busy summer season of weddings coming up for 2019, the chances are you will need to plan your weekends very wisely. Weddings come in all shapes and sizes in the twenty first century. One Saturday you might be watching a distant relative saying their ‘I do’s’ in a traditional Catholic church, and the next weekend you might be enjoying a bohemian ceremony on a beach. It doesn't matter where you are heading to witness the joyous occasions, you need to ensure that your etiquette doesn’t slip. You will be attending one of the most special days of a couple's life, so you need to put in the extra effort. Follow this simple guide to help you be the perfect wedding guest.  Don’t Upstage The Bride The chances are that the bride will be wearing white. So its said that you shouldn't wear white as well. While you know that your friend will be stunningly beautiful, radiant and over the moon with her special day, this could be ruined if you rock up wearing the same colour. It’s an unwritten rule that the bride has dibs on white for the day. There are plenty of other colours out there to choose from. Go for something pretty, feminine and floral or opt for the trouser suit look a la Priyanka Chopra at Harry and Meghan’s wedding. Just because your favorite dress is the white one hanging in your wardrobe doesn’t mean you have to wear it. Be Courteous Just because you have many wedding invites to sort through doesn’t mean you should be tardy in your responses to them. It’s vital that you RSVP promptly and using the relevant communication method. If it asks for an email, don’t send a text. It looks lazy and disrespectful. Make sure you pencil in the dates on your calendar and start getting organised. Seek out gifts early, sort out your transport to and from venues and investigate hotels or accommodation if you need it. The bride and groom have enough on their plate and will not want to be chasing late responders to their invites.  Don’t Be The Bride’s Shadow
Just because you may be one of the brides closest friends doesn’t mean you can take up all her time at the reception. While you may be overjoyed to see her getting hitched and just want to express how proud you are, you have to let her mingle and share her time fairly. Wedding guests can number over one hundred, so it’s important that the bride and groom can speak to everyone. Be polite, wait your turn and allow her to enjoy her special day. You will see the bride when she gets back from her honeymoon so don’t hog her on the dance floor in the evening. The chances are that she will want to be with her new husband. You may find the thought of attending so many weddings tedious or exciting. In either case, it's important that you follow this guide to ensure that you master the art of perfect wedding guest etiquette. Belle Xx  Where possible we try and come home to the U.K as much as possible over the festive season, as to be quite frank no where does Christmas like it. Spain certainly has its own Christmas traditions, some of which we have come to love but nostalgia has us craving home soil.
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A Travel, beauty and lifestyle blog with the occasional afternoon tea by Angelina BelleCategories
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