Red, white and blue wedding theme ideas
With all eyes on Britain this year, there's never been a better time to have a red, white and blue themed wedding! We've picked out some of the chicest items that will be guaranteed to add a touch of Royal Britannia to your big day
Who does what on your wedding? Our wedding traditions guide
Find out who does what on your wedding day in our guide to wedding etiquette
For many brides the idea of delegation will be a welcome one, but wedding etiquette can be controversial. To find out who does which job and what favours are appropriate to ask, follow our guide on traditional wedding etiquette to ensure your wedding day is favour-full and offence-free!
The ushers
•Attend the groom’s stag night and may offer input into the groom’s party’s outfit choices
•Welcome guests at the ceremony
•Organise the ceremony seating
•Distribute details of the service
•Escort the groom’s parents and bride’s mother to their seats
•Mingle with guests once the ceremony is over strong
The bridesmaids
•Chief bridesmaid is leader of the pack and not usually a child
•A married chief bridesmaid is referred to as matron of honour
•Brides choose younger girls as flower girls
•Help to choose your dress
•Attend dress fittings (and be patient for as long as it takes!)
•Arrange the hen night and any other planning you need help with
•Carry the crucial ‘bride kit’ on the day itself, which might include make-up (specifically lipstick, powder and blotting sheets), tissues, safety pins, paracetamol (should the bubbly begins to take its toll) and glue for any nail or eyelash extensions
•Walk down the aisle behind you and hold the bouquet when you reach the altar
The best man
•Does a recce of the bride and groom’s chosen ceremony and reception venues
•Helps to choose the ushers
•Organises the stag do (and makes sure the groom returns with both eyebrows intact)
•Assists with arranging transport and, crucially, getting the groom to the venue on time and in one piece
•Checks that he has the rings on the day
•Makes sure order of service sheets have been brought to the venue to hand to guests as they arrive
•Checks he has the rings again…
•Delivers a fantastic speech at the wedding reception
•Toasts the bride and groom
•He may serve as toast master in place of a professional one. For toast master duties, click here.
•Arranges honeymoon departure
The toast master
•Greets the bride and groom when they arrive at the wedding reception
•Directs guests around the venue and to any facilities
•Assists the photographer in gathering members of the bridal party
•Announces the entrance of the bride and groom and escorts them to the top table
•Announces the cutting of the cake
•Introduces the speeches and makes sure they are conducted in the correct order
THE PARENTS
Sometimes a parent’s involvement can verge on meddling, so make sure their roles are clear-cut from the beginning and avoid any pre-wedding family fall-outs. Here’s what you can traditionally expect from parents.
Bride’s parents
•Organising and paying for a wedding traditionally fell to the bride's parents so the mother and father of the groom used to have less of a say. Yet this custom has changed over the years, particularly when both sets of parents are contributing to the cost
•If the bride's parents are hosting the wedding the invitations should be sent out in their names
•The bride's mother usually helps with the organisation, taking some of the pressure off the bride by going on dress and bridesmaids’ fittings with her, helping with the guest list and so on
•The bride's father usually accompanies the bride to the church or venue and escorts her down the aisle
•The bride's father makes the first speech, thanking all the guests for coming and proposes a toast to the bride and groom
Groom’s parents
•The groom’s parents may help out towards wedding costs
•Either or both sets of parents may sign the register
•At the reception if there's a receiving line, both sets of parents will also meet and greet guests
The ushers
•Attend the groom’s stag night and may offer input into the groom’s party’s outfit choices
•Welcome guests at the ceremony
•Organise the ceremony seating
•Distribute details of the service
•Escort the groom’s parents and bride’s mother to their seats
•Mingle with guests once the ceremony is over strong
The bridesmaids
•Chief bridesmaid is leader of the pack and not usually a child
•A married chief bridesmaid is referred to as matron of honour
•Brides choose younger girls as flower girls
•Help to choose your dress
•Attend dress fittings (and be patient for as long as it takes!)
•Arrange the hen night and any other planning you need help with
•Carry the crucial ‘bride kit’ on the day itself, which might include make-up (specifically lipstick, powder and blotting sheets), tissues, safety pins, paracetamol (should the bubbly begins to take its toll) and glue for any nail or eyelash extensions
•Walk down the aisle behind you and hold the bouquet when you reach the altar
The best man
•Does a recce of the bride and groom’s chosen ceremony and reception venues
•Helps to choose the ushers
•Organises the stag do (and makes sure the groom returns with both eyebrows intact)
•Assists with arranging transport and, crucially, getting the groom to the venue on time and in one piece
•Checks that he has the rings on the day
•Makes sure order of service sheets have been brought to the venue to hand to guests as they arrive
•Checks he has the rings again…
•Delivers a fantastic speech at the wedding reception
•Toasts the bride and groom
•He may serve as toast master in place of a professional one. For toast master duties, click here.
•Arranges honeymoon departure
The toast master
•Greets the bride and groom when they arrive at the wedding reception
•Directs guests around the venue and to any facilities
•Assists the photographer in gathering members of the bridal party
•Announces the entrance of the bride and groom and escorts them to the top table
•Announces the cutting of the cake
•Introduces the speeches and makes sure they are conducted in the correct order
THE PARENTS
Sometimes a parent’s involvement can verge on meddling, so make sure their roles are clear-cut from the beginning and avoid any pre-wedding family fall-outs. Here’s what you can traditionally expect from parents.
Bride’s parents
•Organising and paying for a wedding traditionally fell to the bride's parents so the mother and father of the groom used to have less of a say. Yet this custom has changed over the years, particularly when both sets of parents are contributing to the cost
•If the bride's parents are hosting the wedding the invitations should be sent out in their names
•The bride's mother usually helps with the organisation, taking some of the pressure off the bride by going on dress and bridesmaids’ fittings with her, helping with the guest list and so on
•The bride's father usually accompanies the bride to the church or venue and escorts her down the aisle
•The bride's father makes the first speech, thanking all the guests for coming and proposes a toast to the bride and groom
Groom’s parents
•The groom’s parents may help out towards wedding costs
•Either or both sets of parents may sign the register
•At the reception if there's a receiving line, both sets of parents will also meet and greet guests
Top Gift List Ideas
Evolution has delivered a must-have wedding gift list brimming with everything from the much-loved champagne flutes to Nintendo Wii consoles. Smile! You’re in wedding gift heaven!
Le Creuset Teal set from Prezola
Forget the toaster. Most couples will already have that. And the pans, the bed sheets and possibly the plates. Today’s gift list is more likely to read: Le Creuset Rectangular Dishes (from £16), Smartbox Gift Experiences for 2 (from £39.95), Hunter Original Tall Wellington Boots (from £69) and a Nintendo Wii Console (from £143.20).
No longer are toasters and cutlery at the top of the list as high tech gadgets creep into the top 20 wedding gifts for the new decade. Which means the wedding gift list is going to bring with it more than a few smiles from your husband-to-be. John Lewis did a study of over 1,000 wedding gift lists to find some key trends on luxury electricals and home furnishings. While men are opting for the latest digital gadgets, women are sneaking in Hunter wellies and planning for parenthood with buggy requests from Bugaboo.
The silver photo frame that used to be top of the list has been superceded by the digital photo frame and, according to John Lewis, the UK’s most popular gift list provider, even the Nintendo Wii games console has now made it into the top 10.
It’s not the only gift list craze of 2012. According to Debenhams one in ten couples are asking for charitable donations to be added to their wedding list, which is a threefold increase on last year. William and Kate are among the many who shunned the traditional gift list, instead asking guests to give charitable donations. There’s also been a rise in couples asking for gift vouchers and contributions to their honeymoons by using companies such as the aptly named Honeyfund to organise gifts.
It’s still important, of course, for guests to buy a couple something they can keep and hold on to for years to come. And traditional gifts such as champagne flutes and the like will always be a firm favourite.
‘Personalised keepsakes are lovely’, comments Confetti Features Editor, Kate Thompson. ‘They’re much more thoughtful than a boring carriage clock or practical linens. Adding keepsakes that can be personalised to your gift list in the form of home or garden wares will ensure you are given extra special gifts from those dearest to you. My favourite wedding gift was a set of personalised mugs with brilliant and hilarious cartoons of my husband and I and our names on them. They’ve had pride of place on display in our kitchen ever since the wedding 10 years ago this summer.’
Plan Your Gift List
Simply make a list of everything you have both ever wanted and hope that someone you invite to your wedding will get it for you. Gift lists certainly make it easier for guests to know what you would like and they do protect against being given the same gift 100 times over.
Confetti Top 20 Wedding Gift Ideas
- Pair of champagne flutes
- Nintendo Wii Console
- Digital photo frame
- Silver photo frame
- Coffee maker
- Garden accessories
- Kitchen gadgets
- Cutlery set
- Playstation 3
- Chinaware
- Glass vase
- Crystal glass bowl
- Wine cooler
- Photo album
- Personalised champagne keepsake
- Artwork
- Stylish doormat
- Gift experience
- Honeymoon contribution
- Gift vouchers
Visit Confetti’s gift list page for great gift ideas!
Introducing Guest Blogger (and Bride-to-Be) Linley Taber
Photo: Courtesy of Linley Taber
What do real brides have to say about the wedding planning experience? Well, it's not all happy tears at the bridal boutique and indulgent cake tastings. Guest blogger Linley Taber shares the ins and outs of finding bridesmaid dresses that can withstand a high-kick on the dance floor, and more.
There's something you must know about me and my peeps: we are highly aggressive dancers. We're talking booty-shaking, air-guitar-playing, let's-choreograph-this-Rihanna-song-right-now dancers. And I can hardly wait to see my fiancé, family members, and friends demonstrate these considerable talents on our wedding day.
In fact, this desire for an epic dance party has shaped much of our wedding planning so far. We've booked a killer 70s band that, as a policy, does not take breaks. I chose my gown primarily for its breathable fabric—and the fact that I can successfully body-roll in it (yes, I did a test-run smack in the middle of Vera Wang). Even our venue, a hilltop farm in the Connecticut countryside, boasts the sort of maximum airflow necessary to cool off a sweaty throng of dancing guests.
So when I set out with my bridal party consisting of my three younger sisters (see below!) to look for bridesmaid dresses last week, our priorities were clear. Yes, we wanted to stick to our color palette of pinks and oranges. But the real test was comfort and maximum movability. (i.e., will the frock allow for an impromptu high-kick should the song demand it?)
Photo: Courtesy of Linley Taber
Our shopping trip was sort of a last-ditch effort: we'd already nixed the idea of going with a traditional bridesmaid dress designer (too matchy-matchy for my nearly identical sisters), and, after months of emailing back-and-forth, we'd come no closer to hitting the dress jackpot.
But as soon as we stepped onto Bloomingdale's evening wear floor, the three most perfect dresses beckoned us. And, praise be to the wedding gods, each sister had a favorite one that fit and flattered her perfectly—even during the celebratory fist-pumping and twirling that ensued in the dressing room. All three dresses are floaty, floor-length chiffon. One is a coral Lauren Ralph Lauren halter gown with slim spaghetti straps and a sash at the waist. The other two are BCBG Max Azria—one is light fuchsia with a v-neck style and thin straps; the other is a peachy orange strapless dress with sweetheart neckline. All three, my sisters assure me, are super comfortable. (And they'll each be wearing flat metallic sandals underneath, which means they don't have to worry about (A) their heels sinking into the grass during the outdoor ceremony and (B) needing to change into comfortable footwear once it's time to unleash our choreographed sisters dance.)
This whole 15-minute endeavor was so painless and easy, it kind of felt like a fluke. So, I called my sister Lisa a few days later to double-check that our search was done.
"It's the most comfortable dress ever," she said. "And P.S., is it weird that I keep trying it on and dancing around my room?"
Um, not at all. In fact, as soon as my own dress comes in, I fully intend on doing the same.
—Linley Taber
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