Miscellaneous Monday: You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello

A bit of a different Miscellaneous Monday this week. Today we say goodbye to our Blog Editor, Kate Hacker, and hello to our new Blog Editor - Gianina Turner.

From Kate - Goodbye!

I've been the editor of the West Weddings blog for a year and a half and have loved every minute of it! It's been great to interact with readers and specialists in the wedding industry, and to supply information and tips to help brides throughout the West Country. Some of my favourite projects have been instituting Miscellaneous Monday and Fashion Friday here on the blog - I hope our readers have enjoyed them as much as I have.

I'll be moving on to focus more on my own blog (feel free to check it out, if you'd like) and my work with a small charity in Bristol.

There's no one I could be more pleased to hand the blog over to than Gianina (who has also created her own newlyweds magazine). She has a clear passion for weddings and I know she'll provide even more great tips and creative insight for all our brides and readers!

From Gianina - Hello!

Ever since I got engaged in 2012, I've been an avid reader of West Weddings and later on I became a contributor to the magazine, writing about all things to do with wedding preparations. You can read my feature on wedding rings in the latest issue of West Weddings magazine. I also enjoy writing about real weddings (my wedding was in the Autumn 2013 issue), so if you'd like to be in the pages of West Weddings magazine get in touch at westweddings@venue.co.uk!

As I take over from Kate the role of Blog Editor, I feel extremely lucky to be able to carry on the successful projects she has created on the West Weddings Blog. I know she will continue to inspire and help others through her writing, and I wish her good luck on her new journey!

The prospect of interacting with brides-to-be and wedding industry professionals via the blog and social media fills me with excitement. I am already buzzing with ideas and can’t wait to get to know our readers and help them with their planning for the big day. From wedding fairs to fashion and unique finishing touches, I love finding out about the latest trends and ways to create luxe for less.

I've always been a true romantic and a big believer in ‘happily ever after’ like in fairy-tales. I see weddings as joyful celebrations with family and friends, and the start of an exciting new chapter as a married couple.  

Planning a Wedding Without Breaking the Bank (Part 3) - Anneka's Story

Today we wrap up our series with Anneka’s story. Anneka and Tom got married only last month and it just so happens that it was photographed by none other than Yours Truly (me!).

Having spoken with Tom and Anneka I knew that they didn’t have the world to spend on their wedding, so I was interested to see how they went about planning. On their wedding day I was so floored by how gorgeous, well-planned and all-around FUN the day was that I couldn’t help but ask a few nosey questions to find out how they did it. While I was inspired by many weddings and many brides, it was actually Anneka’s wedding that really sparked this series!

Also, there are only three days left to enter to win your copy of ‘A Priceless Wedding’! Scroll to the bottom of Anneka’s story to enter.

(Click here for Part 1 and Part 2 of this series.)

Top Trumps & Candy Jars: Anneka’s Story

© Kate Hacker Photography

1.       Tell us a little bit about you, your wedding, and your wedding budget:

My name is Anneka and I got married to Tom in February of this year. We had just 4 1/2 months to organise our wedding. I work in a school so we had to plan around school holidays in order to have a honeymoon after. It was definitely a very busy few months. It helped that I worked part time and was able to do a lot in my spare time. Our budget was £7,500. 

2.       What elements of a wedding took top priority for you in your planning?

We were both flexible about how we wanting things to be. Neither of us had specific ideas and this made decisions easier. The one thing that was very important to us was that the day would be laid back and enjoyable for everyone.

3.       What was your experience of working on a budget, and what would you tell a bride who is worried that she needs to go into debt (or wait 10 years) to afford the wedding she wants?

It was very useful to have a budget and keep track of what we were spending. Before we wrote our budget we asked some friends about theirs. We didn't keep to it strictly but in the end we found that we were only £250 over. We asked friends and family to help us. We saved money by making lots of things, such as the invitations, orders of service and table decorations, and also we arranged the flowers ourselves.

© Kate Hacker Photography

4.       What did you end up spending the least amount of money on? Why did you spend less on this, and how did you manage to keep the cost down?

We tried to keep things simple. Instead of individual favours we had Top Trumps games and jars of sweets, which we had decorated, on each table. We also saved money by the men wearing their own suits but we hired matching shirts, waistcoats and cravats.

© Kate Hacker Photography

5.       What did you end up spending the most on, and why? What made this particular thing a spending priority for you?

We spent the most on providing food and drink for our guests - about £2,500. We wanted to celebrate with lots of our family and friends, so with nearly 200 guests we couldn't avoid this. We bought the drink ourselves when the supermarkets had offers on. We also decided to hire crockery that could be sent back dirty which cost more.

6.       What would you give as your top ‘insider tip’ for throwing a wedding without millions of pounds to spare?

Organising a wedding on a budget doesn't mean that you can't make it what you want. Decide what is important to you and be willing to compromise on some things. You can save lots by asking others to help you.

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Share your top tip for planning a wedding on a budget in the comments section below for a chance to win our giveaway of 'A Priceless Wedding'

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