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Important announcement for all my couples

What will weddings look like after lockdown?

What will weddings look like after lockdown? This question has been stuck in my head for the last week or two. Please don’t think I’m being negative. I appreciate thousands of couples have their big day “on hold” at the moment – I’m so sorry for you, try not to worry, your day will come.

I have already rescheduled most of my 2020 weddings up to July. Unfortunately, I’m beginning to think some of the rescheduled dates won’t be happening either. As the reality of the situation, we find ourselves reveals itself to us all, I wonder if this will change weddings forever.

What will weddings look like after lockdown

Initially, what will weddings look like after lockdown?

Let me say again, I’m not trying to be negative – I hope I’m wrong and that things return to normal as soon as it’s safe.

Let’s look at what will happen when the lockdown is first relaxed. I think the Government will probably enforce, or at least recommend, guidelines of the number of people who can gather for an event. Most of my weddings are between 50 and 100 people during the day, with extra guests invited to join in the evening. My guess is that gatherings of over 50 are likely to be against the recommendations.

Then there’s personal protection equipment. People used to laugh at old wedding photos because of the fashions people were wearing. I remember attending a wedding in the eighties wearing bright green trousers – don’t judge me, I looked great! After the lockdown is relaxed some people are likely to continue wearing gloves and masks, this could make for interesting photos.

How will people behave when things start to change? Many people may decide to stay away from large gatherings.

What will weddings look like after lockdown in the longer term?

We have been forced to stay away from our friends and family. Many of us crave a hug from people we can’t spend time with.

Maybe after lockdown people will want to invite more people to their weddings to celebrate. Or perhaps they will have fewer guests, choosing to spend time just with the people they really cherish.

Then there’s the change to peoples financial circumstances. Many people have had their income reduced, this means they may be not so keen to spend out. Also, lots of people have become used to a simpler way of life – how will this affect weddings.

Finally …

Of course, THIS IS JUST SPECULATION (sorry to shout). I consider myself a wedding expert, but I certainly don’t know all the answers.

CLICK HERE to go to the Hampshire County Council website for their latest guidance.

What do you think? What will weddings look like after lockdown?

Do you have any questions or thoughts? I’m not particularly busy at the moment, so if you want to have a chat about this, or anything wedding or party related, drop me an email or give me a call on 07973 617 153. Cheers!

Aleisha knows her stuff (NSFW)

Aleisha knows her stuff, she REALLY knows her stuff. She’s the most knowledgeable, engaging, and entertaining wedding blogger/expert/podcaster I’ve found, and she’s put an amazing catalogue of work together. This weeks Bridechilla podcast is number 379! That’s Three Hundred and Seventy Nine!!!

You may remember I mention Aleisha back in my post about chair covers (CLICK HERE).

What, I hear you ask, is a Bridechilla? well Aleisha describes a Bridechilla this way …

“Being a Bridechilla is about staying present and positive while saying f*** it to the shouldas,couldas and wouldas.
It’s about taking control of your wedding planning, ditch the wedstress and get things done. It’s about enjoying the process but not becoming so caught up with it all that you miss out on ‘non-wedding life’.”

The Bridechilla Podcast

The podcast episodes cover everything you can think of. Sometimes they take the form of interviews with other wedding suppliers and sometimes she answers Bridechilla’s questions. This week it’s a Q&A episode with Brides-to-be asking about topics including (and I paraphrase) “should I invite my difficult sister to my wedding” and “how to avoid unwanted and unnecessary gifts and expense at my Bridal Shower”.

You may be wondering about the NSFW (Not Safe For Work) aspect I flagged up in the title. Aleisha is a straight-talking Australian and she can be a bit “potty mouthed”. So if the F-Bomb offends you this probably isn’t the podcast for you. CLICK HERE to go to the podcast on iTunes or search Bridechilla in your podcast provider.

The Bridechilla FaceBook Community

As well as the podcast there is a FaceBook group for listeners to interact with each other, exchange thoughts and ask questions. CLICK HERE to go to The Bridechilla Community page – it’s a closed group so you’ll have to answer a few questions to get access.

The Bridechilla Store

Aleisha and her husband Rich have also put together several books, guides and even an “OH SH*T KIT filled with helpful items to get you through any wedding day emergencies!

Like I said, Aleisha knows her stuff. I think she gets it right almost all the time! I cannot recommend her highly enough – she’s awesome. Please check her out.

Happy Days!

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How long does it take to plan a wedding?

How long does it take to plan a wedding? This post was prompted by an article in Brides Magazine entitled How To Plan Your Wedding In 30 days (click here to read the article). 30 days seems to be the minimum notice you need to register your wedding. My research leads me to think it’s actually 28 days (Click here) for a civil marriage, but it’s also down to availability of Registrars etc.

I was also thinking about how long does it take to plan a wedding because my couples usually seem to book between a year and 18 months ahead of their wedding. This seems to be fairly normal now. When Ce and I got married a million years ago (that’s a slight exaggeration, keep an eye on this blog for a post about our Anniversary next month) we got engaged on Boxing Day and married the follow August – eight months . As you may have read, our daughter got married back in April following their engagement the July before – just under nine months.

Planning a long time ahead is good because it gives you time to save and think – but is it too long to think? Why do couples often plan so far ahead? I think it may have been down to the fact the “best venues” get booked ages in advance – but now there are lots of great venues and also weddings on any day of the week have become acceptable when it used to just be Saturdays.

So, how long does it take to plan a wedding?  I guess the answer is between 30 days and … years! It’s really up to you how long. There are so many options and things to think about, some couples will just want to be married because they want to commit to each other and start the next chapter of their lives. Others will wait while they save to have their dream wedding – what will you do? How about this Autumn?

If you’d like free advice on the various options and a free copy of my “WOW Wedding Guide” please get in touch – email paul@thepartydj.co.uk

One final thought … weddings aren’t about stuff, they are about two people in love – often couples who plan a long engagement seem to add lots of stuff to their wedding day. Beware of adopting too many things you see on Pinterest, sometimes less is more! I’ll write a post on this soon.

Woodlands Lodge Wedding DJ

It’s Coming Home

It’s Coming Home … you can’t ignore those three words, they are everywhere this morning. I write this post the day after Englands 2-0 win over Sweden in the Quarter Final of the World Cup, a sporting moment that seems to have the whole Nation smiling. However, I’m not here to extol the virtues of the team or speculate about the Semi Final with Croatia, I’m looking at the effect they have on weddings.

I’ve mentioned this kind of situation in my series of posts about getting married in the various months of the year (to see these posts just use the search box on the right and type in the month you want to look at) Writing this today I can now add more personal thoughts following my daughters wedding earlier this year.

When Amy and Sean looked at setting their date we took a good look at the diary to try and pick a date that wouldn’t be effected by outside events. This is a lot easier than it used to be because we’ve got Google. You can Google the date and see what comes up, for example perhaps you are looking at getting married on this day next year … (pause while I Google it) … I searched for “8th July 2019”, “events on 8th July 2019”, and “What’s on 8th July 2019” – nothing much came up so I searched just “July 2019” and a few things came up including the 2019 Women’s World Cup and the Cricket World Cup. On first look these may not appear as big as yesterdays game but what if England, or another nation represented at your wedding, is playing a big game?

Amy and Sean decided on an April wedding and we talked about the World Cup when we made the decision. We checked the date and thought it was the best of the possibilities available and booked it. Now the happy couple are both Saints fans (and I could rattle on about that for a few thousand  words but …) so imagine how we all felt when, in a season of doom and gloom, Southampton reached the Semi Finals of the FA Cup with the games to be played on the weekend of their wedding! It’s coming home, The FA Cup could be returning to Southampton. Amy, Sean and many of their guests, including me, wanted to be there.

The game wasn’t allocated a date until a few weeks before the wedding and fortunately the Saints game was played on the Sunday at 3pm and not on their wedding day. If it had have been the Saturday game we planned to show it on a big screen as part of the entertainment. Because it was played on the Sunday we were able to go to Wembley but that did mean we had to get up for breakfast early (Amy and Sean came down in their Saints shirts) and ultimately that we all came down from the euphoric mood of the wedding to reality with a huge bump as we lost – but that’s football. We had two great days regardless – here’s a pic of us having a few drinks before kickoff at Wembley.

It's coming home

Make no mistake, even if football holds no interest to you, someone will want to follow the match if it clashes with your wedding. Last Tuesday we went to see Earth, Wind & Fire and throughout the show people were checking their phones to see how England were doing against Colombia and I saw one guy watching the live stream throughout the concert. Imagine how you would feel if a guest at your wedding ceremony was staring at their phone!

So here we are this morning, Sunday 8th July and it’s Coming Home, let’s hope so! I hope you’ll remember our story and think about planning your wedding with outside events in mind – how will you make sure your big day is truly unforgettable for all the right reasons no matter what is happening elsewhere?

If you have any questions or need help to create Your WOW Wedding please drop me a message paul@thepartydj.co.uk

Mug of tea raised … all together now … “It’s coming home, it’s coming home, it’s coming, football’s coming home”

Wedding planning ~ here are some dates for your diary.

If you are Wedding planning, here are some dates for your diary.

I’ll be at a couple of weddings fairs over the next two months and I’ve also got a “Creating Your WOW Wedding” evening booked. All three of these events will really help whether you’ve just started your wedding planning or think you’ve got it all done ( especially this first one 😉 )

Thursday 6th July ~ “Creating Your WOW Wedding” at Gray Manor
I’m delighted to have been invited by Eli and Jason from Gray Manor to present my WOW evening. I was the DJ they chose to provide the entertainment for their wedding back on New Years Eve 2015 when they first took over the hotel.

Here’s what Eli had to say about my wedding planning services when she voted in support of my Wedding Industry Awards entry …

“He made the day so much more special with his unique touches and is so much more then just a DJ. We would not have had the day we did without him. I actually found the wedding planning process quite stressful due to selling a house and opening a new business at the same time, so was not enjoying it but every time I saw Paul, I would come away so excited for the day and he really made the difference both in the lead up and on the day to making the wedding so fun and enjoyable.”

During the evening I will look at the principles set out in Your WOW Wedding, by booklet on how to create a wedding that is all about you – if you haven’t seen it a preview is available in my website bookcase CLICK HERE and you can get access to the whole book my emailing me.

Gray Manor is a stunning venue offering fantastic service, you should really check it out and this evening will be a great opportunity to do just that.

This event is FREE, to reserve your place and/or for more information email paul@thepartydj.co.uk

Wedding Breakfast at Gray Manor


Wedding Disco at Gray Manor

Then we have the two wedding fair / wedding planning events, both at venues that I haven’t been to before …

Sunday 16th July ~ Wedding Fair at Three Choirs Vineyard ~ 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. £2.00 per person entry fee (children free)

Sunday 30th July ~ The Summer Wedding Festival at Gordelton Mill SO41 6DJ ~ 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. Free entry

If you have just started your wedding planning it’s really tough to know where to start, here’s a couple of videos I did a while back that I hope will help – there are plenty more on my YouTube channel.

So if you are wedding planning try and make it to these three excellent events and watch out for some more dates for your diary coming soon.

real weddings

Grand Finale ~ WOW Countdown … 1

Our final tip, for now, is about creating your Grand Finale!

1 grand finale

Finally … a staged “Last Dance / Grand Exit” is a great way to end your WOW Wedding. If you want the end of the party to be as memorable as the first dance, then with a bit of planning we can arrange for you to be in a big circle of guests, or for you to exit via an archway of guests.

Also you may like to say a final “thank you” on the microphone?

Whatever you want is best – just make sure you actually think about it and plan how the most important party you will ever give ends.

A great DJ will help you plan a Grand Finale and make sure it all happens!

Tomorrow I’m going to run through all the tips I’ve posted in the countdown to my “Creating Your WOW Wedding” event on Tuesday evening.

I can confirm I’ll be joined by several friends from the Hampshire Wedding Group who will be on-hand to answer any questions you have about other aspects of wedding planning. The doors open at 7pm for a 7:30pm start, the evening is in two halves with a break for you to mingle and we should be finished between 9:30pm and 10pm – so it’s not going to be a late night. The bar at Ampfield is very reasonable priced and I even have goodie bags for the first 20 couples and we may have a free raffle (I’m just putting the last few details together.

photographs

real weddings

Ceremony Music ~ WOW Countdown … 9

We’re in to the final straight as I countdown to this Autumn’s “Creating Your WOW Wedding” evening, and 9 is all about Ceremony Music.

Ceremony music

As I said last time, your wedding ceremony sets the tone for everything that follows. If you start your wedding by making everybody feel welcome and involved in something special the rest of the day will just continue with the same vibe. Finding the right music for the arrival of your guests, the bridal entrance (processional), music for the signing of the register, and your exit as husband and wife (recessional) may seem like a daunting task but it really isn’t – there are plenty of easy choices that work. The challenge (and I think the real fun) is finding the Ceremony Music that not only you love but also really adds to the moment.

These 30 minutes to an hour are THE moment in time when everything changes – the start to a whole new chapter in your lives – please don’t just think of them as “the legal bit”

On the Bookcase page on my website you’ll find a preview to the “Music For Wedding Ceremonies” booklet I’ve written CLICK HERE

We are now just a few days away from my “Creating Your WOW Wedding” event – email me NOW to reserve your places paul@thepartydj.co.uk

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PLEASE tell any friends who are planning their wedding about this series of blog posts and the event – even if it’s after 15th November because I’ll be planning more ~ thanks.

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Ushers ~ WOW Countdown … 10

It’s the final countdown (cue Europe’s 80’s single), we’ve got to 10 and I’m looking at first impressions and the role of the ushers.

wow-10

This time I’ve got a video I made back in March last year called “First Impressions”. It’s one of the topics that I’m really passionate about – too many weddings start “half-cocked! This is really easy stuff but is so often neglected, a beautiful room has been prepared and yet the ushers don’t know what they are doing and there is no music creating the atmosphere – just silence and awkward conversations.

My tip for ushers … and this is brilliant, even though I say it myself…
1) Find out what the seating plan is – are the brides family sitting on the left and the bridegrooms on the right, or is everybody being asked to sit wherever they want.
2) Who are the seats at the front reserved for?
3) Once you know that simply stand at the entrance to the room and smile
4) As each group of guests arrive hold out your hand to shake theirs and say “Hello, welcome to (insert names) wedding, I’m (insert your name)” … they will shake your hand and say who they are ~ for example “I’m XXXXX” and they will probably add their relationship to the bride or bridegroom, so you’ll know where to direct them.
5) If you have time, and especially if they are older guests (Grandparents etc), escort them to a seat.
6) If they have small children think about seating them where they can easily escape if the child becomes restless and make sure any pushchairs don’t block walkways etc.
7) It’s also good to know where the toilets are for any guests who need to freshen up.

People love to feel welcomed, if your ushers can get this bit right your guests will love them and feel great right from the start.

I cover more on ushers and bridesmaids in my “Creating Your WOW Wedding” event on Tuesday 15th November at Ampfield Golf Club – you’d be a fool to miss it! Reserve your places now, email me paul@thepartydj.co.uk

wow-save-the-date

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How Much ~ Countdown … 15

How Much is todays topic in the countdown to my “Creating Your WOW Wedding” evening.

How Much 15

“How Much?” is a very interesting question. I often hear people saying that “everything costs more when the word wedding is attached to it” – cake/wedding cake, photographer/wedding photographer, DJ/wedding DJ! Why should this be the case? Well a wedding is a once in a lifetime event and the care and attention that go into it probably exceed other parties. I know some suppliers who simply charge more because they can but most put in an incredible amount of work to provide the best service.

Here’s a video I made about “How much you should pay for a wedding disco”.

Generally in life I believe you get what you pay for – especially if you are careful with your purchases. Sometimes you will find a bargain but the most important thing when you are buying or booking things for your wedding is that you get what you want/need. Check out their testimonials and talk to their previous clients. CLICK HERE to go to my testimonials page and make sure to check out my Real Weddings booklet.

So “how much” is a very important question but making sure you know what you want and that the person delivering it actually can is where the focus should be. Take your time, do your research and, as I’ve mentioned several times already in this series, build relationships with your main suppliers.

Don’t forget my “Creating Your WOW Wedding” evening at Ampfield Golf Club on Tuesday 15th November. Tickets are £10 per couple with the money going to The Countess Mountbatten Hospice Charity. Full details are available on the previous posts on this blog.

Finally, here a new promotional video I’ve been working on. I’d value your opinion – please drop an email to paul@thepartydj.co.uk

real weddings

That Kiss ~ Creating Your WOW Wedding” Countdown ~ 16

“That Kiss” is todays tip for anyone planning their wedding. If you scroll back on this blog you’ll find I’ve been posting a tip everyday as I countdown to my “Creating Your WOW Wedding” event on Tuesday 15th November.

that-kiss-16

I think you are all going to like todays tip.

Your wedding is made up of many “firsts” and your first kiss is one of the most important. I did a video about this for Valentines Day in 2014 so I thought I’d share it with you again today.

Many of the kisses you share on your wedding day will be photographed, so make sure they look EPIC!

CLICK HERE to go to “Paul’s Bookcase” where you can find more great stuff. Whether you want to book me or not for your wedding I want you to benefit from the ideas I’ve developed, so please consider attending my event at Ampfield Golf Club on the evening of Tuesday 15th November. Tickets are just £10 per couple including up to 4 guests you want to bring – parents etc. If you don’t think the event was worth the £10 at the end I’ll give you a full refund. Doors open at 7pm for a 7:30 start – the evening will be split into two halves with a break in the middle and there will be plenty of time to ask me questions and we should be done by 10pm at the latest. You will also be able to chat with a few of my expert friends – more details about who will be attending soon. Your £10 will go to The Countess Mountbatten Hospice Charity and if you get a refund it will come from my own pocket – so the charity still benefits.

Remember, practise makes perfect so take some time to rehearse that kiss!

wow-save-the-date