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September weddings

August Weddings

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What makes August Weddings so popular?

It’s summer and lots of people are taking holidays which can be a mixed blessing because some of your guests may already have plans. We got married on the August Bank Holiday at the end of the month so I’ve always thought of it as peak season.

August Weddings

Of course this is England so great weather still can’t be guaranteed, here are the headlines…

Temperatures ~ August daytime temperatures will generally reach highs of around 22°C (72°F). At night the average minimum temperature drops down to around 13°C (56°F). In recent times the highest recorded temperature in August has been 35°C (95°F), with the lowest recorded temperature 5°C (41°F).

Rain ~ the average monthly amount of precipitation has been recorded at around 38 mm, that’s 1 inches. Throughout the month you can expect to see rain or drizzle falling on 14 days of the month.

Sunshine ~ expect the sun to shine for an average of 7 hours per day.

Some couples steer clear of the summer months because they don’t want their plans to be ruined by rain, as always the important thing is to have a “Plan B”.

To get the full rundown on what myweather2.com think about the weather for August Weddings in the Hampshire and New-Forest area CLICK HERE

Because it school holiday month August Weddings probably need to be booked sooner so that everyone gets those important “Save The Date” cards. For some couples planning smaller celebrations it’s probably not such a big deal. There have never been more options for weddings than we have now – what is right for you is what is important.

The pictures in this blog were taken at August Weddings held at Winslowe House CLICK HERE, The Beaulieu Hotel CLICK HERE, Bartley Lodge CLICK HERE and Skylark CLICK HERE. All four are good venues, a couple of them are exceptional in my opinion – if you’d like to know more please get in touch ~ paul@thepartydj.co.uk

 

real weddings

Read the small print ~ WOW Countdown … 11

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Hello, it’s the daily countdown to my “creating Your WOW Wedding” evening at Ampfield Golf Club and today I want you to make sure you read the small print!

Read the small print

Here’s a couple of great tips from my friend and fellow Hampshire Wedding Group member Jane from Winslowe House …

Read the small print

READ THE SMALL PRINT!  Always check the ‘special offer’…if it sounds too good to be true – it probably is!  You may find a wedding breakfast (for 30 guests) and evening reception (up to 100 guests) at a fabulous price but is it SO fabulous if the wedding breakfast consists of a one-course meal, an evening buffet for all guests but NO drinks package included….by the time you add additional course/s and drinks (arrival drinks, toast & wines), that so-called offer is the same price as many other venues!
 
FLEXIBILITY: You may book your venue 12 – 18 months ahead of your special day; check with the venue that they have a flexible approach…so that if in the lead-time you may change your mind on various aspects of your day, you can!  Some brides change their accent colour; some couples want to change their evening menu; change your welcome drink from Bucks Fizz to Pimms; increase/decrease guest numbers; and so on.

Find out before you commit your hard-earned deposit if there is a cut-off date when everything has to be ‘set in stone’ or if you wish to make any changes in the allotted time, there isn’t a surcharge for changing any item/s.

Jane is so right with both of these tips – you’d be amazed by some of the stories we hear from couples who have booked a venue and fall out with it before their wedding because of things hidden in the small print or lack their of flexibility! You have been warned 😉

Winslowe House is a fabulous venue that you may have not heard of before. It’s located between West End and Fair Oak on Quob Lane, close to the junction with Allington Lane.

To find out more about weddings at Winslowe House CLICK HERE
 
If you’d like to find out more about my “Creating Your WOW Wedding” evening please email paul@thepartydj.co.uk

winslowe

The End Of An Era

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DJ in Hampshire

 

 

Last weekend could be described as “The End Of An Era” ~ don’t panic, I’m not giving up, but it was the last weekend I will ever do weddings on consecutive days.  I made an announcement about this back on June 13th and have had a couple of “double -headers” since then which have both been brilliant but I worry about being totally focused and also about being able to offer last minute support to my couples in the lead up to their big day.

This has already meant I’ve had to turn down weddings for next year, so if YOU are thinking about booking me PLEASE don’t leave it too long – it’s never too early to talk about wedding entertainment.

So this was it, my last double-header wedding weekend …

Navigator Wedding DJ

On Friday I was delighted to supply ceremony music and then the evening disco for my good friend of nearly 30 years Andy and his beautiful Bride Vicky.  Andy was my “lighting jock” and warm-up DJ back in my New York New York days and then at Martines 2 in Eastleigh.  He’s been DJ’ing all the way through and still is very sought after as a club DJ.

They had their ceremony at the beautiful Winslowe House in West End with just their closest family followed by drinks and photographs in the grounds there.  Then they moved in a white Rolls Royce on to The Navigator at Swanwick for a meal and then they were joined by more family and friends for a great party to celebrate.  I had the honour of sharing their Love Story with everybody before their first dance which was to the Luther Vandross and Busta Rhymes version of “Lovely Day”

Later in the evening Vicky did a DJ set comprising of a mix I’d prepared of Andy’s own “Mercmonk” edits.  It was lovely day and it was great to see many old friends and celebrate with Andy and Vicky.

Then it was home by 1:30am and a few hours sleep before I left at 10:30am for Josh and Max’s wedding at excellent The Winchester Hotel.  I actually had help all-day from Charlie Rogers, an great young DJ who was keen to help and see how I ran an all-day wedding.  Everybody at the Hotel was very helpful and the day ran very smoothly.  I provided ceremony music and then my full Master of Ceremonies, background music, party DJ package, and it was a blast!  It was great to be working alongside Andrew from Hampshire Photography ~ Whitley Weddings, Andrew also provided an “open Photo Booth” during the evening reception.

I’ll probably post more about Max and Josh’s wedding in the future, there was such a lot going on!

Winchester Hotel Wedding DJ

Again I was delighted to be allowed to share their Love Story with their friends and family before their first dance which was to the Boyce Avenue version of “Without You” (originally a hit for David Guetta and Usher).

… and that was it, the End Of An Era!  Home by about 2am on Sunday morning and, as I type this on Monday morning, my feet still ache but I can’t stop smiling thinking about all the fun I had with these two fabulous couples and their nearest and dearest.

Winslowe House

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This is a review I posted recently on the For Better For Worse website’s venue pages …

Rachel & Gareth’s wedding at Winslowe House

As a DJ and Master of Ceremonies/Wedding Host I get to visit dozens of venues across the region so I gain a unique behind-the-scenes insight and I’m delighted to offer this review of Winslowe House.

The ceremony table Winslowe House

I’ve performed here twice this year and I can honestly say the service and attention to detail Jane and her team offer is exceptional.

Ceremony at Winslowe House

There are no “conveyor belt” weddings at Winslowe House, every couple receive the individual treatment that their most special of days deserves. The Barford Room which is licensed for civil ceremonies is beautiful, the driveway and grounds are very well maintained and perfect for photos and drinks, and the range of marquee options that can be so cleverly built onto the back of the house means that the reception space is always just right for the number of guests. I love the fact the marquee incorporates the borders around the terrace and so flowers and lavender are growing in the space creating a fragrant atmosphere.

Wedding Breakfast in the Barford Room at Winslowe House

Winslowe House is Jane’s home and she treats every wedding like it’s for a member of her family. Both of the weddings I performed at were totally different from each other, both couples had a fabulous day. Before you book your wedding venue I recommend you check out Winslowe House.

Mandy & Justin’s first dance at Winslowe House

For more information about Winslowe House visit their website CLICK HERE.

Paul acting as Wedding Host for Mandy & Justin’s wedding at Winslowe House

Last Saturday …

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Last Saturday was a very special day. I know I go on about how much I love what I do, but really, what’s not to love!

This was my first visit to Winslowe House, a truly exceptional wedding location. The attention to detail and quality of service provided was second to none, and I can’t wait for my next visit there in August.

The Civil Ceremony was held in The Barford Room

The Bride and Bridegroom were Rachel and Gareth who, along with their parents, Sue and Steve, Shirley and Terry, had planned a really unique wedding. I provided ceremony music, and then music for the drinks out on the terrace, wedding breakfast, and of course the evening party. I also acted on their behalf as Wedding Compere and helped direct everyone throughout the day.

I staged, what I like to call, Grand Entrances for all the members of the Wedding party as they entered the wedding breakfast. Then they had a table quiz during the meal and I announced the answers and the winning table before I introduced the Speeches, including a very funny speech from the 3 Best Men.

Gareth’s Three Best Men

I’ll probably post more about this lovely day over the coming weeks but I just wanted to share the two messages, with their owners consent, I received the very next day.

First came this one from the Bride who had only just arrived at their honeymoon location …

Paul I just wanted to say a massive thank you from me and Gareth for your amazing help yesterday – we had the best day ever and we can’t thank you enough for helping us make our day so special! Thank you thank you thank you! X

and also this one from Sue, the Mother of the Bride …

Hi Paul,
Just wanted to say a massive thank you for making Rachel and Gareths dream wedding come true. You are truly outstanding at the job you do and you go out of your way to make things perfect.
If any one wants an outstanding D J to make there wedding the best ever you are definitely the perfect choice.
Sue. x

Thank you so much ladies for your very kind words.

Rachel & Gareth’s first dance

As I said at the top, “what’s not to love”! I’m very lucky to have discovered this new role as a DJ and Party Host and even luckier to have such wonderful families to have fun with.

The cake baked with love by Rachel the Bride