Liverpool's Gothic Wedding House Relaunch Party

Where the Heart Is

Home Sweet Home for the North West’s Bridal Best

Liverpool’s iconic gothic building the Wedding House  relaunched last week over a two day event in true celebratory style.  And keeping in with the essence of any fabulous wedding knees up, guests were indulged with fun, fizz and festivities.  Special guest Lord Mayor Cllr Frank Prendergast officially opened the event by cutting an aptly coloured pink ribbon before stepping inside the beautiful grade II listed building to sample an array of the thirty elite suppliers now housed there.  Wow!

From its original detailed Victorian tiled floor to the inviting rich red staircase, it’s clear to see how the Gothic Revival inspired a genre of romantic poetry in the literary world.  And within the wedding world, it seems the Wedding House has stirred many a romantic too.  Brides and their entourages came in droves to sample the four floors of top design inspiration and personal style advice to help plan their special occasion. 

Hot band on the circuit, Kikosi set the party atmosphere as guests were wowed by a first dance routine choreographed by Danielle Norman from Butterfly Wedding Choreography.  Also wowing the guests were the easy-on-the-eye semi naked hunks courtesy of My Sexy Butler.

The Wedding House is the brainchild of husband and wife proprietors Neil and Jennifer Shaw of Knutsford.  Neil purchased the building eight years ago to house his Liverpool Groom formal hire store.  He approached several other businesses at a Liverpool Echo wedding show and invited them to join, several of who are still there now. In 2011, Jennifer, a business improvement consultant working predominantly for global PLCs, took a sabbatical to help out in the family business.  

Jennifer says “I started by approaching some of the best wedding and special occasion related businesses within the North West; my vision to bring in some younger, funkier and more bang on trend businesses who would widen the appeal to any stylish customer looking for something a little bit different for their special occasion.”  

Like any blushing bride-to-be, the Wedding House is now at her most beautiful.  Nestled in the heart of the city centre and open seven days a week, the cream of the wedding crop exclusively provide an all year round wedding show experience to guide brides through the exciting planning process.  A wedding treat retreat! 

“We are still very much aimed at the wedding market, however, I equally see it as a destination of choice for a fashionista visiting for that special outfit to make them stand out from the crowd at the races or something to give their party the WOW factor, whatever the occasion.”

For a detailed guide of all suppliers at the House please visit www.theweddinghouse.co.uk

Much Love & Happy Planning....xxx

Wedding Day Poetry - Another Happy Customer!

I love receiving feedback from satisfied clients! The below poem was commissioned by the bride’s sister as a surprise; to be read out during the civil ceremony. I was informed the bride and groom are a fun loving couple; not serious or mushy at all – so it was a splash of humour and a dash of sincerity – my speciality!

 

The poem made them cry tears of love and laughter – Operation Jeanette and Paul accomplished!

Much love x

Jeanette & Paul’s Wedding Day ~ Friday 5th August 2011

Welcome to today's celebration

5th August 2011

As we celebrate the new life, of husband and wife

Jeanette and Paul – a match made in heaven!

It's a beautiful ode of a couple bestowed

In marriage, till death do you part

For better or worse, let me rewind this verse

Back 22 years, to the start!

Well lads and lasses, it was collecting glasses

At the local back in '89

When their eyes first met and Paul wooed Jeanette

At closing, with pork scratchings and wine!

A romantic Blue Nose, Paul began to propose

Every year for the next 20 or so,

But was always met, with the same answer from Net,

"I'm not ready to be Mrs Robbo!!!!"

Was it the engagement ring, that made her heart sing

Not one, not two - but three?!!!!

Or the fact they just click and she can cherry pick

A lifetime of taxi rides - for free!

Macca had her soul mate; so they set the date

A day planned with precision and care,

Every detail and bit - from Aqua Fit

...To keeping Sharon away from her hair!

A shared passion in their romance, they love to dance

They’ve swept each other off their feet

And will party till dawn from the Registry lawn

…Down to the Huyton Civic Suite!

Our groom and bride have glowed with pride

In the roles you play here today

Best Men - Michael and Adam

And Thomas - for giving your Mum away

Let no man put asunder, here’s to James down under

Luke, Cian and Millie’s special roles too

Melissa the beautiful bridesmaid; Mal you couldn’t persuade

Net to let you be bridesmaid too?!!

First and foremost, today we’ll toast

Absent family we dearly miss

And for the epilogue, Roley the dog

Sends a big fat doggy kiss!

If there's one thing you take from this wedding keepsake,

From ‘your sis’ - please let it be this

Today is your beginning of always and ever

A lifetime of happiness and bliss!

So here's to Mr and Mrs Robinson

Who we all love more than you know

To love, laughter, and a happy ever after

Congratulations Mr & Mrs Robbo!

Written by Helen Burns

For Better or Verse  at

Bespoken Dreams Wedding Design and Consultancy

Hen Parties: A Load of Cobblers?

I received an email from a lovely Liverpool bridesmaid-to-be this week, searching for a different and discerning hen-do for her ‘very refined’ friend.  I read this as ‘classy’ and loved her straight away!  #Mykindagal.  Now, I’m ALWAYS on the look-out for exciting new ways for ladies to celebrate-singledom-sophisticatedly one last time.  Immediately I thought of a brand new service offered by those gorgeous creatives, Clare and Nina at Nook & Willow. 

Nook & Willow are an Accesoristas Online Dream.  Fact.  All their goods are handmade in England using only the finest leathers. Finished to perfection, any piece from a Nook & Willow collection is instantly recognisable. A favourite within the fashion world and sold across the globe via fashion powerhouse ASOS.com, unsurprisingly they have gained many celebrity fans and count Sienna Miller, Elle Macpherson and Coleen McLoughlin among their customers.

So, when my bridesmaid-to-be exasperatedly exclaimed ‘all hen do’s are just so tacky’, I thought – What….

 A LOAD OF COBBLERS!

Ladies, take it away...

“Ever thought about putting your own creative stamp on a pair of wonderful shoes?

“I’d like a bow here….. I want the straps this colour.” 

Stop right there, as now it’s your chance to!

Nook & Willow are opening their studio doors for their up and coming shoe making courses. You will get the chance to design, make and keep your very own footwear!

Spend the afternoon creating your own bespoke sandals with array of quality leather samples and expert advice off creative duo Clare Wilson and Nina Halliwell. In just one productive afternoon, you will figure how to mould materials of your own choice over a traditional shoe maker’s last. Next, you will learn how to embellish your footwear – be it fringed tassels, bows and more!  Not to mention devouring some fabulous home-made cake within the process.  Yum!

Each workshop holds up to five people, so you can come along and meet new people or book as a group, with friends or family.

The workshops are running from June 2011 costing £80 per person.

To enquire further about the workshop, contact  creative directors, Clare Wilson and Nina Halliwell.

Nook & Willow

Studio 2c, 36 Seel Street, Liverpool L1 4BE

                   

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0151 708 5576

studio@nookandwillow.com

The Greatest Flight of Your Lives...

“Fly me to the moon, let me sing among those stars; let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars, in other words…”

In other words: Picture this. You’ve said your ‘I do’s’, glowed and smiled as you walked up the aisle arm-in-arm, and kissed under a shower of freeze dried confetti. A uniformed captain greets you at the door and escorts you to your chartered luxury helicopter flight, ready to whisk you off to your reception, to party the day away. Only happens in the movies, right?

Wrong! Adding a special touch of a bespoke helicopter flight to your wedding day is easy with Helicentre

“Helicentre is based at Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Caernarfon Airport, and also provides regular helicopter services at Manchester Barton Airport. At Helicentre we have been involved in aviation for over 15 year. We provide commercial and private helicopter training as well as charter, surveying, helicopter sales and management.  This makes Helicentre the leading training provider in the North West.

Our wedding day packages start from as little as £639.  We can take the couple to the ceremony, and after the ceremony, to the reception. If the wedding and reception are at the same place we can take the bride and groom on a pleasure flight around the area. We don’t just depart from Liverpool Airport, we can also collect the Bride or Groom from a private landing site, be it their back garden a nearby field or a local golf course. Many hotels and stately homes allow us to land so there is not normally and issue with the landing sites. We can also land at the church if there is a suitable landing site, and we can get the land owner’s permission. Every wedding is unique and different so we can tailor it to whatever the client requests”.

And it doesn’t just stop there! How about a romantic VIP Helicopter Lunch & Spa Package, perfect for a proposal or thank you to your loved one?

“Treat yourself and others to the ultimate VIP helicopter lunch and spa package at Carden Park Golf Course and Luxury Spa. Whether you would like to have a special meal and relax and get pampered in the luxury spa, a helicopter is the ultimate way to travel.
Departing from the business aviation centre at Liverpool Airport the helicopter will fly towards the Cheshire plains. En-route you will view historic land marks from the air such as Eaton Hall, Cholmondley Castle, Peckforton Castle and Beeston Castle. After arriving at Carden Park the helicopter will wait for you to return. This is a fantastic VIP helicopter experience. Whether it is relaxing with friends, a romantic dinner or even a proposal in style, this will defiantly not be forgotten!

When this package is bought you will have the helicopter and commercial pilot under you own private charter. Price is for helicopter charter only.

There are a maximum of three passenger seats available for the flight.

Capt Ben Worstencroft
Commercial Pilot / Flight Instructor

Soooooo…..Chocks Away! x

Enchantingly Charming Wedding Day Memories...

"The idea of encapsulating precious memories and keepsakes in silver is something that I regard as beautiul and I feel privileged to be able to create unique jewellery which will be treasured."

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something....silver?

I am an huge fan of capturing wedding day memories, both traditional and non-traditional.  So when I was invited by skilled silversmith Catherine Ann McRae of Enchanting Charms  to view her site and wares, I couldn't wait to share!

"Capture a leaf or petals from a bride's bouquet, corsage or buttenhole and turn it into a precious piece of bespoke jewellery to last for a lifetime....

We also create a range of charms made from a loved ones fingerpints, hand or footprints, artwork or a special message.

All our beautiful keepsake jewellery is made from 99.9% pure silver, and each piece is unique.  Creations can be made from
 

•Flowers
•Footprints
•Bride's Bouquets
•Pet's Paw Prints
•Fingerprints
•Leaves

Creating a family heirloom which will last forever!

Each piece of jewellery will be unique as no two leaves or flower petals are ever the same.

Your precious mementos can be turned into

•Earrings
•Pendants
•Charms
•Cufflinks
•Keyrings

My Love of Silver

Being soft and pliable it offers the silversmith a greater degree of workability than most other precious metals.
I had been a lover of silver jewellery for as long as I can remember and when I was given an opportunity to study the work of experienced craftsmen, creating silver jewellery in Yorkshire, I jumped at the chance. They opened up to me a fascinating world of alternative ways of working with silver jewellery and it was there that the idea of Enchanting Charms was born.

Since the birth of Enchanting Charms I have gone on to further extend my skills and knowledge of how a skilled silversmith creates silver jewellery and have mastered the skills necessary to produce the stunning pieces of silver jewellery you see here.  It gives me great pleasure and satisfaction to take the process of creating stunning silver jewellery from a client's basic idea through the various production stages to eventually deliver a personalised silver jewellery keepsake which they will treasure forever. That is what Enchanting Charms is all about..

For more information visit http://www.enchantingcharms.co.uk/

Will You Marry Me?

Will You Marry Me Trio Box Set

The MOST romantic way to propose, ever! Ladies, look away...nnnnnow!

If you want to make a lasting impression when proposing marriage, and also have a special keepsake, then this is the appropriate gift to give...

The wooden heart shaped box set, with hinged lids, fits snugly one inside the other, with each one having an engraved message on the outside of the wooden box. A perfect marriage proposal gift.

The first box is engraved with the words "Will You" the second box "Marry" and the third box "Me".

Inside the third wooden heart box, is a velvet love heart shaped ring box, placed in freeze dried rose petals for you to add the engagement ring.

If you want to make this gift extra special by personalising further, you can add your loved one's name on the first box, "Roslynn... Will You" second box, "Marry" third box, "Me". (max 12 letters for name).

To personalise by adding name there is an additional charge.

This is a very romantic and special gift for a a romantic proposal which will be remembered in the years to follow...

http://www.violetandblue.co.uk/

She Looks Like a Sugar in a Plum - Plum Plum!

In the words of Caractacus Potts of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang "If you seek perfection in sugar confection, well there's something new on the scene"...

And that something new comes to you in the truly scrumptious form of Plum Sugar brought to you by the very sweet Lisa Alis!

Well, if like Dreams HQ Valentine's Day is Every Day, you will LOVE these sweet treats from the scrumdiddlyumptious sweet therapy that is Plum Sugar.

Plum Sugar's eatable tweetable treats are perfect for any occasion.

"Whether it be a birthday, christening, wedding, valentines or maybe an anniversary, there is a gift to suit your occasion. We customise a whole range of our products to fit in with every event imaginable, and it's a great alternative to liven up a table or goody bag with something everybody enjoys. We even work to your budget to give you the best value for money" says Lisa.  "Make your event or occasion even more special by personalising your gift to suit the occasion, with many styles of ribbon and packaging and of course your own custom tag or sticker, it makes endless combinations for your gift. 

Surprise a partner with some nostalgic love sweets from yesteryear or some heart shaped chocolates - show the special person in your life how much you care with any of our gifts and don't forget each one can be personalised with your own message.

Our sweet buffets are no ordinary buffets, they are a must for those who love to indulge in all their favourite sweets. From pick and mixes to specialist luxury sweet treats all presented in a selection of beautiful glassware with traditional confectionery tools from scoops and tongs to customisable candy bags. We also design your sweet buffet to colour match your event from ribbons and bows, to personalising your candy bags. A buffet that really completes any event."

You can find Plum Sugar's goodies currently at the below outlets:

Neighbourhood cafe
Moon & Pea
Malmaison
Signature Living Serviced Apartments
Bloom Creative
Booker Flowers

Visit http://www.plumsugar.co.uk/ for more info or to visit the above links.

A Sweet Tooth's Dream Come True! x

Honeymoon Swoon for a Fashionista Bride...

LANVIN Suitcase Honeymoon Set

Passport, Money, Tickets?  Check.  LANVIN Suitcase Honeymoon Set?  Check this out!

Exude Honeymoon Chic and be the Envy of the Jet Set with this extremely stylish LANVIN suitcase set from http://www.net-a-porter.com/

White glazed canvas suitcase with a collection of multicolored printed accessories. Lanvin suitcase has rounded corners, silver-tone hardware, clip fastenings, a wooden handle, fuchsia printed lining with designer tag on inner lid and grosgrain self-tie inner straps. It comes with a matching printed cotton tote bag that has grosgrain handles, is fully lined and has inner zip and patch pockets, a small patterned drawstring bag, pompom-embellished raffia flip flops that come in one size and a large printed pareo.

THE perfect gift for a fashionista bride...

I 'Ewe'! What To Buy The Winter Bride Who Has Everything...

Love From Australia Cupid Bow Just Married Cupid Sheepskin Boots

"How gorgeous are these Love From Australia Boots. Soft Ivory sheepskin cupid bow boots with braid ties on the side. At the back in Silver embroidery is JUST MARRIED. Perfect for the honeymoon or perfect as a wedding gift".

http://www.designerdesirables.com/

With special thanks to Hannah Mitchell for spying these beauties!

For Better or Verse - Bespoke Special Occasion Poetry

“Personality is the glitter that sends your little gleam across the footlights and the orchestra pit into that big black space where the audience is.”
Mae West – American actress.

The best advice I was given last year when planning our wedding was to really apply our own personalities to each aspect of the day. But before you start to panic this means the groom is going to hotfoot it down the aisle head-to-toe in the latest away kit, whipping the congregation into a mexican wave, chill! Stamping your personality onto your occasion can be subtle, delicate…..or even full blown out there! The idea is; it’s your day, and your choice. Weddings have really evolved over the last decade, and there are so many ideas and options (regardless of budget) to ensure you create the most perfect, personal day.

A unique way to truly personalise your day, give your guests an insight into your romance, and set your wedding day aside from any other, is with a bespoke, personal poem. I wanted our day to be a fantastic celebration, with each and every guest being involved. So a poem about our relationship gave Great Auntie Maud who’d I’d met five minutes earlier an insight into us, our day, our celebration. My poem to th hubby was entitled ‘The Proposal.' It was given to each guest as a place setting; a unique keepsake to treasure forever!

A special, bespoke poem about your own love story, from first date to proposal, could be recited in a speech, given as a wedding party gift, place setting or favour. They are perfect ice-breakers guaranteed to make your guest laugh AND cry! Ideal for any Best Men/Father of the Bride’s nervous of public speaking, wanting to deliver an eloquent, heartfelt, sincere speech with a double dose of humour!

So why not let For Better or Verse add a touch of magic to your special occasion and tell your beautiful story in rhyme?

SAMPLE: Italian Wedding - July 2010

http://forbetterorverseuk.blogspot.com/2010/08/italian-wedding-july-2010.html

SAMPLE: The Proposal - Dec 2008

http://www.forbetterorverse.co.uk/samples/index.htm

For more information, samples or testimonials please visit

http://www.forbetterorverse.co.uk/
http://www.forbetterorverseuk.blogspot.com/
mailto:helen@forbetterorverse.co.uk


With Love and Happy Planning,

For Better or Verse x