Save the Date: Bridal Auction
Looking for a wedding dress at recession-friendly prices? A Bridal Auction is taking place at the Red Cow Hotel in Dublin on Sunday 20th February 2011.
The auction room will open from 11,30am for viewing and the auction will take place from 2-6pm. You can preview the wedding dresses on offer at www.bridalauction.ie.
You can also get in touch at any time to make an appointment to view a gown, or to make a bid before the auction. For more information, email Ann at info@bridalauction.ie.
Save the Date:
Bridal Auction
Red Cow Hotel, Dublin
Sunday 20th February 2011
2-6pm
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Alternative Wedding Tunes
It has been reported in the media that US chart toppers Kings of Leon would like to perform at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding this April.
Will Kate and William walk down the aisle to the beats of a rock song? We doubt it but, like many other couples, the Royal Wedding might see the traditional wedding march and conventional ceremony music replaced with something more contemporary.
The Wedding Planner asked talented musician Stephen Tallon, from First Floor Music, to share some of his favourite tunes for wedding ceremonies with a modern touch:
-Something in the way she moves, by The Beatles
Written by George Harrison, this gem is believed to have been inspired by Harrison’s wife at the time, Pattie Boyd. With 150 covers by great artists, this is one The Beatles’ most romantic More »
Johnstown Castle is a gay friendly venue
Johnstown Castle in County Wexford is probably Ireland’s oldest-newest venue for civil weddings and civil partnerships in Ireland. The venue, that has been a popular wedding photography spot for years, was only approved as a civil ceremony venue in June, hosted its first wedding in 100 years in September and will be hosting its first civil partnership later this year.
“We are delighted that Ireland’s Civil Partnership has finally come into force, allowing same-sex couples to celebrate a legally binding union,” says Rosemarie Meleady, from The Wedding Planner.ie who organises civil ceremonies at Johnstown Castle.
“Since the law became effective on New Year’s Day we have had many enquiries from couples interested in Johnstown Castle as their civil pa More »
Save the Date: Connor Mc Keon & The Legends of Swing
Wedding band of the year Connor Mc Keon & The Legends of Swing will be performing at Leixlip House Hotel in County Kildare on Sunday 6th February at 8pm.
This is the perfect opportunity for couples looking for a wedding band to see Connor Mc Keon & The Legends of Swing live, while enjoying some chilled champagne.
Admission is complimentary. Contact info@connormckeon.ie to RSVP.
Save the Date:
Where: Leixlip House Hotel
When: Sunday 6th February
Time: 8pm
Contact: 087 9059479 - 01 5044 036
Complimentary admission More »
Capturing the wedding day’s fun on Facebooth
A good wedding party will be remembered for a long time, not only by the bride and groom but by the wedding guests as well. Guest books can help couples gather messages and well wishes from family and friends, their feelings on the day; however some might lack spontaneity and that personal spark.
Facebooth is a genius idea to help couples capture the fun of the day, almost ‘uncut’: they are free standing video booths that capture messages by wedding guests on video, as the wedding party is taking place. The footage is then compiled, edited and delivered to the couple in DVD format – for their personal entertainment!
Things that are quite likely to feature on that DVD include some singing, a lot of dancing, maybe a few emotional messages and plenty of footage of excited friends and family generally enjoying the day (and the night).
“Facebooth is very special and a very unique way of remembering a wedding day. It captures the fun guests are having and couples coming back from their More »
Perfect Teeth for a Perfect Wedding Smile!
You have found your soul mate, you have the perfect dress, well now you can have the perfect smile for your wedding day too! Access Smile Dental is offering a FREE consultation and FREE treatment planning at its Dublin clinic to visitors to The Wedding Planner website, as well as a 10% discount on all treatments!*
“Our Budapest clinic offers dramatically lower prices, allowing our customers to save up to 60-70% on private dental care in Ireland. We can also provide an individual Personal Smile Design Service to ensure brides and grooms get that perfect smile for a perfect white wedding!” says Kay Wyeth, of Access Smile Dental, that has clinics in the UK, Budapest and Ranelagh, Dublin.
“We would recommend couples considering travelling abroad for dental treatment to book a free initial consultation at our Dublin practice first. Our team and facilities both in Ireland and abroad are amongst the best in Europe and we provide the highest standards of dental treatment in a relax More »
Irish Horse Welfare Trust lanches gifts catalogue
Irish charity Irish Horse Welfare Trust (IHWT) has unveiled its new gift catalogue and is urging fans to buy ethical presents this Christmas.
The catalogue includes Christmas cards, stock-fillers such as IHWT pens and key rings, gifts for your horse, the exclusive Louloubelle ‘Hazel’ designer handbag and also the IHWT clothing range of fleeces and t-shirts.
“We have a good range of presents that will appeal to all horse fans but also anybody interested in giving their Christmas presents an ethical touch this year,” explains Sharon Newsome, founder of IHWT. The funds go directly to support IHWT’s work rescuing and re-training horses at its farm in Woodenbridge, County Wicklow.
“We’d like people to remember the hard work our volu More »
Johnstown Castle Prize Winners revealed
The lucky winners of the fantastic prizes up for grabs at the Johnstown Castle Wedding Fair have been revealed. See if your name is in the list:
-€100 voucher from Odyssey Car Hire: Sonya Fogarty
-John Daly Photography parent albums: Justin Collins
-€200 off the price of a storybook wedding album by Maurice Cloake Photography: Laura Kirwan
-Designer wedding rings by Martins Jewellers: Mary Cronin
-A meal for two at The Sitting Bull steakhouse: Stephen Murphy
-A More »
Edible Dreams wins Johnstown Castle Wedding Cake competition
Congratulations to Catherine Hartery from Edible Dreams in Ballybricken, Waterford, as she has been chosen the winner of the wedding cake competition at Johnstown Castle Wedding Fair.
Other entries included wedding cake designs by A Slice of Heaven, from Piltown, Co. Kilkenny; Baltinglass-based Sweet Creations; Cake Design by Mary Keegan from New Ross; Creative Cake Toppers from Enniscorthy; Cakes by Karen in Drinagh, Co. Wexford; and Cannaboe Confectionery from Leitrim.
Visit The Wedding Planner blog to see photos of all the fantastic wedding cakes. More »
Bedouin wedding for The Honeymoon Testers
Ultimate Job winners clock wedding number 41
Ultimate Job winners Mark and Denise Duffield-Thomas, aka The Honeymoon Testers, have clocked wedding number 41 in their bid to beat the world record of ‘most married’ couple, renewing their vows in Jordan’s Wadi Rum desert, in pure Bedouin-style.
Dressed in traditional Bedouin clothes, The Honeymoon Testers renewal number 41 was conducted by their horse riding guide Attalyh, followed by a procession and chanting.
“I think Mark really suits the Sheik, me not so much in a long black dress and headscarf,” says Denise. “We had a great time though, a lot of dancing around the fire and watching our driver Mohammed belly dance along to the songs.”
Mark and Denise spent three weeks visiting Jordan, as part of their world tour testing wedding and honeymoon destinations for Irish company Runaway Bride and Groom. The Jordan trip included 10 days camping and horse and camel riding through the Wadi Rum desert.
“We have had the most amazing More »
Ultimate Job winners looking to break Guinness Record
The Honeymoon Testers are in New York to kick off their attempt to break the world record of wedding vow renewals by one couple
The Ultimate Job, which attracted more than 30,000 applicants from would-be honeymoon testers across the world, began in earnest today. Mark and Denise Duffield Thomas, from the UK and Australia, started their first day on the job and will be renewing their vows on the Empire State Building tomorrow – Tuesday May 25.
The Honeymoon Testers (thehoneymoontesters.com) are kicking off their Guinness World Record attempt to become the most married couple in the world. They have 83 vow renewals to beat which must meet a certain criteria set by the Guinness World Records.
Tuesday 25 May is their first official day as Runaway Bride and Groom’s Honeymoon Testers.
The ceremony will be conducted b More »
How much will my child cost?
Just married and planning to start a family?
With the cost of educating a child up to third level education estimated at almost €70,000, financial planning is essential for couples when having a new baby.
“Even if you don’t have to pay huge school or college fees, there are still many significant costs involved in putting a child through education,” explains Hughie Doyle, from independent financial advisors Horizon Financial. “Expenses such as books, accommodation, travel and registration fees, all these can hurt your pocket and become a real burden.”
According to Doyle, parents-to-be should take on a financial review from a professional to asses the best way of managing their finances, in preparation for the new baby. This will help them manage their resources more effectively, maximising what they have and assessing what they need.
Before the baby arrives-
Civil weddings on the rise in Ireland
The Wedding Planner on Today FM’s The Last Word
Civil weddings are quickly becoming popular in Ireland and may overtake religious ceremonies by the year 2012, according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The proportion of civil ceremonies has increased from just 6% in 1996 to over 23% in 2006, according to the CSO. During the same period, the proportion of religious ceremonies has also decreased.
“The new legislation introduced in 2007, allowing couples to marry in venues such as hotels and castles, has played an important part in this change, and this trend will probably continue in the coming years,” says Rosemarie Meleady, The Wedding Planner.
Venues wishing to host civil ceremonies must get licensed by the Health Service Executive.
The CSO research has also shown the average age of the groom in a civil wedding was 36, compared with the overall average of 32. While the average age for the bride was 34, almost three years older tha More »
Pre wedding parties!
Posh Fizz, Ireland’s only dedicated hen party planner, has launched a new package in Galway.
Hens have a choice of one or two night packages in a central hotel. Activity options include Burlesque, Belly or Salsa Dancing lessons, Pampering or a Cocktail Master Class! The package is finished off with an evening meal and VIP nightclub entrance. As with all Posh Fizz packages, personalised invitation, menus and a Photobook gift are included. Prices start from just €135 pp.
Posh Fizz is the only Irish Events Management Company, totally dedicated to Ladies Only Events, such as hen parties, birthday parties and general girls-only events! The perfect choice for your pre wedding party!
For more information on the packages and/or bookings, you can check out www.poshfizz.com
The Ennis package, which is due to be launched in December, will offer a brand new activity… a shopping treasure hunt! And the Meath package, which is also due to be More »
Weddings with a French touch
Stephanie Doussal left interior design to be a floral designer in Ireland. With friend and fellow French Karine Beuzon, she established The French Touch floral designers in 2005, giving the Irish flower market something it was lacking: a French finishing touch.
After finishing her Art studies, Stephanie Doussal got a job as interior designer only to find that it wasn’t after all her vocation.
She then decided to change Brittany for Ireland and interior for floral design. She arrived in Ireland seven years ago to work for some prestigious hotels in Dublin. .
Her Paris-born friend Karine Beuzon joined her in Dublin a couple of years later and they worked together for a year before setting up The French Touch floral designers.
The French Touch team works on a freelance basis from its base in County Kildare, taking bookings mainly from wedding fairs and the business website www.thefrenchtouch.ie.
In their first year in business, The French More »
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