I recently saw this picture of bride-to-be Emma Roberts, in the Daily Mail, struggling to get to Manchester Registry Office without getting her dress and shoes dirty, or get her hair wet.  
With a wedding in June she must have been expecting lovely sunshine. However it would appear that the Great British Summer can promise only one thing - rain!    
But don't panic!  We have a couple of suggestions that will help "save the day". 

Firstly get yourself a pair of wellies.  
No, we are not talking muddy green farmers wellies here! Check these out...
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Weddington Catherine - Wedding Day Wellies from thewellyshop.com £44.99
Or these...
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Weddington Boots - Wedding Wellies £39.99
And let's not forget the umbrella! 
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Love Umbrellas has a stunning range of bridal umbrellas.
"Sharing one umbrella 
We have to hold each other
Round the waist to keep together.
You ask me why I'm smiling –
it's because I'm thinking
I want it to rain forever."


-Vicki Feaver 
 
Guest blog by Annabelle from Brides and Bows

Everyone loves a wedding; from the excited Mother of the Bride to each and every well-preened guest they all have one thing in common: to have a fabulous time sending you off into married life (and to bust out some classic moves on the dance-floor once the bubbly kicks in!). 

Big Days can take months, even years, to plan and the sense of expectation and excitement is massive for wedding party and guests alike. But whilst it is ok to shed a tear at the speeches, shedding a tear at the cost of the event is not ideal. It can be easy to miss small print or overspend because those shoes/place names/favours (delete as appropriate) are surely essential to creating the perfect day! 

And soon, before you know it you have overspent, your groom is nagging about the waste, your dad (if paying) is blowing a gasket and all those little special details you dreamed of are put on the ‘do it on the cheap’ list or excluded all together. 

"That is when you need the wedding specialists to step in and wave that magic wand!"
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In the pink
"Brides & Bows, wedding planning and decoration, was launched in 2010 to offer affordable decorative hire solutions to couples across Cheshire and Manchester." 

After our friends experienced problems with cheap suppliers and purchasing chair covers online to save a penny or two, we looked at what we could do to help using our extensive knowledge of event planning. And our quality, fair priced hire company was born! 

We never have any hidden charges in the small print; that means no VAT, no delivery charges, no collection charges and no set-up fees (unless clearly stated and clearly included in the quote). We only supply quality products and always at a fair price, usually less than the venue can provide in most cases!
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Candelabra Vintage
And if you receive a quote from us that you are unable to accept due to budget constraints we will always, happily, spend time with you working on and suggesting alternative options that will fit into your budget to create the day you have been dreaming of. As a small supplier this is something we do because we can, and because we care about every wedding we get involved in. 

"Our promise is to treat your wedding with same care we'd give our own."
  
And it is essential to remember - just because something looks cheap it won’t always turn out to be the bargain you were hoping for!
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Tiffany Theme
Do you think wedding planners are for the rich and famous only? Do you think extra detail equals extra expense? Do you think doing everything yourself will save you money? We’ll be sharing our budgeting tops tips and advice with you in a series of blogs, as well as amazing wedding planning tips, and creative decorative ideas.

Contact Brides and Bows for your bespoke quote...
LOCATION: Knutsford, Cheshire
EMAIL: [email protected] / [email protected] 
WEB: www.bridesdandbows.co.uk

 
After reading an recent article about  the record number of "British couples...heading abroad to get married in a bid to avoid the spiraling costs of UK weddings" (to read more click HERE) I decided to offer a few tips on how you can cut the costs but still have a fantastic Wedding. 

1. Serve your Wedding Cake/Cupcakes as dessert 

2. You may be surprised to learn that many venues still charge a 'cake cutting fee' this is an additional fee that they can charge to cut and serve the cake, so you may wish to double check before booking.  A way around this would be to choose a cupcake display over a tiered cake.  You will still be able to perform the ritual cake cutting with your new bride/groom by having a top cutting cake/giant cupcake. 

3. Venue Decoration can be practical as well as providing 'finishing touches'.  You may think about having Cupcake Bouquets or Candy Trees as your table centre pieces which can be later given out as Thank You gifts or again be apart of the dessert.  

AND FINALLY...Don't forget to be upfront with your suppliers about your budget, they have experience, know their industry and may be able to offer some advice on how to "cut the costs without compromising the style. 

For more advice or guidance you may want to check out The Cupcake Box "Wedding/Civil Ceremonies" Page. 
 
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Large Marshmallow Tree - Over 200 Sweets
The Cupcake Box is sill very much dedicated to our cupcakes :) 


However, when you are planning a Birthday Party, a Wedding or other special occasion the last thing you need is to feel stressed looking for lots of different party suppliers.  

So that is why we are introducing the "Candy Trees"...

They make fantastic table centre pieces, Thank You gifts and favours for guests.

Each Candy Tree is made specifically to each individual order and so can easily compliment the theme of your event. 

Why not get in touch to talk about how we can help make your occasion SWEET! 

Don't forget, keep your eye on our website or Facebook page for more Candy Tree updates... 

 
Don't forget to pop over to our main website where we have made some changes to our "Weddings and Civil Ceremonies" page.  

You will now be able to find practical planing advice, ideas and inspiration!  

Here at The Cupcake Box we don't just provide you with beautiful handcrafted cupcakes, we want to help make your wedding day special.  

Please don't hesitate contact us if you have any questions (cake related or not, as we may be able to point in the right direction) or if you would like to book a wedding consultation.  
 
The perfect way to design a Wedding Cake Display unique to you is with a pre-booked wedding consultation.  

Before your consultation it is a good idea to undertake some research and collect ideas of what you like (or dislike!).  

If you have any pictures, materials or colour swatches please do bring these with you.  If you like you can email them to us in advance so that we can start preparing some ideas for review during the consulation*.  

If you are unable to arrange a personal consultation, we will be happy to discuss your requirements over the phone or via email.    

Here are some key things to think about:
  • What is the date of your wedding?
  • What sort of wedding are you having? Traditional, contempory or folowing a specific theme?
  • What is your colour theme?
  • How many people do you require the cupcakes to serve?  Don't forget to think about whether they will be served as a dessert or perhaps as finger food in the evening?
  • What flavours do you like (or dislike!)? 
  • Decorations: fresh flowers, sugar flowers, novelty figures etc?
  • Will you require set up and delivery?
  • Will you require a cake stand?  It is important to check with the venue whether they are able to supply a stand, as not all do.  
  • Do you have a budget in mind?  Have a clear idea as to what your budget might be and whether there is any degree of flexibility, if not don't worry as it is often possible to discuss ways of making your cake display cheaper without loosing the "wow factor".  
Cake samples will be available to taste at the consultation.  

To arrange your consultation with The Cupcake Box, or if you would like a chat about your special day then do get in touch. 

In the mean time 
Happy Planning 

EMAIL: [email protected]
MOB: 07939531263 
 
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Cupcake Wrapper supplied by "Buttercups"
Aside from the bride herself, the wedding cake is undoubtedly the focal point of the wedding reception.  Apparently the wedding cake is the second most photographed subject at any wedding, no surprises what the first is!  It is no wonder then that with all the different options available you may feel slightly overwhelmed.  Don’t panic, here we have a few tips! 

A fantastic website to pick up on the latest wedding trends etc would be www.icethecake.co.uk "Every ingredient for your wedding".  Working with only professional, credible and reliable suppliers they offer ideas and inspiration for every aspect of your wedding.  The Cupcake Box is a member of Ice the Cake, so you can be sure that we will make your special day memorable.      

Bridal magazines (such as Wedding Ideas,  published every four weeks) are also another good source for ideas, or perhaps you already have a theme in mind?  A good wedding cake designer will ask for as much detail about your wedding as possible, such as the flowers you will be having, the style of your dress, etc.  This will ultimately help the designer to advice you on the best selection and execute every detail of your chosen theme.   

If you want to continue the theme to the reception tables then a relatively inexpensive way of doing so is to choose coordinating items, such as wine glass decorations etc to match your cupcake wrappers.  To do this we can work with Buttercups, a small business based in Bury supplying handcrafted bespoke cupcake wrappers and matching items from their wedding collection.

So if you are getting married and would to find out how The Cupcake Box and our "Trusted Partners" can help you then do get in touch by visiting our main site www.the-cupcake-box.com or visit our Facebook page by clicking HERE.    

In the mean time, happy planning!  
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Items supplied from Buttercups' Wedding Collection.