W W Weddings

I can’t get enough of online shopping I can shop anytime of the day or night and I don’t have to worry about sore feet!

One of my best friends got married last weekend and earlier this year I introduced her to the delights of online shopping.
 
www.coxandcox.co.uk is great for inspiration and where we got inspiration of the theme of the wedding. You can find loads of ideas for table decorations, favours as well as loads of fantastic craft items for the DIY brides who plan on getting creative and make things for themselves.

Selection from cox and cox

www.Notonthehighstreet.com is another great place to check out if you are looking for something unique. This is a good place to find and gorgeous gifts for the bridal party and with a wide variation of things you will be spoilt for choice.

Selection from not on the high street

www.Confetti.co.uk and thelastdetail.co.uk are also well worth a click when looking for wonderful wedding ideas and finishing touches.

I just love online fashion site such as www.awear.com, www.asos.com and www.net-a-porter.com are great places to look for bridesmaid dresses. Looking for dresses online is a great especially if your bridesmaids live in different parts of the country

If you’re a bride with a love of all things designer www.net-a-porter.com/wedding is the place to check out for some amazing wedding dresses.

BHS wedding collection was a great surprise to me, for some reason I always thought of BHS as being a bit old fashioned but I stand corrected. Their wedding collection is truly gorgeous, especially great for flower girl and page boy outfits. If you are a bride on a budget and looking for an affordable wedding dress they are well worth checking out. 

www.bhs.co.uk/mall/departmentpage.cfm/bhsstore/91824/1/1

I couldn't talk about online shopping without mentioning our own directory www.weddingwishes.co.uk where you can find wonderful online wedding suppliers.

Honeymoon Heaven in Antigua

Welcome to Antigua

Give me a beach holiday any day of the week and I will be happy, give me a beach and a new husband and I am in heaven. For me Honeymoon equals a beach in paradise, and the Caribbean island of Antigua comes very high on my list of holiday paradise hot spots ideal for  honeymooners.

Antigua is a 8hr trip from the UK with a number of carriers flying direct from regional UK airports, I flew direct from Gatwick with Virgin Atlantic which actually only took 7.5hrs which was even better!

View from a Jolly Harbour Villa

Antigua is one of the smaller Caribbean islands which makes sightseeing a breeze you can cover most of the island in a day, the other great thing about Antigua I should have mentioned earlier is it’s 365 beach and all of them are public beaches unlike some other island. I have been to Antigua twice and I've managed to visit 30 beaches and they are all amazing. Beaches within resorts have more activities on offer but if you want to just chill and get away from it all a little drive out and you will arrive at a more secluded beach.

Rex Beach

Antigua is very much a tourist Island so you are not short of places to stay. My top five places to stay are:

Nonsuch Bay www.nonsuchbayresort.com

Jolly Harbour www.antiguaharbourlights.com

Sandals www.sandals.co.uk/main/antigua/an-home

Rex Resort www.rexresorts.com/antigua

Veranda Resort www.verandahresortandspa.com

Places to visit and things to do

If you can remove yourself from the beach, Antigua has a fair few places of interest that are well worth a visit.

Shirley Heights

Shirley Heights give you the most spectacular view and you can see neighbouring islands Montserrat and Guadeloupe and a must see if you have a head for heights. If you happen to be on the island at the end of April – early May there is even more to  see and do as it 's sailing week an you will get to see some amazing boats and party hard.

Nelson's Dockyard National Park an old British Navy base from the 18th century. Clarence House is also situated in the national park. A residence built for the future King William IV (1765-1837) when he served under Nelson as captain of the H.M.S. Pegasus.

Carnival is a must see if you are there at the end July, full of colour and life you can't help shaking a leg to the beat.

St Johns is the capital of Antigua and is totally buzzing in atmosphere. Take time out to visit the Cathedral, the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda and on Friday and Saturday morning the framers markets are well worth a visit.

Nelson's Dockyard

Getting around

I would suggest setting aside a budget for taxi’s it is easier, than driving around. Even though car rentals are widely available it can be hard to navigate your way around the Island there are road signs but they can be far and few between destinations. The other added advantage of using a taxi driver can often double up as a tour guide.

Food and drink

When it comes to drink all you need to know is rum punch lovely but deadly so maybe you might want to take it is and have a few fruit juice in-between. I don’t think I had a bad thing to eat on the island everything was yummy, from traditional Caribbean dishes to more modern fusion dishes you won’t be disappointed.

Lobster Shack at Runway Beach Club -  www.lobstershackantigua.com/theLobsterShackRestaurantandBar.html

Sticky Wicket Restaurant & Bar – across from the airport

Curtain Bluff Resort - www.curtainbluff.com

Above anything it's the islanders that really help to make this island extra special they are warm, friendly and always willing to help. 

Make sure you pack lots of sun cream as it hot hot hot!

Framing Your Memories: Choosing a Photographer

Let's be honest: even though we spend months and months planning every last detail of our wedding day - it is just that: a day. And one which will pass in a haze. Which is why the recording of the day through photographs is especially important. Long after we've put away the wedding dress, the photographs will endure and serve to remind us of our truly special day.

Photography has moved on in recent years; no longer are the wedding photos simply about formal posed groups, rather now, they are about capturing the spontaneity of the day, with informal shots and candid moments. A good photographer will blend in as another wedding guest, recording the little details as well as the grand moments. Choose your photographer carefully: it's not just about the quality of their work, but also it's about whether you want this person to be part of your day.

Be prepared to allocate a good chunk of your budget to your photographs. Ignore the naysayers who say that you will never look at your album again. You will return to it many times, and perhaps with your children or grandchildren. Your wedding photos are a document of your special day which will then last for years and years.

Photos by Amie Fedora Photography; Corey Ann; Mike Fleming. Used with permission.

Sweet Treats

No matter what your taste, style or budget, there are favors to suit your needs ... but I think edible goodies are always a winner.

Valentines Day

If you haven’t brought your valentines gift already you are seriously cutting it fine!

For those of you who embrace Valentines and like to treat that special someone extra special on the 14th I have put together a little love list of things that any lady or man would be happy to receive as a token of your love.

My Love for you is a journey; starting at forever, and ending at never. - Author unknown -

Presents don’t always have to be expensive or a huge grand gesture, I like the idea of something simple and heartfelt like a love letter or a poem that can be framed. Be it a simple box of chocolates a dozen red roses, an expensive bottle of champagne. You know the saying it’s the thoughts that count!

Grow old with me; the best is yet to be. - Robert Browning -

Wedding Wishes Ideas from the Wedding Ideas Awards!

I have to admit, I was a little bit apprehensive about going the Wedding Ideas awards last Friday ... Here at Wedding Wishes UK, we're a two-person team. Unfortunately my business partner, who works with, and has some understanding of the UK wedding suppliers industry, had to pull out of attending the event at the last minute, leaving poor old geeky me (I'm the technical half of Wedding Wishes UK) to brave the event alone!

In the end I needn't have feared. The lovely ladies on my table made me feel very welcome, despite the fact that I was the only man at the table. As well as being great company, they also offered me lots of interesting ideas on things we could to do make Wedding Wishes UK a compelling tool for brides, as well as some great tips for promoting the site.

It seems that the Wedding Wishes iPhone/smartphone app concept was very popular, so this is clearly an area we need to work on as a priority. What hadn't ocurred to me before was the idea that the app could be valuable even before the directory is stuffed full of supplier listings, by initially focussing the mobile app on the bride's wedding management needs.

For the bride & groom's wedding page (this is a feature we intend to add to the bride & groom section where they can feature details of their wedding, gift list, mini-blog, photos, twitter feeds, etc.):

• Mood board.
• Bookmark list.

Directory:

• Allow brides/grooms to state what they're interested in, then notify the suppliers to allow them to make direct contact with the brides/grooms via the site.

If you have any great ideas or suggestions for features we could add to Wedding Wishes UK, please let us know! You can write your comments below, or contact us by email or twitter. We want to make this a great resource for brides/grooms as well as suppliers.

Move over the little black dress…

The long black dress is coming to get you! I am always on the look out for the next new trend. I saw this dress by Vera Wand and just fell in love with it.

For as long as I have been reading fashion magazines, we ladies have been told about the virtues of having the perfect black dress in the wardrobe. So I can totally see why a bride would choose this gorgeous black dress to float down the aisle on her wedding day. It's guaranteed to turn heads, be memorable and have the wow factor; all the things you want on your special day.

I’m not sure I would be brave enough to move away from the traditional white or ivory dress myself, but I salute any bride that breaks away from the norm and does it her way.

Vera Wang I love love love your dresses x