My mum is a florist so she will be doing the arrangements for our wedding! However she doesn’t live in the UK, so she’s asked me where she can go to source wholesale flowers (as she wants to avoid going to a florist to buy at retail prices). We are based in London. Does anyone here know where we can go to find these?

I’m a UK wedding florist and have on average 50-60 weddings a year. What I’m wondering is when wedding season is over and Christmas is done, what do other wedding florists do in January and February? I know there are admin jobs to do and emails, but I found myself twiddling my thumbs and bored at the start of the year. I also feel like I could be doing something else to earn money during the down town, I do freelance for a florist shop now and then but florist shops aren’t that busy in jan and feb and isn’t a demand for it so I doubt I’d be able to get any work from freelancing in jan and feb.

I’m wondering what others do in their down time? I appreciate it’s a time to recover and relax too but I’m okay after 1-2 weeks off, after that I just get fed up of not doing anything.

Thanks for reading!

My partner and I have found a beautiful venue that we are just about to book for our wedding. We found it weeks ago and fell in love with it, did a site visit and were over the moon.

This venue has its limitations, which is to be expected because it’s the only stunning venue that is actually within our budget. There are speakers built-in around the room which we tested and found to be a decent noise level (not quiet, but not so loud you have to raise your voice to speak to eachother), however no amplified music can be played in the space (DJ, musicians etc). It is also a smaller room as there are only 35 people coming (the room holds 42 max.) however we will have access to the lawns outside provided the weather is good (it’s in peak summer, so fingers crossed!)

We’ve created some visuals on how the space will look if we are only in the one room (ie if it rains), and we are now happy with how everything looks now we’ve adjusted the floor plan to make more room.

My question is now, are speakers enough?

Our day is going to be more relaxed than your usual wedding. We will get married in the Orangery at 4 pm, then have a one hour drinks reception in the bar next door, and then come back into the Orangery after they flip it for the buffet. We will then stay in that room for the rest of the night with our playlist playing on the speakers. There will be one speech from my dad and my fiance‘s best man, but that’s it.

Originally we loved this idea because it was basically like our engagement party all over again, but all over social media all I’m seeing are these extravagant parties and part of me is starting to worry that my wedding won’t be fun. I know what makes a wedding fun is the audience, and I am very blessed to have a very fun group of friends that will be joining us on the day, but I don’t know if we’re doing enough to make it fun and memorable.

I’ve asked the venue if we’re allowed a saxman as I think this could be a really good workaround, having our playlist play through the speakers while everyone is eating and having a saxman come out later to liven it up. This would work very well if we were allowed outside, as he could go across the lawns, but there are rooms above the venue, so i imagine he’d have to stay inside, where there isn’t really any space to dance with all the tables.

As there’s no DJ, it’s also just dimmable lighting. We can bring uplighters, though I’m not sure if that’ll fit the vibe (it’s a grand old architecture room).

What do you guys suggest, or am I overthinking this as it’s finally all getting real now we’re about to sign the contract?

I can’t and never will be able to warrant a large sum of money on our wedding, as our future will always take priority, however I want to see what I can do (without changing the space) to make this fun for a bunch of 20 something year olds.

Any ideas are welcome 🤍

NORFOLK BRIDES | LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK ON WEDDING DECOR HIRE BUSINESS CONCEPT 

I've been thinking about starting a side hustle renting my wedding decor out and just looking to see if there's much of a market for it.

The idea is to offer beautiful, coordinated décor that couples can hire for their wedding, without having to buy everything themselves, store it afterwards or worry about what to do with it once the celebrations are over.

Items would include brass candlestick holders and LED candles, vintage-style painted book boxes, bud vases, decorative lanterns, olive-green chiffon table runners/chair sashes, mini pumpkins, ornate frames and a glass card box.

I'm still at the research stage, and I'd really appreciate honest feedback from anyone planning a wedding or who has recently got married!

1. How would you prefer to hire your décor?

Would you prefer:

• Set packages based on guest numbers — for example, £50 for up to 40 guests or £100 for up to 80 guests, with a predetermined selection of items.
• Individual item hire — choosing exactly what you want, with each item priced separately (e.g. £2 per brass candlestick holder, £1 per LED candle), subject to a minimum order value.
• A combination of both — ready-made packages, with the option to add or swap individual items.

What would make you most likely to book?

2. How important would delivery be?

I'd potentially offer delivery to your venue or home for an additional fee, but I'm particularly interested in whether you'd value a collection service after the wedding.

For example, you could simply pack everything back into the supplied boxes, and I'd collect it from your venue or home at an agreed time, so you wouldn't have to transport it back yourself while you're enjoying the post-wedding celebrations!

Would you:

• Prefer to collect and return everything yourself to save money?
• Pay extra for delivery before the wedding?
• Pay extra for collection after the wedding?
• Pay extra for both delivery and collection?

If you'd pay for delivery or collection, roughly how much would feel reasonable?

3. How far in advance would you want your décor?

Eg. for a Saturday wedding, would you want to be able to collect:

• Collection/delivery on Thursday.
• Friday morning.
• Friday afternoon or evening.
• Saturday morning.

Would having the items the day before be important for setting up the venue, or would you be happy receiving them closer to the wedding? Would your answer change depending on whether you're setting up yourselves or using a stylist/ the venue setting up?

4. What's the biggest benefit of hiring décor rather than buying it?

Which of these would matter most to you?

• Saving money compared with buying everything new.
• Getting better-quality or more distinctive décor than I'd otherwise buy.
• Not having to store everything before or after the wedding.
• Not having to sell, donate or dispose of everything afterwards.
• Convenience, particularly delivery and collection.
• Being able to create a coordinated look without buying lots of separate items.
• Sustainability and reusing items rather than buying new.

Or is there another benefit that would make a difference to you?

5. What would you expect to pay?

For a coordinated collection of table décor, including candlesticks, LED candles, bud vases and decorative accessories, what would you consider reasonable?

Obviously, the price you'd expect to pay depends on how many tables or guests the package covers, but any rough ideas as to your expectations would be appreciated. Also, would you be happy to pay a refundable security deposit to cover damages and how much would you consider reasonable?

6. What would put you off hiring wedding décor?

For example, would it be the price, the deposit, the risk of damaging something, having to collect and return it, uncertainty about what would be included, or something else?

Thank you so much for helping! Honest opinions are genuinely appreciated.

Hi everyone! As mentioned in my previous post, we are torn between two venues and would love your advice. Our second top contender is Trevenna in Cornwall.

What we absolutely love about Trevenna is how completely stress-free it feels. They make the planning process feel so easy and taken care of, and the team has been genuinely amazing every time we’ve visited. They really gave us the confidence that we’d be in great hands on the big day. Plus, it’s much closer to home for us than our alternative (Sandy Cove in Ilfracombe).

That said, we do have a few trade-offs to weigh up:

• Accommodation & Perks: Fewer guests can stay on-site compared to Sandy Cove, and there aren’t additional leisure amenities like a pool.
• The Views & Weather: While the surrounding countryside is lovely, the views aren't quite as dramatic or phenomenal as the coastal backdrop at Sandy Cove. However, if the weather turns out to be rubbish, we feel Trevenna’s cozy layout might actually make for a much nicer indoor venue!

If you’ve married at, attended, or toured Trevenna, we’d love to hear your experiences!

• What were your main pros and cons?
• How did you and your guests find the on-site accommodation and overall setup?
• How was your experience with the staff and food on the actual wedding day?

Any honest feedback, photos, or tips would be so helpful to us—thank you!

Hi everyone! We are currently torn between two wedding venues and could really use your help deciding.

We absolutely love Sandy Cove for its dramatic coastal views, the convenience of having hotel rooms on-site, and the fantastic bridal suite. The extra amenities (like the pool) are a huge bonus, and it feels like a venue that would handle any kind of weather brilliantly.

However, we have a few hesitations:

• Rigid Policies: Their T&Cs feel quite strict. For instance, they won't store our wedding cake the night before, even if we book an "exclusive use" hire where we are all staying on-site the day prior.
• The Atmosphere / Tour: During our viewing, the host didn't really try to "sell" the venue or show much enthusiasm. We completely understand that hosting weddings is routine for them, but since it’s such a meaningful day for us, the lack of excitement made the tour feel a bit like a chore.

We are considering both their exclusive use hire and standard day hire options.

If you’ve married at, attended, or viewed Sandy Cove, we’d love to hear your honest thoughts!

• What were your major pros and cons?
• Did the staff and coordination feel different on the actual day compared to the initial tour?
• Is there anything you would do differently if you had to book again?

Any insights, tips, or experiences you can share would mean the world to us—thank you so much!

P.S. Our other top contender is Trevenna in Cornwall, which I'll be posting about separately!

Can anyone recommend a Midlands-based photographer please? We need one for roughly 10 hours to cover the bride getting ready and the cemetery at the church then the reception. All 3 venues are within 10 mins of each other so minimal travel.
Also, budget-wise, what sort of cost are we looking at?

We are getting married in August 2028 and are wondering when we should begin sending out save the dates.

2028 seems to be quite a popular year amongst people we know to either be getting married or be invited to weddings, and we want to make sure all of our loved ones can make it. Should we send out save the dates right away, or is it recommended to wait a while?

Hi! I’m just looking for some advice or opinions on this conundrum I’ve got myself into, I am driving myself insane thinking about it!

My fiancé and I have been engaged for 3 years, but every time I’ve thought of wedding planning and having all our family and friends there I panic. All I want is to get married, I hate planning events and also, we don’t have the money for a traditional wedding!

Recently, we’ve decided to book a short ceremony at the registry office, followed by dinner and drinks in a bar with some more friends. It would all be very relaxed, with just my sister, my fiancés brother and 4 more friends. We both feel really happy about this idea and finally excited to get married. My fiancé is also totally on board with this idea, it’s just me who’s conflicted.

Our issue is on the decision to not have my Dad and stepmum, or my fiancés mum and gran there. I am close to my Dad, he’s been a brilliant Dad but he lives abroad now and isn’t the best at keeping in touch. He can also be very traditional and a little judgemental at times. My fiancés mum and gran are very opinionated and can be very negative and I don’t want that on my wedding day. I know it’ll probably cause issues with them if they aren’t invited. I spoke to my Dad, and he’s said that all he wants is for me to be happy and for us to get married.

I’m worried that it’s wrong for us to not invite our parents to our wedding or that it’s going to break my Dads heart despite what he says. I feel so torn between what I know I want and the desire to not hurt anyone, I don’t want my Dad to think that he isn’t invited because I don’t love him! I’m a people pleaser at heart but I just want to do exactly what I want for one day but finding it so hard. I can’t even put into words exactly why I don’t want our parents there, I just feel like it will bring stress and some awkwardness to the day which I don’t want.

I was wondering what you would do in my situation? Has anyone felt the same as me? Help!

Hello!

Getting married in London next year (Sept). We have a band (close friends) for a few songs and we were initially going to just play a playlist over our venues PA. I'm really into my music and have a very exact idea of what songs I want played.

We're getting a bit nervous about that as an option because if something goes wrong with the playlist or when people inevitably want to make requests, someone will have to spend their time half manning it and that won't be fun.

So we're thinking we'll get a DJ, but (not to sound like a control freak, I swear this is the only thing I'm controlling about 😂😂) I literally only want them to play songs from and in the order of my own playlist, with a bit of space for a few requests.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

I don't know if music style is relevant but it's very eclectic like 90s to early 2000s pop, current pop girlies, Brit pop, mid 2000s indie bands, bit of pop punk lmao.

Hi

I love the idea of having a fuller skirt dress for the ceremony and a slimmer dress for the rest of the day.

However, I hate the look of the detachable skirts that clip onto the back on the dress. I’m looking for a fully removable skirt that goes all the way round the waist that creates the illusion of a fuller dress. Does anyone know any designers or shops that do these in the UK?

I’ve made it to the other side and thought I’d share my two cents on what made the day great in my eyes.

Overall I was thrilled with it all and my fear of clock watching / being anxious about timings of the day didn’t happen at all.

1. None of the small stuff matters

My dress snagged getting it on, it was filthy before even going down the aisle. I could not tell you in anyway what the flowers in the ceremony looked like - none of it mattered. I loved the ceremony and it FLEW. I wish i could of had an extra 30mins somehow

1. Spend on the guest experience parts

We got a singer for the ceremony who started before we entered, a singer at the reception who started before we arrived. I myself barely heard either but my guests all loved it

Photobooth was a late booking for me but 100% worth it and was used so much.

1. An on the day planner is worth every penny

We had a very relaxed wedding with only a handful of suppliers yet she was worth every penny. She took over all contact a week before so our band feeling ill the days before all went though her and I didn’t know a thing - she had back ups lined up ready too. During the night she dropped food and drinks into our hands then dissapeared back into the background.

1. You don’t have to do all the things

All the cliches are true about how fast the day goes and IMO there is no need to over pack the day. Think about what you enjoy the most and don’t be pressured into all the trends

We went for a long cocktail hour with plenty of snacks to maximise mingling time and did a 10min photo window so we were never really missing anything with our guests

Hi all! I need some advice please!

I’m getting married next year in London, I am autistic and have extremely light sensitive eyes. Ive decided I don’t want the typical bright wedding hall Asian wedding with all the lights and flowers but I want a dark evening type wedding lit up with warm lights instead with medieval and slightly gothic vibes! A church would be perfect.

except I’m Muslim 😂 so this is where I’m stuck. any advice? are there any alternatives?

(I’m not rich either so cannot do a castle lol )

Thank youuuu xx

I loved this dress at wed2be, and I'm hoping it will still be there when I go back to buy. It ticked all the boxes for me. Simple, not glittery or embroidered, fit really nice, and it has pockets 🙏🏾 only thing I don't like is the off the shoulder straps. The lady said it was easy for a seamstress to change, I'm just having trouble picturing it. I've tried googling to see when people change off the shoulder to straps, but could only find before and afters of the opposite where people change it TO off the shoulder.

Does it seem like this will be possible without looking weird? Do I need to keep looking for a dress I like that isn't off the shoulder?

I'm not usually a dress kinda gal so have no clue what I'm doing here. I figure I can send this picture to seamstresses in my area and ask if it's an adjustment they feel they could make, but I just wish I could find any pics online of this kind of change to give me some confidence it'll look how I'd like.

I'd hate to buy an £800 dress and spend hundreds on a seamstress and then not like it 😅

I am contemplating an autumn wedding (early October 2028) in Scotland and I am hesitating because of the weather?

I have never been to an autumn wedding but I don't want people in coats all day covering their outfits. It might seem childish but it would ruin the aesthetics of the videos/photos.

Those who have had/been to autumn weddings, what was it like?

I don't think there is a cloak room in the church so for the ceremony at least people would have their jackets with them. I don't want to look back at wedding videos and each time the camera pans across it is a bunch of jacket on chairs or being worn or laying around. Or a bunch of space heaters

Hii, so I am very newly engaged and me and my fiance are wanting to finish uni before we have our wedding. However, I have already started planning as I want to be as prepared as possibly when it comes time to actually start buying things for our wedding.

Me and my fiance have discussed flowers in the past but we are stumped on whether real flowers are worth it and what we would do with the fake flowers after the wedding. We also have no clue what the best sites or places (north west) to get fake flowers would be. If anyone has any suggestions that would be brilliant 😭😭

Curious how others did it. We were of the opinion we’d just go big for the one day, we have a beautiful manor house and luckily half of the guests can stay at the venue too. We’ve got a recovery breakfast planned the next day, and then everyone can head home.

From my own experience by the second day most people are ready to head home for some R&R… but are we missing out by not putting something on?

I’ve bought them with the intention of using pillar candles but have now read on the site that they should not be used with candles but everyone I see uses them for that. Has anyone used them with pillar candles can tell me if they cracked or even floating candles? I may also just put fairy lights in them, unless there are any good LED candles? Thanks

Hi all, I went wedding dress shopping today and bought this one on sale for (imo) a bargain. The beading is slightly damaged but that is going to be fixed.

Does this look nice on me? I'm getting mixed reviews and while I didn't 'fall in love' with it, I tried on what I thought would be my 'ideal' dresses and it was just like urgh, no, so uncomfortable. We're planning a winter wedding so I wanted a bit a Xmas sparkle and to show off the girls. I get really in my head with body image stuff and I was really anxious (not the shops fault). Note the necklace is staying, it's a locket with the ashes of one of my beloved cats so she is definitely coming down the aisle with me.

It needs to be altered for my height (5ft bride) and I was going to add a sparkly tulle thing to the skirt. How much should I be looking to pay for alterations? Surrey/greater south west london?

Thank you in advance!

So today I attended the National Wedding Fair at Excel and Azazie had a stand there. One of my bridesmaids was present, so she tried on a couple of dresses. She’s a comfortable sz 14, but the 14 wouldn’t even do up, and the 16 wouldn’t go around her either. She’s a busty lady, but all the same. The dresses came nowhere near!

I’ve always heard that Azazie is good with sizing, but now we’re starting from scratch! Any suggestions for good places to get bridesmaids dresses? We could have custom measurements, but I’ve lost faith in them after today.

Has anyone here done feather table settings? How did they hold up across the day? And how does the price compare to real and faux flowers? Thanks in advance!

Looking for recommendations for wedding dressing shopping where no appointment is needed in London. Ideally with 30 mins any direction of london city but option to anything. I originally found somewhere in Waterloo but cannot find it now 😔

I’m not even sure how to put this into words without sounding ungrateful, but perhaps someone here will understand what I mean.

I am 30 years old; I’m originally from Ukraine and have been living in England for several years now. Honestly, aside from my health, I have a truly happy life. I have a wonderful fiancé, a loving family, a home, and so many of the little things I dreamed of as a child. I’ve gone through cancer treatment and still deal with the aftereffects, so the last few years haven’t been easy. Yet, despite all that, I genuinely feel incredibly happy. I had the most beautiful marriage proposal, and we’re currently planning our wedding. Sometimes I look around and think about how happy the little girl I once was would be if she could see what her life has become. ❤️

I never dreamed of a huge, lavish wedding—quite the opposite, in fact. I’ve always wanted something small, cozy, and filled with love, surrounded by the people closest to me. And that is exactly the kind of wedding we’re planning. But recently, I realized something that suddenly made me feel very sad: I have almost everything I ever wanted, yet outside of my family, there’s hardly anyone with whom I can share this happiness.

Since moving to another country, my circle of friends has gradually grown smaller and smaller. And there’s one thing I just can’t seem to wrap my head around: it sometimes feels as though the happier I become, the more some of my friends drift away—even those back in my home country. I don’t know if it’s the distance, the fact that we’re simply growing up and our paths are diverging, or something else entirely. I don’t want to think poorly of people without a reason, but it still hurts when something wonderful happens in your life and you suddenly realize there’s almost no one you can call to share the news with, all breathless with excitement. Sometimes I feel like I have so much happiness to share, yet absolutely no one to share it with.

And now, there’s the wedding. There’s one small thing that’s making me unexpectedly sad: my bachelorette party. I’ve dreamed of it since I was a child—not because I need some grand, extravagant bash, but because I’ve always loved the idea of ​​my friends secretly planning something just for me. Little surprises, silly games, laughter—maybe something completely absurd that we’d look back on and joke about for years to come. It’s that wonderful, almost childlike feeling of arriving somewhere and realizing that the people close to you have invested their time and heart into creating something special, just for you. I recently realized that, in all likelihood, I won’t get to experience that. It’s not that a bachelorette party couldn’t be organized; it’s that I no longer have friends that close in my life. Of course, I could arrange something myself, but that’s just not the same, is it?

On my side, the only people at the wedding will likely be my parents—and perhaps one friend, if she’s able to make it. And while I truly do want a small wedding, I never imagined that there would be so few people there for me. It’s a strange feeling—to be incredibly happy about an upcoming wedding while simultaneously feeling a bit sad about the experiences you might never get to have.

Making new friends doesn’t come easily to me, either. I’m not working right now due to health reasons, so I spend a lot of time at home; I can’t always travel far or just head out whenever I’d like. I live in Derbyshire, and I sometimes genuinely wonder: how do people even find close friends after the age of 25 or 30—especially after moving to another country? Where do you even begin when you don’t have colleagues to go out with, or a circle of acquaintances through whom you might meet new people?

I suppose I’m writing this because I’d love to hear from others who have found themselves in a similar situation. Have you ever felt lonely, even when you were genuinely happy with your life? Have you managed to find true friends after moving, even if you spend a lot of time at home? And if you got married without a group of close girlfriends by your side, how did you feel about all those little wedding traditions—like a bachelorette party, for instance?

There’s still some time before the wedding, and I truly hope that, one day, I’ll find "my" people. Not because I need someone to throw a party for me, but because I miss having girlfriends—someone to laugh with, share good news with, support each other through tough times, and celebrate all the little moments in life together.

Perhaps what saddens me most isn’t the thought of not having a bachelorette party, but the realization of how much I miss the kind of friendship that makes such moments possible in the first place.

Anyway, thank you to everyone who read this. I think I just really needed to share these thoughts somewhere. ❤️

We are getting married next year and it's about time to start looking for the groom and wedding party suits. My FH won't order online and wants to go and try one some suit options. We have a local independent store which we will go to but we know that we are looking at min £350 per suit and even hiring will be around £200. There is a best man plus 3 ushers that we also then need to buy suits for and we are currently trying to bring some of our costs down a bit. None of them wear suits for work so it's not even as if we could ask them to wear something they already own.

Given that Next, Slaters M&S etc all do off the peg suits for a lot less, has anyone in the South East found a store location that has a decent amount of stock to try on. Our local Next has very few suits on the shop floor so trying to find somewhere that he can at least look and try on a few options even if we have to order in some of the sizes. Would love any suggestions based on experience please.

Looking for advice on people who have handled this situation. I'm about 7 months out from my wedding, and a lot of artists I contacted months ago were already booked for my date.

I found someone who was free, but didn't have a huge bridal portfolio, took a gamble and did a trial.

Was pretty unhappy with the makeup, and how it lasted (it was pretty much all gone after 5 hours). I thought I could probably have done a better job myself. Plus I wasn't blown away with the products used (my personal makeup bag had more premium products in).

Has anyone been in this situation, and did you continue to look for another artist, or just decide to do it yourself. I was already on the fence about doing it myself, as I've had my makeup done a few times and only loved it once.