What is the most effective form of advertising for your wedding business?

Last year we asked wedding suppliers to let us know what types of advertising they found most effective and to comment further to let us know what does and what doesn’t work for you.

One year later, we are asking the same question, to see what’s changed in one year.

Please take part!

Coming to Scotland to get married

Scotland has long been a very popular holiday destination for tourists from around the world. And now it has a growing reputation as a favourite destination to tie the knot.

Here are some of the reasons:-

1 There are no residency requirements. So wherever you and your fiance come from, you can get married in Scotland. You don’t have to live here. You don’t need UK citizenship. All you have to do is complete the necessary legal formalities and you can marry within 24 hours of arriving here.

2 You can get married anywhere!! On a beach, in a castle such as Stirling Castle, up a mountain, in a hotel such as Duck Bay Hotel, by a loch such as our very own Loch Lomond… your choices are limitless.

3 You can have either a civil or a religious ceremony. The civil ceremony does have to be licensed by the local authority. But there are now so many venues licensed for civil ceremonies that you should have little difficulty finding somewhere.

4 A religious ceremony, conducted by a minister can be held anywhere – boats, beaches, hotels etc. Willing and adventurous ministers can always be found, like our very own Reverend Miller!

5 Ceremonies can even be conducted by non-religious celebrants, including certain officers of the Humanist Society.

6 The choice of venues is staggering. From modern Glasgow to historic Edinburgh; from the rugged, breathtaking beauty of the Highlands to the tranquil Loch Lomond; from istunning castle to the small village church, Scotland has it all.

7 You can fly into Glasgow, Prestwick, Edinburgh, Aberdeen or Inverness airports and be close to your wedding venue from the start.

8 So many people around the world have Scottish ancestry and love to search out their roots.

9 What better clothes to wear at your ceremony than the kilt, made especially for you in your own tartan. Why not contact Totally Tartan Kiltmakers to help?

10 And what better accompaniment as the bride enters the wedding venue than a Highland wedding tune played on bagpipes!

These are just some reasons to get married in Scotland, and if looking for a particular location, why not consider having your wedding at Loch Lomond?

A Winter Wonderland Wedding

In a perfect world, all bride and grooms would have a blissful, stress-free wedding with a remote to control the weather, among other things. But even with all of the planning leading up to that special day, the reality is that some things are just out of our control. Not to worry—with the right attitude and some preparation, your day will be bright and shiny no matter what the forecast. Consider these wedding decorations ideas and tips for the winter wedding of your dreams. 

Rain or Shine

Whether you chose the wintertime because you’ve always envisioned a snowy white wedding or you’re hoping to save money in the “off season,” don’t let the weather stop you from creating a winter wonderland. The weather is something that every bride thinks about no matter when or where the wedding will take place. Summer and autumn brides worry about the day being too warm, while winter and spring brides are easily put off by just the thought of rain or snow. The fact of the matter is that Mother Nature is stubborn and unpredictable, so you really should plan for all forecasts and have a backup plan for any outdoor affair. Especially for guests who are travelling, consider advising guests to dress warm and prepare for any bad weather. 

The Venue

Picking an indoor venue can eliminate a lot of unnecessary worry about the weather, but keep in mind that winter weather can impact travel time significantly. Keeping to a schedule is important for a smoothly flowing wedding, but remember to have an attitude of flexibility and just go with the flow no matter what the conditions. This is your day to shine, so enjoy being surrounded by loved ones and remember to laugh if anything goes awry. 

If you haven’t decided on a venue yet, consider those with an indoor option in case the weather decides not to cooperate. But if you’re like many brides, you may have your heart set on an outdoor ceremony or reception area, which could be risky if your wedding date is during the winter season. You don’t have to assume the worst, but prepare a backup plan in case the park with the pretty view turns into a muddy field. Having umbrellas that complement your wedding decorations are an increasingly popular choice that add fun and excitement to your day (not to mention that they look amazing in photographs). 

The Wedding Decorations

When choosing the right wedding decorations to complement your winter celebrations, keep in mind all of your favorite memories that make you adore the season so much. The snow falling, the crackling fireplace, ice skating and sledding, hot chocolate, snowball fights —these are all things that make winter so delightful, so incorporating them into your wedding accessories and theme will warm the hearts of all. 

Snowflakes are one of my all-time favorite winter wedding decorations because of how it draws on the uniqueness of your love just like a one-of-a-kind snowflake. You can be well-assured that snowflakes will be loved by all, so play up this theme with snowflake tea light holders scattered throughout your venue. You can even send your guests home with snowflake themed wedding favours or mini snow globes. You can use Christmas Tree Baubles as centrepieces or even just mini Christmas trees.

Staying Positive

No matter what weather your big day brings, keep in mind that if it’s just the ceremony that gets a little rain or snow, you will likely end up with the most gorgeous and memorable wedding for you and your guests. Not only will the lighting be perfect for your photographer, but you’re sure to end up with some of the most unique and beautiful wedding photographs that you will cherish forever. There’s just something about being caught in the rain or snow that takes reminds us of being kids again, so keep a smile on your face and enjoy the wonders and beauty of nature on your winter wedding day.

A Blue Themed Wedding

SHORT LISTED! Most Supportive Wedding Supplier!

Your Wedding at Loch Lomond are absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted for an ‘Incredible Wedding Supplier’ award within the category of ‘Most Supportive Wedding Supplier’.

Many thanks to all who nominated us. In order to become a finalist, we require you to keep voting for us, and you can do so here: http://www.icethecake.co.uk/Awards/supportive/semifinalistsupportive1

Press Release from Lomond Beauty

Hen Parties now launched!

Lomond Beauty was established in 2010 to cater for women within the West Dunbartonshire area allowing them to experience their own beauty journey without the need to leave their home.

It is with great excitement that we now launch our bespoke Hen party Packages. Arranging a hen party has never been easier; you choose the venue, invite the guests and chose the treatments then let Lomond Beauty do the rest! Treatments range from 15 minute taster sessions to 45 minutes indulgences.

Together with the Hen pamper parties; we are now available to offer brides to be a range of pre wedding pampering which includes all the beauty treatments you need to help you look your best on your special day.
Details of both of these new packages can be found here:
http://www.lomondbeauty.co.uk/weddinghenpackages.html

Lomond Beauty additionally offers treatments for women including a choice of facials to suit all budgets, wonderfully relaxing or uplifting massages, and waxing using a wonderful unique new system – P.S wax, incorporating lavender wax which is especially suited to sensitive skins due to their calming properties. All this together with manicures, pedicures, reflexology, Indian Head Massage and eye treatments – tinting and shaping, enables clients to be pampered from head to toe!

We are delighted to be listed on various Wedding directories including the fabulous “Your Wedding at Loch Lomond”

Details of all our treatments can be found on our website:
http://www.lomondbeauty.co.uk/
on face book:
https://www.facebook.com/lomondbeauty
and we can be followed on twitter:
http://twitter.com/#!/lomondbeauty

About Me

After spending 16 years in various Retail management posts, where the most important consideration to the Companies was how much profit was generated, I decided that I wanted to do something which would help others and create job satisfaction for myself. From here I left the cut throat world of retail and embarked on an HND in Beauty Therapy and Lomond Beauty was ultimately born. This has enabled me to secure the ideal work/life business whilst being there for my two young children.

Having experienced the pleasure of receiving beauty treatments in various salons, the thought of having to make my way home after being in a wonderfully relaxed and tranquil state, disturbed the equilibrium of my mind and body. It is for this reason I initiated Lomond Beauty where clients can experience all the benefits of visiting a salon without leaving their own home resulting in an increased feeling of well being and serenity.

Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any queries:
Tel: 07875 367822 or
Email: Lesley@lomondbeauty.co.uk

A scottish themed wedding

If you are planning a wedding in Scotland and/or are hoping to have a Scottish theme throughout your wedding, perhaps our latest collage will help inspire you!

Suppliers:

Dream Day Flowers
Totally Tartan Kiltmakers
Caledonian Piper
Beautifully Wrapped
CIA Photography
Duck Bay Hotel & Marina
The Shepherd’s House B&B
Carrs Loch Lomond
Dub Stitch
Your Wedding Consultant

www.yourweddingatlochlomond.co.uk
Loch Lomond’s FREE wedding directory

Introducing Big Wow Weddings

Big Wow Weddings is THE online Scottish wedding directory to help you find the best wedding suppliers in Scotland.

Big Wow Weddings is now under new management and small changes are being made to the site over the coming months – images, categories etc. However, advertising rates will remain the same!

Whether you reside in the Highlands, in Loch Lomond, in Edinburgh or the Borders, you will find all you need within our directory to give your wedding the WOW factor.

At Big Wow Weddings our aims are simple….

* to offer brides an online one stop shop to plan the biggest Big Wow of a Wedding Day.
* to help make their planning experience stress free, enjoyable and memorable.

Our easily navigated online directory boasts the best of the best wedding suppliers and venues in Scotland. We’ve brought together a directory of Scottish suppliers that brides can only dream of accessing all in one place.

Planning a wedding should be one of the most enjoyable and memorable experiences of a lifetime….but we all know it can be one of the most stressful. Our online directory is run by individuals both experienced in the wedding industry and qualified in wedding & event management. Big Wow Weddings is designed to lend a calming, helping hand; to help make planning your big day a breeze.

Big Wow Weddings lists a wide variety of suppliers including venues, stationery designers, photographers, musicians etc. We also post details of upcoming wedding fairs and other wedding related events.

Coming soon!!! A special offers category – detailing current special offers and discounts our suppliers are offering.

Our aim is to offer the ultimate one stop shop in stress free planning….
…its that simple!

Wedding Photography – how to deal with bad weather

You can plan most things for a wedding with a good degree of certainty but in the UK, and especially in Scotland, you can’t know in advance what the weather will do. Providing your wedding ceremony and reception venue are indoors the weather shouldn’t provide that many problems – but indoor photography can be restrictive and not representative of the day. No doubts about it – there are moments during the big day when you would like to be outside.

Natural light and the charm of your surroundings at that very special venue you hired – at great expense – will be important elements of your wedding photographs. If you have hired a venue in a Scottish castle with views out over mountains and sea or at a country house hotel with its beautifully manicured gardens then you will want to capture them in your photographs.

An experienced photographer will have a “Plan A” and a “Plan B” (bad weather). And (s)he’ll be prepared for both plans to go “out of the window”! Your photographer should have researched the location and know which locations to use in any weather.

On what is merely a grey, cloudy day a skilled wedding photographer will know how to make the best of the light. In fact for outdoor portraits this is the best sort of light – beautiful even light that’s kind to any face. Stormy skies add drama and a professional will know how to balance artificial light but retain that drama in the sky (just one more argument against leaving the job to friends and amateurs, but that’s another wedding photography story!) More problems present themselves when the rain starts to fall and the wind starts to blow, and for the bride, problems for her dress and hairdo in particular.
There are several options available to the wedding couple if the weather should turn against them and their wedding photographer’s best efforts.

One obvious strategy to insure against heavy rain and having to be photographed in interiors indistinguishable from a thousand others wedding venues is to choose a venue where exteriors protected by a high roof are available. Think pergolas, bandstands and canopied doorways. Photographers love doorways; the light falls off quickly and that beautiful soft light is back.

Indoors by a window is the next best thing. Window light makes for dramatic images – a large window with a wood panelled or stone wall and all sorts of possibilities open up. Photography is about light and this setting is wonderful.

In the absence of roofed exteriors it may make sense to have large white umbrellas on hand – I always carry several. Apart from protecting against the rain they diffuse the top light and reflect back the bottom light – soft light again! You may even want to bring your own umbrellas in other colours to match the bridesmaid’s dresses. Plenty of clips and pins for holding hair in place and battening down gowns won’t go amiss either. The wind can be used to our advantage too – with a bit of cover that natural wind machine can be useful!

The employment of umbrellas can dovetail nicely with another important strategy for wedding photograph success in inclement weather. That strategy is, in three words, “Go with it!” Embracing the conditions can not merely save the day – it may make the day. You can’t change the weather but you can change your attitude to it. A strong gale, a refreshing shower or even snow will make your wedding day a memorable one and add to the fun. I’ve seen the Bride arrive in “wellies” and it’s a great photograph. Who knows – perhaps that awful weather will forever be associated with happiness?

Most Romantic First Dance Songs

You want the first dance to be romantic – nothing less than perfect. If you don’t have a couple song you want to use, here are some of the most romantic first dance songs for you to choose from.

You may be looking for the most romantic first dance songs for a number of reasons. Maybe you don’t have a song. Maybe your song isn’t quite right for your wedding. Or maybe you want to pick a new song to represent your new life together.

Music and lyrics can represent so much, and what better way to share your love’s message than with the perfect first dance song? Whatever your reason for searching for song ideas, here are some classic first couple dance songs to spawn some inspiration.

Elvis Presley – I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You

This Elvis Presley song has been on the most romantic first dance songs since it first came out. It is a timeless classic that is perfect for almost any wedding. It can especially complement a vintage wedding. Whether you are an Elvis fan or just like the classics, this may be the perfect song for your first dance.

Frank Sinatra – It Had to Be You

Talk about a classic. This is one of the all-time most romantic first couple dance songs in existence. From formal to traditional to fairy tale, it is also one of the most versatile, romantic first dance songs in history. You can never go wrong with a song from the one and only Mr. Sinatra.

Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars

Want a newer, more recent song for a modern wedding? Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars” also happens to be one of the most romantic first couple dance songs. With the wonderful vocals and lyric references to abandoning the craziness of life, it’s no wonder why.

Dave Matthews Band – Steady as We Go

Have a love that you know is meant to last forever? One that will last through even the toughest of times? Then DMB’s “Steady as We Go” is definitely one you should consider when evaluating the most romantic first couple dance songs.

Until next time, happy planning!