But don’t worry! Here’s a list of unique wedding gift ideas for inspiration, from DIY to affordable to splurge-worthy splendour. Rather than getting them an item that they may already have, or something they won’t often use, treat them to a thoughtful present that’s truly out of the gift box.

The Tastiest Gift Ever

Buy them a culinary experience they’ll never forget; your favourite couple can never have enough delicious food. Treating them to a unique dining experience will serve as a gift and a post-honeymoon date all wrapped up into one. This is your opportunity to brainstorm what would mean the most them; do they love fine dining?

If so, splash the cash on a luxury culinary experience at Michelin-starred restaurant. If they’re homebodies and enjoy a movie night on the couch, get their favourite takeaway food delivered right to their door or a cocktail-making kit  Bonus points if you throw in a great bottle of wine!

Make Them a Succulent Arrangement

Add some green, leafy vibrancy to their new lives as husband and wife. This is an easy, fun gift for the couple that wants Instagram-worthy home decor, but doesn’t want another chore to add to their list. It’s great for younger couples, older couples, and everyone in between.

Succulents only require watering about 3 times a month, which means it’s easy to keep this gift for ages. Plants are a long-term gift compared to a bouquet of flowers or a box of fancy chocolates. Visit your local garden centre and arrange one yourself, or order an arrangement from your local florist.

Host a Party For Them

Celebrating never gets old! Host a barbeque or a late-night wine session on the patio. We love this for summer weddings and warm-weather neighbourhoods. If the weather doesn’t permit outdoor celebrations, embrace the cosiness and host an intimate party on your friends’ behalf. Winter parties pair well with string lights, hot chocolate, and yummy comfort food. Spice up any party with unique decorations, photos of the couple, and a party activity like a photo booth

Organise a Trip for Them

From a lovely road trip to a grand world tour, celebrate their love by creating their latest travel itinerary. Adventurous couples will appreciate a tour of a national park, and culture vultures will love museum tickets. Think long and hard about this one- is there a place your friend has always wanted to visit? A gallery they’ve been waiting to see? Buy them a pair of train or plane tickets and send them on their way. If you’re feeling extra generous, treat them to premium seats!

Buy Them a Piece of Art

The beautiful couple needs beautiful artwork to match! Visit a local art print shop or gallery and pick something that strikes your fancy, keeping their taste and home style in mind. Frame the piece, and make sure to include all of the materials necessary for hanging it in their home.

Matchy-matchy: Robes, Slippers and PJs!

It’s cheesy. But it’s so damn cute. “His and hers” outfits and accessories are always a great way to celebrate married life. Personalized items like robes or slippers will fit anyone that loves to be cosy and cute.

Stock Their Bar Cart

For the duo that likes to entertain; supply them with all of the trendiest bar cart essentials! Put together a gift basket with liquors, mixers, and garnishes. Add classic mixology tools like a shaker, strainer, and bottle opener to the basket. Keep a consistent colour theme throughout the bottles, packaging, and tools so that your gift basket looks twice as nice. If you just want to give your newlywed friends some classic bar cart tools, throw in a bottle of champagne to keep the celebratory vibes going.

You can also gift them some accessories to make their home bar fun. There are plenty of accessories available such as designer glasses, wall mounted bottle openers, fancy dispensers, personalized home bar LED signs, etc.

Buy Them a Museum Tour

If they’re itching to learn something new, set them up with an exciting museum tour.  This gift is perfect for teachers, historians, or any twosome that loves to learn. Don’t forget to add that extra cherry-on-top: book transportation to and from the museum to charm them from beginning to end. You could even treat them to a souvenir from the museum so they have a way to remember their fun, experiential gift!

Get Them Ready for Adventure with Luggage

A high-quality, modern luggage set is an unusual but useful gift. The newlyweds can use it on their honeymoon, on business trips, or anywhere else they decide to venture. After all, the couple that packs together, stays together.

Gussy Up Their Powder Room

Make a gift basket with all things spa-like: candles, luxurious towels, and bubble bath. Soothing scents like lavender and jasmine pair well with post-wedding joy! Allowing the newlyweds to unwind in their homes makes for a great gift. The candles, bubble bath, and cosy necessities will make their bathroom feel like a real, luxurious spa.

Book or Buy Them a Date Night

New couples are much more likely to embrace date night. After the wedding, your friends are going to want another way to enjoy their time together, instead of planning or going on their usual dates. This gift could even be as simple as calling an incredible restaurant on their behalf. Buy them a fun date night and keep it lighthearted- they’re going to love any excuse to go out and have fun!

Gift giving for newlyweds can be loads of fun. Some may seem to have everything, but when it comes to marriage, all that matters is finding a way to celebrate the love that they have for each other. Whether it’s a gift basket or a dinner reservation, personalize it depending on your friends’ tastes, hobbies, and passions. Even the picky pair that seems to have everything will appreciate these unique presents and experiences.

The post Unique Wedding Gifts For Couples Who Have Everything appeared first on Strawberry Squeeze.

We’ve had so many people ask us if what they’ve chosen is OK. Honestly, we don’t care what people wear to our wedding, as long as they’re there and they’re comfortable. I completely understand why people find it stressful though, there’s nothing worse than turning up somewhere and feeling under or overdressed. There’s also etiquette around what is allowed and what isn’t allowed, which quite frankly, is silly.

Shopping for a special occasion outfit should be fun (shopping should NEVER be stressful!). Here are some helpful little tips from a real-bride if you’re on the hunt for something to wear to a wedding.

Consider the time of year

Are you heading to an A/W or S/S wedding? If it’s going to be cool, consider darker colours such as navy, deep red or emerald green. Alternatively, if it’s warm then you might want to opt for a lighter colour like pale pink, powder blue or nude. Pinterest is a great place to begin if you’re completely lost for ideas.

Think about comfort

If you’re going to a wedding, chances are, it’s going to be a long day. Choose something you’re comfortable in. There’s nothing worse than wearing an outfit and constantly worrying if your hair clips are falling out or if you’ve got sweat patches. No, no, no. These shouldn’t be things you should be worrying about at a wedding.

Don’t break the bank

Lots of our guests have asked us what they should wear, and as I mentioned, we’re very laid back about this. There’s no need to bankrupt yourself just because you’re going to a wedding. Dig something out from the back of your wardrobe and pair it with some cheap high heels from Uppersole. If you don’t think you’ve got anything suitable, get down the charity shop!

Check the weather

Should you pack a raincoat or a pashmina? It’s difficult to predict the weather in the UK but usually, you can get an idea of what the weather is going to be like. Consider the wedding venue, too. If it’s going to be in a field, you might want to be mindful of the weather a bit more so than if it’s an indoor affair at a manor house.

If you’re unsure or you’ve got a couple of potential outfits in mind but don’t know what to order, put your mind at ease and double-check with the bride. If she’s anything like me, she’ll love it! It’s so exciting receiving pictures from my friends taking selfies in the mirror saying “Omg! Which one do you like? I’ve ordered 5 dresses ”.

The post Wedding Season: Choosing a Wedding Guest Outfit (Minus The Stress!) appeared first on Strawberry Squeeze.

The trouble is that those little finishing touches can often make the day, enabling you to design a unique celebration that is personal to you and different from any other wedding your guests have attended. If you’re in the throes of wedding planning, here are some details you won’t want to miss off your list.

Invitations

Whether you have a party of 30 or 300, you can use your wedding invitations to set the tone, provide clues to a theme and encourage your guests to get involved in the day. Choose images or themes that reflect your relationship and the kind of event you’re planning, don’t be afraid to inject some personality, and add personal touches.

Include your guests’ names, match the design to the type of celebration, and offer useful information. Take a look at sites like Countryside Art for inspiration, and think about doing something a little different to set your wedding apart from others. This could be anything from using tickets or passports for a destination or a festival-themed wedding to using a hand-drawn image of the venue or including a personalised message for your guests inside.

Favours

If you dream of a setup that makes your guests’ jaws drop as they view the venue for the first time, it’s crucial to pay attention to the details, as well as the main features of the room or space.

You can make a splash with floral centrepieces or towering ice sculptures, but you can also make your friends and family feel special and provide them with a memento to treasure by decorating the tables with fabulous, bespoke favours. Think about the theme of the event, the kind of venue you’ve chosen, and your interests and passions.

If you’re a couple that loves food and drink, for example, you could opt for artisan truffles or homemade gin.

Transport

You’ve found the dream venue, your outfits have been ordered, and the photographer is booked. Now, it’s time to take care of the logistics and work out how your guests and the bridal party are going to travel to and from the ceremony and the reception venue.

There’s an array of options available to you, from classic cars and sporty convertibles to tractors and trailers, vintage buses and campervans. Consider your party size and your budget, and then explore options that fit with the vibe of the day. If you’re planning a traditional wedding, vintage cars and old-fashioned buses are an ideal fit.

If you’re going for a beach wedding, boats or campers are a great idea. Group transport makes planning logistics easy, and it’s a fantastic way of enabling guests to get to know each other.

Wedding planning is often dominated by touring venues and bridal boutiques. While finding a perfect dress and booking a venue is essential, it’s wise not to lose sight of the impact of the finer details.

The post The Finer Details To Focus On When Planning A Perfect Wedding appeared first on Strawberry Squeeze.

We’re going to be doing a bit of traveling later this year, so the aim is to get as much planning for the wedding done as we can. We’ll be back at Christmas (I’ll be arriving back in England the day before Christmas eve!), then we’ll be heading to Morocco for my hen shortly afterward. Before we know it, it’s going to be my birthday in March and then we’re going to be getting hitched in April. If we get everything sorted now, then we can truly relax when it comes to spring next year.

Here are some things still left on my list to sort out for our wedding next year:

Marque small hook chain bracelet in sterling silver from £45 available here.

The honeymoon

You’re probably so caught up in planning your wedding, you’ve not booked anything for your honeymoon. Travel is so important to us, and we always said that we wanted to spend more money on an epic trip, than spending lots of money on one day. We’ve had so many ideas, from visiting Everest to backpacking around South East Asia. It’s so difficult to decide because there are so many places we want to go to.

One thing’s for sure, it’ll be something once in a lifetime. But we’ve really go to get a wriggle on, because flights are getting more and more expensive by the day.

When we booked my hen do in Marrakech, Morocco last month, I stayed up all night waiting for the flights to be released so I could get the cheapest tickets. They’ve now gone up £300 since I booked them (when you’re booking 13 return flight, it adds up!). So booking our honeymoon is right at the top of our to-do list.

We’re not restricted when we go because we don’t have to stick within half-term or the summer holidays, but we do want to go directly after we get married. We’ve been advised to have at least 1 day to recover from the wedding, and then to hit Gatwick airport!

Thank you gifts

You spend so much time worrying about if your hair going to look okay on the day, if people are going to like the food, and hoping it’s not going to rain. Don’t forget to put some thought into what you’ll be buying for those who helped you plan your wedding. They’re probably stuck hearing about you and your wedding and they’re probably a few squid down shelling out for things like the hen/stag do.

Traditionally, the bride and groom buy gifts for the maid of honour, the best man, bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girls, a ring bearer(s), mother of the bride, and father of the bride. In modern times gifts have been extended to the mother of the groom, father of the groom, ushers, and wedding planners – this is completely up to you. A gift to anybody that you feel has really supported you plan your wedding.

You could just get a bouquet of flowers to say thank you, but if I’m honest, I feel like you can take this opportunity to give something so much more. Gifting something that your loved ones can keep, is a nice way for them to remember their day. Sacet offers lots of beautifully sparkly gifts that are perfect for bridesmaids, mothers, and flower girls, which makes my life 100 times easier.

They have a showroom in London but for country bumpkins like me, it’s quite far to travel. Luckily they do home trials. Just select up to 3 designs to try at home for 5 days and they’ll ship them to you, including free returns. Their jewelry is exclusively luxurious, inclusively priced. All products are ethically and consciously crafted, support communities, the planet, and craftspeople.

Emergency bag

It’s the big day, and you probably think you’ve got everything sorted. You feel good and you look great! Remember, your wedding day is going to belong. Mascara will probably run, you might get a headache and those new shoes could end up running. These things could all end up negatively impacting your day.

The last thing you want to be doing is running around trying to find an ibuprofen or a plaster. Nip it in the bud with an emergency bag that you can keep in the bathroom or somewhere nearby.

Things you can include are products such as:

• Deodorant
• Lip balm
• Floss
• Pain killers
• Perfume

We’re also preparing care packages for our guests, so that if they need deodorant or pain killers throughout the day, then they’ll have everything they need. Everybody feeling happy and comfortable is really important to us, and with a bit of forward planning it’s easy to do.

The post Things You Can’t Forget When You’re Planning Your Wedding appeared first on Strawberry Squeeze.

It’s okay to feel a little anxious, it’s a big deal! I struggle with chronic anxiety which pretty much rules my life. I don’t drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, or drink caffeine, all mostly because of anxiety. I think perhaps the reason I’ve felt so zen throughout this experience is a) I’ve prepared myself b) the wedding is 11 months away. Either way, this post outlines some tips on how to combat anxiety and stay cool when planning your wedding.

Break it down

Any problem needs to be broken down into sections so it can be manageable; this is a fact of life. If you can sort everything out into specific sections based on the urgency of the task, from the bridalwear, to the bookings, and so on, this is going to reduce a lot of anxiety. Of course, a lot of people who have the money hire a professional to do all this, but no doubt wedding stress is partly to do with money…

Here’s a snippet of things I need to think about/buy from my wedding to-do planner. I use little Emojis depending on how far along the process I am (of course I do, any excuse to use an Emoji). For example  means I don’t have to worry anymore,  means I just have to pay the remaining balance,  means in discussion with vendors,  means I haven’t even CONSIDERED this yet! Hopefully his gives you a head start…

• Venue
• Notice of Marriage
• Shoes
• Stationery
• Wedding decor
• Headdress/veil
• Wedding cake
• Hair and beauty
• Groom’s outfit
• Wedding rings
• Flowers
• Honeymoon
• Videographer
• Thank you gifts
• Table Service
• Crockery
• Welcome drinks
• Travel
• Food
• Honeymoon suite
• Stag do
• Chair hire
• Hen party
• Registered Building Marriage
• Dress
• Accommodation
• Photographer
• Glasses (tumbler, champagne and wine)
• Attendants’ outfits
• Favours
• Confetti
• Table hire
• Champagne

Set a budget

Your budget needs to be set in stone before you do anything. There’s no point in thinking about your big day, and adding all the bells and whistles, to find out you can’t afford them- you will only be disappointed. Instead, think about your wedding priorities, and decide between you and your partner if you really want them.

Something like cake may seem insignificant if you both don’t eat it, or do you even want a wedding party? Do you want it to be a simple ceremony? By nailing down exactly what you want out of your big day gives you the opportunity to budget more effectively.

We ended up changing our budget quite a few times because we had to get real about how much this stuff cost. I’m constantly torn between, “you only get married once!” and “it’s just one day!”.

Practice being calm

Stress is something that builds up over time, and it gets to the point where you can’t handle it. So, by practising being calm, you will be able to cope with the pressures that come your way. You can practice breathing exercises like box breathing, or you can learn to relax better, or just take time away from the wedding planning.

Do whatever works for you, it’s important to practice the art of being calm.

Personally, treating myself to a massage and having lunch with my best friend usually does the trick. We then talk about how incredible the hen do is going to be, and then hooray, the wedding!! It’s an exciting time – you shouldn’t feel like the stress is taking over your life.

Keep your perspective

If you’re spending a lot of time stressing out about big and little problems, you need to bring it back to the reasons why you’re doing this. Ultimately, it is you and your partner, and the wedding ceremony is only going to be one day. A lot of couples break up during wedding planning (crazy, I know! I feel like it’s only bought me and S closer together). But hey, if anxiety is something that gets the better of you and your partner, it’s important to go back to the basics and remember why you are doing this in the first place.

There’s been a few times, especially at the beginning stage of planning (when we were just finding out how much everything cost), we just wished we eloped. We couldn’t do that to our families though, it means so much to them to be a part of our big day. Now the majority of the wedding is planned, we can relax a little and wouldn’t have it any other way, and we’re SO excited about splashing out on some luxuries.

Anxiety is more than amplified when planning your big day. It is important for you to understand how you react to stress, but also control the circumstances to minimise this stress. Of course, when it comes to wedding planning, there are things out of your control, and if this is the root of your anxieties, then it’s time to let this go. At the end of the day, it is just a day, so don’t stress out – enjoy it!

The post Stresszilla? Calm Your Anxiety During Your Wedding Planning appeared first on Strawberry Squeeze.

This all sounds very intense, and I’m pretty sure it is. With just 346 days until me and my fiancée tie the knot, some of my lovely friends have given me some advice to ensure we have the best day of our lives! I’ve decided to pop it into my post to remind me when it gets closer to the date we say ‘I do’, and hopefully to help any other fellow Brides2B who are walking down the aisle soon. 

Catch up on your beauty sleep

You need to sleep enough before the big day. Not only will this gift you energy for the intense duties ahead, but will help you enjoy them more profoundly. However, it’s likely the event will make you feel so nervous and excited the night before that you find it hard to sleep. It’s recommended to rest your head at least 12 hours before you sleep. Then, you have at least a few hours of restlessness in bed to take care of before you naturally sleep a full amount of time. If having trouble, consider taking a few herbal sleeping tablets to help your mind and body rest naturally.

Give your body the fuel it needs

It’s important to eat a full meal in the morning. A simple and relatively light but nutritious bowl of oatmeal and a banana can help, because this is both healthy and will stop you from feeling very sluggish. This way you will also have room for specialist catering. In an effort to look slim in a dress, many women will neglect to eat in the morning. This is not wise (why would deprive yourself of food?!), as you can feel faint on your wedding day without the correct nutrition. At the very least be sure to hydrate yourself effectively, especially on the warmer days.

Plan your bathroom breaks (yes, seriously!)

You need to plan your bathroom breaks well. Designate a close friend as your personal bathroom helper, and they should be able to help you out of the dress when it comes time. It sounds silly but depending on your dress, going to the bathroom can be a bit of a polava. Not to mention, you’ll probably want to touch up your makeup, and you’ll obviously get bombarded with people talking to you in the bathroom. Ensure you go before the entire service begins, as there’s probably nothing worse than listening to your vows while in desperate need.

Leave it up to the professionals!

It’s important to ensure that you hire professional services. From wedding photographers to the caterers, the best services will provide their goods but otherwise stay invisible from proceedings. Ensure they are accommodated for and they will give you a world-class service in kind. A few kind words and a small conversation with each of them before you begin proceedings can be a great way to both dialogue your wishes, and also keep the atmosphere of the wedding jovial for you both to experience.

Weddings can be stressful, worrisome and intensely choreographed. However, they can also be wonderful, emotionally liberating, and one of the best days of your life. With these tips in mind, the positive will massively outweigh the negative. Good luck, and have a wonderful wedding day!

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