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Boutique Touches from The Wedding Designer

Posted in Wedding Decorations & Event Hire, Wedding Suppliers by HUNTER BRIDE

The Wedding Designer

The Wedding Designer

At Hunter Bride, we’re delighted to have connected with The Wedding Designer, an innovative wedding design service covering the Hunter Valley, Newcastle and beyond.

Jess and Emma are creative enthusiasts who live to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary, and to add that special touch of personality and flair to any element of your special day.

What can The Wedding Designer do for you?

The Wedding Designer’s philosophy is to help out as much or as little as you need, with the aim of making your wedding the ‘best day ever’. As far as Jess and Emma are concerned, there’s no such thing as ‘one-size fits all’ when it comes to designing beautiful bespoke weddings.

The team excels at transforming spaces into truly beautiful venues, using a combination of quirky, vintage and handmade design elements. Once the decorating is finished, you’ll be wowed by an overall effect that adds up to so much more than an accumulation of individual touches.

The Wedding Designer can help you wave goodbye to all the stress of wondering how to create a unique event designed to reflect a truly personal wedding. A discussion with Jess and Emma might also uncover ideas you never knew you had, and designs you never knew you loved!

What’s more, working with a professional team of creative designers frees up your time to manage your no doubt already busy life. With someone else taking care of the details and chasing suppliers, you can focus on enjoying the lead-up to your wedding day, rather than stressing!

The Wedding Designer also has a superb network of suppliers, and Jess and Emma (and the rest of the team) have an excellent eye for a bargain.

Breath-taking handmade design

From personalised table settings, with quirky vintage glass and picnic settings, to handmade place cards and seating plans, The Wedding Designer team can source custom-designed, fun and highly unusual pieces for your celebration.

The handmade selection extends from fabric banners to bunting, flags and pompoms, and new items are regularly added to the repertoire. Naturally, the team is always happy to discuss your ideas, too.

From single consultation to full service

Jess and Emma are happy to work with you, whether you want a single consultation or a full pre-planning and on-the-day event management service, or something in-between.

If you’re part way through your wedding planning, you might just want some advice on a couple of ways to personalise your reception with really inspirational design. On the other hand, perhaps you have lots of ideas for your wedding and you need a team with the technical know-how to turn them into reality.

Available 24/7

When you want full support, The Wedding Designer team can be available 24/7 to work with you and reassure you that nothing’s been forgotten. This extends from the start of discussions about your wedding theme, right up to behind-the-scenes set-up on the day.

A boutique wedding on a budget

No matter the size of your wedding budget, we know you’ll appreciate Jess and Emma’s belief that a highly personalised wedding needn’t cost the earth. As professional wedding designers, the team can access bulk discounts you simply wouldn’t be offered as an individual bride.

Head this way for a blissful wedding

If you’re ready to find out more about what The Wedding Designer can do for you, click through to their profile page for the service, and get ready to transform your wedding plans!


TLC Design and Events

Posted in Wedding Decorations & Event Hire, Wedding Invitations, Wedding Planner, Wedding Suppliers by HUNTER BRIDE

Hunter Wedding Planner

TLC Design and Events

Planning a wedding is a big job. No matter how much you may be a naturally organised person, there is still a lot of detail to be considered and it can all become quite stressful. If only there was such a thing as a company that already had every contact you need in one place, and the time to do the running around for you … but of course there is! TLC Design and Events to be precise.

The best part of using the help of a company like TLC Design and Events is that you can get as little or as much help as you need. If you are simply looking for some advice and inspiration they can provide this, alternatively they can also assist with the planning of the entire wedding itself. Are you a bit unsure whether you would need a planner to help you? Read our previous article Should You Use a Wedding Planner for the pro’s of having a wedding planner before you make a firm decision either way.

Take one look at the TLC Design and Events website and you will see this company is both classy and elegant. But they have also combined this class with the perfect amount of personality and are very friendly to deal with. Check out their facebook page as a testament to how much they truly care about each couple they work with.

The wedding inspiration section is a delightful showcase of photos and products that will do exactly as the title suggest – give you inspiration. Getting started on planning your wedding will be fun with TLC Design and Events.

As discussed above, TLC can help you with as much or as little as you need for your perfect wedding day. Take a look at the packages they offer which can be found on their website and you will see you can enlist help with just the ceremony if you like or you could have them assist with every detail from budgeting through to actually planning the wedding.

Even if you haven’t decided just how much assistance you are looking for, get in touch with TLC for a free consultation to see what they can do for you. If nothing else, you will be impressed by the individual treatment you will receive and the inspiration they can help provide.


Planning a Lakeside Wedding

Posted in Lake Macquarie Weddings, Wedding Decorations & Event Hire by HUNTER BRIDE

Lake Macquarie Weddings

Planning a Lakeside Wedding

A lakeside wedding is a romantic setting for a marriage celebration. The ambiance is perfect – cool, laid-back, and refreshing. There are a number of ways to plan for a lakeside wedding. Here are some tips on decorations, wedding bomboniere, and other wedding ideas for a lake side celebration.

1. Use a nature inspired theme or go with tropical colours.

Having the outdoors as your backdrop, you want a wedding theme that blends with nature. Most brides go with the “rustic-vintage-chic” route in planning an outdoor wedding. However, tropical, bright coloured decors and details may also be a great alternative.

2. Pick a ceremony time right at sunset. Then adorn the lake side venue with warm lights for the evening.

The lake will surely make a grand canvass for that golden sunset. Its waters will reflect all the bright colours, leaving you and your guests breathless! A ceremony in the mid afternoon is just perfect for this. Match this with some warm lights placed on the lake docks, chairs, or the path where the bride will walk on.

3. Give water or nature-inspired tokens as wedding bomboniere.

How about some DIY wedding favours? Cute little boats in your chosen colour is one idea to match your lakeside wedding. Search wedding favour suppliers and see what they have to offer you.

4. Have fireworks at the end of the wedding reception or right after the ceremony.

Why not spruce the skies above the body of lake water with majestic fireworks? Everyone will be delighted to see lights do their magic on your most special day. This can be the highlight of the wedding executed at the end of the celebration. Real romantic, I must say!

Lakeside Weddings

Photo by MMG Photo + Cinema

5. Create a light, less formal mood for the guests.

In order for everyone to enjoy your lake side wedding, you can tell your guests in advance that they can expect a less formal and a more relaxed kind of celebration. Let them enjoy the view of the lake. You can even help them plan for an extended holiday at your chosen lake side wedding destination.

Last Tip: Offer activity options to your guests in Lake Macquarie.

Lake Macquarie is a top choice when it comes to lake side destination weddings. Blame it on its long stretch of shoreline – the biggest saltwater lake in Australia, and its variety of natural sceneries. Lake Macquarie is also known for its long sandy beaches plus a treat of beautiful mountains in its western portion. Guests and honeymooners can spend their time swimming, snorkeling, hiking, horseback riding, and even wine-tasting! Truly, it’s a place for memorable, romantic lakeside weddings.

Hunter Bride features a complete directory of wedding suppliers and services in Lake Macquarie.  See them here.


How to Plan a Vintage Inspired Vineyard Wedding

Posted in Hunter Valley Weddings, Maitland Weddings, Wedding Decorations & Event Hire by HUNTER BRIDE

Vineyard Wedding

How to Plan a Vintage Inspired Vineyard Wedding

One of the most adored wedding motifs of today is the vintage-inspired theme. And the perfect ambiance to match this theme can be achieved with vineyard weddings! There is something fresh, unique, and romantic about vineyards. The air smells of sentimentality – just the right “feel-good” atmosphere for a lovely vintage-themed celebration.

Here are some ways you can re-create that love story of the past into your very own vineyard wedding.

1. Choose subdued, earth tones for your wedding flowers.

There is a certain air of vintage in earth tones. Greens, browns, purples and reds highlight the natural beauty of the vineyard environment.

2. Match your wedding decorations with old vintage collectibles.

If you have an old book or notebook, a typewriter, vintage-inspired luggage – you can probably display them among your wedding décor in the reception venue. You can always borrow from a friend’s collection to aid you in this. Soon you will find that this turns out to be a budget-friendly motif too!

3. Include grapes, nuts, and other fruits on your reception table.

A vineyard wedding is not complete without the display of these colourful and yummy bits. Aside from having them as aesthetics, offer your guests a line of wedding favours featuring these fresh treats.

4. Choose your wine.

Choosing your wedding wine can be tricky. That is why most couples go for the common favourites of their guests. Since you are holding your event in the Hunter Valley, you are at an advantage. You have immediate access to test and taste the fine wine produce of the valley and determine what to offer your guests.

5. Choose your wedding venue.

Not all vineyards are open to crowd celebrations. The best way for you to deal with this is to plan ahead of time. Scout which vineyards are available for wedding ceremonies and choose the vineyard that offers the atmosphere you are looking for.

Final Tip

Vineyard weddings make a wonderful twist to the usual garden wedding. In the Hunter Valley region, you can take a nice walk among several vineyards and parks that will guarantee a picturesque celebration. To add more flavour to the event, have your guests come in their vintage-spring outfits. You may let them choose between your selected colours in order for everyone to blend with the theme. Since outdoor weddings are light-spirited in nature, you can expect people to let loose, drink more wine, and just be merry!


Start Planning Your Wedding – Choosing a Theme

Posted in Hunter Valley Weddings, Wedding Decorations & Event Hire by HUNTER BRIDE

Wedding Theme

Start Planning Your Wedding – Choosing a Theme

First of all, congratulations on your engagement! Finally it is time to start planning that wedding you’ve always dreamed of … or haven’t. Either way, it’s a daunting task to get started on a wedding so make sure you just relax and remember to breathe.

When faced with the idea of organising an entire wedding from scratch a lot of people won’t be sure where to even start. A good tip for any bride-to-be is to get started by thinking about a theme for the wedding.

A theme can be something as simple as the colour that will be used for bridesmaids, invites and the cake decorations or it could be something more obvious such as ‘Christmas Wedding’ or ‘Fairytale Wedding’. Once you have chosen your theme, it will make future decisions much easier and far less overwhelming. For example, anyone who has visited a wedding invitation shop or website knows how many choices there are out there. Just remember you can’t do everything so pick a theme and stay true to it.

Tips on Choosing Your Theme

When deciding, make sure you choose a theme that is right for you and your fiancé. Don’t organise the whole day around your guests and forget the most important people of all, yourself and hubby-to-be!

Picking a theme can be as easy as choosing something that is suitable to the location of where you would like to get married – like a beach wedding theme if you are getting married in Port Stephens – or it could be something that is very meaningful to you both such as a movie theme if you had your first date at a movie theatre.

Having said that, make sure you keep in mind whether your theme is going to be compatible with several other aspects of your wedding, such as the location of the ceremony or the reception venue. For example, if you have your heart set on the biggest dress you can find and all the trimmings, you probably don’t want to have your ceremony on a beach. And if you fancy the idea of a medieval banquet feast as your wedding dinner then perhaps by-pass the super modern reception building that has just been erected.

Example Theme – Hunter Valley Wedding

Tulloch Wines in the Hunter Valley

Tulloch Wines

If you have chosen the Hunter Valley as the destination for your wedding it’s probably a safe bet that you and your partner enjoy wine so you could consider having a vineyard theme for your wedding. Use a translucent paper with the pattern of a bunch of grapes on your wedding invite for a subtle hint or for a more obvious look have the actual invite die-cut to be shaped like a wine bottle.

The wedding cake can be decorated with real grapes with vines wrapping elegantly around it or you could have the clusters of grapes created out of icing. If that is a bit too themed for you, try using a simple sash around the middle of the cake in a lush vine-like green or a burgundy red like your favourite wine.

For the bomboniere a cute idea can be to have mini wine bottles with a custom made label on the front with your names and the date of your wedding. These can be found at several wineries around the Hunter Valley if you wanted to give guests a keepsake from the venue.

Whatever you end up choosing, try to keep it simple. Tempting as it might be, don’t go overboard with the theme. Often having a few key parts of the day in theme can have more of an impact than an overload of matching bits and pieces. Good luck!