My Caribbean Wedding... and bringing the theme back to North Yorkshire!

spendingmad

Hi Birdie,

NOt read your whole thread so hope these ideas have not already been suggusted!

I got married in barbados a few years back and did the themed reception thing back at home - some of the ideas we came up with were

Steel Band for the first half of the reception and during the buffet. there where fab and really added to the atmosphere (where from yorkshire will try and find the details if interested) we had a DJ after the buffet.

Palm Trees - The florist i used had large bamboo poles which where painted to look like palm tree trunks which then had a chicken wire ball attached to the top. On the day she added palm leaves stuck into the chicken wire to create a palm tree. Looked really effective and not too expensive.

Table Decorations - Large fish bowl with tall thin vase set inside birds of paradise flowers and bright gerbara display from tall vase. Filled fish bowl vase with water and put rocks and GOLDFISH in. Looked FAB a really talking point (florist had a pond which she added the fish to the next day.

Also bought Conch Shells for Wilkinsons and set on little piles of sand in the centre of table along with tea lights - looked very pretty.

Bought loads of cocktail umbrellas and fans etc and made the barstaff put them in every drink (even the pints of lager!)

Had a best dressed competition to encourage shorts and flowery shirts (our reception was October.)

If i think of anything else I will let me know.

Birdie85

Wow, fantastic ideas Spendingmad! Could you please find me the details of the steel band? Thanks!

Thanks for the info too Poppyscorner! Photographer doesn't sound too expensive so that's a relief! We saw weddings being done in the late afternoon at our hotel but I was worried before we went as OH said that he'd read that weddings have to be in the morning! Not quite sure what I'm going to do with myself all day if we get married at 4pm though!

I hope I don't feel like I can't wait to get out of my dress! I think I'm going to cover myself from head to foot in really powerful anti-perspirant before I put my dress on so I don't get uncomfortable and sticky!

Birdie85

Hi! Haven't had much to update with to be honest but I've been mooching the Accessorize website and I've seen so many pretty things I want for the weddingmoon like these bits!






Anyway.... away from my jewellery obsession and back to the reception.... I like these! I like all of this stuff too! I can really see myself getting carried away... OH's going to kill me!

Tete_en_l'Air

Ooh, love the harigrips! How's it going? Have you got any further with what you're going to do for the whole legal wedding in the UK thing?

Birdie85

Errr.... we haven't actually done anything! We need to find a day when we're both free to go to the registry office to book it and put in our notice. It's just parents coming, no brothers etc so that's good!

My parents booked their places on Saturday, they're going for the 2 weeks we'll be there, my brother's just going for the second week and will be booking it 'soon'. It's funny because some friends that we didn't expect to come are more excited than the friends we did expect to come, OH got a text from his friend who lives in Wales and we barely see saying that he was looking at the hotel and was thinking about coming and we had him down as a 'Thanks but no thanks', so that's nice! Some really close friends have been very quiet on the subject and won't say anything, which is making me feel awkward because I'm obviously excited and want to talk about it but because they've not mentioned it I don't want to go on about it in case they think I'm putting pressure on them to come when they're not planning on it. Urgh, I wish they'd just say yes or no!

I suppose if I pulled my finger out and actually got the invites finished and sent out I'd get the RSVPs back so I'd know!

Tete_en_l'Air

Haha, well yes that would be a plan! You should just be open and upfront with them, if they feel there's no pressure then they might confess that they can't afford it or whatever and then at least the air is clear? Glad it's just parents for the legal bit though

Totally off topic, but was it you who did the review on Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs? If so, where is it stocked? I've just been in Boots looking for it in the fake tan, body lotion and hair removal aisles, but can't find it!

Birdie85

I haven't done a review on it (want to try it though!) but I usually see it hanging on those plastic things on the end of the aisles when I'm in Boots. Try the hand and nail section since Sally Hansen is best known for nail varnish so it might be with that stuff!

I think the problem with asking our friends if they're coming is that they're OH's friends and I'm friends but not close close friends with their GFs. When I ask them about it they say it's up to the BF and OH hasn't plucked up the courage to say to the boys, 'Are you coming or not because I'd like to have my best man sorted thank you very much'. He just has blind faith that everyone will come through at the last minute which I doubt will happen, he tends to give more than he recieves from his friends and expects them to act as he would!

Tete_en_l'Air

I did try there as well but couldn't see it, probably didn't help that I didn't know what I was looking for! I've had a look online now so at least I know what it looks like!

I think you need to get the invites out quick and put a date on for the RSVP - does his choice of best man depend on who goes?

Birdie85

Well kind of. He's had his best man chosen for years but he won't confirm whether or not he's coming. He's not even acknowledged the fact that we've set a date and sent out save the dates! OH says that he'll choose his best man from whoever comes if his best friend doesn't come but I know he's feeling a bit gutted about it all!

As it is I've only got one confirmed BM- my brother's GF! My other friend just keeps saying the same thing all time, 'We'll have to see...' Her reason at first was that her OH didn't have a job lined up for September (he's a teacher) but now he does and she's still saying, 'We'll see'. My Mum's going to get the BM dresses in May so I need a more definite answer than that!

Birdie85

Right... Job for this week- I must get my invites finished! I need some help with the wording though. We don't have a set date or time so we can't put that on invite so what do we say?

Also... I'm just fitting the A-Z in (which is going to take up 4 pages of the 'passport'!) but want a snazzy title for it... but what???