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Why do we wear makeup? 

Why do we wear makeup? Woman wearing bright makeup

Throughout history, humans have always painted their faces, and what could reasonably be the birth of modern cosmetics began around 7,000 years ago in ancient Egypt. Cleopatra used lipstick made from ground carmine beetles, and the more mortal Egyptian women used clay mixed with water to colour their lips.
But why do we wear makeup? And how did it come about? And it’s not just the women — increasingly, men are putting it on too. Let’s explore the reason behind humankind’s obsession with what is essentially face-paint, among other things.

Working at your wedding

Working at your wedding - time planner

When you are planning a wedding, no matter how organised you are even the best laid plans and budget can easily fly out of the window if you don’t take control. Having been involved with two family weddings recently, I soon realised how many similarities there are between business and weddings. 

Here are some top tips learned from years helping companies applied to the serious work of wedding planning!

1.    Have a Vision
Just as you have to set your commercial horizon and think through what you want your business to be – do the same for your wedding. What do you want it to look like, the feeling to be, the memories you will have?  Make sure you communicate it clearly to family and friends.

Secrets of a wedding planner: 12 tips and tricks for planning your big day 

bride with wedding planner

 Wedding planner Rianna Elizabeth has been in the industry for the past decade and has experience organising lavish weddings in Florence and Paris through to smaller, intimate affairs in London.

With the start of Spring just a few weeks away, we’ll soon be entering wedding season. 

Planning the perfect day can be a daunting prospect for some people. But regardless of your budget and whether the task excites you or slightly intimidates you, a few useful pointers from those in the know can never go amiss,

Chic welcome bag inspiration 

A welcome bag for guests

Many of the weddings that we plan are either destination weddings or weddings that are far enough away that guests spend the night in a hotel. We have found that a really lovely and personal touch to treat guests who travel from both near and far is to surprise them with a welcome bag upon arrival to wherever they are staying. It really sets the tone for the wedding and kicks the weekend off on a positive, cheerful note! They are a great way to say “Hello! We’re delighted to have you celebrate with us.” As well as little treats, the welcome bags contain useful information about the celebration and the local area. 

Three months to go…time to add the finishing touches to your physique!

three months to go! A bride to be working out at the gym

With your Big Day fast approaching, it’s time to add those all-important final touches. Assuming you have the dress, shoes and make-up sorted, there’s one last accessory that will ensure you wow on your big day… body confidence.
Barreworks classes are designed to work out your whole body with low impact, high intensity movements that help to lift bottoms, trim thighs and define arms. Because classes promote increased muscle mass and metabolic rate, you’ll even burn calories at rest.

10 wedding wellbeing hacks every bride needs to know

Bride and groom looking out onto a pond after discussing wedding wellbeing

Planning your wedding is one of the most exciting times of your life – trying on dreamy wedding dresses, sampling extravagant wedding cakes and picking out beautiful flowers…there are so many amazing moments. But it can also get pretty stressful. From deciding who makes the guestlist to staying on budget to agreeing on seating plans, there can be lots of tricky decisions and you can guarantee everyone around you will have an opinion…
But the most important thing? To look after your own wellbeing – there is no point in planning the perfect wedding day and then being too burnt out to enjoy it.

Why women proposing is still rare even in a leap year

woman proposing to her boyfriend during a leap year

By Milena Gorska Wedding & Private Events Manager at The Brewery
Women have come a long way in the last century, from a time of not being able to vote, hold positions of power or have autonomy over our own bodies and relationships, we have seen first-hand the revolutionary changes being made. The world has made significant advances towards gender equality and female empowerment; we have seen the number of women in the workplace and in leadership positions rise, pay levels are starting to equalise and gender diversity and inclusion has become a priority for many organisations. Yet still, to this day, many archaic traditions remain – including the ideology that only men can propose to women. 

What is it like marrying someone from a different culture?

A woman marrying someone from a different culture

Marrying someone from a different culture
By Charlotte Ricard-Quesada, Founder of La Féte

As long as I can remember, I’ve felt very drawn to Mediterranean and Spanish culture in particular, from my teenage summers there learning the language to my regular visits for Fería in Seville. Over a decade, I built a network of friends in the south of the country, became intertwined with their lives and thus, began dating: a pretty natural evolution, which tied me closer to my quasi-adoptive country. Things continued the same way until I met my now husband. An incredible, imposing and open-minded man who had big dreams and who would move to London within the first 6 months of our first date, set up by mutual friends. 

Selecting the right wine on your wedding day

Selecting the right wine with Bolney Wine

To celebrate the big day, Bolney Wine Estate has hand-picked a selection of award-winning wines guaranteed to impress your guests. 

Under £15 

If you are looking for a red that is the perfect accompaniment to a crisp cold winter’s night, then Bolney Wine Estate Lychgate Red at £14.99 is a fantastic match for those party nibbles and canapes. Aromas of blackberries, black cherries and peppery spices give it a smooth, smokey and velvety finish. 

Instagram or Instasham: Instigator of Wedding Stress?

Instagram photograph of a young couple, just married after dealing with wedding stress

With the average cost of a UK wedding in 2019 rising to £31,734 due to increase in pressure from Instagram[1], award-winning wedding experts at Dine, are telling attendees to leave the ‘Gram firmly at home with the launch of their Wedding Etiquette Guide for the Roaring 20s.

The guide helps couples and guests navigate the seventh most-stressful life event[2] with weddings trumping being fired and even pregnancy - by identifying the five biggest wedding etiquette faux pas to avoid this decade.

Why you should consider a Disney wedding

Castle at a Disney Wedding

Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life. As a child growing up, we are bombarded with images and videos of what your wedding day should be – especially if you’ve spent your life watching Disney films. Those ideas have probably stuck with you, and when the time comes to plan your actual wedding, visions of Cinderella (and her gorgeous dress) may have made their way to the forefront of your mind. 

Having a Disney wedding can be an absolute fairy tale for brides and grooms that are huge Mickey Mouse fans, and let’s be honest – there’s nowhere on this planet that is as magical as Disney World. So why not get married in the ‘happiest place on earth’? 

 

Vegan-Proof Your Bridal Beauty Regime

Products to use to Vegan-Proof Your Bridal Beauty Regime

If you’ve made it your 2020 goal to go vegan, and if you’re in the process of preparing for your wedding, fear not, making your beauty regime vegan doesn’t need to be expensive or difficult.  It’s true the beauty industry can be overwhelming with so many products vying for our hard-earned cash, so how do you ensure that the latest skincare product is cruelty-fee and vegan too?
 
Help is at hand from showcasebeauty.com, the home of independent beauty has an array of cruelty free, vegan brands to help vegan-proof your bridal beauty regime without the hassle.

Kat Shares Her Wedding Weight Loss Story

Kat Sharing Her Wedding Weight Loss Story

Are you looking to lose weight for your big day but need some inspiration? Kat Burrows speaks to Vows & Venues about her amazing 9st wedding weight loss!

KAT'S WEDDING WEIGHT LOSS STORY

“My 30th birthday was approaching, and this occasion meant I finally had a lightbulb moment of ‘enough is enough’. Everything in my life had fallen into place except my weight, and it was time I did something about it. 

The perfect wedding present - Mermaid Pink Gin

Mermaid Pink Gin

If you’re looking for the perfect present for an upcoming wedding (or you’re just a massive gin obsessive yourself) then look no further than the gorgeous, award-winning Mermaid Pink Gin! 

Mermaid Pink Gin has been carefully hand-crafted by the Isle of Wight Distillery and is a gloriously smooth gin with hints of strawberry that goes perfectly with an aromatic tonic or a ginger ale. It is made with locally foraged rock samphire, lemon zest and grains of paradise. It's also sugar-free!

The gin is presented in a stunning, eco-friendly bottle that is covered in pink mermaid scales. It features plastic free packaging, as the Isle of Wight Distillery supports marine conservation - so it's tasty and good for the environment!  

How To Choose The Right Wedding Gift

Wedding Gift - bread board

Working out how much to spend and then picking the right wedding gift can be a serious headache. Fortunately, we have the team from Love Unique Home on hand to offer advice on the best wedding gifts.
Find Out If They Have A Registry
You don’t have to stick to a specific list they have created if you have something in mind, but these lists have been made directly by the couple and are highlighting items they would love to proceed. Remember, you can find something on the wedding gift list and get a slight variant on the product or get a personalised version.
How Much Do I Spend?

Top tips on joining your finances

Young couple thinking about joining your finances

Sharing your life with someone is a big step, but sharing your finances is potentially even bigger. While it’s easy to fall head over heels into a relationship, it’s very important to keep a level head when it comes to joining your finances together. Our research found that 67% of those in a couple now have a joint bank account, and quickly adapt to sharing finances and swapping personal details without a second though.  But if you’re going to do this, it’s crucial to make sure you’re on the same page from the start.

Knowing your legal rights on your wedding day

Couple on their wedding day dully aware of their legal rights

Months of time and stressful planning goes into preparing for a wedding day, but even with strict attention to detail, things can still unfortunately go wrong.

To ensure you receive the right amount of compensation if things don’t go to plan, The University of Law, the UK's longest-established specialist provider of legal education and training has put together a guide to your legal rights on your wedding day.

What should I do if my wedding dress doesn’t fit?

Alison Jaffa's 2020 Wedding Trend Predictions

Blushing Bride Box - Wedding Trend Predictions

Another year has already begun and everyone in the bridal industry is excited for what the 2020 wedding season has to come.  Weddings are becoming much less traditional with more couples choosing their own personal wedding journey. 2020 wedding trends will include; 3-day events, second wedding dresses, eco-friendly wedding, having pets as members of the bridal party and an increase in American trends like rehearsal dinners. There are so many exciting changes happening in wedding trends this year.

Planning a Bridal Shower (Infographic)

Planning a Bridal Shower (Infographic)

Since the wedding season is in full bloom, some pre wedding rituals are mandatory for our lovely bride to be. Doing something she will always remember requires a lot of planning.  The most ideal surprise for the bride would be to plan a perfect Bridal shower that would be a once in a lifetime moment for her. Not only would she collect beautiful memories of her loved ones but also lots of love and blessings from her entire family and friends.
Hosting a Bridal Shower is not an easy task.  You must ensure that each and every thing is up to date. From choosing date, time and venue for the bridal shower to thinking about the theme and the food, each and everything would involve a lot of responsibilities and proper decision making. 

Top 5 Hen Party Ideas For 2020

Hen party ideas - spa break

As we toasted in 2020 - we welcomed in a new exciting year, some of you may be newly engaged whilst others enter the year that you’ve been waiting for…the year you get married!
Whilst it’s exciting looking forward to the wedding planning and organization that is in store, there’s one part that is totally acceptable to hand over to your girl squad…. yes, you guessed it the hen party, so here are a few ideas to pass onto your bridesmaids our top 5 hen party ideas for 2020:
1.    Make it immersive