An American trend that has become increasingly popular in the UK and Ireland, wedding welcome bags, although not required, are a thoughtful gesture for your guests and they also sets the tone for your celebration.

Have your welcome bags waiting for guests as they arrive and they will also serve as a snapshot of the overall theme and vibe of your wedding celebrations. They will also offer your guest some essentials to help make their experience more enjoyable. From important information on your wedding celebrations to snacks, hangover remedies and even footwear such a flip flops or slippers – what you put inside is up to you and your budget.

While you can start planning and researching your welcome bag and what to put in them, you won’t be able to finalise them until you receive your RSVPs to know exactly how many you will need. After all there’s no point in spending money on things you don’t need. 

In order to keep your bags within budget remember that you don’t need to overload your bags with an excessive amount of items to make an impact. About five items is a good number to work with – remember guests won’t want a large number of meaningless objects. It will also be more cost effective if you buy the contents of your welcome bags in bulk.

When it comes to your packaging personalised tote bags may be beyond budget, but you can get creative with paper bags from affordable retailers and personalising them with your own tags.

Wondering what to put in your wedding welcome bags? Here are a few ideas to help you to curate your own…

• A bottle of water with customised label
• A miniature bottle of fizz for the ladies
• Guinness or craft beer for the boys
• Locally made sweet or savoury snacks
• Weather essentials – sunscreen, umbrella, hand warmers, etc.
• Hangover remedy
• Beauty essential – lip balm, hair brush, facial spritz
• A pair of flip flops or slippers
• Pack of cards or travel sized board game
• The itinerary of your day/weekend
• A handwritten thank you note for your guests

The post Will you be giving your Guests a Welcome Bag? appeared first on Wedding Journal.

These small gifts are not an essential and many couples may opt not to budget for these tokens. However, if you would like to offer up a small gesture of thanks to your nearest and dearest, then a wedding favour is the perfect way to do this!

From personalised candles to wildflower seeds, a favour is a great way of reflecting the couple’s personality into the day. For some inspiration on what you can gift your loved ones, keep scrolling! Make sure no favour is left behind at your wedding!

Personalised Lollipops

Sugared almonds were a traditional choice for a wedding favour back in the day. Nowadays, a wedding favour can be as unique as the couple wish. These personalised lollipops are a fun take on an old tradition (and are sure to keep the little ones happy too!)

RELATED TO: 11 Naked Wedding Cakes To WOW Your Guests

Coffee Beans

We can imagine many wedding guests will be thankful for this favour the morning after the night before! Cure any sore heads and dust off the cobwebs with these personalised coffee beans!

Tea Bags

Not a coffee lover? Don’t fret as there are also plenty of personalised tea bags out there which will help to re-energise you the morning after. Place these gifts where the guests are seated and we guarantee that no favour will be left behind.

Personalised Love Heart Sweets

A cute take on Swizzel’s Love Heart Sweets! These wrappers can be personalised and are a sweet token to leave for your nearest and dearest.

Macmillan Wedding Favours

This sparkling champagne flute pin from McMillan is a touching way to honour absence friends, thank guests for being part of your special day and raise money for a very important cause. From pins to name cards, McMillan offers a selection of favours so you can choose the right one for your wedding.

RELATED TO: 12 Evocative Autumn Looks For Your Wedding Stationery

Name Badges

With families and friends coming together to celebrate your special day, we can forgive our loved ones for forgetting the names of others – especially after a few drinks! These name badges are a great icebreaker and the best way to skip the awkward ‘what was your name again?’ chat.

Flower Seeds

This eco-friendly wedding favour can be seen as a metaphor for your blossoming love as the wildflowers from these seeds bloom. The cute packet is 100% recycled manila paper and plastic-free – even the glue is plant based! A great wedding favour and even better for the environment too – a win win!

RELATED TO: 8 Fresh Flower Bouquet Trends We’re Loving Right Now

Candles

Who doesn’t love a candle? Especially when they are this pretty and personalised! With so many scents to chose from you are sure to find one that reflects your wedding. Dreaming of a winter ceremony? Then the Christmas Morning scent may be the one for you. Want to evoke summer memories for your guests, why not choose the Raspberry Ripple candle!

A drink of your choice

A small bottle of your drink of choice, personalised with the couple’s name, makes for a lovely token of appreciation. These beautifully presented mini bottles of gin would look the part on your guests tables – although we don’t think they’ll be on the table too long before they are safely placed in the handbag!

RELATED TO: Queen of His Heart: Daniel & Fiona Finally Said ‘I Do’ With A Fun-Filled Bar Wedding

A personalised glass charm

A name card and favour all in one – score! These beautiful glass charms are a wonderful token to give to your guests. Plus, they will avoid drinks from getting mixed up as your guests dance into the wee hours!

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The post Cute Wedding Favours Your Guests Will Want To Take Home appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Everywhere you look, there are rules about weddings – who you have to invite, what you have to buy, gifts you have to give. If I had a penny for everyone who said some version of ‘You absolutely mustn’t forget to do this’, I could probably have paid for the wedding all in one go!

But when the honeymoon’s over and you’re looking back on your big day from a position of newlywed bliss (we hope!), it can all look very different, and things that loomed large in the run-up to the wedding may now seem quite trivial!

RELATED TO: 9 Ways To Save On Your Venue And Catering Costs

So we asked our friends and families what they wish they’d known before they organised their weddings – who knows, this might help you to relax and go with the flow a little when you realise how unimportant some things end up being!

1. Shoes are not that important 

I had the loveliest shoes – in a delicate Mary Jane style with double straps – but before anyone even saw them, the photographer had taken us out onto the damp grass for pictures and the heels sank deep into the mud, leaving a mucky watermark that was never to be removed. Another bride I spoke to says no-one ever sees your shoes and they can end up lasting about five minutes: “My gorgeous shoes got stuck in decking after 10 steps and it was bare feet from that moment onwards!”

RELATED TO: 15 Affordable (And Gorgeous) Flat Wedding Shoes

2. You’ll look amazing

We all spent months fretting about our weight and our skincare in the run-up to the big day and do you know what? We all looked brilliant. I planned out a punishing gym schedule in a bid to fit into a size 12 dress, but luckily the very experienced dress shop owner advised me to go for a 14, and she was absolutely right – I soon pulled my hamstring in a spin class and the gym schedule had to go out the window. But thanks to my gorgeous dress and perfect make-up and hair, I felt wonderful. So don’t sweat it if you’re struggling with less than perfect skin or weight before the wedding – you will feel magnificent when you walk down the aisle.

RELATED TO: How To Choose The Perfect Bridal Make-Up Artist

3. You need to double check the DJ has the right song for your first dance

One bride revealed her DJ was calling her during the wedding ceremony itself to ask what the back-ups were because he didn’t have their first song : “Download from iTunes, buddy!” And we erroneously thought our wedding band would be playing our first song and had sent a couple of versions of the Led Zeppelin song ‘Thank You’ to be helpful – it ended up with the DJ playing the rather ropey Tori Amos cover instead of a gorgeously jazzy Lizz Wright version. There were raised eyebrows in every direction, but we ended up laughing about it!

RELATED TO: How To Create The Ultimate Wedding Reception Playlist

4. Deal with the big issues first

Prioritise your venue, caterer, dress, photographer and flowers – these are major big-ticket items that may have to be booked a long way in advance. Get these crossed off your list early on and then look again at your budget to see what you can afford for the smaller things.

RELATED TO: How To Find Your Dream Wedding Dress In Our Dress Finder

5. Half the favours will end up lying around the tables at the end of the night

They may seem like little inexpensive items, but multiply them up by 120 or 250 and the cost soon stacks up. So make sure your favours are something your guests will really love and appreciate. Ours were heart-shaped chocolates in filmy net with tiny paper flowers – which you’d expect to be popular – and they were still left. So think hard about favours before you spend all that money.

RELATED TO: Personalised Wedding Favour Ideas

6. You’ve got to eat first thing in the morning 

Do NOT skip breakfast, even if you have to get up earlier. Bring snacks with you that are non-messy and can be tucked away in a small bag – even better, get your bridesmaids to bring something. What people forget about weddings is how long the hours are during which everybody sits around not eating before you actually get to sit down to dinner. And your guests will probably have time to order a sneaky plate of sandwiches at some point, but you won’t. The last thing you need is a blood sugar crash or a migraine.

RELATED TO: How To Calm Those Pre-Wedding Nerves

7. You’ll spend a lot of time with your wedding suppliers

You’re going to be talking a lot to your hairdresser, your make-up artist, your photographer and your videographer, so make sure you trust and like them. You want to be spending time with people you get on with on your big day, not someone who sets your teeth on edge. Former bride Julie says: “Choose only positive people and make sure you’ll want to be around them on the day – mine slightly ruined the vibe at times.”

RELATED TO: Talk to our tried and tested suppliers

8. You’ll need a Plan B for every aspect of the day

Make sure you have put together some kind of contingency plan and make sure your bridal party is well aware of it. One groom had to come up with a quick plan change when the photography venue fell through: “We wanted photos in Botanic Gardens in Belfast and it was a five-minute walk from the venue. However, it wasn’t available and we had to hurriedly book transport to an alternative location, Lady Dixon Park.”

RELATED TO: Bridal Checklist – Your Ultimate Planner

9. Honestly? No-one will remember the decor

Guests may admire your flowers or chairs or table settings, but they won’t remember them. So make sure you do what makes you happy if you’re spending so much money. Pick what you love, rather than what you think fits in with a particular style, or you think others will like.

RELATED TO: 15 Alternative Wedding Table Ideas For Your Dream Reception

10. You’ll never get your time back

Wedding planning is extremely time-consuming, but this is your life and your time is valuable. You wouldn’t spend money frivolously so don’t spend your time frivolously either – you’re not trying to win any awards. If you find yourself getting too bogged down in tiny details, then rein it in. There are loads of free online resources online that can help you with the wedding planning, including our free wedding planner, so don’t reinvent the wheel!

RELATED TO: 8 Easy Wedding Planning Tips For The Disorganised Bride To Be

11. Expect the unexpected

It doesn’t matter how perfectly you organise everything – there will always be something that doesn’t go perfectly to plan, be it the wrong colour of ribbons on the cake, the song for the first dance or the weather on the day. So don’t sweat the small stuff! My bridal shop forgot to put on the fastener on my dress that should have kept my train up off the ground and I had to improvise with nappy safety pins. Then we arrived to find the venue had put up a welcome board that named another couple instead of us! But those are the things that you leave to your wedding party members to deal with – you’ll be up to your eyes being photographed and talking to guests. You might not even notice some of the things that go wrong. It’s the little hitches that you’ll laugh and reminisce about in years to come, especially when the people you love are no longer around. Wouldn’t life be boring if everything was perfect?

RELATED TO: How To Find Your Dream Wedding Team

Still looking for your perfect honeymoon? Check out our experts HERE.

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The post 11 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Planning A Wedding appeared first on Wedding Journal.

With life moving back to normal, there’s no better way to get back on track with your wedding planning than by visiting The Wedding Journal Show – book your tickets here and get an exclusive 50% off discount code for this weekend only, when you join our brides Facebook Group!

Our Spring 2022 shows are now full steam ahead at the start of the year and we can promise a serious wedding extravaganza, with inspiration, style and industry experts – everything you need to make sure your big day goes perfectly!

You’ll get to see the newest styles in our thrilling live catwalk shows and our specialist stage areas. And even better – because we love you so much – we’re offering a 50% off the ticket price for anyone who joins our wonderful Wedding Journal Inspo group on Facebook – a fabulous community where brides-to-be trade tips and ideas and you can chat to others about new trends and solving your wedding dilemmas.

RELATED TO: Wedding planning tasks you can complete during lockdown

All you have to do is join the group and you’ll have access to an access code that will guarantee you a 50% discount off the ticket price for The Wedding Journal Show – all the inspiration at half the price. 

Just join the Facebook Wedding Journal Inspo group, get your access code and enter it in the coupon code box at the checkout when you’re purchasing your tickets.

RELATED TO: 13 Best Wedding Planning Podcasts

Limited spaces are available, so book now for the ultimate experience! We’ve got amazing bridal catwalks (reserved seating only), VIP packages and amazing cash prizes – you really don’t want to miss it!

We’ll be at Citywest Dublin on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 January 2022 and TEC Belfast on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 February 2022. We can’t wait to see you there!

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The post 50% off your ticket for The Wedding Journal Show (CLOSED) appeared first on Wedding Journal.

If there’s one thing we have all taken from the recent coronavirus pandemic, it’s that being with family and friends, celebrating love together is a beautiful thing. We expect to see more couples over the next couple of months choosing to incorporate charitable and thanksgiving elements into their big day, whether it’s through donations at the table or instead of asking for gifts.

This is a precious and meaningful way to thank your guests for being there for you both, and to spread kindness onto the world. Whether you make a donation to a cause close to your heart, or you ask guests to share donate instead, it’s know that a little selflessness can go a long way for many non-profits.

We’ve picked out some of the local Irish charities that are in need of your support and generosity…

Cruse Bereavement Care

Cruse offer support, advice and information to children, young people and adults when someone dies. They work to enhance society’s care of bereaved people.Your donation will help bereaved people get the support they so desperately need. Visit cruse.org.uk/donate to see how you can help.

Macmillian Cancer Support

What better way to start your married life together, than by remembering the people that got you here, and by helping people living with cancer find their best way through. Contact our Supporter Care Hub for more information on how we can support you at your wedding on 0300 1000 200 between 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, or email us at fundraising@macmillan.org.uk

Pieta House

Pieta provides free therapy to those engaging in self-harm, with suicidal ideation, or bereaved by suicide. They rely on the generosity of the public whose donations and fundraising make up over 80% of their income. Check out their donation programmes here – pieta.ie/support-our-work/donate/

Enable Ireland

Enable Ireland is a non-profit state-funded organisation that provides free services to children and adults with disabilities and their families in Ireland. Every year, they provide services to over 8,500 children and adults with physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities in 15 counties across Ireland. To get more involved, visit enableireland.ie/

ISPCA

The ISPCA Inspectors are at the forefront of animal welfare in Ireland. They respond to allegations of cruelty, neglect and abuse and also to aid sick and injured animals. The Cork, Donegal and Longford Centres all aid the Inspectorate and support the ISPCA’s 17 Member Societies and other animal welfare organisations throughout Ireland.

Marie Keating Foundation

The Foundation’s mission is to make cancer less frightening by enlightening and our aim is to live in a world free from the fear of caner. They are committed to being there for people diagnosed with cancer, and their families at every step of this cancer journey. Your donation will help this fantastic charity reach more people with the life-saving message about cancer prevention and awareness. You can donate – mariekeating.ie/

Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland

There are many types of dementia, which is an umbrella term. Dementia types include vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia, Korsakoff’s syndrome, Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, HIV related cognitive impairment, mild cognitive impairment, and other rarer causes of dementia. Your donation to The Alzheimer Society of Ireland will go towards providing vital services to support people living with dementia in Ireland.

Mind

Show you care about mental health by supporting Mind on your big day with our wedding favours, or by asking your guests for donations to Mind instead of wedding gifts. Make an impact and choose from their extensive range of wedding favours. They have sunflower seed packs, Mind pin badges, and place setting cards to show your guests that you’re supporting Mind. Order them by visiting our online shop here – shop.mind.org.uk/shop/

Temple Street Foundation

Temple Street Foundation exists to support the vital, life-saving work that happens in Temple Street – every minute of every day. With your help, we can continue to transform the lives of Ireland’s sickest children. Many of our sickest kids depend on machines donated by you to stay alive. You can learn more about this charity and the ways you can donate here – templestreet.ie/donate/

Rainbow Trust

Rainbow Trust supports families who have a child aged 0-18 years with a life threatening or terminal illness and need the bespoke support we offer.They bring support and help to families who so desperately need it at home, in hospital and in the community. Any family can receive support from the moment of their child or young person’s diagnosis. Their support is hugely varied and depends on the needs of the family. Learn more online – rainbowtrust.org.uk/

The Irish Blue Cross

Care is at the heart of the Blue Cross, with thousands of dogs, cats and small animals attending their Inchicore clinic and mobile clinics for treatment each year.  In addition to their small animal work, they operate a horse ambulance service that attends all Irish racecourses and main events, working closely with veterinary surgeons to assist injured horses. You can transform the lives of pets by helping to provide life-saving operations, treatments and healthcare. Whether it is a once-off or regular donation, your support matters. You can check out more information here – bluecross.ie/ways-to-help/donate/

Peter McVerry Trust

Peter McVerry Trust is a national housing and homeless charity committed to reducing homelessness and the harm caused by substance misuse and social disadvantage. The charity provides low-threshold entry services, primarily to younger people and vulnerable adults with complex needs, and offers pathways out of homelessness. Find our how you can help today – pmvtrust.ie/

Outhouse

Outhouse is a community and resource centre for LGBT people, their families, and friends. The primary goal of Outhouse is to offer a safe space for people to inform, meet, organise and make things happen. Outhouse is very often the first point of contact for people into the LGBT World and also the place in which lots of groups and organisations have started off in. There are so many ways you can support this worthy cause, read all about them here – outhouse.ie/donate

Belong To

BeLonG To Youth Services is the national organisation supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI+) young people in Ireland. They offer a unique focus on mental and sexual health, alongside drug and alcohol support. They respond to the needs of LGBTI+ young people in Ireland and help them thrive. To find out how your donation can make a change, visit donate.belongto.org/

Let us know below in the comments any other charities across Ireland, that you donate to or know are in need! 

The post Alternative Wedding Favours: Irish Charities In Need appeared first on Wedding Journal.