Weddings, Parties & Celebrations Magazine - Spring/Summer Edition #24 2022

Time To Party!

For 12 successful years, "Wide Bay Wedding Guide" has been servicing the wedding industry from Gympie to Bundaberg in print and online. Due to popular demand, has now opened up to include the party & celebrations industries Published biannually and delivered to advertisers, hotels, motels, tourist information centres, restaurants, cafes, galleries, all major attractions & points of significance It is part of the Roy Martin group of Publications, 3/59 Torquay Rd, Pialba, QLD, 4655.

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W artiesPCelebrations

2022

Often the course of planning from the moment of engagement to the wedding day can stretch out over several months. Planning a wedding can be a big undertaking. It requires patience, budgeting & organisation. A wedding binder or filing system can help keep receipts & information all in one place. With the Wide Bay WPC Magazine we can help make the process easier with our listings of wedding venues, beauty professionals, jewellers, decorators, wedding apparel, transport, checklists, tips, a page of contacts, advice on how to compile a guest list & everything else you need to assist you to help make your wedding day a very special one. Use these steps as guidelines for your event. For your convenience this publication is also mirrored on our Emag & links to the contributors web addresses are available. www.wbwpc.com.au PLANS

Guest List

Compiling a guest list will probably be one of your first tasks. Before you start, you must first consider a few things such as how many people can you fit into the reception venue & how big is your budget. You can normally quite safely invite twenty percent more guests than you could fit into the venue, as not all of them will attend. Now the dispute arises, who should you invite & who not? A good idea is to make a list of all the people that you would like to invite. If you add them all up and you could fit more people into the venue, divide the remaining number by two and give each set of parents the opportunity to invite some guests. As a matter of tradition & etiquette, certain people should be invited, the spouses of the people in your retinue & your immediate families. If your parents have remarried, both parents & their spouses should be invited. To make things easier, it could be a good idea to seat them at different tables. Remember that your future husband or wife may not enjoy it if you invite one of your old flames. Remember to include your retinue & their spouse, as well as the musicians in the final number of guests. Decide if you are going to allow children at the wedding. If not, you should state so on the invitation

Look Your Best

Here are some tips to help you look wonderful on your wedding day... Well before the day you should adopt a skin and nail plan to look your ultimate. Smooth healthy skin and beautiful nails will take some planning. It's important to look your best on your wedding day

• If at all possible, have a hair and make-up trial run a month or two before the wedding. This gives you a chance to try a few styles and make changes if necessary.

• Give yourself plenty of time on the morning of the wedding to get your makeup just right. Rushing will only cause stress.

• Usually it's important to seek expert advice with your make-up. You want a natural look, not too dramatic.

• Have someone carry a few compact make-up essentials for you just in case you need to touch up during the big day

• Keep smiling throughout your whole wedding day. This is when it's your time to be the star of the show. Look your best more for yourself than for anyone else.

The bridesmaid should:

• arrange a kitchen tea.

• help with the table seating

• assist with the décor

• help placing cards.

• help the bride get dressed in her wedding gown and going away outfit.

• stand behind the bride to her left and hold her bouquet during the ceremony.

• supervise the flower girls.

• make sure that the wedding gifts are transported to home from the reception.

The best man should:

• organise a bachelor’s party.

• ensure that the groom arrives at the church on time.

• take care of the couple’s luggage in the going away car.

• stand on the grooms right hand side in the ceremony and present him with the ring.

• witness the signing of the register in vestry.

Bridesmaids & the best man

Wedding Checklist m

m exchangeengagementrings

m announceengagementto family&friends

m selectadate,timeand alocation foryour engagementcelebrations

m decideon abudget,style,theme&colours foryourweddingday

m viewvenues&datesavailableforthe ceremonyand thereception

m choosethedate

m chooseyourweddingparty

m decideon yourguestlist

m bookyourchaplain orcelebrant

m arrangeforyourmarriageregistration

m research yourhoneymoon destination

m arrange your visas & passports

m book your wedding night bridal suite

m interview caterers & discuss menu and drinks

m book any hire equipment required

m book your photographers m book your entertainment & choose your song list m book your transport to the ceremony, reception & your departure m arrange your wedding stationery m send out your wedding invitations

m select items for your gift registry

m arrange your gown & bridesmaid dresses

m choose your groom & groomsmen attire

m select your wedding rings

m choose your floral arrangements

m select and book your wedding cake

m purchase gift for wedding party & partner m choose your vows, hymns, music & readings

m finalise your guest numbers for catering m nominate your MC & advise speakers

m arrange wedding rehearsal

m consider hair styles and book your hair and makeup artist

m make appointments for fittings of attire for the wedding party

m reconfirm all your bookings

m make plans for your bucks and hens party

m finalise legal documents. Intention to marry, name change, bank accounts, wills, etc m have your wedding rehearsal

m confirm all fittings have been completed and speeches are written m pickup your honeymoon itinerary & tickets m organise travellers cheques or visa cards & travel insurance

m maintain a healthy diet prior to the wedding m have your wedding attire ready the night before your wedding m relax, sleep well before the big day

1st Anniversary: Traditional - Gold Jewellery

Alternate - Peridot, Pearl

2nd Anniversary: Traditional - Garnet

Alternate - Rose Quartz

3rd Anniversary: Traditional - Pearl

Alternate - Crystal, Jade

4th Anniversary: Traditional - Blue Topaz

Alternate - Blue Zircon

5th Anniversary: Traditional - Sapphire

Alternate - Pink Tourmaline

6th Anniversary: Traditional - Amethyst

Alternate - Turquoise

7th Anniversary: Traditional - Onyx

Alternate - Yellow Sapphire, Golden Beryl

8th Anniversary: Traditional - Tourmaline

Alternate - Tanzanite

9th Anniversary: Traditional - Lapis Lazuli

Alternate - Amethyst, Green Spinel

10th Anniversary: Trad. - Diamond Jewellery

Alternate - Blue Sapphire

11th Anniversary: Traditional - Turquoise

Alternate - Citrine, Yellow Zircon

12th Anniversary: Traditional - Jade

Alternate - Opal

13th Anniversary: Traditional - Citrine

Alternate - Moonstone, Hawk's Eye

14th Anniversary: Traditional - Opal

Alternate - Bloodstone, Agate

15th Anniversary: Traditional - Ruby

Alternate - Rhodolite Garnet, Alexandrite

20th Anniversary: Traditional - Emerald,

Alternate - Yellow or Diamond

21st Anniversary: Traditional - Iolite

22nd Anniversary: Traditional - Spinel

23rd Anniversary: Trad. - Imperial Topaz

24th Anniversary: Traditional - Tanzanite

25th Anniversary: Traditional - Silver

30th Anniversary: Traditional - Pearl

Alternate - Diamond, Jade

35th Anniversary Traditional - Emerald

Alternate - Coral, Jade 40th Anniversary: Traditional - Ruby 45th Anniversary: Traditional - Sapphire

Alternate - Cat’s Eye

50th Anniversary: Traditional - Gold Jubilee

Alternate - Imperial or Golden Topaz 55th Anniversary: Traditional - Alexandrite 60th Anniversary: Traditional - Diamond

Traditionally for each year of married life there is a wedding stone

Honeymoon

As you should for your Wedding day, create a checklist for your honeymoon of everything you need to prepare. Set a honeymoon budget, start planning & plan your honeymoon together. Check the seasonal weather, rates may be cheap for a reason. Don't feel pressured to leave immediately after your wedding. Make sure you have already determined or have booked and made reservation for the location of your trip. When it comes to customer service, the best way to get what you want is to ask for it. If your hotel room isn't the ocean front room you requested, be sure to tell someone so they can fix it. Keep in mind that one reason why you are going for a honeymoon trip is to relax

When travelling international, passports are required

You can travel on your maiden name if you don’t want to change your passport straight away, but if you want to travel on your married name, make sure you get your passport changed a couple of months in advance. Your wedding celebrant should be able to sign a form allowing you to do this. Apply early to avoid delays and extra fees Make sure you take photocopies of flight tickets or e mail confirmation, your travel insurance documents, your hotel reservation details, your drivers licence, your credit cards and any medical information you need. Carry these documents with you in a separate bag from the originals & leave copies at home with family or friends

INTERNATIONALtravelling

Party Planning

Planning a party involves layers upon layers of details. Without any planning ahead of time, it can be a daunting task. Keeping all those details in your head can make things disorganized & stressful. Make a check list & start planning to make sure the day runs smoothly.

Such as; When & where is the party going to take place. Make a list of people to invite & how many. Once that's sorted, send out the invitations. What type of party is it? Brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert, buffet or a sit-down meal. Mind your budget & location when organising the theme of your party.

Plan the menu, don't forget the beverages! Make a list for your food, paper goods & decorations. Plan a cooking schedule: Determine what can be made ahead of time & on the day of Have all the platters and serving pieces you'll need. Organise a list of equipment that you need to buy or hire, you might need rental chairs & table, a photo booth, jumping castle, balloons or a cold room to store your refrigerated food & drinks.

Try not to crowd the space, a tip would be to make sure all the tables are not right on top of each other to ensure smooth flow for people to mingle.

Plan music & lighting. You can hire a DJ, karaoke system, jukebox or even a dance floor.

After the party comes to an end, someone's gotta clean up, check your stock of cleaning supplies for before and after the party

Cocktail parties are often popular because of the appetizers & drinks. Spark conversation and interaction. Provide all they will need to try out their bartending skills, allowing people to share their drinks & food. If you can allow the option to choose their favourite drink you must have a well-stocked bar. Or you can use a drink menu and bartending guide. You wont need a fully stocked bar. Ask friends or family for help or an aspiring young bartender. Hire out the work to a catering company/bartending services. Be responsible for those guests who have had too much to drink and arrange for designated drivers. Also, have a few non-alcoholic drinks, or mocktails. You should have some kind of food available and if you don't want to deal with food at all, call a caterer. Or provide simple foods, such as cheese, crackers & finger foods, allowing guests to graze throughout the event as they feel the need. Decorate your patio like a Vegas casino or a room in Monte Carlo to create the atmosphere for gaming. If you don’t have a roulette wheel or blackjack/poker table, you can purchase, hire or ask around your friends. To make it even more fun, hire a bartender & a couple of cocktail waitresses to make your backyard feel even more like a casino.

NightCocktail

PThemearty

Theme parties are fun for kids, and adults can get a kick out of them too. Nationality themed parties make it easy, offering many options to dress up and try new foods. Try a Paris party with crepes, French pop music and a giant cardboard Eiffel Tower for photo props. Italian theme with spaghetti, pizza, dress as Romans or Mafia. Even Mexican with tacos, burritos, Mexican music, Mariachi player, bandits & everybody loves a pinata. 20's party - the roaring twenties are alive and well! This great adult party theme isn't used that often, but it sure does have a lot of fun party decorating possibilities! There is American 50's with hotdogs, burgers & Rock and Roll. British theme 60's go go party, The Who, Stones & Twiggy, steak and kidney pudding/pie, stews, boiled bacon & all sorts of deliciousness. Like steamed puddings, jam roly poly, upside down pineapple pudding or spotted dick, a bread pudding, pavlova or fresh trifle. Groovy man! Pick your country and time period, set the scene, choose your menu, dress up and get the kids involved. They will love it!

Kids Party

Make a kiddie table, it's better for everyone if they are kept happily occupied. Try one of these: Cover tables with butcher's paper, then set out textas and stickers to decorate the tablecloths. Have buckets of chalk for drawing on the patio floor. For younger kids, try a sensory experience like a water table, Play-Doh table or sandbox. Put out bubble machines and turn on fun music for an instant dance party. Older kids can document the party with instant cameras and post their photos on a big cork-board. Bring the show to your party, can you buy showbags online? Yes! Kids love the excitement of choosing bags of toys, practical jokes, dress-ups & lollies. Parents aren't excluded with a range of luxury item and branded showbags as well. Water bombs with red/blue teams in a park can be lots of fun, especially for active kids. Having a DIY themed Birthday Party is an inexpensive & fun party game idea. Nerf party, small nerf guns & foam bullets are readily available. Playing with guns isn’t allowed by all parents, so advise of this beforehand. Hire a jumping castle or blow-up water slide. It keeps the kids occupied the whole time and you don't have to worry with too many games. The price can be as low to suit & the need to do anything else for entertainment. Start and finish times are a must and will reduce your stress.

Hosting the perfect party is intimidating for anyone. Why not go easy on yourself with a movie night? All you need is a great film and popcorn to make the night special. A movie night is a great theme party fit for all ages! Catch the latest Hollywood blockbusters in your own backyard. Hire, renting, installing an all-weather theatre or there is a range of home theatres & digital televisions on the market. Don’t forget to set the scene – think about mood lighting, comfy seating, portable screens and a bowl of mandatory popcorn. Use these ideas for inspiration. Large screen means a perfect view from the other side of the swimming pool – or why not grab some inflatable lounges and float around while viewing? Movies like Jaws could be a good choice of movie for this scenario. While everyone’s looking forward to the main event, don’t put the movie on straight away. Keep your moviegoers entertained with plenty of games & activities. Some ideas for games would be movie bingo, charades or a movie trivia. Serve snacks and drinks when the movie starts for a relaxed movie screening. Who doesn’t love leaving a party with a little goody bag? Send your guests off with a fun, movie-themed souvenir to remember the night.

Affordable Party

Keep your party affordable with these inexpensive kids party ideas. Hold a birthday BBQ breakfast on the weekend. Sausages, eggs, bacon & bread. B.Y.O. drinks.

Nice and Simple, held at your local kids playground, nature reserve or park with plenty of room to run about. All done by 11am so the younger one’s still get that nap in. You could still provide some old favourites like passing the parcel, pin the tail on the donkey and musical freeze. Have a treasure hunt & fill in their own lolly bags. Double check all the facilities at your area before the day. Check whether the BBQ is woodfired or gas and have a Plan B in the event of rain. Consider the possibility that someone else will arrive before you and grab the tables, so have someone arranged to get there early and set up the decorations so you don't miss out. If you're looking for party & venue ideas, a pool party at your local aquatic centre may be the way to go. Leisure centres or clubs with activities like bowling, synthetic ice skating, trampling, climbing, laser tag and amusement machine zone, mini golf or an indoor play centre. Some venues are licensed and have got that fun covered. Do a crafty party like baking, pizza making, painting, art, jewellery and handbag workshops. Arrange a dance, drama or circus skills party.

A cake smash marks the huge milestone of your babies first birthday! They get a perfectly good cake, dressed up in some super cute clothes and let them do whatever they want with the cake while a professional photographer captures the moment. Whether they just face plant in the cake, pick the whole thing up with their hands & shove it in their face or just smash cakes, the messier the better! Remember this cake is about to get destroyed and most likely no one's going to be eating it except for your child, so flavour is not that important. However, you do want the cake that your little one's grabbing to look great in the photos. It's up to you if you get a professional cake maker to make something elaborate, or make a simple cake yourself. One thing to keep in mind is the messier the cake can get the better. Look for a mid-size cake with buttercream frosting that your little one can easily smear. Cakes covered in fondant are harder for little ones to break through and don't have the essential smear factor. Sponge is better than mud as well, as it crumbles so much easier. Also ensure the cake is at room temperature for the photo shoot, if it is kept in the fridge it can be a little harder for baby to smash into.

Don’t forget a change of clothes for the baby!

Choosing a newborn photographer - It’s near impossible to flick through your socials without seeing beautiful new baby images. Many photos you see look impossible because they are – an experienced photographer knows how to achieve certain looks without compromising on comfort/safety. Here’s some tips to help choose a Safphotographer.ety-Aprofessional newborn photographer will have done training/workshops to learn the safest methods of posing. They should never have your baby supporting the weight of their own head or suspended in a prop. Ask if they have insurance specific to newborn photography. Ask if their vaccinations are up-to-date.

Style - Photographers develop different styles. See who captures the smaller details & expressions. Decide if you want a posed session or something more lifestyle or documentary. When browsing photographers, see if the images are sharp, in focus & are colours correct?

Budget - Everyone has a budget, though bear in mind, you usually get what you pay for. Enquire if there is a separate session fee & what is included in your package/price. Do you get all images or a certain amount, & do you get to choose which ones?

Professional studios often provide gowns for expectant mums & have everything you need for your baby’s session. -By Celina Hurworth

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