We love weddings. Like, really love them. (Can you tell?) But even we have to admit that they can be pretty wasteful affairs. Planning a sustainable wedding might sound daunting, but we promise it’s not as tricky as you might expect – so have a think about whether or not you can find a place for something green (and something borrowed!) alongside your something blue. Here are our top tips to get you started.
Resell your wedding dress or suit
Of all the items of clothing you own, we bet that whatever you wear on your wedding day will have the most sentimental value. But if you can bear to part with it, consider selling it on or handing it down to someone else. It’s an easy way to make a little cash back while reducing your wedding’s impact.
Want 10% off when you sell your wedding dress? Head over to Stillwhite, the world’s largest second-hand wedding dress marketplace.
Opt for online invitations
Your wedding stationery is one aspect of your wedding you just can’t cut. At the end of the day, your guests need to know where to go! But there are loads of eco-friendly alternatives that don’t end up with piles of wasted paper. For example, there’s no reason that e-invites can’t be just as gorgeous as traditional stationery! Why not email your guests a link to a personalised video of you and your other half or set up an awesome wedding website?
Choose a venue close to home
Having an eco-friendly wedding doesn’t necessarily mean getting married on a farm or in a field! Travel can be one of the most significant contributors to a wedding’s carbon footprint so if you want to go green, try to pick a venue that’s within easy reach of you and your guests. You might want to think about choosing somewhere that’s accessible by public transport too.
Organise a wedding coach for your guests
If lots of your guests are coming to your venue from the same place, you could organise a wedding coach to take them all there and back in one go. It’s an easy way to make sure everyone turns up on time too!
Set up carpooling
Encourage your guests to travel together where possible and help them sort out carpooling arrangements. Ask your guests to let you know if they’ll have a free spot in their car when they RSVP, then match them up with another guest in need of a lift. It’ll likely save your guests a little on fuel costs too!
Buy any clothing second-hand
Remember, it’s not just you and your other half who will be buying an outfit for the wedding. Everyone in the wedding party from the best man to the flower girl will most likely be wearing something special. A great way to be a little greener – and to save a few pennies! – is to opt for pre-loved items from a vintage boutique or charity shop. Another alternative is to explore hiring any dresses or suits needed for the wedding party. After all, they’ll probably only wear them once!
Avoid single-use items
Like your wedding invitations, little details like place cards and table numbers can quickly end up meaning mountains of paper, card and plastic left over after your big day. One easy option is to look for recyclable or biodegradable materials when choosing your designs. If you have a little more cash to spare, another idea we love is doubling up your place cards with your wedding favours so that your guests have a keepsake to take away with them, rather than something to be thrown away.
But our favourite idea? Edible place cards. Order cookies with your guests’ names written on them in icing. We can guarantee there’ll be nothing left at the end of your big day!
Make conscious jewellery choices
We know, we know – it’s hardly the most romantic thing to think about, but it’s important to be conscious of the impact your wedding and engagement rings can have on the planet and its people. Diamonds and other gems are often sourced unsustainably and unethically, as are many precious metals. To avoid participating in a potentially problematic trade, make sure to look for conflict-free materials, investigate vintage or recycled options or look into lab-grown options.
Celebrate by candlelight
Your electricity bill might be the last thing on your mind on your wedding day – and rightly so, in our opinion! – but considering energy-saving strategies is an easy way to make your big day a little more sustainable. Try turning off unnecessary lights and lighting your venue with candles instead. On top of being eco-friendly, it’ll create a gorgeous, romantic atmosphere! Just make sure you check that your venue’s happy with open flames.
Use sustainable makeup
Why not switch out some of your products for cruelty-free, zero-waste or locally produced alternatives? We’d never recommend trying something new for the first time on your wedding day so this is definitely one you’ll want to plan ahead. If you’re having your makeup done professionally, ask your makeup artist whether they use any sustainable products or quiz any makeup-loving friends on their cruelty-free recommendations.
Stay seasonal
Flowers play a big role in almost every wedding and aren’t something we’d ever recommend skipping out on! But they can have an undeniable impact on your wedding’s carbon footprint, whether that’s because of how they’re disposed of or how they’re imported. Our top tip is to prioritise flowers that are a) local and b) seasonal where possible. It’s a often fab way to save some pennies too as your flowers have less far to travel.
Go veggie (or vegan!)
Whether you go completely vegan or just opt to reduce the number of meat dishes on offer, exploring eco-friendly options for your catering is an easy way to go green. And don’t worry – it’s not 2003! Going veggie doesn’t mean limiting yourself to mediocre mushroom risottos and sad stuffed peppers. Nowadays, there are loads of caterers offering fabulous vegan and veggie options. If you do still want to serve meat, try to prioritise local and organic produce where possible to decrease your wedding’s environmental impact.
Avoid flower foam
An easy eco win is to check if your florist uses flower foam in their designs. This foam is much like single-use plastic and can be harmful to humans and animals through prolonged contact, especially if it seeps into water supplies. Our advice would be to avoid flower foam where possible and look for eco-friendly alternatives.
Buy biodegradable
Buying decorations made out of biodegradable materials is an easy way to lower the environmental impact of your wedding. This is especially important when it comes to wedding staples like confetti, as well as balloons and lanterns.
Confetti is one of the biggest offenders when it comes to the environmental impact of weddings. Fortunately, there’s loads of biodegradable options out there, as well as more traditional eco-friendly options like rose petals or rice. For extra green points, you could even gather flowers from your own garden (or a friend’s) and dry the petals yourself.
And, as much as we love them, balloons and lanterns are potentially very harmful to the environment if not disposed of correctly. If you do want a lantern display, be careful to look for biodegradable materials and be careful of where you release them.
Hire what you can
Not only are wedding decorations often un-environmental, they’re also expensive! Why not hire your decorations? You can be sure they’ll be reused time and time again while also saving some cash yourself. Plus, hiring your decorations often means being able to afford higher quality pieces, adding a little luxury to your day!
Go for gifts that keep giving!
While we always love a wedding favour, they’re not at all a necessity! Being invited to your wedding is gift enough for your guests! So why not think about making a charity donation with the money you save? If you really do want to buy favours, you could explore options that let your guests make a positive impact on the environment themselves. For example, you might gift them with a packet of seeds to grow their own flowers.
There you have it – some amazing green wedding ideas for a gorgeous, environmentally-friendly wedding!
We have been told that love happens gradually, that falling in love is like listening to the tune of a lullaby or a slow song, tender and beautiful. We have been told that love is supposed to be there all along while you blindly engage in different pursuits.
But one day, you realize that you have been hit by love, the sudden urge to make somebody yours. The tune to your favourite song, the shade of your t-shirt, the colour of their skin; everything matches with the hues of your heart that cannot stop falling for them.
Love is bliss, and expressing it is heaven. Therefore, we bring you some romantic love quotes to let your partner know how deeply in head over heels you are smitten with them.
Beautiful Love quotes
“One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love.” -Sophocles.
“For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love.” – Carl Sagan.
“If I had a flower for every time I thought of you… I could walk through my garden forever.” – Alfred Tennyson.
“You know when you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” – Dr. Seuss.
“Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” – Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land.
“But the heart’s not like a box that gets filled up. It expands in size the more you love.” –’Her,’ the movie.
“There is no remedy for love, but to love more.” – Thoreau.
“There’s only one thing that cuts through all our realities, and that’s love—the bridge between all our differences.” – The L Word.
“Some love stories aren’t epic novels. Some are short stories, but that doesn’t make them any less filled with love.” – Sex and the City.
“All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.” – Leo Tolstoy, War, and Peace.
“Give in to love, or live in fear.” – Rent.
“Because through love, we feel the intensity of our connection to everything and everyone. And at the core, we are all the same. We’re all one.” – Loving Annabelle.
Funny Love Quotes
“I love being married. It’s so great to find one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.” -Rita Rudner.
“Love is the same as like, except you feel sexier.” – Judith Viorst.
“Marriage is our last, best chance to grow up.” – Joseph Barth.
“Love is a two-way street constantly under construction.” – Carroll Bryant.
“Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra, and then suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath. At night, the ice weasels come.” – Matt Groening, The Big Book of Hell.
“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” – Charles M. Schulz.
“I love being married. It’s so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.” – Rita Rudner.
“Love is something sent from heaven to worry the hell out of you.” – Dolly Parton.
“I just happened to be nowhere near your neighborhood.” – Singles.
“I’m afraid once your heart is involved, it all comes out in moron.” – Gilmore Girls.
“Falling in love is not at all the most stupid thing that people do, but gravitation cannot be held responsible for it.” – Albert Einstein.
“Real love amounts to withholding the truth, even when you’re offered the perfect opportunity to hurt someone’s feelings.” – David Sedaris.
Cute Love Quotes
“Love is a friendship set to music.” – Joseph Campbell.
“Love is a single soul inhabiting two bodies.” – Aristotle.
“I think I’d miss you even if we never met.” – The Wedding Date.
“When you’re a kid, you assume your parents are soulmates. My kids are going to be right about that.” – The Office.
“So excuse me forgetting but these things, I do you see, I’ve forgotten if they’re green or they’re blue. Anyway, the thing is, what I really mean yours are the sweetest eyes I’ve ever seen.” – Elton John, “Your Song.”
“Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold.”– Zelda Fitzgerald.
“Two people in love, alone, isolated from the world, that’s beautiful.” – Milan Kundera.
“True love stories never have endings.” – Richard Bach.
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched—they must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller.
“Deep within us — no matter who we are — there lives a feeling of wanting to be lovable, of wanting to be the kind of person that others like to be with. And the greatest thing we can do is to let people know that they are loved and capable of loving.” – Fred Rogers
“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.” – Nat King Cole, “Nature Boy” lyrics.
Quotes About Marriage
“A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.”- Mignon McLaughlin.
“The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along.” – Rumi
“To be fully seen by somebody, then, and be loved anyhow – this is a human offering that can border on miraculous.”– Elizabeth Gilbert, Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage.
“If I get married, I want to be very married.” – Audrey Hepburn.
“I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate than when I fall asleep your eyes close.” – Pablo Neruda, 100 Love Sonnets.
“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”– Maya Angelou.
“I am nothing special, of this, I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts, and I’ve led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me, and my name will soon be forgotten, but I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.”– Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook.
“If I had a flower for every time I thought of you… I could walk through my garden forever.”– Alfred Tennyson.
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”– Lao Tzu.
“We’re all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness – and call it love – true love.”– Robert Fulghum, True Love.
Love Quotes from Literature
“Each time you happen to me all over again.” – The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton
“Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be.” Rabbi Ben Ezra – Robert Browning.
“I’ve never had a moment’s doubt. I love you. I believe in you completely; you are my dearest one. My reason for Life.” Atonement – Ian McEwan
“Who, being loved, is poor?” —Oscar Wilde, A Woman of No Importance
“Perhaps, after all, the romance did not come into one’s life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one’s side like an old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose until some sudden shaft of illumination flung athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music, perhaps… perhaps… love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath.” — Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea.
“To love or have loved, that is enough. Ask nothing further. There is no other pearl to be found in the dark folds of life.” —Victor Hugo, Les Misérables.
“When you love something, it loves you back in whatever way it has to love.” —John Knowles, A Separate Peace.
“A love story is not about those who lose their heart but about those who find that sullen inhabitant who, when it is stumbled upon, means the body can fool no one, can fool nothing— not the wisdom of sleep or the habit of social graces. It is a consuming of oneself and the past.” —Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient.
“We love the things we love for what they are.” —Robert Frost, Hyla Brook.
“The way her body existed only where he touched her. The rest of her was smoke.” —Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things.
“In love, there are two things—bodies and words.” —Joyce Carol Oates.
“I have learned not to worry about love; but to honor its coming with all my heart.” —Alice Walker.
“All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.” —Leo Tolstoy, War, and Peace.
The best thing that we can do in life is love. Love should come to humans as easy as breathing. Therefore, with these famous love quotes, let your partner know how much you mean to them. Which is your favourite quote on love?
You have found the one whom your soul loves, and it is time for the next chapter of your story to begin!
The wedding bells bring along nervousness and euphoria, which keep adding to the album of memories. Marriage being one pious milestone the couple achieves for spending the eternity together. From kneeling with a ring to choosing the theme, from picking the right shoes to finally walking down the aisle, everything contributes to achieving your fairytale wedding.
So, to help you strike off one of the most crucial parts of your wedding checklist, we bring to you 20 amazing wedding food ideas that take care of your guests’ hunger pangs.
1. Pie Station
Everything will be alright; all you need is a pie! To amp up, your wedding menu must have a super cute pie station. A bonus tip is worth checking if your caterer can heat the pies for you. Serve slices from large pies or small pie pop-tarts, and everything will be okay if the dessert is this tasty!
2. Sushi Bar
If you and your partner are a big sushi fan, then a Sushi Bar will truly add some fun to your wedding! Serve your guests with some sushi and wine, and they will all relish the fine dine.
3. Tacos & Nachos Station
Nothing can ever go wrong with Tacos & Nachos. So set up a spicy corner to ensure your guests don’t just cry listening to your wedding vows.
4. French Fry Cones
On your wedding day, keep your friends close and your French Fries closer! These drool-worthy snack time companions can reasonably accompany your guests while you exchange rings.
5. Pizza Pies
Fill your wedding with positivity and pizza pies. We are sure that your guests will fall in love with this gourmet snack with the first bite. Crunchy and flavourful crust loaded with extra cheese will leave you wanting more!
6. Pizza Bar
No matter what happens, pizza will always be there for you, thick and thin, in the crust we trust. So set up a Pizza Bar at your wedding and trust the game that follows!
7. Oyster Bar
Let’s bring the oceans to your feet with delicious oyster loaded bar tables. A tremendous little oyster station always tops the charts when it comes to fantastic wedding food ideas.
8. Waffle Bites
We hope that you and your partner go along like waffles and coffee. Setting up a small waffle corner to help your single guests find themselves people with similar tastes catalyzes falling in love at a wedding. It will make a great love story, and you and your partner will be dawned as the matchmakers.
9. Spanish Paella
Spanish Paella is theperfect menu option to add to your wedding day. Don’t be surprised if all you end up doing is passing the Sangria and Paella because this one does garner all the attention!
10. Ice Cream Bar
The only thing that can make your wedding day better is an Ice Cream Bar. After all, ice cream is always a good idea. Choco-chip, vanilla, blueberry, cookies and cream, buttered pecans are our top picks amongst the never-ending options.
11. Candy Floss Station
Reminisce your childhood with your partner with these sugar-laden candies. Also, pastel pinks will amplify your decor. Set up an enchanted Candy Floss Station and make your dream wedding come true because dreams taste like candy floss!
12. Doughnut Wall
The key ingredients to any successful wedding are rings, be it diamonds or doughnuts! These Doughnut walls will fortify a strong bond for your marriage and leave the guests busy helping themselves. Doughnuts are incredibly delicious with their signature bakery taste and texture.
13. Fried Asparagus
Even if you don’t care for asparagus, you will love these super crunchy and crispy Fried Asparagus. It’s cheesy, it’s crunchy, and goes well with all kinds of dinners.
14. Popcorn Station
Life is salty, but love is sweet. Your guests will help themselves with this tasty treat! Thank the popcorns for popping to celebrate your W-Day. Keep the love popping with some salty and some caramelized popcorns.
15. Churro Bites
Your guests are the cinnamon to your Churro wedding. Satiate your taste buds with these delectable options to add to your menu because these will brighten moods and enliven the evening. Get these handy bites to control your hunger pangs.
16. Bubble Tea
No cup is going to be your last with a Bubble Tea station nearby. Be ready for your wedding parTEA with some delicious cups of bubble tea. Besides, chocolate cookies can complement your high-tea party really well.
17. Chocolate-covered Bacon
Chocolate-covered bacon might win the award for the most heavenly dish on the platter as you can accumulate all the best flavours in just one plate. Having a corner for chocolate-covered bacon is definitely a win-win situation for the wedding to leave a long-lasting impression on the attendees.
18. Cake Pops
Are you stressed about your wedding? Well, stressed is desserts spelled backward, and what’s better than sharing a cake pop with your better half. Sugarcoat everything with a cake corner. After all, a piece of cake is happiness with icing on top.
19. Watermelon Pops
With all these fantastic wedding food ideas listed above, you might as well include some watermelon pops for an extremely relaxed wedding. All that standing and the last minute preparations need you to sit down and relax with some watermelon pops.
20. Omelette Bar
What’s better than cracking a joke to entertain your guests? Crack an egg, whisk it with your favourite ingredients into an omelette and top it off with your chosen seasonings! It will absolutely be a delight for your taste buds and your guests’.
Nothing brings together people like good food, and lasting impressions are given way through the palate. Spice up your wedding day with some fantastic flavors that will melt in your mouth and the wafting aroma to keep the stomachs of the guests rumbling.
These food options are our top picks to help you plan your perfect wedding. So make sure to use these wedding buffet ideas to add gorgeous looking and way tastier food options to capture enough limelight in your wedding album!
Looking for some more amazing wedding ideas? Check out some of our other articles:
Many of you might be thinking of hiring a wedding planner to plan your wedding and get your wedding venue decorated. But Wait! There’s another fantastic way in which you can get a stylish wedding touch on your own.
Yes, you’ve read it correctly, you can do it on your own, and that’s why we’re here with the best DIY wedding decoration ideas that will truly amaze your guests.
So, if you both fall under the umbrella of budget-friendly or décor-savvy couples who want to tackle the decoration process independently, then prepare to be the best temporary wedding planner your wedding ceremony will ever see!
From Bride & Groom Bucket List to Photo Family Tree, the 16 best DIY Wedding Ideas mentioned below will genuinely embrace your wedding ceremony’s beauty.
1. Use Bridebook’s Free Wedding Planning App
Become your own wedding planner with the Bridebook app. Search for wedding venues, and all the wedding suppliers you need like caterers, photographers, florists and so much more!
So what are you waiting for? Sign up and download the free Bridebook Wedding Planning App now!
2. Bride & Groom Bucket List
Similar to the guestbook, another popular and unique idea is the Bride & Groom Bucket List. It is super fun and also relatively easy to create. In this list, you can add all the things that you and your partner can do together to strengthen your love and bond.
This will be a fun and creative idea for you and your partner and will surely give you some fantastic ideas for activities to do during your wedding.
3. Ribbon Tied Chairs
Another unique way to add style to your wedding is by making the chairs look more impressive – tie beautiful ribbons around the back of the chairs.
Chair décor is one of the most overlooked details at the wedding, and the right embellishments or the wedding chair décor ideas will genuinely create a dramatic look for your special day.
4. Blackboard Wedding Program
While planning a wedding, it is vital to have a program so that the guests can have an idea of what will be happening in the entire wedding ceremony. For this, you can be creative enough by using a blackboard or a chalkboard to chalk out the complete wedding program.
5. Paper Lanterns
Paper lanterns are beautiful enough that they will truly embrace your wedding décor.
The paper made lanterns will spark the inspiration to create your own one of a kind environment for your wedding day without breaking the bank. Paper lanterns are easy to make, which will combine lighting with table décor.
6.Self Portrait Guest Book
Ditch the photo guest book and just ask your artistic guests and relatives to draw self-portraits. You can allow space to your guests to fill it in with their amazing artwork and signatures, and the coloured Sharpies add to the fun.
7.Hanging Flowers
The hanging flowers or the flower chandeliers work amazingly to add beauty to your wedding. Wedding trends may come and go, but the trend of hanging flowers will remain the same.
Hanging flowers of different colors or the flower chandeliers will surely give your wedding a garden-fresh feel that your guests will truly love.
8. Pineapple Vase Centrepieces
With so many ideas of centrepieces, you can ditch all of them and give a try to the most trendy Pineapple Vase Centrepiece.
Hallowed pineapples will make a perfect and eye-catching Whimsical Pineapple vase that will truly capture your guests’ interest. The Pineapple Vase Centrepieces will look the best with the tropical flower blends.
9. Custom Balloons
The colorful custom balloons will liven up your wedding event and will surely give a fantastic look to your wedding.
The various sizes, shapes, and colors of custom balloons are available easily online. You can get customized according to your need with cute pictures or cheeky slogans.
10. Bow Tie Napkins
Bow Tie Napkins are truly loved by all, and they give a cute and unique touch to the wedding décor ideas.
Instead of placing the napkins generally on the table, you can create a bow-tie shape of the napkins that will embrace the beauty of the table and will indeed prove to be a great tablescape at your wedding.
11. Flower Walls
Floral Floral on the wall, they are the prettiest of them all! Flowers are a crucial part of the wedding, and right from the dainty wedding elements to the boisterous decorations, the presence of flowers embraces the entire wedding look.
A plethora of colorful flowers bunched together into a wall will look surreal and will take your wedding pictures to the next level.
12. Giant Paper Flowers
The giant paper flowers look amazing when they are part of a backdrop installation. Make a lot of giant paper flowers of different colors, and then combine all of them to be a part of the backdrop installation. This will give an eye-popping look to your wedding decoration.
13.Woodland Floral Centrepieces
As said earlier that flowers are an essential part without which the wedding décor is incomplete. So here we are with another flower décor idea that involves Woodland Inspired Floral Centrepieces.
If you plan a rustic themed wedding, you can ditch the flower vases and display flowers in old tree logs that will give a unique touch of earthy vibes to your wedding.
14. Blanket Wedding Aisle
Your grand entrance right down the aisle is one of the most unique and special moments during your wedding.
There are amazing aisle runners out there, but you can be creative enough by using colourful blankets as an innovative alternative to aisle runners. It will surely fit perfectly in any of the wedding themes.
15. Customised Lawn Games
To add some kind of fun and spark to your wedding, you can arrange some customised lawn games for your guests to keep your guests engaged. With the best wedding lawn games, you can keep guests of all ages entertained at an outdoor wedding.
So, if you have a large lawn to work with, then it may be fun to set up multiple games so that everyone who wants to play can get a chance.
16. Photo Family Tree
Last but not least, a photo family tree is a great way to enhance the look of your wedding décor.
For this, you just need pictures of your family and your couple’s photos, some decoration elements like ribbons, lights, and maybe even a tree. And then you can decorate the tree and hang the pictures on it with ribbon. This will look pretty amazing.
So, how did you find these fantastic DIY Wedding Decoration Ideas? Aren’t they amazing? These DIY wedding ideas are budget-friendly, and they will let you create a whole new stylish look at your wedding without costing you much.
So what are you waiting for? Just grab the required items that you will need and start preparing for creating an excellent DIY wedding decoration.
Looking for some more wedding inspiration? Why not check out some of our other wedding articles:
This year has been an impossibly hard one for the wedding industry, but our industry is a resilient one. With 86% of 2020 wedding bookings now falling into 2021, Bridebook predicts that 2022 will be the biggest bumper year in wedding industry history. It is time for you to save your business, by focusing your marketing efforts on the future. Bridebook has developed a 4 step strategy to help you sell your business back to success and to make it through 2020.
STEP 1: Decide on a realistic timescale for a return of meaningful weddings.
The first step is for you, to decide when you think you’ll be able to sell ‘meaningful’ weddings again. By this, we mean weddings in a more ‘normal’ state: more guests, more flexibility and most importantly, more room for profit.
A survey in the UK Wedding Venues Slack Group showed that 60% of venues would suggest March 2021 as the very earliest for the return of meaningful weddings. You need to be considering what this means for your business in terms of potential loss and then get creative with your short term venue & marketing.
How can you support your business and bring in revenue now? Here are a few of our short term recommendations:
Host 30 person weddings, as long as there’s a return on investment (ROI): The Government update of 9th September limits social gatherings, indoors and outdoors, to 6 people only. Whilst this may feel like a step back, the good news is that this does not include weddings, which can go ahead with receptions of 30 people. Venues have been battling huge challenges of couples wanting refunds, only to go and host bigger receptions at home or in the pub. Couples who wanted refunds are already starting to request receptions for 30, now that their plans have been made ‘illegal’. Venues need to use this update to their maximum advantage, and market all availability for 30 person receptions to keep revenue, even if small ROI, coming in.
Got accommodation? Host families or small groups of friends as a B&B or holiday venue. A great example of this is how Hedsor House has flipped their marketing to being a ‘luxury country retreat’ and offering takeover of the venue to families, friends or couples.
Lights, camera, ACTION! Could your beautiful, unique, quirky venue be used for filming?! There are many location agencies (eg Lavish Locations & Shoot Factory) that promote venues to location agencies and then take a commission.
Get your chefs cooking up a storm – why not turn your venue into a temporary restaurant? Quantock Lakes have launched “Kitchen at Quantock Lakes” – allowing them to welcome new guests and most importantly, bring in new revenue.
Whilst we wait for meaningful weddings to return, we also highly recommend doing a cost-cutting exercise for your venue. Are there any ‘less necessary’ overheads you can forgo for the time being? Spending the time going back through your books and cutting even a few overheads (e.g. phone bills) could mean assuring keeping a team member, paying an electricity bill and saving your business.
STEP 2: Focus your attention 2022
The second step is to focus your mind on 2022 (and beyond). The lack of news from the Government is keeping our attention focused on the here and now. Not helped by the combination of the old and new CMA guidance, which is forcing venues into a myriad of legal issues. To avoid putting your head in the sand and digging yourself into a worse cash position, start focusing on 2022 and its revenue-generating potential.
Bridebook statistics prove that the future is much more secure and has the potential to save your business:
17,500 couples have signed up to Bridebook since the beginning of August (+15% YOY) clearly showing that the business for 2022 & beyond is readily available for you to secure.
Roughly 50% of these users are planning their wedding in 2022 or later.
For the users who have put 2021 as their wedding year, 60% are planning to have their wedding in the second half of the year.
57% of all enquiries sent since the beginning of August are for 2022 or later.
Couples are ready to pay deposits and secure their future wedding dates now. Deposits taken for future bookings gives you money in the bank and keeps your business tick over.
What actions can you take immediately to support 2020 revenue generation…?
STEP 3: Take action and turn 2022 into a bumper year for your business.
The third step to consider is how to start marketing your 2022 (and beyond) to ensure that it is your best year yet. 2022 is likely to be the year that saves the wedding industry – so how can you make the most of it?
Review your existing 2022 calendar – get a strong view on your availability – what dates, months, seasons are currently available for bookings? Use this knowledge to frame your marketing efforts. E.g. if you have a large amount of Autumn and Winter dates available, how can you use imagery to highlight these dates specifically?
Challenge yourself with the number of weddings you can host. Which days can you host weddings on – can you do more?
For example, if you usually only host 2 weddings per week, see if you can host 3, or even 4.
Stretch yourself to make the maximum amount of revenue during this undoubtedly busy year – this is your opportunity to recover your losses.
Set clear KPIs and goals for you and your team, to ensure you are motivated to hit sales targets for 2022 & beyond.
Focus on marketing your high value, priority dates first. Get the peak season dates sold first, as these deposits will do more to support your business in the short term.
Selling all your Saturdays in July and August for 2022 would give your venue security for that year, and also cash flow to get you through these hard times now.
If your venue only has a summer license – can you re-address this? Can you start doing events in the shoulder season, or winter, to increase your opportunity for revenue?
Local councils may be more flexible with licensing, so it is worth asking.
Don’t forget to push sales into your ‘off-days’, and use your pricing strategy to support you.
Similarly to above, you can use your dynamic pricing to push your mid-week dates, just as you can with your seasonal dates. E.g. “That Friday is booked, but the day before is free and is £XX less.”
Make the time to review your Pricing Strategy – pricing is your most powerful lever for revenue growth.
Ensure your prices are dynamic, so you can increase your volume of sales significantly, and achieve a higher marginal price on each of these additional weddings.
For example, you should have very different prices for your Saturday in August, than a Tuesday in February.
You can use your dynamic pricing to fill your remaining dates & support your sales tactics. E.g. “Our September dates are busy but we have space in October and they are £XX less.
Review and optimise your Terms & Conditions for future bookings, to support healthy cash flow in the short term.
Securing upfront deposits and booking fees for weddings in 2021/2 will be vastly easier than finding the equivalent cost savings in 2020.
We have seen one venue make very smart amendments to their T&Cs so that the couple is “purchasing an option to use the facilities at VENUE “exclusively” of any other guests”. This has protected them during COVID. Couples are able to change the date but not liable for a refund.
Instead of using discounts for future sales, use upgrades (only if you need to!).
Upgrades impact your cost of sales, whereas discounts directly hit your net profit. Giving a free late-night extension worth £1000 has a vastly smaller financial impact to a £1000 discount.
Get creative with your marketing: how can you stand out from the crowd? Every venue will be jumping aboard the 2022 sales push, so you need to go above & beyond. Here are some things to think about:
Open day appointments/wedding fairs: how can you host these safely? Or virtually?
Styled shoots: couples love to get inspiration for their own weddings through editorial pieces. Who can you partner with? Make sure to share it like mad after!
Winter weddings: can you use any weddings from this Christmas in your marketing, to support sales for the 2021/22 festive seasons?
Special Offers: how can you make booking far in advance irresistible to couples – what can you offer them?
Reach out to your Bridebook Venue Expert and become a VenuePro member today.
VenuePro is the most powerful marketing tool available in our industry, with three options available to suit your venue.
If you’d like a free consultation with one of our VenuePro Experts, please leave your details HERE.
STEP 4: Don’t forget 2023
We foresee 2022 as the bumper year to recover the wedding industry. Whilst you should be prioritising filling your 2022 calendar, we also highly recommend being prepared for the end of 2021 AND 2023 as they have the potential to be extremely busy as well.
You need to have your pricing strategy for 2023 in place sooner rather than later, so you do not lose out on potential business.
By putting Bridebook’s 4 Step strategy into action, you will be able to recover from 2020 and save your business. As our industry continues to go through such difficult times, remember that things will get better. Our industry is a resilient one, and people will never stop getting married – we just have to make it through the storm.
Bridebook are here to help our wonderful community as much as possible, so don’t hesitate to reach out. Our brilliant team of Venue Consultants would be delighted to chat with any venue wanting to learn how we can support you with our premium platform, VenuePro – just leave your details HERE.
We also highly encourage all venues to join the conversation. We have over 1000 venue professionals using the UK Wedding Venues Slack Group to communicate with each other every single day. Join for free now and make the most of valuable and supportive business advice and knowledge.
I (Hamish Shephard, CEO & Founder of Bridebook) would like to share a very important update on the CMA guidance on refunds for wedding venues and suppliers. Details of the CMA’s agreement with Bijou Weddings have been released and the outcome gives extremely valuable insight on what is deemed as fair and reasonable by the CMA. Here is the key information:
THE CMA concluded the fair and reasonable amount Bijou could retain was up to 37.2% from weddings affected by COVID from 24th March 2020:
The CMA allowed retained costs to include proportions of planning costs, staff costs, venue repair and renewal, and cleaning or gardening amongst others.
This gives much further clarity to the CMA’s most recent guidance of 7th September, which has been regularly misinterpreted as a directive for full refunds.
The CMA’s breakdown is explained here:
The CEO of the CMA, Andrea Coscelli, confirmed the CMA’s confidence in the Bijou settlement as a benchmark for the industry in September. “It is good news that Bijou has agreed to offer fairer levels of refunds to its customers, and we encourage other firms in the industry to follow suit“
Another key part of the Bijou agreement was that the CMA confirmed that “Bijou will not have to give refunds to people who have already received, or are going to receive, their money back through their insurance.” This again puts pressure on the insurers to honour and payout on their insurance contracts.
We know discussion on refunds has been an incredibly tense and challenging topic for wedding businesses and couples over recent months, and hope this insight aids in reaching fair and amicable outcomes for both parties.
At Bridebook, we strongly encourage that the optimal outcome for all parties is postponement, rather than cancellation, in the majority of cases. This allows couples and businesses to not forgo incurred costs, for businesses to retain this future business, and all parties to enjoy the celebration at a later date.
We believe this insight into the CMA’s opinion will help give ongoing business confidence to wedding companies, give existing couples increasing confidence in their venue and suppliers, and adds needed pressure on the insurers.
I know these times are incredibly tough. The rollercoaster seems to never end, and the end is not yet in sight. But stay strong. We will get there.
2021 and 2022 will be incredibly busy wedding years. The COVID backlog of weddings will ensure the rapid recovery of our industry, the reflourishing of our wonderful businesses and the joy of hundreds of thousands of couples. Bridebook and I are dedicated to ensuring everyone gets there. This week, I have been on BBC News live and BBC Radio 4 live fighting for our industry and will continue to do so.
If I or the Bridebook team can help you in any way or you’d like to discuss anything further, please email business@bridebook.co.uk.
The latest official guidance from the CMA can always be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/cma-covid-19-response#updates-from-the-cma
Stay strong,
Hamish Shephard
7th September 2020: CMA News Update
Wedding professionals, particularly venues, have been one of the most hard hit and under supported groups of businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic. Our industry, usually so full of joy and love, has been plagued by financial and emotional stress as weddings are postponed and cancelled. And sadly, the majority of venues are still sitting empty through our industry’s peak season
There will likely be an increase in requests for historic refunds / settlements from previous couples
The CMA want the venue to split the consumed costs with the couple, so be aware of this
We expect venues will be having even more difficult discussions with couples, as they have the CMA guidance on their side
As always, we recommend that venues remain firm and fair: do the absolute best for your couples whilst protecting your business. Also, do remember that whilst these guidelines are presented by the CMA to encourage reasonable and fair behaviour, the final determination of individual scenarios would only be given by a judge via a court escalation. For more information on this please read Explanation of CMA Guidance on Weddings & Refunds.
This guidance may not be what we wanted to read, but now more than ever, we must hold our heads high and continue to support each other. We must look to the brighter future to get through the ongoing difficult times we face.
How can you support influencing CMA advice, as a venue?
When the CMA first released their guidance on business refunds due to the pandemic, the Association of British Wedding Businesses’ Venues Committee members were impacted as venue owners, along with much of the wider industry with customer refund claims and threats of action from the CMA. They considered the guidance to be unbalanced and unfair, so formed the Wedding Venues Support Group (WVSG) to mount a legal challenge on the CMA. Over 170 venues have joined the Company and pledged over £60,000, used to instruct solicitors and deliver Target One, outlined in this flyer.
In light of the new CMA guidance, the WVSG are continuing their mission and are asking more venues to join this industry wide wedding venue initiative, as a united front. You can join as a member and pledge to support their fund HERE. New members will receive the full benefits of Target One legal advice and defences, and their subscriptions will be used to fund (for the benefit of all Members) Target Two, a Wedding Industry Standard Contract based on Counsel’s expert opinion, designed to be authoritative and CMA proof. If you have any questions, please email the team at info@wvsg.org.
Keep looking ahead – the future is brighter!
Keeping your head up and pushing to fill the diary with bookings for 2022 and beyond is the only way to keep afloat through these tricky times. The new CMA guidelines mean venues may need to issue a higher number of refunds, so continuing to bring in new revenue to support your cash flow is crucial. The end of 2021 and 2022 are going to be the busiest years for weddings in history, so now is the time to be securing that business as early as possible. After all, the pandemic has not stopped couples getting engaged; Bridebook has seen 17,500 new couples sign up since the beginning of August, which is up 15% YOY!
The Government update of 9th September limits social gatherings, indoors and outdoors, to 6 people only. Whilst this may feel like a step back, the good news is that this does not include weddings, which can go ahead with receptions of 30 people. Venues have been battling huge challenges of couples wanting refunds, only to go and host bigger receptions at home or in the pub. Couples who wanted refunds are already starting to request receptions for 30, now that their plans have been made ‘illegal’. Venues need to use this update to their maximum advantage, and market all availability for 30 person receptions to keep revenue coming in.
There are many ways to support your revenue stream to get through the storm. We highly recommend optimising your Terms & Conditions to promote a healthy cash flow. For example, securing upfront deposits & booking fees for future weddings will be much easier than trying to find the equivalent cost savings this year.
Secondly, make sure you take the time to review your Pricing Strategy. Pricing is your single biggest lever for revenue growth as a venue, so ensure you are being dynamic. For example, you should have very different prices for your Saturday in August, than a Tuesday in February – you need to be thinking how you can use your dynamic pricing to support your sales. Hamish Shephard, Bridebook CEO & Founder will be hosting a virtual Masterclass on creating a pricing strategy and using it to recover your business, so watch this space!
Finally, in order to be securing those new bookings, you need to get your venue in front of couples. This is not the time to drop your venue marketing – quite the opposite! Make sure you keep up your social media, website content and keep any online profiles up to date. If you are a VenuePro member, make sure you keep your Account Manager informed of any Special Offers you are promoting so we can push them to our community. If you are not a VenuePro member and would like to see how we can boost your marketing, please leave your details HERE. For advice on how to make the most of your social platforms, how to build content, the benefits of video tours and more, see our articles & videos here.
We are stronger together.
Our community is like no other; we are so lucky to be surrounded by genuinely caring, fun and resilient individuals in the wedding industry. Whilst coronavirus has caused terrible times for our industry, the one positive has been wedding venues coming closer together, which continues to be crucial during these turbulent times. The UK Wedding Venues Slack Group has been an incredible source of support for its 1000+ members, and we invite any venue who is not yet a member to join. A recent survey showed that 87% members would recommend the group to a friend, so what are you waiting for! We have been uplifted seeing venues coming together in all sorts of ways; whether it is to offer advice on a tricky situation, share personal experiences or just to jump on a video call with a glass of wine to de-stress.
Whilst the updated CMA guidelines are not what our industry was hoping for, we urge our venue community to not feel defeated. By working together, continuing to push for support from the Government and maintaining a view for the future, we will get through this.
Whether you’re newly engaged or only a few weeks from your big day, we’re sure you’re imagining what your big day will look like. And that means thinking about decorations! Now, there are thousands of wedding decoration ideas to choose from that transform your venue into a real show-stopper. Here’s fifteen of our favourites to get you started.
1. Fairylights
Everyone loves fairylights – and for good reason! They’re an easy way to add a little atmosphere to your big day. Your venue will look even more enchanting, lit up with twinkling fairylights in jam jars or along the walls. You could even string them through trees to create an enchanted forest feel.
2. Floral Arches
Whether you go for a more rustic arch that’s full of greenery and wildflowers or an elaborate floral sculpture which is overflowing with fresh blossoms, flower arches make for a fantastic focal point at your wedding ceremony or reception. In our opinion, more is more when it comes to flowers!
3. Chair Decorations
It’s easy to overlook but we promise, giving a little thought to how you’ll decorate your chairs makes a big difference to the overall look and feel of your ceremony. As they say, the devil’s in the details! Whether you’re stuck with ugly plastic seating or you’ve brought in some gorgeous antique chairs, adding ribbons, fabric or flowers is a great way to take your wedding decorations to the next level.
4. Photo Walls
While you and your partner are at the centre of your wedding, it’s also about your two families coming together. Pay tribute to your loved ones with a gallery wall displaying photographs of your nearest and dearest. You could even give your guests polaroid cameras and add to the wall during your reception!
5. Candles
Candles are a classic way to add a little atmosphere to any wedding ceremony or reception, no matter what your chosen style or theme. The options are endless, from tealights and votives to pillar and taper candles. Whether you use them as table centerpieces or dot them around your venue, your guests will be enchanted. And if you choose fragranced candles, they’ll even add a signature scent to your wedding!
6. Mirror Decals
Why not put a twist on traditional wedding signs by opting for mirror decals instead? They’re fast becoming one of the most popular wedding decoration trends, with gorgeous calligraphy popping up on ornate framed mirrors across the country. And everyone loves a mirror selfie – so they make for great photo ops too!
7. Chalkboards
Take a leaf out of your favourite coffee shop’s book and add a chalkboard to your wedding venue. Chalkboards are a super easy, DIY wedding decoration idea – and they’re functional too! You can use them to welcome your guests, direct them to their seats or display your menu.
8. Giant Letters
These have been popping up at weddings more and more over the last few years – and they’re definitely here to stay! Whether you keep things simple with you and your partner’s initials or spell out a special message, giant letters are a fab way to personalise your big day. If you’re going for a more modern wedding, tarnished metal and exposed bulbs will give your decorations an industrial feel, while those of you having rustic barn weddings might want to consider distressed wood instead. You can even position the letters so that they define different areas – for example, separating the dance floor from a quieter area.
9. Table Lamps
An easy way to add atmosphere to any room? Turn off the overhead lights. Opting for the soft, diffused light of table lamps instead will instantly take your wedding venue to the next level. We especially love table lamps for intimate weddings – their warm glow creates a gorgeously cosy feel.
10. Bespoke Table Plans
Yes, they’re a necessity – but that doesn’t mean your table plan has to be strictly functional! After all, all your guests will stop and look at it – so get creative and make it part of your wedding decorations. If you’ve opted for bespoke wedding stationery, why not see if your designer will make you a table plan that ties in with it? Or roll your sleeves up and get DIYing!
11. Ceiling Drapes
Instantly transform any venue with ceiling drapes. Whatever your wedding colours, you’ll be able to find a fabric to match. For a formal wedding, you might want to go for an elegant brilliant white, while soft linens are perfect for a more relaxed, rustic vibe. Or opt for brightly coloured fabrics to create a joyful atmosphere and lift your guests’ spirits!
12. Flower Walls
Flowers are a must at any wedding – so why not take things one step further with a whole flower wall? Focus on flowers that tie in with your wedding colours to keep things cohesive and create a fab focal point for your venue. Your guests will be completely wowed by the extravagant display – and it’s a fantastic spot for photographs too!
13. Signage
We’re sure you’ll need at least one sign at your wedding (even if it’s just for the loos!) so why not spend a little time making them decorations that tie in with your wedding theme? You’ll need a few practical signs to let people know where to go – try mixing in some extra signs printed with cute sayings and funny expressions to keep things fun!
14. Neon Signs
A quick scroll through Instagram is proof enough that neon signs are here to stay! Whether you dot lots of smaller ones around your venue or place one statement piece in a key location, there are countless ways to incorporate neon signs into your wedding decorations.
15. Coloured Glassware
To take your tablescapes to the next level, consider coloured glassware. You can find coloured glassware to suit all wedding styles and themes, from glamourous vintage pieces to sleek modern designs.You could even choose glassware in your wedding colours to tie everything together.
There you go – fifteen fabulous wedding decoration ideas to transform your wedding venue. So what are you waiting for? Hit the shops or get DIYing and make your wedding venue a showstopper!
Let’s talk wedding styles. Now, there are lots of different styles of weddings you could go for: classic, luxury, casual, modern… And the choice you make will act as a guide for all your other decisions, from your venue through to little details like your place cards. So think for a minute about what you want. How do you feel about something a little more laid back? Perhaps in the countryside? We’re thinking light-filled spaces, distressed wood, maybe even something outside… If that makes you giddy, a rustic wedding might be the one for you!
Now it’s time to get inspired with our top twelve rustic wedding ideas!
1. An Outdoor Ceremony
It’s a little risky with the British weather, but we love an outdoor ceremony. You might decide to have a truly enchanting ceremony in a forest or go super rustic and opt to get married in a field. You and your guests might even camp nearby afterwards!
2. A Barn Venue
It’s an oldie but a goodie! We’re sure you’ve seen lots of photographs of wedding ceremonies in gorgeous rustic barns – and with good reason! They’re trendy for a reason. Think high ceilings, big windows and gorgeous linens. It could be the perfect setting for your big day.
3. Lawn Games
Something we love about rustic weddings is their laid-back vibe! Playing a few lawn games is a great way to keep your guests in high spirits. They’ll bring out everyone’s playful side and act as a bit of icebreaker for any guests who don’t know each other so well.
4. Wooden Seating
Forget chair covers, bows and sashes if you’re after a rustic style for your wedding. Instead, think vintage wooden chairs, decorated with greenery and other foliage. If you and your partner are splitting your guests onto separate sides, why not add distressed signs to let them know where to sit?
5. A Folk Band
When it comes to entertainment, there’s nothing better than a folk band at a rustic wedding. Folk bands tend to play tunes that are welcoming, warm and full of heart, and their acoustic or “unplugged” music creates the perfect atmosphere, especially for an intimate ceremony.
6. Animals
Any animal lovers out there? If you’re getting married near a farm, why not see if you can add their livestock into your wedding photographs? It’ll make for some super unique memories! Or bring your pets along to the ceremony to really get the whole family involved.
7. Flower Crowns
Everyone loves a flower crown – and for good reason! They look gorgeous with any outfit. We especially love them paired with a boho wedding dress or an oversized suit.
8. Floral Wedding Arches
A rustic wedding arch is a great way to elevate your wedding. A floral arch makes for a gorgeous focal point – not to mention some fantastic photo ops!
9. Home Cooking
It’s not just about your decorations! Even your catering can have a rustic twist. One of our favourite rustic wedding ideas is serving your guests homemade cookies. You could even personalise them with your guests’ names!
10. Wooden Details
Consider using wooden logs for a rustic twist. They might come in handy as holders for place names or table numbers – or they can be used to display your wedding cake! Add some flowers and foliage to make it even more gorgeous. Try wooden table numbers to to keep everything on theme. You could even pop them into potted plants or watering cans filled with wildflowers to take things to the next level!
11. Sparklers
Make the most of the great outdoors and dazzle your guests with sparklers and fireworks! Not only will your guests be excited to get involved, but we bet you’ll get some great photographs too.
12. Jam Jars
One super cute – and budget friendly! – idea that never goes out of style is repurposing jam jars as flower vases. Fill them with wildflowers – or, if you’re green fingered, you might even try planting herbs in them!
There you have it – twelve gorgeous ideas for to help create your dream rustic wedding.
Whether it’s been one year since the two of you got married, a decade, or even 50 years, every wedding anniversary is special, and deserves to be celebrated. To mark such a wonderful occasion, you no doubt love to show your other half just how much that loyalty and adoration means to you.
Every couple is different. You may use your anniversary to offer a huge gesture of love like a meal at a fancy restaurant or a trip somewhere nice. You may give them a stunning bouquet of flowers and a card or have a romantic night in away from the rest of the world. Or, you might choose to give them a gift specifically linked to the number of years the two of you have been together.
But what should you give? If you’re stuck for ideas, every anniversary has a traditional gift you can give your partner, as well as an anniversary gemstone and traditional flower. These traditions go back more than a hundred years, and today, there are modern gifts too, which gives you plenty of choices.
In this article, we’re going to explore everything to do with wedding anniversary gifts and traditions in the UK, including the traditional gifts given by couples to each other for a century, and the modern options for couples who want to give their symbolic gift-giving a 21st-century boost. We’ll also let you know the gemstones and flowers, and dive into the symbolic meaning everything has so you can put love and consideration into your gifts every year.
And if you’re in a rush, check out our handy infographics below: we’ve got one for the traditional and modern anniversary gifts, as well as the anniversary gemstones and flowers. Be sure to save them for future reference!
Your marriage was a monumental and pivotal event in your life. It no doubt changed the way you live, think and behave. Your goals likely evolved, your priorities shifted, and your mindset altered. You may still (and always) be an I, but the day you got married, you also became a we.
Because marriage is such a big commitment, it should be celebrated. So, whether you’ve been married one year, two years or five decades, why not use it as an excuse (not that you need one) to celebrate the love you and your partner share?
Of course, you and your other half might like to keep things on the low down. You might not like the fuss associated with an anniversary or you might not have the money to spare. And that’s okay too. So long as you and your partner are open and honest with each other from the start, there’s nothing wrong with choosing not to celebrate your anniversary. You do you.
Wedding anniversary gifts are like the gifts given to mark other significant moments of someone’s life, such as a birthday, Christmas, marriage or any other special occasion. But it counts double for an anniversary, because you’re not the only one celebrating something. Both you and your partner have reached an incredible milestone in your marriage, whether it’s one or one 90 years.
Couples love to give each other gifts on their anniversary because it marks such an important time they share. It’s a symbolic gesture that shows your continued love and commitment to your partner and how much you appreciate them. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive and you shouldn’t feel pressured to give them a gift if your budget doesn’t allow it – it all depends on your personal preferences and circumstances, and what feels right to you as a couple.
No, you don’t have to give your partner a gift on your anniversary. While many couples do choose to mark every anniversary with a card, gift or something else, it’s not for everyone. You might not be comfortable with giving or receiving gifts, or you may not have the budget to spare. And that’s perfectly okay.
There are plenty of other ways you can treat your partner on your anniversary that don’t involve giving a gift. Instead, why not put your phones away and enjoy a cosy movie night? Or take a romantic walk and enjoy a picnic at a lakeside? There’s lots you can do if you’re not in a position to give each other gifts.
Like with any part of a marriage, it’s all about communication. So be open and honest with your partner about what you’d like to give on your anniversary.
What are traditional and modern anniversary gifts?
Wedding anniversary gift guide: a quick reference infographic
It’s thought that couples have been giving each other gifts to mark their wedding anniversaries for hundreds of years. For example, Folklorist Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli wrote that couples in Germanic countries gave each other anniversary jewellery as far back as the 16th century.
During the Victorian era, the act of giving anniversary gifts grew in popularity, but at the time there were no ‘rules’ as such. It was only after the publication of Emily Post’s 1922 book, Etiquette: in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home, that the idea of traditional wedding anniversary gifts for specific milestones came to be. The list contains traditional gifts you can give to your partner for your 1st to your 15th anniversary, then every five years after that.
Less than 20 years after Emily Post’s book, the American National Retail Jeweler Association published a modern version in 1937. Since then, couples have used both lists as a source of inspiration for what to gift each other.
Until a second even more modern version is created, couples will have to bend the rules if they want to give each other an iPad or PlayStation.
Here’s a list of the main wedding anniversaries and their associated gifts:
Whether you should give your partner a modern or traditional anniversary gift is entirely up to you – there’s no right or wrong answer. Speak to your partner about what you might like to do and if you want to stick to a theme.
Different gifts have different symbolic meanings and might have a unique meaning or nostalgic element for the two of you. Some gifts might also have actual uses and a lot more flexibility about them. As you might expect, modern anniversary gifts are a little easier to work with, but even some of those are a little outdated by 21st-century standards.
If you stick to traditional anniversary gifts, for your first anniversary you’ll want to give your partner something associated with paper. Now, this could be a packet of tissues, or it could be a certificate showing how they’ve purchased an acre of land on the moon – you can be as creative with it as you like.
For something a little easier to work out, you could get them the modern equivalent, which is a clock. This could be a gold watch, a FitBit or Apple Watch, a new bedside alarm clock… whatever you think your partner would love.
Or, you could scrap the idea that year altogether and get them a bunch of flowers or an overnight stay in a romantic B&B somewhere. There are no official rules, just inspiration and ideas you can follow.
And you could mix it up. One year you could go traditional, one year you could go modern. It’s about whatever fits your budget, your preferences and how it aligns with your creativity and what you and your partner have discussed. And if your partner does want an acre of land on the moon, then go for it!
Do different countries around the world have different anniversary traditions?
Yes, depending on where you live, there may be different traditions and gifts associated with each wedding anniversary. There is a lot of crossover, but just because something is a tradition in one country doesn’t mean it applies to every country.
For example, in Korea it’s common for couples to celebrate their 100-day wedding anniversary, as the first 100 days are thought to be among the toughest they’ll experience as they settle into married life. To mark the occasion, Korean couples like to give each other a ring which might be engraved with a short phrase that means something special to them.
In this article, we’re going to focus on the traditional and modern anniversary milestones, traditions and gifts that couples in the UK might like to stick to. But, because there’s so much crossover, many of these traditions are shared across the world. Couples in the UK, USA, Germany, Japan and beyond mark the 25th (silver) and 50th (gold) anniversaries with gifts, parties and other celebrations.
What are wedding anniversary gemstones?
Wedding anniversary gemstone guide: a quick reference infographic
Okay, so we’ve already covered that there are traditional and modern anniversary gifts you could give to your partner to mark specific milestones in your marriage. But, to make things super simple and give you even more options and ideas for what you could give them, there are also specific gemstones associated with every anniversary. So, if all else fails, a piece of jewellery that contains a gemstone is guaranteed to bring a smile to your other half’s face thanks to the symbolic meaning behind it.
Check out the below guide to see what wedding anniversary gemstones there are:
1st anniversary gemstone – Gold
2nd anniversary gemstone – Garnet
3rd anniversary gemstone – Pearl
4th anniversary gemstone – Topaz
5th anniversary gemstone – Sapphire
6th anniversary gemstone – Amethyst
7th anniversary gemstone – Onyx
8th anniversary gemstone – Tourmaline
9th anniversary gemstone – Lapis Lazuli
10th anniversary gemstone – Diamond
11th anniversary gemstone – Turquoise
12th anniversary gemstone – Jade
13th anniversary gemstone – Citrine
14th anniversary gemstone – Opal
15th anniversary gemstone – Ruby
16th anniversary gemstone – Peridot
17th anniversary gemstone – Carnelian
18th anniversary gemstone – Cat’s eye
19th anniversary gemstone – Aquamarine
20th anniversary gemstone – Emerald
21st anniversary gemstone – Iolite
22nd anniversary gemstone – Spinel
23rd anniversary gemstone – Topaz
24th anniversary gemstone – Tanzanite
25th anniversary gemstone – Silver
30th anniversary gemstone – Pearl
35th anniversary gemstone – Emerald
40th anniversary gemstone – Ruby
45th anniversary gemstone – Sapphire
50th anniversary gemstone – Gold
55th anniversary gemstone – Emerald
60th anniversary gemstone – Diamond
65th anniversary gemstone – Sapphire
As you can see, there are a few repeated gemstones. Gold, ruby, sapphire, emerald, pearl and diamond all make two or three appearances. For example, gold is both the 1st and 50th anniversary, but each has a different meaning. For the 1st anniversary, the gold can symbolise prosperity and optimism for what the future could bring. For the 50th anniversary, the gold can represent perseverance and a symbolic bookend to the 1st anniversary half a century later.
What are wedding anniversary flowers?
Wedding anniversary flower guide: a quick reference infographic
Flowers are an international symbol of love, and many lovebirds love to give flowers to the person they love (that’s a lot of love). As well as traditional and modern gifts and anniversary gemstones, there are also wedding anniversary flowers. If you give your partner flowers to mark the occasion, choosing the appropriate flowers adds that extra bit of care and thoughtfulness.
Surprisingly, roses – the flower almost everyone associates with romance and love – only appear on the list once. Even though a lot of anniversaries have a traditional flower associated with them, it’s not something you need to stick to. After all, nothing makes a statement quite like a bunch of roses!
Here are the flowers traditionally given on each wedding anniversary:
1st anniversary flower – Carnation
2nd anniversary flower – Lily of the valley
3rd anniversary flower – Sunflower
4th anniversary flower – Hydrangea
5th anniversary flower – Daisy
6th anniversary flower – Calla lily
7th anniversary flower – Freesia
8th anniversary flower – Lilac
9th anniversary flower – Bird of paradise
10th anniversary flower – Daffodil
11th anniversary flower – Tulip
12th anniversary flower – Peony
13th anniversary flower – Chrysanthemum
14th anniversary flower – Orchid
15th anniversary flower – Rose
16th anniversary flower – Statice
17th anniversary flower – Red carnation
18th anniversary flower – Sunflower
19th anniversary flower – Chrysanthemum
20th anniversary flower – Aster
21st anniversary flower – Iris
22nd anniversary flower – There isn’t one
23rd anniversary flower – Nil
24th anniversary flower – Lavender
25th anniversary flower – Iris
30th anniversary flower – Lily
35th anniversary flower – Coral rose
40th anniversary flower – Nasturtium
45th anniversary flower – There isn’t one
50th anniversary flower – Violet
What are the major or most important wedding anniversary years?
Every wedding anniversary is special – it marks another year spent with the love of your life, after all. But, there are a few wedding anniversaries that are perhaps that little bit more special. Your 1st anniversary marks one whole year since the two of you had the most incredible day of your lives. Your 10th anniversary marks a whole decade! You might also like to mark the anniversaries every five years after that with a bit more oomph, like the 15th and 20th anniversaries.
After that, the 25th and 50th anniversaries are huge occasions, which should definitely be shouted about from the rooftops. They’re both such incredible achievements that you might want a huge celebration with friends and family, but also just the two of you because, at the end of the day, marriage is about you.
You might also want to mark every 5th anniversary that passes as something extra special. In the UK, the longest-known marriage is between Ron and Joyce Bond, who celebrated their 83rd wedding anniversary in January 2024!
What are the traditional and modern anniversary gifts for every year?
If you’d like to mark your next wedding anniversary with a symbolic and thoughtful gift, there are traditional and modern options you can consider. Which you choose is up to you – you might even decide not to go with either.
The creator of the traditional gifts, Emily Post, only wrote about the gifts couples should exchange for their 1st to 15th anniversaries, then every fifth anniversary after that. But thankfully, as with most traditions, they’ve evolved over time – so we’ve filled in the blanks to include the new traditions couples have adopted.
So, if you’d like to give your other half something with symbolic meaning, here are a few ideas, including the anniversary gemstones and flowers as well.
The traditional and modern 1st wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Paper
Modern – Clocks
Gemstone – Gold
Flower – Carnation
The traditional gift couples give to each other to mark their very first wedding anniversary is paper. Now, paper might seem like a strange choice – what’s so special about that? But, it’s not like you’re limited to giving your partner a blank sheet of A4 so they can doodle or practice their origami. Paper is a symbolic gesture that represents a new start – a blank sheet of paper can be filled in with whatever you want, after all. It can also be helpful since weddings are expensive and paper’s cheap!
But, paper is super versatile and you can get creative. Why not give your other half a family crest to hang on the wall? Or commission an artist you admire to recreate your favourite wedding photo? And if all else fails, a voucher can have a million and one uses, from a romantic hot air balloon flight to a romantic meal for two.
If you’re thinking modern, a clock is a wonderful gift that marks the time you’ve spent together during your first year as a married couple. This could be a new alarm clock for the bedside table or an ornate cuckoo clock. You could even combine the modern gift with the traditional gemstone (which technically isn’t a gemstone), gold. And what could be nicer on your 1st anniversary than to gift your partner a nice gold watch?
The traditional flower to give on your 1st anniversary is the carnation, which are big, beautiful blooms that are delicate but absolutely bursting with colour. A perfect gift for the perfect occasion.
The traditional and modern 2nd wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Cotton
Modern – China
Gemstone – Garnet
Flower – Lily of the Valley
If you’re all about traditional 2nd wedding anniversary gifts, then you’ll want to give your partner a gift associated with cotton. On paper, it may be a gift just as confusing as paper (see what we did there?) but it actually has a lovely symbolic meaning. Cotton is a natural fibre that grows in fields, and is then processed so it becomes strong and durable, which represents your second year of marriage.
The most obvious choice of gift you might give is clothing. This could be a beautiful dress, a pair of matching robes, or the most comfortable slippers imaginable. You could even have a custom tea towel made that features the date of your wedding.
For a modern option, you might want to give your partner some china. How you interpret this is up to you – an obvious choice would be a lovely tea set. Or, you could even spoil your partner and whisk them away on a trip to Beijing!
The anniversary gemstone for two years of marriage is garnet, a stone that comes in a variety of beautiful colours and can vary hugely in cost. This gives you plenty of options if you’re keen to give your partner a gift that features garnet.
The traditional flower for a 2nd anniversary is lily of the valley, a super elegant flower with tiny white heads that look like little bells. Very dainty but also very beautiful.
The traditional and modern 3rd wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Leather
Modern – Glass or crystal
Gemstone – Pearl
Flower – Sunflower
The traditional 3rd anniversary wedding gift is leather, which is a super durable material that represents the strength of marriage. Leather is so hardy that a leather shoe was found that was thought to be 5,500 years old! There are so many things you could choose from, too, like a pair of boots, a jacket, a wallet, a purse… And the great thing is, there are also plenty of vegan leather products to choose from so everyone gets the option to give a traditional gift if they want to.
The modern 3rd anniversary gift is glass or crystal. This represents how fragile marriage can be, but also how beautiful it can be, which is why it should be looked after and treasured. You might want to give your partner a vase, some engraved champagne flutes, or even a set of shot glasses. Let your imagination run wild.
The 3rd anniversary gemstone is pearl, which is a hugely versatile gemstone that can be used in all kinds of jewellery. From rings and bracelets to necklaces and earrings, it’s a delicate stone that has a wide range of uses.
For flowers, the bold and eye-catching sunflower is traditionally given. Sunflowers are warming and welcoming and bring life to any room.
The traditional and modern 4th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Fruit or flowers
Modern – Appliances
Gemstone – Topaz
Flower – Hydrangea
For your 4th wedding anniversary, the traditional gift to give your other half is fruit or flowers. Okay, flowers we understand, they’ve been given as a romantic gesture for thousands of years, but fruit? Actually, fruit has a fabulous symbolic meaning too, in that it’s fresh, it grows from a small seed and it’s sweet. A bouquet of flowers is always a wonderful gift, but a basket of fresh fruit is such a unique and thoughtful way to mark an anniversary.
The modern gift is appliances. When modern gifts were established in the 1930s, there wasn’t quite the same range of choice as there is today, which can make your decision easier. It could be a coffee maker, an air frier, a new fridge freezer… you certainly won’t be stuck for ideas.
The 4th anniversary gemstone is topaz, a clear stone that comes in a lot of different colours. It’s also another stone that can vary in cost, with some types of topaz being very affordable. But, if you want to push the boat out it can also be incredibly expensive.
The hydrangea is the traditional flower given to mark a 4th anniversary, which are fabulously explosive blooms of vivid and varied colour.
The traditional and modern 5th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Wood
Modern – Silverware
Gemstone – Sapphire
Flower – Daisy
The traditional 5th wedding anniversary gift is wood. Wood is a tough, durable material that grows from a tiny seed into a magnificent tree that has deep and strong roots. This is why it’s perfect that it represents your fifth year of marriage. And the great thing is, wood can come in a huge variety of forms. You could give your other half a wooden carving, a sign to hang on the wall or a bench for sitting on in the back garden.
For something more modern, you could give them some silverware. Okay, so it might not be that modern, but some fancy new cutlery or an engraved spoon you can hang in the kitchen make for a lovely gesture.
The anniversary gemstone for five years is sapphire, which is a striking blue stone that looks amazing on rings, necklaces, earrings… in fact, it looks amazing on anything. It can be a little pricey, but it’s definitely worth the cost if your budget allows for it.
If you’d like to give your partner something floral, the daisy is the traditional flower for five years of marriage. Daisies might be small, but they’re the quintessential flower, with bright and open heads that scream of spring.
The traditional and modern 6th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Sugar
Modern – Iron
Gemstone – Amethyst
Flower – Calla lily
The traditional gift for a 6th wedding anniversary is sugar. Now, a bag of sugar might not hit the spot, but there are so many ways to interpret this. A box of chocolates, a delectable cake, some Turkish delights… or a trip to a chocolate factory! Yes, you might treat your partner to some chocolates throughout the year, but when it’s your 6th anniversary it has a lovely symbolic message. After all, sugar is sweet, and after six years together your relationship is only getting sweeter.
The modern 6th wedding anniversary gift is iron. Now, try to avoid the temptation of getting your partner an iron so they can iron your clothes… though this can make for a funny exchange on your anniversary! With a little creative thinking, you could come up with something unique and thoughtful, like an engraved padlock, a cast iron skillet or a sculpture that represents your love.
The 6th wedding anniversary gemstone is amethyst, which is as striking as it is elegant. They’re usually a stunning shade of purple, and they’re hardy so can come in a huge variety of shapes and decorative objects.
The flower to mark a 6th anniversary is calla lily, which are elegant flowers with cup-like heads. They might be beautiful, but just be aware that they produce tiny crystals that are super sharp, so it’s recommended that you don’t have them if you have pets or young children. There are plenty of other flowers out there though that aren’t toxic to pets, so your other half won’t have to go without.
The traditional and modern 7th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Wool or copper
Modern – Stationery or desk set
Gemstone – Onyx
Flower – Freesia
For your 7th wedding anniversary gift, there’s a huge selection of ideas for you to choose from, so you’re guaranteed to think of something your other half will love. The traditional gifts are wool or copper, which could include anything from a big, thick jumper to cufflinks made with 1p coins. Wood represents the warmth and cosiness of marriage, while copper represents wealth and prosperity.
For something more modern, you could give some stationery or a desk set. Neither sounds particularly romantic, but you could personalise some pens or give your partner a brand-new diary.
As for the 7th anniversary gemstone, onyx is an eye-catching stone that features shades of black and sometimes even white. Onyx can sometimes be expensive, but it’s incredibly unique and used in a lot of different types of jewellery.
The freesia is the traditional flower to mark a 7th anniversary. Freesias are colourful blooms which look hugely eye-catching and have surprisingly long stems.
The traditional and modern 8th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Bronze
Modern – Linen or lace
Gemstone – Tourmaline
Flower – Lilac
When they’re separate, copper and tin are two relatively weak metals. However, when melted down and combined, they become bronze, the traditional 8th wedding anniversary gift, which is incredibly strong. This is why humanity made such huge strides during the bronze age, with the ability to create strong tools from bronze. The art of mixing two things (you and your partner) so they become strong (your marriage) is a lovely, symbolic gesture. Many statues and figures are available in bronze and make for a thoughtful anniversary gift.
The modern 8th anniversary gift is linen or lace, which are both beautiful and delicate fabrics. This could be anything from bedsheets to special pyjamas – very romantic.
The 8th anniversary gemstone is tourmaline, which isn’t usually the first choice of stone for jewellery, but is super appealing thanks to the range of colours. Some stones also have a rainbow effect, which is a wonderful stone to choose for LGBTQ+ couples in particular.
For something floral, the traditional flower for an 8th anniversary is the lilac, dainty little flowers that come together to form large, cloud-like blooms. Lovely.
The traditional and modern 9th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Pottery or willow
Modern – Leather
Gemstone – Lapis Lazuli
Flower – Bird of paradise
Traditionally, you might give your partner a gift of pottery or willow when celebrating your 9th wedding anniversary. Pottery is a lovely symbolic gift because it’s something that’s been made by hand from a lump of clay and formed into something beautiful. A willow tree is fabulous and full of luscious life with a strong trunk and roots – just like the ninth year of marriage.
When it comes pottery, there are loads of ideas for you to choose from. Anything from a handcrafted vase to a plant pot. For willow, you could choose a carved ornament, a basket full of treats and other goodies, or even a cricket bat if your other half is that way inclined.
If you’re going modern, you could get them a leather gift. This has already appeared on the list as the traditional gift for a 3rd anniversary, so try to think back six years to work out if you’ve already got this covered. If not, there are plenty of gift options out there for you.
The anniversary gemstone for nine years of marriage is lapis lazuli, a beautifully textured blue stone that makes any piece of jewellery pop.
The bird of paradise is the traditional flower for a 9th anniversary and looks more like a flower from Avatar than it does anything from Earth. It’s unique and attention-grabbing, but also delicate and colourful.
The traditional and modern 10th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Tin or aluminium
Modern – Diamond
Gemstone – Diamond
Flower – Daffodil
When celebrating your anniversary, the traditional gift for reaching the 10-year mark is tin or aluminium. Okay, so neither is particularly glitzy or glamorous. But you can still get creative and have some fun with it, like a tin filled with chocolates, matching tin camping mugs, or a good ol’ tin of beans. If you choose the last one, it might be good to get a little extra something as well, just to be safe.
The modern 10th anniversary gift is, of course, diamond. It’s an extra special milestone in your marriage journey, after all. Diamond is also the 10th anniversary gemstone, so it’s a double-diamond type of celebration. It all depends on your budget as to what you might like to give your partner to commemorate your decade together, but diamond offers you plenty of choices to give something beautiful and memorable.
You might expect a 10th anniversary flower to be something like a rose, but it is in fact the humble daffodil. Daffodils might commonly grow throughout the spring, but they represent new beginnings, which is appropriate as you begin a new decade as a married couple.
The traditional and modern 11th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Steel
Modern – Jewellery
Gemstone – Turquoise
Flower – Tulip
To mark your 11th anniversary the traditional way, you might want to give your partner a gift linked to steel. Even we admit that this one’s hard, but with a little thought and research, it’s definitely possible to get your partner something showstopping. An engraved cutlery set, a dish to keep treasured jewellery, or tickets so you can both set sail on a cruise… cruise liners are made from steel, right?
For the modern alternative, you could give your other half some jewellery. Link it to the traditional gemstone for an 11th anniversary with turquoise, which is a striking bluey-green colour – perfect for while you’re on that cruise!
If you’d like to treat your partner to flowers to celebrate your 11th anniversary, the traditional flower is the tulip, which comes in a massive range of stunning colours.
The traditional and modern 12th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Silk
Modern – Pearl
Gemstone – Jade
Flower – Peony
Okay, when you get to 12th wedding anniversary gift-giving, you’ll have plenty of great themes to choose from. The traditional gift is silk, elegant and smooth, just like your marriage. It’s also a lovely choice as there are lots you can give your partner, from a posh scarf to the most comfortable pyjamas you can imagine.
The modern gift to give is pearl, which means there’s a whole world of jewellery options open to you. But, the 12th anniversary gemstone is jade, which comes in all different shades of green. This means if you want to go for jewellery, you’ll face a dilemma – pearl or jade? Both are a great choice, so why not choose the best of both worlds and go for a jade and pearl necklace? The greens and creams complement each other perfectly and it has a double meaning!
If giving flowers is more your thing, for your 12th anniversary you could give your partner the traditional peony, which comes in every colour except blue, and has big and fantastic blooms.
The traditional and modern 13th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Lace
Modern – Fur
Gemstone – Citrine
Flower – Chrysanthemum
Unlucky for some but definitely not for you, as you celebrate 13 incredible years together! The traditional gift is lace, which gives you the opportunity to get your partner something a little exciting if you know what we mean. And if not, some new shoes with laces will do just the trick too.
The modern 13th anniversary gift is fur, which sort of reflects how these modern gifts maybe aren’t quite as modern as we might think after all. Thankfully there are still options out there, as faux fur is super convincing and works for everyone.
The anniversary gemstone for 13 lucky years is citrine, and as the name suggests it’s a wonderful lemony or orangey colour, and is actually a variety of quartz.
For something a bit more floral, the traditional 13th anniversary flower is a chrysanthemum, a lovely, open bloom that’s bright and warming.
The traditional and modern 14th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Ivory
Modern – Gold jewellery
Gemstone – Opal
Flower – Orchid
A long time ago (and not even in a galaxy far, far away) the traditional 14th wedding anniversary gift was ivory. Of course, this is no longer the case as it comes with massive animal rights connotations. But, couples who still want to mark the traditional gift often give something associated with elephants instead. Perhaps a wooden carving of an elephant, or an elephant feeding experience at your nearest zoo, so you can admire these amazing animals in person.
The modern 14th anniversary gift is gold jewellery, and we don’t need to go into detail about the huge amount of options you’ll have with that. You could combine it with the 14th anniversary gemstone, opal, a stunning iridescent stone that bounces light around like a natural disco ball. Opal is also associated with hope and truth, which is perfect for marking an anniversary.
The traditional 14th anniversary flower is the orchid, which is tall, strong, delicate and beautiful. An orchid looks magnificent in any room.
The traditional and modern 15th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Crystal
Modern – Watches
Gemstone – Ruby
Flower – Rose
If you like sticking to traditions, your partner is in for a real treat for your 15th anniversary. The traditional gift is crystal, much like the modern option for a 3rd anniversary. You could go for anything from an ornate vase to an engraved whisky glass.
The modern gift for 15 years is a watch, which means you can treat your other half to anything from an expensive Rolex to one of those Casio watches with the little calculators on them that everyone had in the 90s.
The gemstone for a 15th anniversary is the ruby. Rubies are a dark red in colour, almost purple, like the two hearts that you gave to each other all those years ago. Rubies also look fantastic in all kinds of jewellery, so you’ll be spoilt for choice.
The traditional anniversary flower for 15 years is the rose. Finally, after 15 years, you can give your partner the flower most associated with love (if you’re sticking to the loose rules, of course – you’re free to give them what you like when you like). Roses are hardy and versatile, while also being elegant and beautiful. The ultimate symbol of love.
The traditional and modern 16th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Wax
Modern – Silver holloware
Gemstone – Peridot
Flower – Statice
What’s one of the things you’ll always crack out which is guaranteed to create a romantic atmosphere? That’s right, a candle! Which is perfect, because the traditional 16th wedding anniversary gift is wax. Wax might not be hardy, but it burns bright, which is a lovely symbolic meaning for your marriage so far.
The modern gift for a 16th anniversary is silver holloware, which is a fancy way of saying a bowl, pot or container that’s made of silver. This could be a teapot, gravy boat or tureen – basically, anything that you can keep something else inside of.
The gemstone for a 16th wedding anniversary is peridot, which is a fantastic green-coloured stone, and one of the few gemstones that’s only found in one colour. That makes it rather unique, and makes for a lovely choice of gift. It also represents compassion, which you’ll likely have in abundance after spending 16 years with your love.
If you’d like to treat your other half to flowers, the traditional flower for 16 years of marriage is the statice, a papery bloom that usually grows in hot Mediterranean climates. The Victorians used to give statices to let someone know they were thinking about them, which couldn’t be more perfect for an anniversary.
The traditional and modern 17th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Watches
Modern – Furniture
Gemstone – Carnelian
Flower – Red carnation
While Emily Post’s list of traditional gifts didn’t include the 17th anniversary, couples have taken to giving each other a watch, much like the modern option for a 15th anniversary. If this was you two years ago, you might prefer the modern gift option – furniture. While an IKEA Callax Unit or Billy Bookcase will possibly do the trick, have a good think about what will have symbolic meaning so the two of you can look back on it and remember your 17th anniversary.
The 17th anniversary gemstone is the carnelian, a rust-coloured semi-precious stone which represents creativity and self-esteem. It’s not the shiniest of stones out there, but it still looks great set in jewellery.
For a flowery touch, the red carnation is the traditional 17th anniversary flower. Its big blooms fill any space with an explosion of fantastic reds, and is a symbol of intense love.
The traditional and modern 18th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Porcelain
Modern – Porcelain
Gemstone – Cat’s eye
Flower – Sunflower
No one can quite agree on what counts as a traditional 18th wedding anniversary gift, so most like to take inspiration from the modern equivalent, which is porcelain. Now, porcelain might famously be associated with toilets and sinks, but neither of those really has an air of romance about it. Unless you’re able to treat your other half to a brand-new bathroom, perhaps. Instead, you could go for a porcelain figurine, an engraved decorative plate, or a thimble that commemorates the date you got married.
If porcelain doesn’t inspire you, the anniversary gemstone for 18 years of marriage is cat’s eye. Cat’s eyes are super unique in that, as you might expect from the name, they look a little bit like a cat’s eye. They’re almost marble-like and are a wonderful centrepiece for any jewellery. And you’ll get double brownie points if your other half happens to love cats, too.
The traditional flower for an 18th anniversary is the sunflower, the same as for the 3rd anniversary. Sunflowers are big, beautiful and long-lasting… much like the marriage between you and your love.
The traditional and modern 19th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Bronze
Modern – Bronze
Gemstone – Emerald
Flower – Chrysanthemum
More than 10 years after its first appearance on the list of traditional and modern anniversary gifts, bronze once again becomes both the traditional and modern 19th wedding anniversary gift option. Sculptures, candlesticks, a picture frame, cufflinks… there’s a lot to choose from if you use your imagination.
The gemstone for 19 years of marriage is aquamarine, a fabulously bright and blue sky-coloured stone that symbolises youth and happiness. It’s not the most commonly used stone in jewellery, so would make for a unique gift to celebrate your special day.
For something floral, the traditional flower for 19 years is the chrysanthemum, which has already made an appearance on the list just six years before. But for good reason – it’s a lovely big bloom that comes in all kinds of colours. Plus, it symbolises happiness and a long life, which is apt as you near your 20th wedding anniversary.
The traditional and modern 20th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – China
Modern – Platinum
Gemstone – Emerald
Flower – Aster
After a four-year break, the traditional anniversary gifts are back as outlined in Emily Post’s book. The traditional gift to give your partner to celebrate two decades together is china, which is delicate, beautiful and painstakingly made – so perfect to represent the time you’ve spent as a married couple.
The modern gift for 20 years is platinum, which is a rather pricey precious metal that’s used to make all kinds of incredible jewellery, from rings to bracelets. You could combine this with the 20th wedding anniversary gemstone, which is emerald. Emeralds are a stunning, eye-catching shade of green and go well set in any type of jewellery. They also symbolise royalty, so there’s not a more perfect gift for the king or queen in your life.
The traditional flower for a 20th wedding anniversary is the aster, which is a dainty flower that looks a little bit like a purple daisy. They also grow in the UK and flower around the summer months, so if your anniversary falls during the hotter time of the year then asters should be in good supply.
The traditional and modern 21st wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Brass or nickel
Modern – Brass or nickel
Gemstone – Iolite
Flower – Iris
To celebrate your marriage now being legally old enough to rent a car, we once again enter territory not covered by Emily Post’s list of traditional gifts. So, the modern gift, brass or nickel, covers both bases. Both represent strength, which is lovely after the amount of time you’ve spent together. This means you have a huge choice of gifts available, from trinkets and ornaments to personalised jewellery.
The 21st anniversary gemstone is iolite, a fabulously blue or purple stone which is actually fairly low priced. That means you can pick up jewellery with iolite relatively cheaply. And thanks to its incredible colour, it goes with almost everything, too, so you won’t struggle to find something your other half will love.
The traditional flower for 21 years of marriage is the iris, which is also purple but oh so delicate. You’ll also be spoilt for choice, as there are over 300 species of iris out there.
The traditional and modern 22nd wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Copper
Modern – Copper
Gemstone – Spinel
Flower – There isn’t one
There isn’t an official traditional wedding anniversary gift for 22 years, so it borrows from the modern option (which in turn borrows from the 7th anniversary gift), copper. Copper is a great rusty brown colour, and makes for a fantastic ornament or statue. Because it’s a fairly weak metal, it can be moulded into all kinds of shapes and engraved easily, so what you can get is only limited by your imagination.
For something a bit more sparkly, the 22nd anniversary gemstone is spinel. Spinel are a lovely ruby shade of red – in fact, they’re often confused for rubies. They vary in cost, but are always a beautiful addition to any piece of jewellery, so you really can’t go wrong with them.
Now for the bad news – there’s no official flower associated with 22 years of marriage! The good news is, you can go crazy with creativity! Why not have a bouquet designed by a local florist that contains 22 flowers? One from each of the traditional flowers of the past 21 years plus an extra – that’ll definitely show your other half just how much you mean to them.
The traditional and modern 23rd wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Silver plate
Modern – Silver plate
Gemstone – Topaz
Flower – Nil
The modern 23rd wedding anniversary gift is a silver plate, and because there isn’t a traditional gift, the silver plate unofficially falls into that category too. A silver plate is a fairly self-explanatory thing, but you can still have a lot of fun with personalisations and engravings so it’ll look amazing on the wall or when brought out for special occasions. You could even use it to announce a weekend away or get them a dish to keep their jewellery in.
The gemstone for 23 years together is topaz, which has already appeared on the list before as the gemstone for the 4th anniversary. But it’s a beautiful stone, so if you’ve already given your partner jewellery containing topaz that’s no bad thing. Another piece to complement it would be a wonderful gesture.
As for flowers, the traditional flower for a 23rd wedding anniversary is nil. If you’re not familiar with this name, it’s also known as Japanese morning glory, which may or may not be apt considering it’s your anniversary (steady on!). It’s quite a bushy plant, so it’s not really one you can give as part of a bouquet, but it does grow in the UK and usually flowers in the later summer months if you sow the seeds in the spring.
The traditional and modern 24th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Opal
Modern – Musical instrument
Gemstone – Tanzanite
Flower – Lavender
When choosing gifts for your 24th wedding anniversary, if you want to stick to the ‘rules’, you’ll have a wonderful selection to choose from. The traditional gift is opal, which was also the gemstone for 14 years of marriage. It’s a stunning iridescent stone that looks fabulous in all kinds of jewellery and symbolises hope. You could pair this with bluey-purple tanzanite, the traditional gemstone for 24 years. It’s believed it helps with intuition, which is lovely as you clearly have great intuition by celebrating your 24th anniversary with the love of your life!
The modern gift for a 24th wedding anniversary is a musical instrument. This gives you a fantastic opportunity to give your partner a gift that they’ve always wanted, but never got around to. Or they may be a keen guitarist or pianist and could do with an upgrade. And if they’re really not into playing an instrument, you can’t go wrong with the good ol’ trusty triangle!
The traditional 24th wedding anniversary flower is lavender, a beautiful bloom associated with the south of France, distinguished by its striking purple hue and soft calming fragrance. Lavender represents purity, silence, devotion, serenity, grace and calmness – all great qualities to celebrate in a marriage.
The traditional and modern 25th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Silver
Modern – Silver
Gemstone – Silver
Flowers – Iris
Your 25th wedding anniversary is known as your silver anniversary for a reason. This is it, the big one. A quarter of a decade spent with the person you love the most. It’s an incredible milestone that should be shouted about from the rooftops. That’s why silver is considered the must-have gift for traditional and modern gifts, as well as the gemstone (though technically a precious metal, but we’ll let it slide).
There are so many amazing gifts you could give your partner that are silver. Jewellery, a keepsake box, a photo frame, silverware, an ornament… the list goes on. You’ll certainly be spoilt for choice.
The traditional flower to give for a 25th wedding anniversary is the iris, which also made an appearance just a few years ago for the 21st anniversary. It’s purple, pretty and delicate, but represents wisdom and trust – could there really be a better flower to symbolise 25 years together?
The traditional and modern 30th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Pearl
Modern – Diamond
Gemstone – Pearl
Flower – Lily
After spending 30 whole years together, you might want to celebrate by giving your partner the traditional gift, which is pearl. It represents becoming wise through experience, and there’s no doubt that you’re wise after spending such an amazing amount of time with your other half. Pearl is already associated with the 3rd and 12th wedding anniversaries, but it’s the traditional gift for 30 years for good reason. It’s also the traditional 30th anniversary gemstone, so you’d be covering two bases with this thoughtful and symbolic gift.
The modern gift for a 30th anniversary is diamond. Diamond is also associated with other anniversaries, but that doesn’t make it any less special. They’re the ultimate symbol of love, and are perfect when set in necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets… and any other type of jewellery your partner might love.
The traditional flower for 30 years of marriage is the lily. Lilies are stunning open-flower blooms that are available in all kinds of magnificent colours. Just remember that lilies are toxic to cats, so think twice if you have a furry little friend living with you at home.
The traditional and modern 35th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Coral
Modern – Jade
Gemstone – Emerald
Flower – Coral rose
Wow, 35 years. What a milestone! To mark your 35th wedding anniversary with a traditional gift, you can give your other half something related to coral. This is another traditional gift you could interpret in different ways. You could give an item of jewellery set with a coral stone, you could give them something that’s the colour coral, or if you have the budget, a trip to the Great Barrier Reef to view the incredible coral in person.
The modern gift for a 35th anniversary is jade, a fabulous stone which is a delicious shade of green. In the Far East, jade has a rich history as it symbolises immortality and represents the soul, which is great for celebrating a long and happy marriage. Plus, the gemstone to mark 35 years is emerald, an incredible precious stone which also happens to be green. Why not pair jade and emerald together in a piece of jewellery to give your partner something truly unique?
Sticking with the coral theme, the traditional flower for 35 years isn’t anything in particular, but many like to give their partners flowers that are coral-coloured. Bouquets that feature coral and other pastel shades are wonderful and autumnal.
The traditional and modern 40th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Ruby
Modern – Ruby
Gemstone – Ruby
Flower – Nasturtium
The fact that you’ve made it to 40 years together is incredible, and a real testament to your love and devotion to each other. To mark such a fabulous milestone, the traditional and modern gifts, as well as the anniversary gemstone, are ruby. For that reason, many like to treat their other half to something that contains this truly precious stone. Yes, rubies can be pricey, but for good reason – they’re drop-dead gorgeous and set well in almost every kind of jewellery. Ruby symbolises power and a thirst for life, and after 40 years of marriage, you’ll know a thing or two about living your life to the fullest.
The traditional flower for a 40th anniversary is nasturtium, a small orangey-red flower which, from a distance, you might mistake for poppies. They’re very small and delicate so it’s hard to include them in a bouquet, but they’re relatively easy to grow. If you sow the seeds in the garden in the spring they’ll flower in just a few months. They’re also perfect for celebrating your marriage, because nasturtiums symbolise victory through perseverance.
The traditional and modern 45th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Sapphire
Modern – Sapphire
Gemstone – Sapphire
Flower – There isn’t one
45 years is another stunning milestone, which can only be marked by a stunning gift. The traditional and modern gifts, as well as the gemstone, are all the same – the sapphire. Sapphires are precious stones, so can be rather expensive, but wow are they worth it! They represent wisdom and strength, which are definitely qualities you’ll have adopted after all those years spent with the love of your life.
There’s actually no traditional flower for a 45th anniversary, but many like to treat their partners to flowers that evoke sapphires, so blue flowers are a great choice. This might be hydrangea, iris, clematis, morning glory… there’s a lot out there that can make up a truly fabulous bouquet.
The traditional and modern 50th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Gold
Modern – Gold
Gemstone – Gold
Flower – There isn’t one
You’ve reached your 50th anniversary, that’s absolutely incredible! 50 years together is such a massive achievement and one that deserves to be celebrated with glitz and glamour. This is why the traditional and modern gifts, along with the anniversary gemstone (well, precious metal) is gold. Yes, your 50th wedding anniversary is your golden anniversary, so it’s the perfect opportunity to give your love something made from gold. This could be absolutely anything, from jewellery to a whisky glass adorned with gold.
There isn’t a traditional flower for a 50th anniversary, but you might want to give your partner flowers that evoke the gold theme. This could be yellowy-gold roses, sunflowers or chrysanthemums, which would look incredible and vibrant as part of a summery bouquet
The traditional and modern 55th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Emerald
Modern – Emerald
Gemstone – Emerald
Flower – There isn’t one
For your 55th anniversary, there’s an overarching theme of emerald, with this beautiful green precious stone being the traditional and modern gift, as well as the anniversary gemstone. Emerald has already been an anniversary stone for the 20th and 35th anniversaries, but it’s so beautiful that it deserves to make another appearance. It’s known as ‘the jewel of kings’ and symbolises truth and love, which you obviously have plenty of since you’ve made it to your 55th anniversary.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a traditional 55th anniversary flower, but flowers with green blooms will keep your celebrations on track with the emerald theme. Lilies, carnations, chrysanthemums, dahlias and orchids all come in wonderful shades of green.
The traditional and modern 60th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Diamond
Modern – Diamond
Gemstone – Diamond
Flower – There isn’t one
Being married to someone for 60 years is just jaw-dropping, so it’s more than worthy of being known as your diamond anniversary. So, the traditional and modern gifts, and the anniversary gemstone, are the glorious precious stone, the diamond. Diamonds are one of the most iconic symbols of love because they’re beautiful, hardy and – sometimes – priceless. They also symbolise faithfulness and commitment, which reaching 60 years of marriage demonstrates you have plenty of. Diamonds are also a fantastic stone to include in all types of jewellery, from necklaces to bracelets – and of course, rings.
There isn’t an anniversary flower for 60 years, but you could choose to give your partner flowers that evoke the feeling of diamonds. Diamonds let off a rainbow display of lights known as fire, when the light hits them just right. So, you could choose to have white flowers to represent the diamond and its sparkle, with other colours, like red, yellow and blue, to represent the fire.
The traditional and modern 65th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Sapphire
Modern – Sapphire
Gemstone – Sapphire
Flower – There isn’t one
65 years together – is there really an achievement quite like it? The traditional and modern gifts, as well as the anniversary gemstone for 65 years, is the sapphire. Much like the anniversary you celebrated 20 years ago, your 65th anniversary is celebrated in the traditional way by giving your other half something that evokes this fabulous precious stone.
There also isn’t a traditional flower associated with 65 years of marriage, but you might like to gift your partner sapphire-blue flowers. Blue flowers could include bluebells, orchids, asters – even roses can be blue. Blue flowers symbolise peace and tranquillity, which you definitely deserve after such a long time with your favourite person.
The traditional and modern 70th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Platinum
Modern – Platinum
Gemstone – Platinum
Flower – There isn’t one
A 70th wedding anniversary is an achievement that very few get to experience, and is a real testament to the incredible love and commitment you and your partner share. To celebrate such a huge moment in your lives, the traditional and modern gifts, and anniversary gemstone (though it’s a precious metal) is platinum. Platinum can be a pricey metal, but it looks fabulous in pretty much every type of jewellery. After all, platinum symbolises true love, so could there really be anything as perfect to give to your other half when celebrating 70 years together?
There isn’t a traditional flower for celebrating 70 years, but you could give someone flowers that evoke the quality and feeling of platinum. Lots of flowers come in various shades of silvery-white, like roses, tulips, dahlias, peonies and hydrangeas.
The traditional and modern 75th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Diamond
Modern – Diamond
Gemstone – Sapphire
Flower – There isn’t one
To be married to the person you love for 75 years is something most of us can’t comprehend. The level of love and devotion to another person is nothing short of stunning. The traditional and modern 75th anniversary gift is diamond, much like the 60th anniversary. In fact, the 75th anniversary was the original diamond anniversary, with the 60th added a little later. Diamonds represent commitment and faithfulness and are considered by many to be the precious stone to symbolise love. Thankfully, diamonds are versatile and can be used in so many different types of jewellery, so you should definitely be able to find something your other half will love.
You might also want to pair a diamond with sapphire, which is the anniversary gemstone for a 75th wedding anniversary. Any piece of jewellery that contains both diamonds and sapphires proves that it really is a match made in heaven – exactly the same as your marriage.
There isn’t a flower that’s traditionally given for 75 years, but if you’d like to give your other half a bouquet to commemorate the occasion, you could choose flowers that are white and blue. That way, you can continue the diamond and sapphire theme – plus it makes for an eye-catching combination.
The traditional and modern 80th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Oak
Modern – Oak
Gemstone – Ruby
Flower – There isn’t one
At 80 years and counting together, it’s obvious that your relationship is strong with deep, unshakable roots. That’s why the traditional and modern 80th wedding anniversary gift is oak. Oak trees stand tall and proud, and oak represents endurance, power and stability – which is why it’s perfect for such an incredible occasion. You might choose to give your other half an oak carving, or perhaps plant a tree in their name.
The anniversary gemstone for 80 years is ruby, which we’ve seen for two other anniversaries: the 15th and 40th. Rubies are synonymous with love, as well as health and wisdom, which you’ll no doubt have plenty of after spending 80 years with the love of your life.
There isn’t a flower that’s traditionally given to mark an 80th anniversary, but ruby-red roses and other big blooms would be fabulous. You might also like to include a few oak leaves just to tie it into the whole theme of such a brilliant day.
85th wedding anniversary gifts
The traditional and modern 85th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Wine
Modern – Wine
Gemstone – Moonstone
Flower – There isn’t one
After spending 85 years with your partner, you might expect the traditional and modern gifts to be something rather extravagant and pricey, such as platinum or diamonds, like the anniversaries that came before it. However, it’s far more humble than that – wine. That being said, you might not want to give your partner a £5.99 bottle of Merlot from the local shop – but it is something open to interpretation. It could be a trip to a local vineyard, a wine-coloured photo frame or, of course, your favourite bottle of vino.
The 85th anniversary gemstone is moonstone, a stunningly iridescent stone that comes in various colours and all with unique patterns. Many moonstones have the appearance of tiny planets, which look incredible set in jewellery. Moonstones can also be relatively inexpensive, so you can give your partner a one-of-a-kind but affordable gift to mark your big day.
There isn’t a traditional flower for 85 years, but if you like to give flowers then you could give your partner a bouquet that features colours associated with wine and moonstone. Deep red hydrangeas, rosé-coloured roses, multicoloured tulips… you can have a lot of fun creating the perfect bouquet.
90th wedding anniversary gifts
The traditional and modern 90th wedding anniversary gifts
Traditional – Granite or diamond
Modern – Granite or diamond
Gemstone – Diamond
Flower – There isn’t one
Very few couples have been married for 90 years, but it can and does happen. In fact, a couple from Yemen celebrated their 90th wedding anniversary in 2021. And as we get older and people live longer, it’ll no doubt happen more and more. But what do you give someone you’ve been married to for nine whole decades? Well, because it happens so infrequently, there isn’t an official traditional or modern gift, but it’s common for couples to give each other gifts centred around diamond or granite. Diamond can also extend to being the gemstone to mark a 90th wedding anniversary, so you could give the best of both worlds.
When it comes to diamond gifts, the choices are obvious – diamond jewellery is always going to brighten someone’s day. Granite is a little trickier, but you can get jewellery, ornaments, coasters, bowls, plates… there’s a lot out there. Or, if you have the budget, a nice new kitchen with granite worktops would work, too.
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Nestled amongst mature oak and spurs woodland, you will be sure to create lasting memories in this enchanting place.
Jasmine, the manager at Wickwoods Country Club, gives us a taste of what can be expected from this stunning wedding venue.
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
I have worked in hospitality for 15 years, and specifically at Wickwoods for 10 years. I’ve been involved in and overseen more than 200 weddings and over 100 events, each with their own unique requirements and styles. My passion is helping people, whether that be a wedding couple, a member of my team that needs development or a friend and relative in need.
What drew you to the wedding world?
I’m definitely a detail oriented person and enjoy being organized, so naturally moving from reception and front of house to event management just happened. It’s a complete bonus that on top of that I love helping to create a sense of excitement with clients.
What do you think makes Wickwoods Country Club unique?
Definitely our team. It’s an absolute pleasure to work alongside colleagues who share such passion to go above and beyond expectation and who genuinely enjoy working here. Couples always comment on how apparent this is.
How do you get to know your couples before the big day?
The moment a couple enquiries, I am eager to get to understand the vision for their special day, and what’s important to them. Through a series of telephone calls and meetings, I endeavour to learn what makes each couple unique and how I can help deliver their dream wedding.
What do you think makes for the perfect wedding?
Couples that relax into their day and go with the flow. Couples always mention how comfortable they feel letting us look after the details so that they can truly soak up the experience.
Check out this article on how to manage wedding stress and anxiety!
What’s the most memorable wedding you’ve had at Wickwoods Country Club?
One groom surprised his dance-fanatic wife with a flash mob for the evening reception! She was absolutely beaming, and the guests all got involved. A very special moment to have witnessed.
Why should a couple book Wickwoods Country Club?
We pride ourselves on customising our approach to each individual couple, and delivering an exceptional experience from the planning stages, right through until the big day. Rest assured, each and every detail will be covered, and your special day will run seamlessly.
What is your #1 wedding planning tip for couples?
Don’t go O.T.T.! Adding too many elements to your day will not only ramp up costs, but also add pressure and unnecessary stress to your planning.
What’s the best photo spot at Wickwoods Country Club?
The Woodlands create a stunning backdrop to more intimate shots of the happy couple.
What part of your business are you most proud of?
We are most proud of our valued team members and their passion for helping exceed clients’ expectations. Each and every employee gets a kick out of making someone’s day.
How do you feel technology is changing the industry?
Throughout the lockdown, technology related to hospitality and weddings came into its own. From Zoom meetings, to wedding planning apps and now food and drink ordering apps… I think we are just scratching the surface on what technology can do for us in the industry. So far, technology has greatly supported the survival of the business and assisted us and our clients in communicating and planning for the future.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to couples that are currently struggling amidst the COVID-19 crisis?
Reach out to your venue and your suppliers if you are feeling uneasy. The vast majority will want to work with you in a progressive way to come to a solution that works for all involved.
What do you love about Bridebook?
Everything you need to plan your perfect wedding is at your fingertips!!!
Proposing to your partner might seem an easy task, but sometimes you’re not sure exactly how to get down on one knee. Proposing to your partner is a special moment that neither of you will ever forget..
To make this memorable moment extra unique, we are here with 15 romantic marriage proposal ideas that will make your partner fall in love with you again.
1. Re-create your first date proposal
Do you remember the place where you both met for the first time? A restaurant, a bar, or a movie?
All you need to do is recreate your first date, this will bring up all the lovely memories back. You both can have a conversation about all the happy and beautiful memories of your relationship. Then you can get down on your knee with a ring in your hand and romantically propose to your partner.
2. Summit proposal
Just imagine proposing to your partner on the top of the mountain with a stunning all-round view. Isn’t it amazing?
Plan a trip to your favourite mountainous destination with your partner and plan a proposal. If you and your partner love the joy of conquering the summit, then make that moment worth remembering and even more memorable by proposing to them there in your unique way.
3. Hot air balloon proposal
As “Love is in the Air” then why not propose to your partner in a romantic hot air balloon ride.
This engagement idea is becoming ever so popular, and for a good reason. Just book a hot air balloon ride to make the moment of proposing that much more romantic and beautiful. This will be a proposal neither of you will ever forget – just make sure your partner is not too afraid of heights.
4. Friends and family proposal
If you and your partner are close to both your family and friends, then why not include them in your life’s special moment?
Proposing to your life partner with all your friends and family members will be a great way to include your loved ones in your happy moment. This will make you and your partner feel extra special, and will be an engagement your friends and family will not stop talking about.
5. Pets and kids proposal
As you are planning for a romantic proposal and have pets or kids in your house, why shouldn’t they be a part of this beautiful moment?
How cute will it look to see a proposing message like “Will You Marry Me?” around a dog’s collar? Or a child holding a board with another romantic proposal message. Your partner will surely love this. And you can make this moment an extra special one by going down on your knee with a ring and proposing to them.
6. Holiday proposal
Are you and your partner fond travellers? If yes, then you should take your partner on holiday to a romantic destination and make that moment worth remembering.
Plan a trip to a destination that you both wanted to visit together, or one that’s extra special to you both, and don’t forget to carry the ring with you. You can then plan various ways of proposing to them like going for a candlelight dinner, a walk on the beach, or watching a sunrise or sunset.
7. Scavenger hunt proposal
You can bring joy and excitement while proposing to your partner by playing a treasure or scavenger hunt game – talk about a unique engagement proposal idea.
Just hide the clues of your proposal message in and around the house and ask your partner to find the clues. After finding all the clues, they will be ending up forming a complete proposal message, creating a charming and memorable moment.
8. Skywriting proposal
One of the most surprising ways to propose your partner is the skywriting proposal, which can make them feel amazed.
All you need to do is to hire a skywriter and ask them to write your proposal message with a plane in the clouds, an unforgettable moment for both of you.
9. Camping proposal
Proposing to your partner in a tent under the night sky will leave a surreal and fantastic memory.
Pitch up a tent under the night sky and spend quality time with your partner by sharing some of your favourite memories, watching the stars, or anything romantic to help set the mood. Then when the moment is right, pull out the ring and propose.
10. Favourite movie proposal
Are you and your partner both movie lovers? If yes, then why not choose the movie engagement idea?
Plan a movie date with your partner to watch you or your partner’s favourite romantic movie and don’t forget to carry a ring with you. While watching the movie together, wait for a romantic scene to come, then you can take out the ring and propose. This will surely surprise them and make your movie date a perfect one.
11. Favourite love song proposal
One loving way of proposing to your partner is to propose with a song playing in the background.
You can plan out a date with them, then you can play their favourite love song in the background or if you have a great voice, why not serenade your partner? Then when the time is right, go down on your knees with a ring in your hand and propose.
12. Foodie proposal
Are you or your partner food lovers? If yes, then a foodie proposal is perfect for you both.
First choose their favourite food; then you can write down your proposal message on a paper or card and then place it in their food. If you’re an excellent cook, why not make it even more special and cook the meal yourself? Example: proposal message on the icing of a chocolate cake or a note inside a fortune cookie.
13. Boat Proposal
One of the most romantic engagement ideas is proposing to your partner out on the water.
Go for a boat ride with your partner and plan to propose to them there as it will be the most romantic, intimate, and perfect place to ask them for marriage. This boat ride will surely be memorable for both of you.
14. Crossword puzzle proposal
Proposing to your partner with a crossword puzzle is one of the most unique, surprising and fun marriage proposal ideas.
You need to contact any of the puzzles editors to form a crossword puzzle that delivers a proposal message to your partner. Or else you can create your own crossword puzzle online for proposing.
15. Skydiving proposal
Last but not least, a skydiving proposal is one of the most memorable engagement ideas ever.
With nature as your perfect setting, this idea is one they will surely remember for the rest of their life. Ready the question that’s largely printed on the destination so that they notice it the second you reach the ground. What’s even better? Go with printing a large banner so that they can notice it while both of you are in the air together.
This was all about the best 15 romantic marriage proposal ideas that will add more love and memories in your love life. You can choose any of these ways of proposing to your partner and making that extra special moment an unforgettable one.
Here are some more wedding article we know you’ll love:
If you’re too excited about planning your wedding and can’t wait, then why not have a browse at some of the most beautiful and unique wedding venues in the UK:
For Emma and Mike, a fairytale really did come true at Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire! Located on the very edge of the Cotswolds, this magnificent medieval fortress was the perfect location for their elegant white wedding. And we have to mention their gorgeous floral arrangements – aren’t they stunning?
Congratulations to Lisa and Mike on their fabulous wedding! And a special thank you to Pippa, the wedding and events manager at Berkeley Castle, for providing us with the photographs and details of Lisa and Mike’s special day.
Procedures to put in place to reduce risks during weddings
As venues prepare for a ‘new normal’ of hosting weddings amidst COVID-19, it can be helpful to learn what other venues have been doing to conduct weddings safely. Here are some of the actions and procedures that some venues around the country, and around the world, have put in place for events to minimise health risks for their guests, staff and service providers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The below protocols have been implemented at venues around the world with different levels of restrictions, so be sure to stay up-to-date with your current local recommendations as protocols will evolve as Government regulations change.
Guest Movement
Stagger guest arrival
Staff escort for each guest into the venue one-by-one
No valet parking
One-way systems
Escorted to seats / toilets
Ceremony
Socially distanced chair spacing
Immediate seating to minimise guests mingling
Masks / Gloves
Provide complimentary disposable gloves near food with signage “gloves recommended”
Provide complimentary disposable masks with signage “masks recommended”
Wedding couple provided masks for guests
Masks for sale by venue
Santising protocols
Hand sanitiser stations placed at entrances and throughout venue
Disinfectant foggers between events
Photographers / Other Suppliers
No shared props for photobooth
Pre-wedding phone calls with each supplier and distribution of ‘info sheet’ to ensure all professionals are familiar with safety protocols and requirements
Table Seating
Guest seating spaced 2 meters apart
Tables spaced 2 meters apart
Catering / Food Service
Guest encouraged to use hand sanitiser before taking food at buffet/table
Plexiglass sneeze guard at buffet
Replace self-served food with staff-served plated food
Servers wear masks & gloves
Disposable plates/containers for passed appetisers
Bar Service
Disposable cups
Plexiglass barrier
Signage “no mask, no service”
Bartender wears mask & gloves
Queue distance markings on floor
Drinks served at tables only
Dance Floor
Only couples who came together can dance together
Extended dance floor outdoors
Risk Reducing Measures
Ask wedding couple to inform guests in advance of protocols and restrictions in place
Maintain records of staff, customers and visitors to support NHS Test and Trace
Signage – themed / stylish signs reminding guests to socially distance, wear masks, wash hands etc.
Staff member verbally reminding guests to respect Government guidelines
At Elsham Hall in Lincolnshire, the first COVID-friendly wedding took place on Saturday 4th July with 11 guests. The venue implemented a variety of procedures to promote safety including staggered guest arrival, hand-sanitiser available, escorts to seats / toilets, one way systems, verbal communication of Government guidelines and temporary contact info collection.
Elaine Brocklesby, of Bride Beautiful Ltd at Elsham Hall, said that couples and guests were happy to comply with the new restrictions and remained positive despite the unusual situation. “From the couples point of view, they certainly made the most of the difficult decision to go ahead with their vows, they embraced the masks, they had fun with photos, they brought their own champagne to pop the cork in our gardens and country park.”
In consideration of venue staff and third-party service providers, Ms. Brockelsby found the new restrictions to be positively embraced by the professionals working the event. “They understand and appreciate the new protocols. The registrars and photographer understood and welcomed our health and safety measures.”
Understandably, hosting weddings under restrictions will be nerve-wracking, especially in the beginning phases. The revised procedures may make weddings feel less like the carefree, happy, huggy celebrations to which we have become accustomed. But, remember that couples are still thrilled to be getting married and it is possible to make it a lovely and memorable experience, whilst complying with Government restrictions with safety measures in place.
For more business advice we’ve collated all of our COVID-19 resources for wedding professionals to help you easily find the support you need. If you have any questions at all or need any help then please do reach out to anyone in the Bridebook team.
Excerpts and links to relevant guidelines for wedding venues – updated Tuesday 21st July 2020
Government update Friday 17th July: From 1 August, small wedding receptions will be able to take place – this means sit-down meals for no more than 30 people and subject to COVID-19 Secure guidance.
Original article – published Thursday 16th July
On 23rd June, the Prime Minister announced that lockdown guidelines would be relaxed beginning on 4th July to enable weddings to restart at a restricted level. Further guidance was issued on 24th and June 29th June to provide additional clarity, and instructions for NHS Test & Trace support was issued on 2 July.
We are thrilled about the great news that our industry is finally able to host weddings again, and these guidelines represent a starting point from which we can begin working again. Below are a few links to Government guidance for your review. The guidelines are filled with recommendations on re-opening protocols and restrictions that will vary in relevance to each of our industries and individual businesses. We encourage you to read the Government guidelines thoroughly to identify how they apply to you.
See excerpts (and please read the full linked document):
Social distancing:“Where it is possible to keep 2 metres apart people should. But where it is not, we will advise people to keep a social distance of ‘one metre plus’ meaning they should remain one metre apart, while taking mitigations to reduce the risk of transmission.”
Business risk reduction:“We are today publishing guidance on how businesses can reduce the risk by taking certain steps to protect workers and customers. These include, for instance avoiding face-to-face seating by changing office layouts, reducing the number of people in enclosed spaces, improving ventilation, using protective screens and face coverings, closing non-essential social spaces, providing hand sanitiser and changing shift patterns so that staff work in set teams.”
Gatherings:“We advise that from 4 July, two households of any size should be able to meet in any setting inside or out. We are not recommending meetings of multiple households indoors because of the risk of creating greater chains of transmission. Outside, the guidance remains that people from several households can meet in groups of up to six.”
Hospitality:“All hospitality indoors will be limited to table-service, and our guidance will encourage minimal staff and customer contact.”
Track & Trace:“We will ask businesses to help NHS Test and Trace respond to any local outbreaks by collecting contact details from customers.”
See excerpts (and please read the full linked document):
1.17 Can weddings go ahead?
Yes, from 4 July, weddings and civil partnerships will be allowed to take place. You should only invite close friends and family, up to a maximum of 30 people. The wedding exception is for wedding ceremonies only. Large wedding receptions or parties should of course not be taking place. Wedding celebrations can only happen when people follow the guidance of six people outdoors, support bubbles, or two households indoors or outdoors. It is critical for these guidelines to be observed to keep you and your family and friends as safe as possible.
1.25 Can I gather in larger groups for any reason?
You should only be gathering in groups of up to two households (including your support bubble). It is against the law to gather in groups of more than 30 people, except for the limited circumstances to be set out in law. You should observe the guidelines for meeting people wherever possible, and limit your social interaction to your own household or one other (or, outdoors, also a group of up to six people), to help to control the virus.
See excerpts (and please read the full linked document):
COVID-19 secure environment:“legally-valid ceremonies or formations are strongly advised to go ahead only where they can be done in a COVID-19 secure environment. It is also advised that the ceremonies are kept as short as reasonably possible and limited as far as reasonably possible to the parts of the ceremonies that are required in order for the marriage or civil partnership to be legally binding. No more than 30 people should attend a marriage or civil partnership, where this can be safely accommodated with social distancing in a COVID-19 secure venue.”
Receptions:“Any receptions that typically follow or accompany marriages or civil partnerships are strongly advised not to take place at this time. Small celebrations should only take place if following social distancing guidelines – i.e. in groups of up to two households indoors, or up to 6 people from different households outdoors.”
Venue decision-making:“Venue managers will have discretion over when they consider it safe to open, and the officiant should also be content that it is safe to proceed. The venue should decide to remain closed or not proceed with the marriage or civil partnership if they are not able to safely adhere to the guidelines outlined below. Where the legislation requires that a venue does not open at this time then it must remain closed.”
See excerpts (and please read the full linked document):
The following information should be collected by the venue, where possible:
Staff
the names of staff who work at the premises
a contact phone number for each member of staff
the dates and times that staff are at work
Customers and visitors
the name of the customer or visitor. If there is more than one person, then you can record the name of the ‘lead member’ of the group and the number of people in the group
a contact phone number for each customer or visitor, or for the lead member of a group of people
date of visit, arrival time and, where possible, departure time
if a customer will interact with only one member of staff (e.g. a hairdresser), the name of the assigned staff member should be recorded alongside the name of the customer
No additional data should be collected for this purpose.
To support NHS Test and Trace, you should hold records for 21 days.
For more business advice we’ve collated all of our COVID-19 resources for wedding professionals to help you easily find the support you need. If you have any questions at all or need any help then please do reach out to anyone in the Bridebook team.
Charlotte and Callum knew exactly what they wanted for their autumnal wedding in Chathill Northumberland: a gorgeous burgundy colour scheme, seasonal flowers… and a horse-drawn carriage!
What made their day even better? A venue that could offer them the whole weekend, not just a day. With its blend of traditional features and contemporary touches, Ellingham Hall offers a completely exclusive (and seriously stylish!) two-night wedding experience.
Congratulations, Charlotte and Callum, on your beautiful ceremony! And special thanks to Rachel Barlow, marketing and communications manager at Ellingham Hall, for providing us with the photographs of the happy couple’s big day.
Elizabeth and Samuel had a rustic, countryside wedding with informal style catering at this gorgeous venue.
The Compasses at Pattiswick is a unique venue in the North Essex countryside. This beautiful old building with contemporary design is perfect for intimate gatherings.
Congratulations to Elizabeth and Samuel on their gorgeous wedding! And a special thank you to Claire, the wedding coordinator at The Compasses at Pattiswick, for providing us with the photographs and details of their special day.
Sarah and Lee had the most amazing and fun wedding in the stunning Floral Rustic Barn and Country House. Even gale force winds didn’t get anyone down!
Blakelands Country House is a historic venue set in ten acres of beautifully kept gardens, paddocks and lakes. Its rustic look offers a truly charming setting for a wedding.
A huge congratulations to Sarah and Lee on their beautiful wedding! Many thanks to the photographer Natasha Ince for capturing all the best moments from this special day.
Charley, the bride, is the wedding and events manager at Manor Hill House. She chose to get married at the venue she works, which made the ceremony all the more personal and special to the couple and the whole team.
Manor Hill House is a rural yet contemporary venue that offers sheer opulence and style for your perfect day.
Location: West Midlands | Styles: Vintage, Outdoor, Rustic, DIY, Marquee, Casual, Country | Colors: Blue, Pastel
A huge congratulations to Charley and Daniel on their beautiful wedding! And a special thank you to Charley for letting us have a glimpse of their perfect day.
Laura and Craig had a classic themed wedding with a lot of little DIY bursts of personality in North Yorkshire.
Allerton Castle is the perfect, romantic setting for your Happy Ever After. This wedding venue is an exclusive, historic stately home, allowing you to feel like royalty for your special day.
“This wedding was so unique due to the bursts of personalities they entwined with their perfect day. From using cricket bats for the confetti tunnel, the Lord of the Rings leaf pins for the groomsmen to an owl ring barer that wouldn’t fly!”
Congratulations to Laura & Craig on their beautiful DIY wedding!
A beautiful Easter themed wedding with colour, love and laughter. Showcasing the fun and interactive ‘Host the Roast’ menu option, Samantha and Phil couldn’t have opted for a better venue.
The Wellbeing Farm is an authentic countryside venue in the West Pennines of Lancashire, near Bolton. It provides couples with a unique wedding experience where they can interact with farm animals.
Location: Greater Manchester | Styles: Classic, Traditional, Boho, Outdoor, Rustic, Vintage, Natural | Colors: Orange, Blue
“The 20th of April saw Sam and Phil get married on a perfect Easter’s day – the weather was absolutely lush. The ceremony itself was incredibly romantic, Sam was given away by both of her parents, and The Manytones’ harpist Susan provided a dreamy soundtrack throughout the proceedings. There was loads of fun to be had, with the groomsmen being very helpful the entire day, toast mastering throughout. There was even an appearance from Sam and Phil’s dogs! Again, a massive congratulations to Sam and Phil! We’re so glad we got to be a part of your stunning wedding.”
Congrats to Samantha and Phil on a very fun ceremony! And a special thank you to Celia from The Wellbeing Farm for providing us with a glimpse of the beautiful affair.
