Final Update on the Tiny Weddings Fair this Sunday

We’re sending out the final email to those who have signed up for our mailing list for the Tiny Weddings Fair.  Our second fair is almost upon us!  It will take place this Sunday 10^th March at the Birmingham Library and Rep Theatre, Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2EP.  If you haven’t purchased your tickets online yet, you should; you will pay half the entry fee charged to those who pay on the door.  Tickets are just £4 in advance, and we have so much awesome stuff planned for you, we wanted to share the newsletter as a blog post so everyone can read it!

There’s more than one type of Tiny Wedding, and we’re hoping to be able to help you plan the one that suits you.  We will have more than thirty exhibitors and speakers, all of whom believe small is beautiful when it comes to weddings!

You might want to elope, or bring a small group to somewhere far away; exotic and exciting.  If you do, we have planners and photographers that specialise in far away places.  Come to the talk at noon, about how to choose the right country for your wedding, and then meet with people who can help you to make it happen.

Maybe you want to take a small group of your close family and friends to a beautiful location just a drive away and take a whole weekend to share the experience and send quality time together.  We have several beautiful venues that would welcome you to stay with them for the whole weekend, or to hold a day’s celebration with them.

We have several more local venues and country estates that are not too far away, who welcome small groups for a more low-key affair, including a local restaurant who can host weddings, and the hosts; Unique Venues Birmingham, who will be giving tours of the locations where you can hold a wedding or receptionin the building.  These will be at 11:30 and 1:30.  We also have a private chef and a mobile bar who can cater for your small wedding, wherever it may be!

Wherever and however you get married, if you’re a bride, then you’ll probably need a dress.  We will have several racks of designer bridalwear at up to 85% off the RRP to our fair that you can try on in the private changing rooms set aside.  So, you’ll get the chance to try out some dresses without the hassle of a bridal appointment.  We have two jewellers and vendors who can supply you with beautiful paper or felt bouquets or accessories that will last a lifetime, as well as a florist who can supply real blooms.

For the planning on eloping, then the talks on how to make that happen – with either practical advice on the legalities of it all, tips on how to manage family members and suggestions of awesome locations, then come along to hear one of the talks being given our elopement expert, at either 11:00 or 2:30.

We will have four celebrants from the humanist society who will be able to offer suggestions on unique elements and rituals that you can put in to your ceremony so that your wedding is totally tailored to you as a couple.  They’ll be giving a talk on this at 2:00 and they will also have an exhibitor stand.

If you do get married close to home, or plan of throwing  a party at home after an elopement, then you’ll probably want to meet Gaming4Weddings, who will be in the lobby with two of their gaming units, for you to try out the entertainment they could bring to you wedding (or for you to leave your groom to happily play while you try on dresses!).  We have photographers and videographers who want to travel, and have a passion for smaller weddings.

Aside from the talks and tours, come along to meet some of the thirty exhibitors we will have at the fair.  There will be so much experience and knowledge of unique weddings in this room.  Coming to this fair on this day could hugely affect the choices you make for your wedding.  And you’re only going to do it once, so make sure that your wedding is exactly how you want it to be!

Perhaps you are already following our social media posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  We’re posting lots of updates there, but the fair is just a few days away, so if you want to be in with a chance to win in our prize draws and get preferential entry to our tours, talks and workshops then get your ticket now for just £4.  We’ve almost run out of goody bags, so purchase your ticket in advance today to be sure of getting one on the day.

Photo credit: Peach Perfect Weddings and Pauntley Court

Tiny Weddings Fair Exhibitor – Bowness Wedding Photography

The most popular elopement destination in England is the Lake District.  If you’d like to learn more about how to get married there and what your options are then come along to the Tiny Weddings Fair in Birmingham on Sunday 10^th March.  Lorraine from Bowness Wedding Photography will be there, and she will be exhibiting alongside Macdonald Old England Hotel and Spa, so both of them will be able to answer any questions about getting married there.

Please introduce yourself and tell us what you do.

I am Lorraine. A female, affordable, professional wedding photographer based in the Lake District and have been for some fifteen years.  The vast majority of my work is as a wedding photographer (although I do undertake fashion, food and hotel work).  Therefore my experience, coupled why my innovative style, makes me both flexible and adaptable – no two couples are the same and each have their own unique requirements which I am happy to accommodate.

What do you love about small weddings and elopements? 

I love the intimacy of the couple getting just the wedding they want – it is much more personal.  I love the opportunity to show couples secret, beautiful and accessible areas of the Lake District for some great photo backdrops.  Overall such an occasion is much less stressful and relaxed for everyone concerned.

How do you think the couples are different when working with a large wedding versus a tiny wedding?

The couple can definitely spend more time sharing the intimacy of the occasion both between themselves and with their chosen friends and family. It is easier for them to spend time involving everyone in the highlights of their day.  At large weddings a bride or groom can get separated and “trapped” with a group of friends.  Sometimes couples choose to just sit and talk in the evening or chat around the dinner table and create a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.  Small weddings are less expensive so couples can treat themselves and their guests. For example, more expensive better champagne, a more sumptuous meal or spend the money on honeymoon.

Do you feel there has been an increase in tiny weddings in the past few years or have you always worked with a lot of small wedding parties? 

I have always worked on small weddings over the years. However there has definitely been an increase in the Tiny Weddings market in recent years. This in my view has both to do with cost and couples looking for a unique experience.  However, it should be borne in mind that weddings away from home do require guests to commit to attending, potentially book leave from work and making travel and accommodation plans and their costs should be taken into account.

What are the main differences in the way you do business when dealing with a couple planning a smaller wedding?

Larger weddings require more planning and thinking about moving people around for group shots and often have longer photo lists to ensure I get the images the couple wants.  With fewer guests there are less time pressures and everyone is more relaxed. I often get to learn everyone’s first names and can be seen more as a guest that blends in and take more casual shots.

Tell us about a tiny wedding you have worked on and what you did for the couple. 

Often on the small and intimate Lake District weddings I can quickly release an “official” set of images for couple to share.  It is easier to be flexible with timings and I can pop back at dinner to see a different outfit or to go for an evening shoot.  At the small weddings I do at The Old England Hotel they include a cruise on the lake I often jump aboard with the guests for some different fun photos.  At a same sex wedding I was able to add in a free additional boudoir shoot that was last minute and fun to do as a secret wedding gift for his partner.  Also, tiny weddings have more flexibility so that allows me to work around the Lake District weather.

What makes you unique in the service you can offer a couple planning a smaller wedding?

I offer a clear set price:

£299 for an intimate ceremony in the UK

£849 for full coverage anywhere in the world with no additional expenses for travel or accommodation.

I am female with lots of experience and I am very flexible. I love shooting weddings and whilst I am so lucky to live and work in the Lake District, I love the excitement of visiting other places in both the UK and abroad.  I have shot in India, Ibiza, Czech Republic and the Seychelles and I would love the opportunity to do more foreign location work to expand my international portfolio.  I love to travel, therefore I just make my travel plans fit with the couples.

If you could work on a tiny wedding anywhere in the world, any theme, any couple; where or what or whom would it be? 

I loved visiting Fiji and that would be my choice as an ideal shoot location. The sun, the sea, the coral colours and the scenery is both romantic and idyllic and would create fabulous photo opportunities.

You can follow the Tiny Weddings Fair page on Facebook for updates, but at this point we’d suggest just buying your tickets.  You can follow Bowness Wedding Photography on Facebook, or the Macdonald Old England Hotel and Spa on Facebook, too.  You can also show interest in our Facebook event for more updates and reminders.  Check out Lorraine’s website or the hotel website, too.  If you’re still not sure if you’re coming, sign up to our mailing list, but if you know you want to come and meet some of our fabulous 30+ exhibitors then get your ticket now to save 50% off on-the day prices.

 

Tiny Weddings Fair Exhibitor – Pauntley Court

At the Tiny Weddings Fair, Unique Venues Birmingham will be offering to take couples on tours of the various venue options within the building, and there will also be several exhibitors representing some fantastic venue options for small weddings a little further afield.

Pauntley Court is a beautiful venue located in Gloucestershire on the Worcestershire and Herefordshire borders.  They offer many options for couples planning a wedding with a small guest list.  One of their popular offerings is to stay with them for the whole weekend – thus having a smaller guest list, but a big celebration, allowing quality time with the people you really want to be with for your celebrations.  Come along to the Tiny Weddings Fair in Birmingham on 10^th March to learn more about them.

Please give a brief overview of your venue and what you do there.

Pauntley Court is a historic, family owned private house, which is now available as a wedding venue.  Mark and I have lived at Pauntley Court for ten years with our three children and we were also married here at the 800 year old Norman church next door. We provide our brides and grooms with a blank canvas to create their perfect wedding, be it a blessing in one of the secret places in the formal gardens and grounds or a humanist ceremony in the glorious ballroom. The birth place of Dick Whittington, this exclusive and secluded estate, allows weekend weddings over three days and can accommodate up to twenty-four of your family and close friends in beautifully appointed rooms.   Intimate wedding parties of up to forty guests can be catered for in the main house, and as we have only just launched this year, we are offering free corkage for all bookings made for 2019/2020.  Pauntley is a very unique and idyllic rural estate with far reaching views across the Gloucestershire countryside. It is an enchanting and magical place where a bespoke and timeless wedding weekend can be enjoyed by you and your close family and friends.

What do you love about small weddings?

We love the intimacy and the romanticism associated with small weddings or elopements, and we know how wonderful and beautiful the Estate at Pauntley Court is, allowing any bride and groom to create a unique and special moment in their lives, with stunning backdrops for the wedding photographs. Pauntley Court is a historic country house full of character and charm, which for a small wedding gives our guests an indelible set of magical memories.

How do you think the couples are different when working with a large wedding versus a tiny wedding?

Large weddings are all about managing large-scale logistics and couples tend to be extremely focused on how to ensure the large numbers of guests are managed throughout the day. Whereas small wedding couples, tend not to have to be as conscious or stressed about the logistical side of things and are more focused on quality and uniqueness of the occasion.  As we offer a three day wedding weekend, couples have time to enjoy being with their family and friends.

What are the main differences in the way you do business when dealing with a couple planning a smaller wedding?

We tend to start with a blank sheet of paper as we know that our couples will have a greater degree of flexibility on how they want the day to be planned out. As such we have no preconceptions on what each small wedding might entail and we are completely open to any ideas, which a larger wedding may not allow due to the numbers involved and associated costs. We take the view that no two small weddings are the same and so offering complete flexibility with our formula, has meant that couples are relaxed and are able to reach their dream wedding more easily.  There are so many special and secluded areas in the gardens and there is a lake and small woodland offering endless photographic possibilities.  We also have a list of preferred suppliers that we know and trust and who we can personally introduce to our brides.

Do you feel there has been an increase in tiny weddings in the past few years or have you always worked with a lot of small wedding parties?

We have only just launched so it is difficult for us to gauge, but since we launched at the end of last year, we are getting more and more small wedding enquiries coming through from discerning couples looking for a destination wedding location.

If you could work on a tiny wedding anywhere in the world, with any theme, what would it be?

We’d love to be involved with an Alice in Wonderland themed wedding here at Pauntley Court.

Give an example of a tiny wedding you have worked on and what you did for the couple?

The couple wanted a humanist ceremony and wanted it all self-contained in the main house, with access out into the formal gardens for post ceremony drinks. The Ballroom at Pauntley Court was the perfect space to make the ceremony both intimate and special. They also wanted the celebration to be over three days, so being able to offer luxurious rooms for twenty-four of their family and close friends to all stay on site at the property, meant that it was all self-contained, very private and exclusive.  They had some younger members in the party who loved wandering down to our beautiful lake, hunting out any wildlife and quietly watching the swans.  They also had time to enjoy some tennis and play croquet on the Friday afternoon while the bride was busy preparing with her bridesmaids.   The feedback from the bride and groom and guests alike made us very happy, and a small wedding of this nature exacerbates this feeling.

What makes you unique in the service you can offer a couple planning a smaller wedding?

Because this is our family home, Pauntley Court has none of the corporate or commercial trappings of other venues. We are all about ‘unique’ at Pauntley Court or as we describe the estate, it is ‘a one off’. As such the service we provide small wedding parties, is access to a truly magical location at a property dating back to 1300s, oozing character and romance.

Follow the Tiny Weddings Fair on Instagram or Pauntley Court on Instagram to see lovely images of the venue and weddings they host, or check out their website for lots more information.  Follow our Facebook page for helpful and inspiring articles and information, and the Pauntley Court Facebook page to keep up with the events that place at this beautiful venue, and show your interest in our Facebook event to see updates. Event better, sign up to our mailing list to make sure that you get all our news. If you’re planning on coming to the Tiny Weddings Fair in Birmingham on 10th March, then get your tickets now for 50% off the price you’d pay on the door.

 

 

Exhibitors, Talks and Tours Highlights at the Tiny Weddings Fair

We just sent out our fourth newsletter to those who have subscribed to the mailing list for the Tiny Weddings Fair.  It has lots of information about who will be exhibiting at this fair, so we thought it worth our time to post it as a blog and share to all social media followers.  We’ll have over thirty exhibitors, as well as all the other things that are going on.  Our second fair will be held at Unique Venues Birmingham, Library of Birmingham, Centenary Square, Birmingham B1 2SN.  If you haven’t purchased your tickets online yet, you should.  Our goody bags are limited and we’re running out, so if you want one, get your tickets this week.  You will pay half the entry fee charged to those who pay on the day and you will get preferential entry to our talks and tours.

It’s now ten days until our second fair, designed for couples with a small guest list and a big love!  Tickets are selling fast, so if you’re hoping to get a goody bag, then you need to purchase your tickets now.  It will cost you £4 in advance or £8 on the door.  We only have a limited number of goody bags, and they’re full of freebies and discount vouchers from our exhibitors and other wedding vendors.  The goody bags will be going to those who get their tickets earlier.

This fair will be useful to all couples planning a wedding, no matter how big the guestlist, but the focus will be on smaller weddings.  We will have over thirty exhibitors waiting to meet you at the fair.  We will have several photographers and videographers who have experience of, and a passion for smaller weddings and elopements.  And we will have planners who specialise in getting married abroad, including Steph, from Marry Abroad, who will be giving a talk at noon about choosing which country is right for your wedding.  So, if you think you’d like to get married abroad but you’re not sure where, come along to that.

We will have a large selection of bridal gowns for you to try on from the House of Oliver Bridal Boutique.  They will be bringing the contents of their boutique bridal shop specialising in high quality and designer bridal wear at up to 85% off the RRP to our fair!  So you can try on without the expense, commitment and pressure of making a bridal appointment at a boutique.  And there will be rooms set aside for changing.

For anyone looking for an activity to break the ice and ensure that your guests have fun at your wedding, then come along to try out some of the gaming units that Gaming 4 Weddings will be bringing along for couples to try out. Whether you’re looking for the latest blockbusters to keep the kids out of trouble on the day, or multiplayer retro fun for the grownups, we guarantee it’s the perfect way to get the party started.

The fair will be at the lovely new Birmingham library building, which also houses the Rep Theatre on Broad Street.  The building is managed by Unique Venues Birmingham and they will be giving tours of the many and varied beautiful venues where you can hold a wedding or reception in the building.  There will also be venues from the area who welcome smaller groups and have options for weekend-long stay-over celebrations, or a smaller venue for a low-key celebration with your nearest and dearest.

There will be over thirty exhibitors at the fair, all with a passion for the smaller wedding.  If you’re looking for a unique and beautiful bouquet, then you can see examples of felted creations from Eclectica by Sarah, bespoke paper bouquets that will last forever Paper Jackdaw and real blooms from L’homme de Fleurs.  For anyone looking to make their ceremony unique to them, then there will be four celebrants exhibiting at the fair, who can discuss interesting rituals and elements that you could add in to your ceremony, and who will be giving a talk on this at 2pm.

For inspirational photos and helpful articles, you can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  And if you want to be in with a chance to win in our prize draws and get preferential entry to our tours, talks and workshops then get your ticket now for just £4.  We’ve almost run out of goody bags, so purchase your ticket in advance this week to be sure of getting one on the day.

Photo credit: DIDEA Weddings and Wed in Central Park

 

 

Tiny Weddings Fair – SeaflowerSkye

If you have ever looked at the options of where to elope in the UK, you’ve almost certainly seen beautiful photos of Skye.  There are so many stunning locations for an outdoor wedding in Scotland, and Skye is one of the most popular.  If you love beautiful scenery, wonderful food and the sea then SeaflowerSkye could be the ones to help you have a unique and relaxed Scottish wedding.

Please introduce yourself and your business.

SeaflowerSkye is a small, luxury, boat tour company, which operates daily out of Portree on the Isle of Skye. It is run by myself, Janice Cooney, and my partner Ewen Grant. We started our business together in May of 2018. We purchased The Seaflower, which is a beautiful forty foot catamaran, with the intention of providing our guests with a high end experience, that’s just a little bit different.

Ewen grew up on Skye but met me, an Irish girl, in Thailand while he was traveling the world. We moved to Australia together where we lived for three years. I was working as a nurse and Ewen was working in construction. It came time to move home so we needed to choose between life in Ireland or life in Scotland. It really didn’t take too long to decide that Skye was the place for us. Ewen is native to Skye and comes from a family with a long history of fishing shellfish. They have been fishing the local waters around Skye for over 45 years. As the hospital on Skye is small, with little job opportunities for me and construction work was minimal for Ewen, we needed to think outside of the box for employment. That’s when the idea of SeaflowerSkye began. We decided it necessary to showcase some of this amazing, local produce that Ewen’s brother and father both catch. What better way to do this than serve this beautiful, Scottish shellfish right on the water where it is fished.

We sail daily to the islands of either Rona or Raasay. They are scenically beautiful, remote locations which are steeped in history. Often our guests are the only people on the island during their trip. We serve our guests a lunch of freshly caught, local shellfish, salad, crusty bread and a glass or 2 of wine. We also cater for non-seafood eaters and anyone with dietary requirements. The lunch is usually enjoyed out on deck in the sunshine but can also be served inside the heated cabin if the weather should turn a bit ‘Scottish’! We then allow time to go ashore and explore the island, with the ruins of an eighteenth century Clearance village and the ‘Church Cave’ on Rona, or the brand new whisky distillery on Raasay proving to be most popular. Whatever the weather, one of the best ways to see Skye is from the water. We believe this is a truly unique and special experience.

What do you love about small weddings?

Having been present at both large traditional weddings and small, elopement style ceremonies, we really feel that what stands out between the two is the intimacy of the small wedding. Both styles are beautiful, but there is something very special about a wedding day being purely about the couple. We really enjoy helping two people to create their dream day and celebrate their relationship by making this special day their own. It is always an honour to be a part of such a beautiful day. People choose a small wedding or elopement for a variety of different reasons. Whatever that may be, a small wedding allows the couple to celebrate in a way that is personal to them.

How do you think couples planning a smaller wedding differ from those planning a big wedding?

Obviously every couple, no matter the type of ceremony, are massively excited about their wedding day. We feel that a couple planning a small wedding however, is more focused on the ceremony and the finer details of what the day means to them and how they want it to be. This may simply be because they have less people to think about in the planning process, and can spend their energy on making the day perfect for them.

Do you think more people are choosing to have a smaller wedding nowadays?

Small weddings have definitely increased on Skye in recent years. The law now allows people to be married in any location, so couples are free to choose their dream setting. We have only been in operation since May last year, however, we have been lucky enough to host a number of weddings and surprise engagements, with more booked for this year. Small weddings are becoming very popular for couples for many reasons and it is a pleasure to be a part of the process.

What are the main differences in the way you do business with a couple planning a smaller wedding?

It is lovely to get to know a couple during the planning process, and with a smaller wedding you are far more involved. We like to really get an idea of what the couple envision for their day and want their celebration to be. We work with couples from the minute they contact us, trying to get an idea of what they would like. We help with different aspects of the wedding. We help to select a destination, the food and drink that is served, the decoration and any other added extras that a couple may want. We would not have the opportunity to this for a larger wedding.

If you could work on any wedding, anywhere, for whom and where would it be?

Ewen wouldn’t mind me saying that the couple we would most like to work with is ourselves! We have been together for almost five years and because we decided to commit to running and owning our own business, certain things have had to go on the back burner.  We talk about it often and would ideally get married in Skye. When you are lucky enough to live somewhere as beautiful as we do and have access to a boat like the Seaflower, then you really don’t need to travel far. The boat is our livelihood and has become our life really, so we can see ourselves having our own ceremony on it when the time comes.

Can you give an example of a tiny wedding you were involved with, and tell us what you did for the couple?

We are currently helping a lovely couple from Norway plan their elopement to Skye. We first met them on one of our regular trips during the summer last year. They had come aboard to celebrate their engagement, which had happened the night before. The couple got back in contact recently to enquire about getting married on board the Seaflower, which had come to mean quite a lot to them.

With the wedding not taking place until September 2019 and with them living in another country, myself and Ewen assisted them in organising transport from Glasgow airport to Skye. We also made suggestions and helped them to book accommodation for the duration of their stay. We put them in touch with one of the local registrars so they could work out the official side of their ceremony. Then we got down to planning the fun stuff! We have had many conversations about how they would like the boat decorated. We have a certain amount of decorations which we provide as standard on the boat, but I have supplied the couple with the numbers of local florists so they can get it just how they want it. We have also supplied them with numbers for local photographers. We have discussed food and drink and what they would like their wedding lunch to consist of. As we are the owners and operators of the Seaflower, we really do like to liaise with the couple and try to provide everything we can to make their dream day a reality.

What makes you unique in the service you can offer to couple planning their wedding?

With generations of Ewen’s family being from Skye, we are very well connected and find it easy to get our couples in touch with who they need to speak with. Ewen and I are in love with where we live and thoroughly enjoy our job. This makes us very enthusiastic to show couples the beauty of Skye and make it the most special day possible. We have been told on numerous occasions that we helped to make the entire planning process very easy. We are a young couple who understand that this is one of the most important days of your life. We are hard-working and willing to go the extra mile. Skye has become one of the top elopement destinations in the world and we think getting married on the water, surrounded by one of the most stunningly scenic backdrops is certainly unique. With elopements increasing and tourism booming here, it can be difficult to find a quiet, secluded spot all of your own. This is a luxury that SeaflowerSkye is proud to be able to provide.

Check out SeaflowerSkye’s website for more information about what they do.  Follow them on Instagram or Facebook.  If you’re thinking of coming along to the Tiny Weddings Fair on 10^th March then you can follow our event on Facebook, or sign up to our mailing list to stay updated.  Preferential entry will be given to talks to those who have bought tickets in advance, so get your tickets now to save 50% off the price we’ll charge on the day.  If you want to stay updated with the Tiny Weddings Fair, follow us on Instagram or on Facebook, or sign up to the mailing list.