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    Kitchen tea or bridal shower – what’s the difference?

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    Along with the excitement of a wedding comes all the events and parties that lead up to the big day. One of the most popular pre-wedding celebrations is the bridal shower. Or is it the kitchen tea? They are similar, but there are a few differences.

    Kitchen teas are more common in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, whereas the US, UK, Belgium, Netherlands and a few other countries in Europe tend to host bridal showers.

    The kitchen tea is a time to celebrate the bride-to-be, and guests bring items that can be added to the newlyweds’ kitchen as gifts. It is typically hosted at the bride’s or her mother’s house. Female friends and family are invited – kitchen teas are typically attended only by the women in the bride’s life. It is usually quite a relaxed environment and can involve fun games.

    The bridal shower is a party hosted for the bachelorette. Her guests ‘shower’ her with gifts of any kind, that can be for her personal use or for her and her future spouse’s home. Brides-to-be may create a gift registry for their guests to help with ideas. The bridal shower provides the perfect opportunity for both sides of the family to mingle!

    There’s no need to keep things too traditional, though. You can mix it up a bit by having a theme. You can even customise the party according to what the bachelorette likes. For example, a bride-to-be who enjoys the outdoors might appreciate a hike or scenic route, or a bachelorette with a creative streak may love a cake-decorating party.

     

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    PAMPAS and WINGS ? it’s a winning combination – another repost from The other side of the world … some serious wedding inspiration if you search #sydneywedding With huge thanks to #Repost @jewelphonflowers with @get_repost ・・・ How gorgeous does @nawalsaudi look with her floral and pampas wings for her Kitchen Tea! We can’t wait to create some more magic for your Wedding ? Wings @jewelphonflowers Table @prop_my_party Desserts @munchies_sydney Cake @sugarpot4me Cookie Ring @the.cookie.plate Brownies @nourasgoodies #jewelphonflowers #weddingflowers#weddingstylist #weddinginspiration#sydneywedding #sydneyflorist #bridalflowers #eventstyling #flowers #wedding #weddingreception #florist #sydneyflorist #weddingideas #stylist #weddinginspo #kitchentea #desserttable #flowerwings #pampas

    A post shared by EXPRESS YOURSELF WEDDINGS (@suffolkweddingshed) on

    Remember to save all the ‘naughty’ things for the bachelorette party, though!

    Picture: Pexels

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    In Advice

    Setting a wedding budget and actually sticking to it

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    Whether you are paying for the wedding yourselves or your parents are contributing, you will need to calculate how much money you have to spend. Once you have this figure, immediately set aside 5-10% of that for contingency.

    Establishing and sticking to your budget is the best gift you can give yourself as a couple. In order to do this, you have to ensure that all your planning is documented. But before you start crunching numbers, think about the overall feeling you want your wedding to have as this will affect how you spend within your budget.

    Do your research on vendors and get estimates on how much each thing will cost. This will include everything from venue to flowers to the dress and so on. Then get quotes from vendors and write it all down next to estimated costs.

    Now that you know what kind of wedding you would like to have and how much money you have to spend, put together a rough guest list. The number of guests determines your venue, food and alcohol.

    These are generally the largest expenses and a wise rule to follow is to allocate 40% of your budget to these three things.

    It is time to discuss your non-negotiables with your partner (try to keep it down to three). These are things that you have always dreamed of having at your wedding and are willing to spend the money needed in order to achieve them. Research vendors and get quotes so that you can allocate it to the budget and then see how much is left to spend on the rest of the wedding. If you are already over budget based on your list, or close to the end of your budget, have a look at your priorities again and see what you can reduce.

    Now that you’ve got all your quotes and guest list numbers, you can create the spreadsheet. You can get a template online or create your own but try to keep it as simple as possible. Put your overall sum in the top corner somewhere and then create these tabs: estimated, modified and actual.

    Your estimated tab will be amounts that you have found based on research.

    Modified will have real quotes from vendors.

    Actual will be the final amount that you end up paying.

    Time for a reality check – does your budget allow you to achieve what you want? If not, you may have to adjust your budget if that is an option or adjust your expectations.

    Steps to take in order to ensure you stick to your budget:

    1. Figure out how much you have to spend.
    2. Research vendors and get quotes before settling on your budget.
    3. Write a list including all researched costs and quotes from vendors.
    4. Write down your proposed guest list
    5. Create the spreadsheet and input all the relevant information.

    Image: Unsplash

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    In Engagements

    DIY floral seating chart

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    Enchant your guests with a floral seating chart that’s in full bloom! Just be sure to let your stationer know your plan, so that they can create the design accordingly.

    WHAT YOU’LL NEED

    Floral design of your choice
    Cardboard
    Scissors
    Paper punch
    Ribbon
    Floral fabric
    Large polystyrene board
    Flat-head pins

    STEP 1

    Choose a floral design and create seating cards with the table number on the front and guests’ names on the back. Print these on cardboard and cut them out.

    STEP 2

    Punch a hole in the top of each card.

    STEP 3

    Thread a piece of ribbon through, knotting it at the back. Make sure every piece of ribbon is a different length.

    STEP 4

    DIY floral seating chart

    Pin the fabric on to the polystyrene board, ensuring it is stretched taut. You’ll use this as the backboard.Hang each numbered card over the front of the floral board. Pin the ribbon in place at the back.

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