Eco Friendly Wedding

Green events are big in the news now so how do you try and create your perfect day whilst being as green as possible.

Here are a few ideas of what you can do to be as green as possible;

E invites are very popular and can sometimes be quicker than traditional postal invites. These can be personalised but some do feel that it lacks the personality of traditional.

Online RSVP - websites can be set up for your big day which can serve as a multi purpose portal. You can display your wedding list, set up a honeymoon fund and get people to e sign your wedding book as well as uploading photos of the day.

Sourcing local food and produce - This will lower your carbon emissions so be greener. As well as having high quality food whilst helping the local economy.

Venues - Nordic Tipi tents or bamboo tents are often seen for weddings and add a slightly different feel to your day. These are available for hire and look truly stunning. Or what about getting married at a conservation centre where again the money for the venue hire gets put back into the restoration or projects they are working on.

Bougainfetti - This light, thin petal comes from the Caribbean and is available in many colours. This is biodegradable and are not artificially coloured. These add a special something to photos, table decorations or to be used instead of confetti.

Honeymoons - Plenty of Eco friendly destinations around the world and hotels that boast strong sustainability programmes. There are many Eco lodges around the world and one of these is the Lapa Rios Eco Lodge in Central America. Six Senses Spa and Resorts are one of the hotel chains that also offer strong Eco friendly and socially responsible programmes. Or a increasing number of honeymooners are opting for volunteering and there are a couple of companies that focus particularly on this for the newly weds,

Honeymoon Destination that’s off the beaten track slightly

With more and more couples stepping away from wedding lists as the cost of weddings increase and the demand for the multiple pasta dishes decrease. We see lots of newlyweds asking for money to be donated for their honey moon instead and with many travel agents offering this facility it is a great way for couples to plan and enjoy their honeymoon without having to worry too much about the financial restraint. So once your account has been set up where do you decide to go to? Mauritius, Maldives, Seychelles and Caribbean Destinations are just as popular as ever but what about the less well known destinations that can offer you the same luxury but are ever so slightly off the beaten track. Here at ESC weddings we thought that we would explore one of these alternative destinations that truly does have the wow factor to ensure that you’re once in a lifetime experience continues as husband and wife.

La Reunion is a French outer seas island in the Indian Ocean. It is positioned between Mauritius and Madagascar. This diverse and beautiful island is approx. 11.5 hours flight time from the UK via changing in France. The euro is used here and French is the official language although Reunion Creole is spoken in lots of places.

This mini Hawaii landscape means that in the space of an hour or two, you can see lava fields, jagged peaks, and lush forest to coastal cities. The beaches are beautiful sandy beaches around the area of St Gilles but volcanic black sand beaches can also be found in some parts of the island. The volcano is still active and can be visited which is well worth a trip whilst you are here – Piton de la Fournaise is one of the world’s most accessible volcanoes.

One of the best resorts to stay at is Grand Hotel Du Lagon which is a five star property that overlooks a coral lagoon. It has its own creole style and has its own pools and restaurants whilst set in this idyllic setting. If this doesn’t quite fit into your budget then La Reunion is home to small family run hotels, B and B’s as well as a couple of branded hotels so everybody is catered for.

As this island isn’t as widely visited by tourists as its neighbouring Mauritius you will find it widely untouched. It suits those that want peace and quiet but also those that would like to go out and explore.



Bon Voyage as they say in the native tongue.

Planning your wedding in a historic building

For many people, getting married in their dream location, means getting married in a big old house or stately home. Many buildings, even well-known ones, offer wedding packages, and are experienced in hosting weddings. However – that doesn’t mean that holding your wedding in a historic building is without its challenges. A good planner can help you navigate these pitfalls, but it’s worth knowing about the issues yourself so that you can ask the right questions and plan the wedding you really want. Here is a few pointers for you to bear in mind when planning your big day.

• Most historic buildings have restrictions on the caterers that can be used. You’ll need to choose from an approved list of people that the building owners know and trust. So if your dream is a hog roast but the caterers at the venue you are considering only offer a formal sit-down meal, then you may need to look elsewhere.
•  If you want exclusivity, you’re going to need to pay a lot of money. If houses are private and regularly host weddings, then you will likely find that the house has several areas available to rent and other weddings will be hosted at the same time, unless you pay for exclusivity. If the building is open to the public, then at least a portion of your wedding is likely to take place during opening hours. Bear in mind that public areas may overlap or join onto the area reserved for your wedding, and ask staff how they manage this.
• Decor may be restricted. You may not be able to choose your own florist (venues often include a table and floral package) or have limitations on table decorations – some may not allow candles with naked flames, but you could get around this by using battery candles. If these things are central to your vision, then ask these questions early on.
• Many venues (and not just old or historic ones) now do not allow confetti, or only allow biodegradable or natural petal confetti. Let your guests know well in advance (perhaps on the invitation) not to bring any of the banned confetti – or let them know that you will supply.
• Many historic venues do not allow smoking anywhere on their premises – including outside. Be sure to ask about this when you make enquiries if you have family or friends who would be put out by it.
• Ask the venue about their recommended photo opportunities and maybe hunt around for some of your own, as you never know what you might find.
• Ask the venue about timing restrictions, as some historic buildings may need you out earlier than you wish.

There are so many historic buildings in the UK that offer fantastic facilities for weddings. If you have any historic buildings that you rate or even have stories about then please let us know.

21st Century Weddings

With only a couple of days to go until the Royal Wedding takes place. We thought how and what options you now have for a Wedding in the 21st Century that may come across as slightly quirky or different to some people. Every wedding is different and special to the couple in question so here are a few examples of how you can create a unique celebration which goes outside the box slightly but still have that extra special memorable day without forgetting the true meaning.


Moving into modern times and with technology email can and has been used as proposal. For some this may come across as impersonal. So what about a slightly more traditional way where partners have created their own story book about their life with a marriage proposal as the key part of the story to create their very own fairy-tale happy ending.

Themed Proposals and Weddings are also becoming a lot more common from Super Mario, 50s era, Star Wars, Medieval era etc. The list for these themes is endless and the vast array of venues, theming, dresses and food that we have and can use helps to recreate this atmosphere.

All sorts of colours can be used in your colour theme and at one time black for any dress at a wedding was a big no no. For some this may not be their choice but this stylish and classic colour shows that for weddings it does and can work.

Weddings are now able to take place in all sorts of destinations in this country to an endless list of places abroad. Many couples still choose a traditional church or registry office. However other locations are becoming popular and more accessible from zoos to fields to deep sea diving. To anything else in between. It’s this diversity of venues alongside meticulously planning of the day that ensure your wedding remains special to you and maybe a little bit quirky to reflect your personality as a couple. After all anything is possible these days, so that hot air balloon proposal you were after may not be a million miles away after all!!!

A wedding list with a twist

Are you thinking you should really start making a wedding list, but don’t want to end up being inundated with toasters?

Well, look no further… we here at esc weddings have come across an unusual type of wedding list; a wine wedding list. So you can start your own cellar to keep you going for various future events or even just to cheer you up when you return to the real world after your honeymoon.

Traditionally wedding lists centre on household goods to help the newlyweds with their new place, but these days as many couples live together before they get married, they often have an abundance of tea towels, crockery and blenders before the wedding! Having a wine wedding list is a great alternative and based completely on the couple’s tastes.

We came across a wine merchant called The Sampler and with them you are able to choose from special bottles for anniversaries or birth years to accessories such as glasses and decanters. They have a choice of over 1500 wines and wedding guests get 10% off shop prices.

Here’s what to do:
- Sampling session: the unique thing about The Sampler is that you can visit one of the stores and have a wine sampling session so they can find out your tastes and help suggest some suitable wines that you’ll both like to put on your list.

- Go to the website, set up your account and select the wines you want from the online shop and click Add to Registry. Then follow the on-screen instructions.

- Let guests search for your list and leave messages with their gifts.
Each of the wines comes with some tasting notes and a message from the buyer, just to make it that bit more personal.

There are a few companies that have a wine wedding list service, including The Wine Wedding List and MagesticWine, so if you don’t want to battle through endless cutlery, get researching!

Happy tasting!

Esc Weddings Competition - Winner Announcement

And the winner is… drum roll please…..

After a great response from all you brides to be out there, we have chosen the lucky winner of our ‘win an exclusive wedding package’ competition.

So without further ado, it is our pleasure to announce that the winner of the esc weddings competition is: AMY CHUNG

We’d like to say huge congratulations to Amy. Esc weddings, Rebecca Clark make-up and Loukia Avvakoumides photography all look forward to working with you in October.

Thank you to everyone who entered the competition, commiserations to those who didn’t win, but esc weddings would like to offer you the opportunity of a free consultation and 10% off our wedding planning services, in return for taking the time to enter.
We will be getting in touch with all the entrants in the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for a letter from us and please let us know if you think this is something you’d be interested in.
To register your interest please email: sophie@esc-events.co.uk

Well done to Amy and her lucky groom to be!

esc weddings featured supplier: The Vanilla Cake Company - how to decide on the perfect wedding cake

One of the most important aspects of your big day is the cake! There’s always some anticipation amongst guests as to what the cake will look like and it’s traditionally made a main feature of the day at the cake cutting ceremony, so it needs to be memorable.

It’s probably a good idea to do some research before you choose your cake. Look at all different styles of cakes online and keep a record of some of the cakes you really like. Think about colours and theming, to make the cake tie in nicely with the rest of your day. This will also stand you in good stead when it comes to describing exactly how you want your cake to look to whichever cake company you choose.
There are loads of wedding cake companies, so it’s important to choose the one that will work best for you. Make sure you get the answers to all of your questions from them and ask to see their previous work, as this should give you an idea as to whether they can create exactly what you want. Using local suppliers is always a good option, as it makes it easier to meet up with them and build a relationship before the big day. It’s also useful in terms of transport and making sure that the cake gets to the venue in one piece, looking perfect!

One of our favourite bakers is the Vanilla Cake Company based in Camberley, Surrey. They have shared a few of their tips with us on choosing the right cake:

Where do you start with helping couples choose their cake?

We start by discussing the theme they have chosen for their big day as this gives us a good idea of the style of cake that they may be looking for. We also look at the colours that they are incorporating and the flowers as these can then be carried through onto the cake and help tie in all aspects of the wedding.

Are there any particular cakes that work best at certain times of the year?

During the winter months you can't help being drawn to the rich, deep flavours of a fruit cake or even a nice rich chocolate sponge cake. Also, biting into a slice of a fruit cake always gives a hint of Christmas not being too far away. In terms of decoration dark reds and chocolate browns always work well at this time of year. During the summer months a light sponge cake in a mixture of flavours with maybe one tier of fruit cake could be teamed with beautiful pastel coloured icing roses.



What kind of cake design would you say you specialise in?
We take on many different designs of wedding cakes including cupcakes but we tend to specialise in the tiered cakes.



What would be the most important piece of advice you'd give couples when looking for their cake?

Don't leave it too late! Many of the popular summer dates get booked up really quickly and we're already taking bookings up to May 2013! Also have an idea of the number of people you're going to be catering for as this will determine the number of tiers you'll need to start with.

About The Vanilla Cake Company
The Vanilla Cake Company was founded in February 2009 turning a passion for baking and decorating into a business. All of their cakes are homemade and always baked fresh to order, not a dreaded packet mix in sight! The Vanilla Cake Company bake a multitude of sponge cake flavours from vanilla, carrot, chocolate or lemon to something a bit different like their Green Tea sponge cake. Their fruit cakes are made using an old family recipe that includes all the traditional ingredients and they soak the fruit with either Brandy or dark rum to give the fruit cakes a really moist, deep flavour.
All of the sugar decorations are also handmade; from beautiful roses to stunning butterflies, they have no set designs that they work to, so are able to help you design a wedding cake that is completely personal to you and your day.
They pride themselves on making sure that they spend time with the bride understanding her requirements and design ideas to ensure they create something special for the big day.

The Vanilla Cake Company are based in Camberley, Surrey but are able to deliver to venues all over Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire and parts of London. So get in touch now, it's a piece of cake!!!

(All photos are courtesy of The Vanilla Cake Company)