November 16, 2023 by Glenda Ashleigh

Wedding Tips

Wedding Planning Tips that Make a Difference

Use great wedding planning tips to make a difference! As a professional Registered Marriage Celebrant, I am often asked about wedding hints and tips for ceremonies. Every ceremony is different, however the following tips apply to all wedding ceremonies.

Goodluck Horseshoe

We often overlook the really important areas of planning a wedding. Some areas are so commonplace that we take them for granted and we hope that they will ‘look after themselves’. We hope that we will have ‘good luck’ and that everything will go smoothly. Brides often carry wedding charms or keepsakes such as a horseshoe to assure good luck on the day. These are fun, however they do not guarantee that good luck will follow.

Of course you want your wedding ceremony to be breathtaking! After all it is your special day and you expect that your ceremony will flow smoothly and be absolutely delightful.

Important Wedding Areas

Wedding ceremonies must contain the legal requirements, however just meeting the legal requirements for a marriage ceremony does not meet the requirements for an enjoyable ceremony. Here are a few helpful wedding planning tips that I hope will help you to make your ceremony, simply the best!

Choose the people and services for your wedding ceremony very carefully. The success of the occasion depends on the choices you make. How well do people understand each other? How respectful they are of each other’s wishes?

Communicate at all stages of the process – planning, arriving at the venue, entrances, where people are required to stand, what they do during the ceremony and what happens at the close of the ceremony. Don’t fall into the trap of “Oh I though you knew that…” or “Why wasn’t I told…” or “I didn’t know you wanted me to do that…”. Keep everyone in the communication loop, including your guests.

Inform your celebrant of the arrangements. A really good marriage celebrant works with other service providers, eg photographers, event planners, directors and venue staff. They encourage your guests to feel comfortable. Everyone is there to help make this very special occasion a memorable one for all the right reasons. Your celebrant has a big responsibility. They are in charge of the ceremony!

July 14, 2023 by Glenda Ashleigh

Choosing the Wedding Party can be a disaster if you do not choose wisely

Who wants to be in the Wedding Party?

Everyone wants to be in the wedding party!

Peg & Pog Wedding Party

Peg & Pog have to review the nominees for the various traditional ‘roles’ in their wedding party. Of course, they don’t want to disappoint anyone, or in their case, any dolls. Feelings need careful handling!

Peg & Pog know what they want, and what they don’t want for their big day. However, family and friends have their ideas about Peg & Pog’s wedding!

Peg & Pog, start looking for a very good Celebrant. Hooray! Peg & Pog find Glenda, the Best Brisbane Celebrant. With Glenda’s expert guidance, Peg & Pog and get the wedding they want and family and friends express their great delight!

Choosing the Wedding Party

This is the tricky part. Members of the wedding, or bridal party, are usually people who are important to you such as family and friends. For those of you who are blessed with large, extended families and a lot of great friends, this can become a nightmare! Whatever you do, choose very carefully. Your attendants can make or break the best of well-laid plans.

Adults in the Wedding Party

Adult attendants need to be reliable and trustworthy. Ask yourself the question, “How can this person support our needs leading up to and on our wedding day?” After all, that is what attendants do – support the Bride and Groom in the planning and organisation of the big day, both before and on your wedding day.

Milo, Pog’s brother, support Peg & Pog in organising people on the wedding day and introducing Celebrant Glenda, to the parents and the witnesses. Peg & Pog have asked two adult family members to be their witnesses – Peg’s Ma and Pog’s Ma! Both mothers want to be front and centre during the ceremony, so that they get the full experience of watching and hearing their children say their marriage vows.

Children in the Wedding Party

Be prepared for the unexpected when choosing children as attendants! Little ones may look ‘cute’ on the day, however their welfare is the most important consideration. Expecting young children to walk down paths on their own is daunting enough. Asking them to carry precious items such as ring cushions etc. only adds to their stress. Pip & Pepper, Pog’s two-year-old twin nieces are fine as they accompany Peg on the flower boat but as soon as they hit land, they take off! Luckily the shortcut they take to the Rose Garden doesn’t become a disaster and they arrive just as Peg & Pog are coming up the path.

How Many in a Wedding Party?

As many as you like! Bride and Groom, Bride and Bride, or Groom and Groom only if you prefer. The two witnesses don’t have to stand or sit next to you, unless you think you might be given to an attack of the vapours and faint! Oh, and it’s not an equal sharing competition either! Just because one party has three attendants, it doesn’t mean that the other party has to have three attendants. Gender is not important. A ‘Matron, or Maid of Honour, or Woman of Honour’ can easily be a ‘Man or Mate of Honour’ – the choice is yours.

More wedding party news later. In the meantime, check out some things you may or may not know about Glenda, the Very Good Celebrant!

April 3, 2023 by Glenda Ashleigh

Wedding Bomboniere

Creative Wedding Bomboniere to Delight

Wedding bomboniere are favours or gifts that wedding guests receive on the wedding day. Weddings as happy events that people like to celebrate. Weddings also attract ‘good luck’ and everyone likes good luck! Wedding bomboniere is as different as you want it to be, so create your bomboniere and delight your wedding guests!

Wedding Bomboniere Through History

Traditionally, everyone in the community shares in the good luck associated with weddings and in spreading the love. Over time, the ritual of giving wedding bomboniere became part of wedding celebrations.

In 16th century France, only the wealthy classes gave wedding bomboniere to wedding guests. Small boxes to hold bonbons or other confectionery were popular bomboniere. These boxes were often decorated with gold and precious stones. Not only was this bomboniere valuable keepsakes, they were also handed down from one generation to another in families as heirlooms.

Families of modest means however, were more creative with their bomboniere. For example, In Italy, sugar-coated or Jordan almonds are popular as wedding bomboniere. Five sugar-coated almonds are presented in a dainty organza bag or wrapped in fine tule, and tied with a ribbon. These almonds represent the five wedding wishes: health, wealth, happiness, fertility and longevity.

Although the form of wedding bomboniere differs across cultures, the thoughts and sentiments are the same. It is all about how you spread and share the happiness of your wedding day. Cut the wedding cake and put small pieces in boxes or paper bags for guests to take home with them. This is and old and delightful bomboniere tradition that is easy. Wedding guests place the boxed cake under their pillows on the wedding night for ‘good luck’. Hopefully, wedding guests experience good luck!

In the 21st century, people are more creative with wedding bomboniere. Some gifts are practical while others are more sentimental. Wine bottle stoppers, personalised pens, and even music boxes that play the wedding waltz are popular. These bomboniere are available commercially, however they do come at a cost.

Personalised Wedding Bomboniere

Wedding Bomboniere Crochet Bells

Why not personalise your wedding bomboniere in unique ways? Express your personality, hopes and dreams in personalised bomboniere. These gifts are heartfelt and add that special touch to your day. The hand-made crochet Wedding Bells in this photo are delightful examples of unique bomboniere. These little bells add a lovely touch to place cards or as decorations on champagne flutes.

Other popular personalised wedding bomboniere include plant seeds, small plants in pots, and home-baked confectionery, jams and biscuits. Print or hand-write thank you notes and attach to these items. Invite family and friends to gather, make or present these personalised items. Not only is this is a great way to get everyone involved in the wedding preparations, it also saves time, effort, and of course, expense!

Why not share the love, good wishes and ‘good luck’ with wedding guests? Make a donation to a charity on behalf of your wedding guests who then receive tokens such as pins or thank-you cards from the charity. Alternatively, write thank-you messages to guests on place cards at the reception, or attach them to bomboniere.

Get creative and delight your wedding guests!

Are you ready for some really creative ideas for bomboniere? As Brisbane’s Really Good Celebrant, I know a special couple whose families get into the really creative bomboniere in a big way! Check out the carrot carving bomboniere guests receive at the wedding of Peg & Pog.

March 10, 2023 by Glenda Ashleigh

Wedding Bells Keepsake – Celebrant Glenda J Ashleigh

Romantic Wedding Bells

A romantic wedding bells keepsake gives that unique touch to your wedding day.

No two weddings are the same and no two wedding bells are the same. I hand-make each tiny bell with love.

These tiny bells come in a limited range of colours to compliment your wedding theme.

This delightful keepsake is priceless! It is not for sale! A wedding bells keepsake is available exclusively to my wedding clients. It represents good wishes for happiness always.

Wedding Bells

Wedding bells are traditional symbols of the happiness of the wedding day, and the good wishes for a successful marriage for the newly-wed couple. They are used in many forms in wedding celebrations, and following the ancient Celtic tradition, become treasured keepsakes. These wedding bells may not make any sound, however they are lovely mementos of your wedding day.

Contact Glenda, the Best Brisbane Celebrant and let these little bells ring out the joy and happiness on your wedding day!

March 2, 2023 by Glenda Ashleigh

Blushing Bride Keepsakes

These sweet blushing bride keepsakes are sure to bring smiles to faces at a wedding!

Peg Doll Brides and Peg Doll Grooms

There is a rich tradition in using wooden pegs to make dolls. Of course, no two peg dolls are alike! That is the beauty of hand-made wedding keepsakes. Here are a couple of darling blushing brides that I created as give-a ways at a wedding expo.

Blushing Brides

What fun drawing the expressions on the little faces, and dressing them!

Create your own Blushing Brides and Blushing Grooms keepsakes in your personal wedding style!

Share the love and have some fun!

Love Stories

Do you like love stories? Worlds of imagination open up and fantastic adventures come to life in the love stories of peg dolls.

Follow the trials and tribulations of Peg & Pog who meet in the Rose Garden and fall in love. What are Peg and Pog doing in the Rose Garden? Who falls in love first? How does Pog know he is in love? So many questions!

Wedding announcements and wedding planning often have bumpy patches along the way, and so it is with Peg and Pog as they try to plan their wedding. Of course, all dolls help in the planning process with mixed results. Sometimes, hard decisions just have to made! After all, it is Peg & Pog’s wedding.

The wedding is wonderful, and Peg & Pog share the love with their family and friends. At last, Peg is the blushing bride and Pog is the blushing groom.