Several conversations in the last week have led us to write about the noticeable advantages to our American clients who are planning weddings in the UK or Europe next year. With the British pound and the Euro weakening against the strong US dollar, clients paying in dollars are able to get more bang for their buck thanks to the currency exchange rate.

Hampton Court Palace

The past few years have shown a noticeably increasing interest from American clients wishing to get married in the UK in a quintessential English stately home, castle or hotel. There are venues to suit individual tastes, and some offer bedrooms for the wedding party as well. From Blenheim Palace to Cliveden House, Hampton Court to private grand houses that only Albion Parties has access to.

Private House in England

Across Europe, France and Italy are the top countries for Albion Parties for destination weddings. Every year we head to the South of France, where from Cap Ferrat to St Tropez we organise weddings and parties during the summer season. The cult of Brigitte Bardot and Grace Kelly has given the Cote D’Azur a classic chic feel that’s impossible to resist. We find that our clients choose to have their wedding near glitzy St Tropez, or in the gentle charm of the Provence hills a mere few kilometres away from the coast. Private villas, owned or rented, are a good way of having privacy and the ability to party late into the night without a curfew!

St Tropez

Weddings in Italy used to be all about Tuscany, but with Puglia growing in popularity with the likes of Borgo Egnazia, and celebrities like Misha Nonoo getting married at Villa Aurelia in Rome, there are many more contenders. In addition, Lake Como and Venice continue to attract those seeking a beautiful backdrop for their wedding photographs, and both locations have exceptional light that is impossible to replicate elsewhere.

Villa Aurelia, Rome

A note on a relatively new venue to keep an eye on… Aman Sveti Stefan in Montenegro. This was the first Aman hotel outside of Asia, which personifies the exceptional service and attention to detail the brand is renowned for. With many different options for where to hold each aspect of your wedding weekend, there are gardens, a small town square, swimming pool terraces and a restaurant to make each day feel memorable in its own way. This is a sensational destination to consider for a summer wedding. The hotel gets booked up so it’s worth booking well ahead of time. Direct flights from London to Dubrovnik make it an easy hop.

For all of our American clients, take the leap and you will be rewarded. Not only is there a wealth of spectacular places to get married in the UK and Europe, but you’re budget will be going so much further due to the exchange rate on the dollar, and give you much more than you ever hoped for!

Photography Credits: HRP, Sophia Spring, Amaury Brac, Stefano Casati

First impressions are key, and it’s always special receiving a beautifully written envelope through your letterbox giving a hint of what’s in store for the rest of the celebration.

Traditionally, calligraphy has been mainly used for invitations, but now it is incorporated into many ‘on the day’ aspects at weddings and parties. Our recent favourites include marble coaster place names at a wedding at the V&A gallery in London, or personalised fans for favours at a beach party in St Tropez.

While it may be an ancient art form, the styles to choose from have rapidly increased with the popularity of a wide range of new scripts pairing the classic techniques with modern, casual, personality-filled styles.

The consistency and precision of Italic hand and Copperplate can bring a more formal look to an event. Italic hand is elegant without being fussy, and you can’t go wrong choosing this classic, timeless script. The simplicity makes this style very versatile – we have found this script works equally well for personalising traditional wedding invitation suites to writing names on slate placemats at a Woodland Themed Bar Mitzvah.

Modern styles embrace imperfections and can add unique character to your event. They are flowy in nature, with flourishes that have a fun, bouncy vibe. This was perfect for playful placement cards we made for a 50^th birthday party last year.

At a recent dinner held in a warehouse, the contemporary calligraphy really enhanced the décor and theming, which was all based on one piece of artwork chosen from the client’s favourite artist. Guests found their table in the colourful envelopes displayed on the placement table, and clear acrylic cards with their names on were at each place setting.

There are so many modern calligraphers who each have perfected their own individual lettering style. A good place to start when searching for a calligrapher that suits your personal taste is by looking through Pinterest and Instagram, which are full of great photographs of calligraphy and chic ways of including it in your event.

It’s the small details that often make the biggest impact, and handwritten calligraphy is a great way to add a personal touch. From the moment a guest receives their invitation, carried through to the details on the day, handwritten calligraphy is definitely a way to impress your guests.

Photography Credits: Tom Greenly, Albion Parties, Sim Canetty-Clarke

New Year and newly engaged? With the initial whirlwind of excitement, and with January firmly setting in, it’s time to get wedding planning!

Where to begin? With what seems like an abundance of decisions to be made, the process can often appear like a daunting task at first. But by conquering just a few key early decisions to kick-start the process, the task can start to seem so much simpler, leaving room to get down to more important matters – enjoying your engagement and the wedding planning process.

The 3 crucial elements to set as a priority are:

The Ceremony

–       A church service, a civil ceremony or a something more relaxed in the great outdoors?

Venue

–       An existing venue or a marquee in a garden? Think about location, guest numbers, and the overall style you’re looking to create.

Photographer

–       Photography provides a lasting memory of your big day, and this is an aspect that gets booked up quickly. Every photographer has a different style, so do some research, compare previous work and pick the one that really suits you.

Once you have the above sorted and a date firmly in place, it’s time to get into the fun stuff – invitations, food, drink, entertainment, styling, and the all-important wedding dress.

With the more time-conscious aspects already sorted, you can go at a more relaxed pace, enjoy the process and keep stress levels to a minimum.

Get creative and gather inspiration from many sources – wedding blogs, Instagram, Pinterest – there is a world of ideas out there so pin, screenshot and save anything and everything. What at first may appear a mismatch of images will soon start to take shape and the unique nature of your wedding will grow from there. You’ll soon have a clear idea of what you want (and equally don’t want) for your wedding!

There are many brilliant caterers in the UK, and many clients’ first question is who to choose who should cater for their party or wedding. We always start by asking our clients how important the food and service is to them. For most clients, it’s a key element of their party.

For those who love their food, the first stop is to look at the caterer’s instagram account, where you can see real photos, which give away more than generic website images. You can see the style and presentation of the food, and also how the food is lined up back-of-house which gives an indication of how efficient the service might be. Most caterers will offer a tasting, which is definitely the best part of party planning, and is usually offered free of charge if you subsequently book the caterer.

The next question is to ask your caterer about where they hire the table settings from (glasses, plates, cutlery and linen). Our clients ask us questions like “Should we go for linen hemstitch napkins?” (Answer: always); or “Should we choose a coloured water glass?” (Answer: if your flowers and linen are neutral, a coloured water glass can lift the look of the table as a whole, and adds a chic touch”). There are some fabulous new companies like Classic Crockery who are challenging the traditional stallwart, Jones Hire. Or you can buy bespoke plates from Laboratorio Paravicini in Italy, which you can keep after the party.

Finally, service is as important as the food. Therefore, always ask your caterer for a breakdown of the number of waiting staff and bar staff. Both food and wine should be served so effortlessly, that for your guests, the party flows entirely smoothly.

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This summer we were working in the South of France with the fantastic florist Wayne Riley. Wayne and Jeff created a stunning array of colour pops on each table, but most of all we loved his floral ceiling which hung above the guests and created a talking point, as guests were blown away by his design. There is a growing trend for floral ceilings at the moment, which is a natural progression from the flowers walls of the last few years. If you’re looking fo something unique for your party, it’s a sure fire way to create an impact.   Speak to your florist about which flowers they will use, and what kind of panels will support the installation. For St Tropez, we were battling the heat, so the flowers had to be fully watered, at the same time as making sure not to drip onto the guests during the party.   With a growing group of inventive florists who are continually pushing the boundaries to create more interesting arrangements, we think that if want your party to look creative and to wow your guests, floral installations are the way forward.

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Twitter: @albion_parties

Instagram: @albionparties