The Cotswolds Wedding Company

Wedding, Civil Partnership & Event Planning

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A Fairy Godmother
Tuesday, 16 June 2008
I just got back from my cousin Anna’s wedding at the swishy Stein Eriksen Lodge in the Deer Valley ski resort near Salt Lake City. She’s a professional events planner so I expected something elegant and well-executed (which it was). What I didn’t expect was the high dose of humour injected into the proceedings.

The rehearsal dinner the evening before the wedding set the good-natured tone with a special guest appearance by Anna’s mother-in-law as a fairy godmother. That’s right, her mother-in-law commissioned a professionally edited video in which she narrates the storybook romance (warts and all) of Anna and her now-husband, Brett, while dressed as a fairy godmother.

In ten minutes she proved she was equally adept at taking the piss out of herself, her new daughter-in-law, and her son!  More important, her video loosened up a whole room full of friends and family who had just travelled in from around the globe (literally), many of whom had never met.

Personal videos like these are a great addition to pre-wedding festivities like engagement parties, hen nights, and rehearsal dinners. They can range from a collection of still photos scanned and set to music on the simple end to full-on productions. A good wedding videographer will offer these services – see the “Remember” section on our website for some recommendations, including http://www.cotswoldsfilmcompany.co.uk.  
 
Weddings India Style
Monday, 9 June 2008
I first learned about the phenomenon of Indian weddings when I worked with a large offshore team based in Delhi. I was flattered when a co-worker invited me to his wedding shortly after meeting me -- then he told me I'd be one of two-thousand guests! Large weddings are the norm in this part of the world and event planning must be a business on the up.

Check out this recent article in the FT Weekend Edition for a fascinating look into Indian nuptials and perhaps a bit of inspiration for your own (it's not so crazy -- Liz Hurley got married in Sudeley Castle in the Cotswolds then did it all again in the Umaid Bhawan Palace Hotel in Jaipur).
 
 
Six Kinds of Jam
Monday, 2 June 2008
A few years ago I read a book review in The New Yorker (http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/03/01/040301crbo_books) that observed:
"...choice can be “de-motivating.” In a study conducted several years ago, shoppers who were offered free samples of six different jams were more likely to buy one than shoppers who were offered free samples of twenty-four. This result seems irrational—surely you’re more apt to find something you like from a range four times as large—but it can be replicated in a variety of contexts."

I recognized myself in this, wandering aimlessly down the aisles of a superstore with an empty basket. Somehow an hour's gone by but I'm no closer to getting my weekly shop done.

What does this all have to do with Cotswolds Wedding? Well, it's pretty simple. My aim with the http://www.cotswoldswedding.com/ site and this blog is to give you the "six best choices of jam" for every aspect of your Cotswolds destination wedding so that designing your event is fun rather than a chore.

The wedding websites out there today are overwhelming resource directories without a trusted editorial voice. You're left doing the legwork with only a hope and a prayer that your choice doesn't lead to disappointment on the big day.

I'm lucky enough to spend most weekends in the Cotswolds which means two things:
1. Every weekend is like a special event to me
and
2. I get plenty of opportunities to try out new restaurants, hotels, pubs, hear local musicians, etc. so I can bring you up to date options and opinions.

Keep checking back - I'll be updating this blog regularly while the site gets off the ground!