Wedding Tips on Wedding Suppliers
Wedding Planning > Wedding Ideas & Tips
South Wales & Swansea Wedding Venue Suppliers - Tips & Reviews
Wedding Tips: Keep a list of your suppliers
Have the first column headed 'Supplier Category', the second column for 'Company Name' in each category and the third column for the amount each supplier is quoting you. Obtain quotes from at least two or even three suppliers in each category. Then you can compare costs very easily all on one sheet of paper.
Read more here.
Wedding Tips - Know who pays for what
Weddings are expensive but all the expense need not fall on your shoulders alone.
There are traditional customs in the budget for a wedding as to who pays for what. In order to ensure each of your relatives helps in a way that is fair and traditional, discover who pays for what here.
Wedding Tip: Cakemaker
Hire an individual instead of a bakery for your cake. Individual bakers have lower overheads and often make cakes as a fun side job. However make sure you go on recommendation and look at samples of their earlier work.
Wedding Tips: Your Wedding Suppliers
Source independent wedding suppliers for practically everything you need. The final price will be much cheaper than High Street shops and there is much more attention to detail and personal service.
Our own list of independent Wedding Suppliers starts here (scroll through from page to page till you find the category you want or use the Index).
Wedding Tips: Handwritten Invitations
How about making your own invitations and hand writing them? The hand written word is very rare nowadays and your guests should appreciate the personal touch. You might even save some money - but it helps if you have very neat handwriting!
Wedding Tips: Your Wedding Invitations Wording
Invitations should be hand-written. Spell out the full names of the guest(s) invited; first, middle and surname. No nicknames or initials.
Children of 18 and over should receive their own individual invitations.
Use phrases such as, "request the pleasure of your company" and for RSVP cards, you request "the favour of a reply".
The RSVP card is sometimes not understood to be a request for a response. So make it clear that it is to be returned: "Please reply by (date)", or, "The Favour of a Reply by (date) is requested."
Include a Stamped Addressed Envelope for the RSVP to be returned in. You leave blank spaces for the Guest name(s) to be written on the card. After the space for the guest's name, have a couple of options the guest can tick; "Declines with regret" or, "Number of persons attending".
Asking for the 'number attending' instead of a simple, "Yes I'm coming" choice, alerts you to any extra guests or fewer guests compared to those invited in your original invitation.
For more essential tips on how to write wedding invitations and what to include with them, see Wedding Invitations here.
Wedding Tips: Your Wedding Dress
Buy a dress that fits now. Many brides plan on losing weight before they get married and buy a too-small dress for motivation. However, this strategy can set you up for disaster if you don’t make it to your goal weight.
Buy a dress that fits you now, then have it altered if and when you lose the weight. It’s always cheaper to take in a dress than to let it out.
Wedding Tips: Flowers can be poisonous
Some Wedding Couples may be tempted to decorate cakes or cupcakes with flowers. Be very careful about this. Some flowers are poisonous. So if using fresh flowers, research the plant on line to check if it is poisonous. It is safer to decorate cakes with small silk flowers than real flowers, for this reason.
Wedding Tips: Get it in Writing
It's all in the PREPARATION. Either you ask the supplier to put in writing what you have agreed, and the cost, or you can write to the supplier listing what you believe you have agreed, and the cost, and invite comment if they disagree.
This is your written 'contract' with your suppliers. Otherwise there could well be differences between what you picture for your day and what you get, which may spoil your day.
Wedding Tips: To Do Lists and Countdowns
If you organise weddings every day, as a wedding planner might do, you will have no trouble knowing when to schedule different things to be completed by. However as you will not be a wedding planner, and will probably be planning your own wedding rather than have the experts do it all for you (as they tend to do in USA), you will need to become something of a wedding organiser yourself.
For a handy list of what should be done when and which suppliers need booking when, see our wedding day countdown here. This gives you a good idea of what tasks should be completed before your wedding day, by what date before your wedding.
Wedding Tips: Videographer
We do not see many weddings hiring a Videographer these days. Maybe it is a sign of the times. Obviously every wedding hires a Photographer but relatively few seem to be hiring Videographers. Another possibility is that as our SWOD (Special Wedding Offer Deal) is designed to save the Couple money, this means we are attracting more weddings where the Couples are not willing to spend quite so much on all the extras.
But also there are weddings where on account of the savings made on the wedding venue (e.g. exclusive use of castle venue free of charge if have over 50 guests staying under our our SWOD deal), there is more money left over for the extras.
So why might you hire a videographer?
But also there are weddings where on account of the savings made on the wedding venue (e.g. exclusive use of castle venue free of charge if have over 50 guests staying under our our SWOD deal), there is more money left over for the extras.
So why might you hire a videographer?
1) You can be sure of capturing every moment in greater detail
2) More scope for stunning special effects
3) Capture key moments such as the wedding ceremony itself, and the First Dance
4) Prices from as low as £500
5) Couples admit they only appreciate the true value of the Wedding DVD after the wedding. This is an interesting finding. While the up-front cost may put Couples off, those couples that opted for a Videographer end up appreciating the value of having their wedding professionally filmed.
6) Couples cannot be everywhere so will miss some moments the Videographer will capture for them, enhancing their memories as they look back over scenes they may not have witnessed in person on the Wedding Day
7) Typical £900 package from one supplier includes: Arrivals: (at the Church or wedding location) of the Groom, the Best Man and the guests, the arrival of the Bride, the wedding ceremony (subject to permission), Signing of the register (subject to permission), Romantic montage feature, set to your choice of music, The official photographs. Reception venue: The wedding breakfast, The speeches, Cutting the cake, Approximately an hour-long Feature plus a short Highlights Montage, all edited to your choice of music.
For more details on Videographers see here.
Wedding Tips: Chocolate Fountains
If you are not having a third course for your Wedding Breakfast, you might consider having a Chocolate Fountain instead. Quite when you will have it if you are having a full wedding breakfast with three courses is not so clear. Possibly with the Welcome Drinks - so you could have champagne and chocolate fountain for the welcome drinks.
Mostly though we have seen the Chocolate Fountain set up in the Wedding Breakfast room.
Mostly though we have seen the Chocolate Fountain set up in the Wedding Breakfast room.
For details on chocolate fountain suppliers and ideas see here.
Wedding Tips: Wedding favours & table decorations
Wedding Favours are the perfect way to say thank you to your guests for sharing such a special day. By giving these small tokens of appreciation, your guests will treasure and remember your wedding day throughout the years.
Although some people are just becoming aware of the concept of Wedding Favours, the gesture of giving away favours at weddings has been practised for centuries around the world. It is said that since the 16th century brides and grooms have presented wedding favours to their wedding guests
For more information on Wedding Favours and Table Decoration Suppliers see here.
Wedding Tips: Dove Release
Outside our theatre we have a wrought iron arch which is excellent for wedding photographs. Use this arch as a focal point for your first photographs on leaving the wedding ceremony room, having just got married.
Some couples have tied in the wrought iron arch with similar styled bird cages from which they have released Doves after their wedding ceremony. We felt this made an excellent and memorable wedding photograph.
Some couples have tied in the wrought iron arch with similar styled bird cages from which they have released Doves after their wedding ceremony. We felt this made an excellent and memorable wedding photograph.
Wedding Tips: Wedding Photographer
Consider how long you want the photographer to be around and what elements of the day you wish to capture. How many photographs will your photographer typically take to get sufficient worthwhile ones? One photographer tells us he takes over 1,000 pictures at a typical wedding.
Photographers have their own style of photography, so you will be checking their websites and their galleries of photos at other weddings to understand their style and how it might fit in with your wedding.
As photographers can only do one wedding a day, you may find them booked up as far ahead as many venues, so be prepared to book your photographer soon after you book the wedding venue. Also find a photographer that has been to the reception venue before, as they will know the best places to get good shots at your chosen venue.
There is a degree of competition between photographers and so we have negotiated some good discounts from our Wedding Photographers at Craig y Nos Castle.
Photographers have their own style of photography, so you will be checking their websites and their galleries of photos at other weddings to understand their style and how it might fit in with your wedding.
As photographers can only do one wedding a day, you may find them booked up as far ahead as many venues, so be prepared to book your photographer soon after you book the wedding venue. Also find a photographer that has been to the reception venue before, as they will know the best places to get good shots at your chosen venue.
There is a degree of competition between photographers and so we have negotiated some good discounts from our Wedding Photographers at Craig y Nos Castle.
Wedding Tips: Get Receipts
You may be required to pay a deposit to some suppliers. If so, get a receipt. You may in some cases be paying cash. In which case INSIST upon a written receipt and make a note of the name of the person you paid the cash to and the time and date.
Keep good records in case you are asked to prove you have made a payment. A cash book would have the following columns:
(a) Date,
(b) Supplier name,
(c) Method of payment - cheque, cash or credit card,
(d) amount paid.
Keep good records in case you are asked to prove you have made a payment. A cash book would have the following columns:
(a) Date,
(b) Supplier name,
(c) Method of payment - cheque, cash or credit card,
(d) amount paid.
Wedding Tips: Suit Hire
Rent the suits. Chances are your husband-to-be won’t need to wear the suit on a regular basis. Instead of buying one, hire it or just get a nice suit that he’ll be able to wear again.
Wedding Tips: Hire a Harpist
Adds style and class, fits in with the operatic historical setting of the Castle, traditional and sophisticated.
Also surprisingly affordable.
Wedding Tips: Hire a Magician
Close-up magic is a good way to help keep the momentum going after the meal and speeches have ended. During the lull as the day turns to evening fill the gap with some magic entertainment. This is a perfect time to provide entertainment for your guests as everyone unwinds.
Your magician can mingle with the invited company as they gather for the evening function. The amazement and fun carry on until it's the turn of the disco or band to take over.
Wedding Tips: Pianist Plays during Wedding Breakfast
It is possible to hire a small electronic piano and pianist, as opposed to transporting a large and unwieldy grand piano. Have your pianist play during the Wedding Breakfast in the Conservatory.
Our Conservatory floor has sockets so electronic pianos can be plugged in, in different locations around the room, to fit your seating plan.
The best place I have seen the Pianist during a wedding breakfast is with her back to the Conservatory windows, as this is a natural direction your guests will look to, on account of the scenery outside.
You would not bother with a pianist in the evening as by then your guests will have had a few drinks and be chatting so loudly to each other they wouldn't hear the pianist anyway. A pianist suits the slower calmer tempo of the Wedding Breakfast, not the dancing and DJ or Band in the louder evening party.
Wedding Tip: Castle Hog Roasts
You can either hire a hog roast from our approved supplier and have a pig roasted on a spit in front of your guests. This being for the evening do. Better in the summer of course when you can all go outside in the evening and watch the pig slowly roasting.
In winter months, when there is no real incentive to go out on a cold evening, have the castle's DIY hog roast indoors at a much lower cost than having the full pig roasting outside on a spit. The taste is the same it is just that there is no pig a-roasting. The pork in bread rolls with apple sauce etc are cooked in a similar manner and tastes the same as a Hog Roast!
| Wedding Availability - Years |
| Availability 2021 |
| Availability 2022 |
| Availability 2023 |
| Wedding Ideas & Tips | |
1 | |
2 | |
3 | |
4 | |
5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 | |
| 9 | |
| 10 | |
| 11 | |
| 12 | |
| 13 | |
| 14 | |
Our Wedding Packages | |
(60 Minimum) | Saturday Wedding (70 Minimum) |
| Sunday & Midweek Weddings (50 Min) | Large Local Weddings (100 Mim) |
| Wednesday Wedding Tea/Buffet (40 Min) | Small Intimate Weddings (25 Minimum) |
| Evening Party (75 or 100 Min) | Last Minute/ Wiinter (50 Minimum) |
| Armed Forces (50 Minimum) | Ceremony Only (2 Minimum) |
Wedding Tariffs | |
| Wedding Packages Tariff | Cost per head calculator |
| Savings you make on the packages | Wedding Package Selector |
Function and Dining Rooms | |
| Ceremony Room | Banqueting room |
| Evening Room | Nicolini Lounge |
| Bedrooms | Main Bar |
Enjoy a Homely Welcome and Friendly Service at Craig y Nos Castle