Weekly round up! 24-29th June 2013

Wow doesn't waking up to the sun just put a smile on your face!!

Well another busy week here at Evissa HQ with another two photoshoots under the belt by the lovely Araminta, On Thursday Gemma gave us her last post before starting her maternity leave, and we spoiled you with two real weddings this week !! 

Here's what you missed !! 

Monday 24th June

Watch out for that photobomb!! 

Today Michelle brought to us the fun and laughter of a photobomb! How much do you trust the people involved in your wedding ?

Tuesday 25th June.

Today Araminta showed that even small steps can make an Eco-friendly wedding! From e-invites, to making your own, these simple ideas can also cut your budget!

Wednesday 26th June.

Sign your name and leave a message was Araminta's post on Wednesday, from pebbles to corks, a globe and Jenga blocks! A must read for that unique twist to your big day ! 

Thursday 27th June. 

Today was my last blog post, before I finally leave for maternity! I was honoured to show you a guest photographer Angela Adam's wedding she captured at the beautiful Cley Windmill. Julia and Nick's day looked beautiful and I was so happy to of shared it with you. 

Friday 28th June.

Today being feature Friday, Michelle brought to you the 2nd real wedding of the week- by our sponsor Michael James photography. Another beautiful wedding by Michael where the groom turned up in a helicopter! A beautiful Norfolk venue at Heacham Manor and breathtaking pictures! 

Saturday 29th June. 

Today we had the first post from Rhiannon, who is with us for the summer, giving us her twist on unique wedding favours. Leave us your feedback for your favour ideas !

Unique wedding favours

Good Morning, 

Today's post is from our newest member of the blog team Rhiannon. Rhiannon will be standing in over the summer, bringing you more exciting news, gossip and of course your favourite DIY guides!! 

So here's a warm welcome to Rhiannon and here's her first post Wedding Favours. 

Wedding favours has modernised dramatically recently.  Not often now that you see the humble sugared almond wrapped in taffeta (a shame some of you might say) but what are some of the more unique/imaginative wedding favours of today? Heres my top five

1. Personal pic-a-mix 

Cute little bags in your chosen colour scheme,  with you and your partners lifetime favourite sweets for your guests to pick and chose from anything from jelly beans, sherbert pips to m&ms whats not to love! 

2. Customised bird boxes. 

Little personalised bird houses with your wedding dates engraved on the the back, creating a sweet, unique and useful gift for your guests (and their sparrows) 

3. Wedding spoons

Friends,  family,  your partners 12th cousin four times removed will have your wedding day, to think back on fondly daily whilst having their morning coffee. 

4. Fabric fortune cookies

Who doesn't love fortune cookies!?! Enough said. 

5. Message in bottle

Last but not least (and definately not modern) the ol' message in a bottle. It may be less useful than the others but a message in a bottle is a classic symbol of love, and now your wedding!  

<< Real Wedding >> Michael James Photo

Hello everyone! Seeing as we like to spoil you all, we not only have our real wedding yesterday, but another for you today too! This one from the talented Michael James Photo which took place at the beautiful Heacham Manor in Norfolk. Here is what he had to say about the day!

Well….where do I start?  This was an awesome day…non-stop, but I’ll get to that later, so here goes..
I first met Kathryn at a wedding show 18 months previous, at that time she was so excited at the prospect of getting married and even more excited about having some wedding photos on the nearby beach….and that excitement never faded!  Fast forward to May 18th.  I arrive at Heacham Manor, a beautiful hotel tucked away down a quiet lane, to one VERY excited bride-to-be surrounded by her bridesmaids, who were equally excited.  Kathryn looked stunning as she slipped into her dress, with final touches to hair taking place but then I had the nod to head out in a hurry to catch the groom’s arrival.

Hang on a minute, usually the brides’s arrival is the one to watch…right?  Well, usually yes….bit this time things are a bit different, because Matt was arriving by helicopter.

Everyone flocked to the lawn overlooking the nearby golf course to await his arrival.  In swept the helicopter setting down next the golf course, Matt was grinning so much and was clearly loving every second of what was an incredible experience.  We managed to get a couple of shots of Matt with his best man before everyone huddled in to greet Matt.  All the time Kathryn was watching with her bridesmaids covertly from a window over looking the whole event.

I then headed back into the hotel as the guests started to move into the conservatory where the ceremony was to take place.  The ceremony was everything you could have wanted…emotional and filled with laughter.  After the ceremony and some group shots we headed to the nearby beach at North Hunstanton.  It wasn’t the warmest day, but the rain held off and so with a few light clouds overhead the light was even and soft…perfect!  There’s no stage direction with these shots as Kathryn & Matt were so relaxed and into the moment that I just photographed what I saw, it was a real pleasure to hang out with these guys as they were enjoying every moment.

Once we’d had some time at the beach we headed back to the hotel as the band where about to strike up.  Not just any band, but a Ska band, fantastic music and performance.  The reason why Kathryn & Matt were so keen to get back was because they were going straight into the first dance, a slight change to the norm.  As you can see form the pictures Matt was a slick mover on the floor while Kathryn took control of the decks once the disco kicked in later.

And so, 13 hours after I turned up, it was time to leave for home. A fistful of memory cards brimming with great pictures and one tired photographer ready for bed.

For more information on Michael James Photo, head to:

Website: www.michaeljamesphoto.co.uk
Email: info@michaeljamesphoto.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/michaeljamesphoto
Twitter: twitter.com/mjphotopro

**Guest Post** Angela Adams Real Norfolk Wedding!!

Good Morning!! Gemma here for my last blog until the end of September!! Why, you ask? As I'm off on maternity now!! Expecting a little girl in August and I'm just a tiny bit excited!!!! 

So, today's blog is an honour for me! Photographer Angela Adams had the pleasure of capturing the spectacular wedding of Julia and Nick at one of my favourite wedding venues in Norfolk, Cley windmill.

Here is her account of this beautiful Norfolk wedding. 

"From first meeting Julie and Nick, I knew they had a good idea of what they wanted, not just in terms of photography, but all aspects of their wedding day... and more interestingly, everything was going to be that little bit different.  From pre-wedding shoot to the second day of their wedding (yes, their wedding took place over two days!), they were a dream to photograph.  Why?  They gave me enough time to capture great shots, and after viewing the pre-wedding shoot photographs, I knew exactly what they did and didn't like too - making is so much easier for us all on the day(s).  Cley Windmill hosted the ceremony and Julie arrived with Dad in a Groovy Camper Van (that's the name of the company - the van was called Bud by the way), Nick and immediate family were waiting expectantly in the intimate circular ceremony room of the mill and the room fell silent when Julie entered.  She looked radiant on dad's arm... and it brought a lump to my throat when the registrar asked who gives this woman... and dad passed his daughter's hand to Nick for the next chapter of her life!  The weather had been awful all week and rather rough that morning, but by the time the ceremony had concluded the sun shone for just enough time for me to photograph the couple and their guests.  We climbed to the windmill stage for intimate photographs (despite the blustering wind that almost stole away Julie's veil), we wandered the grounds and jetty amongst reeds that were almost as tall as Nick, then headed off to the beach.  Seagulls swooped and called, the waves crashed against pebbles and Julie clung tightly to her husband.  The weather gave us 15 blissful minutes then the heavens opened.  Day two - the reception - was held at the Hoste Arms, Burnham Market in the gorgeous garden room.  Julie got to wear her dress again and spent quality time with family and friends - the confetti shot also turned into a hockey-stick arch as Julie's hockey friends had bought their sticks.  On a personal note, photographing this wedding was hugely enjoyable and it was good to meet a past bride and groom at the reception who'd recommended my services to Julie and Nick.  Now all that's left, is to design their individual storybook album, something tells me I'm going to enjoy that hugely too!"

Sign Your Name And Leave A Message

Guest books are a perfect way for friends and family to leave their best wishes for the new couple! It is also a wonderful way in which the bride and groom can reminisce and look back at the greetings from their wedding day. However if these messages are written in a book it's easy for the book to be put onto a shelf and forgotten about. Why not make a statement out of your "guest book" and create something which can be a feature in your home, a piece of art, a one off which no one else will have.

I'm going to suggest a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing... As I scoured Internet for inspiration I came across so many unique and fantastic ideas! I loved the more personal ones; the ones which reflected the couples personalities.

Corks
Pebbles
Guests fingerprints as a piece of art
Sports memorabilia linked to the couple (a football, surfboard or cricket bat for example
A globe
Vinyl records
Jenga blocks
A polaroid photo of each guest

I would love to hear if you had or are planning on having a guest book in a different format!

Small Steps To An Eco-Friendly Wedding

As I'm sure I've mentioned before I have an environmental background and because of this I geek out at anything Eco! Unfortunately the environmentally friendly option is not always the cheapest one. I've decided to compile a list of the small, and hopefully inexpensive things that you and your partner can do in the lead up to the big day, on the day itself and afterwards.

Send e-invitations

It's may not be for everyone but it certainly is cheaper, quicker and most importantly will save paper. Don't forget your thank you e-cards either! 

Keep it small

A smaller wedding is much more intimate as well as keeping down costs and the overall environmental impact.

Provide handkerchiefs 

In the run up to the big day collect, or make, handkerchiefs to handout on the day to weepy guests to save on tissues. These can all be washed and reused or embroidered with the bride and grooms initials as a keepsake or favour.

Grow your own, buy local or bake yourself

This can apply to a number of things; flowers, food, wedding cake. Most couples won't want to make their own wedding food but you could make something which can be made in advance such as the cake or ice cream. Growing your own flowers for the tables, bouquets and button holes is such a lovely idea for the green fingered! By buying local you're reducing food miles, carbon emissions as well as supporting local businesses; and there is something a bit more delicious when you know where your food has come from. Where possible use organic produce; it's so much kinder to the planet and your body!

Register for eco-friendly gifts

If you decide you want to provide a wedding list for your guests then why not create one with an eco-friendly shop. If you already live with your partner and don't feel like you need the traditional wedding gifts why not ask for a small donation towards an environmentally friendly piece of technology for your home to help reduce your bills and carbon emissions; solar panels or better insulation for example.

Keep it close to home

By selecting a venue, or venues close to your home and close together you reduce the amount of traveling involved for most of your guests. You'll save on petrol costs and on the amount of greenhouse gasses you're wedding party emitting.

Confetti

Use biodegradable confetti, you can make your own from petals from your garden or provide bird seed mixed with lavender for a sweet smelling, bird friendly option.

Honeymoon 

There are so many gorgeous, idyllic, hideaways for you newly weds to escape to within the UK. You'll be able to treat yourself safe in the knowledge you've not contributed to massive amounts of air pollution but getting on a plane and there will be no jet lag to worry about!

Watch Out For That Photo-Bomb!

Monday has arrived, and I think it's about time we took your mind off the stressful decisions of wedding planning and gave you something to make you giggle. Its time for the photo-bombs!

The joy of the photo-bomb is you never know who or what it might be, from innocent by-stander to naughty bridesmaids and crazy animals to family fiends (and we have some of everything for you today). Even better is you won't know it even happened until you get the photographs back. Can you imagine sitting together with a glass of wine, reminiscing about your big day and then you spy some naked person in the back of your  ceremony pics?!

So remember, lock up your pets, and tie down your relatives, or it could be you finding a shot like this in your wedding album!

The Wedding Party

How much do you trust everyone involved...?

The Public

From innocent, accidental shots to naughty moments of weakness, the public can be equally as bad!

Can you see him...?

The Furry Friends

The world of animals is clearly smarter than we think, with everything from pets to wild animals jumping in the shots.

Weekly Round-Up! 17th June to 22nd June

Well I don't know what happened to the sun recently, but it has been pretty miserable in Norwich this week. But that didn't stop the Evissa team from bringing you some fantastic wedding fun! Here is what you missed over the past week!

17th June

On Monday, I was all about rocking neon for your wedding theme. A bright and funky alternative that is perfect for the Summer months. It's guaranteed to pack a punch for wowing your guests!

18th June

Tuesday was the official photographs from Evissa's latest commercial shoot for Ruby and Nelly's. Have a read to see some fabulous shots as well as learn more about the companies involved. And if you like what you see, get in touch with us to find out how we can wow your business gallery!

19th June

Wednesday was from Araminta, with a burst of Parisian love. Full of great ideas to give your wedding day a hint of the most romantic city in the world. C'est magnifique!

20th June

Gemma was with you on Thursday with some great ideas for marquees. With more and more venues opting for a marquee space, as well as companies hiring them out for functions, it can be hard to find a way to make it your own. So have a look how to make yours stand out.

21st June

I brought you some real wedding fun on Friday by our lovely supplier Camrovision Photography. He may have only been attending as a guest (it was his sister's wedding!) but that didn't stop him from giving them a fun photobooth treat!

22nd June

Saturday was giving an incite into some of the beautiful locations of the city of Norwich, with venues and perfect picture spots to help you make your Norwich wedding one to remember.

A Dedication to Norwich, A Fine City!

Good Morning! 

As the rain pours yet again, on one of the most popular weekends for weddings - remember one thing! It is known as Good luck if rain falls on your wedding day ! 

Today I am spotlighting the historic city of Norwich. 

Norwich is Evissa's Hometown and what a fine city it is! With its old stone town wall, amazing cathedrals, a beautiful river running though the city, and wedding venues for every budget and theme, what more can you ask for!

Take a look at why Norwich is the city for you ! 

The Beautiful Norwich Registry Office.

 

The best aisle to walk down in the city - Norwich Cathedral. 

  

A lovely backdrop for your wedding photography ! 

One of Norwich's hidden wedding venues! Stower Grange, Drayton Norwich 

As I'm sure you will agree this city has so much to offer, 

Contact Evissa today to find out how to start planning your Norwich wedding today !

www.evissawedding.co.uk