Bronte Price is a marriage celebrant from Melbourne, Australia and long-term active advocate for marriage equality. As a newsreader on radio channel JOY 94.9, he keeps in touch and up to date with other members of the LGBT+ community, which he loves.
He is a subject matter expert on gay weddings and Bronte has also been featured in an article for The Age and a segment for TV show, The Project.
So when he wrote to ask if he could share his extensive experience and gay wedding etiquette knowledge with Unbridely readers, my answer was a firm, ‘hell yes!’
Thanks very much for your insight, Bronte!
Dogs at weddings - aaaaw, cuuuuute! If your furbaby is the (other) love of your life why wouldn't you want them with you on your special day?
Sometimes dogs can become over-excited, anxious, clingy, snappy, jumpy or plain scared in environments they’re not familiar with or in unusual situations - like at a wedding.
And (even more importantly) who would you trust with your pet with, when you're busy being the guests of honour?
"100+ intoxicated guests, layers of flammable tulle and fire; what could possibly go wrong?" says Kiera of Kiera Blanden Events + Styling.
She has witnessed firsthand what happens when sparkler exits go bad (think: Michael Jackson in that Pepsi commercial - ouch!)
So when I approached Kiera for some info on how to recreate one of the hottest (no pun intended) trends for your wedding, she was happy to share her checklist with Unbridely.
Thanks Kiera!
An 'unplugged wedding' happens when a couple getting married have made a decision that they would prefer that their wedding guests don't take photos and/or upload them to social media.
There are many variations on this, from having an unplugged ceremony only, when guests are encouraged to put their phones and cameras away until after the marriage certificate has been signed, to a strict 'no photo policy' for the entire wedding celebration, to a complete 'social media blackout' until the following day or when the bride or groom have a chance to announce their marriage themselves.
Vicky Aldred from The Turquoise Rose is an absolute delight.
Her 16+ years’ experience was recently recognised with her business, The Turquoise Rose, being awarded Top 3 in Australia for Floral Design in the 2018 ABIA Designer of Dreams Awards.
Not only does she create breath-takingly beautiful floral designs for South Australian wedding couples on a weekly basis, she is also warm and friendly and has an almost encyclopaedic knowledge.
So when Unbridely wanted to help couples decode the different wedding bouquet styles that are popular right now and what they actually look like, Vicky was our first pick.
Thank you for your invaluable advice, Vicky!
Like it or not, working out what you (and/or your wedding guests) are going to do with the littlies on the big day is a planning necessity.
In the past, parents would choose to either arrange an off-site babysitter or wrestle/bribe/beg their kids to behave like adults so they can enjoy at least a few hours as a wedding guest. But there are new, inclusive options which mean that children can be looked after and/or entertained in a safe and nurturing environment at the same venue so everyone can have fun.
Win win, yes?
Unbridely spoke with Event Coordinator, Hannah of Adelaide-based Nurturing Nannies, about the things you need to consider when planning a kid-friendly wedding.
DON'T MISS YOUR FREE PERSONALISED KIDS WEDDING ACTIVITY BOOKLET PDF!
(just click the button at the end of the post)
The true value of your wedding photos is not something that you will fully appreciate 6 months or even 6 years after the event; they are a portal through which future generations will see and understand you.
And, while your lives may shift and change over the years, the memories of how you and your guests FELT in those moments will be timeless.
At Unbridely, we believe this is what great wedding photography is all about.
The tricky part though, in the rush and excitement of a normal wedding day, is that these little pockets of time, these tiny opportunities for connection, are fleeting. With so many competing priorities and a schedule to adhere to, there is often the sense that there isn't enough time to take it all in.
So we asked Adelaide natural light wedding photographer, Wes Beelders, for his suggestions on how to create space and make time on your wedding day to ensure that your memories, and subsequently your photos, aren't just a series of frantic, rushed moments, but rather more considered and mindful experiences to cherish for many years to come.
Thank you, Wes!
There are only a handful of phrases in the English language that can so immediately provoke a spine-tingling shudder of fear like when someone says "I'd really like you to do a speech".
Professional speechwriter, Lynda from Silvertongue Speeches hears it all the time.
"So many hate the idea of giving a speech or find the whole idea so stressful it ruins the day, and I have had to sit through so many painful speeches I knew - I want to help make this better."
I asked Lynda if she can help out Unbridely Brides and Grooms (and their bestman, maid of honour or parents as well) with her ultimate tips and tricks to delivering a really great speech.
Thanks so much for your time and expertise, Lynda!
Nanou is a certified Yoga and Meditation Teacher, Mindfulness Instructor and Reijukido Therapist and she has kindly adapted some of her yoga and mindfulness techniques for Unbridely specifically to help stressed and time-poor brides and grooms.
As many of us sit for lengthy periods at a desk, it's only realistic to have access to a sequence that can be practised practically anywhere when you have a spare 5 minutes. Print it out, stick it next to your screen and feel better now.
Stretch, breathe and enjoy!
When you want to keep your wedding small, simple or short and you don't want to spend a small fortune, what are your options?
In Australia, the Births, Deaths and Marriages offices in the states and territories conduct registry office wedding ceremonies where you can attend with your fiancé, two witnesses 18 years of age or older and up to 55 guests.
But there are some compromises you need to consider, such as:
- not being able to personalise your ceremony to align with you and your fiancé's values and preferences
- not being able to meet with your celebrant before the ceremony
- having all photos indoors
- not being able to share food or drink onsite directly afterwards
- not having a picturesque/outdoor photo location
- being restricted by the registry office's opening hours/meeting times
There's always the option of eloping; running away in secret to get hitched privately. Unfortunately, some couples discover after the fact, that the potential for hurt and misunderstandings that come from eloping were not what they had intended.
But what if there were some middle ground?
Mentored by the incredible James Day, Alex is all about connection. His perception of his role in a wedding celebration is not limited to just the art of taking, producing and editing photos, but as a facilitator of wonderful memories cherished for a lifetime.
We were speaking recently about the difficulty in explaining to Brides and Grooms the value of a great wedding supplier and Alex had some thoughts that he wanted to share.
If you're not in Adelaide, you may have missed out on Unbridely's first-ever, interactive wedding planning event; Unbridely Live.
Hosted at the awesome Published Arthouse in the heart of the city, myself and 11 award-winning, experienced and generous local wedding suppliers presented to an eager audience of engaged couples and local wedding industry identities.
Focusing on the core message of creating authentic, imaginative and heart-felt wedding celebrations, the Unbridely Live team pulled together a fresh and entertaining night of equal parts ideas and advice.
From the post-event survey, it seemed that the most valuable part of the evening was the app-driven Q&A Session; 8 wedding pros tackling the attendees toughest wedding planning problems.
While we covered a lot on the night, there were still some questions that we couldn't get to, so I went to the Unbridely Live team and got them to write this article.
And, if there's anything that we can help with that we didn't cover, something you're really dying to ask, drop me a line anytime at hello@unbridely.com If I don't know the answer, I have at least 11 good mates that will!
Award-winning Adelaide wedding photographer, Luke Simon, is a big fan of first looks. Unbridely managed to catch him sitting still just long enough to get his perspective on the reasons why a first look helps the couple getting married, their guests and their photographer too.
Not a lot of people (and until recently, me included) know what a professional MC actually does or understands the role of an MC at a wedding.
But what I have noticed, when I talk to my brides and grooms about their wedding planning, is a definite trend towards hiring an experienced MC, rather than asking (read: begging/bribing) a relative to do them a favour.
So is hiring a professional MC the right choice for your wedding and what in the hell do they do anyway?
DJBen gives us the inside story..
I hear (read!) wedding photographers chatting amongst themselves on social media and when I notice the same topics come up time and time again, I write a blog post about it.
Because there's zero point in wedding professionals banging on about how brides and grooms 'just don't get it' when you're only planning on doing this once in your life and you've never been told. You don't know what you don't know, right?
So here are some of the hot-button subjects at the moment and expert tips to help you to form a better relationship with your wedding photographer and in the end, get better photos.
We've pulled together the most common causes of newly-engaged angst and how to sidestep them in the hope that you can keep yourself wrapped up in the warm, comfy blanky of your love for just a little while longer..
Bianca follows bridal fashion religiously - it's her passion. She has helped to style everyone from high-profile, London society brides and celebrities to Persian princesses. She knows where it's at!
Unbridely are thrilled to welcome Bianca Velt-Herron to our ever-growing list of wedding professionals and guest bloggers.
Bianca trained and worked at Harrod's London and is currently the Australian representative and stylist for American label, Jasmine Bridal, and several other international brands (follow on Facebook or Pinterest)
This week Bianca offers us a look at 5 slightly unconventional, but fun bridal styles that allow a bride to express her personality more freely than with a classic princess silhouette: Sequins, Rockabilly, Spanish Senorita, Modern Grecian Goddess and Red Carpet.
We hope you love her take on these Unbridely styles and in particular get some inspiration from Bianca's top styling tips and accessories suggestions!
Quick Vows by Unbridely is a simple way to get a little of you and your fiancé into your wedding ceremony. It's a basic, 1 minute process and is meant to be a starting point for more detailed and intimate vows; a springboard for your creative genius to flow.
Have a go and remember to share it with your fiancé!
The Australian Psychological Society (APS) advises that learning to handle stress in healthy ways is very important - whether it's in the leadup to your wedding or just on an average Tuesday.
Fortunately, it is easy to learn simple techniques that can help you almost immediately and in the long term too.
Here are the APS top 7 ways to look after your mind and body and reduce stress and its impact on your health:
We can certainly empathise with how, when you are considering ordering rehearsal dinner centrepieces, bouquets, boutonnieres, ceremony aisle decorations, flower petals for the aisle, arrangements for the bathrooms or entrance of the reception, bridal table and guest table decorations and hanging installations, your wedding budget for flowers can take a big hit.
But we've got 3 clever styling tips that will have your bridal blooms doing double duty, which can stretch your budget further, all while making your wedding celebration look and feel more beautiful.
