Wedding Rehearsals Top Tips!

As Wedding Season is now upon us! We wonder how many of you have Wedding Rehearsals booked in?

Many may think what is required from your bridal and Groomsmen parties is pretty straight forward however you would be surprised with the little things you would be whispering on the day to get everyone on the same page.

So I thought I would put together a check list of things to cover and key elements to have during rehearsals:

1.       The key things to rehearse are; The Entrances to the Church, The Entrances to the Venue, Where everyone is sitting and Everyone’s jobs on the day if they have any.

2.       Have all music ready in order that they will play on the day

3.       Speak through the ceremony headings. Take a look at the ceremony draft and read through the headings aloud, so everyone knows roughly the order of the ceremony.

4.       When practising the church entrance be sure to cover all details such as step speed and end positions. Many people always end up walking to the inner spots rather than outer.

5.       For the venue entrance it is vital you go over the path with your party, it becomes daunting as the hit the stage therefore common sense may not be so common in that moment

6.       Ensure the music for the entrances has a little extra time as there may be some delays on the day and you would not want the music stopping before all your party is out.

7.       Allocate the last couple entering the church and hall to count everyone in.

8.       Run though the jobs of each person on the day, we highly encourage this as come 9am wedding day morning you the Bride and Groom will be thinking of everything else besides the small details that need to be done.

9.       If you can Brides practice a toilet run with your selected people in your dress. This may sound funny to some of you however with no run through on the day it could become a panic!

10.   Finally encourage questions from everyone! This way there are no questions on the day that you may find stressful to answer.

When booking a wedding with Serenity London Events there is not an element of your wedding we do not think about and cover. We pride ourselves on constantly thinking how to execute perfection.

Our books for 2018 & 19 are now open. 
We offer the full Wedding Planning service however we are also available for just décor enquires. 
Keep an eye out for the new Weddings page launching on our website in June! 

Cocktails in the City

There is always something exciting and glamourous about going for a few drinks (which tends to turn into a lot more than just a few) in the city of London but for most people the question is where do I even go?

There are so many parts of London that offer different drinking experiences, for the more relaxed Sunday afternoon beer garden atmosphere, Camden and Soho offer some unique pubs and cocktail bars.

One being Lockside in Camden which not only has a traditional open brickwork interior but it also has a terrace looking over the Lock - if you’re lucky enough to find a spot on a sunny day, then pairing it up with one of the many cocktails they offer (see the jam jar cocktail below) you have a perfect day planned.

For those who want to swap the Lock to their Louboutins, there also many cocktail bars on the other side of London which let you get all dolled up but are also in prime location for after work drinks.

One being Steam and Rye, this Bank based location makes it easy to not only get to but to also carry on the night wherever that might be. It is an American themed dining bar with live music and on the right night you can even find a rodeo bull. It is set up so that when you arrive you step into “New York’s Grand Central Station” in which there are tables that you can book for either drinks or enjoy a meal from their menu which offer American classics such as burgers and mac and cheese, but they also offer Lobster.

Although I have dined at Steam and Rye once before, in which my experience was one of the nicest I have received as all waitresses were willing to help you and the food exceeded my expectations ( I recommend the sirloin steak!) But what everybody really goes for are the amazing cocktails they offer!

After visiting multiple times I have managed to cut down to my top 5 cocktails; 1)“5$ Shake” - a vodka based cocktail with whipped cream, oreos and a fab ice lolly (what more could you want), 2)“Freedom Martini” - an alternative to a Pornstar Martini as this contains Lejay Blackberry and Pineapple, 3)“George Washington” - yes it is in fact served in a GW moulded cup! 4)“Juan Direction” - a tequila based cocktail that also has a proud ‘I love one direction’ flag in it (this is definitely one for the super fans) 5)”No Filter” - if you haven’t had a cocktail served in a camera lense before then where have you been, this gin cocktail contains Violette Bitters and bubblegum so it is the perfect balance of sharpness and sweetness.

Not only do they offer 20 of their own unique cocktails but the barmen are more than happy to make your favourite classic cocktail or to even make a cocktail up there and then. I would recommend this cocktail spot to everyone and anyone as the service is always to a top level - that includes the staff and cocktails! All cocktails are priced at a standard City price of £9-£12 which is what is expected but why not make the most of their happy hour which is half price cocktails and £4.50 beers between 5pm-7pm every day!

Whilst you are in the area, in fact it is only next door, Vodka Revolution is another bar which have classic cocktails with a twist on them such as a cherry mojito served in a bag gathered by a bow - I promise it worth the trip!

The real selling point for Vodka Revolution is the shot sticks, ranging from 1 shot to 10 shots. But these are not your normal flavours, there are 30 choices ranging from bubblegum and birthday cake to peanut butter & jelly and rhubarb and custard. I visited on a Thursday evening and although it wasn’t bombarded with city workers, there was still a relaxed yet upbeat atmosphere. Although it is only open during weekdays as the weekend offer private hire, I would definitely want to get a group of friends together to experience one of their cocktail making classes.

As the bank holiday begins, why not take a trip to the places I have suggested as you certainly won’t be disappointed!

Country Club Dinning

Over the weekend I visited Trent Park Country Club for a light dinner and some drinks.

This was my first time visiting the Country Club for dinner and I was looking forward to it as I have heard good things.

The menu is pretty simple, the cuisine is American-Grill however it is not your TGIs (I MEAN THAT IN A GOOD WAY).

Between the group we ordered Prawns, Cheese Burgers and Chicken Burgers; and there is nothing we can fault.

The Chicken burger was delicious and a real chicken breast which is always a pleasure to see in a with all the fake food that is shoved in our faces.

The prawns where cooked to perfection and the sweet chilli sauce was a great compliment to them. I did not personally eat the Cheese Burger however I was told it was delish.

We did not get our sweet potatoes fries as they had run out but the chunky chip where a good replacement.

The only con I found in the meal was the small side salad that came with the prawns, a larger salad would have been great and there was no dressing on the salad or any that came in small pots with the meal so we had to wait for the waitress to bring some. Not that it was a long wait we just was drooling over the prawns and wanted to tuck in.

The service by the staff was pleasant and the bar staff are incredibly good at what they do, one to many Hurricanes later I didn’t need any desert.

We tried the passion fruit martini’s and Daiquiri and I must say they tasted better than the cocktails I had the week before in the city.

I was also very shocked yet pleased when a bar tender over heard a conversation about driving and asked if any of us was driving as he mixes quite a bit of rum into a hurricane so would have to advice we don’t have another.

That kind of service proved the staff at the country club not only care about their work but about the guests they serve and for that I will be a regular customer.

Overall a lovely service and a reasonably priced menu, as they grow I look forward to seeing the menu grow in variety!