7 Festival Wedding Planning Tips

 Freestretch.co.uk brings you  the most practical tips that you just wouldn't know unless you throw a lot of outdoor events..


1. Get Off Grid! All weddings, I  suggest to clients, should be simplified where possible. Where possible means where you can save money but also use more creative and interesting options. Hiring in a generator and water is noisy, expensive and unnecessary. And it goes without saying, bad for the environment. So here are some excellent suggestions for alternatives:
- Portable compost loos with battery powered fairylights inside. (Contact me for people who can supply these in the UK festoon@live.co.uk).
- Solar electricity for amps if necessary.
- Candle light inside and outside your tent.
- BBQ catering!

2. Contain your spaces. To ensure the atmosphere doesn't get lost create a main space that everyone congregates in, and one outdoor space, well linked with a large open space if possible. Don't use too many spaces unless you have 500 guests or more! If you'd like some advice on the flow of your wedding and spacing pop me an email festoon@live.co.uk.

www.freestretch.co.uk for stretchtent and lighting

3. Use an unusual marquee. This of course isn't essential but makes for such an interesting talking point if you do. A tent such as a Stretchtent can be used to really shape your wedding space as they can be stretched into whatever shape works for you. Plus they frame a beautiful view brilliantly.

4. Don't do it all on your own, especially the day itself. You need someone to oversee the day as you won't have the hotel's receptionist to direct the florist or the bar into place. You may not even have much mobile reception so you need someone to help you not go into panic mode!

5. Keep your guests close. Campsites are often a great option for a festival wedding as they keep your guests close by, within walking distance and often have a few glamping or guesthouse options in the vicinity too. 

From Fred's Yurts. Contact Loz or Fred for extra glamping possibilities. www.yurtevents.co.uk

6. Plan for lighting up areas for your guests in the dark. A line of tea lights in jars works well, especially tucked under steps. Aim for flowing curves instead of lines - looks so magical at night!

7. Stilettos and grass aren't a great mix. Warn your guests on the invite to bring warm evening coats and wear appropriate shoes.

Oh and a sneaky extra just for you - cover those haybales! Scratchy, itchy, tight-laddering hay never makes for happy guests in their wedding finery! (festoon.tumblr.co.uk have hessian haybale covers to rent)

Happy partying!
Love
Ruth & Freestretch.co.uk

Festoon's on-the-day Wedding Co-Ordination.

This is what you need to be doing on your wedding day. Not co-ordinating!

As well as decorating and styling weddings, Festoon provides excellent wedding co-ordination on the day itself.

We work with couples who often want a very creative day, which means they have been DIYing a lot of their wedding day. These sorts of weddings can take a huge amount of organising with lots of handcrafted details and external contractors that make up an eclectic and unique day. However with lots of detail comes a lot of last minute headaches! When the ice cream van arrives they will  need to know exactly where to park up (and I bet you'd like to confirm with them exactly when they'll be leaving..), the guests will all have their own needs that we often can't for-see until the day, and all of these little things can't be dealt with by the couple who have organised it all because you're meant to be enjoying yourselves!

I have 11 years experience overseeing weddings and work intuitively with the atmosphere of the day. A wonderful people person, I can ensure the practicalities run smoothly; all contractors set up in the right place but also that no one is left without wine! You will not know I’m there but you’ll be so much more relaxed to know I am.

Woodland and festival weddings a specialty as they require extra knowledge of how these ‘events’ run, but equally at home in any style wedding.
Contact Ruth on 07853 276884 or festoon@live.co.uk for a quote.

Woodland Wedding Venues Around and About Bristol

So, Festoon is making it's way to the buzzing city of Bristol with all it's eco, salvaged, arty charm I'm very excited and am sure we will be right at home.

Getting myself into the swing of all things weddingy in Bristol I'd like to introduce you to my 5 favorite woodland wedding venues. Despite it being a big city there are lots of areas of green and one specific woodland wedding venue in the city (plus a secret smaller one for your more eco wedding reception). The others are a short drive away in and nearby gorgeous Bath, Cotswolds, Glastonbury and Clevedon.

1. Splotts Moor Farm. Glastonbury. 1 hr from City Centre.
www.splottsmoor.blogspot.co.uk/

From Splotts Moor website

A 4 acre meadow, stone circle and varied gardens for you to use as you wish! I defy any couple not to find the exact spot they are looking for amongst this stunning spot. One essential thing for anyone planing a woodland or outdoor wedding is accommodation as the weekend party is not complete without your guests staying on site. Splotts Moor has self catering accommodation plus space for camping, the perfect addition to their timber framed marquee!

They can have up to 180 guests in the marquee or feel free to add your own additions of yurts, stretchtents or big tops!

They are big on using their own renewable energy so plus points for the Eco rating.

Not licensed though - will have to do the legal bit elsewhere.

2. Folly Farm. ChewValley, 30min from City Center.
www.follyfarm.org/weddings

Set amongst a beautiful wildlife reserve run by Avon Wildlife Trust, Folly Farm has orchards; wildflower meadows, canopy's in the woods, barns, any of these on your wedding wishlist? I think you'll find what you're looking for here!

Ceremony (yup this one's licensed) can hold up to 100 guests then around 150 in the evening. However if you are adding marquees and outdoor spaces I'm sure you could have much more.

Overnight guests can camp or stay in the barns and self catering accommodation. 

3. Rocks East Campsite. Bath. 30 minutes out of City Center.
www.rockseast.org.uk

Looking for something more rustic? That real woodland experience is available at Rocks East near Bath. A campsite with woodland, showers, toilets and washing up facilities plus a room available to hire. I'd suggest negotiating a weekend rate to book out the site so you have Friday to set up all your marquees, stretchtents or yurts and the Saturday to enjoy.

4. Wildwood Bluebell. Cotswolds. 1hr 10min from City Centre.
www.wildwoodbluebell.com

From Wildwood Bluebell website

A little further away than the others but the perfect location wedding venue. Specialising in woodland, boho weddings they also have a traditional Cotswold barn for ceremonies and accommodation. Other places for your guests include glamping shepherds huts and gorgeous tents.

Beautiful woodland walks and pathways make this such a gorgeous outdoor venue, especially when the bluebells are out.

And at the woodland ceremony site is a stunning willow heart arch to be the perfect backdrop to your nuptials.

5. Arnos Vale. Central Bristol.
www.arnosvale.co.uk/weddings

Matt Willis Photography

Ahhh saved the most central to last! This beautifully overgrown and preserved cemetery just south of Bristol city center is home  to a number of equally stunning wedding venues. The one I'm most interested in today is their woodland wedding site with custom made licensed shelter The Underwood Center.

Having always had visions of beautiful gatherings in my mind from being a young girl, the one that has always held the most excitement for me is the twilight ceremony. Last year it became legal to hold an evening wedding ceremony and Arnos Vale are providing these! Under their lovely wooden shelter in the middle of glorious woodland you can exchange promises as the sun sets and you candles start flickering. Perfect.

The best (in my opinion) company providing extra canopies and cover for your woodland wedding are Freestretch.co.uk check them out for something your guests won't have seen before.

Don't forget Festoon provide exciting, unusual vintage hire items, foraged and colorful floristry and festoon & fairy Lights to hire. Be my first Bristol bride to be to book and pay in full and you will receive 35% off your order!

www.festoonsworld.tumblr.com