The essential guide to your hen party!

The essential guide to
your hen party!
Top advice on how to plan the perfect hen
party, top fashion looks for winter weddings
and much more!
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Intro: Hi there! I’m Laura from FunkiMunki Events, giving you my views and ideas for
your hen party or wedding. Here at FunkiMunki we organise events such as Hen and stag
parties, team building events and corporate days. We organise events all over the UK and
abroad, you want an activity we don’t already do, we’ll source it for you!
This is a short guide created by FunkiMunki to assist you in your hen party preparations,
wedding preparation or bridesmaiding duties!
Contents:
The Best Hen party themes! ................................................................................................................... 3
Hen party or Sten party..?....................................................................................................................... 5
How to plan the best hen party .............................................................................................................. 7
Top ten destinations for your hen party! ............................................................................................... 9
How to be the best Bridesmaid ............................................................................................................ 11
My favourite Celebrity engagements ................................................................................................... 13
Top five hairstyles for your wedding day! ............................................................................................ 15
Top make-up looks for your wedding ................................................................................................... 17
Top five fashion looks for winter weddings .......................................................................................... 19
The best celebrity weddings ................................................................................................................. 21
To wrap up… ......................................................................................................................................... 23
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The Best Hen party themes!
If there’s one thing I love, its fancy dress. I even have a fancy
dress box from my time at University! When it comes to planning
your theme for your hen party, you might want something to stand
out amongst the rest, or you might want to stick to the old
favourites, which of course can never fail. So, here are my best
hen party themes especially for you.
Firstly, I think it depends on whether you want everyone to look the
same or look different. So if you’re going with everyone looking the
same, which has immediate effect and you’ll stand out wherever
you go, there are plenty of themes you can
dress up to make your own.
Where’s Wally- A really simple, cheap but massively effective theme, get
everyone in a stripy red and white top, blue shorts or jeans, a red hat and
black rimmed glasses, and there you go. Unlike
where’s wally, there’ll be so many of you in the
same outfit it’ll be easy to find you!
Along the same lines as where’s wally is Lifeguards,
an easy theme which you could also dress up a bit
and get personalised t-shirts made. The good thing about these themes
is that people can get as much into it as they like, if they don’t
particularly like dressing up, they can do the bare minimum. But those
that love it can go all out and get creative. Don’t fancy these? There are
so many of these themes you could use, neon,
cave girls, 118, pink ladies, the list could go on forever!
If you’re looking for something a bit more pretty, so everyone can
look nice, hula girls is a fantastic theme. Garlands and grass skirts
are easy to come across on the internet. If you want the full on
Hawaiian look, you could even get a coconut bikini top going on!
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I love it when the theme is slightly personalised to the bride-to-be, it
gives a personal touch and can be hilarious. I went on a hen party last
year, and the bride-to-be was a horse rider. Therefore she was dressed
as a horse and the rest of the party were dressed as Jockeys, jerseys
made out of pillowcases with patterns stitched on. It was really inspired
and gives that extra special touch, if you’ve got the time why not make it
a bit more interesting.
Personally a theme I love is the circus! Crazy
theme that everyone can put some effort in,
make the bride-to-be the ring leader, top hat
and all. Then everyone else can be acts or animals from the circus,
like a trapeze artist, clown or maybe even the bearded lady!
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Hen party or Sten party..?
The sten party has been growing in
popularity for the last couple of years, it’s a
nice alternative if the hen or stag party is not
really for you. Got to be better than nothing,
hasn’t it? So if you think you might find it
tough to be without your hub-to-be for his
last night of freedom, then why not have a
sten party (stag and hen party combined)?
This means you could hang out with your
hens all day, maybe do an activity like a spa day and then meet up after dinner for a night
with the stag party? Win win.. right?
Are you struggling to know whether to have a sten party? I’ve put together a list of some of
the pros and cons, let me know what you think to them!
So here goes.. Going abroad with both the stag and hen party could be so much fun, I’m not
saying that every waking moment
should be spent together, but it could
be a lot of fun to have one last hurrah
together as a group before you get
married off.
As a bit of a traditionalist, I think it is
a bit of a right of passage or a
tradition to have a stag or a hen
party, I think a lot of stags would
agree with me! Even though the sten party is growing in popularity, I think a lot of people still
view the stag or hen party as the last night of freedom.
There would be no worry of what happens on the stag weekend, stays on the stag
weekend...
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If you are planning to have a sten party together the whole time, you’ll have to find
somewhere near everyone and find something to do that both the lads and lasses will enjoy.
I think it could be really hard to keep everyone happy and involved!
However, as a couple, if you’ve got the same group
of friends, or friends that would ideally be invited to
both a stag and hen party, why not just pool the
friends and have a big get together. Especially if the
group of you socialise together on a regular basis,
why not! There are many pros and con for the sten
party! Either way, I think the sten party is completely
up to personal preference, it depends on everyone’s
individual circumstances! If you and your hub-to-be
have the same circle of friends, why not just have a big party to celebrate together?
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How to plan the best hen party
Now onto how to plan the best hen party for your hen! Here at FunkiMunki, we know how
stressful it can be to organise a hen party and attempting to make everyone is happy. So..
here are our top tips for organising the best hen party!
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Check with the bride who she wants there, should relatives be
there, or just friends? Ask her so she feels most comfortable.
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Ask the bride what she wants to do, or get ideas from others
so you’ve got an idea of what she’ll like rather than doing
something she’ll hate. If you do just ask her, there are always
extra little surprises you can add in to make it a bit more
interesting!
•
Make a list of everything
that needs to be done,
then you’ll feel much more in control of what’s going
on and what you have left to do closer to the time.
Get everyone’s details off the bride, that way you can
email round and let people know what’s going on, or
get more ideas.
•
I know its tradition to have the hen or stag party the
night before the wedding, but I think things have
changed slightly since then.. Don’t hold the hen party the night before the wedding!!
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Set a budget, everyone has got different ideas of what to spend, so try to find a budget
that fits everyone. This goes for the location and the date as well.
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Plan something that everyone will enjoy. If the bride wants older relatives there, then
make sure you another activity planned that they can get involved with too, before you
go dancing on tables in clubs!
•
Make sure everyone knows how much money they owe. The last thing you want on the
day is someone not wanting to pay and complaining about their contribution.
•
Take some presents! I know this is in addition to all your hard work of actually organising
it, but some thoughtful treats will make it a hen party to remember. They don’t have to be
expensive, they can just be some fun things for the night out, or something that she can
keep like a memory book where everyone can write messages.
•
Divide the costs between the guests, the bride shouldn’t have to pay for anything!
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Be organised! Can’t stress this enough, especially if you’re going abroad, make sure
everyone’s got their passports, tickets, money (you catch the drift!).
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If you’re planning on hitting a club as part of your
hen weekend, make sure you email ahead and see
that they can accommodate you, otherwise if you’re
turned away this could be a massive hassle trying
to find somewhere else to go at short notice in a city
you don’t know!
•
Most of all, have a good time! It’s once in a lifetime
(hopefully..) to organise a hen party for this girl, so
make sure you send her off to married life in style!
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Top ten destinations for your hen party!
Wondering where to go on your hen party? Here are my top ten places to have your hen
party! In an attempt to keep the costs down for you guys, I have stuck to my ideal UK
destinations, who needs to go abroad when
you’ve got these great cities within driving
distance!
London- Why not head to the capital for a
night out in style? I love London, I think it’s a
lovely place to go for a great experience that
you’ll all remember. Of course, there are so
many things to do, as you’re right in the thick
of it. Great shopping is right on your doorstep,
as well as world class shows in the west end. I love the idea of afternoon tea at The Ritz, so
classy and something special that you might not normally do!
Newcastle- Party like Geordie Shore in Newcastle! Newcastle is a very popular night out,
with great nightlife you won’t struggle for somewhere
to party.
Birmingham- Everyone needs to hit up Broad Street
at least once in their life. Gatecrasher is awesome if
you’re looking for a top clubbing venue, they also offer
deals for hen nights and will get you in on a queue
jump, as it does get quite busy! If you’re looking for
something a bit more upmarket, try The Mailbox,
there are so many busy bars and restaurants, it’s
perfect in the summer.
Edinburgh- Edinburgh is great in the summer; why
not coordinate it with the fringe festival in August?
Great atmosphere, great nightlife, should make for a
fantastic weekend!
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Essex- Like something straight out of TOWIE, head to Essex for a weekend of getting
pampered and partying. Do it just like the TOWIE girls and get pampered in the day,
including a spray tan of course. Then get VIP entry
to clubs like Sugarhut and Faces, for a great Essex
night out!
Liverpool- Get your Scouse-brow on and come and
party like a desperate Scousewife! Make sure you
dress to impress. If it’s your first visit to Liverpool,
Albert Dock is a must see!
Manchester- Full of trendy bars and clubs, just do your research before you go into where’s
best to go. There’s also loads of shopping available, with the Arndale and the Trafford
centre, with over 240 shops, you’re bound to find something you like! Additionally to the
shopping and the bars, there’s a lot of comedy clubs and shows available.
Leeds- Like every other UK city, Leeds has great shopping, great nightlife and great
restaurants. What more do you need for your hen
weekend?
Cardiff- A popular choice for hen and stag
parties, Cardiff is well known as a good night out.
If you end up there when a rugby game is on at
the Millennium stadium, the atmosphere will be
electric, with home and away fans both drinking,
it’s not one to be missed!
Bath- Bath is such a beautiful place, a lovely serene place to hold your hen party. If you
spend your weekend here, you could get pampered up to your eyeballs and get rid of all that
wedding stress! Makes for a very sophisticated relaxing hen party!
It has to be said though, going to any of these UK cities will mean you have an awesome
hen weekend! There’s good nightlife in all of these places, just make sure you go to the right
places! Of course, it is always better to plan where you’re going in advance. Contact the club
or bar beforehand if there’s a big group of you and see if they’ll do you any deals or let you in
for a reduced price, you don’t ask you won’t get!
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How to be the best Bridesmaid
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First thing you should do is bond with all the other
bridesmaids, if you know them all, perfect. But if
you don’t then make an effort to get everyone’s
numbers or email addresses and share ideas for
the bride’s hen party so everyone has input and
everyone feels involved.
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Organise the best hen party you can, check with
the bride who she wants to invite, and what she
sees you all doing, it is her hen party after all! But check back here next week for our
blog on how to organise the best hen party.
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Try to keep the Bride stress free, she’s
guaranteed to be stressed out but have a few
champers on the morning of the wedding to
take the edge off, but not too many so that
she’s too stress free..
•
I might be blunt but give her what she wants,
this is her day to remember, if she wants
something done make sure it happens.
•
Deal with the dress. If you’re made to wear a
hideous dress that you would never choose to wear, and think you look an absolute train
wreck, just grin and bear it. You only have to wear it for one day so just make her happy
and do it!
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If she cries, which she probably will, she’s a bride after
all, be on hand with a makeup bag and some eyelash
glue, no one needs panda eyes and an eyelash on
their cheek before the photos!
•
Getting her in to the dress will be a tricky one if it’s a
corset back dress, make sure you know what you’re
doing before you start.
•
Advocate for the bride, this means while guests are
throwing questions at the bride on her special day,
step in and try to answer any questions they have
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without stressing the bride out!
•
Help organise people for the photos, as bridesmaid you need to be on hand to sort
people out as it’s a stressful time getting everyone into position. Make sure she lets the
ushers and other bridesmaids know what’s happening during the day and what photo’s
they want doing so they can help herd people into the right position.
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At the end of the night, if you can, make sure you collect all the Bride and Groom’s
personal belongings while they go off on their honeymoon. So if they’ve left their
engraved champagne flutes at the table make sure they get back to the Bride! If it helps,
tell the bride to make you a list of things you need to collect at the end of the night.
•
Think of it as an honour, I know in the run up to the wedding, if the bride turns out to be a
bridezilla then it might be difficult to remember that it is an honour. I’m sure a lot of girls
would have liked to have been chosen, but you
made the cut so enjoy it!
Oh and just be on hand in case anything does go
wrong.
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My favourite Celebrity engagements
Now you’ve been given some pointers on how to be the best bridesmaid and how to plan the
best hen party, let’s look to the next part of the blog: The wedding. First I’m going to look at
this my top engagements.
When you look back over the past year, there has been many a high profile engagement in
Hollywood. Some of which have been eagerly awaited, while others have come completely
out of the blue!
I am talking of course about the engagement of Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth. Miley
was a child actress, playing her alter ego ‘Hannah
Montana’ from a young age means she’s been in the
spotlight for a while. Now a child star turned pop star,
Miley has had many successes in the music industry
and has a large band of followers. Liam however,
made his name in Neighbours, but really broke
through into Hollywood from starring in last year’s
Hunger Games. Unbeknown to me, the couple have
been together for 3 years after meeting on set of ‘The last song’, which is actually quite a
long time, especially in Hollywood. But is it long enough time together to become engaged?
And at such a young age? (Miley is only 19) Recent reports have suggested the wedding is
on hold for the time being, so are there issues on the way to
their celebrity wedding already?
As Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth’s engagement was
pretty unexpected, one that everyone has been waiting for is
the engagement of Brangelina! After meeting on set of ‘Mr
and Mrs Smith’ seven years ago, there were rumours of an
affair as Brad Pitt divorced his wife of five years, Jennifer
Aniston. Brad has adopted Ange’s kids and they have had a
couple of their own (I forget how many..), to be honest I’m
surprised it’s taken them this long to get engaged! However,
now they are engaged, there seems to be no plans for an
immediate wedding, or one even in the near future. Is this
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going to be one of those engagements that last for years and years, which I sorely detest?
I myself am a huge Jennifer Aniston fan, with the whole Brangelina thing, I have always
been Team Jen. We’ve seen her go through many a relationship, my favourite being Vince
Vaughn, who I LOVED. They were an amazing couple! But unfortunately for me, that didn’t
last. She’s had many other high profile relationships in the press, but lucky for Justin
Theroux they haven’t lasted. The pair have known each other for a long time but never dated
until they worked together on their film ‘Wanderlust’.
So after dating for over a year, Justin popped the
question on his birthday, whilst visiting her on the set
of her new film. They made their announcement just 4
months after Brangelina announced they were
engaged, which begs the speculation of bride wars
when the time does come around for both couples!
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Top five hairstyles for your wedding day!
So next stop the wedding.. Struggling to know what hairstyle to go for your big day? Here
are my top five ways to wear your hair at your wedding.
Bun- looks so elegant, and you know it will probably stay put for the
majority of the day (with some hairspray of course..). I think it looks
really nice if you have good bone structure to pull
this off. Very classical look that looks lovely with a
veil, as it can sit right underneath the bun.
Curly- curls are a classic look, I think loose curls
always make everyone look pretty to be honest!
So I think this is a lot of people’s fall back option, as it looks effortlessly
stylish. Downside to this, is if your hair isn’t naturally wavy, it will probably
need a lot of primping throughout the day! If you’re having a wedding
abroad, perhaps a beach wedding, this is a much more relaxed look
that would look lovely with flowers tucked behind the ear. But equally,
can be dressed up with a tiara.
Big waves- this is one of my favourite styles,
I think it looks instantly elegant pushed to
one side with a sparkly barrette pinned to
one side. Amanda Seyfried does this style
quite a lot, so look to her for some tips on how to make it work. If
you’re going for an old Hollywood look, then this is definitely the
look for you, teamed with a red lip it will
look absolutely divine.
Chignon- nape of the neck, a good versatile look, can be either
messy or properly sleek. Add flowers of sparkly bits to it for a
unique look.
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Half up, half down- ideal for a wedding day I think, keeps your hair out of your face the
whole day and looks lovely. Personally, I think this looks best with curls,
so I would recommend doing this if your hair’s curly, but you’re unsure
of what to do with it. Similar to the finger
waves, you could use a barrette at the back
to give it structure but also a bit more
sparkle, which every bride needs!
If you’re a bridesmaid or guest, consider these hairstyles for the
big day too!
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Top make-up looks for your wedding
Next up in the beauty stakes is what make up look should you go for
on your wedding day! These are pretty much classic looks that will
never age and look wonderful on photographs! So here I have
selected my top five make up looks for your wedding, ideal to give
you a bit of inspiration if you’re struggling to decide!
Natural- Keep it minimal and go for a natural look. If you don’t
usually wear make-up then I suggest you stick to this look unless you
want something totally different to your usual look. For a natural, but
polished look go for a small amount of blush, lashings of mascara and
a nude or pale pink lip. A natural look is a classic look, but if you’re
looking for a more intricate look on your wedding day, look at the
following four make up looks below.
Metallic eye- Everyone loves a metallic eye, I’m not talking full on
glitter, but a slightly metallic golden smokey eye would give the bride a
slightly more exciting look than a natural look. If your wedding is in the
summer, I think this is definitely a look to be considered, add in some
bronzed cheekbones and you’ve got a perfect sunkissed summer
look. The good thing about this look is that it will take you from the day
into the night, you can always touch it up and add a bit of sparkle to the eye for the evening.
Also, make sure you use eye shadow primer to stop your eye shadow from creasing
throughout the day and night.
Dark lip- Dark lipsticks are bang on trend, you won’t
want to go too dark unless you’re a goth.. but a dark
red lip is guaranteed sexy look. Especially if you’re
quite pale skinned, Dita von Teese, Taylor Swift and
Emma Watson all do this lip trend quite a lot so why
not try it! Keep the rest of the face quite minimalist
and let your pout do the talking!
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Bright lip-If you’re feeling brave why not give your dress a bit of a pop
with a bright lip? Similarly to the dark lip, keep the rest of your make up
pretty neutral and then have a strong bright lip. I think a candy pink or
lilac looks so nice on, or stick with the old favourites and go with bright
red, which never fails. I think the lilac here rocked by
Winged eyeliner- I love a winged eyeliner
look, it makes your eyes look so feline,
which is gorgeous, it highlights the eyes. If you don’t want to
over do it on the eyeliner, try not to apply it too thickly, as it can
become thick, fast! Also if you’re planning on wearing false
eyelashes for your wedding, I would say eyeliner is a
necessity, as eyelashes are pretty difficult to get on if you don’t
get much practise (so make sure
you do!). The eyeliner will then hide
any mishaps with the eyelashes if
you haven’t had chance to touch them up. Pretty and practical!
Old Hollywood glamour- Use both the winged eyeliner and red
lipstick together with big waves pushed to the side for a timeless,
sexy look. This look is seen up and
down the red carpet all the time, so
why not try it down the aisle!
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Top five fashion looks for winter weddings
This section is a special part just for the wedding guests, so if you’ve got a winter wedding
coming up soon, you might be stressing over what look to go for, after all there is no fail safe
summer dress alternative! Here are my top five trends or looks for your winter weddings.
Jewel tones- Go for deep plum, burgundy, emerald green, these type of
colours are extremely classy. Team with sparkly gold accessories to
give the chilly nuptials some sparkle! Keep it classy and save the bright
pink for a summer wedding! As a traditionalist I believe a guest should
never wear white unless it’s in the theme,
white is for the bride! Equally, I would never
wear black to a wedding, but if you’re
considering wearing black, don’t wear it if
the ceremony is in the day.
As it is a winter wedding, you will need to take into account
where the nuptials will take place, if it’s outside or you’re moving
a lot from place to place, consider layering your outfit so you
won’t freeze! I would suggest a Blazer, tux jacket, or a short
faux fur jacket. I think Blazers immediately smarten up any outfit
so wearing one to a wedding would be perfect, instead of going
for black perhaps go for an alternative colour that compliments your outfit. Or if you want to
spruce it up even more, try an oversized tux jacket, I think these look great with a mini dress
and heels. Back to layering things, black tights are a wardrobe staple, so definitely consider
them to keep yourself warm!
Peplum has been around a lot this spring summer,
a lot of peplum tops and dresses making the shops.
I think they’re very flattering to everyone, so I don’t
really think you can go wrong with this look! A lot of
the dresses I’ve seen have been longer pencil skirt
type dresses, which again suit most body types and
would be perfect for a winter wedding.
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Take a leaf out of Kate Middleton’s book and go for the shift dress. The
Duchess of Cambridge is always so immaculately turned out wherever
she goes, but she looks great in a shift which has somehow become
her staple look. In the past, Kate has been seen to wear a shift to
many weddings, sometimes teaming with a long jacket, complimenting
the dress nicely. So if you want to go the whole Kate Middleton Hog,
perhaps you should look for a long jacket to accompany your shift. For
me the Duchess of Cambridge is always spot on when it comes to
wedding chic! So if you need some inspiration, look to her.
Hat’s have always been a wedding staple. Back in the day, I think it used to be who’s hat is
the biggest or most outrageous. These days I think it’s more who’s is
the most stylish. Looking again to Kate Middleton for inspiration, who is
rarely seen without a hat, she has so many stylish hats that compliment
her outfits beautifully. But rather than going for a huge hat, Kate tends to
go for a smaller but perfectly formed hat. If you don’t fancy donning the
hat, there is always the fascinator, made from either a headband or a
hairclip, they can show feathers or flowers coloured to coordinate the
outfit.
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The best celebrity weddings
As you may be able to tell from the earlier section of Top celebrity engagements, I like to
keep up with the celebrity world, especially when it comes to weddings. I like to look at
celebrities fantastic over the top wedding days that no
normal person could possibly afford. So here we go with
my top celebrity weddings..
First up is Una Healy & Ben Foden, the pair got married
four months after their daughter Aoife Belle was born.
Announcing their engagement at the end of 2011, Una
and Saturdays’ bandmate Rochelle had a shared hen
party in May. The wedding took place in Una’s native
Ireland, and the theme was a midsummer night’s
dream. The bride wore a Claire Pettibone dress, with a gorgeous boho head piece from Flo
& Percy with a veil, really showing off the chosen
theme. The bridesmaid’s, including the rest of the
Saturdays’, wore dresses were lovely lilac Grecian
bridesmaid dresses, with flowers in their hair to
complete the look.
I’m featuring another Saturdays’ wedding in my top
celebrity wedding’s of 2012, Rochelle Wiseman &
Marvin Humes from boyband JLS. This beautifully
matched couple split up briefly, only to get back
together and get engaged in the Maldives last year. The
couple are taking a trip back there at Christmas for their
honeymoon, when their schedules have called down. Anyway, back to the wedding.
Rochelle wore a stunning Vera Wang dress, it was absolutely gorgeous! She looked
amazing. Her bridesmaids wore long strapless black dresses, as there was a black and
white theme a la Kim Kardashian going on. Rochelle tweeted that she felt like a princess all
day, as every woman should, how sweet!
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This is a very recent one, Anne Hathaway and Adam Shulman
married secretly in California at the end of September. The
couple kept their nuptials incredibly under wraps, with Anne
even stating that they wouldn’t be getting married this year due
to work commitments. Sneaky sneaky. They began dating in
November 2008, announced their engagement 3 years later in
2011. Anne wore a custom made, off the shoulder Valentino
gown. The Jazz trio were hired without knowing who’s wedding
they were playing for, until 30 minutes before they were due to
play the first hour of the reception. Pretty impressive that they
managed to keep it all under wraps!
Arguably the most gorgeous couple in Hollywood, Blake Lively
and Ryan Reynolds wed this year in a Secret wedding in South Carolina. They married at
the plantation where the film ‘The Notebook’ was filmed, what a romantic setting! Similarly to
Anne Hathaway and Adam Shulman, they managed to keep all
the details secret. Although they did make the guests sign
confidentiality agreements and confiscated mobile phones on
the day. It is reported that Blake helped design her own
Marchesa gown. Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine,
a close friend of the bride, performed at the ceremony. No
pictures have surfaced of the wedding yet.. I want to see the
dress!!
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To wrap up…
FunkiMunki Leisure hope you have enjoyed your free eBook, and hope it has given you
some inspiration for your hen party or bridesmaid experience! Any feedback or ideas you
would like us to cover in the next edition would be gratefully received!
Look out for more blogs and free eBooks coming soon on our website below, Facebook and
Twitter.
www.funkimunkileisure.com
FunkiMunki Leisure Ltd.
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