malta-wedding « WordPress.com Tag Feed

Real Wedding Inspiration: A Maltese Dream with Louise and Warren

Emma Broughton Turner — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 06:51:25 +0000

This time last year we were helping Louise and Warren at their lovely wedding in Malta. The colours of the wedding were just gorgeous and have sparked a whole new set of colour combinations for our weddings in Kent, so much so that we wanted to share them all again.

Louise and Warren wanted to use wedding planners to cut out all the travel expenses of going to Malta to check on arrangements, as well as the stress of trying to do it all themselves. We worked with the couple on plans this end whilst the Maltese planner was on location to organise local suppliers and double check arrangements.

Louise says “it was lovely to spend so much time with our friends and family and enjoy every minute of our wedding experience. The ladies did such a fantastic job of helping us organise our day and the whole thing was so relaxed and fun. I didn’t want to have to worry about all those little things, I just wanted to concentrate on making my guests experience as great as ours – and it definitely was!”

Happy Anniversary to Louise and Warren x

Details:
Brides Dress: Pronovias
Bridesmaids: Oriental Pearl (Bluewater Shopping Centre)
Suits: Austin Reed
Photography: Kay Young

Wedding season is here

rachelgreene87 — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 20:55:11 +0000

This week is when some people of Northern Ireland take a fortnight holidays, some to celebrate their traditions of the 11th night bonfire and festivities on 12th and 13th July, others from the other end of the community just use it as a time to get caught up on any housey things to do i.e. Paint, decorate, spring clean, or just take themselves on a wee holiday abroad or a trip down South. This month tends to bring out the worst in people in regards their religion. I don’t par-take in any form of Catholic/Protestant rivalry however I grew up on The Garvaghy Road and I have see a lot of shit which i hope is in the past and staying there.

On a happier note, I have 2 weddings this month. The first one is just 3 days away and the next is 10 days, the second wedding i am bridesmaid for my Niece and cannot wait to wear my pretty dress. It’s gonna be a big do. I am really looking forward to it.

All this wedding talk has me looking up ideas for my own wedding. I don’t think a wedding at home would be something i would want. I’ve been looking at Malta as a destination and i just love it. We’d have less than 50 guests if we got married abroad and atleast everyone could have a holiday out of it. Patrick’s just suggested we go over in January and suss it out… I’m all bizz for that.

Rach xx

Portfolio: 1930s Art Deco (IDo November 2011)

Elaine - Elegant Impressions — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 06:30:19 +0000

Good morning lovelies!

After managing to show the Exotic Paradise shoot a few weeks ago, I figured it’s about time I blog about the next shoot I had styled for IDo magazine. Again, a huge thanks to super talented photographer Jessica Moritz for letting me share these photographs.

The theme this time was 1930s Art Deco. I had just watched Water for Elephants, a love-story set in a Depression-era 1930s circus, and it really inspired me to set the tone for this shoot (besides finally understanding what all the fuss about Robert Pattinson is about )

The shoot took place at the Phoenicia Hotel, a historic Art Deco hotel, and a perfect setting for the opulence and glamour that we wanted to portray. The dress and veil were provided by Wedding Bells … Marquita did a fabulous job styling the bride for this shoot. The veil was positioned in such a way to give that 1930s feel, and we added a headpiece at the side for more bling. Pearl necklace (used as bracelet) is from Zsa Zsa.

The hairstylist for the shoot was Alison Chetcuti of Scissors Tango, while Gaby Naudi was the makeup artist. Hair was styled in finger-waves, and makeup reflected the 1930s glamour … red lipstick and all the works.

Antique Memories of Fgura kindly gave me the red chair and gramophone to use for the shoot. What would a 1930s-inspired shoot be without a gramophone, right? Gold vase is available for rental from Elegant Impressions.

Joseph of Flower Arts was the floral designer for this shoot. He used hydrangeas for the bouquet and incorporated brooches for that extra shine and opulence.

The inspiration for decor was chosen along the lines of ‘vintage eccentricity meets opulent glamour.’ We set up a sweetheart table in front of this magnificent door.

I used black and gold ribbons as a table runner. Joseph did an amazing centrepiece using hydrangeas, roses and orchids which he put in a black vase. We then surrounded them with little tealights and gold vases.

Gold plates, decked out with black napkins, completed the look. I tied some gold ribbon around the napkins, and used brooches from Zsa Zsa as a napkin ring. I have to admit that is one of my favourite table setups so far!

The Phoenicia hotel is so opulent, and the model Victoria looked like a screen siren … It all seemed as we had been transported back to the 1930s!

This is another favourite photo of mine … I have to admit though that there were so many favourite photos, I had such a hard time choosing which ones I should post. So I hope you join me on Facebook, where I’ll be posting more photos from this shoot.

A huge thank you to all the team … Hope this has left you inspired …

Elaine x

Portfolio: Exotic Paradise (IDo August 2011)

Elaine - Elegant Impressions — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 07:30:06 +0000

Good morning lovelies!

I’ve been meaning to share some of my work for ages … So today I’m making amends and will share a photoshoot I styled for IDo magazine. The theme was Exotic Paradise. Huge thanks to photographer Jessica Moritz for letting me share these photographs.

Taking a cue from the rich textures and dappled sunlight of exotic locales, the colour palette consisted of vibrant yellows, greens and oranges earthed in white and the textures of wood. We wanted to transport readers into an exotic world, with a bohemian ﬂair. In short, imagine a carefree bohemian bride in an exotic paradise, surrounded by vibrant colors.

The shoot took place at the magnificent San Anton Gardens … the vibrant colors and greenery provided an excellent backdrop.

Flowers by Julie did all the florals for the shoot.

The dress and feather hairpiece was provided by Wedding Bells, while ZsaZsa provided all accessories.

The hairstylist for the shoot was Alison Chetcuti of Scissors Tango, while Gaby Naudi was the makeup artist.

San Anton Gardens provide so many photographic opportunities. I love the huge towering trees at the back.

The exotic model, Enrique Tabone, also designs jewellery such as this acrylic necklace with butterflies.

I wrapped some mason jars with banana leaves, which I tied with twine, to use as vases. We also had some amazing truffles made by Melina of Tart …

We had Cardamom and tahini, rose, and chilli chocolate truffles … not your average truffles, right? They tasted amazing!

All tableware can be rented from Elegant Impressions … feel free to contact me for more details.

I used an arched pathway to create a more refined area … Hanging tealight holders are also available for renting.

A huge thank you to all the team … Hope this has left you inspired …

Elaine x

Going to the Chapel

adestinationwedding — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:12:25 +0000

We decided on a traditional church wedding, Malta has so many beautiful churches we were spoiled for choice! We loved the area around Mdina, we thought the atmosphere in the cobbled streets would make an amazing back drop to our wedding, but there was a restriction with the cathedral in Mdina, we would have had to hold or ceremony in the evening. The thought of waiting all day to go to the church was too much so we looked outside the walls of the old city.
Close by in the town of Rabat, literally just outside the walls of Mdina we found the beautiful St Pauls, Rabat (Knisja Parrokkjali San Pawl) The church is on the tourist trail because of the catacombs beneath it, according to tradition and I believe it is mentioned in the Bible St. Paul stayed here for three months when he was shipwrecked on the island in 60 A.D.
In fact it was on one of the horse drawn tours around Mdina that we first saw the church, the tours from Mdina, stop off there so that you can pop in and have a look at the Catacombs. The church is stunning, and because of its proximity to Mdina, we were able to use the old city for a lot of our photos. The priest in St Pauls, was not comfortable with performing the full marriage ceremony in English so through our wedding planners we made contact with Fr Tony from St Andrews parish, Fr Tony was lovely, he gave us great input into the marriage ceremony.
We designed our mass booklets from here, and emailed him a copy to make sure everything was to his liking, once the ceremony was agreed on, I contacted printers, both at home and in Malta for pricing, I found printers in Malta (“Abbey” info@abbeyprintersmalta.com) who went above and beyond, they popped into our hotel when we arrived with a draft printed for our approval and then delivered the rest to us at the hotel on the day or so before the wedding for no extra charge. The booklets were perfect and there was no stress in it whatsoever, for us this was great, it meant one less thing to cart over there with us.
Fr Tony also met us in Malta a couple of days before the wedding to talk us through the slight differences between the Maltese way of doing things, and the way we do things at home. On the day of the ceremony Fr Tony, was amazing, he was light hearted and good humored, he made our guests feel so welcome and encouraged everyone to get involved.
The music played a huge part of our wedding ceremony, in Malta there are rules regarding the music that is permitted during a church service. We were so lucky, we found an amazing musician, who I would recommend without any hesitation, the wonderful Norbert Borg, and I can say hand on heart, Norbert’s beautiful music made our day! We put a lot of time and effort into choosing music that we loved and that was personal to us, Norbert was on hand with advice and kindly liaised with Fr Tony, to make sure he was happy with all of the music choices before we finalised our list for the ceremony. The music on the day was seamless, and I have yet to attend a wedding at home where someone has not commented on the music we had in Malta. In fact 2 friends toyed with the idea of contacting Norbert to play at their weddings in Ireland. I have to say Norbert’s music was one of the great highlights of our day.
The Maltese people are very religious and each town and village celebrates its Patron saint, with a festa, there are usually processions through the streets, fireworks and during the festa the churches are decorated with colored lights. In my opinion, if you are planning to get married in a Maltese church, remember that the people still hold onto their catholic traditions, and you should be respectful of that. It is expected that you cover your shoulders, while the priest may well turn a blind eye, it is not a lot to ask, you should let your guests know that it is expected of them, we just put a note on our information pack, and most of the ladies had little wraps that they whipped off as soon as we got outside.
The churches in Malta are so beautiful, at the very least as a thank you for the picture perfect surroundings we should respect their traditions.
If you are using a wedding planner, they will have their own priests, musicians and churches which they use regularly, and will put you in touch with, however it is certainly one part of the planning I think you could certainly manage yourself. Or if you are nervous about going it alone, don’t be afraid to source your own musician, church or priest and ask you wedding planner to liaise with them on your behalf. It’s your day, you don’t have to take the first options your wedding planner gives you, check out http://www.maltaweddings.com it’s a comprehensive list of wedding suppliers in Malta, and remember Google is your best friend when planning a destination wedding,

A Sweet Deram Wedding Planners Malta

weddingplannermalta — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:45:53 +0000

Visit http://www.asweetdream.eu

A SWEET DREAM Wedding Planners Malta is a small team of discreet, first class wedding designers based in Malta. We pride ourselves on the unrivalled personal wedding services we provide to our clientele.

A Sweet Dream Wedding Planners Malta

weddingplannermalta — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:01:40 +0000

Our wedding planners’ competencies in Malta span from purchasing, financing, communication and marketing and sales. All which together are critical to success, in finding the best-in-class for your wedding in Malta.

Our planners got a Diploma in Wedding Planning and months of training on the job with a wedding tutor. We are here to help you plan your wedding the right way. We will help you organize your wedding planning and have you off to a great and stress-free start.

We can assist you at any stage of the wedding planning process, operating as your personal wedding designer, wedding planner or coordinator.

We are as equally adept at organising a small and intimate event for 12 as we are a media-blitzed grand ball for 500 or more.

Obviously you may only need some of them, or you can even ask us for wedding consultancy only, which is quoted separately. A Sweet Dream Wedding Planners Malta have partnered up with various vendors in Malta and can offer various discounts and offers to suite your needs.

A Sweet Dream Wedding Planners Malta are here to help you plan your wedding the right way. We will help you organize your wedding planning and have you off to a great and stress-free start.

To begin planning your wedding, you should consider hiring us as your wedding planners. You can also get FREE advice and ideas from our wedding planning tip of the month (written by experienced wedding planners).

Start with a FREE consultation by contacting us, or check out the wedding planning services that we have to offer. Find out what different types of services A Sweet Dream Wedding Planners Malta can offer, also within our site.

Our friendly and experienced Maltese staff will gladly help set up a package to fit your needs and provide you with as many assistant wedding coordinators as you feel you will need for your big day.

Contact us, set up a FREE consultation, or inquire about the services provided for you. We also offer a 3D plan of your wedding for FREE! We strive to serve all types of brides with the best service, a variety of vendors to help fit your needs, and affordable pricing. We guarantee the best price in the market.

As part of our wedding planner package, A Sweet Dream Wedding Planners Malta are now offering Candy Buffet Services starting at only 30 Euros! Usual retail value is +200 Euros.

It is our desire to work with you, to meet your needs and provide insight on what might best suit your event or wedding. Let A Sweet Dream Wedding Planners Malta take care of all your needs!

We feel that our attention to detail is second to none and we pride ourselves on the personal touch that goes into our displays. It is our goal that your special event will give you the best memories for many years to come.

Let us help Create Your Perfect Day.

Websit e

A Sweet Dream Wedding Planners Malta

Mobile: 00356 79773388

Email: info@asweetdream.eu

location, location, location

adestinationwedding — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:51:15 +0000

So we decided pretty quickly that we didn’t want to get married at home, it just wasn’t for us, mostly it was the thought of a big Irish wedding, with us at the heart of it, that filled us with dread. For me it was the thought of walking into a church to a sea of unfamiliar faces. Getting married is a personal experience, and we wanted to do it “our way” we wanted to look around on our wedding day to see the people we knew and loved.

My husband is from the UK, so whether it was to be Ireland or abroad half of our guests were going to have to travel, we just needed to settle on a location,
Before finally deciding on Malta we toyed with some other locations . . . I am, despite the clichés, a little bit in love with Paris, I thought that a Parisian wedding would be the ultimate in romance, however in reality our pigeon French and the residency requirements made it impractical, we could of course have had a quiet civil ceremony at home, and then flown out for blessing in the city of lights, but we felt that to bring our friends and family so far just to witness a blessing was too much to ask, so we decided that wherever we chose it would have to be all or nothing, the real deal.

We briefly considered travelling within Ireland, to either the Aran Islands or to Gweedore, but when it came down to it we really wanted to go further afield. We went to wedding fairs and met with planners from both Italy and Malta, but straight away there was something about Malta.
When it came down to it the location wasn’t just about us it had to be somewhere that was as diverse as our guests. The island is a special place, so much more than just fun in the sun, there is something in Malta for everyone, culturally and architecturally the island is as chequered as its long and rich history; the lovely golden beaches for sun worshipers, the lively nightlife of Paceville, shopping at Sliema, the beautiful cobbled streets of Mdina, and the historic capital Valetta for such a small island, your holiday in Malta could be anything you want it to be, and everything is in easy reach, we felt that it genuinely had something to offer all of the guests coming to our wedding.

From a practical point of view, Malta is one of the few locations where your marriage is legally binding, providing of course you comply with the requirements of the local registry, so there is no need for a separate civil ceremony on home soil. English is spoken widely so the paperwork is very straight forward.

For us logistically it was perfect, we had to consider our guests and the expense of making the journey. Compared with other popular wedding destinations it was ideal; a short flight – approx 3 hours from Dublin, and Ryanair fly 3 times a week, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, it meant that our guests didn’t have to do a full one or two week holiday, they could come over for anything from 3 nights. From the UK between all the budget airlines there are daily, reasonably priced flights available.

Then there is the choice of venues, whether you want a church or civil ceremony, there is no shortage of options, Malta is beautiful, we knew we wanted a church wedding, and with 313 on the island we were spoiled for choice.

As soon as we knew where and when we were getting married we contacted hotels of all price ranges, told them about the wedding and the numbers we were expecting and asked if they would put together a special rate for us, all obliged and so with 12 months to go we were able to compile a guide to the different areas, including accommodation options to suit all budgets, we sent this out with our “save the date” and from there the planning just took off! If anything I think that information pack was one of the best things we could have done, it meant people could budget, and most were able to tell us almost immediately whether or not they planned on travelling which helped with the rest of the arrangements . . . . .

LOVE x

I do . . . so what now?

adestinationwedding — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 16:09:06 +0000

We did it!! Something I always said I would but never thought I’d have the guts to go through with (much like this blog) - let alone be lucky to fall for a man that was as happy to fly away with our friends and family as I was.

We got married in Malta last year, on front of almost 100 friends and family that were good enough to make the sacrifices, both time and money to make the trip with us. And it is with thanks to them, that it was for us (as cheesy as it sounds) the trip of a life time. From the time of our engagement to the wedding was about 18 months – we got engaged in Paris on New Years Eve 2008, (another amazing trip which I no doubt will tell you all about on another day) – Over that 18 months, I learned so much, so many what to do’s and what not to do’s. I spent hours and hours trawling internet forums, scouring bookshops and bridal magazines for a whisper of a “destination wedding” article, interrogating anyone I came across that had been married abroad, or had been a guest at a wedding abroad.

I was recently asked by a bride to be, a girl I have never met, but I was asked through a friend of a friend if I could give her some information about getting married in Malta, she was looking for the same as any bride or groom considering getting married abroad would. Reccomendations, hesitations, contact details, some photographs. I was only delighted, I had put all of the information I gathered into a folder and referred back to it time and time again when we were planning. It’s truly amazing the amount of work couples put into that one day, whether you get married at home or away, the work that goes into the day is truly emmense, and when the day is done what do you do with all that information? just throw away the notebooks, the “wedding folder”, store all of the information you have learned away in the back of your mind to gather dust? its seems such a waste.

So while getting information together for that bride, I have decided for what its worth, to take out the notebook, revisit the emails, and provide a comprehsive guide to how we organised our big day in Malta, from guest information, to cars, flowers, wedding venues,

This blog will detail how we did it, you might not always agree with my ideas and opinions, but if you are thinking about getting married abroad, whether in Malta or in any other destination, you might just pick up some useful tips along the way,

I would love to give a helping hand to other brides, hope that you find my blog useful . . .

LOVE x

Spotlight: Roderick Cachia - Pinkish Line

Elaine - Elegant Impressions — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 09:42:22 +0000

Every Wednesday, I’ll be posting a short interview with a quality vendor, along with pictures of their work, to better get to know the person as well as the work. The first interview is with Roderick Cachia of Pinkish Line. If you want to see more of his work (which I’m sure you will, after you see these photographs), head over to his website.

When and how did you fall in love with photography?

I was practically brought up in photography as my father was also a photographer, so I guess i inherited my love for photography from him.

Have you had any formal training?

I learned most of what I know from my father although I have attended various courses on both photography and photoshop over the years. In this industry it’s very important to keep yourself updated and the more you learn the more exciting your job will become!

How would you describe your photography style?

I would describe my style as both classic and casual. I believe that portraiture is always best when shot classical however other photos are best shot casual and fun.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

The person/s and the location involved in the shoot usually gives me all the inspiration i need. It depends on what the bride is wearing, the accessories she has, etc.

Could you share some details about the wedding that has been the most interesting to shoot?

A couple of years ago i had a wedding that was at Popeye’s village. The groom was Maltese and the bride was from lebanon and they both worked with an airline company so you can imagine all the different cultures that this wedding had! The couple was completely relaxed and determined to have fun which makes my job more enjoyable.

Your dream to wedding to photograph?

I would love to photograph a wedding abroad… Till now I photograph approximately 80 weddings a year in Malta so having one abroad will be a great challenge.

What camera(s) do you use for photographing weddings?

Cannon 5D MK II

Any favourite lenses?

Canon 70 – 210mm f/2.8

What is your favourite photograph of all times?

There are alot of favorite photographs but one thats still in my head is of photograph of a post wedding session i had. We were in Mosta and saw an old Maltese barber shop and asked the owner if he would mind if we took a couple of photos there. Luckily he said yes and I took one particular one where the bride sat the groom down in the chair and started posing with the scissors in her hands. The expression on the groom’s face is priceless!

Apart from photography, five things you like?

I like watching football matches and i’m a supporter of INTER, I enjoy my village feast, watching the world’s news and keeping informed on what’s happening around me, following Malta’s politics and discussions involving politics and spending time with my wife and family.

And five things you dislike?

I really dislike dishonest people, hate, things that are not done right, window shopping and circumstances that wake me up early for nothing!

Welcome

Elaine - Elegant Impressions — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 07:56:21 +0000

I am fascinated by weddings, always have been. My parents are always invited to countless weddings because of my father’s job, and I remember that since I was little I couldn’t wait for the morning after to quiz my mother on all the details: “What was the bride wearing? How were the bridesmaid’s dresses? How was the church decorated? How was the cake?” (And here I have to thank my dear mum for always patiently answering all my questions.)
As I got older, and especially in the process of getting married myself, I realised that there’s more to a wedding than the pretty details. There’s the story of two persons who are committing to live the rest of their lives as one and the joining of two families.
At Elegant Impressions we not only strive to create perfect little details, but also to tell the couple’s story through these details. We acknowledge every couple’s individuality and want the biggest celebration of their lives to celebrate their individuality.
Malta and Gozo are two fantastic places to get married in …. Everywhere you turn you see the sun and the sea, the islands are drenched in history and offer some fabulous examples of architecture, and the people are renowned for their warm hospitality and friendly attitude.
Through this blog we not only want to share our work but also what inspires and tickles our fancy, and what is so special about these Mediterranean islands for those out there who are planning a destination wedding in Malta or Gozo.

So with this, the only thing left for me to say is Welcome Aboard

Elaine x