Planning Tips For Your Dream Wedding

Posted on May 5, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

Many women have dreamed of their wedding day since they were little girls. Although I didn’t and had no idea what I wanted on my big day after getting engaged. I had to start getting some ideas together and make what felt like a million decisions. It was fun but it was stressful. To cut down the stress for other brides I wrote my wedding planning book. Hopefully it will make the journey easier for other brides. In the meantime, here are some tips for creating your dream wedding.

Your Dream Wedding: Wants And Compromises.

You may have a specific idea of your wedding in mind but the reality will probably be different. This doesn’t need to be a bad thing. Just choose the things that you are not willing to negotiate on. When you know what is most important and worth spending money on you can focus on that and then look at cheaper options for other things. Or rope family and friends in. Most will be happy to help.

Budget.

This is the tough one but you need to work out what it is and then you need to stick to it. Enquire if any family members can help and then sit down with your fiancé and have a proper discussion about what you can and cannot afford. There is no point in going into debt for a wedding or taking out a loan. It is only one day of your life, an important one, but one day. You can have an amazing wedding on a small budget. No one should start their married life in debt. Watch out for the ‘W’ bomb. As in ‘wedding’. The W word makes everyone vastly put their prices up.

Guessing cost.

Always overestimate. That way you won’t be left short. Always remember VAT. Some venues and suppliers will be coy about whether VAT is included but ask them and get a direct answer and then make a note of it.

How much it will cost.

This is the question. The answer is: quite a bit. My husband and I managed to get married for less than £10,000. We paid for the majority of this ourselves but did have some family members contribute. Not bad when the average wedding costs £21,000. Spreadsheets are your friend. Negotiating will also be your friend. Try to get money off everything. Don’t take the first quote and rope family and friends into the planning if money is tight.

Controlling Costs.

This is very important. Watch out for VAT and always account for everything. Use a spreadsheet if you can. Keep an eye on the small things as they can all add up.

Dealing With Suppliers.

When dealing with suppliers always remember that you are the customer. Be polite but always be firm. Read the small print and make your wishes clear. More importantly, don’t pay any final invoices until everything has been checked. One supplier charged us for VAT despite the fact they said they wouldn’t. Hmm. Always be careful.

Hatton Gardens.

Hatton Gardens is the area in London where all of the jewellers are located. You can get a very good deal here.

Spreadsheets

Spreadsheets are your friend. If you don’t know how to do one then quickly brush up your skills. They will be your saving grace. Have one for your wedding budget and one for your wedding guest list. For the wedding guest list one, leave space for information such as dietary requirements, RSVP received, gift given and thank you card sent.

Organisation Tips

Have everyone’s contact details to hand. Use spreadsheets and have plenty ‘to do’ lists. Make sure your partner pulls his or her weight. Weddings are hard and stressful to organise, don’t go it alone.

Wedding Planner: To Go It Alone Or Hire Help.

If I had the money I would have hired a wedding planner in an instant. However, they are expensive and you don’t really need one. I am not saying that in a rude way, they will save time and probably a lot of money but weighing up the cost is important. Your venue might have a wedding planner or venue coordinator onsite. If so, this is a tremendous bonus.

If you get a wedding planner make sure you check their recommendations and also have a clear idea of what you want. It is their job to take your ideas and make them into the wedding of your dreams. Don’t accept anything less, budget permitting.

If you are getting married then get your hands on a copy of The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity. It has great advice on planning your perfect wedding and is written by our editor, Catherine Balavage. It is also available in Ebook format and is a great guide for wedding planning.

Alfresco Dining Helped Along by Hardy’s Wines By Margaret Graham

Posted on May 5, 2015 by Margaret Graham

Thank heavens Thomas Hardy travelled from Devon to the south of Australia in 1850, because, within a short while, he began to work with John Reynell, South Australia’s first winemaker and learned the skills of winemaking. Soon Thomas had moved on to become his own master, beginning within a long blink of an eye to create wines that ‘would be prized in the markets of the world’.

Summer is coming. So, what about a few ideas for recipes and some Hardy wines to go with them. Try them and see how Thomas’ efforts have borne fruit.

Alfresco entertaining is a quick and easy way to gather groups of friends and family in an informal setting to enjoy the long summer evenings. Whether you’re hosting a Bank Holiday BBQ, heading out for a picnic or enjoying the weather with some outdoor dining, Hardy’s has a summer wine to match any occasion. Here are some tips to help you whip up a fuss free night of entertaining to make the most of the summer months.

For alfresco entertaining in the garden with friends, complement the longer evenings with tea lights in jam jars and add to the atmosphere with your favourite summer soundtrack, but keep it low, or you’ll have the neighbours joining you.

Simple bite size appetisers are a good idea, such as smoked salmon canapés. Serve on blinis with crème fraiche and pair with a delicious glass of Hardys Stamp Sparkling Pinot Chardonnay (Asda, £8,99RRP). This medium-bodied wine delivers fresh lime with hints of nectarine and apricot and a fresh, zingy finish

Freeze summer berries to use in place of ice cubes – add some frozen berries to your Hardys Sparkling Pinot Chardonnay (Asda, £9.75RRP) for the ultimate summer tipple

Prepare in advance and whip up fruit based dessert the day before. For the perfect wine pairing, serve with a glass of Hardys Stamp Shiraz Rosé (Tesco, £7.99RRP

This wine… We came, we tried, it conquered. You can see from the photo that we chilled, sipped, and drank..

So, the scent: Full of the summer fruits – strawberry, cherry & citrus aromas, with hints of spice.

Palate: the fruit flavours continue, true and rich, smooth and creamy, with soft tannins & excellent fresh acidic finish. Perfect for alfresco dining.

For something a bit special, serve up a classic Antipodean surf and turf dish to really wow your friends. Try Lantana Café’s onglet and mackerel recipe that can be paired with both red and white wine, in a nod to the meat and fish flavours. Match with Eileen Hardy Pinot Noir (www.hardys1853club.com , £34.99) and William Hardy Adelaide Hills Chardonnay (www.hardys1853club.com, £11.99)

Onglet with baby gem lettuce, smoked mackerel, popped wild rice and gochujang dipping sauce

Ingredients

6 x trimmed Onglet steaks (approximately 200g each), seasoned well with salt and pepper 200g x boneless smoked mackerel fillets, flaked2-3 baby gem lettuces separated into whole leaves (approximately 4 leaves per person) 30g wild rice. Sunflower oil for popping the rice. Gouchugang dipping sauce (recipe below)

Preparation

1. To make the popped rice, add enough oil to a heavy bottomed pan to just cover its base and place over a high heat. When the pan is hot, add the wild rice and shake the pan vigorously to coat the grains thoroughly. Cover the pan with a lid, reduce the heat to medium high, and shake the pan until you can hear the rice popping.

2. Reduce the heat to medium low and keep shaking the pan until the popping slows. Note that wild rice will not make as much noise as popcorn does so listen closely. Tip the popped wild rice onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain.

3. To cook the steaks, place a fry pan over a medium to high heat and when hot, add a couple of teaspoons of oil. Depending on the size of your fry pan, place 2 or 3 pieces of onglet into the pan (don’t overcrowd the pan) and cook each side for 5 minutes until nicely browned. Repeat until steaks are cooked and then transfer to a plate and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

4. When ready to serve, place the flaked mackerel fillets under a grill for a couple of minutes to warm slightly. Arrange the gem lettuce leaves on a serving platter or board. Slice the onglet on the diagonal into 1cm thick slices and place these over the gem lettuce leaves- a couple of slices per leaf. Scatter the flaked mackerel over the top of the steak and place dollops of the dipping sauce on top. Finally, scatter the popped rice over the platter. The idea is that people help themselves with their hands and create little parcels with the gem leaves.

Gouchugang dipping sauce

This will make more than you need for this dish but it can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week and used as a condiment with other meats or noodle dishes.

Ingredients 1/4 cup kochujang (red pepper paste)* 1/3 cup daenjang (soybean paste) or miso paste*5 cloves garlic, minced. 1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped finely. 2 spring onions, finely chopped2 tablespoons rice wine*1 tablespoon honey1 tablespoon sesame oil. Black pepper to taste. Water to thin, if needed *Available from Asian supermarkets

Preparation: Mix the ingredients well and chill. Depending on the type of kochujang and daenjang you use, your sauce may be too thick. You can thin with water or sesame oil. Credit – Lantana Café, Shoreditch

All that’s needed is the sun, and it’s breaking through…

The Antarctic Pavilion: Alexander Ponomarev – Concordia

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

Fondaco Marcello, Calle dei Garzoni, Grand Canal, Venice 56th Venice Biennale of Art

Saturday 9th May – Sunday 22^nd November

For anyone who happens to be in Venice between the above dates I think I trip to the Antarctic Pavilion would be an extraordinary experience. Following the critical success of the Antarctic Pavilion’s inaugural exhibition at the 14th Venice Architecture Biennale, Concordia is a major installation by the celebrated Russian artist Alexander Ponomarev.

Concordia is Latin for ‘harmony’ – the personification of concord, a treaty or pact. It is also the name basis of the Costa Concordia, wrecked off the coast of Italy in 2012 after a catastrophic blunder by its captain who abandoned ship before the safe evacuation of his 3,229 passengers.

For the 56th Venice Biennale of Art, Alexander Ponomarev’s installation, curated by Nadim Samman, deploys the Costa Concordia disaster – specifically, the broken pact between Captain Schettino and his passengers – as a provocative lens through which to view the fragility of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty. This agreement suspended military activity and sovereign claims on the continent’s territory, limiting human activity there to the pursuit of peaceful scientific endeavour. As the global struggle for resources intensifies, the future of this treaty is in peril.

In Ponomarev’s sculptural intervention a scale model of the grounded Concordia, tilting like a tipped iceberg (or perhaps a shift in the polar axis itself) stands as an image of terrestrial re- orientation: a new worldview.

Elsewhere in the exhibition, fire invokes a notorious act of arson by a staff doctor from the Argentinean Almirante Brown station, who burnt his base to the ground when the setting sun announced the onset of winter.

Further works are based on the artist’s recent expedition to the (Russian Orthodox) Trinity Church of Antarctica when the whole expedition party received marriage sacraments from the southern continent’s only resident monk.

In addition to its invoking of paradigmatic disasters, Concordia is a meditation on community, responsibility, security and the strength of the ties that bind us together amid shifting personal and political landscapes.

The Antarctic Pavilion is a European interface platform for The Antarctic Biennale, to be held in Antarctica in 2016 aboard international research vessels. The Antarctic Biennale is also devised and implemented by artist Alexander Ponomarev and curated by Nadim Samman both of whom were named by Foreign Policy Magazine among the ‘100 Leading Global Thinkers’ of 2014 ‘for designing a blueprint for Antarctic culture.

www.antarcticpavilion.com

THE FAERIE TREE: A Book In The Making | Beltane

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Jane Cable

Beltane: a season of fertility and fire, a time to welcome new life into the earth. A good time to contact spirits or interact with the Fae.

After the rigours of the last few weeks I am absolutely convinced that releasing a new book is akin to passing through fire. Or at very least, virtual fire. I seem to have spent most of my time tweeting, googling, goodreading, facebooking and linking in. Even my dreams – or nightmares – have been seen through the prism of my laptop or iPad screen.

Why? I have been chasing the writer’s holy grail: reviews. In a world where there are thousands of books, how else are readers to choose what to read? And without the right number of reviews (rumoured to be at least fifty) you are not going to kick on with those all important Amazon search algorithms.

Of course hunting down reviews is a potentially risky business because even when you ask… or suggest… that bloggers and other opinion formers review the book you cannot, quite rightly, influence what they say. With my first novel, The Cheesemaker’s House, I had my (only) one star review early on so I got it out of the way. With The Faerie Tree I’m still waiting. No fewer than three stars anywhere. Yet.

Of course there are reviews which are downright irritating and it just isn’t the done thing (again, quite rightly) to reply. Top of my list are the people who spell the main characters’ names wrong; I know reviewers are busy people but if they have skim-read a book they ought to admit to it. I subscribe to the Alliance of Independent Authors’ Ethical Author code (for more information see here: http://allianceindependentauthors.org/ethical-author/) and part of that is about being open and transparent when I review other people’s books. I would love all reviewers to do the same.

On the upside, there are reviewers you just want to pick up and hug. Like the one who completely got the fact that part of my reason for writing the book was to give people who suffer from depression a positive portrayal. Like the one on Goodreads who realised the book wasn’t really their thing but gave it three stars anyway because it was well written. Like the reviews that just make me laugh.

Some of that laughter could just be relief. Until a book is out there you never really know how it will be received. Overall, it’s doing really well; 4 ½ stars on Amazon and 4.1 on Goodreads. People are generally gripped by it – one reader in South Africa finished it by torchlight during a power cut. They are enjoying the characters, their relationships, their stories.

But I am learning, too. Of course it’s too late to change The Faerie Tree now but there is a significant minority who are finding one of the main characters irritating – have I got that wrong? And others feel the resolution of the mystery is too obscure… or even completely lacking. Should I have spelt it out a little more? All useful things to consider as I complete the first draft of my next offering and begin the editing process.

But, being Beltane, I have lifted my eyes from the screen and ventured out into sunshine in the natural world. Where better to go than the fairy tree wood in Hampshire where the story began? And to thank the faeries, elves and pixies who live there for their very large contribution to the success of their book.

The Faerie Tree is available as an ebook or paperback from Amazon, Kobo, Waterstones and to order from all major bookstores. Find out more at http://janecable.com/the-book/4588312168 .

How to Plan a Wedding on a Budget

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

When I first started planning my wedding I was daunted. The cost of most weddings is over £20,000. It seemed insane to spend this on one day of our life. The majority of our wedding was paid for by my (now) husband and I so I had to keep things cheap. I decided to stop panicking and start researching instead. This research became my book, The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity. I have an excerpt on wedding planning from my wedding book below. I hope this eases the stress and helps a little. You need it when planning a wedding.

Tips For Saving Money On Your Wedding

Cutting the guest list.

This is the best and easiest way to cut the budget. Every single person who comes to your wedding costs you money. So be ruthless and don’t feel you have to give everyone a plus one. Cutting children from your wedding will also save money but if you do this make it a rule across the board. If some guests have gone to the expense of hiring a babysitter and then see other children running around they are probably not going to be happy about it.

Cut the hours

The longer the wedding the more it will cost to feed people and give them drinks. You don’t have to have a long wedding, just do whatever you want. This will be easier if you have to be out of the venue at a set time but don’t feel like you have to use all of your allocated time, or pay to entertain your guests for the full amount of time. As long as you feed people and give them a certain amount of alcohol then they should be grateful and not too bothered if they have to put their hand in their pocket at the end of the night.

Marry off-peak

Getting married during the week will save money not only on the venue, but also with suppliers too. Your guests will have to take a day off work so factor this in. An autumn or winter wedding will also be cheaper.

Go Online

Buy things cheaply online and also check for cheaper deals than you have been offered. Car boot sales and charity shops will also have cheap stuff that could come in handy.

Getting Organised

Being organised and booking things in advance will save lots of money.

Minimoon

This is a mini honeymoon that couples have when they have to delay their honeymoon. You can also extend your first night hotel stay into a mini honeymoon. Staycations are best for minimoons. There are plenty of amazing places in the United Kingdom where you can have a romantic getaway. Cornwall, Brighton, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Devon, London…the possibilities are endless.

Have Your Honeymoon in Europe

If you live in the United Kingdom then not only will having a honeymoon in Europe be easy to get to, it will also be a lot cheaper. There are plenty of beautiful, romantic places to go.

Have Prosecco Instead of Champagne.

It is cheaper but tastes just as good. As long as you buy the right one.

The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity is available in print, ebook and Kindle. The Kindle version is only £2.99.

Avengers: Age of Ultron {Film Review}

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Owun Birkett

One of the most anticipated movies of the summer has finally hit cinemas and anticipation would be an understatement. After the release of both Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy last year, both fans and general audiences were expecting this 11th entry in Marvel Cinematic Universe to top everything off.

After the events of The Winter Soldier, The Avengers (consists of Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner)) pursue the last HYDRA commander, Baron Wolfgang von Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann). However, they also come across Strucker’s experiments with the twins, Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) (changed from being mutants and Magneto’s children to experiments, due to 20th Century Fox owning rights to X-Men). Stark starts thinking about retiring from being Iron Man and starts creating, along with Banner, a new set of A.I. drones to tackle future threats (even extraterrestrial). Thus Ultron (James Spader) is born but doesn’t pan out as expected. Like a new child, he quickly takes action by having one primary goal; human extinction.

avengers_age_of_ultron_ver11_xlg The movie doesn’t waste any time setting things up (if you haven’t been following the events from previous movies, good luck) and we’re straight into our first big action set-piece. It may feel a little rushed at times but it all flows seamlessly together. The whole MCU is already established at this point, though the few scenes where it takes a break from the action is one of the highlights. The entire cast fits into their characters like a glove, fully adjusting to their roles that we’ve been following since 2008. It completely shows their camaraderie as working in a team, as what made The Avengers such a treat to watch. Their witty banter and emotional connection are probably one of the most compelling moments in this movie (especially a running gag with Rogers and the team). We’re even given more back-story to Barton and Romanoff, which fleshed out their characters in a huge way than before. Both Maximoff twins are a welcome addition, giving Avengers an extra challenge to tackle. Wanda uses her hypnosis to bring out the team’s fears, thus adding a human layer to their characterisation.There are a few additional characters put into the mix (Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue to name one of many and antagonist for future Black Panther film) and may feel a little much to take all in but you tend to go along with the ride. Though it’s James Spader who steals the spot-light and he’s the most charismatic and intimidating villain since Loki. His introduction is undeniably gripping and quite spine-chilling with his speech towards the Avengers. He observes the world with childlike perception, slowly growing incredibly intellectual but also persistent on bringing total destruction on a global scale.

Writer/director Joss Whedon may excel on delivering wisecracks here and there but doesn’t fall short of the spectacle and there’s plenty of that on display! The creative fight combos between the heroes (mainly from Captain America and Thor) shows their ability to work as a team. The Hulkbuster vs Hulk scene was incredibly entertaining to watch, yet follows Man of Steel’s complete utter city destruction (may not be on the same scale but comes close). The design of Ultron is pretty much a Terminator pumped with steroids but given a face similar to Michael Bay’s Transformers movies. Given a lot to deliver expressions from the face with Spader also providing motion-capture performance. Although Quicksilver was the scene-stealer from X-Men: Days of Future Past, this portrayal of Quicksilver is just as creative and does convey his intense speed through-out the movie. Brian Tyler and Danny Elfman’s score gets you pumped for rooting our heroes but also delivering the right emotional notes during such scenes with our characters.

Overall; one of the best entries in the series. It somewhat surpasses the sequel on expanding the MCU series but also fleshing out our protagonist’s and making it worth investing from beginning to end. Joss Whedon makes his last outing with Marvel a bang and has given us a fantastic villain with Ultron. Next up, Ant-Man.

5 out of 5

p.s. Stay for a mid-credits scene, though you probably were ready to do that anyways.

Coming Home By Annabel Kantaria Book Review

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

After a heavy work week I was looking for something enjoyable to read. Luckily Coming Home By Annabel Kantaria came through the letterbox. I was drawn in from the first page. The story is engaging with enough twists to keep you guessing. The character of Evie is likeable and warm, even when her mother is bringing out her immaturity. Kantaria captures family life and all of its difficulties. I enjoyed this book and read it quickly. It is a triumphant debut from Annabel Kantaria. Recommended.

‘An utterly compelling story of loss and betrayal – I loved it’ – Judy Finnigan
Your parents make you who you are.

But how much do you really know about them?

After her father unexpectedly passes away, Evie leaves her life in Dubai behind, and returns to England. Her family home is the same as it ever was: perfectly pristine, but filled with her mother’s unspoken grief for Evie’s brother, who was killed as a child in a tragic accident.

Evie knew that coming home would be hard. But whatever she expected, she’s definitely not prepared for her whole life to unravel in front of her. And as one secret after another is uncovered, she begins to realise that everything she thought she knew about her family has been one big lie…

Coming Home is available here.

Way Upstream by Alan Ayckbourn at Chichester Festival Theatre

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Vicky Edwards

Credit: Simon Annand

When a play requires a river, a tree-lined bank and a floating motor cruiser as its set, it’s destined to be seldom performed. But Chichester Festival Theatre doesn’t scare easily when it comes to technical challenges and Nadia Fall’s extraordinary production of Alan Ayckbourn’s dark comedy easily meets the play’s epic technical demands.

With most of the action taking place onboard Hadforth Bounty the first half is where the laughs are to be had. Keith and June have taken to the water with colleagues and business partners Alastair and Emma for a jolly waterways holiday. Trouble on dry land back at their novelty goods factory sees PA Mrs Hatfield (Nicola Sloane) having to show up bankside with daily updates. Brash and self-important, Keith (Peter Forbes) quickly nominates himself as captain, while his disgruntled wife June (Sarah Parish) carps, huffs and idles. Lily-livered Alastair (Jason Hughes) and his timid missus Emma (Jill Halfpenny) end up doing the bulk of the graft, resentment building like a slowly developing tidal wave.

But the sit-com feel and the jokes at the expense of well-drawn middle-class characters give way to altogether nastier themes. With the arrival of Vince (Jason Durr), a savvy and seemingly harmless bit of eye candy who does, unlike the novice sailors, at least seem to know how to avoid capsizing, initial barbed teasing swiftly degenerates into disturbing casual cruelty, punctuated only by drunken revels and sexual shenanigans. Manipulating Keith off the boat to go and deal with the threat of strike action back at the factory, Vince introduces minxy Fleur (Emily Laing) into the equation, all the while ramping up the intimidation and spite.

As Ayckbourn highlights the consequences of power in the wrong hands and the fallout of perpetual feebleness, the laughter from the audience gets increasingly nervous.

Fabulously played, the performances are all stunningly good; not even Ben Stones gloriously clever set, beautifully lit by Tim Mitchell, can upstage this superb cast.

An odd but nevertheless compelling play, the launch of the 2015 Festival season at Chichester makes an impressive splash.

Until 16 May. Box office: 01243 781312; www.cft.org.uk

Vicky Edwards

Frost Magazine

Books and Lifestyle