Holiday Fun

Summer is officially over with children being back to school and everyone back to work from their holidays. The BC team had some amazing holidays this year and travelled all over the world. Here are some of the places we visited this summer…
Nicola – Kefalonia, Greece
I had the most amazing holiday ever! This was my second time in Kefalonia and this Greek island has stolen my heart. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen and there is so much to do and see. Great wedding destination too! Here are some of my favourite pictures of Petani Beach, Lunch at Lepeda Beach, Myrtos Beach and Assos…
Niklaus – Los Alcazares, Spain
Los Alcázares is one of the most relaxing and beautiful locations along the Spanish coast; great food, great cocktails and even better views!
Donnie – Hvar, Croatia
As in true BC style, I was jet setting with the rich and famous in Croatia on island of Hvar. After arriving to the amazing Hotel Amfora, I was then island hopping around Hvar for lunch and dinner and waiting for a sunset or sunrise at Carpe Diem club. All in all amazing destination for party, sailing or just soaking up the sunshine. It is a must go destination and if this wasn’t on your bucket list please add it now. If you need a translator please give me a call!
Andrea – Cancun, Mexico
Cancun is a tropical paradise that remains one of the world’s top tourist destinations. There are places where the ocean is the perfect shade of turquoise, it’s gorgeous!! The locals are very hospitable and friendly. They are a very happy, thankful, and good-natured people. If you’re looking for a place with great weather, pumping nightlife, many accommodation options and some of the coolest activities in Mexico, Cancun is where you want to be. Excursions in Cancun that I fully recommend are chicken itza, Cancun Dolphin Royal Swim and the one day sightseeing, snorkelling and dancing catamaran cruise.
Vanessa – Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
As Brazil is my home town, I love everything about the country. One sight that I really recommend seeing if you ever visit Brazil is the Elephant Mountain in Niteroi. It is a stunning beach and has the biggest waves I have ever seen! Perfect for surfers!

Hamboula – New York, America
I had a fantastic time in New York this year. I shopped ’til I dropped, ate amazing food and had so much fun seeing all the sights. Would definitely recommend this trip if you haven’t been before. So much to do and see in New York and I can’t wait to go back soon.
Rosie – Various
Bogliasco, Italy
The warm green waters of the Ligurian Sea lap gently against Bogliasco’s black, sandy beach. Like the village itself the beach is tiny and is popular with visitors and locals alike. Not much is known about the town because its records were plundered during the Napoleonic conquest.  However, it is certain that Bogliasco, an ancient fishing village that was well known to the Romans.

For more details visit: Wedding Themes London, Wedding Staging, Wedding Staging England, Wedding backdrops, Wedding Dance Floors London & wedding chair covers hire.

Green Events

Green is the new black as Corporate Social Responsibility tops agendas.

Hosting a green event revolves around one simple underlying rule: “reduce-re-use-recycle.” Put simply, a green event is one that is hosted in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. The objective of a green event is to reduce the consumption of natural resources, keep waste to a minimum and limit impact on global climate.

Meetings, conferences, expos, trade shows and other events are some of the largest producers of waste and greenhouse gas emissions in the world. According to MeetGreen, during a typical five day conference, 2,500 attendees will use 62,500 plates 87,500 napkins, 90,000 cans or bottles. In that way, event organisers have a duty of care to limit the negative impact that event hosting has on the environment. But by following green practices, event planners can significantly reduce this damage.

By following a code of conduct outlining the proper practices, any event organiser can host a green event.

The code of conduct for green events

Venue: Select a venue that supports your green goals and has an environmental policy. Choosing hotels and suppliers with green policies and practices will automatically improve the ‘eco-friendliness’ of your event. Check whether the venue has an eco-procurement policy that gives preference to sourcing and purchasing local, environmentally friendly produce and services. Choose a venue with an in-house recycling program for waste stream such as glass, paper, plastics and organic waste and encourage its use. Also, pick a venue that is easily accessible by public transport an encourage delegates to use it.

Leverage technology: Rather than send hundreds of invitations, complete with inserts, create a website with all the details of your event. Sending out email invitations rather that printing them can minimise paper use. Also invite delegates to join the event by video conferencing. Advanced communication technology enables you to reach more people, whilst reducing business travel and energy costs.

Transport:  Transportation is one of the largest contributors to air pollution and greenhouse emissions.  Encourage your delegates to take public transport by offering to refund their train or bus tickets. When organising taxis try to group together people who need to be picked up or dropped off at the same station and encourage taxi sharing.

Event Materials: Go paperless! Try to avoid printed hand-outs and if it’s essential then use recycled or eco-friendly paper. Better still, upload all your conference material on a USB stick to reduce paper and encourage the reuse. If you must print, use double-sided printing for all collateral and meeting related material.

Decorations: Offer to buy decorations from previously used events when they’re no longer needed. This not only saves on cost, it also stops everything being sent to landfill.

Recycle: Think before you print all those reams of conference material. Can name badges, folders, labels and other stationery be saved and re-used another time? Can unwanted papers and brochures be donated to schools or charities? Use reusable dishes, utensils, tablecloths, and napkins that can be washed instead of being thrown away. Also go the extra mile by establishing a compost program for all food and waste. Composting can reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and subsequently reduce methane emissions.  Do this by requesting recycle bins from the venue.

Source: Choose your catering and giveaways wisely. Use caterers that are in close proximity to the meeting to reduce the carbon footprint of transporting foods. Think Fairtrade, local, organic, in season when it comes to refreshments. Use filtered instead of bottled water, and ensure your delegate bags and giveaways are from sustainable and ethical sources.

Budget with a conscience:  Allocate some of your budget to offsetting carbon emissions from your event. Make a tangible contribution to society by making a donation to a favourite charity or get your delegates involved in a local environmental project as part of their team building exercise

Donate: Rather than have caterers bin leftovers, get in touch with a local homeless shelter and offer to donate the food. It not only saves on wastage, it also helps those less fortunate.

There are many advantages to developing a greening plan, including cost saving opportunities in both the long and short term, and building a positive reputation through creating awareness around the need to reduce negative impacts of hosting events. By utilising ecologically friendly ways you will add charm and character to an event which will be sure to make it one remember. Furthermore you can set the bar and encourage other companies to go green.

Remember, using a green approach when hosting an event is good for you, good for the planet, and good for your budget too.

For more details visit: Wedding lighting Hertfordshire, Wedding lighting, Wedding lighting hire, wedding and light sound specialists, light sound specialists, Sound for Weddings & Sound for Weddings England.

Wedding Trends

You may already be aware that Beyond Certainty specialise in sound and lighting for weddings and have built a reputation for making people’s dreams come true.  For us it’s important to be on top of the latest trends in the wedding industry so our ideas and recommendations to our clients are as fresh and exciting as possible.  

Technology will play a huge role in weddings this year and will go beyond just production elements. So, for example, with so many friends and family living abroad these days live – streaming the wedding for all to see is an increasingly more valid option. Weddings have changed drastically over the years and people are becoming more and more competitive in the attempt to trying to come up with innovative ideas for making their day more memorable. Food stations and dessert tables are becoming popular, as is having some form of entertainment for guests during the drinks reception from a pianist to a saxophonist.

For more information on BC Weddings – http://www.designmyweddingforme.com/

For more details visit: Wedding lighting Hertfordshire, Wedding lighting, Wedding lighting hire, wedding and light sound specialists, light sound specialists, Sound for Weddings & Sound for Weddings England.

How To Pick A Theme For Your Wedding

When it comes to deciding on a theme for a wedding there are many deciding factors. See below:

Likes and Dislikes – The most important deciding factor on a couples theme for a wedding is narrowing down exactly what their likes and dislikes are. Once this has been done the theme can be created around what the couples likes are.

Time of Year – The time of year can play a huge part when deciding on the overall theme for a wedding. Popular wedding themes are as follows: -

- Spring/Summer: Vintage, English Country Garden, Sparkle, and Versailles

Autumn/Winter: Winter Wonderland, Gatsby, Rustic, Black and White, Fairy-tale

Venue and Location – The style of venue chosen for a couple’s big day can influence the theme. Some brides and grooms come up with a theme first and then look for a suitable venue/location whilst others decide on the venue/location and base the theme around the venue. It all depends on what is more important to the couple.

Budget - Not all brides are fortunate enough to have an endless money pot for their wedding so it important that they are able to have the wedding of their dreams within the budget set aside. Therefore it is important to allocate some of your budget on theming but not all of it. Think about what will make the theme stand out for instance flowers, lighting and furniture.

Age – The age group of the bride and groom as well as their guests should be considered when deciding the theme. As some younger couples may want to go with a trend whilst others may want to keep it very classic and elegant.

For more details visit: Wedding lighting London, Wedding design London, light and sound for wedding, Wedding Audio Visual London, Wedding design, Wedding Supplier Management and Wedding Supplier Management England.

Top Tips For Brides On Transforming Your Venue

Lighting – Creating lighting that inspires and captivates has become an essential component of any memorable wedding or event. There are so many ways to achieve amazing lighting and that is all dependant on the scale of the event, time of day and venue space itself. Lights can really add a ‘wow’ factor to your wedding. They can completely colour wash any basic venue into something amazing. Our top of the range uplighters are a favourite among our clients. There are many prominent colours for weddings including blue, pink, gold and purple. Our gobo lights are also very popular and can be personalised so that the newlyweds’ initials are projected around the room or on the dance floor. Pin spots on each table are also very common at weddings as they really highlight table centrepieces. For us, lighting is a really important factor for your venue and your wedding and will make a big difference.

Theming/Colour Scheme – Theming/colour scheme is a great way of transforming any venue. A theme can create a very unique feel to your wedding. Some of our favourite themes include Winter Wonderland, English Country Garden and Great Gatsby. Colour schemes are a big factor of every wedding and really enhance the overall look and feel of the venue.

Flowers – Of course, another huge factor of your wedding. Flowers add a really special touch to a venue and can add a huge pop of colour. Whether it is white, pink or purple flowers, they look absolutely stunning in a venue and will add that wedding feel.

Draping – Draping can transform a venue and make it look so unique. Draping can be used in most venues and can be hung from walls or ceilings. It also matches themes such as Arabian nights or old Hollywood. Drapes can be made in any colour and are easily applied to most surfaces.

Staging/Backdrop/Top Table – Most brides and grooms have a top table at their wedding. This along with a backdrop and a stage can make the bride and groom really stand out. Backdrops can be any colour and many favour backdrops with white twinkle lights for that extra special touch. Backdrops can also be used behind a DJ or band. The attention of guests is always focused on the bride and grooms top table so make sure everything is perfect.

Entertainment – Certain entertainers can also transform your venue. Depending on your theme, top entertainers are usually performers such as magicians, jugglers, stilt walkers, fire eaters, crystal ball performers, circus acts, dancers or singing waiters. These add an additional experience and guests will be given something to remember. 

For more details visit: Wedding lighting London, Wedding design London, light and sound for wedding, Wedding Audio Visual London, Wedding design, Wedding Supplier Management and Wedding Supplier Management England.

BC Wedding Services

Imaginative use of lighting can change the look and feel of your special day and can transform any venue in to something spectacular. The balance of lights in a room is very important and lights that are used in the correct way can add a magical atmosphere to any occasion and can help create focus on the subject matter of the event.

Beyond Certainty can provide various indoor and outdoor lighting and special effects equipment for any occasion. Lighting options are endless and we will aim to find a solution that works for what you want the day to be.

Anything from a small scale wedding reception to a huge party, we make sure that everything said or sung is crystal clear for all your guests.

Beyond Certainty has a vast range of different types of sound systems and microphones and will recommend the most suitable solution for your event at the best possible price. Whether it’s a small PA system for 15 guests to an extensive sound system for a 10 piece band, we cover it all. We can also supply sound engineers to ensure that the day runs without a hitch!

Our past experience has allowed us to work in some of the best venues in the UK from the Royal Exchange to the Natural History Museum. We have the best equipment on hand to ensure that the sound quality is the best for your wedding and we will always aim to put together the best package for your special day.

No matter where your event is, Beyond Certainty will create an outstanding stage and top table. This is considered by some as one of the most important features of a wedding venue, being a focus point throughout the event.

With our extensive experience and resources, we can design custom built stage sets with unique lighting effects and visual displays to meet your exact requirements. All our staging equipment can be draped, spotlighted or covered to match your chosen colour scheme. We also have various fairy lit designs to use for stage and top table back drops, really highlighting the centrepiece of your magical day - you!

Our helpful installation team will build the stage and finish it off to a professional standard. All the stage decks are bolted together to ensure the stage is secure throughout the hire period.

No matter what size, colour, style or scope of your event, we can fulfill all your staging needs within your specific budget. We have standard options or can create elaborate bespoke sets dependent on your requirements. We’re always happy to discuss your needs so please don’t hesitate to contact us and we can help to create a truly memorable day for you and your guests.

Over the years we have found that the most simplistic themes work the best, whether it's shabby chic, glitz, enchanted forest or simply diamonds and pearls. We can recommend the best centrepieces, props, linen and 'touches' that will carry your theme through the venue and provide a unique experience for your guests.

Dancefloors traditionally are wooden but now there is also an endless choice of colours and designs.  We provide every type from wooden to full LED colour changing to shiny black gloss variations.  Let us know what you desire and we will provide you with a competitive quote that includes professional installation and fitted to the size you require.

For more details visit: Wedding lighting London, Wedding lighting Hertfordshire, Sound for Weddings, Sound for Weddings England, Wedding Themes London, Wedding Staging, Wedding Staging England and Wedding Dancefloors London.

The Proposal

I have always been a magpie and dreamt of Elizabeth Taylor’s jewellery (not her number of husbands.) Her iconic collection is simply stunning and once I even dragged my boyfriend to Christie’s to see some of her gorgeous pieces. I always knew that I wanted an engagement ring that glistened and gleamed, the kind that you can’t take your eyes off.

Although my boyfriend and I had touched on the subject of marriage, we had never really discussed what ring I would like.  So like any woman, I dropped a few subtle hints and created a ‘Bling Ring’ board on my Pinterest in the hope that he would one day stumble across it, and much to my delight he did!

 Last October on my Birthday, my boyfriend whisked me away to the charming city of Amsterdam. We stayed at Hotel Pulitzer situated on one of Amsterdam’s lovely canals. On our first evening in the capital my boyfriend hired a private boat which was provided by the hotel and took me on a tour of the city at night. The boat ride was wonderfully intimate and romantic and as we were floating down the canal, he got down on one knee and proposed.

 I didn’t have the slightest inkling that he was going to propose and I was in a state of shock for the rest of the weekend, constantly looking down at my finger to check it was real.  The thought had crossed my mind prior to the holiday but I had instantly disagreed with it, I mean who wants to get proposed to in Amsterdam, a place known for its cannabis smokers and red-light district.  However, that was what I thought before I went. There is so much more to Amsterdam than the notorious red light district that it has become synonymous with, it’s a beautiful place and I hope to go back very soon.

My now fiancé personally designed the engagement ring and had it specially made for me by my good friend Kinvara Law who makes beautiful bespoke jewellery. The ring was everything I had dreamt of and I am extremely lucky. Isn’t it just stunning?

For more details follow the links: Wedding design London, Wedding Audio Visual London, Wedding Supplier Management, Wedding Supplier Management England, Wedding lighting London and Wedding lighting Hertfordshire.

Engagement Party

I knew that I wanted an engagement party and I used to dream about holding it in The Penthouse and Pavilion at The Dorchester overlooking Hyde Park. Even though I work in the events industry and have seen so many beautiful venues, this has always been a space that I loved.  However to my dismay the date that I wanted to hold the engagement party on was not available so I had to find an alternative solution.  After much thought I decided to have a more casual, intimate affair with immediate family and friends at my apartment with hired in staff.

My fiancé and I both come from divorced parents, and for weeks prior to the party I was worried stiff about everyone being in the same place and confined to just one space (you never know what family eruption may blow up when it comes to divorced parents.) However on the actual date of the party, and after a few drinks of bubbly it didn’t matter anymore. I just made sure that all the parents were kept in separate corners of the room to avoid disaster.

The colour scheme I have chosen for my wedding are creams, lilacs and also a blush pink.  I wanted my engagement party to be of similar colours and sourced all my flowers from The New Covent Garden Flower Market which were absolutely beautiful. The flower market has over 20 traders offering spectacular flowers from all over the world, catering for every conceivable bridal bouquet. It is also is a great option for brides that don’t have much budget or want to cut costs as buying directly from the wholesalers means you cut out the cost of the florist.

I took advantage of the Waitrose glass loan service and borrowed all of my glassware for the party. This is another great money saving tip as it is a free service (providing you don’t break any.) I compiled the music for the party myself and played a mixture of old school tunes from Phil Collins, Elton John and Rod Stewart to more current music like Swedish House Mafia and Bruno Mars. I bought some sweet trees which everyone loved and I have had requests from guests to also have them at the wedding. So sweet trees will be going on my dessert table amongst the cheese, wedding cake and miniature cupcakes.

By the end of the evening and by that I mean 5.00 in the morning; Disney songs were being played, the handle on the bathroom door had broken and people were passed out on the sofa. It’s safe to say the party was a great success.

 Little Tip: I put a visitor’s book in the hallway and got one of the hosts to make sure all guests put their address in it before they got to drunk. This way I had everyone’s address when it comes to sending out the save the date and invitations.

For more details visit: Wedding lighting London, Wedding lighting Hertfordshire, Sound for Weddings, Sound for Weddings England, Wedding Themes London and Wedding Staging England.

My Chosen Wedding Venue

Selecting the right wedding venue for our wedding was a much longer, harder and a more stressful process then I imagined it would be. During this time two of my best girl friends have also got engaged and are having their weddings this year. I know what you are thinking and no, it has not turned in to bride wars…yet!

My dream since I was a little girl was to get married in the Cotswold’s near where I am from. I pictured returning to my roots and spending the weekend around my wedding relaxing and really feeling at home. Having searched high and low in the area I call home and places nearby I was finding a lot of the venues we looked at wouldn’t fit the numbers. There was only one venue my fiancé and I fell in love with…Barnsley House. Yet still it wasn’t practical for the amount of people we wanted and our preferred date was not available – typical! This to us was a sign that it was not the one.

After seeing Barnsley House it was very hard to find somewhere we liked just as much and the venue search had to be put on hold for a while as I was comparing everything to Barnsley House.

We decided if we couldn’t find our dream venue in the Cotswold’s then we were going to look further afield changing the wedding from just a day of celebrations to a weekend – this way I thought everyone gets real break, especially those traveling from London and further afield.

After months of looking online and going completely dizzy searching through website after website we decided on the venue, Axnoller in Dorset.

From the moment my fiancé and I walked through the door we both knew this was the one, we just had ‘that’ feeling and it completely took my breathe away. Set in the heart of the countryside with nothing else around, it was perfect!

We are planning on having the ceremony in the courtyard and reception in a marquee onsite with a brunch on the Sunday after the wedding for a selected number of guests to finish off the celebrations and to top it off; we were able to get our desired date, 24th May 2014. I like to believe that things happen for a reason and this was certainly the case for us and our wedding venue!

 After so much searching online and driving around various potential venues we are very happy to have finally found the perfect wedding venue. Let the planning commence!!!

The save the date is going out this week. What do you think?

Also follow the links to get more information about this: Sound for Weddings, Sound for Weddings England, Wedding Themes London, Wedding Staging, Wedding Staging England and Wedding Dancefloors London.

BC Weddings

Beyond Certainty are wedding and light sound specialists that can transform your chosen venue to reflect your vision and help create the perfect atmosphere for this magical occasion.

We believe that selecting the right lighting and sound for your wedding helps to make the occasion a wonderful experience to remember. Whether it be for the ceremony or the reception the Beyond Certainty way is about being unique, paying attention to detail and exceeding your expectations. For us it’s important that the whole venue gives the right look and ambience throughout.

You may only be there for one day, but we understand that your wedding is priceless and there’s only one opportunity to get everything right! That’s why, where possible, we meet you and your event coordinator at your chosen venue for a no obligation discussion on how we can transform the venue and bring that WOW factor alive. We talk you through what can be done, how we would do it, and what we can supply. At all stages our focus is making sure we can provide sound and lighting that’s right for you and your venue.

Beyond Certainty will create a bespoke lighting and sound package for your event whether it is small and intimate or large and loud, anywhere in the UK and around the World.

For more details please visit: Wedding design London, Wedding Audio Visual London, Wedding Supplier Management, Wedding Supplier Management England, Wedding lighting London and Wedding lighting Hertfordshire.