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.

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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.