Event Planning

A Naming Ceremony is a really important moment in your child's life – and an important memory for the family as a whole. It is the moment that you officially welcome a new person into the family in front of everyone you love, and a lot of people choose to give speeches at a Naming Ceremony. If this is something that you plan on doing, here's our guide to writing a Naming Ceremony speech for you little one's special day.

From superstar warbler Mariah Carey to bootilicious Beyonce - these stunning celebrities share more in common than just their good looks, success and talent - they are among the coolest mummies on the planet! Just in the musical category alone, mums like Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani, Mel B, and now our very own Adele, are leading the list of superstar celebrity mums who seem to juggle their work and home life - how do they do it??? And then we have the likes of Victoria Beckham (four kids and counting), Michelle Obama, Sarah Jessica Parker (with twins added to the family last year), Madonna...the list goes on and on! Being a mum is hard work, but being a celebrity mum must be even harder. Despite this, these stunning female A-listers have gone and proved that you can juggle demanding work schedules, glitz and glamour, and motherhood, all the while making it look super easy and stylish (and, dare we say, skinny!) Not only have these gorgeous ladies popped out their babies, but they still manage to look as beautiful as ever. We'd like to blame magazine touch-upss, but we've seen these women on film from the red carpet too, and they look flawless. Having frequently been papped out and about with their tots, whether it be school runs, or having them accompany them to fashion runway shows, these A-listers have managed everything, from birth and baptisms to over-the-top 1st birthday parties and beyond. And for those who didn't feature in Hello! magazine for every important event of their baby's life, we can only imagine the scale of some of their baptism celebrations - can you imagine!!!

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden are showing off their gorgeous Little Princess Estelle in the press this week. The totally adorable seven-month-old baby girl is showered in affection by her parents, in a series of adorable snaps for celebrity magazines. Estelle is the future queen of Sweden, and is a perfect combination of her parents: with daddy's green eyes and her mummy's open smile. The photos were being taken to celebrate a new exhibition, 'Princess Estelle - Birth and Baptism', which opened last week in the royal palace. It details the little princess's baptism, and how the royal court prepared for the big day. Royal watchers can also view the beautiful christening gown the royal baby wore on her special day. Estelle had her christening on May 22nd this year in the magnificent, gold-trimmed 17th-century chapel where her ancestors have been baptised for generations. And, living up to her astral name, Estelle was a little star during the proceedings, and opened her eyes with curiosity when the baptismal water was poured over her head, rather tha screaming the place down! Estelle is one of a new generation of female future sovereigns - along with Elisabeth of Belgium, Dutch Princess Catharina-Amalia and Ingrid Alexandra of Norway, she is likely to reign towards the middle of the century.

Deciding to get hitched to your partner can be exciting. You’re agreeing to move into a new phase of your relationship and indeed your life as a whole. However, it’s not as simple as signing a document. You’ll need to choose what sort of ceremony you want. These days, there are plenty of options when it comes to nuptial celebrations and if you fancy something a little out of the ordinary, you can go for a beach wedding. These events are the perfect excuse to get some sunshine and the sand and sea make for a romantic backdrop on your big day. To help coordinate the theme of the event, you can invest in some gorgeous beach wedding invitations. It’s now simple to get your hands on these items and they can help to get friends and family in the mood for the occasion. You’re not alone Across the world, an increasing number of couples are considering tying the knot on the beach. According to a Fox News report, to accommodate the rising demand, cruise lines are now offering complete wedding experiences that are part seaborne adventures, part beach paradise. The news source stated: “Cruise passengers board vessels with their betrothed in hand and their wedding parties in tow - all of whom will jump ship to celebrate the big event on, and then re-board where the party continues.” The full package To make your life easier, you might opt to go for a full package that includes such things as flowers, music, an official to conduct the ceremony, a cake and more. Could the Caribbean be ideal? One of the destinations you might have in mind is the Caribbean. These sun-soaked, beautiful islands renowned for their white sands and clear waters can make a superb setting for weddings. One hot spot is Antigua and Beverly King, wedding planner at the Jolly Beach Resort & Spa on the island, said: “Back in 2006 when Antigua was named Wedding Destination of the Caribbean the government scaled back its regulations so that couples could get married quick and easy.” It’s all in the preparation Heading off to idyllic locations to wed your other half may sound like a dream come true, but to ensure the event runs smoothly, it’s vital to plan all the details. If you opt for a cruise package, this could be relatively straightforward because the company you select should cover many of the extras. However, if you opt to book the elements of your big day independently, it’s important to be rigorous. The last thing you want to do is to turn up at your destination of choice only to discover something is amiss. We can help When it comes to wedding invitation cards and other items of stationery, you can come here to us at The Card Gallery. We’re passionate about beautiful cards, invitations, photo books and so on and should have just what you’re after. By taking a look around the beach themed section of our website, you should be able to find the perfect text or photo wedding invites and other items for you. Sources: http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2012/09/18/couples-jump-ship-to-tie-knot/ https://www.dottyaboutpaper.co.uk// https://www.dottyaboutpaper.co.uk//section.php/33/1/beach-wedding-invitations

Justin Timberlake has had to write an open letter to apologise for a video that was planned to be shown at his wedding. The video, which was filmed by Justin's friends, featured homeless people from the streets of Los Angeles sending well wishes to the singer and his gorgeous new bride, Jessica Biel. Other people on the video included various street musicians and random transsexuals, who recorded personal messages to the couple. The video - meant as a jokey element to the wedding day - was obviously done in bad taste, and was more of a Stag Do stunt that a wedding feature we feel! The video begins with the message "Greetings from your Hollywood friends who just couldn't make it". Also in the video, a man with missing teeth says: "Jessica and Justin I haven't seen you for a long time, my gift is in the mail". One of the homeless people involved in the recording has revealed that he was paid £25 to take part in the video. The singer took to his website to apologise but denied knowing anything about it. He also says it was not shown at the actual wedding. He said in a statement: "I don't live my life making fun of people especially those who are less fortunate or those in need. I am deeply sorry to anyone who was offended by the video. I do understand the reaction and, by association, I am holding myself accountable. My friends are good people. This was clearly a lapse in judgment which I'm sure no one who is reading this is exempt from". What's that saying...be nice to the people you meet on the way up, because you may bump into them again on the way down...

As we move closer to Halloween, that must mean that Christmas is right around the corner and, therefore, the end of 2012...where did the year go? We thought we'd take a look back at some of the year's celebrity weddings so far. Some to die for, some you wouldn't be seen dead at! Here they are: Anne Hathaway marries Adam Shulman A definite hit with us. Gorgeous dress, handsome groom, stunning bride - we kind of knew that this wedding would be no less than perfect. Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty Bit of a whirlwind one this was! Still, Cat looked stunning and the wedding took place in Rome. Enough said. Holly Valance marries Nick Candy in Beverly Hills The colour of Holly's dress was described as ivory and pigeon. Pigeons are also described as rats with wings. They was no need love. Gorgeous couple though so we think we might be able to forgive Holly on this occasion. Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake This couple are too cute for words. The dress was pink - not Jordan-esque, but still pink and we can;t help but think that's a little bit wrong. You dream of a pink wedding dress when you're 5 years old, not when you're a grown woman. We're just jealous Jessica. Lisa Stelly and Jack Osbourne We thought this wedding would be a bit of a nightmare to pull off with a mother-in-law like Mrs Sharon, but it was a lovely wedding. It was made all the more poignant with Jack's revelation that he has MS. Lovely couple, brand new baby, we wish them all the very best!

A wedding planner at one of the UK's top luxury hotels has been disciplined for describing a couple as "not the type of people that we would want" to get married at their venue! Can you even imagine reading that??? Pauline Bailey and her fiance Paul Carty had wanted to hold their wedding at Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire. But Miss Bailey received an email from their wedding planner which was sent to her by mistake. The email was sent after the couple visited the five-star venue. After meeting with them, the wedding planner sent an email to her manager, but also copied in Miss Bailey in error - doh! An excerpt from the email read: "I know this probably doesn't sound very nice, but I am trying to put this wedding off as I don't think they are the type of people that we would want to have at Stoke Park." Miss Bailey said in an interview: "It was devastating. At the time it was pretty crushing, really. I am actually over it now. Most brides want a fantastic wedding, the perfect wedding venue and we had gone to around 15 wedding venues. We finally went to Stoke Park and we went, 'Yep, this is the venue'. We went to see it, had a 10-minute meeting with Michele herself and she seemed lovely at the time. I was quite excited about it and went round and told all the relatives, 'This is where we are getting married. Look how beautiful it is. Ten days later we had heard nothing and I decided to give her a call because I knew something was going on. She got back to me and said, 'I do apologise, I have been taking some holiday leave. I will get back to you and confirm some provisional bookings. The morning after, that was when I received the email." The couple have decided to hold their wedding next June at another venue, in spite of Stoke Park's apology and invitation for them to consider holding their wedding there.

If you are getting married and already have young children of your own, it can be difficult trying to include them in your wedding preparations and, as a result, they can unintentionally feel left out. Usually, younger children are often given the roles of bridesmaids, flower girls, page boys, etc, so that they feel they have an important role to play on your wedding day.

Another way to get youngsters involved is to let them help out with the wedding invitations and general wedding stationeryfor your special day. Whether you ask for their advice when choosing colour schemes, get them to draw up a mock design, or actually get them involved in mouse-clicking to order the wedding invitations, it’s a good project for them to feel more involved.

It’s also a long-term project which starts at the very beginning of planning for your wedding with save the date cards, right through to the thank you cards for after the big event. Your youngsters will cheer the delivery of your wedding stationery and be amazed at how the process goes from ordering online to licking the envelopes (a good job for them, by the way!)

And – after all their help – its only fair that they be rewarded with a little gift, so why not order some wedding sweets along with the wedding invitations and munch away while you all muck in and label those envelopes!

In the excitement of the after-wedding buzz and honeymoon adventures, it can be easy to forget a very important part of wedding etiquette - thanking your guests! So, if you need inspiration, here are our top wedding thank you card wording suggestions.

Thank you so much for the gorgeous (add the gift here). It is beautiful, and we were both incredibly touched that you gave us such a thoughtful gift. It was wonderful, as always, to see you at the wedding – I especially loved your dance floor moves towards the end of the night! I can’t wait to catch up on your news and tell you all about the honeymoon.

Featured Design: 'Rustic Pastel Flowers'

(Insert name) and I wanted to thank you greatly for the vouchers you sent as a wedding gift. We are saving to buy (add what you are saving for), and your gift will help us reach our goal.

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Thank you to our family and friends for celebrating our joy, supporting us, and sharing our love. We sincerely thank you for being a part of our wedding celebrations and for the generous gift you have given. With all our love, we thank you.

Featured Design: 'Vintage Bunting & Love Birds'

Our wedding day was special because we were lucky enough to be surrounded by the people we love. Your thoughtfulness and generosity are truly appreciated. Thank you for sharing in the start of our new life together.

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We sincerely want to thank you for your love and support. We couldn’t be more blessed having friends and family like you in our lives, and sharing in this beautiful time with us.

Featured Design: 'Mrs & Mrs Floral Chalkboard'

Thanks for the bottle of champagne! (Insert name) and I have decided to save it for a special occasion – our first wedding anniversary! Thanks once again for thinking of us, and for a most appropriate wedding gift.

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Thank you for the beautiful gift that you sent to me and (insert name) as a wedding present. I know we will enjoy it for many years to come. It was wonderful to see you at the wedding. We really appreciate that you were able to witness such a happy day for us and our families.

Featured Design: 'Add Your Own Photo - A6 Landscape'

Thank You Card Advice

Whatever message you decide is appropriate for your cards, make sure you order them well in advance so you can take your time writing a personal message. This also cuts down post-wedding stress! Also, don't forget that it's good etiquette to send the cards within three months of your special day.

Are you in need of some wedding table plan help...especially when it comes to your top table layout? Then look no further! The diagrams below are designed to help you with designing your top table... The Traditional Top Table The Bride's Parents-Separated/Remarried Top Table: The Groom's Parents-Separated/Remarried Top Table: Alternative Top Table:

Well done, your baby is finally here after nine long months (or longer!) of waiting.

The first couple of weeks after your baby's birth are generally filled with well-wishing relatives, a flurry of nappy changes and feeds, and not so much sleep. And, if this is your first baby, it can feel quite daunting. Hopefully, after the first couple of weeks have past and you're starting to settle into a routine, you might want to start thinking about the planning of a christening, or a similar ceremony to announce your baby's arrival to the world. Your brand new baby will spend a lot of his/her time sleeping during these first two weeks, so you can use this time to start planning exactly what you want from your christening event. You can also use the time when you are feeding and changing your baby as planning time - this is when multi-tasking really comes into play! Think about the type of event that you want to create - will it be an intimate affair with just a few friends and family, or a full-on party which you plan on inviting everyone to? Give consideration to the catering requirements and feeding everyone. You may have been used to doing your own nibbles for previous family occasions, but can you really fit it in now that baby is here? If, not delegate to a family member or friend, or look into getting a local company or venue to provide catering for you. Send out some gorgeous christening invitations as early as possible so that you can guarantee the attendance of those who you want to be at the event. Not only will your guests appreciate being asked, but they will also get to keep their gorgeous christening invitations as a keepsake of the spacial milestone. This time last year you weren't even pregnant yet. Could you have even imagined you'd be here just one year later? It really is a miracle, isn't it!