Franc Wedding Secrets Issue 3

Editor’s Welcome

Welcome to this issue of Franc Weddings Secrets, which as always is packed full of tips, advice and suggestions to make your big day magical and special.   

I love Christmas and New Year and the holiday period has become one of the most popular times of the year to get engaged and married. I think it’s a lovely time of year for a wedding, especially as you can capitalise on the fact that many of the friends and family who live abroad will be home for Christmas. 

While some people prefer to get married when there is a possibility of good weather, I think that the cold, dark weather we get in winter can add to the occasion. With cosy fires to warm everyone up and romantic candlelight bathing everyone in a gorgeous glow, winter weddings can be really beautiful. Clothes are more dramatic and glamorous in winter and as the party season will be in full swing, you and your guests are bound to dress with an added sparkle.  

It can be more cost-effective at Christmas as well, as a lot of venues will already have their properties decorated with trees, lights and wreaths etc. The only thing I should warn you about is that flowers can be in short supply over the holiday period and can be more expensive where available. In that case, I would advise going for more foliage and candles and less flowers.

New Year is a lovely time to get married as well because there is a sense that people are excited and hopeful about what it will bring. I have always found that if a wedding is held on New Year’s Eve, the guests are genuinely in good form as there’s a real sense of occasion about the day. 

I have lots of treats in store for you in this issue. In the Make and Do section (page 76), I will be showing you how to make shortcake decorations that you can use as your wedding favours, escort cards or just to hang on your tree this Christmas. These make great Christmas presents for people. I will also be demonstrating how you can achieve your own winter wonderland at home by spraying branches. 

I’m really excited about our engagements feature (page 36), as Christmas and New Year are two of most popular times for engagements and proposals. I did a four-part series called An Engagement with Franc for BBC Northern Ireland television, and through that I discovered that 80 per cent of Europeans were unhappy with the way they received their proposal. However, it was also revealed that most Irish people were quite happy with theirs, because we are known for the effort and imagination we put into our proposals here. So in this feature, I will talk about the elements you need to make your own proposal an amazing one.  

I loved putting this issue together, so I hope you love reading it and will get loads of ideas for your own special day. On behalf of myself and the team at Franc Weddings Secrets, I wish you all a very Happy Christmas, and may all your wildest dreams come true in the
New Year!

franc @francweddingsecrets.ie   

Franc