Todays, podcast is dedicated to all of you beautiful couples out there who were ready and looking forward to their special day taking part in Spring Summer 2020, but had to suddenly cancel their plans and rearrange everything to a later date in the future due to COVID.
 
I am spending some dedicated time today talking to the fabulous Sally Jackson - a Nurse, Nutrition Coach and Emotional Resilience Trainer, all about making self care your priority whilst working through your 2020 wedding postponement
 
Our hearts go out to you if you're one of the thousands of bride and grooms out there who have had to cancel one of the most important days of your life.
Dealing with Covid 19 is hard enough, but add in trying to adjust to how your dream wedding day has somehow become a source of sadness and disappointment is really tough. You're not alone if you're feeling stressed and down right gutted.
 
The planning of your wedding is a very emotional experience and hugely demanding in terms of planning a large event; even without Covid it can feel very overwhelming.

So often it means

• negotiating tight budgets,
• managing family members’ expectations and needs, 
• dealing with often unexpected emotional reactions from both yourself and other people to certain details,
• family dynamics,
• tensions between you both and much more.

 
64% of weddings are expected to be postponed or cancelled this year due to coronavirus which equates to 79,200 UK couples will need to rearrange their honeymoons and 7.8 million wedding guests will need to change their travel plans (Bridebook). 

With the average cost of a UK wedding being £20371 and only 28% of couples purchasing wedding insurance, 'bride and grooms to be’ across the nation will not only have had upset and unrest of dealing with COVID, they will have also had to deal with the massive task of rearranging, cancelling, managing refunds or rebooking of their wedding products and services.
 
Even without Covid 40-50% of bride and grooms find wedding planning extremely stressful so don't underestimate the impact this can have on your physical and mental health.
 
A lot on your shoulders to say the least!
 
So when I met Sally Jackson through The Boho Bride Guide Wedding Supplier Collective, I thought it would be great to hear her advice on how to priorities your own wellbeing through the tough job of rearranging your wedding day whilst maintaining a positive outlook!

Enjoy the episode! x

Your wedding day will be one of the most memorable of your life - after it’s finished, you will look at the photos with emotion, giggle at the video of all the dad-dancing going on at the reception and maybe open your wardrobe every now and then to smile fondly at your wedding outfit, if you decide to keep it.

One thing that will stay with you all the time however and be a constant reminder of your marriage, is your wedding jewellery. It’s certainly worth investing some time researching the right pieces for
you and also - they may end up being passed down through generations to come. Who knows - in the year 3000, your great-great-great-great granddaughter may be wearing your ring or necklace at her own wedding – it’s possible! (It would be interesting to see what nuptials will look like in a thousand years, but that’s another topic!)

The previous podcast guest is Julia Thompson from Julia Thompson Jewellery (Episode 3 of The Boho Bride Guide Podcast), makes the most stunning jewellery! While she has a huge variety in her work, particularly with her three main collections – Elegance, Impact and Wild – one symbol that runs through many of her beautiful rings,
necklaces and bracelets are a pairs of delicate magpies – “two for joy” – perfect for wedding jewellery. Secondly – the ethos of her business is to use ethically sourced materials, such as Fairtrade Gold, which offers her customers peace of mind as to where their jewellery first originated from – sometimes back to the actual miner themselves!

Now, I had seen the Fairtrade logo on coffee and chocolate at the supermarket but had no idea it applied to gold as well!

So what does Fairtrade mean?

Well the word “fair” means “reasonable”, “just”, “honest” and the word trade is synonymous with business, skill, swap but also means
“transact” and “deal”. Fairtrade essentially means an honest transaction! So the miner, and the recipient of the gold, both get an even deal – no one is exploited.

Fairtrade Gold is only sourced from mines which meet the Fairtrade Gold Standard – this includes stringent requirements regarding working conditions, safeguarding forests and water sources,
women’s rights and child labour to name a few. Workers received a guaranteed Fairtrade Minimum Price which benefits the miners themselves, and their communities, as they can invest back into
them.

The stones that Julia sources are from small scale mines, owned by the families themselves, and not big corporations. The system is fully transparent and she could go out at any time to visit the mines
and see the process with her own eyes. If she wanted to meet the people who mine her sapphires for example, this would mean going to Sri Lanka where they are dug out of the ground. Importantly, she would only see adults digging as child labour is prohibited in Sri Lankan gem mining, and thankfully they would be able to tell her that they get paid regardless if they find stones or not.

As an aside - sapphires in fact, make a great alternative to diamonds if you are wanting something different! On the Mohs hardness scale, sapphires are ranked 9, only 1 less that diamonds, which make them very resistant to chipping, cracking or scratching – a very strong gemstone! And if you are thinking they only ever have a very dark blue, almost black appearance, this is indeed a common
assumption, but they can also be pink, green, yellow and white – in fact, the only colour a sapphire doesn’t come in is red! In an engagement ring, sapphire means faithfulness and sincerity!

You can also choose from quartz (a healing, positive stone), opal (associated with love and passion…) or beryl (promotes happiness and marital love!), and your wedding bands from Fairtrade 18 carat
gold or 9 carat rose gold – did you know that 9 carat is actually harder than 18 carat – and that the pinkiness is derived from adding copper to the mix?
​

I have been very excited myself to learn more about this subject, not only from a craftsmanship point of view, but also am looking forward to learn more about the ethically sourced jewellery trade and how we as consumers can make more informed choices around our wedding jewellery purchases.

I was lucky enough to meet the very talented Julia, from Julia Thompson Jewellery, when I came across her work online and thought her unique style would be perfect for a wedding editorial I was organising with the theme of ‘Boho Botanical Victoriana’.
Her expressive selection of unique statement necklaces, stacking nest rings, and elegant drop earrings, all built on a strong ethos of Fair Trade ethics, had me totally sold into the idea and couldn’t wait to work with her.

And that is why I wanted to also dedicate an episode of the podcast to the work she does and the causes she promotes so passionately. 
So, join us as we delve into the world of, bespoke jewellery design, Fair Trade materials, ethically sourced gemstones, and how we as consumers can make more informed choices about our wedding jewellery purchases. 

So without further a do, get comfy and enjoy!

www.juliathompson.co.uk
+44 (0)7886 906262
info@juliathompson.co.uk

Listen to the full interview below!

Well, here at The Boho Bride Guide we have put together 9 crucial questions with the expert help from expert photographer Jamie Denny (www.jamiedennyphotography.com), to now ask your photographer to ensure you get the images you REALLY want from your big day! 

1. What previous experience do you have as a photographer, both in the wedding industry and other areas of photography? 
This will give you an idea of their professional background, their particular passions within the photography specialism and also breaks the ice when you ideally meet face to face. 

2. How do you intend to ‘tell the story’ of our wedding day through the photographs? As well as capturing family and friend’s imagery and details from the day.
The photography should depict a beginning, middle and end to your day and tell the story as the narrative unravels. 

3. What has been your favourite wedding to photograph and why? 
Get a vibe of what makes them tick, what inspires them and why they work in the wedding industry. Also, it might be useful to ask why they became a photographer, which will again build picture of their motivations and help you decide if they are the photographer for you.

4. Are there any aspects of wedding photography you do not provide, or prefer to steer clear of?
This is important to check, as some wedding photographers with a totally candid approach to their work do not for example, do ‘staged’ group shots or follow a structured shoot list. Or vice versa, only do stages shots and no natural or behind the scenes imagery. Therefore, if you are looking for specific groups of people or to details from your day to be captured, or whether you want a mixture of both staged and candid, I suggest you discuss this upfront at your consultation.

5. How do you enable couples to feel at ease during the day, especially for those people that don’t like being photographed and centre of attention? 
You need to click with your photographer and feel at ease in their company. If you can relate to this concern, then it may be the case that a photographer with a candid, reportage style would work well, with minimal styled shots. This means they would capture special moments without you having to take too much direction from your photographer and blend into the background whilst taking the shots. 
Another idea would be to opt for an engagement shoot with your chosen photographer to get used to one another, so when it comes to your big day, you have a great rapport and the awkwardness has gone. 

6. What pricing packages do you offer? 
Talk money…don’t be shy!! It is important ask what you get for your money; how many images, how long will the photographer stay, their arrival time, what time they will leave and any anomalies to that fact, when will your images be delivered to you, how will they be delivered – in what format, will you be able to send a link to friends to print etc. etc. 

When you receive them from your photographer… WAIT, ensure your first viewing is with your partner, using a BIG screen, ideally with your favourite beverage, to really absorb and enjoy your very first viewing, not on your phone during the daily commute home. 

7. Can you talk me through the contract? 
Extremely important! Read and digest your contract, and ideally run through it with your photographer when you meet. Clarify aspects such as; what insurance does the photographer have? If they don’t turn up for any unforeseen circumstance, what is the compensation? money back or deposit back? how much compensation? Etc. etc. Be thorough. 

8. How do they back up the photos throughout the wedding day to ensure no loss of material?
What is their technology backup to ensure the full day can be captured and no content is lost? Your photographer needs to evidence they have thought thoroughly about this, as there is no take 2!! For example, do they have; 2 cameras on the day in case one breaks, 2 memory sticks that automatically backs up, hard drive back up, server back up etc. What is their process to ensure your images are safe!   
​
9. What do you need from us to ease your job as the photographer on the day? 
Ask your photographer this question to ensure they have all they need to do their job to the best of their ability. A popular request from photographers is to identify a responsible adult to assist them, so they don’t have to hassle you on your special day if they have any logistical queries. Another regular request is timings for the day so they can plan their work and ensure they capture all the essential part of your special day.

By the time you have gone through all these questions with your potential photographer you will have a good gauge and a gut instinct as to whether you want to work with them. First and foremost, you need to LIKE and TRUST them to create the images you require, in the style you love. And remember you are employing them to do a very important job for you on the biggest day of your life, so ensure everything is in place for this to happen!

I hope this is helpful, and good luck on your wedding planning journey!

Listen to the full interview below!