Middleton Park Blog

Something Borrowed, Something Blue…

and a silver sixpence in her shoe!

That last line actually hints at the origin of this old wedding rhyme.

A sixpence is a coin that was minted in Britain from 1551 to 1967. It was made of silver and worth six pennies.

Sources say that this tradition began in the Victorian era, but it is also a Scottish custom for the groom to put a silver coin under his foot for good luck.

Each item in this poem represents a good luck token for the bride. If she carries all of them on her wedding day, her marriage will be long lasting and happy.

“Something old” symbolizes continuity with the bride’s family and the past.

Brides often choose to wear a piece of antique family jewellery which belonged to the relative or a locket with photos of parents or grandparents. Alternatively they may wear something from their mother’s or grandmother’s wedding, or perhaps even one of their vintage gowns.

“Something new” represents good luck and success and the brides hopes for a bright and happy future in her new married life.

The wedding gown is often chosen as the new item but it could be anything that is purchased new for the wedding such as the wedding accessories or even the wedding rings.

Something new conveys the message that the bride and her husband are creating a new union that will last forever.

“Something borrowed” is usually an item from a happily married friend or family member, whose good fortune in marriage is supposed to carry over to the new bride.  It can be something that the bride wants to use to remind her of her friends and family.

“Something Blue” blue has been connected to weddings for centuries. In ancient Rome, brides wore blue to symbolize love, purity, modesty, and fidelity.

Blue shoes, or perhaps a purse or jewellery are popular choices for brides.

A silver sixpence in the bride’s shoe (in the left shoe for optimum fortune) represents wealth and financial security.

Nowadays a copper penny is sometimes substituted, but many companies sell keepsake sixpences specifically for weddings.

With this tradition, you don’t have to be too traditional. It’s fun to experiment and be creative especially for your wedding day!

“Truly it was our best day ever. Our day sparkled…”

We have had a lot of weddings celebrated at Middleton Park House, some large spectacular events and some smaller more intimate events, but no matter the size of the couples special day it is without a doubt a place where you can just feel the love that has been given and the happiness that has been shared in it over the years.

I know a lot of couples that have searched high and low for their “perfect” venue and as soon as they walk in to Middleton Park House, that feeling they feel of love and joy just tells them straight away, this place is the one!

But don’t take our word for it. Here are just a small few of the lovely things brides, grooms and guests have said about Middleton Park House…

“A big thank you to all the staff at Middleton who helped make our day so special and memorable! Everyone had a wonderful time.”

“Truly it was our best day ever. Our day sparkled and your venue and staff contributed greatly. Our friends and family were awed by the beauty that is Middleton Park House, as we knew they would be. The house has a soul and we fell in love with it. Your staff were one of the highlights of the day…people are still talking about the best wedding meal ever!”

“Thank you all so much for making our Wedding Day and dreams come true!”

“Thank you for helping to give us both, our friends and family such an amazing day. The day ran so smoothly! Everyone just loved the house. It was every bit as fantastic as we had hoped.”

“We had a very special day at Middleton Park House. Thank you for making this possible and thank you for the excellent service.”

“Thank you for your care, time and attention. We had the most wonderful wedding celebration at Middleton Park House. Your attention to detail was outstanding and your expertise admirable. The kindness shown to our parents in the run up to the big day was much appreciated.”

“We had a super time at Middleton Park House!
Thanks to the wonderful staff for looking after us so well.”

“Both myself and my now husband just wanted to let you know that we had an absolutely fantastic day and would love you to pass on our thanks to all of your staff who were extremely professional, helpful and kind on our special day. Everything went exactly as we had hoped and the kitchen did an excellent job on the food. Thanks again for all your help…we had a ball, and were so happy!”

“The food was divine and everyone has commented on it and the friendly and efficient service.”

“We really felt like a King and Queen for the day!”

(Click for Larger Image)

Here are some lovely stories from some our many couples.

“We got married in Middleton Park House in May this year and it was such a fantastic day, a really terrific venue.

We’d already viewed five other country house type places in Leinster and found this one almost by accident but just loved it from the start, it has a real authentic old style charm – the entrance has a bit of a wow factor, the dining room is really elegant and the conservatory adds to the charm of the place.

We found Ger and the staff really easy to deal with, very accommodating to any of our requests. Food was top class, the canapés, the main meal and for some reason the evening buffet is what everyone remembers most and still talk about!

We loved that guests could suit themselves, the oldies could drink tea and chat in peace in the drawing rooms, the drinkers could prop up the bar and the rest of us could dance away in the main hall – it worked really well. We’d recommended this place to anyone who wants something a little different and somewhere you can really make your own for the day.”

“Just wanted to say thank you so much for everything you did for us on our wedding day in November. We wanted you to know that we thoroughly enjoyed the day and there was nothing that we could have faulted between the food, the service, the staff and the house itself.

All of our guests told us afterwards that it was the best wedding they had been at because it was a beautiful location; the layout meant everyone, including the older guests, was comfortable and the food was incredible! Everyone who stayed was comfortable in their rooms and the whole package you offered was worth every penny and we feel like we got great value for money which is so unusual in the current climate!

I would like to give a special mention to your chef because my father was the only vegetarian (I think) at the wedding and he is so used to getting unimaginative bland food but he was really delighted to get a delicious dinner that he thoroughly enjoyed. It really shows the ability of a chef when they can cook a good vegetarian dish. And the wines were amazing.

Thank you so much, and we are highly recommending you to everyone that we know.”

We here at Middleton Park House are here for you and we want to help make your special day one to remember!

“When I am walking down the aisle
A very happy bride,
Please know it means so much to me
To have you by my side.”

When this trend takes off over here it is going to be huge and for a long time.

If done right mismatched bridesmaids can look amazing!

It’s a tough job trying to decide on a colour and style of dress that will suit everyone! See all your bridesmaids are different, they’re not all the same size and shape and they don’t have the same colouring, so what you think might look great on them could look amazing on one of them and not so good on another. One bridesmaid could be quite girly and feminine and another, not so much.

The best thing to do is literally let them choose their dress themselves. I know that thought sounds scary but really it’s one less thing to worry about.

They’ll be able to pick a dress they like, that flatters their shape and colouring, and most importantly, that you can afford; happy bride and happy bridesmaids.

Here are some tips for pulling off the mismatched bridesmaids trend.

Keep the Colour Palette the Same

This look works better if you keep the colour palette the same. This is great if colour is a big part of your wedding day.

Take a red colour theme; some ladies will look better in a burgundy, others in more of a pink red, and others in an orangey red. By keeping your colour palette the same, but allowing your bridesmaids to choose a shade that flatters their own colouring they’ll all look elegant and coordinated.

You can tie the look together with matching bouquets and the same colour accessories

Keep the Dress Style the Same

Some girls don’t suit strapless dresses, others don’t suit halter necks, so it’s best to keep the style of the dress the same, and allow the girls to choose the colour or the cut of the dress. Have them choose dresses in similar fabrics or all the same length.

Although, if you have chosen dresses that are all the same and that your bridesmaids are happy with, try accessorising each bridesmaid differently. With for example – different coloured shoes, accessories or even completely different bouquets.

Not everything has to be the same colour or the same style, mismatching anything sometimes works and looks beautiful.

So what do you think? Would you consider having mismatched bridesmaids?

For more news on Middleton Park House and updates from our wedding blog, you can find us on Facebook, here and follow us on Twitter, here.

“We now have a copy of our wedding invite in a frame at home and it is something that we will treasure forever!”

When planning a wedding, stationary is one of the many things you have to worry about, Samantha at Paper Republic takes all that stress and worry away from you.

Having worked in the wedding industry for over seven years, and being voted one of the Top 5 Wedding Stationary Designers in Ireland she most certainly knows what she is doing.

Samantha works with couples to tailor designs shown on Paper Republic to suit their needs. She will add or take away materials, change layout, images, colours and fonts etc to match them to the theme and tone of their day. Or if you prefer Samantha can make up a design from scratch for you based on your needs, so you get that unique and personal touch.

Paper Republic offers all types of wedding stationery (Save the Date Cards, Evening Invitations, Ceremony Programmes, Seating Charts, Table Names, Menus, Place Cards, Favour Boxes and Thank You Cards) and everything can compliment your theme and your invitations if you want. Plus special emphasis is placed on high quality materials and printing and on excellent customer service.

Samantha had told us that a lot of the brides she works with try to match their stationery to their bridesmaid dresses, but that some brides just choose colours they love, or to suit the season of their wedding, their wedding flowers or the venue. They’re some great ideas for future brides.

I personally love all the designs and bright colours found at Paper Republic, I can honestly say I’ve never seen prettier and more unique stationary ever, which is why I wanted to share Paper Republic with you. But you don’t have to take my word for it, Samantha designed the wedding stationary for Brian O’Driscoll and Amy Huberman’s wedding, here’s what they had to say.

“I simply could not give a higher recommendation for Paper Republic when it comes to organising your wedding stationery! For me, sorting the wedding invitations was such an exciting part of getting married. It’s the first thing your guests are going to see when it comes to your wedding, and we got a chance to get really creative and put our own personal stamp on the invites. We wanted something simple, elegant and unique; and the feedback we got from all our guests was just fantastic. It was the first real marker in the countdown to all the excitement of the big day, and for us we got such a kick out of sending out our invitations and receiving all the RSVPs! When it came to creating what we wanted, there was no way we could have done it without the help of Samantha at Paper Republic. With something I can only imagine could easily become a very stressful chore; it was such a pleasure! Her enthusiasm, brilliant work ethic, fantastic artistic eye and creativity made the whole process a complete joy. This continued when we went on to organise the rest of the stationery we needed closer to the wedding; and again I could not recommend Paper Republic highly enough! We now have a copy of our wedding invite in a frame at home and it is something that we will treasure forever!”

You can find Paper Republic here, and on Facebook, here.

For more news, wedding ideas and blog updates from Middleton Park House check us out on Facebook, here.

“The bride in white, with ribbons and lace,
The look of love, upon her face.”

As if finding a dress isn’t stressful enough, along with planning a wedding, but did you know there is so much to consider when choosing a veil, should you decide to wear one.

There are so many bridal veil styles to choose from. How do you know which kind of veil is right for you?

Do you know the history of the wedding veil? There are many stories of its origin.

It’s believed that in medieval times, the veil was used to protect her from “the evil eye” and that it was a symbol of purity, chastity, and modesty.

Some also say that the veil was introduced in ancient Rome. People of that era believed that evil spirits would be attracted to the bride, so they covered her face with a veil in order to conceal her features and confuse them. The definition of veil is to “obscure, shroud, mask or cover” so perhaps that is how the bridal “veil” got its name.

The past history of wearing a bridal veil has given way to new traditions.  Over the past twenty years, traditions surrounding the bridal veil have changed even more.  Veils were worn more frequently over the face. Now, you don’t have to wear it over your face at all if you don’t want to.

It also used to be believed that brides marrying for the second time were not supposed to wear a veil at all, especially a white one. Nowadays, it’s perfectly acceptable to wear a veil, even a white one for a second marriage, if you want to.

The wearing of a wedding dress and bridal veil is one of the biggest joys in a woman’s life, so it’s important for her to choose one that she loves and feels comfortable in.

Here’s some advice to help with all your veil decisions.

First you need to decide if you want to wear your wedding veil with a tiara, headpiece or by itself.

I’d suggest looking for bridal veil pictures in magazines and on websites to get an idea of different veil and headpiece styles that you like.

Also, think about ideas on how you would like to wear your hair on your special day, e.g. In a formal structured up do, in a casual loose up do, down and loose, or half up-half-down.

Next, you should decide how you’re going to wear your veil; like where exactly on your head you want it to be:

- On the top of your head, towards your face.
- On the back of your head further back over an up do or bun.
- Or on the back of your head under an up do or bun.

It’s also important to consider:

- The silhouette you want.
- If you want the back of your gown to show or not.  Wedding Gowns with an elaborate back that you want to showcase are better matched with sheer veils, so the veil won’t obscure the back of the dress.
- If you want to wear your veil over your face as you walk up the aisle.
- How many tiers (also called layers) you want.

Now, you have to think about how long you want your veil to be and what kind of style you like. There are many choices to consider:

Birdcage Veil: This style is the shortest of all veils; they can be worn on the front of the face, or cover the entire head.  The netting can come down to cover one or both eyes, or down to the nose or chin, or even cover the entire face. Again it’s whatever the bride will feel most comfortable wearing.

Flyaway Veil: This is a short floaty style with multiple layers of tulle that just sweeps the shoulders. This style is inspired by styles from the 60s and is perfect for a classic vintage look.

Shoulder Length Veil: This is a very simple veil that sits on the shoulders and can be made to look fuller. The amount of tulle used in a shoulder length veil can vary so that it could just touch the shoulder or so it goes just past them.

Elbow Length Veil: This is the most popular veil length and is particularly a good choice for shorter brides as it spans to the elbow and won’t swamp you in fabric.

Fingertip Length Veil: This style of veil is perfect for taller brides. Fingertip length veils are very elegant and are more formal than other styles.

Mantilla Veil: This is a Spanish inspired veil. It’s often made with lace or trimmed with lace and embroidery. Mantilla veils drape over the head and can come in varying lengths.

Waltz Veil: Named so, because its length allowed you to “waltz” – it’s also called a Ballerina or Walking veil. The bottom of the veil should land somewhere between your calves and just above your ankles.

Chapel Veil: This veil is meant to just barely touch the floor and can be made with extra layers to give a fuller effect.

Cathedral Veil: This style is the most formal of all veils; it’s designed to be worn with a full gown with a long length train and to extend past the end of the dress. Cathedral veils are typically worn in a  formal church settings for a dramatic walk down the long aisle. If you do opt for this style, make sure the rest of your gown is strong enough to support the dramatic look.

When choosing your veil just remember to pick a hair style that will both accentuate and support your veil.

Also think about your day: are you having a relaxed informal event or a more formal affair? You wouldn’t want to pick a cathedral veil for a simple outdoor wedding.

Think about how long throughout the day you plan on wearing your veil for. If you’re only wearing it for the ceremony you can afford to go with something long or dramatic but if you want to wear your veil throughout the reception in might get in the way of all the fun and dancing.

Finally you don’t want your veil to compete with your dress; it really is just a finishing touch. A general guide to keep in mind is that if you have an elaborate gown, a simple veil would be a better pick. But if you have a simple gown, you can go with a more elaborate veil with special trims such as rhinestones, beads, pearls, etc.

Remember to go with what you love on your special day and what you feel the most comfortable and the most beautiful in.

For more wedding ideas and advice, and for the latest updates from Middleton Park House you can find us on Facebook, here.

“True Beauty in a Woman, is Reflected in Her Soul…”

Art of Hair are great friends of Middleton Park House. They’ve styled many brides and bridesmaids in our exclusive wedding venue.

They pride themselves on top quality hairdressing services all over the country.

Winners of “Bridal Hair Stylist of the Year” Art of Hair’s personal mobile service means that they cater for all your hair needs by calling out to your venue on your special day, which means a lot less worry and stress for you. They promise a service that is professional and individual without the pressure of a busy salon. They also cater to bridal parties of all sizes.

They believe it is important to choose the right professional team so that you feel fabulous on your special day, that is why Art of Hair has a great network of makeup artists and beauty specialists, as well as hair stylists.

Their talent is what makes beautiful brides radiate.

If you want only the best for your wedding day in Middleton Park House, you can contact Carolyn from Art of Hair on their website, here, or on Facebook, here.

For more news and updates from Middleton Park House, you can find us on Facebook, here.