Category Archives: General

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Make your wedding into a party to remember

Every couple wants their wedding to be unique, memorable, and special – but it’s easier said than done! Remember, weddings usually follow a certain flow, so they can easily become predictable. But yours doesn’t have to be.

Images via unsplash,com

If you want to throw an epic party that your guests will talk about for years to come, follow these tips.

Consider a unique venue

Step out of the box when it comes to traditional wedding locations by planning a destination wedding. Just make sure you choose a location both you and your partner will enjoy.

For instance, if you love travelling, consider an island experience where you and your guests get to enjoy warm weather and a picturesque setting.

image via unsplash.com

Offer functional wedding favours

Wedding favours come in various options and sizes, and if they’re not practical, meaningful or useful, your guests are more likely to forget or never use them again. Granted, wedding favours can stretch your budget, but you’re better off choosing something functional if you want your guests to cherish them.

So, consider an item that’s reusable, easy to handle, and uniquely useful. For instance, you could opt for:

- Stemless wine glasses
- Customized bottle openers
- Pizza cutters
- Cozy blankets

Splurge on the open bar

One thing people hate at planned events is having to buy their own drinks. Therefore, consider splurging on an open bar to make your wedding party memorable. If you’re working with a tight budget, offer just beer, wine, and a few cocktail options but don’t ask anyone to open their wallets.

Take it a notch higher by having a signature cocktail. It’ll make your wedding reception feel more personal!

Arrange pre-wedding activities

As you, your partner, and your wedding party prepare before the ceremony starts, you want your guests to be engaged and active as they wait. If they get bored, they might become restless.

Arrange activities that are accessible and adventurous to encourage pre-ceremony mingling. This can be anything from a wine-tasting session to a mini scavenger hunt that keeps them entertained.

Image via unsplash.com

Plan a surprise during the wedding or reception

Get creative and innovative with your wedding by doing something unconventional to surprise your guests. For example, you could hire a special party band to perform at the reception to get everyone up on their feet. There’s nothing like live music to get everyone excited and engaged – and it’ll be a nice highlight for everyone to look back on afterwards. The genre of music you choose is completely up to you, and another way to stamp your personality onto the day.

The surprise doesn’t have to be extravagant. A simple idea that shows your hidden skills or talents and wows your guests is enough to make your party stand out.

Choose a theme

Everyone loves a themed wedding, as they get to wear a costume and play a character for a day. Pick a theme you love and find fun ways to incorporate it into your wedding – from the styling elements to the décor and food.

Ultimately, ensure your wedding has a touch of something unique and different to make it more memorable and enjoyable

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General, Marriage, Weddings

Planning your ‘Boho’ Wedding

With smaller weddings still taking place, elopements and micro weddings are becoming ever so popular. So why wait for restrictions to lift? When you can still have a wedding of your dreams that doesn’t hurt your purse or the environment! Enter the latest trend of 2021. ‘Boho Weddings‘.

‘Boho Weddings’ are infamous for their distinct soft yet romantic feel, inspired by nature and the beautiful outdoors. Here are our tips on decorating your perfect eco-friendly dream wedding from a mythical woodland enchanted book.

Reconnecting with nature

Reconnecting with nature

Explore earthy details and greenery installations for decorations that transform a traditional reception into a beautiful eye-catching ‘Boho wedding’. To create the ultimate ‘Boho’ theme, use dried flowers and feather centrepieces in a rustic style container. If you’re feeling adventurous, opt for a low table set covered in light linen vintage tablecloth with comfortable patterned cushions for seating?

What to avoid?

It is essential to avoid modern decorations for your wedding. Instead, combine natural elements, antique rugs, fairy lights and macrame décor. A great way to source these unique pieces for your wedding is to scour thrift, vintage and charity shops and give that up-cycled pieces new life for your big day. Alternatively, save your precious time and hassle, opt for bespoke ‘Boho’ wedding planners like ‘The Luxe Occasions’. Who creates your entire decorations and tableware? Tell them the colours or theme you would like, and they bring your unique ideas to life to create the perfect wedding. Visit their Instagram @theluxeoccasion for more details.

The essentials

The most crucial foundation for a ‘Boho’ wedding is the venue. It is essential to consider which venue will create a natural, rustic atmosphere to suit your weddings aesthetic. With nature on your side this June, many create their ‘Boho wedding’ outdoors surrounded by natural elements like water, fields, or woodland.

The happy couple created their own ‘Boho’ wedding on our Lawn at Ravens Ait, with unrivalled views of the River Thames and Hampton Court. ‘The Luxe Occasion.’ supplied beautiful table settings and decorations that transformed our bright and spacious front lawn for the couple’s micro wedding.

Bogo Weddings

So why not try to embrace your inner child and spirituality by booking a viewing of our beautiful Marquee and lawn space.

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Celebration, General, Parties

Intimate Summer Parties!

Now that lockdown restrictions have begun to become loosened in time for the summer, why not plan an intimate gathering of 30 people?
It’s been a while since families have managed to fully gather together to celebrate a birthday, or maybe even grab your ‘back to the office’ colleagues and catch up over a few drinks? Fathers day is also a fantastic excuse to get your family and friends together again!

Lockdown had a lot of people saving their pennies whilst quite a few of us ending up spending more on online shopping than ever! Here at Ravens Ait we’ve got plenty of cost effective rooms and packages to help you celebrate.

Our Thames Suite can be hired out by the hour, this room has plenty of natural light and comes with our outdoor terrace. Sit back, relax and enjoy the view of the sun setting over the River Thames with a glass of bubbles.

Our Thames Suite prices vary from

Monday – Wednesday at just £70 per hour | Thursday, Friday and Sunday at £100 an hour | Saturday at £150 per hour.

We have options to suit everyone’s budget.

We also offer a great variety of buffet options for you and your guests to choose from. Our wonderful Finger Buffet starts at just £22 for a selection of mini brioche sliders, BBQ style chicken wings, pulled pork slider rolls and plenty more!

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Celebration, General, Picnic

Picnic Week !

With summer fast approaching and the weather getting seemingly warmer, what better way to make future plans than a group picnic! Whether it be in the local park or your own garden, a picnic is something everyone can enjoy.

With June being the official ‘National Picnic Week’ this is great for planning ahead. Our lawn here at Ravens Ait is the perfect place for a picnic to be shared amongst friends and family. Relax with a glass of prosecco and enjoy the sunshine with one of our buffet menus. Perhaps take it a level up and take advantage of our BBQ menu?

Plan your Picnic

The official National Picnic week is from June 17th – June 29th. With government restrictions, with the hope that restrictions will be significantly loosened by mid June, this is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate picnic week in style. Until then, you can make the most of the British summer in your very own garden.

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Celebration, General, Motherhood

Mother’s Day Gift Experience Ideas

With mother’s day just around the corner we thought we would give you some amazing gift ideas to treat your loved one to! Here are our top 4 gift ideas to get you inspired.

Afternoon Tea

We know that there is now a light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to lockdown. Pre booking an afternoon tea is the perfect way to celebrate together and treat your mum to a lovely afternoon out. You could create a DIY version at home, bake some mini cakes and mini sandwiches paired with a bottle of PROSECCO or two and give it your own personal twist. This is guaranteed to be loved by mother’s everywhere!

Home cooked restaurant style dinner

We may not be able to go to a restaurant JUST yet. There are loads of amazing restaurants / chefs that you can order a home kit from. This is not only a great bonding experience but you’re also getting the restaurant quality food in the comfort of your own home. Add that extra gift by getting personalised aprons for you both.

Home cinema

Why not turn your front room into the perfect home cinema? Cook up some mini pizzas, have a variety of snacks and popcorn and set up fairy lights to create a cosy feeling. Have your mum’s top 3 favourite films to hand and have a movie marathon weekend. It’s something thoughtful and a little different she’s guaranteed to love.

Online shopping trip

Treat your mum and surprise her by ordering shopping basket that she’s had her eye on! You can have a day of trying on these outfits and seeing which ones she loves. This is a great way to spend the day together and treat her to some lovely new clothes. Jazz things up a bit with homemade cocktails and snacks for the afternoon.

Let us know if you have any other great ideas for mother’s day, we would love to hear !

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Bridal Attire, General, Weddings

5 High-street shops for Gorgeous but Affordable Wedding Attire

Affordable high street bridal attire that doesn’t compromise style:

While looking at wedding dresses seems like the most exciting element of wedding planning, (for the bride anyway!), it is a lot harder than you think. That Pinterest board you have but you can’t find the source or any shops that sell anything similar that isn’t well over budget. Don’t worry we’ve done the work for you. We’ve found some of the most Pinterest-ing dresses and found their high street counter parts

Pinterest VS Phase Eight

http://t.ly/UAMt

Phase Eight – £450

http://t.ly/YpUp

Pinterest VS Coast

http://t.ly/YbQk

COAST – £159 (111.30 discount)

http://t.ly/ID1a

Pinterest VS Next

http://t.ly/iCM7

Next – £220

http://t.ly/zjoI

Pinterest VS Monsoon

http://t.ly/poEi

MONSOON – £499 (£349.30)

http://t.ly/GUEX

The average bride will spend somewhere between £1200-£1300 on their dress alone and 15% of that on their shoes. You shouldn’t have to compromise on style and you don’t have to.

Here at Ravens Ait we offer competitive pricing to local wedding venues. With our venue hire ranging between £1,200-£5,400 and lots of deals all year round, we can give you the best prices without compromising a magical day. Whether you’re looking for an intimate ceremony or a grand wedding for the masses, we can ensure a perfect package tailored for you.

Get in touch now at events@ravensait.co.uk or message us on Facebook or Instagram.

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Corporate, General, Planning

Crafty ways to propose this Valentine’s Day

With Valentine’s day just around the corner we know a few of you will be taking this opportunity to pop the question! We’ve come up with 5 crafty ways to make your proposal a little different.

1. Hidden in a cake
We’ve all seen the classic ‘Friends’ episode where Phoebe discovers the ring inside of a cake. A timeless way to pop the question, plus a sweet treat. Just be sure your partner doesn’t bite down too hard!

2. Home cooked dinner
Light some candles, pour a large glass of wine (to steady the nerves of course) and get down on one knee! A home cooked dinner isn’t too suspicious and will still leave the element of surprise.

3. Scavenger hunt
Being stuck indoors still, this is a fun way to do something a little different and get a bit crafty. Hide the ring around your home and create clues for your partner leading up to it.

4. Family / Friends catch up zoom call
Zoom calls have become the biggest trend over the last year. You can pretend it’s just a standard catch up and have each friend / family member hold up a sign with the relevant words. This is a great way to get your loved ones involved as well as being unexpected!

5. Message in a bottle
Daily walks are sometimes the best part of the lockdown day, take a small bottle and write a message on a piece of paper inside. You can hide this on your normal walking route and have your partner find it. A lovely memory and a keepsake you’ll look back fondly upon in years to come.

Let us know if you try any of these, we would love to hear all your proposal stories. Good luck and get proposing!

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Corporate, General, Seminar

Back to work breakfast Seminar!

Back to work coffee mornings can be a great way for you and your team to reconnect with each other as well as motivating and getting everyone comfortable with being back into the office.

Here at Ravens Ait we offer a variety of coffee mornings complete with buffet breakfasts that will be a great way to kick start getting back to normal.

Make use of our Thames Suite by hosting a back to work positivity seminar. With large natural light overlooking the river, what better way to regroup as a team.

We offer a variety of coffee morning packages that can be tailored around you and your team. For example, why not check out our most popular option, the day delegate?

With english tea, coffee and pastries upon arrival, midmorning coffee and biscuits followed by our chefs choice of sandwiches, fresh salads, sausage rolls, spinach and feta rolls. And lastly, homemade biscuits mid-afternoon english tea & coffee with our chef’s choice of homemade cakes.

Looking for a summer day? We also offer a BBQ buffet which is fantastic to be enjoyed with our beautiful views overlooking the Thames and the Hampton court grounds.

If you’re interested in booking ahead to get back to office life, drop us an email to enquire further.

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ravens

Corporate, General

How to plan your corporate party in 2021

You may be brainstorming ideas for your business’s corporate event ready for 2021. Here are a few great ideas for you to keep in mind as well as keeping it COVID safe. Here at Ravens Ait we’ve got plenty of team building exercise ideas for you to think about trying!

1. Egg and spoon race: Our lawn is the perfect space for the good old fashioned egg and spoon race! Bringing that bit of fun and childhood nostalgia to your event will create a lighthearted vibe and be sure to entertain everyone. Our lawn also makes the perfect space to keep a safe distance as well as have room for a sanitizing station

2. Quiz! : Our Britannia Suite is perfect to get your guests into teams and put on a quiz. Maybe even give a prize to the best team name. Our tables are large enough to create space between teams and to ensure no cheating takes place!

3. Inspiring speakers: Corporate events don’t have to be boring. By hiring an inspirational speaker on your topic of choice you’re creating your very own Ted Talks seminar. This keeps your colleagues engaged and they’ll take away something valuable from the day. Depending on party size, our Thames Suite or Britannia would be perfect for this.

4. Grab a Mocktail stall!: As much as we would all like a drink or 2, sadly this just isn’t possible at a corporate event. Glam the day up by hiring your own Mocktail stand complete with barman and servers. No one can say no to a virgin mojito! This can be set up on our lawn whilst lunch is being prepped!

5. Outdoor Cinema: If you’re planning on your event being carried on until the evening, Our lawn and marquee have the perfect setup for an outdoor cinema event. With popcorn being served and a film of your choice up on the big screen, this is a great way to wind down at the event of the activity filled day. Perhaps the quiz winners get to choose the film?

Let us know if you try any or any ideas of your own!

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ravens

Corporate, General

Wedding Décor – How to fill your venue

One of the things we’ve noticed whilst planning a wedding is we often get asked for ideas and advice on decorating and how to fill a large space.
With wedding limits still at 15, you may be worrying on how to fill out your venue. But not to worry!
There are lots of great innovative ways to get creative with your ideas and to help fill your venue.

Flower walls – Not only are these great for photo opportunities, they’re a beautiful way to fill up a corner of your venue. Varying from small to large and available in a huge range of colours and styles, these are perfectly suited to any theme.

Hanging frames – Ornate gold frames creates a very rustic and authentic vibe for your décor. These can also be teamed up with the flower wall for the perfect shot.

Mirrors – Guests love a selfie! Not only do these look fantastic especially with ornate frames but these are also a fabulous room filler that your guests will love. Add some floral foliage to the sides for a personal touch!

Fairy light backdrops – Once the sun sets for the evening a fairy light backdrop creates the most perfect romantic setting. Opt for the classic white light or a gold for more of a warm feel.

Neon signs – This has become such a popular craze over the last few years. Whether you create a personalised sign or opt for a ‘Happily Ever After’. Not only do these make fantastic backdrops but they’ll be sure to impress your guests.

Chalk Board – Another one for the rustic vibes. A chalk board is a lovely way for your guests to write down their memories of the happy couple or even simply sign their name and add a little note about the day! There are many sprays and paints you can cover the board afterwards to solidify and make sure nothing gets faded away.

Got any other ideas? We would love to hear them! Let us know what you think.

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Category Archives: General

Make your wedding into a party to remember

Planning your ‘Boho’ Wedding

Intimate Summer Parties!

Picnic Week !

Mother’s Day Gift Experience Ideas

5 High-street shops for Gorgeous but Affordable Wedding Attire

Crafty ways to propose this Valentine’s Day

Back to work breakfast Seminar!

How to plan your corporate party in 2021

Wedding Décor – How to fill your venue

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