2012 – the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee – what are you going to be doing over the June bank holiday? The Queen’s Coronation was on 2nd June 1952 so the Spring Bank Holiday has been moved to 4th June and we have been given an extra day on 5th June to give us a 4 day weekend for celebrations.

Everyone is being encouraged to get together with their neighbours and arrange a street party for Sunday 3rd June. If you want to participate but need to close the road for your street party then you will have to get permission from your local council and if your street is on a bus route too you will also need to give the bus company advance warning. Your local council will also be able to help with any road closure signs that you need. You can either request to borrow them from your council for the day or just ask them where you can hire them from.  Alternatively you can make your own by downloading templates for “Road Closed”, “Road Ahead Closed” and “Access Only” signs. If you don’t want the hassle of closing the road you could arrange a “street meet” in an off road site such as a cul-de-sac, driveway, parking area or front garden instead or if you are close to a park then how about a picnic in the park?

Many of you may have already organised a street party last year for the Royal Wedding celebrations so you will already be old hands at this and organising another street party this year will be almost second nature but for those of you who never got round to it and regretted it later well you all have a second chance to join in the fun. Get together with your neighbours to arrange the food, you can either all chip in and then get together to cook, make sandwiches or organise a barbecue. Alternatively you could have a pot luck where everyone buys or makes something to bring along. Everyone can bring picnic tables or their kitchen or dining room tables and chairs out into the street and put them next to your neighbours to make one long table.

Last but not least you will need some Great Britain decorations, napkins and paper plates in red, white and blue or maybe some printed with the union jack, union jack bunting or red white and blue bunting has to be a must, red, white and blue balloons will definitely brighten the place up and you can also get balloons printed with the union jack on too, maybe you could also add some hand waving flags as well to really get you in the spirit.

In my last post I talked about balloon releases – this would be an ideal occasion to arrange a balloon release.

Happy Diamond Jubilee!

Balloon releases are very simple to do but depending on the number of balloons you are releasing will need varying degrees of preparation. If you are releasing less than 100 then you can use a 10″ balloon, inflate them and put them into large bags ready to release but make sure that the bags are secured so there is no chance of them be released in the bags. Alternatively for a wedding you might want to put them in a box decorated with a ribbon, then just open the box to release them but don’t leave more than a few hours before releasing as latex balloons will start to deflate and you have to ensure they will float high enough to shatter!

100 or more really need to be contained in a net. You can buy nets that will hold 200, 500, 1000 & 2000 balloons, if you want to release more than this then you will need either more than one net or a purpose built structure. For larger releases I would strongly advise that you get the help of a professional.

If you are doing the release yourself then, to ensure it is safe and won’t run any risk to wildlife, it is very important that you adhere to the following:

• Only use latex balloons – Latex balloons are 100% biodegradeable, fully recyclable and the trees that are planted to provide the sap for the rubber remove Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere and produce much needed Oxygen.
• Don’t use metallic finish latex balloons –  that is balloons which have a metallic pigment.
• Balloons should be 10″ – 12″.
• Balloons need to be filled with helium.
• Always fully inflate the balloons – to ensure that they float up high enough to ensure that they will shatter in the atmosphere and avoid coming down to earth in large pieces that can cause damage and death to wildlife.
• Never attach anything to the balloon that isn’t biodegradeable – no ribbon, no plastic valves.
• If you want to attach a label then make sure than it is biodegradeable and has a hole punched in it to enable to fix it to the balloon after it has been inflated.
• Balloons need to be hand tied – or tied using a balloon tool, never use valves or any other method of sealing.
• Never tie balloons together – they must always be released individually
• If balloons are being released from a net you need to ensure that it is securely fixed to the ground or an unmoveable object to ensure that the net isn’t released with the balloons.
• Ensure that all authorities have been informed if necessary. See who do we have to tell!

Have fun and make sure there is someone on hand with a camera or camcorder to record the event – maybe more than one person with a balloon release there is no second chance when they’re gone they’re gone!

Most of their kits don’t include helium and can be sent UK wide including islands off of mainland UK.

However they do also make up Party Packs which include a disposable helium tank, balloons, ribbon and box weight. These are available for a range of occasions as well as seasonal celebrations such as Valentine’s, Christmas & New Year and special events such as England & GB themes. Due to restrictions with the transportation of helium these packs can only be delivered to mainland UK.

Special offer of 200 free 6″ x 4″ wedding prints from Michael Jessa who is a Professional Wedding Photographer based in Reading, Berkshire and provides a wedding photography service across England, Scotland and Wales as well as exotic destinations overseas.

Their goal is to capture every detail of your wedding day from you getting ready through to your first dance.

Prices start at £690 for the basic package (in the Reading area) and currently includes a special offer of 200 free 6″ x 4″ prints (normal price is £66). The basic price includes up to 5 hours unobtrusive cover but can, if required, be booked for up to 12 hours and anywhere in the UK for additional fees.

The basic package includes an online gallery, which is active for 90 days for viewing photos and album purchasing. There is a also a set of login cards for you to give to your guests, so they know exactly where to view the photographs.

They also offer some nice add ons such as wedding car hire, violinist, a lifestyle photography session – which enables you to have a practice session in front of the camera to help you relax on your big day. You will come away with some wonderful photographs at a favourite or special location. You can also display one of these photos at your reception in a signature frame, a large 22″ x 30″ frame with space for your guests to sign and add special messages. This will then be put together for you to hang in your home.

In addition to this very special photography package they can also offer you a cinematic wedding video which covers you getting ready, the church or civil ceremony and venue until after the speeches. Check out their website here.