Break Time?

Brilliant Weekends; Olympic Winners!

2008-08-08T12:38:00.004Z

OK so we always thought we were a clever bunch at Brilliant Weekends but now we know!

We took part in Original Radio's 'Office Olympics' where offices face off daily to answer Olympic themed questions. Each Friday the winning 2 teams from the week compete in a final for a prize!

After winning our first round yesterday with 9/10, of course we made the final today and smashed it with another 9/10! Our Prize was a Chinese buffet which didn't last very long or go very far (we're not sure about their idea of feeding 20)!

Great for team spirit (and free lunch), we loved taking part and a brilliant way to get the brain in gear on a Friday morning!

Top Stag and Hen UK Destinations!

2008-07-23T11:52:00.005Z

A recently run poll by Travelodge of 4000 Britons tying the knot this year showed 84% will have their stag weekend or hen party right here in the UK.

The top destinations included London, Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Bristol, Liverpool and Bath.

Other interesting facts include stags spending on average twice as much as hens, hens spending around £94.04 on embarrassing outfits and gimmicks and stags still spending an average of £57.93 on strippers!

We're always working on creating new ideas and the next brilliant package so keep an eye on our website or give us a call on 0800 297 2097.

Our Brilliant Cocktails and Comedy Shakeoff

2008-07-11T09:12:00.016Z

At Brilliant Weekends experiencing our packages and products is a must. Yes it's a tough job, but someone's got to do it! When it came to our cocktails and comedy night out, surprisingly we weren't short of volunteers and so we all did it!

We headed off after work last night to try the Bristol cocktail clinic followed by a show at Jesters comedy club. The cocktail clinic was even better than I thought; informative, fun and of course we got to sample the goods! Lewis our bartender knew possibly everything there is to know about the history of cocktails and spirits; where they came from, how they're made, what they're made of and even why! Believe me we tested his knowledge (even Paul S with "where is Finlandia vodka from?") and I can honestly say we didn't get one single "I don't know"!

We learnt exactly how to make a choice of our favourite cocktails as we watched each other take it in turns to shake, pour and muddle our way through; it was hilarious! Tried, tested and highly recommended for hen parties!

Check out some of our favourite cocktail clinic hen packages in London, Bristol and Edinburgh.

Staggering over to Jesters was equally as amusing before we settled in for 2 hours of great comedy! Comedy clubs are now more popular than ever for our company nights out, birthday celebrations, hen dos and of course stag weekends! A brilliant mixed crowd and some of us our still giggling today...even with a few hangovers and headaches!

Get Hitched, Not Stitched!

2008-06-13T10:04:00.011Z

It's the most important day of your life and not time to compromise or be left blubbing into your hanky! Last year according to Consumer Direct (the Government advice service) thousands of brides and grooms were left with a bitter taste in their mouth after 4000 complaints were received relating to UK weddings.

It reads like you worst nightmare when you see some of the following examples; last minute cancelled venues, dresses not turning up, photographers disappearing and bad cases of food poisoning!

Consumer Direct say the best way to avoid some of the most common complaints is by planning well in advance. You may be called Bridezilla but who cares when everything runs like clockwork and your not left feeling jilted!

Sara Barry, Manager for Consumer Direct East Midlands said:

'Weddings are a time for celebration but with the need to book suppliers so far in advance people need to think carefully before making decisions. Wedding contracts can be worth several thousands of pounds so it's vital that you shop around, compare prices, ask lots of questions and make sure you know exactly what you're getting before you agree a deal.'

Consumer Direct has compiled a list of tips to help couples plan their big day. Definitely worth reading as some simple steps could prevent panic and most important of all, let you enjoy planning your big day!

And one for the brides; some tips on buying your dream wedding dress!

So, good luck with the planning and don't forget if you want one less thing to worry about; we can plan you a brilliant hen and stag weekends to remember!

Brilliant Weekends Adrenaline Junkies

2008-05-07T08:56:00.011Z

Last week us 'Brilliant Weekenders' quenched our thirst for adrenaline and went on a multi activity day on the outskirts of Bristol! We got in touch with our primitive sides as we scrambled up poles, balanced at 14 metres and some took the 'leap of faith' with high ropes. It really was a true test of who you trust!

After all this looking down, it was time to look forward (at ground level phew) and race around fields with quad bikes and rage buggies!

Splitting into teams of four throughout the day, competition was fierce, pride was at stake and of course there could only be one winning team! Winners or losers we had such a brilliant time and we'll continue to recommend to all our stag weekends and even hen weekends too!

Check out our pics on facebook! And, while your there become a fan as you're missing out on our exclusive offers and brilliant weekend ideas!

Fancy getting naked at 30,000 feet?

2008-02-01T09:25:00.000Z

No it's not a new mile high club or the world's first airline orgy; German airline OssiUrlaub has launched not a 'no frills' service but a 'no clothes' service! Yes, we're serious!

You can buy a same day return flight between the German town Erfurt and the Baltic Island of Usedom for just over £350 and get your kit off once aboard! But, before you get too excited, the pilot and cabin crew keep their uniforms on!

According to OssiUrlaub founder Enrico Hess, his idea aimed at nudists has attracted a lot of interest with enquiries already flooding in fast.

We bet it's a bit more interesting on this flight when the cabin crew check passenger's seatbelts are fastened!

A future Brilliant Weekend?

Our Brilliant New Years Eve Party

2008-01-31T14:34:00.000Z

A Belated Happy New Year to you all! - 31days to be exact!

Sorry we haven't been in touch for a while, we've been busying ourselves with all the New Year stag and hen enquiries flooding in. And not to mention in the thick of ski season!

Our New Years Eve 2007 photos are now available from our fabulous Hollywood party in Bristol. We've picked a sample of our favourites and posted them on facebook for you to see how glamorous everyone looked and the amazing costumes! Our paparazzi team from Yvette Craig Photography did a great job - thank you! If you were there, make sure you check out her online album for more photos; especially if you had portrait shot done! You can order these directly from Yvette with all the prices and instructions on her website.

Moving on to this year, we are already planning away here at the Brilliant HQ! We'd love to hear any ideas you’d like to bring to the table. You can tell us by simply using our contact form online, and you never know if they're that good you may even get some free tickets! 2007 really was our best crowd yet. We'll be offering all our guests discounted tickets to make sure you come back and party with us again this year.

So from all of us here, we'll keep you updated with all our shenanigans and exciting news in 2008...and don't forget, if you need a Brilliant Weekend you know where we are!

Brilliant Finalists for the Eventia International Awards 2008

2007-11-30T14:22:00.001Z

We're keeping our fingers crossed after being voted a finalist for our "winter sports activity" entry in the BEST USE OF LOGISTICS category at the 2008 Eventia International Awards.

Jonathan and Tracey's hard work received the recognition it deserved for a brilliant client launch in Geneva for a UK top 5 bank. 20 wealth intermediaries were whisked over the French Alps in 5 helicopters to the Olympic bobsleigh track at La Plagne for team, tandem and solo bobsleigh runs at speeds of up to 125km/h. After a champagne reception, we then flew them to a stunning 14th century chateau for drinks, a four-course dinner and presentation.

Tracey's excellent attention to detail and contingency planning came into play when the weather was against them and as a result everything ran on schedule for the busy guests.

The award ceremony is on Friday 1st February 2008 - Wish us luck!

Green / Organic Themed Weddings

2007-11-22T12:55:00.000Z

Ok so it's still a fairly new concept, but it's an interesting one!
This year, people have really started to experiment with going green on their big day. To break it down; recycle, reuse and reduce!!

You can go the full hog and order in recycling containers or simply make the effort to take the bottles down to the bottle bank! If it all sounds a little daunting then get advise from a wedding planner who knows what they are doing and you can work in the "green" element to this.

Some ideas to get you started could include:
Traditional craft and fair trade products
Recycling all the champagne and wine bottles
Organising transport for guests to help fuel consumption
Use local produce and suppliers
Natural materials for wedding dress / groom and bridesmaids

There are so many ways to make a difference if you want to and it really can have a positive spin on your day. Also, check out Great Green Wedding's website and blog for advice and suppliers!

Don't forget we can also tailor make green hen do's and weekends
Go on, get creative and go green!

Brilliant New Years Eve History

2007-10-31T16:24:00.000Z

2007 1000 Hollywood Stars
2006 Viva Las Vegas
2005 Circus Extravaganza
2004 Seven Deadly Sins
2003 Love Boat
We started hosting New Years Eve parties because we at Brilliant Weekends wanted something good to do on NYE. We were all sick of queuing up outside bars and paying £30 for nothing extra and decided as we couldn’t find a top night out that we’d create one. And so it all began…

Our first party was in London at a bar in the city with guests staying at the Barbican Thistle. We shuttled people in buses to and from the venue and it sold out pretty quickly! We had Keda Breeze doing her truly unique angle grinding show and a great DJ. We had hot and cold buffet food. The bar was decked out with a nautical theme and we had a few captains strolling around. The capacity of the bar was only 350 people and after the great success we decided to find a bigger venue for next year.

2004 was a great year – our theme “Seven Deadly Sins” lent itself well to an evening of indulgence and fun! We used 3 rooms at the Thistle Hotel in Bristol – VIP room, 70s disco room and the huge main room where the acts performed. We had an Abba tribute band and Keda Breeze did 3 shows. Having learnt from the previous year that it would be best to have accommodation and party at the same venue, the Thistle provided a good solution and worked really well.

2005 we hosted Circus Extravaganza. We decorated the main room at the Thistle, Bristol with red and white striped drapes to give the feel of a circus tent. The acts we chose were Whatamarlarky and Keda Breeze who performed on stilts, did acts with hula hoops, fire eating adult show amongst others.

2006 saw Viva Las Vegas parties in Bristol and London. The Bristol party was held once again at the Thistle and Highlights of the night included our fantastic Elvis impersonator, a 70s disco soul band, and stunning dancing girls to entertain over 700 guests. Whilst in London we joined up with the Riverbank Park Plaza

2007 introduces 1000 Hollywood Stars. This year we’ve planned a glamorous party based around Hollywood as we take over the entire Thistle hotel in Bristol! We have confirmed top entertainment including live music, DJs, an amazing floor show and dancing girls! Every year the party just gets better and better as we are spurred on from the previous years’ success.

Brilliant Top Tips for Company Weekends

2007-10-31T12:40:00.000Z

Top Tips for Corporate Weekends

More and more companies are beginning to recognise the benefits of corporate travel incentives as increased numbers of employees are ranking them as one of the most desired forms of reward. At Brilliant Weekends, we have been organising Team Building, Corporate Events, Travel Incentives and Conferences & Meetings, in more than 100 destinations around the world, for years. It’s because of this experience and a commitment to our clients, that our team understand what it takes to transform a good corporate trip into a brilliant weekend that all of everyone will be queuing up to attend.

We have delivered a variety of travel events and learnt how important attention to detail is to ensure our trips run smoothly, no matter how unusual or unique the requirements are. Almost half of the UK’s FTSE 100 companies have used Brilliant Weekends for incentives, teambuilding, conferences and hospitality weekends across the world - simply because they know we have the ability to provide unique experiences with high levels of service throughout.

Check out our top tips here to ensure that corporate travel incentives truly motivate, inspire and are on the tip of everyone’s tongue…

Brilliant Bristol!!

2007-09-13T09:03:00.003Z

We love Bristol and always have proudly basing ourselves in the heart of the city on the harbour side! So great news to hear, according to Destination UK, tourism value here has reached a new high! The value of tourism in Bristol is said to have topped the £750m mark for the first time and visitors to the South West in 2005 spent nearly £9b with Bristol emerging as one of the tourism hotspots!

The exciting part being Bristol's new found status as an international travel destination with overseas visitors now spending more than UK overnight visitors. This is also impacted by Bristol airport increasing it's route network.

We have fantastic contacts in the South West to organise the hundreds of stag weekends, hen weekends and brilliant Bristol weekends. We also try and test numerous activities and venues in and around the area - tough life!

It's good to see this diverse city start to get the recognition it deserves...and makes the redevelopment chaos seem worth while!!

The Wurzels Help Us Celebrate Our Birthday In Style...

2007-09-12T13:19:00.000Z

...and what a barnstorming bash it was!!

We celebrated our 5th birthday with a typical West Country knees up; lashings of cider, mouth watering hog roast, barn dancing and a traditional Celtic ceilidh band.

Of course the highlight of the day, aside the glorious weather, was the world famous Wurzels storming the stage!! Yes, we bought the Wurzels to the quiet village of Barrow Gurney in honour of Brilliant Weekends and they loved it!!

Highlights of the day included Tommy Banner (the Scottish one) attempting a strip before registering there were children present!! And, in the words of our very own Somerset gal Gainey "The hog roast was delicious!"

Thanks to all our friends, neighbours, past BWers and suppliers for joining the celebrations and watch this space for some more photos soon...

The Brilliant Weekends Story So Far...

2007-09-12T12:51:00.001Z

Brilliant Weekends was born on 9 September 2002 and here's the story so far from our very own Bernard Cribbins..."It was my 33rd birthday. 3 weeks beforehand we had upped sticks, rented our house to cover the mortgage and left Bristol living off Liz's enhanced maternity pay as Martha had been born 3 weeks earlier. So we ended up in a very remote half renovated farmhouse 2 miles up a dust track in deepest Umbria, 15 miles away from anyone we knew and without a single word of Italian between us and about £400 in our bank account.

A rickety laptop, a mobile phone set up on a wooden kitchen table with an open fire for heat, frequent power cuts, no landline and just the local radio ("centoduecinque - power hits") for company. We spent a few pounds advertising stag weekends to Rimini (our local seaside resort) on Google while spending the spare time understanding the intricacies of Google's "natural" listings. All was fairly slow and uneventful until boxing day 2006 when our trickle of five or six weekly enquiries and a sale or two suddenly roared into a torrent of 50 enquiries of which more than 20 were on the phone (via a virtual 0870 number diverted to my UK landline diverted to my UK mobile on full roaming charges). Google had picked up our site and we were really in business.

The first few days of 2003 were total chaos, as fuelled by non-stop espresso coffee, we worked from 6am to 1am each day keeping up with everything, but to no avail. So we pretty well stopped answering the phones and focussed only on the orders we had taken. A week was spent writing a business plan to try and raise enough cash from the bank to get us back to the UK as it was clear we were going to need to expand quickly - not an option in rural Italy!

On 10th Feb 2003, our bank kindly agreed to a £5000 overdraft and on 8th March 2003 we moved back into our old house in Bristol, and with the help of a kindly neighbour rented a one room office above a shop in Clifton Village. A free job ad brought just one applicant who we hired in desperation after 10 minute pub chat - and she did a Brilliant job for us for 3 years! Then we hired a salesman, then another administrator, then another and another until we got to our current size of 25 staff all settled perfectly in our newly refurbished offices on the Hotwell Road on the harbour side.

Since those early days our company has grown rapidly to its current multimillion pound operation. Along the way we have been featured on national TV (GMTV weddings, Holiday programme) had features in all the national press & won awards (Richard was Bristol business person of the month in Nov 2004 and runner up in Ernst & Young entrepreneur of the year the same year). Almost 100,000 people have enjoyed a Brilliant Weekend and since Jan 2006 almost half of the UKs FTSE 100 companies have used the company for corporate events, teambuilding or hospitality services across the world. Our turnover for 2007 is expected to be in excess of £3.5million and we have sold almost £10m of holidays since we began!

It's been great fun so far but in the words of Karen Carpenter, we have only just begun! So many ideas and so little time, we have major plans for continued expansion and also as our amazing team and loyal customers have grown with us, our passion for great value, exciting, inspiring weekends away has not changed one bit. We are careful to remember that we don't just sell weekend breaks, we sell Brilliant Weekends and as more and more opportunities and markets open up to us we are still determined to provide the same buzz and excitement as we ourselves felt during those pioneering days just 60 months ago 1000 miles away in deepest darkest Umbria."

to be continued...
Richard

The Brilliant Weekends Team 2007

2007-09-10T15:36:00.000Z

Ego - tripping

2007-09-07T13:37:00.000Z

So these days the latest trends about where to go on holiday depend on how it makes you look - ego tripping. Holidays have always been a status symbol with destinations and resorts coming and going more than ever; this years top destinations are last years most dangerous! Social networking including trip advisor and facebook allow people to document their holidays to audiences wider than just immediate friends; increasing the 'destination' pressure more than ever! It has become easier than ever to travel the world with new destination demands being met.

Eco-trips are at the forefront of everyone’s lips; once only associated with eccentrics. Green is now cool and doesn’t mean second class. In fact as far as ego-tripping goes, green holidays often leave travellers more culture and better stories to tell!

Off-setting carbon emissions can be a daunting and complicated issue as we are trying to become more environmentally aware. There is a huge focus on flying and as the world is becoming more accessible, travellers are often left feeling frustrated. Visit websites like co2balance.uk.com for advice and remember there are plenty of ways to reduce carbon emissions without sacrificing your holiday!

How to Avoid Stag Weekend Heartache

2007-08-14T12:50:00.000Z

Being put in charge of organising a stag weekend can be one of the most challenging yet rewarding aspects of being the best man.

Organising a stag weekend shouldn’t be a burden. In fact, it's one of the best bits! Whether you chose a weekend away or one night to remember - it should be unforgettable and using Brilliant Weekends to organise it leaves you, the best man, plenty of time to work on perfecting "the speech"!!

So, we've decided to make life easier and put together the following tips explaining the ten most common mistakes when booking a stag weekend.

Best Men: Check it out if you want to be a hero!

Mile High Socialising The "virgin way"!

2007-08-08T13:44:00.000Z

Whilst reading through gottaquirk's newsletter - i spotted something I found amusing and decided to share with you all about Virgin America and the "virgin way". Carlos Menezes from gottaquirk has set the tone perfectly for this one so view article seat to seat!

You never know you could look at the check in queue in a whole different light soon!

Chris scrubs up for the Queen!

2007-08-02T08:57:00.000Z

...and we didn't recognise him!!

Doesn't our Chris scrub up well!

On July 17th this year, Chris had the pleasure of attending the Queen's Garden party on the arm of his stunning girlfriend Susannah. When Susannah told me about Chris looking the part in his tails I had to get evidence - and here it is! Shiny shoes and all!

Thanks for the photo Susannah!

Bristol's Urban Beach is here!

2007-07-31T14:38:00.000Z

From 21st July - 31st August 2007 Bristol's urban beach is here!

So now the sun is out and summer has officially started; enjoy some sun, sand and scenery as Bristol joins the exclusive urban beach club!

Set behind the stunning St Mary Redcliffe church and overlooking the floating harbour it's a cracking spot to watch the sunset and enjoy a few drinks after work! So, needless to say we will be on another brilliant mission to check it out soon and report back...

Brilliant Sam's Farewell Boat Trip!!

2007-07-13T08:30:00.000Z

Sad times as Sam leaves the brilliant team today, but, for a good cause as baby Stagg is on the way! After 3 years at Brilliant Weekends we couldn't let Sam go with out making a fuss so Chris organised a boat trip and barbeque.

First thing, the weather was shocking but then we got lucky as the sun started shining! Jack skipped off to buy some toys (including a £17 frisbee with a light on!!?!), Chris bought the booze and then we were ready to go. Setting off at 6pm from Hotwell Road we leisurely cruised along the river to Hanham Lock. After about an hour we stopped at a beautiful house where the owner was already turning the first batch of sizzling burgers from the local butchers. After fooling around with 'the' frisbee we polished off all the food before setting off back to Bristol at 8.45!

The cruise back to Bristol was great! Everyone was relaxed, and we were welcomed home by the harbour lights and bustle of Thursday night drinkers. Perfect for a brilliant weekend and one we will definitely be telling our stag, hen and party groups about!

Everyone is buzzing today in the office - hope you enjoy the pics!

...and our fav picture - we found JT rather at home in the trees???

A Man Flies Home For Wedding 1 Year Early!

2007-07-11T08:18:00.000Z

Dave Barclay, 34, flew home all the way to Wales from Toronto in Canada for a mates wedding 1 year early!!

It was only as he arrived at his mother's house near Cardiff that he realised he had travelled 4,000 miles for best mate Dave's wedding in July 2007 instead of July 2008!
Mr Barclay, a teacher in Toronto for three years, admitted he had assumed Dave's big day was this July when he received his friend's e-mail.

Best bit - Mr Barclay didn't tell his friend the complete truth and even tried to blame his girlfriend as she normally "sorts these things out!"

"He said to me you didn't come home specially for the wedding did you and I lied and said no. And he said "Thank God for that, I thought you were going to charge me for the cost of the (plane) ticket and the present then." Dave Barclay told BBC Radio Wales.

"Well, at least it's assured me a mention in the speech next year, I reckon."
Read the full story on BBC news page

Brilliant - Let's hope Dave's mates chip in and fly him over next year for the wedding!

Race For Life Target Smashed!

2007-06-05T08:17:00.001Z

Yeah! Didn't we do well and wasn't it worth it!

After setting out to raise £500, we finished on a grand total of £1,127.00 for Cancer Research UK!

A real team effort - thanks for the motivation girls...I just wish I hadn't drunk a bottle of wine the night before!

...and, thank you to all our sponsors of course!

http://www.justgiving.com/brilliantweekends

Tracey and Rachel Do Monte Carlo!!

2007-05-18T16:15:00.000Z

2 days and 2 nights in Monte Carlo, nice work if you can get it! Tracey and Rachel did and jetted off at the beginning of May for a hectic weekend managing 110 thirsty London based Recruitment Consultants on their annual conference.

Staying in a luxury central hotel with a private beach and impressive facilities, the girls had their work cut out ensuring the weekend ran to military precision. Saturday morning meeting and greeting the guests in true Brilliant Weekends style then led onto an hours conference / celebration before time to get the glad-rags on for a night on the town. Luxury coaches took the group to a exclusive privatised restaurant on the harbour where the guys all did their damnest to drink the bar dry of Tequila and line their stomachs with the delicious buffet. The BW girlies then had to put their bossy hats on to herd everyone onto the coaches where they were whisked off to Monte Carlos hottest nightspot with a private terrace and open bar until 4am! Champers anyone?!

Never ones to leave the party early (we like to practice what we preach) the BW girls stayed up until 7am 'supervising' the guests back at the hotel bar, especially as some took a shine to the breakfast preparations whilst others decided a sobering up early morning swim was in order. A few bleary eyes made it down before 10am check out and professional to the end, the BW girls spent the day nursing everyones' hangovers (not our own of course) and sent the last weary group off to the airport at 7pm.

Snoozing all the way home Sunday night, Tracey and Rachel were incredibly grateful for a Bank Holiday Monday to recover and are already looking forward to the next one!!! Fantastic feedback from the client quoted 'our best ever corporate weekend' so watch this space for details of our next jaunt.......

Coming Soon...Europe's First Artificial Surf Reef!

2007-05-15T09:16:00.000Z

A new artificial surf reef is coming soon to Boscombe Seafront in Bournemouth!! As the first artificial reef in Europe, this is sure to raise the profile and visitor numbers to this already popular seaside town.

Visit Bournemouth Council's website to find out more and see some questions answered.

...and watch this space for some brilliant packages, ideal for stag and hen weekends!!