LOVE VINTAGE?.. LOVE & LACE...

As I'm sure you are all aware, the vintage trend that was super popular in 2012 has been warmly welcomed into 2013 and looks set to continue for quite some time yet.

With this in mind I would like to invite all my lovely readers to a beautiful vintage event happening in the gorgeous village of Sapperton, in Gloucestershire, on the 17th February 2013... Love and Lace! Love and Lace was the brainchild of Ladyamy, a very creative event stylist who has painstakingly organised a whole host of fabulous suppliers and brought them together to create a wedding fayre with a classic, quintessentially English twist. Aimed a couples who are looking to marry in 2013 and 2014, this could be the event for you!

Hosted in the quaint Sapperton Village Hall, brides are warmly welcomed to see what the vintage wedding industry in Gloucestershire has to offer... and what a list it is?...

We have event stylists, sweet cart companies, specialist wedding cake suppliers, fabulous photographers, Car hire, vintage china and glassware hire and of course some superb florists.... Even if I do say so myself!!!

You can find the full list of suppliers in the link posted to the bottom of this post but a few of my favourites include:

Karma Kars: This beautiful car is owned by Suzie Goodman and she is a "slightly kitsch, 1950s style vintage Indian Ambassador wedding car". It's worth coming just to catch sight of her... She really is a beauty to behold.

The Cheltenham Cakery: Sophie Liggat is a very talented lady who can do some amazing things with cake... Her speciality is cake pops but I have had the pleasure of working with her on a recent photo shoot and her wedding cakes are superb!

Fizzy Whizzy Sweet Cart: A very lovely sweet cart to hire with a choice of over 125 sweet varieties to choose from... for anyone with a sweet tooth, this is a must see. I must say I'm very excited to see them!

Lavender & Linen: A vintage hire company with some of the prettiest china and elegant glassware in stock. They have so much to choose from, some of which will be featured on my own table. I have heard the plans of their own exhibit and it sounds beautiful!! I'm particularly excited to see the very lovely Kate and Catherine here as I have had the pleasure to work very closely with them on various events and shoots... We are almost at the point of launch of a very exciting partnership and beautiful vintage packages. I shall of course blog about all of these in the next few weeks but if you just need to know more come along and see us at Love and Lace.

Aside from this we have a raffle, live music from the superbly talented Sarah Raymond, free makeup and hair trials by Jenny Davies and pop up tea party by The Chipping Norton Tea Set, who will be serving light refreshments and cake... I'm happy to say I shall be exhibiting very close to their stand, within reaching distance of tea and cake!

I will of course have a beautiful stand of my own, displayed with a number of arrangements suitable for the perfect vintage wedding day. If its vintage elegance, country vintage or just something quaint and pretty you'll find it there.

My own arrangements will also be featured on Ladyamy's stand which, by the sounds of things, will be styled to perfection. Very pretty and rustic vintage chic! Below is a little taster of some of the gorgeous styling she can achieve!

All in all a fabulous day out... entrance is free and the first 100 visitors will receive a free goody bag featuring some fabulous discounts and offers. If you are interested in coming along its on the 17th of February 2013, doors open at 11am and we will be welcoming visitors until 4pm. I look forward to meeting you there.

For a full details and a list of who is exhibiting please follow this link: Love and Lace

PERFEZIONE ITALIANO...

With the beautiful, intimate wedding of Justin and Jessica happening in the picture perfect Italian landscape, I decided it's time to delve into what Italy has to offer for floral wedding inspiration.

The Italians epitomise lavish style. Its expensive and indulgent. Their major fashion houses ooze glamour and sophistication. This typical Italian pizazz spills into anything floral regarding 'Weddings'... and they do it ever so well!

If you are wishing to mirror this style into your own wedding flowers it is a lot easier that you'd imagine. The Italians, it would seem, favour creams, ivories, pale peaches and champagne hues. It's very simple choice but extremely effective. You barely see a flash of greenary... all you see are masses and masses of flowers. Its a very generous and liberal floral theme.

If we start off with the all important Bridal bouquet... despite the limited colour pallet there are several options you could go forward with, each as beautiful as each other.  Ivory roses are king here... please don't limit yourself to just these, couple them with peachy vendella roses, blousy flower forms (peonies would look sensational in the summer months) such as Dahlias and a luxury, sporadic dusting of Stephanotis... Utter Italian perfection!!!!!

Alternatively keep to smaller headed flowers and opt for a mix of cream and ivory roses married with Stephanotis. Add a smattering of crystal embellishments and... Questo è quanto (there you have it) a flawless Italian bouquet ready to make any Bride thrilled.

To transfer this exorbitant look to your venue decoration you'll need large, showy, impressive displays of flowers... A good mix of high and low arrangements would look exquisite. A sumptuous blend of cream hydrangeas, white akito roses and peach vendella roses arranged in simple glass vase. Its luxurious, elegant and very glamourous. 

I adore the little touches to weddings... the finer details speak volumes and can often make or break a chosen theme. I just had to include these beautiful Italian inspired hair flowers that adorn a loosley touseled look... isn't it beautiful?!?

Whatever the inspiration for your Italian wedding... Venetian, Milano or Tuscan you can recreate a magnificent look full of splendour. I will of course be bringing more inspiration your way very soon but in the meantime do bear this one in mind... La sua bella!

With thanks to:

• Stunning venue: featured on Zsa Zsa blog.
• Rose and Dahlia bouquet: Wedding Bee blog.
• Rose and Stephanotis bouquet: found on my pinterest page.
• Glorious table flower arrangements: Sincerely Yours blog.

A VINTAGE AFFAIR...

Well, it's been quite some time hasn't it?... Today I am going to share with you all a beautiful vintage inspired shoot that we did back in sunny August... gosh that seems such a long time ago! We teamed up with the very lovely Emma at the Bridal Room Broadway and the fantastic 'Adorable Moments' Photography and together we created some beautiful images. To be honest... this particular shoot was all about the stunning dresses provided by Emma... and the very lovely Harriet (our beautiful model) showed them off to their very best. Emma contacted me in the hope we could supply some vintage inspired bouquets. Something very loose, very pretty -  almost a handpicked natural feel. We supplied two bouquets for Harriet to hold. Both were created using garden roses. The first, favoured by Emma, was a deep, rich ruby pink coloured rose. We mixed this with an antique pink Eustoma and fresh Jasmine foliage straight out the garden. The wayward tendrils of the Jasmine greenary add a very quaint, old fashioned look to the bouquet. So very pretty but with an indulgent twist  from the deep 'Darcy' Rose.

The second bouquet was formed using the prettiest pale, peachy pink rose as the basis. We combined this with fresh garden Lavender, Veronica and Eustoma. Again some garden foliage, this time Myrtle and only one or two Jasmine curls added to that 'handpicked' feel.

After talking to Emma further about the 'Vintage' theme it would seem that this popular choice is set to continue with 2013 / 2014 brides. Speaking in a professional capacity, vintage florals are so effortlessly beautiful. There are so many options available... Here I stuck to rose combinations but the greater the variety of flowers you have the better it looks! Anenomes, with their dark hearts, married with fluffy Stocks, Astilbe and Eustoma... Just stunning! Do away with the formality factor and opt for jam jars and enamel jugs full of flowers for table centres. Vintage teacups are proving a popular choice amongst brides... flowers arranged in clusters within them can be used as relaxed centrepieces and can create beautiful favours for your guests to take home and treasure!

I have been so so busy lately planning some fantastic events and shoots with some great suppliers across the Cotswolds and South West. Do sit tight for some more fabulous inspiration coming your way very soon... Theres a very busy winter ahead of me!!!

With thanks to:

• The very beautiful Harriet for modelling for us.
• The stunning range of dresses brought to us by the very lovely Emma of The Bridal Room Broadway
• The fabulous photos by Adorable Moments Photography
•  Bouquets designs and created by me... Stephanie Saunders

SEASONS OF MISTS AND MELLOW FRUITFULNESS...

For all you nature lovers out there, this time of year is a real treat... The trees are turning from the vivid greens and luscious emeralds into the mellow shades of golden oranges and crisp reds... Yes, autumn has arrived!

For me autumn is possibly the most fantastic of all the seasons. Natures display of transformation is just so fabulous, every year I can't fail to be amazed and all the new blooms to play with just makes it all the more enjoyable for me!

Summers stunning pastel shades make way for the most rich and sumptuous hues... deep scarlet reds, bold, extroverted oranges and fantastic berry tones. There is certainly a sense of indulgence about this season.

Although autumn will never be as popular as spring and summer for weddings, it does have an awful lot to offer for wedding flowers...

For Brides who love rich and indulgent reds (usually the hopeless romantics... I certainly have a penchant for them) this is your season to shine. The velvety texture of the 'Grand Prix' rose reigns supreme here... the infinite ruffles are so decadent, perfect for an autumn wedding. To add depth to your arrangements and bouquets mix this with another red rose, perhaps the 'Ruby Red' rose (aptly named) and add a magical touch of typical autumnal foliage... maybe some oak leaves???... Stunning!!!

I'm a huge fan of using seasonal blooms... and this season is no exception. There are some gorgeous varieties out there this time of year and the Dahlia is quite possibly autumn personified. It comes in a range of colours, from the richest reds to the most subtle coral pink shades... so versatile and so beautiful! The berry colours are my preferred choice. Burgundy and jewel tones are set to lead the way on the catwalks this season and why should floral trends differ? Mix these berried tones with clever foliage to enhance the arrangement, something like a purply red Dracaena would work a dream. Natural Birch would add a further dimension. Look at this stunning arrangement that was created just last week... Berrylicious don't you think?... Take this a step further and why not add actual berries to your arrangements??... Lovely!!

For all you golden oranges and mellow yellow lovers out there, here's an option for you... The humble and often unpopular chrysanthemum bloom is a hidden gem. Again they come in a massive array of colours, perhaps choose a bold orange to really add umph!... nestle them in amongst hardy (and slightly indulgent) 'Charley Brown' Orchids to lessen the blow of the zesty orange and tone down the arrangement, add a sprinkling of skimmia and a whole load of rich foliage and finish off with teeny tiny crab apples... Have this arrangement cuddling a candle and you have on your table something really special for a really special time of year!

Be sure to ask your chosen florist about your options for autumnal weddings... you can really achieve an outstanding display of colour. Theres something for everyone!

With thanks to:

• Beautiful autumn scene: Westonbirt Arboretum 
• The autumnal dome with oak leaves: Stephanie Saunders
• Berrylicious long and low arrangement: Stephanie Saunders
• Autumn personified wreath arrangement: Stephanie Saunders

FEATURED WEDDING - AMY AND JAMES LYALL

This weeks blog post is the first (of many I hope) featured wedding. This is a very special wedding to me as Amy is a very good friend of mine, we spent four years together at uni and I'm so happy she is my first featured Bride...

On August the 3rd 2012, in the most beautiful picture postcard church in South Gloucestershire, Amy married James... the wonderful man in her life.

During our consultation Amy was very keen on a blue colour scheme to complement the beautiful richness of the bridesmaids dresses. Blue can be such a difficult colour to get right as far as flowers can go... To begin with there aren't that many true blue blooms, secondly those that are, are the wrong form for handheld posy bouquets brides traditionally carry down the aisle. Things like Consolida (Larkspur) and Delphiniums are too tall for such uses. As this was going to be a summer wedding I decided to go forward with Hydrangea 'Verena blue' as the main blue component... As you can see it is the most beautiful shade of pale blue, just perfect against the blue of her Bridesmaids. I teamed this with Akito Roses and Freesia 'Crystal River', with a little gentle foliage in the form of soft Ruscus. This formed the basis of the design.

Amy wanted a traditional trailing bouquet... something a little more special compared to the very in vogue posy bouquet. As you can see the flower choice worked beautifully. This was a modern take on the more traditional shower bouquet that the lovely Brides of the 80's carried... It was completely packed with flowers, very structured, almost more of a teardrop bouquet. These bouquets look beautiful with fuller wedding dresses... the perfect complement to Amy's stunning dress. Her two Bridesmaids carried handtied posy bouquets and her adorable flower girl carried a pomander of the same combination...

Aside from the bouquets and buttonholes we also provided tablecentre arrangements for the gorgeous reception at Eastwood Park. For these we decided on a romantic candle arrangement. We grouped different sized candles and surrounded these with Hydrangea florets, groupings of Roses, Freesias and double Eustoma Rosita White, broken up with the silvery foliage of Eucalyptus Cinnerea and more soft Ruscus... very pretty... don't you think? It was a shame we were unable to light the candles in these arrangements as it would have looked stunning but Health and Safety is Health and Safety and better to be safe than sorry!

The cake was a real treat... Amy wanted it full of flowers to make a real feature of it. The top was structured using a teeny tiny floral foam disc and flowers literally spilled out of it. Each layer was then crammed with more Hydrangea florets, more Roses and more Freesia with some stunning unfurled Eustoma, making an appearance...

To top it all we included a pedestal arrangement that decorated both the church and the venue. We used even more of the same and included some very elegant 'White Heaven' Lilies to make a big bold statement, a showy display that sat proud at the front of the church and in the reception venue!

I hope you agree with me when I say what a pretty wedding this was... If you keep the flower choice simple you can't really go wrong. I could have used Delphiniums and other blue, line form flowers in the pedestal but I feel this would have taken away from the beauty of the blue Verena Hydrangea. That was the star of this wedding design and I'm so pleased to report that Mr and Mrs Lyall thought so too!

For a better look at the wedding and a little more insight into the overall look of the floral design please do have a look at this wonderful video, just click on the following link... Amy and James Lyall 

With thanks to:

• The wonderful video shot, edited and produced by Andrew McCabe. Do take a look at his other work. A truly talented man, all details to contact him found on my website!
• The beautiful photography by the super talented Caroline at  Bristol Wedding Photographic her website is full or gorgeous images and well worth a look!

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER...

When the lovely men in our lives pops that all important question we have been waiting our lives to hear we often seal that with a diamond ring... Why?... Diamonds are a symbol of happiness, beauty and eternal love.. A diamond, ladies, is for life!

It is undoubtedly the most exquisite of things. All made by nature, a pretty fantastic thing don't you think? Why not continue this theme when planning your wedding day and wrap it up beautifully with an iconic white ribbon. Yes darlings... This weeks inspiration is about all things Tiffany's.

No one can fail to recognise the signature bright turquoise box and white ribbon. The simple beauty and elegance of it shouts quality from the rooftops. Is it any wonder that so many Brides are using this icon to plan their wedding day around?

So many ideas are possible - it is far too easy to overdo it! Remember Brides, the turquoise should only be an accent colour. For this reason, (and partly because there are no true blooms in this bright shade, and to dye them would just be sacrilege) I would strongly suggest you stick solely to pure white blooms.

Please do not be afeared. This is far from an 'incipid' choice. A mass of white blooms look so beautifully chic, you cannot fail to make a statement. If you were to then team this with the one thing that Tiffany's is so famous for then you are carrying in your hands the winning combination! Introduce diamonds, any where, any how! My personal choice would be a mass of Dolomiti Roses, the purity of this white Rose would make it the perfect choice. Within the spiraling of the bouquet I would set diamond sprays that would add a touch of sparkle under the subtle lighting of a softly lit church / ceremony room. To bind, I would propose to use the bright turquoise colour in the ribbon with perhaps one or two diamond accessories to embelish and secure with diamond headed pins - WOW... Just perfect!

To carry this theme throughout your day I would suggest the use of crystal candelabras to decorate your guests tablecentres. Upon this already stunning piece use a combination of Stephanotis, more Dolomiti Roses and perhaps a Freesia or two, keeping the foliage to a bare minimum. This would look lavish and expensive... Very Tiffany's. Accompany this with tea lights and lots of them, perhaps scattering faux diamonds (or real, budget depending - now thats a wedding I would love an invite to) among the candles to make the best possible use of the candlelight. Of course each guest and table setting would have their very own Tiffany's box, encapsulating a little treat as a thank you for sharing your day. And the cake... Well the cake could just be amazing. It is truly fabulous what some people can do with sugar these days!

This may not be a theme everyone is keen on, but I hope everyone reading this can understand the unique beauty it can bring to a wedding day.  As with all themes you can go as far as you like with it... you may only want to hint at Tiffany's and the next couple may want to immerse themselves in all things Tiffany's. It is a bold and beautiful choice and can look stunning if the finer details are well done and precise. The colour turquoise on the binding ribbon, for example, must match perfectly with the other turquoise featured, whether thats the bridesmaids dresses, the chair sashes or the favours. The small details say an awful lot and can certainly make or break the theme!

Either way, love it, like it or hate it... Tiffany's has a timeless grace to it. And as the beautiful Marilyn Monroe sang... "square cut or pear shaped, these rocks don't loose their shape, Diamonds are a girls best friend."

With thanks to:

• Featured bouquet with diamond detailing - Stephanie Saunders
• Stunning crystal cake - featured on Project Wedding 

DECISIONS DECISIONS...

Planning a wedding or any large scale event can be a very time consuming business... Dresses, flowers, venues, cars, menus, stationary, photography, videographers... The list sometimes seems endless. There is so much to think about, to make your day the picture perfect wedding you had always dreamed it would be!

Unfortunately I can't advise on all of your decisions but I can guide you through choosing a good florist, and what to look out for!..

Be Organised
As a general rule of thumb you should be looking to book your florist about a year (or as close as) in advance. The best florists tend to get snapped up by super organised people, so get in early and book a consultation. Remember consultations should be no obligation. A florist cannot hold you to any agreement before a deposit is taken to secure the date.

Your Vision
Try to have in mind a good idea of your perfect flower choice or at least colour. If you go to a consultation with this in mind it is far easier for the florist to decipher the perfect design for you. Without it, it could turn into an hour of guessing what it is you like. Try to collect images of arrangements you like. Pinterest (an online pin board) is an amazing way of doing this!

Passion
When you meet with potential florists you will know when you have found the perfect match for you as their passion for flowers and design will shine through. I get excited by the thought of all new commissions and fresh challenges, and when a Bride comes to me with a more unusual colourway or theme my design skills get tested and for me thats exciting. I love to meet new Brides and combine their ideas into something they'll love. If your florist looks bored or distracted during your consultation  its a sign they may not be the florist for you.

The finer details
...they say a lot! The first point of call is usually their website. This is the tool us floral designers use to advertise what we can do and how we view things. The look of their website says an awful lot... it reflects their work. I spent hours with the lovely (and patient) Kaitie at Leaff design (my design company) thinking through the layout and concept of my website, logo, promotional cards and teeny tiny details... I care so much about what things look like and if they aren't 100% perfect I'm not 100% happy. If you look at your potential florist's websites and it looks like an 'it'll do' job, this could be an attitude to their work.

Budget
Have in mind a realistic maximum amount you want to spend on your wedding day flowers - this will remove any unpleasant shocks when you get your quote through. The average wedding flower spend is around 10% of your overall wedding budget. - a £20,000 wedding ought to think about a £2,000 flower fund and so on! If you have a smaller budget have a realistic list of requirements. In these cases stick to the main components - Bridal and bridesmaids bouquets, buttonholes and perhaps a top table arrangement. This will keep the quality that wedding flowers should have yet keep the budget small enough!

Enjoy the process
Remember that planning a wedding should be an enjoyable experience too! Flowers are a joy and can't fail to make someone happy. Do not let it stress you out. The correct florist for you should make the whole process as enjoyable as possible for you... they should listen carefully and go out of their way to give you what you want (or as close to it as possible). Unfortunately we can't magic up Peonies in April or give you Lily of the Valley in November but we can think through the best possible alternatives that will make you happy!

















I do hope this little post helps. If you are planning a wedding and would like to know a little more information or to even book a consultation please do get in touch... We would love to hear from you!

With thanks to:

• The stunning venue design with the crystal chandelier and copious amounts of flowers - as featured in  Kirsten Newman Designs blog.
• The infinity lantern row - sourced from Pinterest.
• Simply elegant and simply perfect invitation set - sourced from Pinterest and featured on 4bp blogspot.
• Gorgeous heart of Roses - featured on Cool Picture Gallery.