Doily Days Loves Weddings by Helen Ruff

WEDDINGS Issue 10

FR E E GU I D E

WW W. DO IL YD AY S. CO .U K

In this issue... Contents

Dress Like a Boss

10 Mad Dogs & Vintage Vans - Editor’s Review 16

Insta Dress Love

Recipe: Lavender Shortbread by Jackson & Levine

Hooray for the Day – Styled Shoot

Lingerie Shoot: G-Strings & G-Plan

Competition – Quirky Covers

Real Wedding – Jane & Ben

Pearl Resort

The Wood Fired Larder

Featured Venue: The Ravenswood

10 Ideas to Inspire

Colourful Confetti Range from Wedding in a Teacup

Miss B’s Bubbles

From the Editor

Erm… how marvellous is our issue TEN front cover? A shoot especially for us to celebrate ‘ten-ness’ in all its glory. And the cake! Harriot from Jemima Cakes is super talented… AND if you flip over to the back cover you’ll see the cutest illustration of this very cake, lovingly penned by our friend Lauren from Paper Bear Lane. Doily Days is not exactly a magazine you subscribe to. You may be in the market for one or two issues during your planning journey and then we’re forgotten. Redundant. Tomorrow’s fish and chip paper… But what makes me very happy is brides like Jane (see feature on page 36). She’s basically our number one fan. She used Doily Days when planning her wedding, she found her photographer Sarah London via the magazine and Paper Bear Lane did her invites. But did she forget about us when her wedding planning journey was over? No siree. She’s collected every issue since and has posted stalker-esque photos on Instagram (see below). Joking Jane! We love you and we actively encourage displays of affection on social media. We’re excited that some of our advertisers are offering discounts and special offers and we have a whopping three competitions in this issue; the chance to win bunting hire from Quirky Chair Covers, stationery from Wedding in a Teacup and macaron favours from Queen Bees. In this issue I’m especially loving the newly restored Pearl Resort (Airstream caravan). Pearl will be joining us at The Wonderous Wedding Fair in Southsea on 5th November so come and see her for yourself, as well as all the other amazing suppliers we have lined up. The ‘Insta Dress Love’ feature actually made me want to open a bridal boutique (as if I have time to take on another project but holy moly, there are some beauties there) and I’m glad to have squeezed in some photos of my gorgeous son Rupert from our ‘work’ trip to Mad Dogs and Vintage Vans in the Wye Valley. ENJOY! Oooooh and please check out our brand spanking new website www.doilydays.co.uk

Helen

helen@doilydays.co.uk

Instagram @floojie

Helen Ruff | Editor helen@doilydays.co.uk | 07795 076 553 @DoilyDays Doily Days

Dressing Like A Boss Dapper & Suave stick by the motto “Do Well. Live Well. And Dress Really Well”. Their range of accessories – lapel pins, cufflinks, bowties and pocket squares – are hand crafted at their kitchen table in Dorking, Surrey using fabrics sourced on the high street, as well as vintage finds.

Each celebration will be different when it comes to dressing the groomsmen, perhaps you’ll be hiring or buying matching suits for the best man and ushers? Or, if you’re going for a more laid back affair, get the guys to wear their own suits, and provide them with matching accessories. Dare to wear florals? Match your bowties and pocket squares with the bridesmaids. Heck, if you’re after a bit of animal magic, try teaming giraffe print shirts with peacock feather label pins. Grrrrrrr. OR (we’re getting carried away with ideas now) go for a tropical theme and ask the fellas to buy their own shirts. This will give them free reign to buy something they love and feel good in, whether that’s a vintage Hawaiian shirt or something tropical from the high street or supermarket. Then you can contact the guys at Dapper and Suave who will provide plain bow ties and pocket squares to individually go with your guy’s shirts (i.e. pick out the colours). Some ideas there for you boys! And don’t forget the cufflinks…

“We love that fabric can have a new life in a unique accessory.”

WHAT COLOUR MEANS Blue Think sky and sea; associated with: depth and stability. Symbolizes: trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith and heaven. Red Think fire and blood; associated with: energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination. Symbolizes: passion, desire and love. Purple Think regal – it brings together the stability of blue and energy of red; associated with: royalty. Symbolizes: power, nobility, luxury and ambition. Black Think black tie, the Milk Tray man; associated with: power, elegance, formality, death, evil and mystery. Symbolizes: darkness. White Think angels, Glinda in the Wizard of Oz; associated with: light, goodness and innocence. Symbolizes: faith and purity. Yellow Think sunshine; associated with: joy, happiness, intellect and energy. Symbolizes: happiness. Orange Think tropical – it brings together the energy of red and the happiness of yellow; associated with: sunshine and tropics. Symbolizes: joy. Green Think nature, trees, ferns, leaves; associated with: freshness and fertility. Symbolizes: growth. Taken from the Dapper & Suave blog

www.dapperandsuave.uk 7

Mad Dogs & Vintage Vans Editor’s Review

In the summer I was invited to stay at Mad Dogs and Vintage Vans in the heart of the Wye Valley. Now let me tell you, this place is straight out the pages of Country Living; it’s idyllic, it’s vintage, it’s magnificently British... It’s everything my heart desires! I took my son Rupert and friend Louise along for the ride. On arrival we tumbled out of a hot car after a long journey, tired and definitely in need of some R & R. And boy did we get it. We plonked ourselves in deck chairs outside our van, marvelling at the tremendous view over the Black Mountains. Sacha greeted us, all rosy cheeks and floral daywear, proffering a plate of homemade scones piled high with all the trimmings. And so the tone was set.

Our van was Monty, a Brockhouse military wagon. His vibe is more rustic log cabin than conventional caravan and he comes complete with private decking. There are 5 vans on the site, sleeping 20 in total. There’s no electricity but there is gas, something I couldn’t get my head around at first. I expected to light a fire every time we wanted a cup of tea but no, quite simply light the gas hob and you’re away. Each van does have its own campfire though so we indulged in the true glamping experience of sausages sizzling in the pan (local pork and elderflower sausages to be precise) accompanied by fresh local asparagus and a bottle of Champagne (it’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it!).

www.maddogsandvintagevans.co.uk

es a kitchen area The communal space compris cou ld need with all the pots and pans you sales and the boot car at d ecte (obv iously coll enamel dishes, like; mismatch silver cutlery, re’s also an amazing saucepans from the 50s). The ldn’t be cool but pin k sin k (the kind that shou tions under the most defi nitely is) for ablu (another thing that stars, a toilet that flushes be throwing sawdust blew my mind, I expected to t I’m told was lovely dow n a hole) and a shower (tha I blame the todd ler). but I failed to experience. fire pit and a large There’s also a big communal dining. The area is army mess tent for communal ed with colourf ul adorned with bunting and dott st. candles. Glamping at its fine

It’s an absolute gem of a place. The perfect blend of luxury and wilderness.

Hen parties of 12 or more take over the whole site at Mad Dogs and a typical package includes pampering, a secret picnic, wild dining and, for the more adventurous, water sports (canoeing down the River Wye of course) followed by lunch at nearby Symonds Yat. The secret picnic is organised by a tightlipped group member, your lovely bunch of hens set off for a walk, Jo and Sacha jump in the car, bowls of homemade lunchtime goodies teetering on their laps, and hot-tail it round to the most beautiful spot on the banks of the river. Everything is set up in signature idyllic style (think vintage crockery and floral tablecloths) and they meet you with ice-cold glasses of fizz. The wild dining evening package includes drinks and canapes at the main house (Jo’s beautiful home) followed by a three-course feast laid on in the mess tent.

Felicity is the in-house holistic therapist and her base onsite is a giant red lotus tent AKA ‘the womb’. Its comforting red glow, wafts of orange zest and relaxing music make it the perfect place to get away from the group and have a little ‘me’ time. Mini facials and massages are ideal treatments for group members while the bride is often pampered with a 90 minute full body treatment. It’s an absolute gem of a place. The perfect blend of luxury & wilderness.

Helen

Mad Dogs & Vintage Vans

Caroline Potter

A slice of vintage heaven or a boho laid-back festival vibe.

Luke White

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I climbed into the comfy top bunk with my Mum, two bridesmaids asleep below us and felt the simplest and finest of emotions: gratitude.â&#x20AC;? Emily, Bride 2016

“Complementary organic toiletries are provided, as is a stained glass window and tiny vases of fresh flowers, just in case showering in woodland isn’t a beautiful enough experience already.” Emily, Bride 2016

Luke White

Illustration by Lauren Hunt, Paper Bear Lane

www.maddogsandvintagevans.co.uk

INSTA DRESS LOVE Boho

w w w.karen

helle.co.uk

www.rosshurley.com

‘Kate’ ruffle top & skirt by www.hazaaroflondon.com

Delicate Two-P iece

www.bernipalumbo.com

Darcy top and Lola skirt by www.vintagetrousseau.com

Show stopper ‘Elly’ lace crop and tulle skirt by www.hazaaroflondon.com

Flirty F ifties ‘Lucy’ dress by www.louiserosecouture.com

Classic Beauty ‘Summer’ from La V ie en Rose Collection by www.forgetmenotdesigns.co.uk 16

epictures.co.u

graphy.com

w w w.lemonad

ww w.jodihanaganphoto

Nostalgic

Tropicana Two-P iece by www.lucycantdance.com

Original vintage dress from www.storyofmydress.com

City Chic Vesta top and Felicity skirt by www.muscatbridal.com

Hippy Chic A uthentic 70s dress available via www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SixpennyBride

Rock ‘n’ Roll

www.meliamelia.com

ww w.terrenceseah.com

Tropical

‘Katie-Lou dress’ by www.rollinginroses.co.uk 17

Jackson & Levine Alice Levine and Laura Jackson know that entertaining is not just about good food; it’s about setting the mood with strings of festoon lighting and scented candles. It’s about scattering your food with edible flowers and using an eclectic mix of tableware. It’s about simple ideas like dotting pots of lavender along the table for heavenly scented decor. We’re loving their ideas for a girly hen party at home…

The girls’ favourite film soundtracks for a dinner party: Amélie, Drive, The Virgin Suicides, Trainspotting, The Graduate, Pulp Fiction, The Descendant, Help!, Purple Rain, Dirty Dancing, The Breakfast Club

Lavender Shortbread METHOD

INGREDIENTS 125g unsalted butter, softened 55g caster sugar, plus extra for dusting 180g plain flour 1 tsp dried lavender Pinch of salt

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light, creamy and smooth. Add the flour, dried lavender and salt and combine until you get a dough coming together. Tip out on to a large piece of baking parchment and shape into a rectangle about 2cm thick, in the middle of the parchment. Put another sheet of baking parchment on top and roll, to smooth and flatten to an even 1cm thickness. Slide on to a baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Remove the dough from the fridge and take off and discard the top sheet of parchment. Using a knife, score lines to go halfway through the dough, where you will want to cut into individual shortbreads. Return to the fridge and chill until hard. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/gas 3. Bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes until the edges are starting to look dried out and biscuit-like. Remove and leave to cool down slightly for a couple of minutes, then cut through the score lines, liberally dust with sugar and leave to cool completely.

ROUND TO OURS by Jackson & Levine (Quadrille, £25.00) Photography © Kristin Perers www.jacksonandlevine.com

r o f y a r o o H ! y a D the A bright and modern styled shoot with some ‘ten’ elements to celebrate our milestone issue. “I TOTALLY ADORE ROCKABILLY & RETRO. BLUSH HAS BEEN TOTALLY OVERDONE THIS SEASON SO I COULDN’T WAIT TO CREATE SOMETHING BRIGHT & WITH BIG PERSONALITY. COLOUR POP IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE…” Vicky Heard, Hooray for the Day.

Co-ordination, Styling & Design | www.hoorayfortheday.co.uk Photography | www.lesleyburdett.com & www.timelessphotographystudios.co.uk Bride’s Dress | www.louiserosecouture.com Bridesmaid Dresses & Playsuits | www.dandelionsandpearl.wixsite.com/dandelionsandpearls Menswear | www.bartlett-butcher.co.uk Felt Bouquet & Birdcage | Veil www.buttonandbloom.co.uk Bell Tent | www.beautiful-bells.co.uk Stationery & Bottle Caps | www.clairelouisecreates.co.uk Hair & Make-up | www.dollys-beauty.co.uk Location | www.dunctonmillfishery.co.uk Cakes | Jemima-cakes (Facebook) Car | Macs Mustang Hire (Facebook) Flowers | www.nellsflowers.co.uk Props | www.notyouraverageido.com Models | Adam Feeley, Amy Manwaring, Chloe Streams, Greg Childs & Jess Blake

Styled Shoot

to hire via le b a il a v a h c Door ar tyouraverageido.com www.no

Styled Shoot

G-STRINGS

Credits:

Photography: Jay Anderson Instagram – @jayweddingphotos Wedding Lingerie: Romeo & Joolz Instagram – @romeoandjoolz

Venue & Props: Cha-Cha-Cha Instagram – @chachachadays; @chachachavintage Hair & Make up: Chloe Campbell Instagram – @chloecampbell_mua

& G-PLAN

Flowers: Bloom and Burn Flowers Instagram – @bloomandburn Veil & Cape: Fiona Sheward Instagram – @fiona_sheward

Models: Charlotte Catterall. Instagram – @charlykat Lana MacIver. Instagram – @lana.maciver

WIN bunting hire for your wedding day from Quirky Covers

COMPETITION

ABOUT QUIRKY COVERS Quirky Covers is a chair cover hire company with a difference, and was founded by soft furnisher Marsha Bennett in 2015. It came about when she saw a gap in the market for chair covers that were not tacky lycra covers with organza bows. They make covers, bunting and napkins, from cherry-picked vintage fabrics, in their workshop by the river in West Sussex. They have 150 covers available to hire, all glorious mismatched prints as well as plain white ones made from vintage tablecloths. They fit the Cheltenham and Chavari chairs and they have bunting and napkins to hire too.

www.photographybyvicki.co.uk

The Prize 100 metres of mixed spring/ summer bunting to hire for your special day – worth £130! HOW TO ENTER Email quirkycovers14@gmail.com with five quirky words that best describe their chair covers. www.quirkycovers.co.uk

Terms and Conditions: 1) Closing date 28/02/2018. 2) The prize draw is only open to UK residents. 3) The promotor reserves the right to suspend, cancel or modify the prize draw at any time (and for any reason) without notice. 4) By entering the competition, Quirky Covers reserves the right to add your email address to their emailing list. 5) The prize is not transferrable. 6) The prize is within a 20 mile radius of Chichester, West Sussex.

Please mention

when contacting advertisers

Real Wedding

A BOOZY VINTAGE DINNER PARTY Our real bride Jane is a self-confessed ‘super-fan’ of Doily Days and still collects the magazine long after her big day. That makes us very happy and so do these photos of her and Ben’s marvelous vintage wedding day in Southsea.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wanted to look

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“My dress was an original 1960’s green Lorrie Deb dress. It cost me less than $45 imported from America and I couldn’t have loved it more.”

as a “Leaving the room

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Real Wedding

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A BOOZY VINTAGE DINNER PARTY

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“I didn’t intend to have bridesmaids but my two best friends wouldn’t allow me to get away with this and threatened to turn up in flammable 80s prom dresses.”

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“I was driving arou

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have an irrational fea

“Our photographer, Sarah London, brought along her Polaroid

camera which we loved and we’ve since continued the tradition of capturing special moments with our own Polaroid camera.”

New for Weddings

Pearl Resort

A 1953 ‘Flying Cloud’ American Airstream with a unique, kitsch interior. We talked to owner Bella Hamilton about the project and her style choices… HI BELLA! FIRSTLY, WHY AN AIRSTREAM? I used to be a PA for a photographer in London who used an Airstream as a shoot location. I would moon over the photos, dreaming that one day I might actually own one. WHAT’S THE STYLE/THEME OF THE INTERIOR? It’s 50s style with some original pieces  but this project wasn’t about creating an exact replica of an original Airstream. This was about modernising an old space and injecting it with some quirky twists making it fun, sexy and unique. It’s a bit tropical and a bit luxurious with vintage velvet blinds, cork flooring and American black walnut joinery. We used Formica for the surfaces in a lovely modern heather colour which sits really well with the pink and dark wood. WHERE DID YOU DRAW YOUR INSPIRATION FROM? The first uniquely renovated Airstreams I saw were done by Ralph Lauren, he did four little Bambi trailers all in different styles. They were a huge source of inspiration for me. I love photography and have used my large magazine collection for design ideas. I also draw inspiration from film. I went to the cinema alone to see Neon Demon when it came out; the imagery and colours in that film are incredible. WE KNOW YOU’VE BEEN RENOVATING THE INTERIOR FOR A FEW YEARS, DID IT EVOLVE OVER TIME?

I wanted but couldn’t find anything quite right. I finally found the most amazing glass rod light shades on eBay. My clever husband made them into 12V lights with LED’s that look really special lighting up the pink interior. DID YOUR HUSBAND HELP OUT A LOT WITH THE PROJECT? Yes! He’s a very skilled joiner and generally pretty clever at making anything work. All the woodwork is handmade and designed by us. “Hold the vision and trust the process” is an expression that has pulled us through the more challenging aspects of the project. WHAT CAN PEARL RESORT BE USED FOR AT WEDDINGS? Anything! The honeymoon suite, a chill-out area, photo-booth… we’re open to any quirky, unique ideas. She has a full size double bed, a small washroom with toilet, kitchenette with gas hob, fridge and a little cocktail cabinet. She can be hooked up to 240V electric but also runs off 12V leisure battery and gas. The seating/dining area can be turned into a ¾ size day bed/sleeping area and there’s a 7.5ft awning.

Wedding packages start at £225 per day (plus delivery) onto which you can add Champagne and a breakfast hamper. www.pearlresort.co.uk www.instagram.com/pearlresort Email: bellestabelle@gmail.com Phone: 07809 544 373

We’ve taken our time and it’s allowed us to hold out for special vintage finds. I was searching for lights for a good few years, I had an idea of what

Included: Brown Kraft pizza boxes, good quality disposable plates, wooden cutlery and napkins

The Wood Fired Larder

The nuptials are done, everyone’s cried at the speeches, the cake’s been cut and the wedding party are all half-cut. The DJ’s setting up and the sun’s going down. The main meal seems a long time ago and guests are in need of something to soak up all those glasses of fizz. The smell of fresh pizza wafts over; a friendly team producing delights from a wood-fired oven within a cute teardrop trailer… sound good? Here’s a sample of the goodies on offer:

Pizzas

Roasted butternut squash, goats cheese and caramelised red onion Smoked pancetta with fresh red chilli Slow-roasted pulled pork with homemade BBQ sauce, thyme, taleggio and finished with lemon-dressed rocket Free-range chicken breast, Cajun spices, red onion and sweetcorn

Hot Sandwiches

Traditional Sausage & Onion – with caramelised onion relish Cajun Chicken – with zesty house slaw Spinach Falafels – with wood-fired vegetables and homemade houmous

Burgers

Pulled Pork Burger – with homemade BBQ sauce. Served in a brioche bun with house slaw 4oz Beef Burger – topped with pulled pork and slaw. Served in a brioche bun. Garlic Mushroom Burger – large mushrooms cooked in garlic butter with flat-leaf parsley and finished with lemon-dressed rocket and English mustard. Served in a ciabatta roll

Wood Fired Puds

Traditional homemade apple or Victoria plum crumble served with cream or custard Sweet dough balls served with a rich chocolate and hazelnut dipping sauce

www.thewoodfiredlarder.co.uk

Photography: Chris Haddon

Featured Venue

THE RAVENSWOOD 34 ensuite bedrooms, three function rooms, four lakes, a boat house and three pleasure gardens…

Hi Samantha, congratulations on taking the helm at The Ravensood! Can you tell us how it all came about? Sure, I’m originally a wedding photographer and I had a stand at the National Wedding Show in February. I met a lovely couple who were looking for a wedding venue in Sussex. I offered to make them a list. In doing so I noticed The Ravenswood’s website so I called them. That’s when I found out that the venue was for sale and they had planning permission for 12 luxury apartments. I contacted two of my friends, we came to see it and it all started there! What made you want to run a wedding venue? As a little girl I would draw wedding dresses and was obsessed with princesses and ball gowns. In my late 20s I became a wedding photographer and then in my early 30s I started planning weddings. I’d looked into wedding venues a few times but was looking at barn-style venues. I’ve been immersed in weddings my whole life, I’ve been a bridesmaid 12 times and next year, in May, I get to be the bride! There’s nothing I don’t know about how to plan a wedding so it seemed a natural progression… although I didn’t think it would happen so soon!

www.theravenswood.co.uk

Can you tell us about the history of the building? The venue was built in 1426 by King George the VI. It was still a house until about 40 years ago when it was turned into a function venue and a new extension was added. Are you licenced for ceremonies? Yes both inside and out. What makes The Ravenswood different to other local wedding venues? We have a mix of everything; outside license, inside space for group photos if it rains, a beautiful room for your sit-down meal and evening party (which has the bar inside and it opens onto a terrace, so everyone is near the party and the music). We have the history and the grounds and, being a photographer, I’ve been working on making all the pleasure gardens, the ruins in the forest and the lakes perfect places for photographs. Not only can you hire the venue but you can also hire the rooms and take over the whole building with your guests. What have you changed/are you planning to change since you’ve taken over? We’ve done a lot of decorating and we’re about to boutique all the nine bedrooms in the old side. We have the intention to do more to the building but right now we are concentrating on the big things that make a difference. The main thing we’ve been doing is cutting back the foliage so you can actually see the building and the lakes; it was rather overgrown!

Are you still going to be photographing weddings? After May next year I’m going to hang up my camera for a year to concentrate on the venue. After that I would like to move into fine art wedding photography. How does it differ speaking to couples from the venue point-of-view rather than the photography point-of-view? Not that much actually, as a photographer I was always heavily involved with the timings of the day and I made sure the couple were in the right place at the right time. I think the main thing to remember is that for most couples this is the first time (and hopefully the last) that they have ever planned a wedding and naturally they have lots of questions and need guidance,and every couple has a different vision for their day. What do you love about the wedding industry? Everything! I could talk about weddings all day. It’s always exciting and romantic and happy and the day is full of different emotions, and then there’s the dress… I love to see the dress! Do you do the catering in-house and have preferred suppliers? Or are couples free to bring in their own suppliers? We do in-house catering, our chef is amazing. He makes everything from scratch and does three course meals with amazing desserts. His white chocolate and toffee profiteroles are to die for. We would consider external caterers for the evening such as hog roasts or pizza trucks.

The Ravenswood are hosting a Wedding Fair with Empirical Events on 24th September 2017 11am-4pm Photography by www.balancephotographyweddings.com and www.woodlandhillphotography.co.uk (Aerial shot Duncan Dimange)

Ideas to Inspireâ&#x20AC;Ś Order via Kirsty McGillivray on www.etsy.com

These handmade rainbow buttonholes are just ÂŁ9 each from www.flipsidebride.co.uk Who dares to be the first to tuck into this dessert wall/ art installation?

www.kalmkitchen.co.uk Photo: www.philippa-sian.co.uk

Hire a make-up artist to adorn your guests with fun, festival face-paints

Photo: www.saccophotography.co.uk

Collect pebbles from the beach and paint to suit your theme. A great hen party activity!

Photo: www.chezzimmphotography.com Makeup: www.goodliffeglamour.com

Photo www.clairemacintyre.com Styled by: www.magpiewedding.com

Perfect for hen parties!

Photo www.shutterbooth.co.uk

Photo: www.annapumerphotography.com www.ivyinks.com

A unique idea and beautiful keepsake

Photo: www.weddingsbyanesta.com

Photo: www.epiclovestory.co.uk

Supermarket Halloween costumes make great photo-booth props whatever the time of year! Image features wedding photographer Kelly Hearn and her assistant Jade. They clearly know what makes a good photo!

Use photos for everyone’s place names. Lift from Facebook and use an app to turn into retro-style Polaroids Edgy painted leathers by Wolf & Rosie www.wolfandrosie.com

Colourful Pom Pom Décor at Upwaltham Barns

COLOURFUL CONFETTI RANGE FROM WEDDING IN A TEACUP

Wedding in a Teacup is one of the leading online retailers for wedding stationery, gifts and dĂŠcor. They aim to save brides hours of internet trawling by offering a handpicked selection of stylish items. Most of the products are designed and made in-house by founder Hester Lear and her small team. Their latest range is an exciting collaboration with local, Brightonbased designer Katie Housley. The bright and fun confetti design has been handpainted by Katie; with a flurry of hearts, four-leaved clovers and horseshoes, interspersed with bright abstract elements. They wanted to create a celebratory, pretty but also modern design. Contrasting this exclusive print with bold black fonts and firm lines, Hester has turned it into a bridal notebook collection, stationery set, pocket mirrors and a confetti envelope.

WWW.WEDDINGINATEACUP.CO.UK

The stationery is printed on luxury conquorer textured card and comes with a choice of coloured envelopes. The newlywed’s favourite photo can be added to the ‘Thank You’ cards. Badges, pocket mirrors and confetti envelopes can be fully personalised and the envelopes are small enough to tuck into the order of service booklets.

COMPETITION! Win notebooks for your bridal party (up to 15 books worth £60). How to enter – follow Wedding in a Teacup on Instagram (@teacupwedding) and tag them in a photo of you and your bridal party with the hashtag #doilydayscomp

The bridal party notebooks are the perfect hen do gift or a cute way to ask ‘will you be my bridesmaid?’. Printed in the UK on high quality paper, they are available for the whole wedding party. Always looking for ways to make their products extra special, Wedding in a Teacup offer a personalisation option – where the customer’s message is printed on a textured paper belly band. A gorgeous, original design upon which you can base your whole wedding theme; fun and colour.

Miss B’s Bubbles We caught up with Sarah Lester (formerly Miss B) to find out how she and husband Mark started their bubbly business. Over to Sarah to tell all:

Italy has always been our favourite holiday destination. It’s virtually impossible not to fall in love; a gateway to cultural paradise, not to mention the culinary delights… olives, pasta, pizza, and of course the intoxicating pull of the Prosecco. We could also never ignore the iconic Piaggio van, such a

“If they were wine she was Prosecco – bubbly and intoxicating.”

humble vehicle in Italy, its allure is universal and we thought, how can we bring a bit of this home...?

www.mattebbagephotography.com

…And so, after much deliberation, we decided to take the plunge and purchase our very own little Piaggio van and make her our own! After mounds of research, we imported the van from Piaggio in Italy, and used a specialist company in Hull to make the conversion. The van arrived as a blank canvas so we had to work from the ground up and design the entire vehicle ourselves. We knew we wanted her to be grey and the name Miss B comes from my maiden name. It was great fun designing the logo… a little nod to my past!

After we’d designed the vehicle, the little touches needed to be decided upon too, such as what glasses we were going to use, how Miss B would dress for events, what furniture we needed etc. We had to get our personal license in place too. Our main drink is Prosecco, but as things have evolved we now have some bubbles for the boys in the form of Kent’s Curious Brew. We also wanted to make the most of Miss B’s beautiful derrière so we’ve created a little gin bar for G&T’s and Prosecco cocktails!

#bringonthebubbles For package options visit: www.missbsbubbles.co.uk

Illustration by Lauren Hunt, Paper Bear Lane