Living Decorations

If you're like me and love flowers but hate seeing them wilt and die then read on. I'm going to try and inspire the use of living plants within your wedding. This to me seems like a great idea; the plants will look wonderful throughout the day and what's more they can be taken home to brighten up inside and out or could be given to guest as wedding favours. That's doubly useful! There is the obvious example of William and Kate who did it best when they brought trees into Westminster Abbey! And what I loved most about this (apart from the obvious bold, beauty of it all) was that the trees were then taken and planted in the garden of their holiday home in Wales to be enjoyed by their family for many generations to come. This may be a little out of some people's wedding budget but it is possible to do it on a smaller scale.

Let's begin with the more obvious ideas; planted centrepieces. This I think is probably the easiest to do yourself as you can do this is your home. For a chef a herb themed centrepiece wold be perfect! If you love the Mediterranean these orange and lavender boxes may be ideal for you.

And now for some other more unusual uses of living plants... How about in your bouquet and buttonhole? Using succulents is very fashionable at the moment and it's not surprising! These plants look amazing and can be happily re-planted after use. Potted plants could be used to line the isle as you walk down it. You could use pots of strawberries too; a nice little snack for your guest. And if you're lucky enough to get married outside in a beautiful garden you may need very little decorations as it is!

If you can't use living plants then try to use seasonal and organic flowers where you can as its so much kinder to the environment. 

But isn't it just lovely knowing that you'll be able to show your children your wedding flowers years and years later when they're happily growing in your garden!

Beach Bridal Fashion

When we get weather like this, it can't help but inspire us all to beach weddings! Whether you are in the UK or heading abroad to more tropical destinations, there is a perfect dress out there for your big day.

I would always try to steer brides, especially those going to the hotter climates, to opt for something light and simple. Don't get me wrong, I love a big ball gown dress more than the next, but could you imagine wearing all those layers in over 30 degree temperatures with no shade?! Yeah, expect a sweat-a-thon. Here are some great styles, long and short to give you inspiration. And I've even thrown in some unique beach bridal footwear!

Weekly Round Up! July 1st-July 6th 2013

Happy Sunday! What a lovely week! The sun has come out again and this weekend has been a scorcher! Just in time for the Wimbledon Finals. This week we've brought you a lovely little range of blog posts; I hope you enjoyed them all! Here is a round up of what we wrote;

Monday 1st July

Michelle revisited her nautical theme and focused on some wonderful nautical cakes! My favourite has to be the cake with the anchor pattern on it!

Tuesday 2nd July 

On Tuesday I explored the use of hot air balloons as centre pieces. I just loved the way they floated above the table bringing another dimension to it whilst allowing guests to see each other clearly across the table.

Wednesday 3rd July

I talked about the cake debate on Wednesday; do you go with the traditional fruit cake? Do you go for sponge or do you do something a little different? I think most men would love the beer cake!

Thursday 4th July

 Rhiannon discussed the pros and cons of different types of wedding food in the blog on Thursday. Buffet, hog-roast or silver service? You decide!

Friday 5th July

Fridays post brought us featured supplier Ruby and Nelly's! A vintage crockery and cream tea business who I was fortunate enough to work with for a photo shoot. These two ladies have the right idea with their beautifully vintage business! Find out more on their website; 

Website: www.rubyandnellys.co.uk

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rubyandnellys

Saturday 6th July

Gemma just couldn't keep away today but we're glad as she brought you all some amazing drinks reception ideas! And who could turn down a cold drink in this weather?!

Keep your eyes peeled for some more wonderful blog posts next week! 

 

 

Refreshing Drink Reception Ideas !

Good Morning ! 

Well is seems I can't keep away lol !! 

With the scorching temperatures hitting the UK and in my last few weeks of pregnancy all I'm planning on doing is relaxing in the pool with a refreshing drink!

Which is what today's posts are all about! 

Entertain your guests with these amazing drink reception ideas and keep everyone cool !! 

Keep safe ! 

Gemma xx 

**Featured Supplier** - Ruby and Nelly's

You may have seen Araminta's recent work with Ruby and Nelly's on their commercial shoot, and today I am here to give you the 411 on who they are and what they do.

Ruby & Nelly's is a family business specialising in Vintage Cream Teas and Crockery Hire. They can cater for any event, but are most passionate in creating beautiful wedding catering at a realistic and affordable price for all.

Whilst planning her own wedding, one of the owners (Laura) realised that she didn't want the standard roast dinner at her wedding.  She loved the idea of everyone sharing a traditional cream tea, creating a casual and friendly wedding breakfast for everyone to enjoy.  So off she went, gathering all of the vintage crockery she could find and four years ago, created a stunning cream tea wedding!  And so, the idea for Ruby & Nelly's Cream Teas was created!

The vintage cream tea package includes complimentary use of their vintage crockery, and is perfect for providing a beautiful vintage wedding breakfast with a twist for your guests.  This is a fully mobile service including full set up and set down, giving you no limitations to your dream wedding venue.  Enjoy traditional fruit scones with clotted cream and sweet jam, mouth-watering cakes decorated with fresh fruit, delicate sandwiches, homemade savouries, all served on homemade, unique tiered cake stands.  Tea, coffee and fresh fruit juice refresh your guests to complete the tea party!  Of course, you could always add a twist of glamour with some bubbly, by serving champagne in cute teacups!

Alternatively, the vintage crockery hire is an ideal way to provide your own catering without the hassle of sourcing your own china.  At a very realistic price, this package includes all the necessary items, including teapots, cake stands and glassware, with complimentary cutlery included.  They can even dress your tables for you for a small charge, ensuring your guests get that real vintage feeling on your big day.

So let Ruby and Nelly's take the stress away from one aspect of your wedding.  And best of all, their services includes complimentary washing up!

You can find them at:

Website: www.rubyandnellys.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rubyandnellys

Pro's & Con's for Wedding food!

Good Morning ! Rhiannon here with today's blog! 

Modern weddings have taken small low key affairs and morphed into HUGE life changing events. How many of you can honestly say you haven't compared weddings you've been too, to what you are planning yourselves.  Everything is under scrutiny; the venue, the dress and (very importantly-as it effects your guests directly) the food! Recently of which seems to fall into three categories; buffets, carverys and silver service. But which to choose? 

Here's my handy list of pro's and Con's 

Buffets:

     Pros: pocket friendly

             wide variety 

             even picky eaters can easily be catered for! 

             casual

      

      Cons: can turn into a free for all

                lots of waste

                masses of space needed

Carverys:

        Pros: stress free

                pick your own (less waste)

                a family favourite! 

       Cons: needs to be kept hot

                less variety

                difficult for vegetarian/certain religious groups

Silver service: 

Pros: traditional

         personalized to you both

         beautifully presented

Cons: expensive! 

          restricted choice 

          time consuming

Cake Debate

The big debate! Fruit cake or sponge cake... Or something different?

It wasn't long ago that all wedding cakes were fruit cake but now there are so many more options it actually can be quite confusing. 

So what would you do? Stick with the traditional fruit cake or sponge cake; this could still give you so many different flavour options and will probably please your more traditional guests. There are also cup cakes, muffins, cake pops, biscuits, doughnut, Oreo or macaroon towers. Tyou could have a savory wedding "cake" which can come in the form of anything from cheese to pork pies.

I don't know what I would choose as my wedding cake; what a hard decision! If you can't decide you could always be cheeky and have a selection of cakes to cater for the different tastes of your friends and family.

I think your wedding cake should make a statement. It can be a reflection of your personalities, interests and favourite food.

I'm sure this blog today may not help you make a final decision but I hope it may give you ideas which you'd not thought of. 

Fly Away With Me

Today I want to look at the slightly unusual use of hot air balloons as table decorations. I've seen some really lovely images of hot air balloons being used as centrepieces, place cards and cakes too. My favourite has to be floating above the tables; this looks so effective! Some used many small balloons whilst others used one giant balloon. Both were equally as wonderful. 

As I looked at these images I was transported to my own hot air balloon... Drifting high above stunning landscapes, traveling at whatever speed the wind will carry me. It's hard to not imagine little people doing the same above where you're eating our dinner; at any moment someone may jump into your soup!

It's difficult to describe how amazing these can look so instead I'm going to show you some of the photographs I found. Here is a selection of wonderful hot air balloons in a variety of shapes and sizes. Enjoy!

Nautical Wedding Cakes

Recently there has been a flurry of readers going back to the nautical post I wrote about in February (if you missed it, here it is - http://ablushingbride2b.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/a-very-nautical-wedding.html), so I thought I'd step back to the theme again and have a look at some of the fabulous cake design ideas on offer.

The joy of a nautical wedding is that there is so many decorative options to incorporate into the cake, whether you want a full navy theme, or maybe just hints of anchors. With everything from seashells to boats, ropes to lighthouses, you are truly spoiled, and guaranteed to have a cake that is unique to you both on your special day.

Have a look at these sea worthy styles!