Weekly round up 13-18th May 2013

Wow what a week !! With some secret information being received at Evissa HQ this week I can hardly contain the excitement ! However I'm not going to risk going into labour just yet so I'll keep it hush a bit longer!! 

This week saw some amazing wire bouquets from Michelle, Araminta's twist in the 20's, plus the beautiful destination wedding supplied by the lovely Lisa North Photography. 

Read on to catch up on this weeks inspirations and amazing ideas. 

Monday 13th May 

Today Michelle showed us some stunning wire bouquets. Decorated with beads, gems and Swarovski crystals a very elegant design for an alternative bride. 

Tuesdays 14th May 

Today I brought to you some unusual wedding keepsakes. My favourite was the relationship tree, but what will yours be ? Feel free to leave a comment and suggest what you had or what you are planning.

Wednesday 15th May 

The roaring 20's was Art Deco, flappers,and of course the Great Gatsby. Read on to catch Araminta love of this amazing era.

Thursday 16th May 

A technological solution was Araminta's theme for today, with so many family's living across the pond or in a different country, Araminta explores how to keep in contact on your special day.

Friday 17th May

Today was Feature Friday. Michelle introduced us to the lovely Julia at purple plum catering. Providing amazing food from light lunches to corporate events Julia certainly will cater for any event and budget.

Saturday 18th May 

Today I was lucky to share with you our lovely photographer friend Lisa North's destination wedding in Malta. Sandra and Chris choose to marry abroad - read all about it in yesterday's post! 

<> Sandra & Chris's Wedding in Malta!!

Good Morning,
The weather has yet again turned, making a damp cold miserable weekend! It's  no wonder people like Sandra and Chris choose to get married abroad!!
Today's blog is from our lovely sponsor photographer Lisa North.
Lisa had the pleasure of packing a suitcase and flying to Malta to capture this lovely couples wedding.
Here is a sneak peek !!

Sun, Fun and Celebration was the key to this wedding in Malta over the Easter weekend.
Sandra and Chris had decided to tie the knot in there favourite place in Malta after being engaged for years! Being invited to attend as there wedding photographer was a great honour Lisa said, whose Husband also went to the wedding, and mingled with the couples lovely family, who had also flown over for the celebrations.

The girls started the day off with a trip to the local hairdressers, then it was back to the hotel to do their make up and help get Sandra into that beautiful wedding dress.
All the girls look lovely in chiffon dresses and then it was over to the boys.
   The boys were pretty calm, just a few button holes, and some fun pictures on the balcony!!
The Beautiful Terrance was covered in sunshine and had been decorated with white chairs with orchids on them, just as an emotional couple met at the top of the aisle, there was lots of teary guests in the audience!
Beautiful vows were exchange, followed by rings and a presentation of a hand written certificate from the registrar as a special keepsake of their ceremony.

Photo's were taken round the pool and the palm trees,
Beautiful food and wine followed them into the evening, as the guest's and happy couple celebrated long into the night!!

Well a huge congratulations to Sandra and Chris, from the team here at Evissa, what a beautiful place for a destination wedding.
If your looking to have a wedding abroad, then get in touch with Michelle at Evissa weddings at michelle.evissa@gmail.com who can help guide you through from start to finish.

Suppliers list:

Wedding dress:

www.theweddingshopbungay.co.uk

Bridesmaid dresses:

www.elegancebridal.net

Venue:

www.radissonblu.com/goldensandsresort-Malta

Photographer:

www.lisanorthphotography.co.uk

Rings:

www.jewellery-room.co.uk

**Featured Supplier** - Purple Plum Catering

Today we have a lovely caterer for you to meet! Purple Plum Catering can provide fabulous food for any type of event, and for any number of guests, helping you wow your guests' taste buds in the process. Here they are!


Who are you?

Purple Plum are a Norwich-based catering company specialising in locally sourced and produced food. We provide catering for corporate events, light lunches, intimate dinners at home or at a venue, weddings, parties and canapés with a huge selection of gluten, wheat and dairy-free alternatives to suit every taste. We are equally happy to prepare food at your premises, or off-site for later delivery. We also offer a food consultation service to help you book, cater for and run your event – whatever the size or duration.

How did you get into your chosen career?

I have been in the restaurant business for over 25 years, running places in Norwich and London. I have always enjoyed catering and just really enjoy food and meeting people and giving them a good experience!

What services do you offer to brides?

Venue hire, menu decisions with tasting as we are going along. Helping to plan and organise the day. We offer the whole catering service of menu decisions through to crockery and venue hire. This is a lengthy process and always an interesting one where we throw all our ideas together and formulate the plan that the bride and groom are happy with.

Favourite part of your job? 

Getting the job done and seeing the happy looks on people’s faces when they have eaten my food. Meeting people is always a top part of the work.

Any special offers on at present? 

We are trying out some new dishes and would offer these at a discounted rate if they were used in the wedding package.


You can find them:

Website: http://www.purpleplumcatering.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/purpleplumcatering.norwich
Twitter: https://twitter.com/purpleplumcater
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/purpleplumcater/

A Technological Solution

A wedding is one of the rare events in our lives when everyone who we care about is in one place. It's wonderful! If you're lucky, even friends who have moved to other countries may be able to come and celebrate with you. Unfortunately there are always going to be unavoidable situations where guests who you'd love to be a part of your special day can't make it. This may be due to work commitments, age, illness or distance. 

But we are now a part of a generation which has a solution to this problem. The Internet; Skype, FaceTime and many other variations in between.

I think it's amazing that we can connect with family and friends who we are not able to see on a regular basis. I'm sure most of us have at least one member of our family who live abroad (I've got a branch in Australia). When I was at , university I was able to Skype with my family and catch up or on occasion attend birthdays that I wasn't able to attend, via a webcam. And while I was traveling its value was priceless. I could talk to friends like we were in the same room!

So if you're planning a wedding and some special people can't make it in person, why not make sure they can be there in 2D. All you need is a laptop or similar, the Internet and the relevant software program. If more than one person can't attend then you can set up a conference call and involve multiple people on the same laptop. Set up the laptop in a good viewing spot, check they can see your faces during the service and not your feet and you're good to go.

This option obviously doesn't come close to the real thing (being at the service, eating the food, drinking the drinks, dancing) but it's the best alternative in my opinion.

Would you consider this for your big day?

The Roaring Twenties

The roaring twenties, Art Deco, flappers, The Great Gatsby... I just love it. What I wouldn't give to be able to travel back to this fantastic decade and party with fabulously dressed men and women! I love an excuse to dress up, so to me a decade themed wedding is just thrilling! Planning an outfit, making sure it fits with the decade, traveling back in time with my favourite people and celebrating a special relationship.

The venue

Any venue can be dressed to fit this twenties theme but the best location is a grand house with high ceilings, sweeping staircases and lavish ballrooms.

The clothes

The clothes speak for themselves really! They are just so elegant! Get some headbands, gloves, feathers and pearls in there are you'll fit right in. I'll let the pictures explain... 

The cake

Most of The Great Gatsby inspired wedding cakes I've seen have been black and gold and I think this combination works really well together.

The car

The car must be vintage, preferably big, and it must make a statement!

The tables

The tables can be dressed up as nicely as the guests; in pearls and gold! I just love these giant cocktail glasses filled with pearls and centre pieces?

I've got to say I'm sold on this theme! Absolutely love it. It's definitely something I'd consider doing myself. I think as long as your guests all get involved and make an effort the whole day will look phenomenal.

Amazing keepsakes

Good morning, 

On today's blog I am researching some unique wedding keepsakes. 

Of course you will properly end up with a guest book for well wishes, but let's move with the times and see what other amazing pieces we can treasure forever. 

I love this idea, every marriage has its ups and downs, this lovely idea is to fill a barrel or a box with love letters on your weddings day and padlock it shut. 

When times get hard, each remove a letter to remind each other of your love on your wedding day. 

A secret message can be placed on the inside of your grooms tie. It could be 'I love you ' or a room number of your hotel !! 

This has to be my favourite!  A lifeline of the happy couple! The perfect picture to have at the entrance to your wedding and the perfect memory to take away and carry on into the future....

Wonderful Wire Bouquets!

It's Monday! And today I'm bringing you something a little different. Now, i can't remember how I came across these, but it has stayed in my mind for the past week, so I'm guessing they made an impression! I'm talking about wire bouquets. There is something so effortlessly beautiful about these, especially the thick, twisted wire ones. Many are decorated with beads and gems, and what seems to be most popular, Swarovski Crystal. They also work very well on their own, or mixed in with a few fresh flowers for an extra burst of colour. You can make these for yourself and bridesmaids as well as buttonholes for the boys. A simple and yet elegant alternative for any couple getting married!

Have a look for yourself!

Weekly Round-Up! (6th May - 11th May)

Hello everyone! Michelle here again bringing you the low down of the past week and what you might have missed! It has been a busy week for the girls at Evissa, with new sponsors appearing and of course, the big announcement. And that big announcement was that working in partnership with Scallywag Events, we shall be bringing you a fabulous Party, Prom and Wedding Event this October! Keep an eye out for more information over time. So here we go with your weekly round-up!

6th May, 2013

It was Bank Holiday Monday! And what a gorgeous one it was too. I had a special treat for you all from one of our lovely photographer's Camrovision Photography, with a galactic theme. In honour of Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be With You), we bring you one Darth Vader wedding! Possibly my most favourite post to date!

7th May, 2013

Tuesday was a bright blog for you all. Gemma brought you an orange burst! The perfect moodboard to give you lots of ideas on how to incorporate orange into your wedding day, as well as great tones to match for the perfect colour combo.

8th May, 2013

Being another scorcher of a day, Araminta brought you all you need to know about ice-cream and your big day! From hiring a cart, to making your own, find out how to keep your guests cool at your summer event.

9th May, 2013

Araminta was back again with a wonderful cupcake recipe for you all, using flowers to give a beautiful finish to wow your guests. Get your apron on and get baking!

10th May, 2013

It was Friday, and supplier time! And who better to meet other than the Evissa Team! Have a nosy into who we are, what we like, and how you can get in touch with us!

11th May, 2013

Even though the blog has decided to show it in a totally random order... Today Gemma brought you some more real weddings from over the Bank Holiday, courtesy of our lovely friends over at VW Camper 4 Weddings. Some lovely shots of Olive in that glorious sunshine!

Hope you are enjoying the weekend, and keep your eyes peeled for another fabulous week!

**Featured Suppliers** - Meet the Team of Evissa Weddings

So today we are going to talk about... us! We thought it's about time we properly introduced ourselves and let you lovely readers know some more about the writers behind A Blushing Bride 2B. So here we go!

Evissa Weddings

Located in the heart of the beautiful city of Norwich, Evissa Weddings are proud to be in partnership and associated with the best suppliers and vendors throughout Norfolk and Suffolk. Specialising in small budget weddings, we work hard to produce the day you want for the budget you want.

Whether it's a lavish wedding for hundreds or an intimate celebration for close friends and family, at Evissa, we will work with you to ensure that you and your guests have an everlasting memory of your special day.

Evissa Weddings are also proud to offer a wide and exclusive range of venues across Norfolk, including restaurants, hotels and a listed country house. So whatever occasion you are planning, we are sure to have the perfect venue to suit your special event.

At Evissa Weddings, we pride ourselves on creating distinctive days, delivering your dream, on time and to budget.

Gemma

Hello! I'm Gemma, the founder of Evissa Weddings.

Being in the wedding industry has always been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. Working as a hair and make-up artist, was the beginning of my passion for weddings!  When I started to plan my own wedding I was shocked that I couldn't find a wedding planner who would help with my small budget, so Evissa Weddings was founded! Training with the  QC Event School, I qualified in wedding planning and events, from small unique weddings to large extravagant affairs!

Specialising in helping couples to achieve an amazing wedding, for a fraction of the cost.  I love focusing more on the bespoke and traditional side of wedding planning, from religious ceremonies to civil partnerships.

Email: evissaweddings@gmail.com
Tel: 07791574407

Michelle

Hi! I’m Michelle and weddings are my life!

I love planning and designing weddings, and take great pride in trying to create a magical and unique day for every client, whether you want a traditional wedding or an alternative affair. I am also qualified in Wedding Planning and Events Management, and am happy to help with everything from religious ceremonies to civil partnerships, and small intimate ceremonies to huge celebrations. I love vintage and alternative events, and everything fun!

Being a big believer in true love, your soul mate can take an eternity to find, but once you find them, you should grab hold and never let go. And when you have me as you planner, I will ensure that you have the perfect day to remember for the rest of your lives.

Email: michelle.evissa@gmail.com 

Tel: 07712279737 

Araminta

Hi, I'm the newest member of the Evissa Team!

I'm a Norfolk girl with an Environmental Science background so have a particular interest in eco-friendly weddings. I also adore anything vintage. My interest in planning events started when I organised a charity gig in college; from there I moved onto proms and summer balls and then eventually weddings.

My favourite part of the job is being able to take the ideas and plans that a couple have and turn them into a reality.  I believe that a wedding should be personal, it should be a representation of the relationship between two individuals and because of that no two weddings should be alike. I never reuse the same plan for every wedding. I want to be able to help create a one off experience to celebrate the union of two people with their most cherished friends and family. I want to help you create an exceptional experience which will provide you with memories which will last a lifetime.

Email: araminta.evissa@gmail.com

Tel: 07949673645

You can also find us on:

Website: http://www.evissawedding.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evissaweddings

Twitter: https://twitter.com/evissaweddings

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/evissaweddings/

<< Real Wedding Alert >> May Bank Holiday Weddings !!

Good morning today I want to share with you two beautiful weddings that our lovely supplier Camper 4 Wedding's have supplied for us.

It was a beautiful weekend to get married, the sun was shining and the temperature rose to 24 degrees in the East of England. Olive the VW Camper Van was dressed in her ribbons and ready to start a weekend of busy weddings! 

The first couple were Malvina and Sarah who got married at Kings Lynn Town Hall on Saturday 4th May. 

The Second wedding of the Bank holiday weekend for beautiful Olive, was for John and Lauren who on Sunday 5th May married at Johnston's Of Old Hurst. 

A Huge congratulations to both couples and may we wish you all the best for the future xx 

Let's Bake Some Cupcakes

Today I've decided to do another tutorial. This one might be pretty simple but I think the end result is lovely. This tutorial is about making crystallised flower cupcakes. These would be great for a wedding or birthday or just a Saturday  I'm going to explain the basic method for making the cakes and then the slightly more fiddly method for crystallising the flowers of your choice. Usually I'd use primroses but I had a puppy in my garden the other day and he ate them all! So instead I'm using cherry blossom.

What you need; 

An apron, like this amazing cupcake one I had made for me

For the cupcakes

100g self raising flour

100g sugar

100g butter

2 eggs

A little vanilla extract or the seeds of one vanilla pod

For the icing

Icing sugar

Water

Flavour (I used lemon instead of water)

For the crystallised flowers

Small flowers

One egg white

Sugar

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C

Weigh out all of your ingredients and add them all into a mixing bowl.

Mix with an electric whisk if you have one until the mixture is blended and has turned lighter in colour.

Prepare a tin with cupcake cases, I used silicone ones which are great as they can be reused and come in lovely colours!

Spoon in the mixture into the cases 

Place in the oven for 10-15 mins or until golden. You can check they're done by sliding a knife into the cupcake and if it comes out clean they're ready.

Let them cool. This is the part where you need to be patient.

I prepared a simple lemon icing with icing sugar and lemon juice but you can add whichever flavour you'd like.

Add icing to the cupcakes and let set.

Now for the crystallised flowers! Make sure they're clean and free of little bugs.

Make a drying station with a lunchbox and some baking parchment or silver foil. Stretch the foil across the box and pierce small holes in it which the stems of the flowers can be placed through so the flowers sit upright.

In a bowl whisk one egg white and using a small paintbrush paint the egg white onto the flower so it's completely covered front and back. Make sure to leave the stem on as it makes it easier for the flowers to dry.

Dip the flower into a bowl of sugar and when completely covered place it onto the baking parchment to set overnight

Once set, cut off the stems and glue the flowers onto the cupcakes with a small blob of icing sugar.

Add edible glitter if you like and voilà! Enjoy!