I Love... Luggage Tag Details

There's something about luggage tags that promises excitement - the anticipation of a trip or the knowledge that you're heading off into the world to make some memories. Perhaps those reasons are also why I've got a bit of a soft spot for luggage tag details at weddings. They're great for seating cards, place markers or any form of stationery and they're really rather perfect for a bit of crafty DIY.

Luggage tag details can be plain, embellished with cuttings of old maps or designed to fit the theme. Now I know lots of people cut up maps to decorate their tags but the geographer in me just can't stand to cut maps up, especially those pre 1940 maps I've picked up at my local antique centre. If you're like me, may I recommend map-esque wrapping paper instead?!

But, as we're now cleared for take-off on this feature, please stow your tables in the upright position and let's go...

 Above - love this simple but oh-so effective place setting. The addition of the air-mail envelope adds some colour and zip to what would otherwise have been a very plain coloured setting. I dream there's a personal little note in each envelope for every guest (or a 'thanks for coming' note - my Mum taught me to always write thank you letters!) Image - BridalBuzz

Above - sweet 'save the date' ticket tags here, all printed in a fab airline boarding card styleee. I'd love it if the numbers underneath the barcode were the date & time of the wedding! Image -  Chateau & Villa Weddings

 Above - this is a great little invitation set - the beautiful map cover, then the invitation tag and the information tag completes the set. Totally gorgeous and certainly achievable as a DIY option - printer, guillotine, hole punch, ribbon & you're away... Image - via Flickr

 Above - another save the date tag here with a slightly different style as this incorporates the tree motif but the stamp and the layout still works well with the look of the tag. A good way to combine things & it's all good. Image - Gourmet Invitations

Above - I love these tags and I think the fabulous use of Butcher's Twine just finishes them off wonderfully. I like the idea of using your initials in lieu of an airport code and finding other quirky ways to incorporate your details into a traditional tag or ticket. Put your own stamp on these ideas, make them personal and make them a little bit clever... Image - Invitation Crush

Above - a whole suite of tag inspired travel stationery. Save the dates, invitations, place cards, you name it! I wanted to include this to show you how well it can work and the deep blue accents here are great against the browns and greens of the maps. And check the maps lining the envelopes - travel themed stationery heaven!  Image - Magnolia Rouge

Above - pretty pretty pretty tags here. Love the pink map backing with the tag tucked into the plastic pocket. You could print anything you liked on those tags - save the dates, seating cards, ceremony information or invitations. The cord tie is a perfect finishing touch. Image - Martha Stewart

In The Mood - Blue & White Inspiration

Today's blog is inspired by football and more specifically, by Reading FC. Reading is my team and today, I'm off to Wembley to watch them in the playoff final. So, while I'm screaming, shouting and cheering on the boys whilst wearing my blue and white striped top, I'll leave you here to ooh, aah and swoon over some blue and white wedding ideas...

 Above - a gorgeous blue and white dessert table here. I love the coconut covered marshmallows sat in the blue and white jelly beans. Dessert and sweetie tables are such fun and hooking them around a colour makes them look more 'grown up' and helps you narrow down the choices of goodies! Image - At Home With Kim Vallee

 Above - lots to love in this pic with the gorgeous stationery but I am gazing rather adoringly at those pretty blue and white rosettes. A dish or basket of these for guests in lieu of floral buttonholes would look fabulous and allow you to bring in more unusual colours and patterns that you can't always do with flowers. Easy to make in advance and small versions would be fab on place cards, menus or other stationery. Image - Cheree Berry

 Above - a gorgeous mix of blue containers and white flowers. This is a great way to bring blue into your floral displays and the coloured china is gorgeous. If you're planning on doing this, start hunting through junk shops, charity shops, jumble sales and antique sales for pretty containers in your colour well in advance. Image - Elizabeth Anne Designs

 Above - a yummy Genoise cake covered in elegant white meringues. The delicate blue detailing is the perfect touch to this stunner of a cake.  Image - Brides

 Above - now you know I love striped straws and milk bottles so blue and white striped straws in milk bottles are going to be a big winner for me. I just love this - so easy to pull off and so effective when you do. Image - Green & Bloom Flowers

 Above - blue and white paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling look perfect here. This is a great way to cover a less than lovely ceiling or to soften up a marquee ceiling. Stores like Ikea are great places to stock up on these lanterns and do give yourself plenty of time to set them up!  Image - Styles I Love

 Above - I love muscari so much and their blue colour is just heaven to me. The papery white collar here is gorgeous too and the delicate blue bow adds another layer of lovely to this bouquet. Image - Karen Bussen

 Above - what a beautiful blue seating plan this is. The little blue envelopes contain cards giving the seating details and thin contrasting ribbon is then looped through the flap and is then hung from a tiny pin on the board. I love the tones of the blues and the white and dark script on the envelope fronts looks wonderful too. This is a definite DIY project. Image - Martha Stewart

 Above - fabulous blue and white invitations with the striped background and the gorgeous fonts inside the scalloped frame. Such a great look. Image - Oh So Beautiful Paper

 Above - a slight variation on the blue china containers above and these glass bottles and vases give a lighter, more delicate look than the opaque china. This is something you could certainly do yourself with some mix and match glassware and a variety of delicate white flowers (just watch out for your manicure when you're trimming those stalks!) Image - Samantha Luck

 Above - oh so pretty! love these doily envelopes! Another DIY project and there are plenty of instructions and templates on-line. As well as using this idea of invitations, you could also use it for seating or place cards (it would love great if there was also a band of lace around the napkins too!) Image - Simple & Handmade

 Above - now I love the boldness of the blue and white striped cloth here. No, it wouldn't work on lots of tables in a confined space but as an attention grabber on a welcome table, it works perfectly. Love the puffy blue balls of hydrangeas and you could so use that twiggy arrangement in the Ming style vase to hang seating cards from. Image - Stylebeat

Above - and not forgetting the boys, here's a pretty papery white ranunculus adorned with a wrap of blue ribbon as a gorgeous buttonhole. Please note how the buttonhole's attached - don't just poke them through the suit's buttonhole and let it dangle and flop around hopelessly! Pin it carefully (from behind as here if possible) and if you're not sure how to do this, speak to your florist and they'll be happy to show you. Image - The Knot

Event Report - Wedding Networking Evening

The evening of Wednesday 25th May saw photographers, florists, caterers, planners, entertainers, videographers, boutique owners, make-up artists, jewellery designers, stationers, cake makers and representatives from some gorgeous wedding venues come together at The Elephant Hotel in the pretty Berkshire village of Pangbourne for a wedding networking event and it was a brilliant evening. Julie Tooby & I organised this event in less than two weeks and we were so thrilled by the number of people that came along - it was totally wonderful.

After being greeted by champagne and canapes, there was time to meet and chat before everyone settled down for a great presentation by social media expert Paul Allen. There was a lot of note-taking during Paul's speech and a lot of questions afterwards. A huge huge thank you to Paul for all his enthusiasm and for answering everyone's questions. There's a little snippet of what was covered on Paul's website that makes for interesting reading - To Follow Or Not To Follow...

The rest of the evening was taken up by a LOT of conversation - people meeting old friends, finally putting faces to 'tweeps' and chatting with totally new suppliers. For me, this is what the evening was all about - 'proper' contact with people. I do like Twitter & Facebook, e-mails great too but nothing replaces face to face chats with people. The wedding industry is all about relationships - the relationships between our brides & grooms and the relationships between suppliers. It's good to know who you like, who you respect, who you'd work with. I feel very strongly that I need to know the people behind the websites or tweets to really understand them and this is what made Wednesday night great for me. I caught up with some suppliers I know and respect (and maybe love a little bit too) and I got to meet new people too as did everyone there. It was so lovely to look around and see so many people smiling, chatting, finding things they had in common and learning more about other businesses. We might all be in the same 'industry' but we all do very different things and it's such a treat to get to see things from another viewpoint.

Come the end of the evening, well, people didn't want to leave and conversations were still going on way after the 'finish' time we'd set. When I made it home, there were already e-mails & tweets of thanks & feedback flying around and it seems everyone had a great evening. And since, I've seen people chatting with those they met on Twitter so it seems plenty of great connections were made. I feel like a wedding matchmaker! Here are a couple of comments from the evening...

"Thanks to you & Julie to organising the networking evening last night. It was a great success and you must let me know when you're organising another. It was good to meet so many interesting people." - Christian Dixon, The Bigger Picture Weddings

"I really enjoyed Wednesday's event, it was a huge success. I think it's always brilliant to meet new people in the wedding industry, especially those in the local area. I find it really inspirational to chat with people who are as passionate about weddings as I am. A highlight of the evening was Paul Allen's presentation on social media. Everyone was frantically making notes which is always a good sign! And of course, who can knock tasty canapes and bubbly?! Thanks Tamryn & Julie... when's the next one?" Claire Baggott, Brown Box Photography

Congratulations to Kelly from Tantrums & Tiaras for winning the prize draw and thanks to Robin of Great Wedding Entertainment for music, Dawn from Delicious Dial A Cake for those gorgeous cupcakes and Debbie from Add-Style for chair-covers & sashes. And more huge thank yous to The Elephant for being such an easy venue to work with and Paul Allen for being so fabulous.

The next event will be in September and we'll be sending out Save The Dates very soon - if you'd like to find out the details as soon as they're released, just send me an e-mail tamrynkirby@hotmail.com or find me on Twitter where I'm @tamrynkirby

 

All images courtesy of the rather lovely Brown Box Photography

How To... Get Your Timings Right

When you’re planning your wedding, there are far more exciting things to think about than the timings of the day.  Trying on dresses, designing your tables and of course, reading the latest blogs and magazines are all probably much further up you ‘to do’ list than sitting down with a piece of paper and deciding what should happen when.  However, the best weddings are those which flow seamlessly from one section to the next with no long pauses or any hurrying.  This can be a tricky balance to achieve but with a little thought and some insider information, it can be easier than you think and come the big day itself, you’ll be glad you took the time to think about timings!

Before The Ceremony

When you wake up in the morning, it can seem like a long time before you’ll be saying ‘I do’ in front of your nearest and dearest but, as with all time on your wedding day, it can go faster than you think and if you’re not prepared, you’ll spend your last few moments as a single woman in a mad, rush.  So, read the tips below and arrive for your ceremony as a blissed out, rather than stressed out, bride.

•  Decide in advance what order everyone will be having hair and makeup done so you don’t waste time in the morning when people arrive.
• Make time for breakfast!  It will be a long time before you probably get to eat again and an empty stomach and a few nerves isn’t a good combination, especially if you’re having a few glasses of bubbly whilst you’re getting ready.  Grapes are perfect to snack on and won’t ruin make-up and manicures.
• Pin up a time plan in the room where you’re getting ready so everyone can see it.  This will save everyone asking continually asking you questions!  It’s also a good way to keep things on track.
• Lay out your entire outfit the night before.  You don’t want to be hunting for a shoe or earring just before you wedding.  This is a real waste of time and can take so much longer when you start panicking.
• Make sure someone is keeping an eye on the time.  One minute you’ve got hours to wait and the next, it’s time to go so don’t get caught out.  Delegate this job to a calm and trusted friend who won’t worry about this job.
• If you’re heading out to have your hair and make-up done, leave extra time for the journeys each way.  Saturday traffic can be busy and it might take longer to park than you think.  Better to be early than stuck in traffic watching the time tick by!
• Find out what time suppliers will be arriving – especially important if you don’t want the photographer to arrive whilst you’re still in the shower!
• If you’ve got a lace-back dress, allow twenty minutes to get yourself into it and to be laced up.  It probably won’t take that long but it’s better to have a few more minutes to get yourself comfortable than to have to leave feeling too loose or too trussed up.
• Fight the temptation to leave early for the ceremony.  It’s awful having to drive around because you’re early and all your guests haven’t arrived.  That said, don’t aim on being late, especially for a civil ceremony – most registrars do more than one wedding per day and they don’t like you being late.
• Take your time walking up and down the aisle – make the most of the moment!

Drinks & Dinner

Hurrah!  You’re now married and you can start the celebrations.  But, thinking about timings for this part of the day is also important, especially if you’ve invited extra guests to the evening reception – you don’t want them all turning up whilst you’re still eating your dessert.  So, thinking about timings and, most importantly, sticking to them, will help the day run smoothly and let you make the most of every minute.

• Decide with your photographer before the day how long you want to spend having photographs taken and don’t be afraid to say ‘enough’.  Spending time with your guests is what makes your wedding special.
• Don’t let the drinks reception go on for too long.  Around an hour or an hour and a half is long enough – you don’t want guests to start flagging (especially important in if you’re outside in the summer) because if people start getting bored, the great atmosphere starts to go downhill.
• As tempting as it might be to say ‘just another ten minutes’ when your venue or co-ordinator asks you to start getting ready for dinner – don’t!  Chefs and kitchen staff are working to a precise timetable to get everyone’s food ready at the right time and delaying dinner can cause problems.
• Allow plenty of time for a receiving line.  If you’re having the ‘traditional’ line (bride, groom, parents, chief bridesmaid and best man), allow at least half an hour for one hundred guests.  It can be a good plan to have ushers on hand to ‘help’ guests to move along if they stop and chat for too long!
• Listen to your venue’s advice as to how long the meal will take.  Buffets can be even longer than fully served meals when you add in the time it takes everyone to get up and serve themselves to discuss your plans fully with those who will be serving the food to make sure anything you’re planning is possible.
• If you need to get everyone out of the room you eat in after the meal (this is often necessary if tables need to be moved before the dancing can start), it can be a good idea to serve coffee in a lounge or other area.  This often encourages people to move and the faster the room can be ‘turned around’, the quicker the evening party can start.

Party Time!

This is the part of the day where the atmosphere really changes – the formality of ceremonies, dinners and speeches is over and everyone can really let their hair down.  But, timings are still important to make this section of the day seem just as perfect as the rest…

• Agree a time for your first dance and stick to it!  Remember that no-one will dance until you’ve taken to the floor and it’s a waste of money to have your band or dj playing with no-one dancing.  It can help to announce the time of your first dance at the end of the meal so everyone knows when they need to be back by if they go elsewhere for a few moments.
• Remember that any food put out for an evening buffet can only be left out for a certain length of time (check with your venue what their policy is) so ask your band, dj or co-ordinator to announce when the buffet is available so people make the most of it.
• Set aside some time to mingle with your new husband.  It’s nice to walk around together and speak to people as a couple, especially if you’ve invited workmates that each other might not know.
• Take the time to speak to as many people as you can, even if it’s just a quick hello.  You might want to spend all night on the dance floor with your friends but don’t neglect everyone else.  You’ll look like a fabulous hostess if you’ve got time for everyone.
• Don’t stay until the bitter end – leave in a blaze of glory when there are still lots of guests dancing and having a great time.  That’s the best ‘last memory’ to have of the day, not the mess that’s left over when people have left.
• Definitely get some time alone with your husband.  The day will pass so quickly and before you know it, the guests will be leaving and you’ll realise you’ve not spoken to your hub since dinner!  The break between dinner and the evening reception is the perfect time to sneak off…

Delicious Details - Shell Seating Cards

For lots of reasons at the moment, I'm thinking about beaches - warm, sunny, soft sandy beaches where I can walk with my feet in the water and my face in the sun. It's heaven. My son and I have shared some amazing times on the beach (in the summer and in the middle of winter too I must add!) and we're both always on the look out for interesting finds - the rocks with the most mussels attached, the biggest slicks of seaweed and the most beautiful shells. Just the memory of shell searches with an ice-cream in hand makes me smile...

And as well as being great on the beach, shells are also gorgeous at weddings. I love shells for seating cards - you can be elegant, bold, quirky or quite restrained. They're super easy to use, simple to source and incredibly effective. So you see, there's more to shells than the seaside...

Above - love these gorgeous shells being used for seating card stands. The pretty shells are all stood up (you can file them to make them stand straight if they're a bit wobbly) and then cut a little slit in the top to pop the card into. You might need to weight the shells down, especially if your seating card display is outside! Image - Events Essentials

Above - a slightly more colourful version of the above here with paint washed shells and beautifully coloured cards. The shells have been attached to the little discs to weight them down and the cards tucked in behind. Image - Martha Stewart

Above - a beautiful shell seating plan (and how perfect is the sea green fabric backing?) each card is tucked under a beautiful shell and there you go - it's not flashy, it's not complicated, it just works perfectly without the need to show off. You could use the same shell for everyone on the same table or just 'go random' - whatever works best for you. Image - Martha Stewart

Above - what a fabulous 'sandbox' seating plan! The guest has their name written onto a shell that's stood up in a box filled with sand and other seaside props. Love this. Image - The Knot

Above - another grouping of seating cards here with a mix of shells having cards tucked inside them. I like the mix of shells, it reminds me more of a beach and I like the sandy coloured tones of this arrangement too. It looks great and it's so attractive, perfect if you've had a destination wedding and returned for a party, if you're at a coastal venue or if you're just known for your love of the beach! Image - via This Next

How My Mouth Works...

Tonight, is the Berkshire wedding networking event and I can't wait. I get a genuine buzz out of meeting new wedding suppliers and of course, catching up with people I've known for years or months is always good too. When you work on your own for the majority of the time, the chance to get together with other (usually) like minded people is one not to be missed and I think it's really important, in the age of blogs, tweets & Facebook pages to really connect with people. I know I do the on-line thing like everyone else and I love it but one of the things I like best about this industry is real people.

Yes, we can have passing contact with people on-line every day - we read their tweets and blogs, we 'like' their posts and we sometimes we see them in magazines and newspapers but for me, there's no replacement for really seeing what someone's like. The on-line world is a funny place sometimes - it can make people with little or no experience into 'experts' and there are so many 'recommendations' floating around based on a few e-mails between suppliers who might not have ever talked to each other or met each other, let alone worked with each other. Now I'm not stupid, I understand how advertising works and I don't have a problem with that at all when it's clear that's what's going on. I don't see a dress designer's full page in a wedding magazine and think that's a personal endorsement from the publisher but I've seen websites who say they handpick the best of the best suppliers to feature when really the only qualifying criteria is your ability to write a cheque - no checks with past clients, no references taken and that makes me so upset. It makes me upset because there are brides out there who believe the hype and pick a supplier who's not as 'handpicked' as they thought. And, let's face it, we all know there are plenty of people who can talk the talk but find walking the walk a much harder task. Fling wedding day tension into this mix as well, the emotion, the pressure, the unexpected things, and someone who always came across as calm can sometimes not be!

However, I know that everyone has to start somewhere and goodness, we've all been there, yet sometimes I wonder where the honesty has gone. No-one likes to admit they're new to the wedding world and it's easy to create a persona that makes you into something you're not (or not yet anyway!). But what's wrong with being 'new' - you can often be fresher and keener and those can be pretty good qualities. Some clients will pick the newer talent, some will pick the old hand - it depends on what they want, how you get on and how you behave. No-one's right, no-one's wrong, it's the client's choice. When it gets sticky is when the client's not had all the information...

So, my mouth works like this - I don't really recommend suppliers unless I've met them, checked them out and ideally worked with them, I might sometimes suggest someone takes a look a website but it comes with the caveat I've not met them and if there's someone I think I'd like to work with, I'll make the effort to meet up. There is a photographer I know who I adore and who I get on with really well but he won't recommend me because although we've met on quite a few occasions, we've not yet worked together and do you know what, I can't tell you how much I respect him for this. Of course, as with all things 'wedding', so much is subjective - what I like, who I like and why I like things will be very different to someone else. That's ok - I'm a different type of supplier to others, I work with different types of brides and do different types of things. That doesn't make me 'better' or 'worse', it just makes me, well, it makes me me. I don't try to be cool (I'm not!), I can't be a 'Londoner' (I'm a country girl through and through!) and that's that. I know whom I am and where I sit and in an industry that's trying to give clients 'their' day, why should we be scared to be true to ourselves? Our mouths, our voices, our fingers tip-tapping on our keyboards, are powerful things, we should be careful how we use them. But we should always be who we are - if you lose that, you've lost everything.

Tonight then is an opportunity for me to meet new suppliers, check out new people and maybe hug a few old (and I don't mean 'old' in age!) 'friends' but there are still lots of suppliers to meet and I can't wait for that either because although sometimes my mouth works in a careful way, it does love a good chat...

Delicious Details - Wooden Stationery

I do hope you'll forgive the slightly short post today but it's my birthday (don't ask how old!) and I can almost hear the gifts, cake and champagne calling me whilst I'm typing this...

But anyway, on to the delightful detail du jour - wooden stationery. I adore stationery at any time and something a little bit quirky and a little bit different is guaranteed to set my stationery radar a-beeping. There's also something incredibly wonderful for a wedding guest about receiving something weighty in the mail, something special and something impressive. Wooden stationery ticks all of these boxes and if you were to then follow these invitations & other ideas through with some more of my wood inspired decorations, you'll be set for fabulousness...

Above - love these wooden invitations where the wood is so thin, it's almost like papyrus. Subtly fantastic and gorgeously delicate. Image - via Flickr

Above - gorgeous table stationery here with a wooden menu 'frame' and oh, my, goodness - how fab is the wooden favour pouch? This is something I would love! Image - Laura Novak

Above - the colouring on this wooden invitation is so striking and the natural motif works perfectly with the wood. I'm quite liking the darker wood too, there's something very luxurious about the almost chocolate brown & mint combination. Image - via My Wedding

Above - another prettily embellished design here and the white and green looks beautiful against the lighter wood. This just looks so special, it's making me smile and nod enthusiastically! Image - The Knot

Above - I quite like the grandeur of this invitation - the fonts, the monogram, the detailing, it all works so so well. I'd hope that monogram design is transferred to other details at the wedding to create a real sense of continuation. Image - via Green Wedding Shoes

Above - now I think this is a clever way of keeping costs down by using a card RSVP note rather than using wood for both invitation and RSVP. I like that the motif has been transferred across the entire stationery collection and it works so so well. Image - Wedding Invitations 21

I Love... Decorated Votives

Now, for reasons that will become clearer over the coming weeks, I'm currently plotting and planning a rather special photoshoot. It is, and trust me when I say this, very special (don't worry, I'll be sharing all when the time is right!). And, as part of this, I'm testing out lots of ideas at the moment and a big favourite is still the humble votive. I know, I know, candles are hardly groundbreaking news when it comes to wedding decor but they're still so romantic, they're very flattering and, with a little creative ooomph, you can make them into something really rather special and totally personal.

So, today's little featurette is an ode of love to the ever-so under-rated decorated votive...

Above - The pretty little votives and matchboxes are favours but you could use the votives alone for decorations on tables and other nooks and crannies. Pretty paper, in any colour or pattern you like, is cut to size and then wrapped around the votive. To make the matchboxes, just cover the two long sides with more pretty paper and leave the striking sides uncovered. Image - Brides

Above - such sweet simplicity with these lace wrapped votives. The strip of lace, wrapped around, looks especially beautiful with the light glow dancing so prettily through the fabric. This is such an easy way to put some personality into a plain, cheap candle holder. Image - Good Housekeeping

Above - love these votives with their bark capes! The wafer thin sheets are glued/taped around the base of the votive to allow the top to stay loose and to help stop the delicate wafers of bars from tearing. The ribbon bow just soften this look. Image - Martha Stewart

Above - love this outdoorsy, green fingered look. The votives have leaves glued around them and then trimmed to give a flat and level top. The twine ties, burlap runner and wooden handled cutlery finish this natural scheme perfectly. Image - Martha Stewart

Above - I just adore these votives with the vintage book page wraps. Now I know I'd find tearing a book apart incredibly hard but at least it would be being used to create something else gorgeous. The book pages are folded to fit the votive (and to give nice sharp edges) and are then glued around. The ribbon embellishment is a great touch and it's a perfect way to include your colour scheme into the overall look. Image - Modern Countrystyle

Above - these votives have been transformed into softly contoured skeins of twine by yes, you've guessed it, wrapping twine around them. The twine is wrapped haphazardly to create interesting lumps and bumps to the finished item and to allow the light the shine through at different intensities. Again, you could use coloured twines and cottons if you wish. Image - My Wedding

Above - more wonderful use of old manuscripts and this time, they're musical scores. I just thin this is fabulous. It would be great if you used scores that meant something to you both - adding personality doesn't need to be overt. Image - via Pinterest

Above - now, I know you know how much I like doilies so I couldn't resist this! Here, doilies have been placed over an inflated balloon or bowl and then sprayed with fabric stiffener so they hold their nice new rounded shape. Then give them a spritz with some flame resistant spray for extra safety and pop your glass votive inside, light the candle and admire your handiwork. Image - Martha Stewart

Above - oooooh, how pretty! And what a great use for a cakestand! Cover it with votives and create the most gorgeous effect on your table. The place markers are personalised votives, easy to make yourself if you just print guest's names on vellum, wrap it around the votive and secure. Totally adorable and incredibly easy! Image - Weddings By Color