A Few Of My Favourite Things...

Today is a little look at my list of 'favourite things' which grows and changes all the time. If I had a pound for every time I'm asked 'if you got married, what would you do?', I would be rich but I never have a really definite answer. There are just so many ideas and details that I love, I don't know exactly what I'd choose to do and hey, it wouldn't be all my choice anyway!

So, today's post is a little look at my gigantic list of 'things I love', just the smallest snippet for a sunny Saturday, and as you can see, they're a mixed bunch but then, isn't it the mixing of different personalities that's the reason for weddings anyway?

Above - everyone is slightly crazy about macarons at the moment but how about being a little unexpected and serving up bitesize savoury macarons? These little beauties would be perfect alongside cocktails or post-ceremony drinks. Powdered beetroot is responsible for the gorgeous pink colour of these macs and then a filling of cream cheese, dill and smoked salmon finish them perfectly. Image - Life's A Feast

Above - I might have waxed lyrical before about my love of 'proper' letters before (actually, I know I have because I've devoted a whole post to handwritten love letters) and I just love these sheets that you fold up to become an envelope. I love them so much I am off today to buy some thick paper and pretty inks so that I write some letters because there's something so so special about receiving a letter. Obviously, these are letter style wedding invitations and you could use mini versions for seating cards too.  Image - Martha Stewart

Above - Index cards remind me of a few things - exam revision and important presentations! But that said, I still love these quirky, bright and simple save the date cards. Printed strips are just stuck haphazardly onto the card and there you have it. Simple, eye-catching, inexpensive and fun - wonderful wedding  DIY. Image - Martha Stewart

Above - I am totally loving picnics right now. Lunchtime picnics in the park with sandwiches and a book if I'm on my own or laughter filled conversations if I'm not. I love picnic style drinks receptions - blankets under trees, little hampers full of nibbles and canapes, drinks tables and some easy activities keep things social, simple and informal. Perfect. Image - Calli B Photography

Delicious Details - Stationery Bundles

I really like bundles of things - bundles make things look abundant, everything's kept together and wrapping things up, even a tiny bit, makes whatever's inside the bundle look like a gift. I love cutlery bundles (great at relaxed place settings as they do away with the endless rows of knives, forks and spoons around a plate) and I really love stationery bundles. With so much more going in the average invitation envelope now, bundling is not only a practical way of making sure that a) no-one loses anything and b) the package comes out of the envelope in the order you intended because, let's face it, you probably wanted people to see the invitation first, not the envelope for the reply card!

So today's post is all about beautiful bundles of oh-so sweet stationery because, as we know, it's all in the detail...

Above - these stationery bundles are all the better for the wrap of wrapping paper around them and the raffia tie. This would definitely give you a sense of the vibrant celebration that's coming and peeling back that pretty paper would be really rather fabulous. Image - Betsy White

Above - I love the criss-cross, kiss shape wrapping of this bundle and I love the mix of fabrics - thread and vintage ribbon combine perfectly. Image - Coral Pheasant

Above - regular readers will know my love of stripy twine so this pretty package immediately caught my eye. Love the cute 'tying the knot' tag which will look great on a parcel style pack. Image - Luna & Chloe Weddings

Above - love this collage showing lots of bundle styles with fabric, ribbon, twine and tissue paper. This illustrates perfectly that there are so many ways of bundling your stationery that it works with every style. Image - Martha Stewart

Above - the rustic string around this invitation pack give it a really unfussy look and I really like the coloured tag with the white ink - I have a real 'thing' for that right now! Image - Oh So Beautiful Paper

Above -  now this is a great mix of style, printed invitations, graphics, a wood card and a kraft and string wrap holding everything together. Again, that criss cross string looks great and keeps the bundle flat and supported. Image - via 4 My Brides

I Love... Vintage Keys

A few years ago, when I moved house, I made 'new address' cards to send out, all adorned with a little vintage key. I'd picked up a pack of them for a song on eBay and ever since, I've found old keys really rather amazing. I wonder what they open, who they belonged to and how they were lost! There's something so tactile about them and the colours and shapes of them are often beautiful.

So today's post is all about vintage keys - how to include them in your wedding and detailing and there are lots of options. Keys would work as a motif with any backdrop colour so if you're sure on a colour scheme but would like to use a detail to run through the wedding, keys could possible be perfect for you. Then, add in the potential symbolism of keys an you're onto a winner!

Above - love this quirky seating plan that encourages guests to find 'the key to your seat'. The vintage keys are all attached to tags showing each guest's name & seating details and they're then 'framed' and displayed. That frame is wonderfully opulent and after the wedding, how about a bit of up-cycling - use it to hold one of your favourite wedding images? Image - Cedarwood Weddings

Above - here the key is integrated into the ribbon wrap around the stem of this bouquet for a sweet piece of detailing. The key in question could be a meaningful one - from your childhood home maybe? - or just something you've picked up specially. Image - Chicago Illinois Wedding Photography

Above - gorgeous cross-keys wedding stationery. This is such a great motif for a wedding - a little unexpected but still very beautiful - and it's easy to use throughout the day with lots of key-filled touches. Image - Oh Lovely Day

Above - more fabulous stationery, this time with a very different look - out goes letterpress and in comes printed stationery with a great vintage key wrapped right up in the invitation pack. I really like the layout of the stationery here, the kraft-brown reply card, the bold font & design and of course, the vintage style save-the-date with key attached. Image - Olivia Leigh Photographie

Above - ooooh, I so love this set-up (I've got it bad for burlap cloths & runners right now!) And the blue touches just pop so sweetly against the muted browns. Those key place markers are just great - so simple but so effective and they really add to that tablescape. Do think about adding some unusual items, they look so interesting and with some thought, they don't have to cost the earth. Image - Oncewed

Above - now you know how I love chair decorations and you probably also know about my love of white or brown wood chairs so this image so works with me! So simple with the lavender and key tied on to the chairback but it looks fab! Image - via Pinterest

Above - another great key based table plan. Here, each table is listed on a different sheet with a key attached for extra interest. I really like that each table's sheet is of a different sized which just stops everything looking too regimented and contrived. Love that table too and I think I want that gorgeously coloured telephone... Image - via Ruffled

Above - this is a great way to bring the key motif into the wider wedding 'look' - here the key in question is attached to a buttonhole and it looks really fabulous against they green and beige. This idea would work with any little item, not just keys, so it's worth keeping in mind whatever your theme. Image - Simply Elegance

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... Fabric Stationery

 Above - how happy would you be if this gorgeous envelope landed on your doormat? Straight away, it feels incredibly special and before your guest has even opened it, they're smiling, expectant and thinking "my goodness, this is going to be some wedding!" and you've hit the styling jackpot straight away. Image - Art at Heart

 Above - I love the French vibe of these fabric invitations. The font is perfect and the invitations are printed onto fabric then tucked into decorative fabric pockets. Totally gorgeous. You could achieve the same look without printing on the fabric buy tucking card invitations into fabric pockets that you can easily make yourself. Then use the same pockets style for seating cards, menus and orders of ceremony on the day. Image - Bird & Banner

 Above - and is if to prove my point, here the stylish letterpress invitations are slipped into mix-and-match fabric pockets. This mismatched look is great (and means you can pick up some bargains with fabric remnants!) Image - Edyta Szyszlo

 Above - I love the cute seersucker fabric here and the addition of that peachy tag is just gorgeous. Such a creative way to bring in your wedding motif and it's a great personal detail. Love the rough edges of the fabric pockets here - no need to hem this and it looks wonderfully natural. Great detailing. Image - Orange Blossom Ink

 Above - this whole stationery set pushes all my buttons. The twine, the wax seal, the vintage styling and of course, those fabulous fabric invitations. The scalloped edges of the fabric is such a soft and feminine touch and the embroidered flower hints at the style of the coming event. Stationery to make you smile! Image - via Pinterest

 Above - another fabulous stationery set with the printed details, the tag and the twine, it's altogether gorgeous. Inks & rubber stamps would allow you to print your own fabric stationery and you can easily add shapes and swirls. Image - Shelz Studio

Above - this fabric cover is really rather beautiful. The fabric has been folded and the invitation card has been sewn into the fold of the cover - the invitation becomes a gorgeous book that's the start of the story of the rest of your life... Image - Slip Slip Knit

Delicious Details - Round Menu Cards

This post is, it must be admitted, a little bit of an indulgence for me because I have such a weakness for stationery. Couple that with my much professed love of food and it's a miracle that we've waited such a long time for a post about menu cards.

But I like things with a bit of a quirk (as I'm sure you've noticed) so this post is about round menu cards. I like them because they sit so perfectly on a plate, because they're a little bit different and because round menu cards can work with any style of wedding. Put your stamp on them with colours, materials, fonts and styles and they'll look great. Unusual, interesting and adaptable?! Oh my, that's wedding detail heaven...

 Above - Love love love this. This fabric menu wheel is just the most darling of details. The menu is on the lower 'wheel', with the other layers on top to form the 'flower' with a brad detail in the middle holding everything together. Cleverly, the edging of the fabric has all been done with pinking scissors so there's no need to sew and the small scroll gives the guest's name so it double as a seating card. Spin the wheel and find out what's coming with the next course - totally brilliant. Image - via A Cup Of Jo

 Above - this is a beautifully elegant option. I adore letterpress stationery and here the colours, the leaf & bird motif around the edges of the disc and the classic font all make for a fabulous combination. Image - Martha Stewart

 Above - another elegant design that's working well against the coloured charger plate and the more ornate detailing. The contrasting colours are very effective here too and I do like monogram detailing so this is a good look for me. Image - William Arthur

 Above - I like this image for the striking colour of the menu card and font and the impact this has against the white napkin and a plate. So much impact and the colour burst this menu provides is great - a perfect way to link the colour of flowers or other details onto the table top without having to resort to lots of fiddly details. Image - Wedding By Color

 Above - another look that I like here - the pale pink flower design on the card, the silver grey elegant font and the silvery charger plate underneath is gorgeous, making the pink image on the menus stand out more. I so hope that these tables are finished the an abundant display of big blowsy pink flowers and perhaps just a touch of silver grey satin ribbon... Image JKL Creations

 Above - I'll be honest here and say this look doesn't totally float my boat. For me, it's a little too cluttered and a little too fussy (am just not a fan of napkins folded into weird shapes!) but I admit that that's just me and I like to give you all options. Here the menu card is stood up and the card itself, I do like. I like the simple design and I like the colours but I think this image proves that it's a bit of  a shame to lose a nice detail in a forest of other 'stuff' on a table. Image - Jean M

 Above - If you're a bit of a Cath Kidston lover or if you're working the ditsy country vibe, how fab is this menu card design from Mooks? Love the vintage rose border, the colours and just the whole look of this. I can imagine these beauties decorating tables surrounded by bunting, country flowers and lots of happy guests. Totally fab. Image - Mooks Design

The Supplier's Speech - Knots & Kisses

I have to admit that I absolutely love stationery- new notebooks, note cards, writing paper, diaries, you name it. So, I'm particularly happy that this week's Supplier's Speech is with the super stationer, Nikki Ward from Knots & Kisses...

Tell me a little bit about your business...

I started Knots & Kisses Wedding Stationery just over 2 years ago after helping quite a few friends and family with their weddings and stationery. I finally decided to take the plunge and set up my own business producing 100% handmade stationery. The stationery we offer definitely has a vintage flavour and I like using embellishments such as lace, pearls and diamante. We also offer a bespoke service so a couple can exactly what they want. We operate nationwide but I am based in Essex and will quite happily go to meet clients for bespoke consultations.

What's so great about working in the wedding industry?

The wedding industry is amazing... most people you meet are passionate about weddings, whether that be the couples you work with or other suppliers. Everyone is just so enthusiastic about wanting to create that one perfect day for the couple involved... that's what I love, helping make a couple's day perfect. I think the stationery is the ideal starting point!

In your opinion, what are the most important questions brides should ask when they're booking suppliers?

Certainly, when it comes to stationery, brides really need to find out what the delivery schedule is going to be. Many brides would love handmade stationery but really don't understand that this will mean ordering my further in advance than you may have to for printed. Also, if you are on a strict budget, let your stationery company know from the start. We can then work tightly to your budget, adapt invitations to suit it and always make suggestions to save you money! There is nothing worse as a stationer than working with a couple and creating a bespoke design for them and then they say it's out of their price range!

Have you got any great wedding tips you'd like to share?

Many people make the mistake of ordered one invitation per person. Remember families and couples only need one invitation! Orders of Service can also often be shared between two people if you're looking to save money. Remember to order a couple of extra blank invitations, even if you are ordering stationery with pre-printed guest names, just in case any of your original guest list can't come and you want to send an invitation to someone else.

What makes a wedding really fabulous?
By far and above the most important factor for me for a fabulous wedding is that it 100% reflect the style of the couple getting married. Great weddings always involve a totally relaxed couple having fun.

How do you prepare for a wedding?
The run up to most weddings involves getting their reception stationery ready and producing handpainted table plans to match their stationery. All of these items are delivered at least a week before the big day.

What are some of your favourite wedding memories?
My favourite wedding so far to date has been that of a friend who's stationery I did. She got a licence at a local theatre and had an art deco theme which include a theatre ticket as the invitation. I also produced matching table plans. The day was amazing... she had a red dress and matching top hat and I was thrilled to have been such a big part of the day!

What do you think the next 'big thing' in weddings will be?
Trends in weddings are definitely following those in fashion and interiors. A handmade and handcrafted look is really popular and vintage is still key but it's being pushed to slightly darker and quirkier levels. Victoriana, tweed, circus posters and antique jewellery are great inspirations. I'm also still getting lots of inspiration from Alice in Wonderland and Scandinavian red and white wool items.

If you could give brides just one piece of advice, what would it be?
Be yourself. Don't be pushed into having 'the norm' when it comes to weddings. If you give me a ring with an unusual idea, I guarantee I won't be one of those suppliers who will tell you it's not suitable for a wedding, I'll think it's fabulous!

If you would like to contact Nikki or find out more about Knots and Kisses...
You can visit the Knots & Kisses website, follow Nikki on Twitter, e-mail her via info@knotsandkisses.co.uk or call on 07976 625201. Nikki also has a blog full of great design ideas.

DIY With... Doilies

So, my latest decorative obsession is with the good old doily. Up until recently, the mere mention of the word 'doily' gave me flashbacks to slices of slightly dusty Battenberg being served up to my 5 year old self at tea with my Great Aunt. Doilies were old lady-ish and I am NOT an old lady!

But, there is more, way more, to the humble doily than as a resting place for cake - they are decorative, they are the starting point for some great wedding DIY and they fit oh-so perfectly with vintage or lace themes or really with any kind of lovely girlie wedding. And they don't just come in white any more either so well played John Lewis for stocking these fab coloured doilies on the high street.

So, here are some of my absolute favourite doily DIY projects so come on, buy those doilies with pride (and if you do use them for cake, I promise I won't mind!)

Above - how pretty is this seating card display? A coloured background scattered with random doiles in different sizes have the seating cards pinned on to them ready for guests to take. Simple & effective so perfect wedding DIY! Image - The Knot Australia

Above - doilies do atmosphere! Here, doilies are stuck inside plain candle bags which are then lit up (I'd suggest battery tea lights for safety!). Loving the lacy effect here and again, not difficult to achieve. It would be great to bring these out in the evening to reinvigorate your decorations! Image - Martha Stewart Weddings

Above - hmmmm, lovely lighting idea from Love Audrey. A simple string of fairy lights has a doily pushed over each bulb and is then strung where needed. Pretty prettiness!

Above - you don't have to cover your tables in doilies to get the wow factor. Here, plain kraft favour boxes are wrapped with ribbon and sealed with a little doily. It's good to see the doily on top! Image - The Sweetest Occasion

Above - isn't this just a gorgeous gown? A coloured underskirt has a skirt of stitched together fabric doilies over the top. I love this and the pink contrasting shoes are just fab. Much kudos this clever bride. Image - Sarah London

Above - ahhh, Martha Stewart, you do love your cupcakes don't you? But, let's be fair, it's great to see the cake stand getting all the decorative love for once! A doily fringe around the stand adds a great vibe but doesn't distract from the cakes or make them look too fussy. Perfect.

Above - I say it all the time but at the risk of making you all roll your eyes, stationery is a real 'scene setter' so if you're going to 'do doily', really do it and include it as a motif on your stationery too. This fab design from Elizabeth Anne Designs is ideal.

Above - I am a big fan of seating cards as opposed to big seating plans and these beautiful little doily 'envelopes' are gorgeous. A little doily folding into an envelope with the guest's name written on the outside and their seating assignment on the inside - perfect. A coloured ink to match your scheme would look fab & bring a splash of colour to your cards too. Image - Martha Stewart Weddings

Above - doilies are practically made to become cones! Just twist them into the right shape & glue. There's really nothing to it! Fill them with anything you like - petals as here, sweets or fluffy pastel marshmallows for favours or just about anything you want really. What wouldn't be improved by a doily?! Image - Sanojah's