Vintage Crockery

{Image from Author's personal collection}

Vintage cake plate used as a dinner plate
Vintage tea plate, cup and saucer from 3 different sets
a knife and fork for a hog roast, salads, rolls and stuffing
tea cup and saucer for a refreshing cup of tea
a starched white napkin to lay over the lap
tied with a custom dyed blue silk ribbon to match the bride's shoes.

DIY Details: Bunting

A sneak peek of my Elizabeth Anne Designs column this week...

...I did however find time to make a start on the bunting which we are using to decorate our marquee at the reception and thought you might like to see how it is turning out, as it is nowhere near finished. Clearly, we need much more than this!

I began by sending an e-mail to all the female family members and friends I could think of that might have hoarded scraps of fabric over the years and so far have received a bag of donations from my Mum, her sister, my Grandmothers, M’s Mum and other female friends. I also dug out my childhood material box and have utilised some of what I found in there too. The nice thing about this is that most of the fabric is offcuts of clothes or things people have made. In photo 3 you can see the remains of my Mum’s nightie that she wore when pregnant with me, a pink and white spotty dress I wore when I was little and the blue sprigged fabric which comprised my ‘wedding outfit’ as a child [a skirt and waistcoat which could be worn over a white blouse - it lasted for years as it could be let out - much more wear than a dress which I would have quickly outgrown]. The floral fabric under the number 6 is left over from a dress my Mum made for summer events, which she wore to my graduation. So a lot of history which I hope might spark some reminiscing at the wedding...

I will post the 'how-to' tomorrow if anyone is interested.

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*With the usual apologies for the poor quality snaps from my BlackBerry. I really must get a better camera when I have some money.

...lemonade?

{Image by Josh McCullock via Elizabeth Anne Designs}

{Image by Beth Helmstetter via Style Me Pretty}

A summer garden party style wedding should not be complete without containers such as these.

I wonder whether such things are possible to find in the UK?

My Boy Writes: The Music

See the original at Elizabeth Anne Designs here:

"The Music is the 3rd pillar of our wedding reception triumvirate. Crucial because of the role of music in guiding the tone and the pace of the evening yet difficult to execute. At a house party anyone can get up and stick on a song and the music becomes a way to express oneself and have an immediate impact on everyone else at the party. It is also a big catalyst for conversation (and sometimes argument) and has the (both positive and negative effect) of polarizing the group. The danger of being too prescriptive with music for a wedding is that it inhibits these natural dynamics amongst friends and the feel is much more that of a club with a DJ playing or a band performing. We tried to get around this in 2 ways. First, we conceived the idea of getting our friends to form a band and second we asked a friend of ours to DJ. Our hope was that involving our friends as performers would cement the group together and that the guests would involve themselves much more in the music.

I imagine you are all very rapidly struck by the rather risky nature of this approach. Have any of these guys performed before in any context, let alone together? How will we handle the technical aspects of live performance, sound equipment, generators etc? Will they get too drunk to play?

All extremely pertinent questions. Our DJ, thankfully, has plenty of experience. He has now dedicated his life to DJing and will no doubt “rock the party”. He also has some knowledge of amplification and generators and all these boring technical bits. The only issue is his taste in music is rather different to ours. This should be a good thing but I am shall we say a little reluctant to cede musical control. That said, I imagine I am in a minority in believing that Led Zeppelin will always get the party going and that maybe a bit of breakbeat is more to most peoples taste. I wonder how the older folks will feel about that! Our man has his brief and we have chatted at length about songs he must play and a little about appropriate music for each part of the evening. We know that we can completely trust him though especially after a recent performance at Rachel’s birthday party.

Those brave souls who have formed the band are rather less experienced in fact I don’t think they have any performance experience between them. They are however a group of very talented and committed individuals who we know will give their all on the day and if all else fails, have a bloody good laugh. We have been touched by their commitment to the band and their enthusiasm. They have involved themselves in song selection and put forward ideas about timings and ways to improve the overall effect and I really think their performance is going to be one of the highlights of the day. The songs we have selected are all songs that we love and have a special significance for us. Eric Clapton’s Bell Bottom Blues, Led Zeppelin’s Over the Hills and Far Away, David Bowie’s Modern Love and a few others. With a bit of luck they will be dance-able or at least sway-able and recognizable to most of the guests. I expect the crowd to get really into the performance and if they do we can’t fail. We will have our first dance to The Ship Song by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds which is beautifully poised and the band will kick in directly afterwards with something rousing (probably Modern Love). We can’t wait to see them in action and we now just need to find a suitable way to thank them.

And so the excitement and for some the tension builds. We are so grateful to all these chaps because they have gone way out of their comfort zones for us. Gratifyingly it seems to have been fun for them too, giving them a reason to get serious about music. The practices have been wonderful, watching my Dad and two of my best friends establish some sort of musical hierarchy and learn to work together. They will soon be joined by another friend on drums and then we will start to see the band take shape and we will know how far we have to go.

I can’t wait to see the results!"

Cake Toppers (the story commences)

Girl Bird in progress I, originally uploaded by rachel-catherine.

M and I got engaged on the 28th June 2008. The next week back at work I started looking at wedding blogs and stumbled across Peonies' blog. Reading through her archives I came across two posts, the first showing two bird cake toppers and the second the instructions detailing how to make them.

I printed out the instructions and had a bash a few weeks later but my attempt looked so poor that I abandoned the project for a while. Last night however, I decided to have another bash. This time, with the aid of a sewing machine I made much faster progress and finally after a few hours Girl Bird started to take shape.

These two rather poor quality photos show her as she is at the moment: body just about intact, wings and veil made but pinned on, legs formed and sort of attached, tail attached but needing to be sewed to the body and pins for eyes.

Still, I think she is rather sweet. Her tail and that of her Boy Bird (yet to be made) are peacock feathers to match our theme...

Girl bird in progress II, originally uploaded by rachel-catherine.

My Boy Writes: The Drink

Hop over to Elizabeth Anne Designs to read the original...

{Image from Author’s Personal Collection}

"Choosing wine for a wedding is a tricky business, especially if you are “in the business”. I’m often called upon to help my clients get the wines just right for their big day. Like me they have pretty fixed ideas but for most people this is not the case.

Some people simplify, they pick their favourite wines and serve them. It is their wedding after all! Others are very aware of their audience and also what the wines they pick say about them. Others still have no interest in wine and serve fabulous buckets of cocktails and beer or just leave it to the caterers. Tragically, plenty of over-bearing fathers and mothers (I suspect I have the potential to be one of these) invest thought and cash into providing perfectly aged classic but interesting wines which get gulped down at an alarming rate by the guests, only to be superseded by the aforementioned capacious cocktails and beer.

The range obviously needs to be limited, ideally to one white and one red (and maybe a sweet wine). It makes a lot of sense to go for a classic and recognisable combination: Red Bordeaux and White Burgundy or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Australian Shiraz. It is also a good idea to opt for something that is easy to drink and versatile (with food and without) and in some cases low-ish alcohol is a good idea (German Rieslings fulfil this function extremely well). In an ideal world the wine will match your food and projected weather (not easy in Devon). Ultimately though, for the majority of people the wine is a conduit, a catalyst, a lubricant. It is more important to not get it wrong than it is to hit it out of the park.

For me, however, it is extremely important. It doesn’t need to be showy but it does need to be memorable. Rachel doesn’t entirely share my enthusiasm for wine but she does understand that it is very important to me and has acquired quite a taste for Riesling and anything fizzy and pink (embrace that cliché Honey!). We are also aware that the guests will be expecting something special and we are determined to live up to that. The decision was made fairly early on in the planning process that we would take full responsibility for providing alcohol, there will be no bar. Since our budget for booze is tight and a large quantity will be required, we decided to restrict the range of drinks to something fizzy to start (maybe including some homemade elderflower “champagne”), wine with the meal (and after), some beer and a barrel of cider from our friend Shaun at Piglet Cottage. So, we need unusual but widely appreciated wines with a bit of WOW! factor in large quantities on a small budget. Ah…

Clearly, we need to compromise. It would be great to have English wine, excellent fizz and flowery, summery whites and in perfect keeping with the theme for the wedding. Unfortunately English wine is expensive and good reds are few and far between. After lots of hunting and discussing we found a really delicious Riesling (German) for a good price and several bargain reds to choose from (it’s looking like something from the Languedoc currently). Fizz is always the trickiest bit and champagne prices have been bumped up significantly of late. We tried some lovely Prosecco but we find it less celebratory and have now found a cracking Cava which is in a really open, approachable style and this looks like a winner at the moment.

{Tuscany: Image from Author’s Personal Collection}

When we first thought about booze for the wedding, we thought our ideas might be at odds with the expectations of our guests. Surely the wines should be finer than ever on this most significant day. We soon realised that in fact the spirit of our wedding called for something much more personal and involved and that making our own fizz and serving honest, real wines with a sense of place and a meaning for us, alongside local beer and cider made by new friends was just perfect.

We’ll save the Stag’s Leap for anniversaries!"

{Image from Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars}

My Boy Writes: Food Glorious Food

See EAD for the original...

"To my mind food, drink and music are the three most important structural aspects of a party; the framework for the more ethereal connections between people and their ideas and emotions. This week we will look at food.

I think food is particularly important at family celebrations. Feasting at family events is a tradition that crosses cultures and has very deep roots in our collective cultural history. For myself and Rachel preparing food with our families is very much a part of our culinary heritage and it was important for us and our families to be closely involved in the selection and preparation for our wedding meal, as we would not be on the day. Thus, we decided on a hog roast (the ultimate feasting food) and we opted for a buffet rather than table service to capture the spirit of a family celebration rather than an event. It was important to us to bond over food with our caterer and we found just the man.

Shaun from Piglet Cottage has exceeded all our expectations. First off, the name is fabulous. It is inspired to use such a cute name for something as medieval as spit roasting meat. Shaun is a true enthusiast and a pleasure to chat to about food. He bakes his own bread and is desperate to provide some wonderful sounding canapés including smoked squirrel and a sort of andouillette thing which he proposes to make from the meat off a pig’s head. Most important of all he is local and all his food will be too.

Shaun is an effortless salesman, he imbues you with such confidence in his abilities that you are keen to leave as much as possible to him. He has a local cheese source which we will now use for our cake (of cheese) and he seemed horrified that we might think he would provide anything but leaf tea and fresh coffee, again he will use a local merchant. Our aim from the start was to involve as few people as possible (outside our guests) in the wedding. In Shaun, we have someone who will take full responsibility for all things food related and will be happy to flex in order to make the day work. We won’t even need any waiting staff! Shaun also makes his own cider (primarily for pig basting) and he is happy to provide a barrel to our specifications (dry/sweet, sparkling/flat) to make it a proper Devon wedding.

So, we will be having a hog roast with a choice of four seasonal salads (a potato salad and a huge pile of asparagus are certainties and a couple of others to be confirmed) and home-baked bread preceded (probably) by some off the wall but delicious locally sourced canapés. We love the canapés Shaun is offering (Smoked Squirrel, andouillette, smoked salmon, in fact smoked anything) but we are struggling slightly to slip it into the budget.

We knew we would find it hard to trust someone to handle food, drink and music. A great old friend (now a budding DJ) is taking care of the music, I can handle the wine and it feels like we have made a new friend in Shaun who will handle the food.

Next week, the deep deliberations of a wine merchant. What do you serve at your own wedding?"

Our Wedding Vendors: Guest Book

At the reception we hope to have a table to keep our guests entertained if the weather is inclement (and let's face it, it is England in June, rain is highly likely*) and the drinks reception on arrival has to be held inside the marquee on the dance floor.

We are going to have a long table which at one end will hold the cake(s) (more on that later) and the other shall hold our guest book surrounded by a photo display, which I am hoping will include photos of M and I throughout our lives and also wedding photographs of our parents and grandparents and other family members. After all, it is a family celebration, a joining of two families, and I think important that they are all featured even if they can no longer be with us physically.

The guestbook was causing me some concern as I wanted something in which guests could write messages and we could stick our engagement cards and messages and our wedding cards. Yet in order to fit our ethos it needed to not be new. I also didn't want anything too saccharine or twee. And then, browsing on Etsy the other day, I came across a vintage 1970s wedding guest book which funnily enough sort of matches my baby book. There are places to write down all the wedding party details and then pages for the guests to sign and then a sort of photo album part as well. And yes, it is twee, but it is 1970s, so it is a bit kitsch, a bit retro, a bit of a tongue-in-cheek poke a little fun at twee guest books. So, it is, in theory, perfect. And being vintage, it already existed, yet being blank, we are able to use it. Now, just waiting for it to arrive and hoping it looks as good in reality as it translated in my mind from the photos!

{Image by Buttons'N Such}

*Highly likely rather than guaranteed as it is neither the Glastonbury weekend nor Wimbledon week...

Small steps

As I am sure you will have gathered from my posts, there is a lot going on at the moment. A couple of weeks ago I felt very very very stressed about everything and wondered how on earth I was going to fit in organising our wedding, organising my hen party, finding a new job, having an operation and potentially moving house (depends on the job situation) into the next three and a half months. I felt very low, I had terrible skin, terrible headaches, backache and M and I were bickering constantly about even the tiniest things.

I am not really sure what is different this week, to be honest, but I feel more in control again. My skin has started to clear up. I have been drinking a lot of water recently (M thought this would help me) and I haven't smoked now for almost 4 months. We have de-cluttered some of the house - 4 bags of old clothes to the charity shop, a few bits and pieces on freecycle - and we have been away for a wonderfully nostalgic weekend in our old university town. Plus, the sun has shone on at least 2 occasions in the last week. That must have helped.

Wedding wise, I have been to see an alterations specialist who has pinned the dress to fit properly and it is currently being altered (photos to follow, perhaps, if anyone is interested). We have decided no to the chapel flowers, I have bought the peacock feathers for the reception and I have made a start on the bridesmaids' presents. I will take some photos of the projects I am working on for the bridesmaids but given that they read this albeit occasionally that post will come once the wedding is over. Oh, I have also bought 15 tablecloths from e-bay which are ex-rental but professionally cleaned (cheaper than hiring but still environmentally friendly, and perfect for the tea-party-for-120 we are going to be able to hold after the wedding with all the crockery).

So, apologies for when my posting is sporadic but I will be back...

Hera

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Along time ago I studied Classics. But I had forgotten this: the Greek Goddess Hera, wife of Zeus, was the goddess of women and marriage. And her symbol/emblem? The peacock. My favourite Liberty print fabric (peacock feathers) is also called Hera. Why did I not put two and two together earlier?

I rather like this fitting imagery. I wonder if there is a way that I can incorporate this into the wedding...

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A little update

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Image by Robyn Kessler via Style me Pretty
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Do not worry, my cold hasn't got me yet. I might be existing solely on lemsips and mouth-ulcer gel but I haven't forgotten the wedding. It has in fact been a rather busy week: M's brother turned 30 (with two parties, one to co-host), I had a meeting with the fab H who is my wonderful gorgeous hen party elf with envy-inducing-long-eyelashes (more on that later), sister-in-law-to-be survived the "we are going to make one of you redundant and give the other a promotion to do both of your jobs" fiasco, we met my sister's AmericanBoy and took him on a late night rainy walking tour of London, an Italian friend came to stay with 2 days notice and we went to our marriage course. Oh yes, and I went to work.

Have been doing a little research into table linens. After much consideration we have decided to purchase the napkins and tablecloths rather than hire them so we can embellish and decorate the napkins ahead of time. The ribbon is chosen, the theme for the labels decided and now, tonight, I purchased 130 white napkins. Off e-bay. For 20p each. I do so hope they are not a disappointment.

I know the photo above doesn't bear any relation to the post but I do love the idea of the groom in skinny trousers and pointy boots. So hot. But does it work in June in England? That, I am not sure.

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Posies & Pearls

Image by Hannah of posiesandpearls.blogspot.com/iced-online.com/

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News flash...! Hannah or The Cwtch has a new blog! Already a favourite vendor of mine, Hannah makes the most beautiful vintage inspired cakes and Posies and Pearls is her scrapbook behind her business - Iced Online. A few weeks ago I posted an inspiration board full of her cakes and I am so delighted that she has decided to share her inspiration with the world too - and what a fab name. It conjures up for me images of 1940s weddings - and guess what? That is what she is writing about at the moment...

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It's all in the details

No time for any blog posts this week, I have been too busy getting quotes. Marquees, hog roasts, caterers, for china and cutlery, for tables, tableclothes, DJs, generators. You name it, I think I have got a quote for it. Now all we have to do is choose someone. Easier said than done (except for the bar hire company who wanted £1,500 plus VAT and were going to charge the guests for their drinks. That decision was easy).

Decoration Ideas

images by Punam Bean Photography from stylemepretty.com

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I really like the idea of the tables being decorated with hand picked flowers in a selection of vintage vases and glasses. How wonderful to have an excuse to go round charity shops for the next year and build up a collection of beautiful glasses: they would last a lifetime. Not entirely sure how it fits with peacock feathers but I am sure we can work something out.

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You & Your Wedding

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image by coxandcox.com

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I bought my first wedding magazine on Tuesday. It ended up sitting on the kitchen floor until this evening when I found myself at a loose end. It is the first night in that I have had for a very long time and I have spent it sitting on the sofa eyeing the wedding magazine whilst watching a DVD box set of All Creatures Great and Small which I borrowed from someone several months ago but haven't had a spare moment to watch.

The magazine is worse than any normal monthly female magazine. I know now why I only read Vogue with occasional dips into Tatler or Country Living. Apparently I need to make a 'mood board' so that I can condense my theme and ideas into viable options. So says sister-in-law-to-be, fashion designer and recent bride. So I have been cutting out images that I like for inspiration. I have managed 3 dresses (one of them being the Temperly one below) and the image above of a car in addition to an article on Moroccan Honeymoons which I didn't pull out as it didn't tell me anything I don't already know. Still, nice to see our destination in a magazine I suppose.

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decorations

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all images by me