Wowzers.. I have been an extremely busy bear lately - so so sorry for the lack of posts and inspirational tips on the blog here at Elle Maverick Events. Today however, we have a little treat for you! I found the glorious Lola via social networking sites (how most wonderful working relationships bloom these days!) and just couldn't wait to introduce her to you..... With an individual and quirky style - Lola's wonderful flowers are quirky, cool and vibrant... perfect for any outdoor wedding. Rather than rambling on, I will let you meet the face behind 'Walnut and Willow'.. over to Lola! My name is Lola Holmes and my company is Walnut & Willow, a flower business specialising in weddings and events. My style is natural and timeless creating subtle statements with an artistic twist. I have been in the Florist industry for the past 4 years after graduating with a Fine Art degree. I have worked in 3 busy florist shops in the North and South of the country which has given me vast experience in every aspect of floristry. I also have a Foundation diploma in Professional Wedding planning & Event management from The Wedding Planner School, London which has given me an insight into all areas of the wedding and event industry. I mainly cover South Wales (from January) however do go further afield if required. I have weddings in Kent and Cirencester next year to give you an example. My boyfriend is a serving member of the British Army and so that massively influences the style of wedding we will have (one day!!) I can imagine having a wedding that is dominated with flowers in any area I could find, although not too over the top. I take a lot of inspiration for my weddings from different eras as I always think although I would want the day to be stunning, I would want to look back at my photographs and for them to look timeless. I love French, rustic mixed with hunter lodge style and so would probably go with this type of theme and not red, white and blue as most people would associate with military weddings. No wedding or event is too big or too small and no idea is too extravagant or too subtle. I love working with brides who have weird and wacky ideas and creating things outside of the box and I love a bride who is daring to be different. Parties and events are amazing to work for as they are normally for celebrations or milestones of someone's life or a company celebrating a number of years in business or celebrating by having Christmas parties. These are great fun to cater for as they normally want some statement flowers which is always amazing to be a part of. All of my work is bespoke to the customers requirements and each wedding or event is unique from the last and so prices are based on individual quotes. I love meeting my clients to get a better picture of who they are and what they are looking for as it helps me build up a greater understanding of their needs. T: 07805 397667
E: lola@walnutandwillow.co.uk W: www.walnutandwillow.co.uk F: www.facebook.com/walnutandwillowflowers
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Festival, bespoke, whimsical, rustic and outdoor weddings are growing in popularity and bride and grooms are actively looking to make their wedding memorable, personal and different. Couples will go to extreme lengths to achieve the look & feel they desire for their big day.....which is why wedding suppliers keep developing weird and wonderful products and services to help make the happy couples lives a little bit easier. One supplier which is meeting the needs of bride and grooms is PartyBales. Partybales hire and sell Hay Bales which can be used to create an alternative seating solution for ceremony and reception seating. With a bit of imagination Hay Bales can be used in a number of different ways at a wedding.....they can be used to create a bar, sofas, tables, wedding games and decorations. As well as delivering the Hay Bales, PartyBales supply bale covers and offer a Hay Bale styling service. The company are open minded and happy to help you use Hay Bales as part of your wedding, however mad the idea! Why not visit www.partybales.com for further inspiration and advice. These lovely people can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.... go check them out peeps! xx
This has always been a personal favourite of mine in the world of décor – chairs that serve their purpose and look interesting, not just plain and repetitive. Done wrong and it will look like your Grandma’s house at Christmas (bringing out the emergency chairs of varying heights), however done correctly produces an extensive pallet of colours and pattern for the eyes.
Now I’m not saying to grab any old selection of chairs from the garage – some sort of system is needed. Whether you have pretty patterns or just simply monochrome, mismatching chairs can create a formal, yet less militant, setting or an informal wave of colours. We have put together a fabulous Pinterest board for you guys to check out - full of inspiration for quirky and missmatching chairs. Have you been to a wedding with missmatching chairs - what did you think? Get in touch and show us the visuals! We would also love it if you guys could please follow us on Twitter (@maverickbrides) and like us on our Facebook page. We sometimes have exclusive competitions on our social networking pages... and wouldn't want you to miss out! Speaking of which...... don't forget that we are currently offering all new clients a free confetti balloon from Bubblegum Balloons when booking our Fairy Godmother wedding coordination package. For more deets email us today MAVERICKBRIDE@GMAIL.COM Once upon a time, there used to be only two ways to get married Church or Register Office. Not much of a choice is it? Especially if you are not religious. Yes, you can legally get married in a stunning licensed venue but this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and more importantly, the ceremony is still conducted by a Registrar which can mean they all start to sound the same. People have changed and so have relationships but the law is still decades behind the times. Fortunately, we came across Celebration Ceremonies & Weddings, a new company with a fresh and inspiring outlook founded by Jan Shillito. We were so very excited to hear of a new way of getting married that we just had to it share with you as it opens up your ceremony options a hundred fold! Like most good ideas, Jan was inspired to create her company out of her frustration when planning her own wedding when she realised that none of the options available fit with how she had envisioned her day. Jan explained “Like most brides setting out on their wedding planning journey, I knew what I didn’t want! I didn’t want a formal, impersonal wedding with set rules and ettiquette that was the same as everyone else’s and a ceremony that was inflexible and impersonal.” “I wanted it to feel “this is us”, include things that were meaningful to us and say the things we wanted to say and promise to each other so, I decided to find a way to do it my way. We visited the Register Office on the morning of our wedding day, did the legal bits with just our two witnessess, only taking about 10 mins, a bit like registering a birth or a death then we were free to have our “real” ceremony when, when and how we wanted, which was at home in our garden. The rest as they say is history. I went on to be one of the first to be qualified and be approved by Government training body Ofqual!” By doing it this way it means you can get married at home, at a private estate, a country house, an off-the beaten track venue or location in scented lavender gardens, a magical woodland, a rustic farmer’ s field or barn, a glamping site or just about anywhere that takes your fancy. We asked Jan to share a few practical tips on what you need to do in order to have personal ceremony and an outdoor wedding: Step 1- Remember it’s YOUR day When the reality has sunk in that you are actually getting married and you’ve stopped jumping up and down, you’ve rung your mum and best friend and changed your facebook status STOP. • Grab a wine, beer, coffee or tea, sit down together and think about how you want your day to feel, what you want it to say about you as a couple and what you want your guests to say about your day. • Then have a look on Pinterest and each set up a board of how you envisage your wedding, no peeping at each others until you’ve both finished!! • Then compare! Whether they are the similar of different it gives you a starting point and opens up the discussion on the when, where, how and who and how many. Step 2- Agree on a few date options Most weddings are booked a year in advance due to venue availability. But is doesn’t have to be. As you are not restricted to licensed venues, you have more flexibility and more choice and you don’t have to settle for sharing your venue and special day with another 3 brides! • Think about season- if you’re looking for an outdoor wedding in the UK they are usually between April and September (however if you were having a Papkata or tepee you wouldn’t know what the weather was doing outside and make lovely cosy winter venues). • Think about the day- Saturdays & Bank holidays in peak season are obviously the most popular but a lot of our couples make more of a weekend of it and have it on a Friday or Sunday. • Check availability with Celebration Ceremonies & Weddings who can help guide you though the process and answer any questions you may have. Step 3- Start thinking about “where” Firstly you need to decide what you want from a venue within the boundaries of budget; but remember outdoor weddings do not necessarily mean cheap! At this stage allow yourself to dream a little, write down what you both see in your head when you walk down the aisle it will help filter your options: • contemporary or traditional? • large or intimate affair? • street food, relaxed or formal dining? • does the venue fit with your style and “look and feel” • indoor or outdoor? • gardens, open spaces, or boutique eco sites? • rural or urban? • blank canvas or support facilities? • bricks and mortar or marquee, tepee or Papkata? • guest accommodation or glamping village? Then let you fingers and feet do the searching or ask us about our venue search. Step 4 Consider the following for an outdoor wedding A blank canvas outdoor wedding is a bit more of a challenge and requires a bit more planning and organisation so think about how hands on or off you want to be or you want your friends and family to be, especially on the day. • think about having someone who knows the pitfalls and can help you find reliable and trustworthy suppliers who have the skills and experience to achieve your vision • on-the-day co-ordination is worth every penny to remove the stress from you and make sure everything runs tickety boo. • before booking an outdoor location make sure your marquee, tepee or Papkata company has visited the site • think about some of the practicalities of access, parking, health and safety, lighting and toilet facilities and electricity supplies • If you’re an outdoorsy kind of couple then a bit of rain won’t bother you in the slightest but you should always have a plan B, just in case. • make wedding wellies and umbrellas a design feature of your day should you need them • check availability of your photographer but remember to choose someone that that fits your style and embraces the weather come rain or shine to get the best memories of your day. Step 5 Book:
1.Your ceremony writer & designer & conductor 2.Your Legal “ceremony” at your local register office it can be first thing on the day, the day before or any point before you wedding day- whether you choose to tell family & guests is entirely up to you 3. Your venue or site (and catering) 4. Your Marquee, Tepee or Papkata 5. Your on the day co-ordinator 5. Your Photographer Step 6- Find THE dress!!!! We’ll leave this up to you. Try lots on and have fun. Hope you all had a lovely weekend! We've been across the border and into Wales for a catch up with family and friends.... although its been gloomy and wet (what can you expect from Wales in October?!), our stay so far has been full of laughter and trips to the coast.
I love a good old mason jar. Ben will tell you. I collect all our jam jars and coffee pots, give them a once over, and store them away for a later date. Mason jars are your best friend. Try to keep an assortment of glass jars in different shapes and sizes, I promise one day they will get great use! This week, its all about sourcing rustic fresh flowers & hanging from the end of your isles in mason jars. Love the idea outlined in the picture above, of using shepherds hooks to hang them from (wowza). Get creative. Use your initiative and think of new ways to recreate this look. How about lighting a tea light - perfect for evening ceremonies. What will you use your mason jars for? Get in touch - maverickbrides@gmail.com we love to hear from you guys! xxx |
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