Cuffs are linked.

I received the superhero cufflinks I ordered from Hong Kong this week. They arrived super fast. I've got Captain America, The Flash and The Green Hornet for Simon and two of his Groomsmen. Another usher (his brother) is getting acoustic guitar cufflinks, my Dad is getting vintage tractors and Simon's Dad will be getting chef hat ones. I know it's probably not stylish to have so many kitsch things but at least I know they represent their wearers.

Stir Crazy

I finally got around to making the drink stirrers for the welcome drinks. They're a selection of peach, silver, green and ivory grosgrain ribbon on wooden stirrers. Super easy to make! They'll go brilliantly in the Pimms and alongside the retro stripey straws I bought.

The straws I bought came from Pipii. I got them in green and silver. They do them in all sorts of funky patterns and colours. P&P is £3.95 which seemed a bit much for my small order but I think it's the same price no matter what you get. It was super quick delivery though and you can pay via Paypal which I love.

Suited and Booted

Finally booked the suits yesterday. We're going with the hire from Greenwoods. Simon is useless at helping me pick anything but one thing he did mention was that black looked a bit odd. Therefore we are going with slate grey and an ivory/silvery waistcoat. Measuring happens in August and then suits are collected a week before.

I have to say, not all that impressed with their customer service (not that friendly) and we were left waiting for a fair bit (A group that came in to see about wedding suits after we did were actually seen to first). Still, the choice is good there and they offer the right sort of sizes we need.

Love blooms

I am actually very excited about our wedding flowers. Met with the fabulous Helen of Bel's Flowers on Thursday and cannot stress how fantastic she is. I'm using her through Kim at Fine and Funky events. Helen did Kim's flowers when she got married so I know she is going to be an excellent choice.

Here's the inspiration I had when I went to see her:

Obviously these aren't all suitable colours but she knows what I'm aiming for. It was great to be able to turn up with some pictures and have her tell me all the names of the flowers in an instant. It made my work a lot easier because I didn't have to spend hours trying to identify them myself.

I really cannot wait to see my bouquet! She's even leaving a space with ribbon so I can tie on a locket (when I find one) with wedding photos of mine and Simon's parents in. We also talked about Lavender and bringing that little bit of Norfolk to the wedding despite not actually getting married there.

Eat, drink and be married...

I made another wooden sign...may possibly even use this one for the wedding! My fine brush has just about had it so the lettering isn't so wonderful.

And it was written...

First attempt at handpainting a wooden sign.

This type of sign seems to be really popular at the moment. I kept thinking, "I could probably do that myself". So I did. I grabbed a piece of wood laying around in the garden, whitewashed it and handpainted the letters with a teeny tiny brush and some black paint. Then I went over it all with some fine sandpaper (a little more aggressively on the edges) and 'voila'!

Not too bad for a first attempt. Probably won't be using it for my own wedding though because I'm not sure it goes with the signs my sister made me. To the back of the cupboard it goes!

Save the Dates v.2.0

I finally got around to sorting our replacement Save the Dates. I came away from the original styles completely as I felt that a new venue needed a new design. What do you think?

Still the same magnet casings from Ebay as before but this time utilising my love for vintage looking birds and exploring some free fonts.

Why do two colours, put one next to the other, sing?

I had been having a hard time with envisioning the colours of my wedding as a whole. The sagey green, cadbury purple and ivory. As time was passing I was feeling it was too bold a contrast. I wanted something softer, more romantic. So, without further ado...

With this selection I get to keep the green I'm using for the bridesmaids...although my green is perhaps a bit softer and paler. I also get to keep the ivory and the idea of purple, except it would now be aubergine. This would then be teamed with peaches and pinks. I think the flowers are going to cover the peach, pinks and whites really well and it will mean the bouquets will lift the bridesmaids dresses. I'm totally in love with it and just hope it all goes to plan with someone like me being involved in picking things that match!

Come dress yourself in love...

I have found THE dress. Well, I have found a dress I feel I will look least silly in.

It was confirmed yesterday and a deposit paid. Just got to spend the next 3 months paying it off now!

Be our guest...

I am trying to think of an EXCITING way of presenting our guestbook. I've seen numerous sweet ideas such as polaroids, wish trees, typewriters etc but I'm trying to think if there's anything different around. I do have a small, brand-new guestbook that my mum found at a bootsale for a pound (I think!). If I don't use it then that's not much money to lose or I could pop it on Ebay/give to a friend.

Hmmmm...the cogs are turning! Can you see the steam?

Have I told you lately?

What I've been up to?

I've had a couple of new craft-related ideas for the wedding including a fab ring "cushion" which isn't a cushion at all. Seeing as we don't have any kiddies to carry one I'm making something for the Best Man to hold onto. I just need to find a suitable item to transform and I haven't seen one at a cheap price yet. Curious? My cake topper idea seems to have transformed from birds into people and I hope to be able to reveal that soon.

Most of the suppliers are able to move to our new date which means that our cars, flowers/centrepieces and photographer are the same as before. The Edge salon has just confirmed they can transfer to our new date so that's the hair sorted. My gorgeous friend has offered to do the make-up...she's a freelance make-up artist.

Invitations still need to be sorted out but I have finally gotten around to redesigning the Save the Dates. Now I just need to go and steal everyone's old ones and stick the new slips into the magnet. I've changed the look of them...I'm not sure why. I suppose I feel that they went with the old venue. Photographs to come once printed.

Oh, and I have started the dress search. Mum visited to go to a few appointments with me and I'm headed back to two shops in early March with my bridesmaids to show them the shortlisted. One of my bridesmaids also booked another appointment at the place she got her wedding dress from. Three in one day! I think I'm being punished. I look like a wally in all of the dresses!

"I bring to you lavender with spikes of blue"

How adorable is this heart-shaped lavender wreath?


Found at All About You.

Sew Fiddly - Take 2

I like this attempt infinitely more than the last. I just stitched a regular lace flower and beaded the centre with some seed beads and faux crystals. The rest of the process (wrapping the stem) was pretty much done in the same way as the first attempt - with floristry wire and ribbon. Whilst I like the feathers I still feel it's missing something. Whether it really does need a leaf of some sort or perhaps a spray of pearls, I don't know.

I managed to finish off the end of the stem a lot neater this time by using a bead and headpin as opposed to overwrapping with ribbon and floristry tape until the wrapping stopped slipping off (and the air was blue).


What do we think?

Sew fiddly!

I spent about 10 minutes this afternoon trying to create something that looks remotely like a boutinniere. It didn't go so well. Obviously the colours are all wrong but it was the process I was testing out. I do not like the felt. I feel vintage lace flowers would be nicer. I don't like the leaves but was struggling for green fabrics and all my feathers are bright colours so I couldn't put those in. Vintage buttons I have my fair share of, however.

It took me ages to get the stem to look finished (wrapped in vintage navy lace). Underneath that is some floristy wire and tape I had in stock. I wrapped that with yarn to make it thicker then wrapped the lace over the top.

Back to the drawing board.

The big reveal...

*cue red carpet and paps*

*opens envelope*

The new venue isssss...Gisborough Hall.


I swear people are going to assume that's a typo on the invites because it's Gisborough Hall in Guisborough.

Given that Gisborough Hall is Jacobean in style I've been researching some images that might come in handy at some point. Seems Jacobites were big on embroidery which I can't imagine myself being fantastic at. The basic patterns are quite pretty though.


I actually have a stamp that's almost identical to the second image there (the oval). From what I can gather, these images would often be paired with stripes as a base. I might be wrong but, hey, it looks good!

Expect I'll probably spend the remainder of my afternoon doodling Jacobean style borders now.

Light of my life

There's something utterly magical about fairylights, don't you think? I love the look they give draped across the ceiling like this. Sadly, the new venue has massively high ceilings that don't lend themselves to hanging or draping.

Read all about it

Here are the links to the articles we were in. I also had to talk on live radio which was super scary!!

Evening Gazette
Northern Echo

Avoidance

I've been avoiding this blog for fear I will have some sort of rage attack.

Trying to find a replacement venue for our original date has proven problematic and we are now considering changing the date. For me, this is most disappointing. However, I would rather be 100% happy with the day than try to cobble something together that I will worry about just so I can keep the original date and suppliers.

On the upside...two extra months of dress shopping. Is that even a plus? Er.

These things are sent to try us...

My venue rang this evening to CANCEL.

*meltdown*

Rollin' rollin' rollin'

Picked up my fabric for the bridesmaid's dresses yesterday. 23m of it. Off the roll. They literally just shoved it in a bag so now I have to put it all back on the roll. I know they meant well when they checked the length and quality but it's chiffon and it's going to crease if I don't get it back on soon.

Grrr.

If music be the food of love...

My mum found a HUGE bundle of vintage sheet music at a bootsale. Guess who has it now? *muahahahaha*
Much of it is dog-eared but since I intend to recycle the pages into something else it's not too great a bother. Having taken the photo I've noticed my camera has glorified the condition. They have a rather brownish hue in reality and I find that ever so endearing. How fitting that the page sitting atop the bundle is a piece titled "Love's Old Sweet Song". I've just looked it up on The Oracle (Google) and thought I'd share the video I found.



I'm unsure as to what I shall be using this sheet music for as of yet. I have ideas to cover regular cardboard cupcake stands and coat with varnish spray, or perhaps make confetti. There's plenty of it to go around though, so watch this space!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Look what colour ribbon my sister used to wrap her Christmas gifts this year:


Look familiar? It's pretty much an exact colour match to the fabric we're utilising for the bridesmaid's dresses and men's accessories. I firmly believe that I can find a purpose for this ribbon whether it be tying bows on a birdcage or making ribbon flower corsages. Now, it may seem a little obsessive salvaging used ribbon scraps on the morning of Christmas whilst a pile of brand-spanking new presents is sat in the corner but I'm not one to pass up an opportunity to add some homemade embellishments to my wedding.

Sign me up...

If you refresh your memory with this blog entry - made back in September last year - my post now will make more sense.

Talent. My sister has it. Look at what she made me for Christmas this year:

She found a plank of wood somewhere, coated in with white paint and the wording? HAND painted. Look how neat it is!! There's not a brushstroke over the edge. It's a really substantial size (it's quite a big sofa) and has a solid, lengthy chain to hang on.

The previous sign came the day after I was given my belated birthday presents:

Again, handpainted, except this time onto canvases. The ribbon detail adds just the right amount of a term I've now coined as 'wedding pretty'.

Beautiful, aren't they?

uhhh

Oh dear. I'm getting married THIS year.