It’s now just over a month to go until the Music on the Hill festival where from 19th to 21st July at Kings Hill, West Malling, you can enjoy a weekend full of fantastic music. There’s four shows packed into three days with entertainment to appeal to all age groups. See Peter Andre, Jools Holland, McFly, Stooshe, Joe McElderry, Gareth Gates, The Counterfeit Stones, Killer Queen and many more in a very special atmosphere…plus it’s all for a great cause.

100% of profits from the weekend go to Demelza Hospice Care for Children, Teens Unite Fighting Cancer and The Children’s Development Trust.

Don’t forget to buy your tickets online at the Music on the Hill and we’ll see you there!

Emma x

Special Note for Kent Wedding Suppliers! If you’re a wedding supplier and would like to help do your part for a local charity then you can by donating small gifts, samples or discount vouchers for the Festival VIP guest bags. Email us at hello@theweddingdolls.co.uk for more info.

The styling was all part of Belles Events wedding fair down in Worthing. If you’re planning a vintage wedding the fairs are a great starting point. Shoot Styling team:

Jenny from Bellaboo & Beau
Paula and Michael from Draped
Donna from Fabulous Floras
Bubblegum Balloons

As planners we know there’s no typical scenario for a Dad at a wedding now. Some Dads shuffle about in the background and worry about their speech, some just hand over a cheque and go back to the footie results, but others throw themselves into it with great aplomb. Some weddings have more Dads than you can throw a stick at and others have a Dad that is very much missed. Whatever the situation there’s a way to cherish, celebrate and thank the Fathers in your life as part of your wedding celebrations.

Happy Father’s Day x

On Sunday 16th June from 2pm until 5pm the estate is holding an open garden day with the NGS so you can take a sneak peek around and see for yourself why we love it so much.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Emma x

Today on the blog we have an absolutely fantastic offer from the very lovely Claire Lefevre of The Little Posy Print Company. Claire is a fabulous designer of wedding stationery and also makes brilliant custom-made stamps, so you can get all creative with your DIY wedding styling.

Claire is offering The Wedding Dolls readers a free custom designed rubber stamp (worth £44.95!) when you order your wedding invitations with her. Your gorgeous little stamp can be used on all manner of wedding prettiness such as sweetie bags, favours, save the dates and thank you cards – the only limit is your creativity!

The offer is available for invitations from both the pre-made designs and the bespoke service. There are so many stunning designs to choose from. Just take a look below!

1. Bridesmaids

Get the girls round, crack open a bottle of vino and watch women behaving badly with tears, tantrums, romance and a cracking tune by Wilson Phillips. With a major competition raging between the maid of honor and a bridesmaid over who is the bride’s best friend and some hilarious toe curling scenes, each and every one of you will recognise a little bit of yourself in one of these ladies – but is that a good or a bad thing…..

Credit: Universal Pictures

2. Sex and the City

This film is perfect for reminding you that although a fabulous designer dress and high society guest list might be every girls dream, making sure you and your Groom are on the same wedding page is paramount. Although Carrie never married Mr Big in that Vivienne Westwood gown, we got to revel in the gorgeousness of it all and knew there’d be a happy ending before long.

Credit: New Line Cinema

3. Muriel’s Wedding

A personal all time favourite. Toni Collette stars as the quirky Muriel who’s on the look out for love and to give her life a bit of excitement along the way. The mostly ABBA soundtrack means you can sing along as Muriel plans her big day Aussie style. It’s a good reminder that being true to yourself and your style on your wedding day means you’ll have everyone hailing you as the “Dancing Queen” as well as giving them a wedding to remember.

Credit: Miramax Films

4. Father of the Bride

A true wedding movie classic, the star of this film is definitely Franck, the wedding planner and then some, played brilliantly by Martin Short. Although the film doesn’t do much to dispel the wedding planner stereotype we can’t help but love Franck and the sweet storyline between the Father of the Bride and his family. Perfect in the run up to Father’s Day when it’s great to remember that those who love you the most should play an important part in your big day.

Credit: Touchstone

5. Bride Wars

Starring Ann Hathaway and Kate Hudson, the real stars of the show are the fabulous outfits, the over the top wedding style and the Bridezilla proportion outbursts. This film concentrates on two friends who end up planning their weddings for the same date. Cue cat fighting like you’ve never seen before. The lesson here is that measuring your wedding up against someone else’s is never a clever idea. No two weddings are the same and that’s a good thing. Find your own way and don’t be tempted to steal your best friends wedding contact book – you’ll do much better on your own. We promise.

Credit: 20th Century Fox

Happy Watching!

Emma x

Have a great weekend!

Emma x

This latest sale includes dresses from current collections showing huge savings of well over £1000! With samples from designers including Caroline Castigliano, Stewart Parvin, Lusan Mandongus, Sarah Seven, Ivy & Aster, Sanyukta Shrestha, Matthew Williamson, David Fielden and Lyn Ashworth.

So whether you’re after something full or slinky, traditional or relaxed the girls will have it all!

Elbows at the ready as all sale items are sold on a first come first served basis and must be paid for in full at time of purchase. Any dresses purchased can be taken away on the day so the price does not include any alterations. Fittings can be done upon request.

No need to book an appointment just make sure you set your alarm early as the sale starts at 9am on Saturday 22nd June and will close at 6pm.

Happy Shopping!

Emma x

How did you become a cake decorator?

I have always baked and studied catering as part of my college diploma but the idea of setting up as a cake making business first came to me when I made roses for my own wedding cake 6 years ago. I loved it so much that from then on I spent every spare moment making cakes and learning different techniques.

How would you describe your style?

My approach to each design changes depending on the requirements of my couples but my favourite style is definitely vintage. Whether I’m making a traditional wedding cake, something more extravagant or simple cupcakes, I love adding lacing, patterns and soft colours to give the cake an impressive, yet understated visual effect.

What personality traits do you need to be a good cake maker?

First and foremost you need to be a people person and be able to offer clear design advice so couples have a cake that exceeds their expectations. When it comes to actual baking tasks you must be well organised and methodical, especially when you have a number of orders over the course of a week. High standards are extremely important – each cake that leaves my kitchen must be top quality to ensure my customers are satisfied and that I maintain my reputation.

What are the best & worst parts of your job?

The worst thing is the long hours. I often find myself working into the early hours to make sure a cake is perfect, which can be quite lonely. I am very lucky though as I have a fantastic network of fellow cake makers who are always available to offer support and advice when I need it – there are often online chats at 3am to keep each other sane!  The best thing by far is creating a cake you are really proud of and that you have a very happy client at the end of it. It makes the long hours worth it.

What’s the top three things that wedding couples ask about first?

No two couples are the same but most discussions start on the design, the budget and the logistics – my availability, delivery, etc. The design aspect is very important to get right. Some couples have very specific ideas about what they want, others will have seen my work and what something similar, or occasionally there are couples who’ve not given it any thought at all! Whatever position people are starting from I always take a collaborative approach and offer a free tasting and consultation.

What tips would you give your couples to help their day run more smoothly?

The best weddings always have someone who is responsible for co-ordinating the day and can be contacted during the run up to the wedding. Whether it’s the venue, a wedding planner, or a trusted friend.  The event doesn’t have to be meticulously planned but the last thing you want to do on your own wedding day is deal with queries and have concerns about all those jobs that need doing, such as whether the room has been prepared properly or the cake has been delivered, etc.

What is your best piece of business advice to aspiring cake makers?

Make sure you have the support of your friends and family. Most cake makers these days are based from home and the business does tend to take over the kitchen so you will need a very understanding family who will support you and understand that they may not get dinner!

What has been your best moment as a wedding cake maker?

I had a wedding cake which unusually I had to deliver the day before the wedding. I dropped the cake off and a few hours later when I was back in my kitchen the Bride turned up in floods of tears with some flowers to say thank you for the beautiful cake. It was an amazing feeling that someone on the day before their wedding would go out of their way to do that, I was really touched.

Thanks Emma for sharing your job with us. Don’t forget to take a look at other posts in the series.

Part One: Wedding Photographer

Part Two: Wedding Planner

Part Three: Wedding Florist

Part Four: Bridal Boutique Manager

Today we’re sharing with you a lovely engagement shoot by Rebecca Douglas of cute couple Lisa and Owen. Lisa tells us their engagement story…..

“We first met in 2008 in Canterbury and were introduced by a mutual friend. She made it very obvious that she thought we would be a perfect match and Owen even joked that we should get married! Our paths didn’t cross for a while after that night as I was taking exams but Owen and I kept in touch and then arranged a date – we moved in together just 6 months later! For our anniversary last year Owen gave me a beautiful bracelet. He suddenly dropped to one knee and asked me to look inside the bracelet. Carefully engraved was ‘Will you marry me, Lisa?’! It was such a wonderful surprise!

“It’s been wedding crazy since our engagement and having this shoot in the Bluebell Wood was just like being in our very own fairy tale. We regularly go walking together in the countryside, so the setting couldn’t have been more fitting for us as a couple. Both of us are relatively shy, but Rebecca put us at ease and we had such a fun evening walking through the woods having our picture taken. The scent of the bluebells was just amazing! Planning a wedding together can be such a busy affair, but having that time on the shoot was such an enjoyable and relaxing way to celebrate our engagement and we also have some beautiful images to look back on.”