Last week I went down to sample the workshops at Bake & Crafthouse with the lovely owner and fabulous crafter, Kate Alsanjak. After years working in fashion and design Kate has set up a crafters paradise in the village of Cranbrook, with a beautiful workshop kitted out with everything you’d need to make … well just about anything!
Ideal for hen parties, all age groups are welcome and Kate will arrange a bespoke craft experience for you. This group of happy hens made cupcakes in the morning advancing onto a bit of sewing in the afternoon making some very stylish knickers. All very easy and great fun!
Perfect for all Brides with a creative streak to hone their skills, Kate is a master in guiding you through, whether it’s making your own table place names to bespoke invitations, or favours and much more.
Watch out for Kate on the blog over the coming weeks as she’ll be posting some DIY masterclasses for you all to try at home and introducing new ideas for Brides who are itching to plan a handmade wedding.
If you need something to look forward to then get your diaries ready and make sure you don’t miss “A Gloriously Vintage Day Out and Wedding Fair” on Sunday 12th May 2013.
Held at Mount Ephraim, a fabulous Edwardian Country House near Faversham, this fantastic day out is a must for all vintage wedding fans. The “Just Say I do” vintage wedding section includes cake makers, photographers, florists, event stylists and a range of beautiful wedding dresses to keep any Bride happy plus there will be a “Make, do and mend!” craft area for anyone eager to try their hand at DIYing their wedding.
For “A little of what you fancy”, the retro section has home wares and clothing, plus outside in the “Mustard & Cress” area you can treat yourself to all kinds of delicious offerings from vintage ice-cream suppliers and sweet stalls set amongst retro caravans and cars. And take the kids along as there’ll be free entertainment all day to keep them happy.
The fun kicks off from 11am and will swing on in true vintage style until 5pm.
If you like your vintage look then you’ll be totally in love with shoe designer, Rachel Simpson’s brand new vintage inspired collection for both you and the man in your life.
Agnes & Norman takes it style inspiration from a bygone era with the emphasis on simplicity and quality. As Rachel said at the launch earlier this month, “each pair is designed to fit perfectly, feel indulgent and exude unique character and good old-fashioned quality.”
There’s fifteen styles in the spring/summer collection with gorgeous colours in leather and suede with lots of details and cute bows to create their vintage vibe. Prices start from £85.
On Thursday I headed down to Brighton to the launch party of the gorgeous Doily Days Wedding Magazine. The vintage inspired do was filled with fabulous music, singers and decor, but what really made the theme was the AMAZING hair and make-up.
If you’re having a vintage wedding or fancy a retro hen do, Ingrid and Lynda, the lovely ladies behind, Vintage Inspired Makeovers, are offering hair and make-up sessions finishing off with a fabulous photoshoot, that is guaranteed to get the party started old school style.
So if you and your hens want to hit the Lanes of Brighton looking like Dita Von Teese, more details are just one, not very vintage, click away!
If you’re big into Vintage Weddings and want to make a real statement on your wedding day make like a Royal and organise your own fly-past.
royal wedding flypast @getty
The team over at Kent Spitfire have a Spitfire IXe TA805 based at the historic former RAF Battle of Britain fighter station, Biggin Hill, that can be hired for weddings and events. The fly-past will give your guests a chance to experience the Spitfire’s iconic shape and unmistakeable noise made so famous above the Kent countryside. What a perfect way to bring back all the memories and emotions of the wartime era to add to your wedding day theme.
Team it with a 1940′s singer, roll out the bunting, wave those Union Jacks and be ready to shout “chocs away” vintage lovers!
Todays online shopping extravaganza is courtesy of Britten Weddings and their absolutely gorgeous Art Deco Inspired ‘Circa’ 2013 collection.
The collection ranges from elegant ostrich feather fans to intricately embellished headbands and all the pieces showcase the distinctive Britten style and fabulous craftsmanship.
Since launching in 2011, Britten has created bespoke bridal accessories with a vintage twist. Each and every piece is handmade in the UK by head designer Sarah Jane Bates, who studied the art and craftsmanship of accessory design at London College of Fashion and now works with her team from their workshop just outside Bath.
All pieces in the collection are available to buy online but if you have your mind set on something and just can’t find it anywhere Sarah says ” we can offer a fully bespoke service allowing you to work alongside the team to design your perfect piece”.
So if you missed out on getting something gorgeous for Valentines Day (I for one was just glad for a bunch of flowers!) then go ahead and give yourself a little treat today!
Today we have a discount offer for you from the fantastic Florist in the Forest. Katherine Craft is offering 10% off all bookings for weddings taking place in October and November 2013. Already booked up for the summer you’ll need to be quick if you want her for your wedding.
To receive the discount just book before the end of February 2013 and there’s a minimum spend of £300. Here is just a selection of some of Katherine’s fabulous work but you can find out more by checking out our previous blog post.
Today on the blog Amanda from Distinctly Floral talks us through Olivia and Carl’s Kent Country Wedding. Over to you Amanda!
“When we first met Olivia, we were a little intimidated by how cool, trendy and stylish she was, plus as a designer herself we hoped we’d fit the bill. Olivia and Carl are two of the nicest people and so easy to work with – we had a whale of a time! Their style was relaxed, natural, pretty, romantic and with a strong vintage feel.”
“Their wedding ceremony and reception was in the heart of Kent so we had to give the flowers a distinctly English feel. Nettlestead Church is a stunning intimate old 13th century church so we didn’t want to overdress is. We chose soft tied bunches of flowers for the pews, a single pedestal arrangement at the front of the church and a large terracotta pot arrangement for the window nook in the Entrance Porch. We also put a lovely soft arched arrangement on the lych gate. Carl and Olivia did their handmade confetti in bushel boxes – we think owning a garden centre helped them a little!
Olivia’s bouquet was a gorgeous textured and scented hand-tied bouquet designed to look quite “spriggy” and “just-picked”. It included a range of different roses, hydrangeas, freesias, bouvardia, mint and eucalyptus. It worked perfectly with her dress and didn’t overwhelm her petite frame. We finished the look off with a vintage crocheted doily.
Olivia’s bridesmaids had smaller hand-tied bouquets again with a natural feel to them. We decided on a small posy for her Flower Girl with a simple lace wrist loop to help her carry it.”
“Olivia knew she wanted her marquee reception to have impact with a “chill-out zone” in a separate marquee “room”. She sourced all the furniture herself (with lots of late night driving by Carl to collect her “finds”) and it looked amazing – we were then let loose to dress it with flowers. For the reception tables, we alternated between candelabra with a range of vases at the base and mixed selections of jugs, birdcages, vases, pots, teapots, china etc. A very eclectic vintage look, filled with gorgeous soft flowers and all draped with lace and pearls. We then added hydrangea florets and rosebuds to the tables to finish the look.”
“We even managed to dress the Indonesian Betjak (which belonged to Olivia’s parents) with sprays of flowers and added flowers to the cake, the bar and the tables. Basically if it didn’t move, we dressed it with flowers! We also provided the birdcage post box – all dressed with flowers of course!”
“Olivia and Carl provided the finishing touches with throws to keep knees warm, flip flops for tired feet and little Black Forest cakes for late night munchies….what a wedding!”
Thanks so much to Olivia and Carl for allowing us to feature their wedding and Amanda for doing such a fantastic job of talking us through the day.
This weekend is the first in a series of Designer Weekends at FrouFrou Bridal Boutique, Tunbridge Wells. As well as being able to view full collections by featured designers, there’s super discounts available and your chance to win your dress for free! This Saturday and Sunday (24th & 25th November 2012) features designer Lusan Mandongus. Check out more info on the flyer below or read more about the boutique in our featured blog post.
Today on the blog we have some great news for Brides looking for a vintage wedding dress in Kent. Ciara Mullan owner of Dita Florita, normally supplies her vintage dresses by post, on a sale or return basis, but from this month you can visit her showroom in Kent and try on the dresses to your hearts content.
Images from this gorgeous shoot show you just some of the original dresses that Ciara sources for her boutique. For more information about viewing appointments visit Dita Florita.
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