Christmas at the Orangery

This Sunday the gorgeous orangery at Goldney Hall will be packed with top vintage wedding suppliers. The fair opens at 11am and all proceeds from the £1 entry fee go to Breast Cancer UK.

A cemetery might not be top of your list of romantic locations, but if you are looking for a wedding venue in Bristol, then don't rule out Arnos Vale.


                                                     

Steeped in local history and with two stunning locations for civil ceremonies and Anglican ceremonies, there is lots of choice and flexibility. The Spielman Centre can hosts civil ceremonies and receptions and the attached cafe and terrace makes a great chill out area and bar for your guests.


                                                      

The Anglican Chapel can host wedding ceremonies as well as offer space for a sit down meal if you marry in the Spielman Centre. The chapel is neutral and a real blank canvas for you to decorate.


                                        

The food is provided by Whisk! who cater exclusively for all weddings and offer a wide choice of food from bangers and mash to buffets, tagines and curries.

                                        

The cemetery really is a fascinating place and has a very calm and serene atmosphere rather than feeling cold or sombre. It really suits weddings and as you enter the Chapel it's really no different to walking through a graveyard for a church wedding.

If you are looking for a unique historical wedding venue, then make sure to have a look around and make up your own mind. I think you'll fall in love and if you do marry there you'll support the work to restore and maintain an important part of Bristol's heritage. Visit the website for more information www.arnosvale.org.uk

Images Courtesy of Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust

This summer has been my busiest ever so far (hence a bit of a lack of blog posts!). As well as lots of candy buffets and jam jar wedding favours, my on the day wedding coordination service has been very popular and I'm, getting lots of bookings through for 2014 too.

Many couples initially rule out a wedding planner as an American fad or something only celebrities use. However in reality a wedding planner is perfect for both those planning huge expensive weddings and those planning low cost DIY ones.

   



If you're planning a DIY wedding, you may have chosen somewhere like a village hall with a reasonable hire charge to hold your wedding. This means there's no dedicated wedding coordinator to manage all of the suppliers you have booked and no-one to decorate your venue and make sure things run smoothly.

On the Day Coordination also suits those with busy lives, who don't want to spend the last six weeks before the wedding running around contacting suppliers, finalising details and staying up late decorating the venue the night before.

On the day wedding coordination starts from £350 and includes

Before The Wedding

Sorry it's been a bit quiet on here. Busy wedding season is well under way meaning more time spent working on weddings rather than blogging about them. Whilst I have been busy the blog has reached over 100,000 page views which is fantastic news. Thanks to everyone who has read and supported the blog since it started.

I just wanted to share a gorgeous candy buffet I did in Romsey, Southampton this weekend. I was working alongside The Little Wedding Helper who styled the cocktail marquee for Nirisha and Suchin's Asian Wedding. It's the biggest wedding I have ever been involved with with over 470 guests. Nirisha wanted a very vintage feel with lots of pretty lace, soft pastels and vintage props.





Here's a few pictures from the candy buffet. The stunning flowers are by Emma Norton and the shabby chic bureau can be hired as a dessert table, sweet table or cake table.





If you'd like something similar for your wedding, please do or visit my website for more information.

Today let's take a look at a real hidden gem of a wedding venue in Bristol. St George's Bristol in an historic listed building nestling on a hillside between Park Street and Brandon Hill. Originally a church built in the Greek Revival Style in the early 19th Century, St George's Church lost popularity and was saved in the 70s by the St George's Music Trust.

                             
                         
                         

                                         


Today it flourishes as a thriving music venue hosting concerts and events. It also lends itself beautifully to weddings due to the large hall (the former church) which can seat up to 200 for a sit down meal. The stone walled crypt offers a fantastic art filled bar and if the weather permits guests can be greeted with drinks and canapes in the gorgeous grounds that surround the building.


                        

                       

The food is provided by Goldbrick House who offer a wide choice of catering options and from 2014 there will be even more choice for couples. Drinks are provided in house with the bar offering a wide choice of options as well as a pop up bar in the hall.

There are lots of hidden treasures in the hall and the grounds. A star in the ceiling marks where a world war two bomb crashed through the roof onto the alter and luckily did not explode and the grounds are full of hidden plaques and benches depicting poetic inscriptions inspired by music.

                         

                         

If you are looking for a gorgeous Bristol wedding venue then St George's should be added to your must see list. If you'd like to arrange a viewing,  please contact Louise Orchard by . or call 0117 929 4929.

The Great Gatsby has just been released starring Leonardo di Caprio as the mysterious Jay Gatsby and Carey Mulligan as the love of his life Daisy Buchanon. I watched it yesterday and though it's had mixed reviews from critics there's no denying the styling, glamour and decadence make it worth a watch.





If you are thinking of using a 1920s or Gatsby inspired theme then make sure to take a look at my pinterest board here for lots of ideas.

 

Almonry Barn is a gorgeous new wedding venue in Somerset and I'm delighted to share these stunning images featuring lots of talented wedding suppliers from a recent shoot by Photography by Kerry.


                               

                                               

If you are looking for a beautiful theme for a wedding, you really can't get much prettier than an enchanted garden or forest theme. It works beautifully outdoors but you can also use it to brings the outdoors inside by hiring trees wrapped with twinkling fairy lights and using lanterns, moss, flowers and props to bring it all to life.

For inspiration for this look think of Bella and Edward's Wedding in Twilight or of flower fairies and grottos. How about this gorgeous dessert table from Martha Stewart or the table styling by Flower Wild Events

                                        

                                          

For ceremony inspiration this gorgeous shoot featured on Green Wedding Shoes shows a stunning wisteria canopy that would make any venue look beautiful.

                             

Lighting is very important for an enchanted forest it needs to be twinkly and pretty. Candle light, festoon lighting, lanterns and jam jars all work beautifully a shown directly below. A start light canopy or backdrop also enhances the theme and green up-lighters would work well to create the forest like glow. Pretty candles and moss green ribbon keep the theme elegant as shown on the table below.

                             

                                               

This theme makes me think of a Midsummer Nights Dream and these adorable fairy jars really capture the romance and whimsical nature. This would be a fun and easy DIY project with some led fairy lights, jam jars and craft moss.

                                

I hope you like my ideas and if you need any help with themes or inspiration make sure to visit the Themes & Inspiration page or get in contact. You can also take a look at my full Enchanted Forest pinterest board for more ideas.

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Martha Stewart Weddings, Flower Wild Events, Three Nails Photography via Green Wedding Shoes, Lilac & Grey, Daughter Of Design, Swashbuckle the Aisle

If you are looking for a sweet table or candy buffet for your wedding, then please take a look at  Sweet & Pretty Weddings and Candy Buffets. I run Sweet & Pretty alongside this blog and love to create gorgeously delicious candy buffets for my customers as well as wedding favours, table centrepieces and wedding planning.