Stationery...and all the issues with the post office!

Well everyone says that the first impression of your wedding is your invites.... so the panic starts! Where do I start, how do I make sure that it's shabby chic/ vintagey/ mismatched etc and still get all the information across that I need to. I drew up some plans of what I wanted it to look like.

I started with some drawings of each on some paper and then tried to see which is the best. I wanted something that had the colour of the wedding, with a little sparkle and a little detail. I liked the idea of the pocketfolds, but I just couldn't afford £1.25 ish on the pocket fold itself. I decided to stick to a card as well.

After some practises I finally came up with my invites, and was very happy with them.

I found the swirly stamper in a local craft shop in our town along with the ink, pearlescent paper and stick on diamanté's. I also got the ribbon from the local haberdashery shop who has been doing me a deal with the ribbon ever since I started buying off of them. The card, wording stamps and the buckles are off Ebay. 

I will say this to everyone reading, look on Ebay, you will get everything you need off it. 

I wanted all the other stationery to match as well. 

Thank you cards-

Order of Service- (still to do the inserts)

RSVP's-

Cake Box-

Envelope Liners-

I loved my stationery, but every time I saw something more vintagey I would think I could of done better and would want to redo them all again. But my fiancée convinced me if I touched the invites to redo them then I he would divorce me before we married!!! Hint taken they were fine. 

So these are what my invites looked like once I put them all together...

I wanted to have matching Table Names etc, but I really didn't like the results I was getting, so decided to have another go at them. We decided that the tables were going to be named after Pubs that mean something to us or we have visited. With that we wanted to have pictures of the pubs, but I couldn't get the soft pictures I was after. So the task of choosing the 12 pubs was started...

1. Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, St Albans.Hertfordshire. Pub next to where we got engaged.
2. Rummers, Aberystwyth. Ceredigion. My local at Uni.
3. Lock 17, Camden, London. Fiancée's London hangout. 
4. The Globe Inn, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. Our local, where we live.
5. The Pheasant Inn, Keyston, Cambridgeshire. Go on special dates for meals.
6. The Crown, Uley, Gloucestershire. Took fiancée there when we were dating, they do amazing food and Ales. 
7. The Anchor, Epney, Gloucestershire. Where fiancée meet my dad for the first time.
8. The Fountain Inn, Linton, North Yorkshire. Where fiancée's brother worked. 
9. The Foresters Inn, Grassington, North Yorkshire. Our local when we're in Grassington.
10. The Cricketers, Cobham, Surrey. Where we had our first date.
11. The Five Bells, Stanbridge, Bedfordshire. One of our favourite pubs where we live.
12. The Bell Inn, Woburn, Bedfordshire. One of our favourites for taking people to.

I absolutely love them, and on the back we've written little comments about each pub and why they mean so much to us. Hoping this gets everyone thinking about the pubs, and maybe visiting them, etc.

I then decided that as I wanted the stationery on the table to match, so I decided to make sure that the name tags also matched. I also wanted to make them mismatch also. I liked the idea of them being set in a certain way as well, which I will come to later on once, I've actually made them.

I've been trained in Calligraphy as part of my fine art degree course, so I decided to hand write each one using my calligraphy skills. I borrowed an ink pen from used my Indian Ink to hand write the on to pearlescent paper. I also decided to add diamanté's to each side, to keep the little bit of sparkle in my stationary.

My idea is to have them on the napkins, with some little wooden hearts and the matching ribbon with a sprig of a herb behind it. I want the guest to have there noses filled with aroma's throughout the day.

I've still to make my menu's and complete my table plan. I also need to finish off the Orders of Service as well as a couple of other little stationery bits. I will add these as and when I do them. I can't wait to do the menu's as I have a rather cute little idea. 

Time to think about decorations

So I went over to Stirk House in the Easter holidays 2011. We were meeting up with the chair cover lady, Linda of Le Chic Chair covers, Huddersfield. She was amazing, she came up with so many ideas for us, and helped us come up with ideas. With Linda's help I could actually see what my reception would look like, I could see what the church would look like, how my tables were going to be laid out and how the wedding was coming together.

Linda set up the Chair covers, and we used the table layout that the reception had for another wedding to help with the inspiration. Linda sent me some samples of colours, and  I loved the brown, but was complete unsure of the other, but when she put them together, it was beautiful. Excitement built in me, I couldn't believe how good the colours looked together, let alone how lovely they were with the hearts I made for the chair backs. She then showed me how the table runners would look, this made it even more exciting, as I could really see the tables coming together with the chairs.

Chair covers and sashes and hearts-

Chair covers, sashes and hearts close up-

Top table style-

The table runners-

Chair covers and table runners together-

So while I was at Stirk House with Linda, she suggested so many ideas I got super excited. So the search started for Teacups, Saucers and Side plates began! I needed 120 in total. I scan carboots, ebay, charity shops and little boutiques. I had people all across the country searching, from Birmingham, Cheshire, Skipton, Cambridge, Aberystwyth, Bristol, London and Kent. We started collecting in April and completed the collection in September!!! We were good at collecting.

Just some of the teacups- 

Just some of my favourites-

So now that all my teacups were brought the next thing to do was to complete the marathon task of the bunting. I looked up how much it would of costed to by and refused to pay £10 for 5 metres when I know I could make more for less... So I went to the local haberdashery in Skipton and to the Market stall in St Albans and brought all the material I needed to make my bunting. I cut out loads of triangles and brought some white bias binding (60 metres in total). I started the process of sewing the hem, Unfortunately, this took so long it started to drive me made, and I dreaded doing it, I borrowed one of the Art department sewing machines but that broke down during making some, so the art technician took a load off me and sewed some. Then we had a visit to my mum, who whipped through them in no time! 

So about a year after starting the bunting it was done, lots of blood, sweat and tears went into it, but they were done, FINALLY!!! As soon as we got home, the following day, I got hanging it in my living room as the excitement of having it all made was to much. 

I've still got to think about where I'm going to put it all. I hate swags on top tables, I think this is down to me just thinking they are dust collectors in houses, so I know I'm going to put some on the top table. I also think it will be put around the sweets table and cake table. I'm going to have to speak to the reception to see what we can do with the bunting for elsewhere in the reception. 

So two mammoth tasks for decorating the reception was done. Just the finer details to go....

Lastly the Flower girls...

Well I have chosen my 2 Flower girls I originally didn't plan on having flower girls, but thought that my two step nieces were to cute to not be included. So the search began to find the prefect dresses for them, as I didn't want them to wear White/ Ivory as my dress wasn't really those colours, plus I wanted them to have something to be able to wear again. I looked on Monsoon website, and found the prefect dress BUT not in the right sizes, I was gutted, 1 month later looked again, they had the sizes I needed BUT I didn't have the money to buy them at the time, so waited till Pay day and you guessed it, they were out of stock again. So after bridesmaid dress shopping, I popped into the Milton Keynes Monsoon, looking for Bridesmaid shoes, and guess what!!!! They were there the perfect sizes! The only sizes left!!! I was so happy and got them here and then.

So the plan is to go shopping in June Bank Holiday for the matching shoes and bits in Birmingham and take the dresses over to their mums to check they fit and ask my step mum if she will do any alterations.

I'm still in the process of making their hair bands so as soon as they are made I will show you them...

But here are the dresses in the mean time.

I'm so happy with them, just need to decide on the rest of their outfit.

Lets here it for the boys!

Ok this has been a constant problem! We went into a suit hire place in Skipton, booked a suit, with cream waist coat, sage green and mocha cravats. Well we kept getting phone calls from them asking us to come and get fittings done as they needed to order them in, but they told us we had to do it before April 2011. We called up and asked they put our wedding in for 2011!!!! But clearly the message didn't get across, as a couple weeks later we get another phone call, so we called up the best man, who is nearer to Skipton than we are to pop in and ask what was going on, turned out they didn't put date change in the book!!!! Argh!!! Got really fed up with them, but the best man stepped in and sorted it out for us.

Anyway we decided to book suits for Groom, Best Man, 2 Ushers and my Dad. Hopefully we can get them all up for May bank holiday to get measurements done.

Something like this....

Bridesmaids are finally sorted!

So over the last 6 months, we have successfully achieved booking everything we wanted.

It took nearly 7 months to finally get the bridesmaids to finally decide on the day to go dress shopping, after having to cancel 3 times! It was the one thing that got me down constantly, I was in tears as they just won't make their mind up.

So after trying to get them to organise themselves since March we finally agreed on a date in October! So we after a massive military style organisation to collect everyone (now I only have 5 bridesmaids, we ended up with a house full of 10!) and we enjoyed a fun packed weekend. I booked a total of 4 shops, all with different designers. We booked one which was super duper expensive 5 dresses came in at £1250!!!! Way over budget! We then went onto another shop, we thought we found the dress, but it was £170, which was only £20 over budget, but I still didn't know if it was the one, so we moved onto the next shop. Where we found the same dress but at £155! And the girls had lots of fun in that shop. So we went onto the other shop, just to have a look, but this shop was awful, they were rude, clearly didn't want us there and made the appointment really unpleasant.

So over some wine, pasta and dessert we looked over the photos that my lovely chief bridesmaid took for me and decided that the dress they tried on in the two shops, where perfect. We decided the dress! FINALLY!

Alfred Angelo Bridesmaid Dress, we choose the colour Lettuce, it's not spot on matching colour, but gradually over the year we have realised not everything is going to be matching perfectly, so this has almost become part of our theme.

So now our Bridesmaid dresses and our theme was sorted...

Shabby Chic, mismatched, hearts, northern countryside, DIY wedding.

So now that the dresses are done, it was time to sort out the rest of the bridesmaids accessories out...

I desperately wanted peep toe nude shoes for them, they can wear them again, so after a made search I finally found what I wanted for them. Now I'm the tallest in the group at 5'8, and with my heels on I'm pushing 6'0, so the heel size didn't really matter, and the girls were only going to wear them for walking down and up the aisle and then for photos, so I could get away with any size heel. So thankfully ASOS had some that were perfect.

ASOS, Passion Peep Toe, £18, bargain. 

Now the final thing that I needed to sort out is the hair accessories, now I searched high and low to find something within my budget that was perfect for the bridesmaids, and after popping into Harrogate Primark, I found a flower hair band for 50p, a flowery ring for 50p and a feather brooch for 50p. I worked out if I cut off the backing of the brooch and ring, and made the flower into a slide it was exactly what I was after. So after I cut off all the bits that I needed, I then glued the top of the ring into the centre of the flower and glued the end of the brooch between the layers of petals. Once these had dried out, I then sewed and glued the flower to the hair slide and I was incredible proud of myself.

I apologise for the last photo it's very hard to take a photo of the back of your head.

So finally the Bridesmaid were almost done, apart from their main gift, the Jewellery. 

Well the problem with my bridesmaids is that each one of them is completely different to the other. So I decided I didn't want to go along loads of different shops trying to find 5 different pieces of jewellery for each one. So I decided to make their jewellery. 

Me and my fiancée are big fans of Bath Christmas Market. and go every Christmas, and there is a bead shop, down one of the little squares near the cathedral called Bijoux Beads. I went in and found beads for each bridesmaid. and decided to make each of them a Necklace and earrings. Total cost of all the beads and equipment, just sort of £50! Bargain, plus I've now found a hobby I love, and think I am going to maybe include it in my DIY wedding business. 

So here are the pictures of the jewellery for each of my bridesmaids. 

Bridesmaid one- 

Marina Biologist, very classic, but loves everything to do with the sea.

Bridesmaid two-

My stepsister, Formerly an EMO, she's quite trendy.

Bridesmaid three-

Very hippy, hennaed hair, likes vintage/ antique things.

Bridesmaid four- 

Another slightly hippy bridesmaid, likes crafty things, and sticks buttons on everything!

Bridesmaid five-

Very classic, likes traditional things, only bridesmaid to be married.

So finally the bridesmaids are done after 7 months of trying, tears and organising. All I have to be concerned about is there dresses fit! which they said they will pay for.

Next post will be more planning...

Sorry it's been a while....

I know I haven't blogged in over 6 months it has been scarily busy for us for quite some time. Well let me give you the insight into some of the decisions we have made since...

and again, y apologise for being useless these 6 months.

So a little about our wedding...

Well due to my computer having a hissy fit, I going to try to and upload some photo's for you gradually...

Since we got engaged I was determined to do as much DIY crafty pieces as possible, I didn't see the point of paying £10 for 5 metres of bunting when I can spend £20 on material and make 45 metres of bunting instead. I just couldn't see myself spend money on things I know I could make, hence why I think we agreed on a 2 and a half year wait.

So a little about our wedding-

We are getting married in my husband to be's family church in a little village of Grassington, the Yorkshire Dales, in a small Yorkshire stone church from about 13th century, set down a tiny single track lane leading to a valley with only a couple of farmer cottages next to it, so all you can hear is the sky larks and swallows calling to each other, the River Wharfe rushing by as it moves round the edge of the church hitting the stepping stone crossing a bit further down, and the occasional sound of the Swalesdale sheep bleating to each other in the surrounding fields. You walk into the church through a beautiful porch where swallows dive in and out of their nest, and into a church that literally shows the closeness of the community and history of the place with massive stone columns that lead to arches and tiny lead windows that let in the soft Yorkshire light.

We had to go over the border into Lancashire to get a reception we loved, as there is such a shortage of reception venues in the Yorkshire Dales, and with our budget there was just no way we could  afforded a marquee, which I would of loved. We looked at number of different especially in Harrogate, but they were either to expensive, had a separate event on or would have two weddings on at a time, so we found a pub that we loved but would of meant having to cut 20 people off our list which we couldn't see possible, then we found an amazing place called Stirk House, and I just loved the light, the space and the separate rooms where you could get away from the music and sit in high back leather chairs and sofas.

The interior picture was the set up for another smaller wedding at the time...

Due to the setting of the places we were getting married, anything to bright or modern would just look out of place, so after trawling through the magazines, we decided to go olde worlde trying to capture to age and beauty of the place, so soft green, pink and browns, which would work well with my hand made items...

So we decided on the theme, colour and church/ venue we could make a start on putting it all together...

I will tell you next how we came up with a whole other theme on this wedding, which inspired some of my makes...