Wedding Breakfast

So you are going to take more than 50 people out for dinner – a sumptious three or four course meal for that matter. Just how often do you do that?

Not often, so your first meal together as husband and wife should be planned, thought about, tasted and will then wow your guests.

Think about your favourite dishes, your individual tastes and how they can be incorporated into a menu that everyone will enjoy. Try to think outside of the box; don’t just go for a roast because it’s popular, you can have a roast dinner every week. Why not try a Rosemary Roast Beef with Balsamic and Cranberry Glaze.

Profiteroles are also popular, but can your chef think of profiteroles with a slight twist – how about Profiteroles with Passion Fruit Creme.

And don’t forget about your vegetarian guests – if your chef can only think of brown Mushroom Risotto – fire him!

Anna & Jamie, Whittlebury Park, 22nd August 2009

We said we would post some pictures and here they are. They chose our Alabama range in Diamond Repousse and Antique Gold. The main colour for this concept is the beautiful floral pattern from Anna Griffin in creams, accented with gold and finished with flowing ivory chiffon ribbon.

We kept the menu scrolls in keeping, and rolled the floral paper and tied with the same ribbon, with the table numbers on a floral tentfold card, the same as the place settings.

Very feminine, very in line with their venue and very traditional!

Why?

We don't air our laundry in public but this story has really got our goat - what a use of words.

http://www.northantset.co.uk/news/Fury-as-county-wedding-firm.5578627.jp

This young lady used to buy from us; had lots of friends weddings to make favours and stationery for. Until one day she came in and told us she was setting up in competition with us - we don't think so! The shop closed in May, Companies House have a proposal to strike off the company off (since June 2009).

So what does she do; she resigns and sets up a new company, leaving her husband to deal with the fallout (although the new company has yet to be confirmed, but we are working on it).

Why? How can she do this? How can she mess with the biggest day of people's lives?

Rant over for now......

Country Estate Chic

Today, we're writing about our favourite local venue, Rushton Hall. From the moment you drive up the longway driveway, walk through the ornate doorway and down the red carpet to reception, you know you are in one of the world's favourite hotels.

Every bedroom has been individually designed by its owner, a lady that is hands on everyday. Her attention to detail is perfect. She has restored this beautiful country estate to its former glory.

The Drawing Room is perfect for your civil ceremony and welcome drinks are served in The Courtyard. You then have a choice of The Library or the Pavilion for your wedding reception. If you take exclusive use, you can use the Great Hall too - which is a fabulous panelled room that looks over the gardens.

They have recently added the most perfect spa too.

Such a serene venue ...

Mixed Bag Today

Today, we are finishing off Anna & Jamie's wedding at Whittlebury Park. They went for our Alabama design using Anna Griffin's Repousse which is a lovely soft cream floral pattern. Finished with sheer ribbons, this design is very "floaty". Pictures to follow later of table plan, menu scrolls, place settings AND table numbers.

We're also getting ready for the autumn wedding fairs and need to design lots of new stationery, if the wedding dress shop round the corner is right, there are going to be lots of dark colours next year; midnight blue, purple and burgundy to name a few.

Plus we have a South African wedding party that are leaving the UK on Friday and need Order of Service, place setting menus, guestbook, table numbers and table plan. Ann is a lovely bride. She came into the shop last October asking for ivory or white wedding stationery and left with Pyrite, Tartan and White Kaleidoscope (35) - very funky but that's what we love about using the Design Studio from Envelopments.

So if we are so busy, why are we writing a blog .... more later!

mmm wedding cake

I have a figure that would show you that I have tasted more than just one wedding cake in my time, but I would only recommend one in the Northamptonshire area and that is from the Hockleys boys in Brixworth.

Their cake is beautiful; whether it is the fudgy chocolate cake, the delicate lemon cake or the extremely fruity fruit cake. Their cakes are well made, use the finest ingredients and taste devine!

When choosing your cakemaker, you need to have one that you can trust. Visit their premises for hygiene, are they open to your ideas or are they pushing you into something they know they can make, will they set the cake up for you as part of the package, can they make a cutting cake for you?

Hockleys Cakes also have a budget range that “compete” with Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, Tesco etc… there’s no competition!

Gasp, horror ....

This is the first Saturday that the shop has officially been closed in five years. We've decided to change the shop hours to Monday to Friday, 10 til 2 only.

We've made this decision because we've seen a huge increase in internet sales, we're doing more venue dressing and if no-one comes into the shop on a Saturday, we don't get anything done as we have no motivation - it's the weekend!

So what are we going to do with ourselves? We are still running an appointment system, so guess what - we're in the shop this morning with an 8.00 am pick up - typical. They were on time too so I didn't get a chance to take any photos of their on-the-day stationery.

But I do have a picture of the gorgeous place setting that we did at a very Mama Mia style wedding in a barn (unconverted) last weekend. We did 110 random china place settings, each with a handmade shortbread heart, dolly bead bracelet round the napkin and a luggage tag (each individually handmade by Laura the bride. Random vases of country flowers, along with mismatched lace tablecloths made the barn looking stunning. One of our favourite weddings this year - congratulations to Laura & Nikki.

Back to work now, creating our Iowa design for a beautiful russian bride, so much for a weekend off!