A note from me to you...

Can you remember the last time that you received a handwritten note or letter?

In our world of texts, emails, tweets and status posts we now communication in a very different way, but the handwritten note is still a very special one.

Image from: http://www.allwomenstalk.com/

One way of adding a personal touch to your wedding is to write a little note to your guests. Thanking them for sharing your special day on beautiful piece of paper, a luggage label, or simply just a small tag tied to a favour or napkin takes a few minutes, costs little but stays in the memories of your guests after the day has finished.

 

 Image from: http://www.weddingbee.com/

A simple handwritten note shows that someone took the time to sit down and want to tell us something because we are special to them. 

Image from: www.morethanwords.uk.com

If you feel that your handwriting is not up to scratch then there are many calligraphers who can write on your behalf.  More Than Words have an amazing service that would make an amazing wedding present or thank you gift. A handwritten note is duplicated and turned into a work of art to cherish forever.

Image from: http://www.onlinedatingschool.com/ 

So treat yourself to a new pen, some gorgeous card or paper and make the time to thank your friends and family who make your celebration and support you in your new chapter in life. In fact, who could you send a little note to today?

Love Kirsten xx

Kirsten is a venue stylist and runs her own business The Little Wedding Helper. To discuss how she can help make your special day as fabulous as possible visit her website and get in touch.

Face to face with a modern icon

No, we're not talking Lady Gaga here. Instead, the modern icon to which I'm referring is THE dress of 2011, the Duchess of Cambridge's wedding gown.
 

Image via the Guardian

For those of you wishing to get up close and personal with the McQueen dress, it is being exhibited at Buckingham Palace as part of the venue's annual Summer Opening. As well as the dress, you can also see the veil, earrings, shoes, bouquet and cake from the event, plus the beautiful Cartier "Halo" tiara that Kate borrowed from the Queen.

The exhibition also features a five minute video of Sarah Burton, the McQueen designer, explaining how the dress was made and detailing the triumphs of engineering hidden beneeath the folds of silk gazar. Who would have thought, for example, that there was a special panel in the back to ensure that the train hung properly?

The dress will be on display until October 3rd and for more information visit www.royalcollection.org. But be quick - there has been an unprecedented demand for tickets and there is a strong chance they will sell out, such is the power of The Dress!

 - Helen

Butterfly

This week is all about the butterflies. I took a recent turn through the Butterfly Forest at Bristol Zoo and loved seeing all the brightly coloured wings and the myriad of designs.  It reminded me of why butterflies are a popular theme for weddings.  They embody the summertime, prettiness and can be any colour you choose. Here’s some butterfly inspired loveliness.

 

These pretty brooches, from BHLDN, are pricey at $390 but are also undeniably pretty. They would look perfect on any bride.

Not On The High Street are known for having lots of goodies all in one place and these two butterfly necklaces are no exception. I especially love the detail on the silver design.

Next we skip Anthropologie's stunning website.  The apron is a snip at £24 and would be a great gift for someone who has helped you on your special day - or maybe even just to wear around the house as a treat for yourself.  The rug costs £199.95 and I am in love with the bold design.  And look look look at this skirt.  I am all over it (it's only £39.95).  Paired with a pretty blouse and heels (or flats - or any shoes) this would be the prettiest of items for the bridal party.

Last of all we are finishing our mystery tour of the internet with a stop off at Monsoon and Accessorize. The butterfly clutch is £35 and the perfect accessorie for a discerning guest.  The adorable tights (£7) will ensure your flower girls fit the theme. Scared of a downpour? If you have this brolly (£12) on hand you don't need to be. And lastly, not content with theming the wedding? Use these butterfly sticky notes (£3) to ensure your notes and planning are on trend.

Well, that's all folks.  Enjoy the rain.

Hannah x

Andie's Speciality Treats

I was browsing the lovely old internet, as I do from time to time, and I just had to show you this Etsy shop. I mean… I almost stopped breathing because the treats are so pretty.  One of the things I really loved about the shop is how versatile each item is - you could use one or several to create different themes for your event whether it's big, blousey blooms for a bridal shower or the adorable toadstools and mushrooms for a woodland wedding.

Andie's Speciality Sweets are so beautiful and well crafted that they look good enough to eat.  And you really can eat them. Everything listed is edible and even better, they’re all 100% vegan.

On the site they say: “Our philosophy, here at Andie's is simple...
...to give Treats unto others as we would want them to give Treats unto us.

It's the Golden Rule, Good Quality, and Excellent Service mixed in with a delightful world of unexpected sweets...the things we are dedicated to never going out of style.

At Andie's, we take the greatest care in producing superb, handmade, sugar decorations, sculpted marzipan, & decorated cookies. Our goal is not just a pretty edible, not just a palatable one either, but one that is visually and tastefully pleasurable in all aspects.

Our sugar embellishments are gluten free, and are free of gelatin, partially hydrogenated oils, and the like. We use organic and non gmo ingredients wherever possible. We were busy developing a vegan line, but liked the way they tasted so much that (ta-da) we've decided to make every product vegan! Now, all of our chocolate filled edibles are vegan friendly."

The items come in at various costs but because they ship from across the pond the postage can be quite costly… though I am tempted to argue that if they taste as good as they look they’ve got to be worth it. Right?

Please tell me you love all this as much as I do?

Hannah x

Sweet treats

Mmmm, sweets. I'm a big fan of old fashioned penny sweets such as rhubarb and custard, bon bons and  pineapple rock, and I've noticed that it's getting more and more popular to use these sweets as favours. Some couples are also having sweet tables with lots of different goodies on offer for guests to help themselves to during the day.

With this trend in mind, Bah Humbugs, the online sweet shop, has launched a range of party bags to mark their seventh anniversary – providing unique and fun favours for weddings.

The Bah Humbugs party bags all contain a fantastic selection of the most popular retro sweets such as popping candy, double dip sherbet, finger of fudge, refreshers, Black Jacks, fruit salads, mini love hearts, parma violets and a candy necklace.

If you've got children at your wedding and would like to entertain them with party bags, Bah Humbugs has also put together a bag specific for boys and girls which contains the usual selection of scrumptious retro sweets, along with a wooden yo yo, bouncy ball and either a wooden bead bracelet for the girls, or a super glider kit for the boys.

Bah Humbugs owner Lucy Scott Paul said: “We are delighted to be launching the party bags line at Bah Humbugs which is a new range of products to celebrate our 7th anniversary.

“The country is definitely in the party spirit with the recent Royal Wedding and Queen’s Jubilee next year and we felt what better time to launch a new range of party bags for every occasion? The party bags have delicious treats from our fashionable retro range of sweets and traditional crafted toys for boys and girls. And busy would-be party planners don’t even need to leave the house as they can be ordered from our website.” 

 

For more details see www.bahhumbugs.com. Then comes the hard part - deciding what sweets you want!

 

- Helen